Spring 2016, issue 3

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Volume 82 ◆ Issue 3

Th u r s d ay, F e b rua r y 1 8 , 2 0 1 6 News

Creating Equality Series receives funding

By Idalis Foster

Senior News Editor

Natural Resource Expert talks rare metal usage Page 3

A&E

Poet Laureate comes to campus Page 7

Sports

Basketball teams swept by Salem State Page 11

Op-Ed

The Creating Equality series is getting help from the College through mini grants to support programming around diversity and inclusion. After some deliberation and three years of successful events, the Creating Equality advisory group has secured $2,000 in mini grants of $300-400 for events in this semester alone.

Students, clubs, or organizations on campus can apply to receive said grants by contacting Deborah Currie in the Academic Affairs office. Applications will then go through an advisory group, with the decision finalized by Cynthia Brown, vice president of Academic Affairs.

“We started the Creating Equality series three academic years ago, as it was an idea to commemorate anniversaries in civil rights movements,” Brown said. “The purpose of the series grew and it continued for the second year last spring; in the fall we decided to institutionalize it.”

According to Brown, this pool of money is just the start for the series, but next semester the grants will grow in size. She hopes that rolling the grants out now will set the precedent for next semester and give more students incentive to plan programming in the upcoming fall semester.

opportunities mean for the College, as well as their place in the conversation about diversity and inclusion.

“These mini-grants represent a major step toward fostering a more inclusive campus culture for our increasingly diverse student body,” Londoño said. “I believe the College appreciates that it has a responsibility to help educate its students on the importance of diversity and inclusion, on mutual acceptance, on sensitivity and empathy.”

When asked how they would like to see this funding used for events about these issues, Staaf and Londoño agreed that creative endeavors would be the best way for this money to be put to use.

Londoño also touched on the recent demeaning rhetoric used in the presidential races and on Kostenlose Illustration campuses across the nation to which, Senior Taurus Londoño and junior he believes, events can pose as solutions.

Katrina Staaf, who are both on the Diversity “At our campus, our new financial Task Force and part of Campus Conversations resources can be used to fund events that act on Race, were glad to hear that these grants are as a counterpoint to this kind of rhetoric,” available this semester.

Londoño said. “Women, Latinos and Muslims “Access to funding will hopefully mean that in particular have been on the receiving end several of the great ideas out there become of this bigotry; events that raise awareness realities,” Staaf said. “Personally, I'd like to regarding the plight of immigrants, insight launch an interactive publication that better into Islam and the persistent need to stand up connects the people of MCLA to one another for women's rights are important.” and to our surrounding community.”

CREATING EQUALITY Londoño felt strongly about what these Continued on page 2

Why aren't we voting?

By Torin Gannon Staff Writer

Senate needs to play nice Page 4

Campus Life

Local Trainer offers fitness classes in Adams Page 8

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Who are MCLA Students Voting For?

have kids. They’re busy,” Greene said. “If you have the day off work, well, then you have no excuse to not go down.”

In order to do away with the apathy young voters suffer from, the members agreed that Politicians should take greater strides to address the interests and concerns of young voters “A complaint that a lot of young people have is that candidates don’t represent their desires or needs," said freshman Victoria Munoz. "I think if more young people voted, the candidates would care more about the issues of young people, [who would then] see themselves more represented in politics and the government."

9.09% The 18-24 age demographic has the worst voter turnout compared to all other age 9.09% groups, according to U.S. census data. For a generation who has .45% their whole future ahead of them, why aren't we taking a more active role in establishing that future?

79.55% The Political Science club recently sat down to discuss this topic.

“Students just don’t feel like their vote matters," said denior Sanders Trump Clinton Other Allie Kadell. "[We feel like] we’re just these little people that are in Chart created by Torin Gannon/The Beacon college, and if we go out to vote, The chart above illustrates the percentage of students voting what’s the difference?” for each candidate.

MCLA analyzes voting data: Club members Nikki LoGiudice and Tyler Spencer difficulties students may face in getting to A non-scientific anonymous survey was agreed that apathy plays a likely role in the their polling stations or receiving absentee recently given to MCLA students, revealing poor turnout of younger voters. ballots. that, of the students who took the survey, “I just think a lot of people here…don’t Kadell offered a solution to this problem: care enough to emerge themselves in it,” bring the polling stations to college campuses. an overwhelming 80 percent said they were registered to vote.

LoGiudice said. “They don’t understand it, “A lot of times students don’t have The survey also noted that 79 percent of and they don’t take the time to understand transportation,” Kadell said. “[At MCLA] we those who participated plan on voting in the it.” have to take vans down to a church to vote in Primary election, and 90 percent are planning Club president Amber Coombe, '17, our district.” on voting in the presidential election. suggested that politics just don’t take priority Coombe suggested that, if it could be This coincides with a point Marquise for younger people. She said people would made safe, voting through the internet might probably rather watch something like be a viable option to bring up the rates of brought up, which is that he believes college students vote in greater numbers than those “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” which at young voters. who are not in college. least has entertainment value, over a political Siobhan Greene said that if election days When asked if they believe both voting in debate, which may not interest them at all. were made holidays, it would drive up voting the primary elections and voting in general Senior Charlie Marquis noted that younger rates in general. are importan, 91.1 percent said yes. voters might not have much familiarity with “A lot of people, not just young voters, politics, which leads to less enthusiasm for don’t go out because they have work, or they VOTING voting. Other issues suggested were the continued on page 2

2

News

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Beacon.MCLA.edu

Beyond the beacon By idalis Foster

Senior News Editor

Zika virus possibly linked to Guillain-Barre syndrome Being a fairly new virus, little is known to be certain about the Zika virus besides its mild, flu-like symptoms and its spread mainly through bites of a specific type of infected mosquito known as the Aedes species.

Recently, it has been revealed that the virus could possibly be linked to birth defects in babies, including Guillain-Barre syndrome. Guillain-Barre syndrome is a disorder which causes one’s immune system to attack their peripheral nervous system and it is a birth defect amongst babies that can cause paralysis or microcephaly.

According to the Tribune News Service, the journal Clinical Microbiology and Infection wrote an article in October of 2014 that stated that one month after the first Zika cases were reported, the first Guillain-Barre cases were also reported.

While this connection has been classified by the primary author of that article, Didier Musso, as “almost certain,” Musso also claims that there could be even more complications as a result of this disease that have yet to reveal themselves.

The Zika virus has only been present for three years but its presence is skyrocketing in tropical areas where people are most

CREATING EQUALITY, Continued from pg 1 He also expressed the need to show solidarity with social justice movements that are currently taking place through programming, including addressing and showing unity with Mizzou and the #BlackLivesMatter movement.

Events like the Black Lives Matter exhibit can do this.

“The students don’t have to be an established group, but just a group of people who come together for another purpose,” Brown said. “We’re just hoping with this support, the possibilities will spur conversations for events and build up events that already meet this mission of diversity and inclusion.”

The Academic Affairs office has already received a few proposals within a week after the announcement. Through the Creating Equality series, it is their goal to address the accomplishments and challenges associated with all dimensions of human rights, as well as examine and honor the process behind social change.

affected and the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has said that it can be spread from a mother to her fetus during pregnancy.

Survey shows college freshmen are more liberal An annual survey conducted by researchers at the University of California of American Freshman has shown that college freshmen are more committed to civic involvement and political activism than their predecessors. They are more

liberal, less religious, and more invested in social justice.

One third of the participants surveyed identified as “liberal” or “far left” while one fifth identified as “conservative” or “far right” and yet voting in young people is still the lowest in rating of any age group. According to the Tribune News Service, despite this move towards activism “African-American and Latino students were far more likely than Asians and whites to expect to participate in a campus demonstration.”

This same group of surveyed freshmen were more likely to be in support of measures to ban racist and sexist speech on campus, the percentage going up from 58.9 to 70.9.

Microsoft creates dog breed detector app Through the use of Microsoft’s new app, one can now figure out the breed of any dog simply by taking a photo of them. The tool uses artificial intelligence to analyze the photo and narrow down the breed of the dog.

Other apps with similar goals were

pegging someone’s age, reviewing moustaches and identifying if two people look like twins. Currently this dogidentifying app is available on the Web or for Apple iOS users and comes out of the Microsoft Research group in Cambridge, U.K. along with engineers and researchers at Microsoft’s base in Seattle.

Continents absorbing water affect expected sea level rise NASA has announced that these “thirsty continents” are absorbing enough water to slow the rate of the sea level rise by 20 percent, or approximately 1 millimeter per year. The melting of glaciers and ice sheets is still accelerating but with this absorption the water is not reaching the seas as rapidly.

Using measurements of the changes in Earth’s gravity, scientists of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory figured out that this movement of water has affected the Earth’s gravity field. Southern California, for example, has a decrease in their pull of gravity due to their drought, whereas if it were to flood their pull would increase.

However, this absorption will not last long according to one of the scientist who worked on the study, Alex Gardner, a JPL glaciologist. He expects that the continents will eventually lose water mass again since, as he put it, “the land can only hold so much water.”

Department of Defense using Windows 10 MCT Campus The Department of Defense is embarking on a program to update millions of its computers to Windows 10, an unusually quick move for one of Microsoft’s massive government customers.

Microsoft highlighted the department’s plans in a pair of blogposts Wednesday, but the news emerged in a little-noticed November memo by Terry Halvorsen, the Pentagon’s chief information officer.

Halvorsen said the department must rapidly transition to Windows 10 to improve cybersecurity and streamline and lower the costs of its information-technology footprint. He set a goal of completing the migrations by January 2017. It’s unclear what the project will cost.

About 4 million devices are slated for updates as part of the program, said Susie Adams, chief technology officer with the Microsoft group responsible

Who are you voting for?

We want to know!

If you’re a member of the MCLA community answer our poll at @TheBeacon_MCLA by this Sunday, results will be published in next week’s issue.

for sales and support to federalgovernment clients. “This is an unprecedented move for the DoD,” Adams said.

It is the largest single deployment of Windows 10 since its release six months ago, she said.

Sprawling federal agencies are rarely quick adopters of new software, and the Pentagon’s embrace of Windows 10 is likely to be read as an endorsement of the software’s security features and stability, analysts say.

“The speed at which they’re doing the deployment is shocking to me,” said Patrick Moorhead, president of Moor Insights & Strategy, an independent research firm “A year? That’s fast. The DoD is normally last to deploy something.”

Typically, Moorhead said, government agencies wait to see what vulnerabilities hackers find in new software, and consider updating when later versions or the government’s own security workers have patched those

vulnerabilities.

That hesitance, along with the massive scale of government agencies and a lengthy budgeting and review processes, has left the DoD with a patchwork of operating systems, from Microsoft’s ancient Windows XP to Windows 7, and a smaller portion of software made by other companies, Moorhead said.

Windows 10 was released in July to generally positive reviews. Businesses were said to be more comfortable with Windows 10 than its widely panned predecessor, Windows 8.

Microsoft said last month that more than 200 million personal computers, Xbox game consoles and smartphones were running the operating system.

The Seattle-area company has touted Windows 10 security features like integrated fingerprint and face scanning and a feature that walls off the operating system’s core functions to prevent them from

being infected by malware.

Government clients, much like big businesses, usually buy Microsoft’s operating system as part of multiyear service and technical-support packages that give them the option to upgrade to the latest software at no added charge.

It’s unclear what the labor and other elements of the Windows 10 upgrade effort will cost. In his memo, Halvorsen advised the services and agencies within the DoD to “include developing cost estimates” in their plans.

For Microsoft, the hope is the Pentagon’s apparent comfort with Windows 10 nudges big businesses to make a similar move, said Bob O’Donnell, president of Technalysis Research.

Technology buyers “can look at this and say, ‘And those are the people keeping us safe,’” O’Donnell said. “This is a big win for Microsoft.”

VOTING, Continued from pg 1

so divided on who the student body wants for president. The front runner by a wide margin is Bernie Sanders, with 79.55 percent. The survey also said 9.09 percent are voting with Clinton, and the number is the same for the “other” option. Only one voter said they would like to see a Trump presidency.

According to the U.S. census data, the voting rates for young voters reached its peak in the 2008 election, when President Barack Obama first ran. As a candidate, Obama was quite popular with

young voters, and that seemed to bring them to the polls.

Currently, Bernie Sanders is resonating with young voters, so it is likely there will be a large increase in that demographic during this election season.

Remember, it’s your right to vote, no matter who it’s for.

Make your voice heard and play an active part in determining the future of our nation. Even if things don’t go your way, at least you can say you tried.

The question “do you think your vote matters?” only had 62.22 percent agreement, with 20 percent saying no, and 17.78 percent saying they were not sure.

When it comes to party membership, MCLA seems a bit divided, with 51.11 percent siding with the Democrats, followed by 44.44 percent saying they are Independent, and 4.44 percent identifying as Republicans.

However, the school is not

Campus News

Thursday, February 18, 2016

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3

David Abraham talks rare metals Natural resource expert connects the line between technology and the elements

By Torin Gannon Staff Writer

At the beginning of his talk, David Abraham asked those in the room, “When you take out your phone, what do you see?” Most said a screen, or a button, or one of their apps. Abraham proceeded to point out the one thing no one considered, the various rare metals that make up one’s phone.

The subject of Abraham’s lecture, entitled “War of the Periodic Table,” was to get listeners to think about the metals that are critical to the technologies that make up modern life that we often take for granted.

Abraham stated that the availability of technology has exploded globally. Within a year of smartphones being released, he said, 6 percent of the world’s population had one.

“My concern is that we are getting to a point where the technology we can produce will spread around the world far faster than the supplies are being developed,” Abraham said.

Abraham also noted that the life span of a product has shrunk from 10-15 years to 2-5.

So more people are using this technology, and they are going through it faster, and each advance in technology requires more rare metals. According to Abraham, these metals are not easily substituted. This puts great strain on the rare metal market.

Photo by Domonique Ackley/The Beacon

Junior Amber Coombe and David Abraham experiment with a piece of metal over an open flame.

“No community will face greater challenges than rare metals,” Abraham said.

Other than the strain on rare metals availability, Abraham wanted to draw attention to the nature of the suppliers of these materials.

Abraham explains that many mines operate on the fringes of legality. Concern for workers health is often not prioritized by these illegal mines. Abraham told about visiting a mine in China where workers are exposed daily to poisonous gasses, and have gotten used to the noxious fumes.

These mines also can have a heavy

impact on the environment, which often goes unregulated in the less scrupulous mines.

Mines can take up to a decade to set up, which often gives single mines or countries a monopoly on the metal they produce.

The economic influence of these mines is something that can effect our use and purchase of technology.

These metals are then supplied through a network of illegal traders. Abraham humorously recounted being introduced to one of these illegal metal trader by his driver while visiting Indonesia.

“A lot of these materials are traded in backroom deals,” Abraham said.

One of the reasons these issues go seemingly unnoticed by the public is because of a lack of exposure. The line between these elements and us is too far.

“Ford is so far away from the minerals and metals that go into its radio, that it has no idea where that stuff comes from, and that’s just the radio,” Abraham said. “If ford doesn’t know where it comes from, then you guys don’t know where it comes from.”

Abraham hopes to bring people closer to the elements that make up the things they use every day. This is because he believes that if people are aware, then they can hold these mining corporations accountable, and more regulations can be put forth.

Abraham also suggests to, “Use less, and use what you need for as long as you can.”

Students like junior Amber Coombe seemed quite taken with Abraham’s lecture.

“I like to focus a lot on environmental issues, so the prospect of learning where these materials come from, and the fact that they can’t really be repurposed or recycled really concerns me,” Coombe said.

According to his website, Abraham runs the Technology, Rare and Electronics Materials Center and is the author of The Elements of Power. He is a frequent speaker on rare medals and technology demands.

News Quiz: U.S. Supreme Court; Zika virus Tribune News Service

1. Which U.S. Supreme Court Justice died suddenly earlier this month?

A. Ruth Bader Ginsburg B. Antonin Scalia C. Clarence Thomas D. Samuel Alito

4. Which two GOP presidential candidates suspended their campaigns on the same day?

A. Marco Rubio and Rick Santorum B. Mike Huckabee and Ben Carson C. Carly Fiorina and Chris Christie D. Rand Paul and Jeb Bush

2. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Protection, how can the Zika virus be transmitted?

A. Through mosquito bites B. From mother to child, near the time of delivery (rarely) C. Through sexual contact D. All of the above

5. According to The New Yorker, Gossip site TMZ paid about how much for videos of Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice attacking his fiancee inside an Atlantic City casino elevator?

A. $0 B. $15,000 C. $50,000 D. $105,000

3. The heads of the Roman Catholic and Russian Orthodox churches hadn’t spoken in almost 1,000 years before Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill met recently in what country?

A. Cuba B. Argentina C. Russia D. Ukraine

To see answers go to Page 5!

4

Opinion & Editorial

Thursday, February 18, 2016

Editorial

The Beacon

The Senate needs to play nice: the aftermath of Scalia’s death Antonin Scalia’s death might be more problematic for the democrats of America than his long tenure as a Supreme Court Justice. Scalia was sworn in 30 years ago, and contrary to popular belief, the Supreme Court might be the most powerful branch in government.

Throughout his 30-year tenure here are some of his biggest rulings: He supported the federal government’s ban on Marijuana even in states where it was allowed for medicinal purposes.

In 1992 he claimed that there was no constitutional claim for the right of abortion.

He was also notorious for shooting down laws that made distinctions between race, sexual orientation, and gender. In 2003 he mocked the University of Michigan’s attempts to promote cross-racial understanding.

Needless to say, he was a thorn on the side of the progressive movement. It’s easy to think that, politically, Scalia’s death will allow for a more progressive judge to step forward. Unfortunately, nothing in politics is that simple.

Contrary to popular belief, the Supreme Court might be the most powerful branch in government.

The Supreme Court has the power to interpret the meaning of the constitution, what is and isn’t federally legal, and when a decision is made in the Supreme Court it becomes the new legal standard. New Supreme Court Justices are nominated by the president and then must be

approved by a majority of the Senate. Right now, after Scalia’s death there are eight justices, four are liberal and four are conservatives. The Supreme Court can still operate with the vacancy, but because of the even number of justices they are likely to run into a few ties. When the Supreme Court ties the case goes back down to the lower courts, it can later be repealed and take again to the Supreme Court.

Until a new Justice is picked, measures like Roe vs. Wade, a court case that determined the right for a women to choose to have an abortion (already proclaimed constitutional) cannot be overturned, but liberal laws that have yet to be declared constitutional like Affirmative Action (a policy in place to raise the likelihood of disadvantaged groups succeeding in education and business), a law that would make public employees in 23 states and the District of Columbia pay for the cost of collective bargaining that could be overturned.

The majority of the senate is currently republican and President Obama, who has already elected two justices during his term, is likely to appoint another liberal justice which would tilt the Supreme Court to a 5-4 scale.

Therefore, the Senate is unlikely to approve any of President Obama’s nominations while they hold out for a republican to win the presidency.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell proclaimed that he would lead republicans in

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blocking Obama’s nomination, declaring, “The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice. Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president.”

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren pointed out that the American people are getting just as much of say now if Obama was to appoint a Justice as they would if a new president were.

“Senator McConnell is right that the American people should have a voice in the selection of the next Supreme Court justice.

In fact, they did – when President Obama won the 2012 election by five million votes,” Warren said.

What’s more, she argued that preventing a new nomination was in of itself, unconstitutional. The president is supposed to choose the new nomination. “I can’t find a clause that says ‘…except when there’s a year left in the term of a democratic president,’” Warren said.

This disregard for the constitution that the Republican senate is showing contradicts Scalia’s philosophies and some even argue his wishes.

Scalia was a firm believer of originalism, meaning he aimed and hoped to interpret the constitution as it was originally meant to be interpreted by the framers. As one can imagine, this caused problems for the left who hoped to amend the constitution and let it grow as society grew.

However, it is unlikely that Scalia would oppose Obama choosing

the new nominee. In fact, before Scalia’s passing, according to David Axelrod, Obama’s former senior adviser, Scalia once favored left leaning Elena Kagan to fill a Court vacancy. Scalia knew Obama wouldn’t pick a conservative, but Kagan, who politically lies on the opposite spectrum of Scalia, was Scalia’s friend and someone he respected despite their differences.

If the senate refuses to elect any of Obama’s nominations, it will prove to be a risky move for the republicans, who may elicit the wrath of Obama voters and strengthen the democratic campaign. There is already some talk of placing Obama on the Court. Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton stated at a Rally that she thought doing so was a “fantastic idea.” This also means that Clinton may take a greater lead than Bernie Sanders for the Democratic Primary. Clinton, who already has many Obama supporters’ votes, will likely have an easier time with the senate than someone who dares to call himself a “socialist.”

The republicans are acting hypocritical by threatening to deny any of Obama’s recommendations for the ninth and final Supreme Court Justice.

Until a new president steps into office, it is Obama’s job to appoint a new Supreme Court Justice.

The republican’s aren’t focused on following the constitution, they are focused on what is best for them as a political party.

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Editorial Board Co-Editors in Chief Gionna Nourse Harmony Birch Co-Web Editors Jake Mendel* Matt Aceto*

Sports Editor Jesse Collings A&E Editor Mitchell Chapman

What is your opinion on the misrepresentation of race in the Oscar

Senior News Editor Idalis Foster Buisness Manager Sam Slocombe

Copy Chief Brittany Gallacher Photography Editor Agnella Gross

Staff Staff Writers Emily Gabert Torin Gannon Joseph Carew Jonathan Hoel Paige Pomerantz Tyler Bacon Isabel McKenzie Matt Aceto*

“We live in a society where we have to do things like create all-Black award shows in order to feel sense of inclusion.”

- Lawrence Edwards, Sophomore

“People like Morgan Freeman and Will Smith who act in inspiring movies, should be nominated.”

- Isahiah Erilus, Junior

“There’s a flaw in that. It is a problem in the selection committee.”

- Joelle Dumont, Senior

“It makes me feel angry.

There’s no reason why only white people should win Oscars.”

- Kenneth Rivera, Freshman

Photographers and Videographers Elizabeth Quirk Domonique Ackley Shunquell Dennis Dan Wohler Natalia Reyes

Cartoonist

Caitlin O’Neill*

Ad Representatives Adam Sams Jeff Orgeat Copy Editors Caitlin O’Neill* Lauren Levite Jake Mendel*

Advisers

Jenifer Augur Shawn McIntosh

*Holds more than one position

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“Since there have been a lot of films with people of color, it seems a little ridiculous.”

- Michaela Anthony, Junior

“It doesn’t surprise me because that’s the way it usually is. Also why I don’t usually keep up with the Oscars.”

- Samwise Fox, Junior

“Why put us in great roles but not give us the opportunity to show how great we are?”

- Ursile Louis-Jacques, Sophomore

“I’m foreign; I’m used to not being represented.”

- Tiffinie Alvarez, Freshman

photos by Shunquell Dennis

Opinion&Editorial

Thursday, February 18, 2016

Rap

Quantity beats quality with rap

I ndus t I nsig ry hts

Matt Aceto Web Editor

In most cases, quality trumps quantity. However, less isn’t always more. In terms of music, I prefer having lots at my disposal. I demand songs to be fresh off the stove and hot enough to burn my fingertips. The longer a song settles in cyberspace, the less desirable it becomes. While I respect the effort that goes into crafting timeless music, I can’t spend months waiting around for the next Frank Ocean record to drop, either. My high demands are met only by those who can keep up with the required pace.

Having said all that, there are basically two types of artists in the world: the ones who seem to drop a new project each week, and the ones who release music once a year, if we’re lucky. Prolific rappers such as Young Thug and Soulja Boy are two examples of the former, while polished artists like Jay Electronica and Andre 3000 are two examples of the latter. There’s no right or wrong rate at which to consume music, it all comes down to a matter of preference. Personally, I’d rather feel stuffed than feel starved.

The truth is, I’d rather be fed ten good songs than two great ones. That way music takes longer to digest. It’s the reason why Young Thug, Soulja Boy, and Chief Keef are among my favorite rappers. They hold nothing back, it all goes onto the internet. As hip-hop journalist David Drake pointed out on Pitchfork, “Keef is interested in what he's doing today, not what he's done; new projects make his old work irrelevant.” By releasing so much new music, artists like Keef keep me engaged and interested.

Answers for News Quiz: 1. B, 2. D, 3. A, 4. C, 5. D

Entertainment is nothing without experimentation. It’s nice to witness the progression of an artist in real time, rather than having them perfect their craft behind closed doors. That way, we can study their evolution and take note of influences.

This loose cannon approach comes with a tradeoff, though. There’s no consistency. For example, Young Thug may drop a hot song on Thursday, then come back with a total flop on Friday. Often times, it’s the flop people remember.

It’s hard to deliver both quality and quantity simultaneously. This is a juggling act many artists struggle with.

On the contrary, rappers who release music less frequently face more pressure. They are expected to impress every time. With each passing day, the stage becomes larger. If they connect, their song will reach the upper deck. If they miss, the whole industry will feel the breeze.

In the age of YouTube, it’s a full-time job to remain relevant. Up-and-coming artists are swarming the waters everywhere, impatiently chomping at those with fame. In order to stay afloat, rappers must release music frequently. Become too comfortable, and risk being swallowed.

As an avid hip-hop fan, I cycle through music at a fast rate. What’s on my iPod this week likely won’t be there next week. I consume music like fast food; if artists are slow to serve, I’ll search somewhere else.

Check out our Beacon Crossword on page 8 Financial aid announcement Attention fall 2016 returning students!

Don’t forget to reapply for financial aid for next fall!

Complete your 16-17 fafsa now!!

March 1st priority review deadline date!

Scholarshp opportunity!

Community Foundation of Western Mass scholarships available!

Www.Communityfoundation.Org

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Election 2016: Millennials aren’t the problem; Uneducated baby boomers are

By Mitchell Chapman

A & E Editor Say what you will about George and it’s interesting how the term Bush and Ronald Reagan, but they “conflict of interest” has never never entertained the thought been discussed in a campaign full of “building a wall” to keep of conflicts of interest. Secretary Mexicans out of the United States. Clinton might be regarded as The rise of radical Republican the front runner, though if half figures such as Ben Carson and of her supporters were actually Jeb Bush should be concerning, informed of her mistakes, which, especially considering why people given their severity, are more than support them. enough to kill her bids for the In an age where a simple fact white house, many of them would check is a Google search away, find stronger, more well-crafted, when facts are compiled for you and experienced positions and at your convenience through an policies under Senator Bernie article in your facebook feed, it Sanders, who has comprehensive seems ridiculous that characters plans for this nation that might like Donald Trump and Hillary not act like a magic fix to Clinton have the chance they do, everything, but would be result in given the laundry list of atrocities a far better America than what we they both share. However, if you currently have. do not have a steady internet On the Republican side, Trump connection or consume media is receiving disproportionate traditionally, through a television coverage because of his or newspaper, the level of sensationalism. If the local news absurdity of this reality is less so. media cared whatsoever about Generally speaking, young the public they are supposed to people are tuned into the web, support, they need not cater to the and have been trained to doubt ravings of this buffoon, but indict the media and research facts him for what he is, and when for themselves. Through harsh you have individuals like Clinton plagiarism penalties, citing and Trump, you have to indict sources is an essential skill for them. When Secretary Clinton a student to have in order to has another scandal, the media graduate high school, and even barely reports on the serious more so for college. Rumors ramifications it had for this circulate on the web fast, and country. The same thing applies this new generation of voters to Mr. Trump. Since when has the born right before the mark of “boys will be boys” principle been the millennium have all seen acceptable to apply to politics? firsthand the effects of journalistic Before the internet, many mistakes or outright lying have on people had this delusion that society, be it a celebrity reported you could trust the media. In prematurely dead to a YouTube the age of instant distribution of playlist of insensitive Fox news media, it’s impossible to ignore “commentary.” the serious breaks in ethical Their social media engagement standards and framing, the at are reflected in online polls, as times abandonment of fair and the Pew Research Center found balance, to cater to corporate that 90 percent of adults ages 18- ties, and who they project to be 29 used social networking sites their target audience. When between the years 2005 and 2013, something seems too good to be with that number dramatically true, it is imperative that you fact decreasing to 78 percent amongst check. In this age of information 30-49 year olds and a shameful flow, it is extremely hard to do that 46 percent amongst people over without an internet connection.

65. Yet unfortunately it is this When you have entire chunks of older group of baby boomers that 30 percent to one half of older turn out during elections, rather voting demographics without than their media-savy, informed an internet connection (and in offspring. some cases, without high school It’s pretty well established degrees or critical thinking skills) that the media coverage of this it is very easy for misinformation presidential election has been to spread, and thus some people spotty at best. Big money has think that Hillary Clinton and gone a long way to influence Donald Trump would be fantastic who’s getting their voices heard, presidents.

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Arts & Entertainment

Thursday, February 18, 2016

Beacon.MCLA.edu

The second year of excluding black actors at the Oscars

By Jonathan Hoel A & E Writer

D.W. Griffith.

Maybe not a name that carries household-status anymore, but once, it did. The iconic film director crafted the infamous movie ‘The Birth of a Nation’, a very controversial film that, while a landmark in movie-making, has been considered inaccurate historically and—more significantly—extremely racist.

That film was released in 1915, and its harsh content was accepted by the viewers of the time.

But now, 101 years later, the 88th Academy Award nominations have been announced and, for the second consecutive year, all the nominees are white.

“It’s appalling, across the board,” said Michael Birch, professor of broadcast media. “When you have a system that is institutionally, inherently white, with repeat offenses it’s probably time to do something about it. …Full transparency, and a significant reviewing of its methods.”

The backlash from the second year of what is being called ‘complete whitewashing’, is enormous and growing.

Many are calling for the boycotting of this year’s broadcast, i n c l u d i n g directors Michael Moore and Spike Lee, as well as actors Will Smith and Ethan Hawke.

In the heat of the critical backlash following this incredulous second year

of entirely white faces appearing in their nominations, Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs has pledged to increase this diversity in the years and awards to come.

“I would say more importantly that we could not be silent,” Boone Isaacs said. “And we had no reason to be silent. It isn’t a smart thing just to sit back and just sort of let the conver­sation get out of hand when it’s about you. At some point, you need to speak up.”

The problem, perhaps, goes beyond simply hoping the Academy or Hollywood at large can try and re-diversify itself.

It could speak to a larger, more complex and encompassing loathing and racism.

“The entertainment industry mirrors the authority in this aspect,” remarked David Langston, professor of English and communications. “It is disappointing, but it is not surprising.”

The host of this year’s ceremony was announced to be actor and comedian Chris Rock, the only black host the broadcast has ever had, returning for a second time. Many open critics of the academy’s whitewashing are hopeful that Rock won’t pull punches and address the controversy head-on with the crowds.

“Chris is hard at work. He and his writing staff locked

Netflix Spotlight

“Safelight” a perfect way to pass a rainy or snowy afternoon

By Paige Pomerantz A & E Writer

Photo from Bleecker Street

Despite having a wealth of performances to choose from, this is the second year that no black nominees have appeared on the Oscar ballot, prompting many to suspect foul play. themselves in a room,” Academy Award Show-Producer Reginald Hudlin said to Entertainment Tonight. “As things got a little provocative and exciting, he said, ‘I’m throwing out the show I wrote and writing a new show.’”

Actor Sir Michael Caine defended the lack of black faces nominated in an interview with BBC Radio 4.

“There’s loads of black actors,” Caine said, “you can’t vote for an actor because he’s black. You got to give a good performance, and I’m sure there were very good [performances].” Caine himself was surprisingly not nominated for his performance in Paolo Sorrentino’s “Youth.”

Not everyone agrees with the aged English actor.

“Growing up [we] never saw the great black actors get nominated.

After a while you stop caring what a bunch of old white people in Hollywood think about performances,” said an MCLA

Performing Arts student who wished not to be named. “Who are they to say? A lot of people in the academy haven’t even won awards themselves.”

The Academy has an uncomfortable history here, having hardly ever nominated black individuals for ANY performance. Only four black men have ever won the Best Actor award and only one black woman has ever won Best Actress. In the 88 years of the existence of the Awards, a black director has never won, with only three even considered for the award.

“I’m not really surprised about the nominations,” Said Sychiah Johnson, ’18, a sociology major.

“It seems like these [award shows] are very close minded. Kerry Washington is a great example of the ridiculousness. It happens a lot.”

Kerry Washington has had numerous performances over the

last few years that were shockingly not even considered for expected categories in the Oscars and Emmys, including starring roles in “Scandal,” “Django Unchained,” and “The Last King of Scotland.”

If you’ve followed the news headlines of this Oscar season, you may have heard about the accused snubbing of specific quality performances, most notably and unbelievably Idris Elba in “Beasts of No Nation” a performance that has garnered many nominations from other award organizations and countless critical acclaim.

Even Michael Caine was taken aback when he was told after his comments that Elba was not nominated for his performance. “…I saw Idris, and I thought he was wonderful,” he said. “I thought he would get nominated.”

The Oscars will take place on February 28 on ABC at 8 p.m., or online at oscar.go.com

“Safelight” is a semi-typical indie coming-ofage film on Netflix starring Evan Peters, who plays a disabled 17-year-old (Charles) and Juno Temple, whose character is an 18-yearold prostitute (Vicki): an unexpected yet resounding pairing. These two teenagers on the outskirts of society, for radically different reasons, find themselves centered within each other.

This is Tony Aloupis’ directorial debut, with 11 written screenplays under his belt. He is the writer, director and co-producer.

There was no direct reference to the time period, but the film had a retro feel and featured no modern technology. If I had to guess, I would say it took place somewhere between the late 1950s and 1970s.

One of the reasons this above-mediocre film works is due to its honesty and lack of sugarcoating.

A young runaway, Vicki is commissioned by a narcissistic, misogynistic, sadistic pimp, Skid (Kevin Alejandro) and works the same truck stop Charles does, although he is employed in the convenience shop, run by Peg (Christine Lahti). Peg is an unoriginal, staple indie flick character: a kind-hearted country divorcee.

Charles is a high school student bullied persistently for his disability (a limp) who finds solace in his dying father and photography.

After saving Vicki from Skid’s violence in the beginning of the film, she repays Charles by driving him to the California lighthouses for his schools photography contest.

Set outside of the classroom, the usual “popular girl falls for nerdy guy” trope is done in a unique fashion.

Even if the assigned roles are beneath the actors’ and actresses’ abilities, the casting is

A Curious The slippery slope of Case of A & E Editor

REDRUM

Art is all around us. When you go to an exhibit at Gallery 51, watch a TV show, or witness a theater show put on by your peers, you are witnessing art. However, when you try to value one art form above another or value your own personal work above everything that has come before, you risk falling down a slippery slope from which there is no return.

When participating in the creation of art, it is important to be humble. Remember, it is not your place to necessarily review your creation, or decide what you have made is “good” or not; that is for others to decide.

You can certainly take pride in your own work, and in nearly all mediums of art, it is necessary to do so. Nobody decides to do theater for a living because they just like to do it, people do it because they

privilege in the theater

love it, and because they have an undying passion for it that cannot be quenched by a few rejections, missed lines, or a very large time commitment. It is no different than any other form of art in the respect that to do it competently, let alone for a living, you have to have some degree of passion for it. Even being engaged in the theater process passively, like I have, takes an incredible amount of interpretative charity and work, and I have the utmost respect for those who decide to take on leading roles.

That being said, it is natural for theater students, particularly those more active, to want to receive recognition for their work, and they should. What they have taken on is not easy by any stretch of the imagination, though that does not mean

we should shower them with uncritical and un-directed praise, for it does little for them and their audiences. When judging a piece of work in any medium, you need to hold it up to the standards established by similar works in the genre (generally referred to as codes and conventions). You might have put on a theater production, but does it hit the laundry list of expectations in your particular genre, and if not, why? MCLA has had a bevy of performances that defied expectations in meaningful ways, the most recent I can think of being Joshua Baker’s postapocalyptic “Macbeth” in which my predecessor dubbed “one of the MCLA classics.”

If something isn’t working, it is crucial to analyze and explain why. You can’t

demonize all who are involved in a production, for even in the worst pieces of art, there tends to be a view elements worthy of merit. Yet you can’t ignore major structural issues in a performance, for they might not be improved upon or fixed in later performances. There isn’t anything inherently special about choosing performance over paint, digital, and print. We’re all students, we’re all learning, and we all can improve. Even great works of art are open to criticism.

All you can do is take your criticism on the head and run with it. Nobody wants to see you fail. Do your best, take pride in your work, make adjustments when you need to, and you can’t fail.

superior and prevented the film from being a flop.

The Netflix synopsis is misleading as it states, “They’re an unlikely pair on the road trip of a lifetime.” There isn’t a singular road trip, but four small trips to different lighthouses each weekend. Even then, the road trips are rarely focused on.

The flick was originally titled “Truck Stop,” which seems appropriate yet not especially creative due to the main setting, but was later renamed.

“Safelight” is a criticized name because when they go to the lighthouses, none of the lights are actually on, which guide ships to safe being. Instead, “Safelight” refers to Vicki and Charles finding safety in each other.

The truck stop represents the temporary nature of life; people are constantly coming and going for all of the characters.

This is a dark and slow-moving character-driven movie, void of much action. Although less cynical than the common Photo from ARC Entertainment modern-day independent genre, The film stars Evan Peters of “American Horror Story” it is still emotionally manipulative and Juno Temple of “Lovelace” and “Black Mass.” and hard on the heart.

The entirety of the film is predictable, as many Viewers gave it a solid four out of five stars on coming-of-age stories are, up until the ending, average, which is what I would also rate it.

If you are looking for a gore-filled, actionwhich is abrupt and leaves many questions for packed, fast-paced movie, then this is definitely the viewers.

It had its world premiere at the Nashville not for you, but if you are just looking for a Film Festival on April 17, 2015 and was set for way to pass a rainy Sunday afternoon, I would limited release on July 17, 2015. Netflix added recommend “Safelight.” it to its streaming service November 8, 2015.

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7

Upcoming A&E Events Tomorrow

Win/Lose/Draw Directed by Brittany Nicholson 8 p.m. Blackbox Theatre Additional Showings at 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday Seating is first come first serve

Saturday

Jason Walker Brooklyn vocalist

8 p.m. MASS MoCA Club B-10 $10 for students

North Adams Winterfest 10 A.M. to 4 P.M. Downtown & Windsor Lake

Plethora of free Winter events, going into Sunday

“Zoolander 2” is too good of a sequel to miss

By Mitchell Chapman

Mitchell Chapman

Arts & Entertainment

Thursday, February 18, 2016

A & E Editor

A sequel nobody ever doubted, “Zoolander 2” is a great example of a film that took advantage of its lengthy development to present a fantastic mix of laughs both old and new. Derek Zoolander is back, and better than ever.

I’m not a fan of sequels that undermine the success of their predecessor’s. It makes the exploits of the first seem ultimately meaningless and almost not worth watching, though this is not the case here.

It makes perfect sense that somebody with the great wealth of Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller) to be a danger to himself and others.

At the beginning of the film, he has lost his kid (Cyrus Arnold) and wife (Christine Taylor) by commissioning a structurallyunsound reading center that collapses in an accident. The incident left Zoolander’s one true friend from the original, Hansel (Owen Wilson) “scarred” (in true “Zoolander” fashion, a source of a later joke), and kicked off years of shame in which both lived in hiding.

However, in 2016, there has been an awakening in both, as they are called back to the fashion scene for one last show, in hopes of both reinvigorating their names, and proving to their friends and family that they aren’t screw-ups.

The results, of course, are hilarious.

Without giving too much away, everyone from the previous film that warrants an appearance gets one, and they all add up in meaningful ways. There aren’t exactly any throw away gags, and “Zoolander 2” is a better film because of that. Even Stiller’s use of celebrity cameos harbor interesting commentary and even parody of similar such appearances in TV and the media (for example, there is a segment in which Justin Bieber is shot to death in a way that both mocks and revels in his cameo on CSI, in which he was killed for drama and sensational purposes). Of the celebrity cameos, perhaps the strongest are those of Neil Degrasse Tyson and Sting, who comes in so suddenly yet so perfectly that I couldn’t help but smile.

The production values of the

Photo from Paramount Pictures

Though it’s been over a decade since his last foray into film, Derek Zoolander is as fresh as ever. film are also profound. For a film can enjoy the ridiculous and sequels allowed him to pick and chock full of celebrity cameos, zaniness that is Derek Zoolander choose elements from his best “Zoolander 2” stretches its $50 and his world of fashion. It is a scripts, and have them coalesce million budget far and wide. source of both grounding and in a sequel that both honors the The film is shot like any other comedy for the film in the best original, while bringing Derek Hollywood movie, complete with possible way. and Hansel into a new world, action segments and the best Ben Stiller could have tried to but also switch up the formula special effects money can buy, and reinvent the “Zoolander” formula. a little in a way that will make it works to great effect. The movie He could have also brainlessly general moviegoers smile. I liked is utterly ridiculous, yet it takes copied it, as Derek himself the original, but I love the sequel. itself so seriously so the audience would have. 15 years between “Zoolander 2” is a must-see.

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Campus Life

Trailblazer Trivia

Thursday, February 18, 2016

W

l

h ee Sp n i

Toyota started this brand as an attempt to capture the younger buyers in the In 2003 Toyota Motor automotive world with Corporation brought to the unique styling and lower world two models under base prices. When the tC an entirely new brand came along it had appeared known as Scion. As of this the brand had found itself year, that youth-oriented and came close to selling brand will fade into history 200,000 units in 2006. as one of the numerous Progress halted there and car companies that were all following vehicles were conquered by the 21st either rebadged from the century.

Toyota umbrella of brands Rarely do companies or and/or sales disasters. Even consortium collapse due as the FR-S, a youthful car to a singular event and the that typified what Scion same can be said of Scion. wanted to be, came into Deviation from original the picture in 2012 nothing branding, misreading could be done. This was an markets, and internal enthusiast’s car and without rivalry are to blame for this staggering prices and a shut down of production. strong racing heritage to With the xA and xB, lure buyers, enthusiast Joseph carew Staff Writer/Columnist

Beacon.MCLA.edu

Scion is Dead

cars rarely make a brand successful.

Finding out your greatgrandfather fought in two world wars, received the purple heart, reached the rank of Colonel, and ran for Mayor summarizes everything Toyota was to Scion; better, and so far, more successful. But in this case the Army hero is still around busy being incredible while you watch another episode of Avatar the Last Airbender and push essays off to the last minute.

With Toyota vehicles being incredibly successful, reliable, and more affordable, the gamble made by Scion that millennials would want

a different car than their parents failed as pointed out by Dee-Ann Durbin in her piece So Long, Scion on middletownpress.com.

There shouldn’t really be any tear stained pillows over this death however, Scion was an automotive laboratory for Toyota. A safe place where the parent company could experiment with haggle-free pricing and only dealer-installed options as mentioned

by Joe Lorio on Car and Driver’s blog and not incur and bad brand image.

This is exactly what was mentioned in my previous piece on Tesla Motors. Toyota has an entire brand in which it can tinker with different

marketing strategies, seek out nontraditional target markets, and sell less than 60,000 cars in a year (the Toyota Corolla alone was purchased over 300,000 times in that same period for perspective) and is still able to maintain its spot as 13th largest company in the world by revenue.

Whatever your opinion on Scion during its life, its death is far from shocking.

Toyota gave life to this company for thirteen years and has decided to take it away. For those loyal to Scion nearly all the models under Scion currently (except for the tC) will feature in Toyota’s line up in the coming years.

Crossword Answers: 1.Writing Studio, 2. Idris elba, 3. Amber Harris, 4.Wake you up at six a.m., 5. SGA, 6. gates, 7. Jesse Collings, 8. Not Our Mother’s Feminism, 9.ARAMARK, 10. Khalil Paul

Campus Life

Thursday, February 18, 2016

Beacon.MCLA.edu

Fitness guru offers bootcamp classes in Adams

By Gionna Nourse Co-Editor-in-Chief

Around 5:45 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays, Turners Avenue in Adams is lined with vehicles from one end to the other. As residents from across Berkshire County get out of work, they hurry to Adams Turn Hall, flock into the sweaty, run-down old gym and put their yoga mats down. They are about to get one hell of a workout.

Personal trainer and black belt Heather Melendez is working toward expanding her knowledge and expertise in the community of Berkshire County. A fitness lover since age 17, she has recently begun teaching cardio-kickboxing classes “with a twist” at the Adams Turn Hall, located on 6 Turners Ave. in Adams, Mass.

In 2006, a friend reached out to Melendez, hoping to turn his unhealthy lifestyle around.

“When the results came for him, I knew it was going to be a passion for me,” Melendez said.

Classes are held four times a week, on Mondays and Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays at 9:00 a.m. For just five dollars, members can leave the cardio-kickboxing boot camp “feeling strong and exhausted at the same time,” according to Melendez.

Members can also purchase an unlimited monthly pass to the classes for $45,

allowing them to attend any or all of the 12 sessions held each month.

According to Angie’s List, the average cost of one session with a personal trainer ranges anywhere from $80-$125, so $45 for

Berkshire Body in hopes of bringing the community together through her love of fitness. Since then, her classes have further evolved, and now include various weight and endurance training components.

Heather’s class through one of my good friends, who attended on a weekly basis,” Belini said. “She would always say, ‘Heather kicked my butt again tonight!’ She couldn’t say enough positive things about her class [and]

Photo Courtesy of Berkshire Body’s Facebook

Crowds of members flock to Adams Turn Hall for Heather’s cardio kickboxing bootcamp.

12 sessions is a steal!

From 1999 to 2008, Melendez owned Berkshire Martial Arts Academy in Cheshire and taught cardio kickboxing and martial arts at the College, in addition to Berkshire Community College (BCC).

“I started teaching cardiokickboxing when Tae Bo became a thing in 1999,” she explained. “Classes were fun and very effective, and nothing beat teaching to a room full of people who loved the class.”

Berkshire Martial Arts Academy moved to Pittsfield in 2006, then back to its home in Cheshire in 2008, and is currently owned and operated by Bruce and Jim Witherell.

She then decided to branch off on her own and start

“My favorite thing about teaching is hands down the people,” Melendez said.

Pittsfield resident Kaitlyn Walton began attending the classes early last month and has been “hooked” ever since.

“The class has such a nonjudgmental effect; everyone feels welcome and no one judges you,” she said. “You only feel positive energy and determination to get a great workout done, thanks to Heather.”

The word about Heather’s classes spread like wildfire.

People wanted in, and fast.

North Adams native Kyrsten Belini moved home from graduate school last spring, and has been attending the classes since late June.

“I found out about

hearing her talk about it with such excitement got me super motivated [to give it a try].”

Word of mouth helped Heather draw crowds of 40, sometimes even 50 plus people.

“I started attending because my friend invited me to join her,” Walton said.

“We didn’t really know what we were getting into, or if we would even like it. That all changed the minute the first class ended. I knew I was hooked and would be showing up again.”

Each class includes cardio, strength and body weight training, along with interval training and circuit exercises. Melendez aims to mix it up and keep it fun, while welcoming all ages and fitness levels.

Painting the roses red

By Isabel McKenzie Columnist

My friends that follow me on social media have got to be sick of my constant updates about what I am doing here in Florida. I’ve gotten questions like “do you even work?” or “how are you not in school?”

To be honest, I’m having so much fun and I can’t hide it, but I am also the most tired I’ve ever been. There is so much to do and see here in Orlando, that every minute I am not working or in class (yes, I am taking classes) I take advantage of.

As my roommate Zoe puts it “I can’t believe we get to live here and go to the parks for free!!” She says this anytime we enter a park. It

truly is a surreal feeling.

My housemates and I have invested in Universal Annual Passes to add more fun to our increasingly busy lives. We compare the Universal parks with the Disney parks frequently on our visits, and maybe our biased view stems from being cast members of the latter. Disney fosters this culture with all of its cast members, a bond that goes unforgotten even after you are no longer working here.

Obviously, I will not “ruin the magic” by revealing some behind the scenes information, but I will let you in on some stuff!

Guest experience means

everything to Disney. Their quality and attention to the show of every onstage production, fireworks, and ride experience follows this undeniable motif. Little girls are “princesses” and little boys are “princes” to every cast member. I even call them this on my days off. Whenever I go into the parks, I always have at least one stand-out interaction with a cast member.

Whether its knowing the answer to “where’s can I find a jalapeno cheese filled pretzel?” or simply asking me where I’m from as I enter the park, I am always proud to call myself a cast member at the end of the

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“Every class is different, [but] there are always modifications you can do if you want more intensity, or if you have injuries or ailments,” Belini said. “The atmosphere is friendly and uplifting while keeping you motivated to try harder.

She keeps it tough, but always makes it fun! I feel empowered taking her classes and I’m so proud of myself when I finish.”

Members of the class adore Heather, and credit her with their weight loss and muscle gains.

“I love how Heather pushes you to your limit and believes in you; due to her classes, I have been able to build up my stamina and endurance throughout my workouts,” Belini said. “Heather has helped me fall in love with my body again. She inspires me to try and push harder than I ever thought I could.

She supports me in such a compassionate way and makes me feel so much better about myself.”

Heather not only teaches these classes to help members lose weight or drop sizes, but to help them to reach their fitness goals, however big or small they may be.

“To be able to motivate and encourage people to find a love of fitness and get the results they are looking for is the most rewarding thing,” Melendez said.

For more information on Berkshire Body’s fitness classes, visit www.facebook. com/berkshirebody.

day.

Here at Disney, the show is important. The detail, the scenery, the overall emotional effect of your favorite stories seen in real life creates an unforgettable moment. But the people who bring it to life, their passion, dedication, and love for Walt Disney’s vision allows the show to go on.

Through the Disney College Program, I will document my experience so you can follow along.

Join me as I "earn my ears" with none other than Mickey Mouse here in Orlando, Florida!"

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Thursday, February 18. 2016

Sports

Beacon.MCLA.edu

Men’s basketball drops thriller Trailblazers drop close game to Pine Manor College, 107-102

By Jesse Collings Sports Editor

MCLA matched the fast paced style of the visiting Pine Manor College Gators, but Pine Manor was able to make a couple plays down the stretch to edge the Trailblazers in one of the highest scoring games North Adams has ever seen. With the loss MCLA falls to 6-17 on the season and Pine Manor improved to 15-10 on the season.

Pine Manor came into the game averaging 86 points per game, and immediately pushed the pace against the Trailblazers. MCLA was without top big men Isshiah Coleman and Dakari HannahWornum, and looked to match the speedy Gators on the floor.

Both teams moved rapidly up and down the court at the start of the game, before Pine Manor went on a 9-0 run, culminating in a layup by Erick Rosario with 12:55 to go in the first half, putting the Gators up 19-10. Following a Trailblazer timeout, MCLA came out firing, getting a three pointer from freshman Ki-Shawn Monroe and sophomore Joe Wiggins and junior Adam Conquest followed with layups to cut down the Pine Manor lead.

Neither team managed to distance themselves for the rest of the half, although Pine Manor closed the half on a 10-2 run to head into the break with a 45-40 lead.

Pine Manor came out of the locker room with a 7-0 run as their lead ballooned to 52-40.

Pine Manor continued to nurse that lead, while MCLA slowly crawled back into the game as the Gators were unable to put the Trailblazers away. MCLA would finally draw even with 7:34 left in the game following a twisting layup by senior Paul Maurice to

tie the game at 80. A Rosario layup was followed by a three from freshman Collin Parrott, who scored a career high 10 points, to give MCLA a 83-82 lead.

The teams would remain deadlocked as the score climbed into the triple digits. A pair of free throws from junior Careem Kirksey tied the game at 102 with 1:19 remaining. Pine Manor guard and Pittsfield native Taverick Roberson responded with a strong take to the basket, recording a layup to give Pine Manor a two point lead.

On the ensuing possession MCLA senior Khalil Paul missed a difficult layup and the ball was rebounded by Pine Manor freshman Ellis Reid, who was immediately fouled. Reid nailed both of the free throws and Paul airballed a three pointer with 16 seconds to go that put an end to the Trailblazers.

Roberson came up huge for Pine Manor, scoring 26 of his game high 36 points in the second half. Rasheed Bell added 19 points and Curtis Hyman had 14 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Gators.

MCLA was led by sophomore Joe Wiggins who had 24 points, while Maurice added 19 points and Conquest had a big game as the lone Center dressed for the Trailblazers, finishing with 12 points, 15 rebounds and 3 blocks.

Poor second half dooms MCLA against Fitchburg The Men’s basketball team was rolling in the first half against Fitchburg State, they had played tight defense and headed into half time with a 37-26 lead.

However, things fell apart in the second half, as Fitchburg State hung 59 points on MCLA to cruise to a 85-68 victory. The loss

Photo from MCLA Athletics

Junior Adam Conquest finished the game with 12 points, 15 rebounds and 3 blocks. drops MCLA to 6-17 overall and 2-9 in MASCAC and Fitchburg State improves to 14-9 overall and 7-3 in the MASCAC. MCLA got off to a quick start, with consecutive three pointers by seniors Paul Maurice and Khalil Paul. The Trailblazers continued to shoot well to start the game, and a three pointer by junior Jeremy Guillen made it 18-11 MCLA with 10:31 to go in the opening half.

A layup by junior Adam Conquest with 1:25 to go in the half gave MCLA their biggest lead of the game, 35-22, and the Trailblazers would head into the half up by 11.

Fitchburg State came out scorching in the second half, opening the half on a 14-2 run that saw the Trailblazer lead quickly dissipate. A pair of free throws from junior Leonny Burgos gave Fitchburg the lead for

the first time in the game, 40-39 with 16:19 to go in the second half.

Junior Dakari Hannah-Wornum would tie the game at 43 after a lay-in, but Burgos responded by nailing a three pointer while being fouled by MCLA junior Careem Kirksey. Burgos would convert the following free throw to complete the four point play, which would prove to be a pivotal swing in momentum for the Falcons.

Slowly, Fitchburg State began to put the game away, scoring nearly every time down the floor. The lead grew to 10 when sophomore Josh Bosworth converted a layup with just over six minutes left in the game. A three from junior Jaleel Bell and consecutive buckets from senior Kwame Lee put the game out of reach, as the Falcons rolled to an 85-68 victory.

After shooting only 33 percent

from the field in the first half, the Falcons shot a blistering 66 percent in the second half.

Bosworth led all scorers with 18 points, while Lee had 16, senior Givaughn Jones had 14 points and 9 rebounds and Burgos had 14 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists.

MCLA got a double-double from Conquest, who finished with a team-high 13 points and had 10 rebounds. Maurice had 12 points and Hannah-Wornum had another big game, finishing with 10 points, 13 rebounds and 6 blocks. Hannah-Wornum currently ranks second in all Division III basketball in rebounds per game and is fifth in total blocks.

MCLA will close out their regular season on Saturday when they host conference rival Bridgewater State, with tip-off scheudled to be at 3 p.m.

over his mascot, put the ball under both of his legs and slammed the ball through the rim.

It was the most inventive, athletically impossible, thing I’ve ever seen. That dunk was art.

Zach LaVine ended up winning after a couple of overtime dunks between him and Gordon.

LaVine’s dunks were good but Gordon deserved to win based off of that one unbelievable dunk.

Gordon and LaVine single-handedly brought back the excitement of the dunk contest and made it a must watch event next year.

On Sunday, before the game, there were two tribute videos highlighting Kobe’s 20-yearcareer. He was given a special Photo from Tribune News Services speech by Laker all-time great Bryant, who is in his 19th sea- Magic Johnson. He received a son, is averaging 16 points per standing ovation when he was game, his lowest total since the introduced in the starting lineup 1997-1998 season. and when he was subbed out and

walked off the court for the final time with a little over a minute remaining in the game. He finished with 10 points on 4-11 shooting from the floor in 26 minutes, and the respect of opponents, teammates and fans alike.

The game featured a record 369 points very little defense and a bunch of dunks and wide open three point shots. The game was is more about watching great athletes have fun on the basketball court and please the crowd than watching good fundamental basketball.

The 2016 NBA All-Star Weekend was one of the best all-star weekends in recent memory because of the thirlling finish in the three-point contest, the show Aaron Gordon put on in the dunk contest on Saturday night and the significance of Kobe’s last All-Star game on Sunday.

NBA All-Star game was a slam dunk

By Tyler Bacon

Sports Columnist It’s very difficult to make the allstar team once, let alone 18 times, Kobe Bryant has. The NBA AllStar Weekend wasn’t really about the game, but Kobe Bryant and celebrating his illustrious career on Sunday.

On Friday, fans watched celebrities from the United States and Canada play against each other.

We got the honor of witnessing Kevin Hart come out of retirement and sub himself into the

game. The celebrity game was followed by the Rising Stars Game, where the best first and second year players play against each other.

On Saturday, fans got to see points guards take on big men in the Skills Challenge. Surprisingly, the Rookie of the Year favorite, Karl-Anthony Towns, defeated point guard Isaiah Thomas.

That was followed by the ThreePoint Shooting Contest. The two “Splash Brothers” of Klay Thompson and Steph Curry faced off in the finals along with rookie Devin Booker. Klay Thompson did what few teams have done this season, he beat Stephen Curry.

The main event was the Slam Dunk Competition which saw Aaron Gordon battle Zach LaVine in the Finals. Aaron Gordon had the greatest dunk that I have ever seen when he jumped

Sports

Thursday, February 18, 2016

Beacon.MCLA.edu

11

Women pick up pair of victories Trailblazers pick up conference victory over Fitchburg State on Saturday before knocking off Norwich Univeristy on Tuesday

By Jesse Collings

MCLA junior Courtney McLaughlin dominated Fitchburg State on Thursday, finishing with 18 points and 10 rebounds. out with MCLA ahead 38-29.

Norwich was led by Arianna Norwich was able the mount Harrison who had 15 points and more offense in the fourth quar- 14 rebounds while LeBlance had ter, cutting the lead down to three 15 points and 13 rebounds. when freshman Vanessa Fleury converted a post-up attempt to MCLA crushes Fitchburg make it 48-45 MCLA. However, the Trailblazer defense proved too The MCLA Women steamrolled strong and MCLA got important an over-matched Fitchburg State baskets down the stretch from squad to pick up their fourth freshmen L’rae Brundige and MASCAC victory of the season Karina Mattera to seal the victory, on Saturday, routing the Falcons 55-50.

77-30. With the win MCLA imThe Trailblazers were led by Pin- proves to 4-7 in conference play, gelski who scored 16 points off the while Fitchburg State is still lookbench for the second consecutive ing for their first victory, as they game. Hotaling had a poor shoot- are now 0-23 and 0-10 in confering night from the field, going 2-8 ence play. for the game, but made up for it The Falcons struck first in the by grabbing 16 rebounds. game, as sophomore Michaela

McTomney converted a jumpshot to give Fitchburg State a 2-0 lead.

The Trailblazers would respond with a 12-2 run to assert control in the game. A three pointer by Fitchburg State’s Shabeli Villa and a pair of free throws by Brianna Pelton made it 12-9, but MCLA freshman Courtney Pingelski would score five straight points in the final two minutes of the quarter to give MCLA a 17-9 lead after the first quarter.

Fitchburg State played its best quarter of the game during the second, only allowing the MCLA lead to increase by two. A pair of free throws from McTomney made it 29-19 heading into the half, keeping them within striking distance.

MCLA would come out of the second half and pushed the pedal to the metal, going on a 16-2 run that would put the game out of reach for Fitchburg State. Freshman Mckenzie Robinson made a lay-up with 4:41 to go in the third quarter, capping off the run and putting the Trailblazers on top 45-21.

The Trailblazers would then crush Fitchburg in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Falcons 25-3 in the final period to win the game 77-30. Fitchburg shot just 7-41 from the field for the game, a mark of only 17 percent and were 1-6 from beyond the arc. McTomney was their top performer, finishing just shy of a double-double with 9 points and 9 rebounds, although she did commit 7 turnovers.

MCLA was led by junior Courtney McLaughlin, who finished 18 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals.

“Courtney has the ability to drive into gaps and forces opposing help defenders to step up.,”

Head Women’s basketball coach Holly McGovern said. “This has created open passing lanes underneath or ballside looks on the perimeter for her teammates.

She made the decision to be aggressive on the boards and needs to continue this mindset as it strengthens our teams’ ability for higher percentage shots.”

The Trailblazers also got big contributions from their freshman. Robinson, Pingelski, Sam Gawron, L’Rae Brundige and Karina Mattera combined to score 50 points. Robinson, who started in place of the junior Ashley Clawson, who was limited with an injury, scored 13 points on 5-9 shooting and also added 2 assists and 2 steals.

MCLA will close out their regular season on Saturday when they host Bridgewater State at 1 p.m. in a game that will likely determine playoff positioning for each squad.

Bridgewater currently has a record of 11-11 overall and are 8-2 in conference play, one game behind first place Westfield State.

McGovern talked about the importance of getting contributions from the entire team on Saturday.

“We need to be willing to put everything on the floor this next week, especially starting the 1st and 3rd quarters,” McGovern said. “Players are continuing to improve their game and have not settled into routines, which shows during substitutions as we are gaining production from multiple team members. In a game like Saturdays, this is where production should be able to come from multiple players. It doesn’t necessarily mean offensively, but providing effort in all aspects of the game. “

on Sunday.

Bryant announced a couple weeks into the season that the 2015-2016 NBA season would be his last, launching a long retirement tour that captivated the basketball world. Tickets to see Kobe Bryant play one final time skyrocketed on the secondary market, often going for four or five times the face value of the tickets. Despite the fact that the Golden State Warriors are winning at a historic pace and a new generation of stars is blossoming into the league, the biggest story has been about the departure of an old one.

Social media has been plagued by fans demanding that other fans pay tribute and respect Bryant. By announcing his retirement, Bryant has done a 180° in the court of public opinion, going from a player who was criticized for shooting too much and putting his ego above the needs of his team to someone whose greatness needs to be appreciated immediately.

Fans flock to arenas to see Bryant one final time are entitled to spend their money however they

a national audience, while actual good teams such as the Toronto Raptors, Memphis Grizzlies and Atlanta Hawks rarely appear on national television. The only difference is that the Lakers have an aging superstar who should have retired years ago and the others do not.

Contemporaries of Bryant have aged as well, but the difference is that they have adjusted their games to adapt to their deteriorating skills. Paul Pierce and Vince Carter are around the same age as Bryant, and although they were never quite the player that Bryant was, they were both star players who played similar to Bryant and made numerous All-Star games.

Pierce and Carter however, adjusted their games and allowed the teams they played for to build around younger, better players.

Pierce and Carter are now contributing to very good teams, while Bryant remains the figurehead of a terrible team.

Over the last summer LaMarcus Aldridge was the top free agent on the market. When Aldridge met with the Lakers, Bryant al-

legedly tried to recruit Aldridge to the team by selling Aldridge on the fact that he could be like Pau Gasol, referring to the former Laker’s big man who was Bryant’s sidekick during two championship runs. Unsurprisingly, Aldridge, who just made his fifth consecutive All-Star game and is in the prime of his career, was interested in being the sidekick to a 34 percent shooter and never gave the Lakers a chance to sign him.

Bryant’s overtly competitive nature never allowed him to accept his limitations as a player, which ultimately meant that over the last couple seasons, he has held the Laker organization. Knowing that they could never trade an icon like Bryant, the Lakers were forced to accept Bryant’s commitment to being the star of the show, even while their franchise sunk to the bottom of the standings. While Bryant fans may enjoy his last rodeo, for fans of watching quality basketball and Laker fans who are actually concerned with winning basketball games, his retirement can’t come soon enough.

Sports Editor

MCLA used a stifling second half defense that held the visiting Norwich University Cadets to 21 points to edge out Norwich in non-conference action Tuesday.

With the victory MCLA improved to 13-11 on the season while Norwich falls to 13-11 with the loss.

The first quarter was back and forth, with MCLA going up 11-7 following consecutive baskets from freshman Courtney Pingelski and junior Courtney McLaughlin. Norwich forward Heather LeBlanc made a layup at the end of the quarter to reduce the lead to two, 11-9.

Norwich was able to break free a little bit the second quarter, going on a 8-0 to go up 25-18 with 3:36 to go in the half. Critical baskets from Pingelski and a pair of free throws from junior Ashley Clawson with 5 seconds to go in the half reduced the Cadet lead to 29-27.

A turning point in the game came in the third quarter, where MCLA opened on a 11-0 run.

Neither team was able to execute very well in the half-court, as Norwich didn’t score their first points of the second half until 2:29 remained in the third quarter. The difference was the Trailblazer’s ability to get out in transition to open up the game.

A key play in the game came with 4:45 to go in the quarter when junior Kayla Hotaling blocked a layup attempt by Shyann Josler and fired an outlet pass to McLaughlin who leaked ahead of the Norwich defense, and laid the ball in for two. McLaughlin followed that up with another basket in transition and Pingelski nailed a three pointer, forcing a Norwich time-

Fair Territory

Kobe’s retirement?

Yes please.

By Jesse Collings Sports Editor

All-Star weekend traditionally serves as a showcase for the league’s best players. This year however, it served as a showcase for the retirement of Kobe Bryant. Bryant, who is shooting 34 percent from the field this season for a Lakers team that is 11-44 at the All-Star break, was voted into the All-Star game by the fans, started in his final All-Star game

Photo from MCLA Athletics

want, but for me they are not going to see the Kobe Bryant who should be appreciated, instead they are seeing a bizarre, cantankerous shell of a former great.

Through injuries and old age, Kobe’s skill set has deteriorated to the point that he has become a very limited player.

The Kobe Bryant that dunked all over people, the Bryant that won six championships and two scoring titles, is long gone. That guy retired years ago. Fans that are going to see Bryant are paying to watch Bryant brick ten fadeaway jumpers and the Laker’s lose by 20. Bryant’s accomplishments certainly deserve to be appreciated, but at the same time Bryant’s performance over the last couple seasons hasn’t been very engaging or respectable.

The Lakers remain the most popular team in the NBA, which means they are going to be on national television way more frequently than a team that is over thirty games under .500 deserves to be. Each week the Lakers are beamed all over the country to play terrible basketball in front of

12

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Photo Essay

Beacon.MCLA.edu

Snowmaggedon: Then and Now

A glimpse of last weekend’s snowfall through the gates.

Photo by Emily Gabert/The Beacon

Snow falls outside the townhouses.

Photo by Agnella Gross/The Beacon

A North Adams State College student walks through the snow.

Beacon file photo, 1989

The view from Berkshire Towers once the snow stopped.

Photo by Emily Gabert/The Beacon