Spring '16 issue five

For more content, visit online at: Beacon.MCLA.edu

Beacon@MCLA.Edu 413-662-5535 Mark Hopkins Room 111

Volume 82 ◆ Issue 4

Th u r s d ay, M a r c h 3 , 2 0 1 6 News

Clinton and Trump take state primary, Sanders and Trump win in North Adams

By Jon Hoel & Harmony Birch A&E Writer and Co-Editor-in-Chief

Peter Allmaker retires after 30 years Page 3

A&E

Check out A Doll’s House this weekend Page 7

Sports

Lacrosse sets up for second season Page 11

Op-Ed

Climate changes warrants increased attention Page 4

Campus Life

College Cook-off Competition Continues Page 8

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Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton won the Massachusetts primary Tuesday night. Trump won by a nearly 50 percent margin. The Democratic race was close but in the end, Bernie Sanders lost to Clinton by a 2.5 percent margin.

Both Trump and Clinton were victorious Tuesday night, each winning seven states.

Trump won in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Virginia, Oklahoma, and Vermont. Ted Cruz took home three wins in Oklahoma, Texas, and Alaska, and Marco Rubio took one win in Minnesota.

Trump currently has 285 delegates while Cruz has 161. The Republican nominee will need 1,237 delegates to win the race.

Clinton won the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Massachusetts, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. Sanders took a total of four states, Vermont, Colorado, Minnesota, and Oklahoma. The Democratic Nominee will need 2,383 delegates to win. Clinton is nearly half way there with 455 super delegates, and 546 regular delegates. Sanders only has 22 Super delegates and 349 regular delegates.

In North Adams Sanders was the big winner Tuesday night, along with Trump.

Sanders got 1344 votes while Clinton got 950.

Trump won by 275 votes, followed by 76 votes

for Ted Cruz. Marco Rubio received 74 votes.

The voting took place in two locations, Greylock Elementary School and the St. Elizabeth Parish.

Representative Gailanne Cariddi, of the first district for the House, was pleased with the turnout for the vote, a record for the town.

"Our last record was 14 percent turnout for registered voters," Cariddi said. "It's more than 20 percent today."

Last November, records were also broken for the mayoral election, with 52 percent of voters participating. Voter turn out tonight was substantial. There are around 8,000 registered voters in North Adams with the final voting count near 2,500.

An estimated 1200 students who live on campus were eligible to vote, based off of the last reported admission numbers of 2015.

When asked why Cariddi thought the turnout was so successful this year, Cariddi said "There's some really amazing candidates on the Democratic side, and some... interesting ones, on the Republican side."

Richard Dassatti, a North Adams resident and MCLA History major alumni in its North Adams State College era, was at the polls since 5:30 a.m. to support Sanders. He left only once to take his granddaughter to school.

"I've been following Sanders since he was elected congressman," said Dassatti. "He's never changed his views."

Dascatti was also petitioning for a change in the North Adams Charter, to simplify the voting process and change North Adams from a city to a town.

Photo by Jon Hoel/The Beacon

The poll results hung over a red cloth to resemble a flag at St.Elizabeth parish in North Adams.

Based off of polling The Beacon conducted two separate times with 45 individuals each, it appears that MCLA showed a strong preference towards Sanders. The Berkshire Eagle reported February 21 that Sanders was seven points ahead of Clinton in the Democratic polls, while a variety of earlier polls showed Trump to be far ahead in the Republican primary.

Decreased admission rates cause Student Government budget cuts

By Joseph Carew, Emily Gabert and Gionna Nourse Staff Writer/Columnist, Staff Writer and Co-Editor-in-Chief

Many club and organization budgets were cut by the SGA Budget Finance Committee (BFC) as enrollment rates are expected to drop in the 2016-2017 academic year and SGA now has eight more clubs to fund. A total of 43 clubs will be sponsored by SGA next year.

Past budget increases can lead to cuts.

Years where a club had to buy equipment can cause large fluctuations in money handed out. Enrollment was also listed as a cause of budget cuts, along with a smaller collection rate of Student Activities Fee. • Last year $26,000 was taken from the Reserve Fund, $384,000 was created from the Student Activity fee, an 85 percent collection rate, which comes from the Student Activity Fee included in student's bills.

• Last year, SGA worked with a $410,000 allocation. This year SGA has to work with $364,850. There were 1,350 estimated total students this year with an 83 percent collection rate. $28,700 was taken from the Reserve Fund this year.

• $376,015 was the total budget proposed in 2015.

• In 2014, 35 funds were cut, four club budgets were increased, and two new clubs were created.

• Photography club was tabled, along with Aikido Club and the Slam Poetry Club.

• Among academic clubs, the Society of Physics students took the largest cut, with a

Graphs created by students in Data Journalism and Infographics class

The performance clubs on campus underwent more cuts than any other category of clubs this year.

79.8 percent decrease in funding.

Despite all of the cuts, there were still some budget increases. The Book Club received an increase along with Good Vibes Yoga Club, Mathematics Society and WJJW. •Among media clubs, WJJW recieved a substaintial 8.9 perecent increase, while The Beacon underwent a small decrease of 2.4 percent.

•Multicultural clubs received hefty cuts, with Cape Verdean Student Alliance being the most substaintial, at a 69.7 percent decrease.

• S.T.A.G.E., Black Student Union, Latin American Society and Asian American Union also endured cuts in the 36 to 44 percent range. (S.T.A.G.E. at a 44.5 decrease, BSU at 43.1 percent, Latin American Society at 39.8 percent and Asian American Union at 36.6 percent.)

Clubs that received the largest cuts include Allegrettos, Society of Physics Students, History Society, Cape Verdean Student Alliance and Students for Sensible Drug Policy.

For more graphs, see page 2.

2

News

Thursday, March 3, 2016

Beyond the beacon Compiled by Idalis Foster Senior News Editor Sourced from multiple news outlets E-Cigs now banned on airliners According to USA Today, Wednesday morning the Department of Transportation anncouned a ban on the use of electronic cigarettes on all airline flights. The ban will not go into effect for another month but it will affect all flights, U.S. and foreign, coming in or out of the country.

Traditional cigarette smoking has been banned from airliners for 30 years but with the invention of the e-cigarette clarification of the law was necessary.

Passengers and airline crews have already been subject to a rule that prohibited them from bringing electronic cigarettes in checked luggage due to worries that the batteries would spark fires. That rule was put into effect by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration in October.

Apple tells users if employers check their phones The newest update by Apple, iOS 9.3, will tell users immediately if their phone is being supervised.

The alert will appear both on the iPhone user’s lock screen and their About section.

Yahoo! Tech, which broke the story, found out from a Reddit

user MaGNeTiX who claimed that the message will include even more detail. Users will be able to find out exactly what the organisation is tracking including Internet traffic and location services.

The feature will not allow the user to turn off this supervision or change their privacy settings to prevent it. It’s merely a warning so users are aware that an organization is doing so.

Sports Authority files for bankruptcy Early Wednesday morning, Sports Authority revealed that they filed for bankruptcy and are closing 140 stores. That mass is one third of their total number of stores.

According to CNN Money, the company has been struggling since a leverage buyout a decade ago. It was once the largest sporting goods retailer, but with Dick’s Sporting Goods and Amazon gaining traction this bankruptcy has been looming.

Unfortunately, Sports Authority is just one of several companies that have filed for bankruptcy in recent years. Others include Circuit City in 2008, Borders in 2011, Radio Shack about a year ago, and American Apparel this past October.

On the upside, the latter two companies were able to remain in business after closing a number of stores.

Beacon.MCLA.edu

The following graphs were made by the Data Journalism and Infographics class to accompany the front page story on the budget presentation by SGA. Please refer back to page 1 for the full story and more details about individual budgets.

Graphic created by students in Data Journalism and Infographics class

Of the Multicultural Clubs, Cape Verdean Society saw the biggest cut in their budget with a 69.7 percent decrease, or $3,643.

Graphic created by students in Data Journalism and Infographics class

Students for Sensible Drug Policy saw the largest cut of the special interest groups with a 49.9 percent decrease.

Super Tuesday, Continued from pg 1 Chris Mull, another MCLA alumni, of Biology, was also out to support Sanders.

"Bernie values people, not corporations," Mull said. "He is the only candidate not funded

by Super PACs, and he is in favor of universal healthcare."

A single Trump supporter was briefly campaigning for the business man outside of the church for fifteen minutes but left because of the cold.

Financial aid announcement Attention fall 2016 returning students!!!

Financial aid refunds will be occuring soon! Check with financial aid and student accounts to make sure your account is up to date!

Graphic created by students in Data Journalism and Infographics class

Good Vibes Yoga received a 9.3 percent due to a higher salary for their trainer while Ski Club had the biggest decrease in sports club of 30.1 percent.

HIGH MUD

COMEDY FEST

with TIG NOTARO,

DAVE HILL, SEAN PATTON, SETH BROWN, and MARK JAGIELLO

Hosted by OPHIRA EISENBERG and THOMAS ATTILA LEWIS

16-17 MCLA foundation scholarships will be available to apply for soon!

March 11 & 12

Check your email next week for information!!

TICKETS: massmoca.org/highmud or 413.662.2111 87 Marshall Street, North Adams, Mass.

Thursday, March 3, 2016

Campus News

Beacon.MCLA.edu

3

Long-time IT director retires

By Emily Gabert Staff Writer

A world with little to no technology is something that may be hard to imagine, but it was once a reality for Peter Allmaker, dean of information technology at the College, who retired at the end of February.

When he first started working in the technology field, Allmaker did not get to work with the different kinds of tools we use on a daily basis. He never expected wireless communication to be as fast as it is today.

“It never occurred to me that we [could] make it quick enough to use so that you can even stream Netflix wirelessly,” Allmaker said.

When Allmaker was in college, there was no designated course of study in the field of technology. The basis of what we have today didn’t exist yet. It was all invented years after Allmaker had graduated. It was all a new language he had to learn along the way, just by exploring and experimenting with various tools.

Allmaker believes that to succeed in a career with computers and technology, you must have a deep passion and a love for the field.

“You have to be interested in it,” Allmaker explained. “It’s nothing

A l l m a k e r ’s colleague.

“He was a l w a y s guiding... always an e d u c a t o r ,” Bergeron said.

Long before becoming a professor at the College, Allmaker taught math and science at Charles H. McCann Te c h n i c a l School in North Adams.

He never Left photo courtesy of Aaron Bienek, right photo from MCLA website expected to do Then and now: Allmaker on the left from the beginning of his career while the any teaching right is from this past year. He took the lead in creating the College’s website. other than at the high school you can learn about in school. its slow progression into what level.

You have to learn every day.” we’re familiar with today.

With his longstanding interest That is exactly what Allmaker “Everything IT here is in technology, he took some spent the past 30 years doing - he something Peter created,” said Ian courses at MCLA on the side is the man responsible for almost Bergeron, director of information while also teaching some summer all forms of technology that are technology. “The first website the classes at Berkshire Community used on campus.

College ever had was built by him.

College.

Allmaker created the Campus Everything built here was under He then decided to take a Portal students use for quick his supervision.” job at MCLA, where his father access to Canvas, Banner, and Bergeron was once Allmaker’s taught, which was something that their college email. He also created student when he taught computer originally made him wary. The the College’s webpage back in the science here at MCLA, and he was combination of computers and late 1990s, as the Internet began one of many who later became teaching was a deciding factor for

him; this job was his first and only job in technology, which is he finds is very rare in the field.

“I really, really liked teaching,” Allmaker said. “I really liked working with students in class and out. Since I’ve been in administration, my partners are more often faculty. I’ve really enjoyed projects that I’ve worked on, which have supported the faculty in their teaching.”

Wayne Wells, a microcomputer technician who was hired by Allmaker, is very grateful for the opportunity he was given.

Wells was once an assistant coach at the College, who spent 45 minutes talking to Allmaker about computers at his interview before being recommended to the search committee.

“He saw what I was and that I had potential,” Wells recalled. “He will surely be missed. “With the departure of Allmaker, the [IT] department hopes to carry on using the former dean’s ethics and understanding of the institution to help with future creations.”

Allmark reminisced on the life he’s had at MCLA. “I was very fortunate that not only [did I have a] career here, but I’ve had two careers. An entire career teaching for a decade and half, and an entire career in doing computer services, all at the same place.”

New writing associate eager to help

By Idalis Foster

which is selective in its choosing of students to enroll. This semester was her first time working in the writing studio, along with Junior Jade Tarris may be new to her role all of the other writing associates.

Tarris noted that the writing studio is as a writing associate, but she has always had a passion for writing and editing. From a great atmosphere for students to get the very start of her experience at MCLA, comfortable and that some students have Tarris knew she wanted to get involved said they like the writing studio more than a table in Freel Library. through the writing associates program.

In regards to the students she helps, Tarris “When I visited here for orientation there was someone in the Church Street Center has been impressed by those she’s worked who talked about the writing associates. It with and is very excited to work with more sounded like the best thing that could ever students throughout the semester. As happen,” Tarris said with a chuckle. “It felt for the one error she finds most often in like something that was right up my alley.” students’ writing, commas and their usage English professor Jenifer Augur was the tend to be a common occurrence.

She joked that her involvement with one who recommended Tarris for the class, writing began as the best speller in her third grade class, but her favorite book, Hemlock Grove, seems to be an inspiration for her.

“It talks a lot about mortality and our condition as human beings, which I like,” Tarris said.

When it comes to her own personal writing, Tarris loves to write fantasy fiction and credits her particular interest in the genre to Kelli Newby’s course in the fantasy genre. She hopes to become an editor for a publishing company, preferably Simon and Schuster.

Outside of her English/ Communications major and her role as a writing Photo by Elizabeth Quirk/The Beacon associate, Tarris is a member Tarris is one of the new associates this semester, but of Students for Sensible Drug she already has a tip for students: commas are not Policy (SSDP), a club that as hard to use as teachers make you think.

Senior News Editor

her friend, junior Julia Daly, is an E-board member of. Daly spoke highly of Tarris’ involvement in the club and dedication as a club member.

“Unfortunately, both of the clubs that Jade is a member of have meeting times that conflict with her schedule for this semester,” Daly said. “She was really upset to learn that both Students for Sensible Drug Policy and Book Club were meeting at times she could not attend. As an E-board member of SSDP, I can personally say that she is a great, active, engaged club member, which is really cool.”

Personally, Daly remarked that Tarris is a person who always makes something that may seem boring into a great experience.

She recalled a time when she was invited

to visit Tarris’s home and how her company made the trip a nice time.

“On the way over to her house, she asked me if I wanted to stop at the dam that was nearby, but a little out of the way,” Daly said. “It was early in the day, sunny, and relatively warm. We walked around the dam, just hanging out, talking, and admiring the beauty surrounding us. I don’t know why this was the first thing to come to mind, because [written down] it almost seems boring, but it wasn’t.”

For those who would like to work with Tarris in the writing studio or just get to know the new soft-spoken, intelligent associate, her hours are Thursdays from 7 to 9 pm.

You’ll recognize these far-out visuals from Jimi Hendrix and Grateful Dead concerts set to a groovy score by Alloy Orchestra mastermind Ken Winokur.

Film + Live Music

PSYCHEDELIC CINEMA Saturday, March 5, 8pm CLUB B10 $5 MEMBER | $10 STUDENTS | $16 ADVANCE $22 DAY OF | $28 PREFERRED

TICKETS: massmoca.org or 413.662.2111 87 Marshall Street, North Adams, Mass.

4

Opinion & Editorial

Thursday, March 3, 2016

Beacon.MCLA.edu

The Beacon

Editorial

Climate Change still exists. Are you paying attention and taking it seriously?

The New York Times reported that by 2100, certainly within the life times of our children, sea levels will rise three to four feet, making many coastal cities unlivable.

While some republicans infamously deny the existence of climate change (we’re looking at the Massachusetts republican nominee for president) there’s no denying that global temperatures are rising at faster rates than we’ve ever seen them before.

Two studies were released last Monday confirming that if temperatures keep rising (which they inevitably will) coastal cities may become unlivable within our lifetimes. Already, tidal flooding is a big issue. In late October Tybee Island, Georgia was shut down after the island’s only highway was flooded.

NASA reports that in the last century, global sea levels have risen 6.7 inches. In the last decade, that rise has nearly doubled. The last ten years have

Photo from nasa.gov/earthrightnow

According to the National Climate Assessment, temperatures across the U.S. could be 5 to 10 degrees Farenheit warmer by 2100 if carbon dioxide emissions continue current trends. given rise to all of the world’s warmest days.

Greenland lost 36 to 60 cubic miles in ice from 2002 to 2006 alone.

The world is getting warmer, and already we’re seeing results.

The West Coast suffered rampaging forest fires in recent years. The fires were largely

caused by uncharacteristically dry weather. Environmental scientists speculate that the cause is based on climate change.

While the fires recently died down, the effects were lasting and stunning. The Pacific West Coast rain forest battled off flames and suffered

from long standing droughts.

Climate change is something most people seem to acknowledge, but since it has been on the radar for so long, many forget just how important it is.

Students should be making efforts to reduce their individual carbon footprint by utilizing public transportation, carpooling, using less electricity and cutting cow products from their diets.

Also keep updated and informed about environmental news and legislation, support candidates who take climate change seriously and who have viable plans to reduce it. Let your representatives know that you support efforts to keep the environment healthy by calling them.

If we don’t work together to do something big soon, our lives and our children’s lives will look very different, and the consequences will be dire.

What makes you a Trailblazer?

The Beacon is published Thursdays during the academic year and is distributed free to the College’s community. The Beacon is funded by the Student Government Association, the English/Communications department, and ad revenues. Single copies are free, additional copies may be purchased at 50 cents each.

Contact information: News desk number: 413-662-5535 Business number: 413-662-5404 Email: Beacon@mcla.edu Web site: beacon.mcla.edu Office: Mark Hopkins Hall, room 111 Mission Statement The Beacon strives to provide timely and accurate news of campus and local events.

Editorials Policy Unsigned editorials that appear on these pages reflect the views of The Beacon’s editorial board.

Signed columns and commentaries that appear on these pages reflect the views of the writers.

Letters Policy The Beacon welcomes Letters to the Editor. Deadline is noon on Mondays for that week’s newspaper.

Letters should be kept to 500 words or less and are subject to editing for grammar and content. The Beacon will not publish anonymous or libelous letters.

Letters must be signed by the writer and include a phone number. Letters may be dropped off at the office or emailed to Beacon@mcla.edu.

Contributions Policy The Beacon accepts stories, photos, and opinion pieces for publication.

Submissions should be dropped off at the office by Monday at noon or emailed to Beacon@mcla.edu.

Advertising Policy The Beacon reserves the right not to publish any advertisement it deems to be libelous, false. or in bad taste.

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

Sports Editor Jesse Collings A&E Editor Mitchell Chapman

Senior News Editor Idalis Foster Buisness Manager Sam Slocombe

Copy Chief Brittany Gallacher Photography Editor Agnella Gross

Staff “My blazing determination and spirit.”

Callen Gardner ’16

“The fact that I’m paying tuition.”

“The pride that I have for the school and the amount of love.

The fact that I can say I’m part of a campus community that makes me feel at home.”

Denzell Reyes ’18

Allie Kadell ’16

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

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

Online at: Beacon.MCLA.edu

Facebook.com/MCLABeacon Twitter.com/TheBeacon_MCLA “My commitment to the men’s tennis team and the STEM department.

Michael Rooney ’17

“My undying and unyielding passion of the liberal arts here in North Adams. I love the community here.”

Luke O’Brien ’19

“I’m from a tropical island.”

Kai Holl ’19

“My involvement in the community.”

Jake Rafferty ’17

Photos by Shunquell Dennis

Opinion&Editorial

Thursday, March 3, 2016

Beacon.MCLA.edu

Rap industry insights

Designer out, streetwear in as hip-hop moves forward

Joseph carew Staff Writer/Columnist

draped up in designer clothing during live performances or music video appearances. Instead, less expensive streetwear brands have taken over. It’s not the frugal fans like myself who are determining this, but instead it’s the rappers themselves who are shifting the culture.

Arguably the most popular streetwear brand in hip-hop culture today is A Bathing Ape, commonly referred to as Bape. Rappers such as Lil Wayne have been wearing Bape for over a decade, though the Japanese-based brand seems more prevalent today than ever before.

Compared to the extremely high prices of Italian designer brands, Bape offers more cost-friendly (but still pricey) clothing. A typical Bape t-shirt runs for $109 online, with shoes normally going for around $260. In comparison to the $695 Versace Medusa Velvet Slippers worn by Atlanta rapper Trinidad James in his “All Gold Everything” music video, Bape shoes are a much cheaper and stylish alternative. One quick look at producer Metro Boomin’s Instagram page will show you just how fashionable Bape is in hip-hop culture today.

Another popular streetwear brand is Supreme. Resellers in New York City are known to line up hours, sometimes even

h ee

l

W

Lately in the music industry, record labels and their respective artists have made efforts to make music more accessible Matt Aceto for all. New Web Editor subscriptionbased services such as Apple Music and Tidal have been established to give listeners alternative ways to consume music, rather than the prehistoric method of actually purchasing albums on iTunes or other retailers. One study published last year by the European Commission proved that streaming services such as Spotify cut down on music piracy as well. Unless you’re still buying dusty old vinyls for your record player, chances are you’re probably excited for what the future of streaming holds, as music continues to become more accessible for everybody.

Similar to music becoming more accessible, it seems hip-hop style will continue to grow more obtainable too.

Highly priced fashion brands like Gucci or Louis Vuitton are no longer viewed as cool as they once were. Unlike a decade ago, nowadays you seldom see rappers

Sp n i

After a meeting in town, I escaped from the cold air into my car. Breathing life back into my hands, I fiddled with the keys and found the ignition.

I started the ’93 Cadillac STS with a little too much throttle but settled the gas at idle until the engine warmed up.

The process complete, I pushed on the brake pedal, shifted into reverse and my foot went further than normal. The car wasn’t stopping as I crawled into Main Street and I lifted off the brakes and hit them again. Their effectiveness was less than desired, but they did cease my movement. I edged the car forward and put it back in park.

“I have to go home this weekend,” I thought. “And I definitely just blew a brake line.”

My father has worked on vehicles for over 30 years and he always gets a call when this sort of thing happens to family, friends, neighbors, acquaintances, colleagues, and even random people on the street. He answered the phone, affirmed my mental prediction, and told me to take it slow on the way home. Take it slow. Down Route Two. For 110 miles.

days, before the new line of Supreme products drop. You don’t see this type of hype at a Gucci or Louis Vuitton store. Complex Media recently released a fascinating documentary about the competitive underground economy of Supreme resellers. If famous rappers such as Rich The Kid didn’t regularly wear Supreme in their videos, I doubt the brand would be as popular as it is today. Fans are attracted to what their idols wear, especially if it’s affordable.

Sportswear, similar to streetwear, has also taken the place of designer clothing in hip-hop culture. Nike has become increasingly popular, mainly thanks to Bryson Tiller, Quentin Miller, and Drake who are often shown repping the Nike Swoosh. Kanye West used to manufacture his signature Yeezy shoes with Nike, but now he has an entire clothing line with Adidas. Sportswear hasn’t been this popular since RunD.M.C. wore Adidas tracksuits back in the ‘80s.

Since the early days of Coogi sweaters and oversized clock necklaces, rappers have embraced the most lavish forms of fashion. In more recent years, however, artists and their fans alike have gravitated towards less expensive apparel. Affordable is the new black.

Tales of Woe: If you blow a Brake Line

And in heavy traffic on 495. All right.

See you then.

Friday came and I loaded my laundry, backpack, and confidence into my car. I had assumed the car would fix itself and I tried the brakes for the first time since I parked it. The brake pedal went 80 percent of the way down to bring myself to a crawl then jumped to 19 percent of terrifying nothingness until one percent came where it begrudgingly came to a stop-like event. It was after a few tries in the parking lot that I gave up hope of a miracle and decided to start the journey anyway.

Climbing the endless hills that surround Western Mass. was the only part I enjoyed.

Unfortunately these hills also, rather inevitably, lead downward. From the first downward slope, I chose to use my engine to assist my ailing brakes.

Manually shifting an automatic makes you feel like a hero with a lack-ofintelligence problem. I went from D to 3 to 2 to 3 to D over and over again. This forces the engine into a gear, similar to shifting on a bicycle where you can

only go so fast in the lowest gear; the revolutions per minute are restricted to a certain point and you can’t accelerate anymore. It was the Mohawk Valley where I really began to channel my inner racing driver. I was taping the brakes and downshifting with the best in the world while cars behind me honked at my lack of speed.

The sharp turns, unforgiving public, and crowded byways all faded into the background as I transcended from mortal to god. Nothing could stop me (not even my brakes) until I hit 495 North. For those who have never been on this highway, well, don’t go on it. Too many people pile on and far too many are aggressive. My last obstacle was a silver Hyundai that quickly changed into my lane and slammed on his brakes.

An inch separated us when my shifts were complete and my foot was nearly through to pavement. I made it home though, without a scratch, and I offer this advice: get your car fixed where you are regardless of cost. I was lucky, you may not be.

One

5

am

Dre s ’ n a M

By Isabel McKenzie Columnist

Watching the Wonderful World of Disney: Disneyland 60 Special on ABC, my roommates and I are overcome with emotions. Two of them even shed tears through parts of the program.

Anything involving Walt and his journey to make his dream come true is inspiring, and the special sure contained a lot of it.

Its emotional as a cast member to see how far Disney reaches past our realm here in the parks.

During the special, we commented on how many famous people’s careers are tied to Disney, as well as favorite songs, franchises and animated movies.

For those who don’t know, the overarching umbrella of Disney encompasses five major Disney brands; Disney, ABC, ESPN, Marvel, and Pixar. Yep, Disney owns all of them. This doesn’t include the smaller brands seen within Disney, including the recent acquisition of Lucasfilm, as well as Disney Channel, A&E Networks, Lifetime, and so much more. A quick Google search for “assets owned by Disney” may blow your mind the way it did mine.

While my roommates and I are taking in all of the performances seen on the TV screen, my mind wanders to my recent attendance of a speaker event. CPASS, which stands for College Program Alumni Speaker Series, is held three times during my program, and already I learned so much from my first attendance of one. Leaders from across property came to the panel, all of them being alumni from the college program. It was amazing to hear about each Leader’s experience and journey with the company. These people have careers in engineering, resort operations, media production for the parks, consumer products, and college program recruitment. At the end of the panel session, the participants in attendance networked with the panelists for a full hour, asking them questions and getting emails for the future.

Its awe inspiring to realize how much Disney owns and how many opportunities to succeed lie with this company. Although Walt was never able to see Disney World completed, his legacy lives on past his dreams for the company. I’d like to think he would be proud at the lives that have been touched and the happiness brought to so many people all over the world.

“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.”

6

Arts & Entertainment

Thursday, March 3, 2016

A Curious

Case of

Mitchell Chapman

A & E Editor

REDRUM

The teen author bandwagon

Thursday, March 3, 2016

Arts & Entertainment

Harlequin E-Board comes together for spring production of “Bye Bye Birdie”

By Paige Pomerantz A & E Writer

After the resignation of Harlequin directors Max Teplansky and Kiley Clancy, the E-board as a whole took it upon themselves to co-direct this semester’s production of “Bye Bye Birdie,” which is being put on March 24-26. “[The resignation] was kind of stressful for everyone, but we have a strong E-board and we all work well together,” co-president Brianna McDermott ‘17, said. “Each of us have our own strengths and weaknesses and know where we should be in terms of producing the musical.”

The E-board consists ofco-presidents Brianna McDermott & Zack Page ‘16, vice president Kathleen Sansone ‘16, treasurer Alex Sasso ‘18, and secretary Danielle DeLamater ‘18.

With productions like “Avenue Q” and “Carrie: The Musical” in the past two years, Harlequin wanted to step away from the contemporary musical canon by bringing MCLA and the North Adams community a classic piece from the 1960s.

“Bye Bye Birdie” is set in 1958 and highlights the 1950s as a decade. It is a satire of American society inspired by Elvis Presley’s draft notice into the Army in 1957.

“In comparison to ‘Carrie’ last year, it’s a

lot more cheesy and dedicated, entertaining,” Sansone and pleasant said. to work with.

The show is being held They’re just a in their new location, fun, energetic the Church Street group of Social Hall. On March p e o p l e ,” 24, there will be a late McD er mott -night screening of just said. the musical numbers Sansone at 11 p.m. On March said she likes 25 there will be an 8 to think of p.m. showing, and on Harlequin March 26 there will be as an escape a 2 p.m. and an 8 p.m. for theater showing. students from “There is an escapism their vigorous element in it,” Sansone schedules said. “It’s something where they that is really needed- to can just have a find those few hours good time. where you don’t need The musical to think about all the theater club is bad things happening excited to give Photo by Paige Pomerantz/The Beacon MCLA a new in the world.”

McDermott first From left to right, co-president Brianna McDermott, treasurer Alex Sasso, co-president spin on what got involved with Zack Page, vice president Kathleen Sansone, and secretary Danielle DeLamater.

Harlequin can Harlequin her freshman be. her freshman year. She has served as stage year, where she audition for the annual Not only do they plan on continuing what manager and head of marketing for various Revue. Last year she was the secretary before they’re already doing, but the club is hoping productions. This is her first year on the moving up to co-president of the club. to bring some new ideas to the table as well.

E-board.

Sansone also came to find her second family Last semester they had their first “A Night “[The members] are so hard working,

of Miscast,” which they plan on doing again due to the amount of student interest.

Harlequin hopes to set up more workshops with their members and continue working with their philanthropy, through their KidsAct! program with Barrington Stage Company (BSC). They have also been connecting with BSC through their Playwright Mentoring Program and doing workshops with their kids.

They want to expand on the professional opportunities that have come from working with BSC. “I think it’s easy to think that a club can’t necessarily provide [jobs] but the hard work that we’re doing leads us to these chances,” Sansone said.

Many Harlequin members have gotten jobs with BSC through their heavy involvement.

“We are always aiming to bring our campus together as a community,” Sansone said.

The members look forward to being able to transform the Church Street social hall into something students have never seen before.

Despite all the changes this semester, the musical club has powered through and continues to move forward.

According to Sansone, Bye Bye Birdie is just fun and contains a lot of hysterical moments.

“Come to the show with an open mind looking to have a good time,” McDermott suggests.

FIGMENT North Adams Call for Submissions ends next Sunday

By Mitchell Chapman & Harmony Birch

A & E Editor & Co-Editor in Chief When FIGMENT started back in 2007, it was a one-day public arts event that attracted 2,600 people. Today, FIGMENT events are hosted in select locations around the world, including North Adams, drawing tens of thousands of participants every year. FIGMENT events are usually held in large cities, and North Adams is one of the first small towns to embrace this kind of participatory art event.

“Participatory art can be anything that engages the audience,” said senior Krystal Henriquez, who organized the North

Adams event. “We aim to take down the walls between artist and viewer by making people an active part in the artwork. This really makes the viewer an active part of the art.”

According to their website, FIGMENT arose out of the need for more opportunities for emerging artists, under-utilization of public space, and a desire for increased access to the arts. FIGMENTs foster community building without having to pander to the “oversaturation of branding and commercialism” present in contemporary society. As such, all FIGMENT events are free and open to the public, and no merchandise will be sold.

This year’s North Adams FIGMENT

was the result of a longstanding interest in the organization Henriquez had, after she discovered it while browsing interactive sculptures for a class at Williams College.

When she had the opportunity to write a grant for a FIGMENT in North Adams, she seized the opportunity and later built a team to host the event.

“I wrote the grant and got in touch with the Executive Producer David Koren, who was so welcoming and really excited about having a FIGMENT in North Adams,” Henriquez explained. “He got me into contact with the Boston producer and over there I had an internship over the summer as a production assistant, basically shadowing her, seeing everything that she did, getting the whole

vibe of the event, and really working with them to guide myself (into the coordinating position).”

Since Henriquez created the event, she has received the support of Suzy Helm, director of community events in North Adams, Arts Management classes at MCLA, MASS MoCA, Maker’s Mill, and Mayor Alcombright, who is reaching out to Pittsfield and neighboring towns for support. She has also assembled a team of students to help with the event.

“You don’t have to know everything to submit your project,” Henriquez explained.

“You just need to know ‘this is what you’re doing, here is the idea,’ and we will stay in contact with you as things change. We want people to get in their submissions so that we

can start the conversation about what you need from us and vice-versa. You also don’t need to be an artist to be involved. We are also open to taking in more team members, and if you want to write for FIGMENT or take photographs, we have opportunities for you. We’re open to anyone who wants to get involved in any way, and that’s really what FIGMENT is about: utilizing your passions to engage other people.”

The deadline for project submissions is March 13. To submit a project, volunteer, or learn more about FIGMENT, go to http:// northadams.figmentproject.org/.

This year’s FIGMENT will take place April 30 at Windsor Lake.

Beacon.MCLA.edu

By Jonathan Hoel A & E Writer

As the successful ‘Black Lives Matter’ exhibit winds to a close, an equally important and topically poignant exhibit opens at Gallery 51 downtown on March 3, entitled ‘What’s Next?’ by artist Karen Moss.

Artscope Magazine called Moss’s art, “playful and observant, contrasting what the world once was with what the world currently is.”

She has been exhibiting art all around the country for nearly 50 years, and some of her work is a permanent fixture at several museums, including the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

“I’m not a cookie-cutter artist,” Moss said, “my style is a product of what the idea and the materials are.”

In her art, Moss utilizes elements of both fine and pop culture for various pieces, which results in a wide array of variety in her exhibits. She reads zines and graphic novels, watches anime, and consistently attends art shows of all kinds.

The upcoming exhibit at Gallery 51, ‘What’s Next?’ is a large commentary on many issues, that may arise depending on the direction the future heads in. Issues including the natural world, environment, homelessness and female identity, among other current pressing themes.

Moss seems to encompass a colorful range of influences from Hans Beckmann and Francisco Goya to Robert Rauschenberg, an eclectic and interesting variety.

Some of her recent work has ranged from a painting called ‘Kyo datsu’ a Japanese word for suffering and exhaustion, which seems to be a commentary on environmental irresponsibility, to a piece called ‘Urban Street Life’ a 13 inch long-scroll drawing, an observation of everyday living in Central Square, Cambridge.

“One of the themes I explore often is the urban plight, which is bleak.” Moss remarked.

Regardless of the materials and conditions she is using to craft the style for her next work, Moss actively refuses to be derivative of anything she’s done before and remains contemporary with her subject matter and art.

Her exhibit ‘What’s Next?’ is available to be seen at Gallery 51 from March 3 to April 24. The opening reception will be held March 3 from 5 to 7 p.m.

Art in the African Diaspora Lecture Series Choreographing the African Diaspora: Katherine Dunham’s Contribution to the Black Intellectual Tradition

Ibsen classic to be shown tonight through Saturday in the Venable Theatre by the FPA

By Mitchell Chapman A & E Editor

Henrik Ibsen’s 1879 classic “A Doll’s House” comes to Venable Theater tonight at 8 p.m., with additional 8 p.m. showings taking place every night until Saturday, when there is a 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. matinee.

“This spring season’s productions feature an unlikely feminist and an outrageously rotten theater company, which serve as examples of characters from both classic and contemporary works,” Director and FPA professor Laura Standley, said in a statement last week promoting the Spring 2016 theater season. To many, Ibsen’s play is considered

“the funniest play of all time,” according to Standley.

The play follows Nora (Brianna McDermott) and Torvald (Marcus Neverson) Helmer.

Nora has secretly borrowed a “large sum of money” to pay for treatment of her husband’s illness, which he caught while on sabbatical in Italy. Torvald views Nora as a “silly, naïve spendthrift,” but when the truth comes out, “cracks which cannot be mended appear in their marriage.”

There is a great deal of history behind this play. Ibsen wrote the play in Rome and Amalfi, Italy, though it was published in 1879 in Copenhagen, Denmark, first performed in the Royal Theatre in the

same city. At the time, the play was highly controversial because of Ibsen’s critical attitude towards marriage norms of the time and motherhood in general, especially the play’s ending, so much so that Ibsen has to write a second ending that he called “a barbaric outrage.”

The FPA is using Simon Stephens’s translation of the original Norwegian text.

Critic Ben Brantley of the New York Times describes Stephen’s adaptation of Ibsen’s play as “sharp” and “new,” as it “underscores the imprisoning powers of sex and money without sounding didactic.” One of the most notable changes from the classic play is that one of Torvald’s pet names for his wife is

“hamster,” which Brantley loved.

“And this Nora does seem like a caged hamster on an endlessly twirling wheel,” Brantley said. “Watch her do the electrifying, spasmodic tarantella that ends the play’s first act — as she rehearses for a performance at a Christmas party — and you’ll understand all the implications of saying someone is dancing as fast as she can.”

Though there are guaranteed to be changes from the Off-Broadway production Brantley reviewed and the FPA iteration of the show, they both use the same script, and that script is a worthy one.

“After a spate of work in which Simon Stephens has appeared determined to thrust

himself forward as experimental theater’s ageing enfant terrible – most recently with the critically divisive Three Kingdoms at the Lyric, Hammersmith – it’s a welcome surprise to find him playing it almost as safe as houses with Ibsen,” Dominic Cavendish from The Telegraph said. With over a hundred years of productions behind it, in which “A Doll’s House” has had great dramatic influence over language and realist playwriting, there is no truer name than Ibsen.

To order tickets, go to mcla.ticketleap.com.

Admission is $2 for students, $5 non-MCLA students, $5 for MCLA faculty and staff, $8 for alumni, and $10 general admission.

7

Karen Moss’s “What’s Next?” opens tonight

Joanna Das Williams College

Tuesday, March 8th 3:30-4:45pm MCLA Center for Science & Innovation 121

Contemporary Art in the African Diaspora

Ben Ripley Buxton School and School of the Art Institute of Chicago ’17

Wednesday, April 6th 5:00-6:25pm MCLA Center for Science & Innovation 121 El Anatsui, Testimonial 2014 (Detail)

Many MCLA students have published books; Emily Meidenbauer, Makayla McGeeney, etc., as students our age have done so nationally since the advent of print-on demand (POD) technology. However, even before the rise of self-publishing platforms such as CreateSpace and Lulu, there has been an unusual fixation towards teenage authors that sometimes bleeds into college life.

This cultural fascination with young authors is perhaps most present in middle school kids, and it makes a great deal of sense.

The reason why we are fascinated with young authors is because it is unusual for them to publish work in general, and rarer for them to do so adequately. The New York Times published an article titled “Young Writers Dazzle Publisher (Mom and Dad),” which exemplified the media’s fascination with children who publish.The article focused on the success story of eighth-grader Ben Heckmann, who published two books about a fictional rock band that attracted the attention of his local cable news channel and sold 700 copies. Though 700 copies is a drop in the bucket for traditionally published authors, Heckmann made a profit from his work, a notable accomplishment considering that his parents put $400 into making the books.

Of course, teenage authors are viewed as less notable than their child counterparts, but they are subject to the same cultural fixation. The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) proclaimed self-published teen authors as “The Next Big Thing,” and a plethora of blogs, articles, and YouTube videos have since jumped on this bandwagon, including some college publications.

I always found it strange how Mandi Lynn, who attended MCLA last year, brands herself as a “Teen Author, Vlogger” and “Public Speaker,” as she is in college, but after considering this teen author craze, it makes perfect sense. It’s no secret that Mandi writes Young Adult (YA) fiction, and the age group she is trying to reach (teenagers) are very susceptible to vlogs; the Guardian has also gone so far as to say that vlogging is “changing the face of youth culture.” She has much to gain even though she will soon not be a teenager herself (she turns 20 in July).

Author E. Kristin Anderson’s article “So You Want to Be a Teenage Author? Published Teen Authors Tell It Like It Is” contains 12 interviews with teen authors, and the majority—10 out of 12— admit that their age was a selling point.

“I didn’t have an agent, but my publisher (Scholastic Canada) totally knew my age,” Gordon Korman, author of books such as “Schooled” and “The Hypnotist,” said in the article. “I was very up front about that in my cover letter. In fact, I considered it a selling point… my age was central to all the blurbs and author bios created for the book. But even more important, the fact that I was ‘Canada’s teen author’ really fueled the great buzz that my novel and its subsequent sequels generated.”

However, there are dangers that come with the “teen” label, especially as authors age. Anderson says there is much to lose branding yourself as a teen author.

“I keep telling folks that these dates (how old you are when you publish) are arbitrary, that authors publish when they’re ready and that everyone is ready at a different time,” Anderson explains. “That being a teen author is hard, and it comes with a stigma. Being a teen author doesn’t necessarily garner fame.”

“I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in fiction writing and that it was essential for me to be taken seriously,” author Marni Bates said in Anderson’s post. “One of my nightmare scenarios involved endless book reviews that said nothing more than, ‘It’s not bad…considering her age.’”

The word “teen” already has enough negative connotation attached to it, and we see teen authors as remarkable because teenagers are generally perceived (by adults) as the opposite of what an author has to be (patient, hardworking, mature, etc.).

Be wary of the teen label in everything you do (not just if you’re publishing a book). At the end of the day, what matters is not your age, but the quality of your work and your personal integrity.

Beacon.MCLA.edu

Free and open to the public Funded by the MCLA Creating Equality Series

8

Campus Life

Thursday, March 3, 2016

SGA Highlights New office manager

• SGA announced that the office manager position has been officially filled. Amanda

Schumler, an alumni from the Class of 2012, will be starting her position on Monday.

Advisor Jenn Craig thanked clubs and organizations for working with SGA throughout the vacancy.

Budgets

• SGA Treasurer and member of the Budget Finance Committee (BFC) Brianne O’Rourke presented budgets for the 2016-2017 academic year. Many clubs and organizations received budget cuts, such as the Allegrettos, who went from this year’s budget of $7,319 to $4,160. Eight new and reactivated clubs were included in the budgets for this year.

Final Elections

• SGA elections for the 2016-2017 year will be held on April 12 and 13. Nomination papers will be available on March 2 in the SGA office. Primary elections may be held on April 6, depending on the nominee turnout.

Constitutions

• More club constitutions will be reviewed during the next meeting. The senate will be looking at constitutions for Gaming Alliance and Nexxus.

Academic Committee

• The Academic Committee is looking to form a new policy regarding academic probation.

The committee hopes to create a policy that will erase the grades of those on probation who leave the College and later decide to return.

• The allowed time span for this initiative is still being decided upon, as the erasing of grades would only be allowed for students re-enrolling in the College. The committee has looked to other colleges for reference on their academic probation policies. Senate Secretary Evan Pirnie will deliver updates as they happen to the senate.

President

• President Birge stepped into office on Tuesday. Birge will be attending the next SGA meeting, allowing for students to ask him questions on anything they may be curious about.

African Student Association

• ASA recently requested money for an event and has submitted a written form of what that

money would be used for regarding their annual African Night, which they hope to get sponsored by SGA. $250 would go toward food and paper products, while $150 would go toward decorations for the event. The senate was also reminded of who is currently sponsoring the event, with SAC being one of the co-sponsors.

• A total of $300 was asked for the event. Treasurer O’Rourke informed the Senate that their

Beacon.MCLA.edu

Cook-off week three: Meet the contestants

By Torin Gannon Staff Writer

You may know sophomore Stefani Nieves, who works at the cafe in the Campus Center. But she’s looking to be more than just a barista; she wants to become an Iron Chef.

Stefani is one of four contestants in this weeks round of MCLA’s inaugural cook-off.

She has been part of this event since it’s earliest days. Over the summer, she worked with LaJuan Allen, the creator of this event, and was around to hear about its first conception.

“He told me about it in the summer, that he was going to do it, and the fact that he actually made it real is a good thing, so I wanted to support that,” Stefani said.

So with the coercion of Allen, as well as cook-off co-founder chef Tony, and a love of the show “Chopped,” which inspired the event, Stefani decided to throw her hat in the ring.

In terms of her abilities as a cook, Stefani is fairly humble.

“I wouldn’t say I cook like an expert, but if I have to make something, I’ll make something,” she said.

When it comes to strategy, focus is key for Stefani.

“I went to the first competition and there were a lot of people trying to interfere with what other contestants were doing,” she said.

“I feel like I have to block everyone out.”

She also said that she intends to make her food as flavorful as can be, having heard that in the last round, judges were disappointed in the lack of flavor in the contestants’ dishes.

Stefani has quite the challenge ahead of her. This round she is facing three competitors (Isiah Thompson, Andrew Clark, and Anthony Cote) instead of the usual two. But Stefani has a plan to deal with her competition.

“Im just staying humble,” she said, “I’m not going to be like, ‘I got this in the bag, I’m gonna win,’ because that’s their mindset right now.”

Her competitors could not be reached for comment.

Cook-off week three: Another one bites the crust!

supplemental budget has $9,850 still to be used until the end of the semester. The Senate approved for SGA to co-sponsor African Night.

SGA Reunion

• SGA will be hosting its first ever reunion on Saturday, April 2. Students involved in SGA will have the opportunity to speak with alumni, and Diane Collins was reported to also be attending. There will be a dinner held, followed by a panel. Location and times are still to be announced.

Ritshley Bissereth Chopping it like it’s hot.

The Cook-off Judges wait to taste the yummy creations.

Photos by Natalia Reyes/The Beacon

La’juan Allen cooking up a storm.

Campus Life

Thursday, March 3, 2016

Green Living Hunting in Mass.

By Torin Gannon Staff Writer

Beacon.MCLA.edu

9

Trailblazer Trivia

Nathan Buckout presented his talk, entitled “Hunting, Trapping, and Fishing in MA: History and Current Trends” at this installment of the Green Living seminar.

Buckout is the District Wildlife Biologist for the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (DFW). His talk focused on the history of hunting in Massachusetts and the relationship between animals and humans from this perspective.

“There’s a lot of interaction with people and animals. Sometimes the populations get to a level where that becomes a possibly dangerous situation both for the people and the animals.

What we want to do is manage that,” Buckout said. “Hunting is a great tool for that. It allows us to reduce the population and control it.”

Coincidentally, this year marks the 150 year anniversary of the DFW. The next Green Living Seminar will take place on March 3 in room 121 of the Science Center at 5:30 p.m. The speaker will be Becky Cushing of the Massachusetts Audubon Society.

Corrections from last issue Parlor on the Market Correction: The Elf Parlor had vegan options but was not a completely vegan cafe.

We Accept BlAzerBucks!

15% off order with student ID OR Large 1-topping for $10.70 (mention code 10)

(413) 664-6279 117 Main Street North Adams, MA 01247 offers cannot be combined

Correction: Jason and Elizabeth did not buy the Elf Parlor from its previous owners.

Meet the New SGA members Correction: Tyler Spencer did not say there was a need for positive power, he said there was a need for positive leadership.

10

Thursday, March 3. 2016

Sports

Beacon.MCLA.edu

Lacrosse set to start second season

Photo by Agnella Gross/The Beacon

Junior Natalie Caney was MCLA’s leading scorer last season, finishing the season with 26 goals.

By Jesse Collings Sports Editor

After going 4-9 in their inaugural season as a varsity sport, the Women’s lacrosse team is looking to improve upon their program’s promising start heading into their second season. MCLA will open their season on March 17 when they travel to Florida to compete in a pair of non-conference games.

The Trailblazers begin conference

play on April 2 when they visit Massachusetts Maritime.

While MCLA was able to go 4-2 in non-conference play last season, the Trailblazers struggled in MASCAC competition, failing to win a game and going 0-7 in the conference. Head coach Maria Bartini discussed the biggest difference in preparing for their second season instead of their first.

“We know what our competition is like now, we know what

we need to do while preparing for the season is definitely been a big help,” Bartini said. “Last year was a lot of question marks about what the competition was going to be like. This year a lot of those question marks have been answered and I feel like we have a much better idea of how to get ourselves ready.”

The Trailblazers return leading scorer Natalie Caney, who had 42 points last season as a sopho-

more, scoring 26 goals and assisting on 16 more. MCLA will have to replace the senior duo of Kate Brown and Rebecca Pike, who combined for 62 goals last season before graduating in the spring. When asked about replacing Brown and Pike, Bartini said that the team can become more balanced on offense and get contributions from some new players.

“We have a lot of new faces on our team this year, some new players that have had experience playing lacrosse for a while, so I think we are going to be a lot more balanced this year than we were last year in our attack.”

Offensively, MCLA will be led by Caney and by sophomore Mackenzie Cutler, who had 10 goals and 7 assists during a promising freshman campaign in 2015. Defensively the Trailblazers will rely on co-captains Gabriella Prada and Rachel Green. Freshman Zoe Elwell will have the big responsibility of playing goalie for MCLA. Bartini discussed the improvements she hopes to see out of all of her returning players.

“I have been impressed by the work a lot of our returning players have been putting in during the off-season,” Bartini said. “They have gained from knowing what they needed to do from having that experience of having a season under their belt and I think our returning players have come into the season better prepared than last season and I think that is going to make a difference for us going forward.”

MCLA has been aided in their preparation for the season by the mild winter, which has allowed the Trailblazers to practice outdoors at the Zavattaro Athletic Complex as opposed to being restricted indoors.

“One of the big things that we

have been working on is our transition game and the good weather has been helping us out a lot in that regard,” Bartini said. “We have been able to get out on the turf and there are just some things you can’t practice in a gym.”

The lacrosse team will join both baseball and softball on their annual excursions to Florida during spring break. The Trailblazers will play Goucher College on March 17 and Eastern Connecticut State on March 20 in Clearmont, FL. “Florida is going to be really fun. We are playing our first two games down there and that is going to be a great opportunity for team bonding and spending lots of time together,” Bartini said.

“Not just practicing together, but preparing meals together, relaxing and hanging out. I think that is going to be a really good experience.”

The Trailblazers competed well in non-conference play last season in part because they played other programs that had been recently created. MCLA however did struggle in conference play against the more established MASCAC programs. Bartini spoke about the importance of playing non-conference games in preparation for the MASCAC games.

“I’m hoping that we build some confidence in our non-conference play. I am looking for similar or stronger performances that we had last year against our nonconference opponents so we will be ready to go during our MASCAC games,” Bartini said. “We want to be competitive from the first whistle to the last whistle and continue to work hard.”

The Trailblazers will have their first home game on Saturday, March 26 when they host Mitchell College.

NBA Opinion: It’s Stephen Curry’s world right now

By Tyler Bacon

Sports Columnist The Golden State Warriors season is on pace for record-breaking results. The team is perfectly balanced with good chemistry, great coaching, great management, and incredible players both in the starting lineup and on the bench. Having Stephen Curry is certainly helping too.

There is nothing not to like about Stephen Curry. He is the most relatable player in the NBA. He is 6-foot-3 and weighs 190 pounds. He is taller than the average adult male but short for an

adult male who plays professional basketball. He looks like a human being but his basketball ability is out of this world. Fans show up 90 minutes before the game just to see him warm up. We’ve never seen anything like him before and we won’t see anything like him ever again.

Curry won the Most Valuable Player Award last season and he has increased his points per game by seven points up to 30.7 points per game this season. He is the overwhelming favorite to repeat as MVP and he has the Warriors as the favorite to repeat as NBA Champions as well.

There are six weeks left in the season and Curry has already broken the single season threepointers made in a season, previously held by himself last year.

Curry makes three-point shots look easy. He makes 35 foot jump shots look like 25 foot shots. The Warriors don’t usually play close games but when they do, Curry takes over.

The Warriors played a close games last Saturday against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Curry had already left the game in the third quarter with an ankle injury. Luckily for the Warriors it was only a scare and he was able to return to the game within minutes. The game went into overtime and Curry won the game after hitting a shot from a few feet inside the half court line. He ended up with 46 points, tying an NBA record with 12 three pointers. He has turned the area from the three point line to the half court line into a comfort Photo from Wikipedia zone for him.

Curry has already broken the single-season record for three-pointers made.

The Warriors are currently 53-5 and have a chance to finish the season with the best regular season record of 72-10 set by the 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls.

People are already calling Curry the greatest shooter of all-time and that still feels like it undersells his shooting ability. He is such a good shooter that he makes the rest of the professional basketball players look pathetic by comparison.

If Curry is going to keep this pace up then the NBA is going to have to think about moving the three point line back a few feet.

That might be a problem for most of the NBA but not for Curry.

He might look and talk like a human being but his basketball game is certainly not human.

Right now its Steph Curry’s world and we are all living in it. Curry is the best basketball player on the planet and he looks to add another MVP trophy and another NBA Championship to his collection at the end of the season.

Sports

Thursday, March 3, 2016

Beacon.MCLA.edu

11

Women’s basketball falls to Westfield Season comes to an end as Owls rout Trailblazers in MASCAC playoffs

By Jesse Collings Sports Editor

Westfield State used their fastpaced offense and their full-court press to open their MASCAC semi-final game against MCLA on a 20-2 run that quickly put an end to any title hopes that the Trailblazers had this season, as Westfield cruised to a 85-48 victory on Thursday. MCLA finishes their season with a record of 1413 while Westfield improved to 19-7 and will face Framingham State on Saturday in the MASCAC Championship game.

Westfield State employed their brutal full-court press defense right from the get-go, forcing the Trailblazers into nine turnovers in the first quarter and held MCLA to just 3-17 shooting from the field as they opened up a 20 point lead. MCLA did not get on the board until freshman Karina Mattera made a layup with 5:34 to go in the quarter and at that point MCLA was already down 14-1.

“The team never is able to settle into an offense,” MCLA head coach Holly McGovern said.

“Westfield does a nice job of creating tipped passes, therefore our players were always rushing to get the next pass off.”

The second quarter saw more of the same as the Trailblazers committed 11 turnovers in the quarter, while Westfield committed only three and the Owls went into the half with a dominating 47-14 lead.

The Trailblazers offense would get unglued in the third quarter as they would score 21 points,

Fair Territory Baseball deserves a tarp

By Jesse Collings Sports Editor

For the last several years the MCLA athletic fields have been plagued by a very specific problem: The baseball field is constantly flooded and rendered unusable for most of the season.

Due to the setup at the Joseph Zavattaro Athletic Complex, the baseball field is damaged by even the smallest of rain showers, as it is located at the bottom of a ledge at the complex, meaning that all of the rainwater from the other fields is essentially drained onto the baseball diamond.

The result is that the baseball program is forced to practice indoors for a majority of the season and their home schedule is limited. Last season, the Trailblazers were only able to play four out of 29 games last season at home.

The program was forced to constantly reschedule home games, including a pair of “home” games against Salem State that ended up being played AT Salem State.

Due to MCLA being located in

getting 8 points off of the bench from freshman guard Mckenzie Robinson, but it was not enough to close the wide gap against the Owls. Westfield would continue trade baskets with the Trailblazers throughout the second half, comfortably maintaining their wide lead and routing MCLA by a final score of 85-48.

Westfield was led by senior Forbasaw Nkamebo who finished with 20 points and 16 rebounds, 11 of which came on the offensive glass. The Trailblazers got a double-double from junior forward Kayla Hotaling, who finished 11 points and 13 rebounds. Two days after scoring 17 points in MCLA’s first round victory over Salem State, Mattera struggled going 3-13 from the field and committing 10 turnovers.

Despite the loss, MCLA finished over .500 and advanced to the playoffs for the first time since 2012, when they advanced all the way to MASCAC Championship game.

“This team was great with setting and reaching goals,” McGovern said. “They worked together to achieve success and overcoming adversity, especially late in the season.”

The Trailblazers will lose one senior, forward Emily Castle, but will return their entire core rotation for next season. The Class of 2017, which includes starters Hotaling, Ashley Clawson, Courtney McGlaughlin and key bench players Courtney Durivage and Brayleigh Hanlon, will have one last chance to win the MASCAC next season. McGovern discussed improvements she would like to the northwest corner of the state, the team already has to take plenty of long road trips for conference games, taking extra ones for “home games” obviously isn’t helping with the wear and tear of the season.

Despite this being a consistent problem for years with the program, very little has been done to rectify the issue. This is my third spring as Sports Editor for The Beacon, and every year I get a Letter to the Editor about the problems of flooding at the Athletic Complex.

Instead, the efforts from the Athletic Department seemed to be behind the Shewcraft Field Lights Initiative. While it would be nice to have lights for the Shewcraft Field, the fund-raising efforts seem to be focused on a luxury item, the soccer and lacrosse teams are able to complete their seasons at home without having night games.

The baseball field is currently without a tarp to protect it from flooding. A 150 foot x 150 foot tarp would cost around $3,500.

Meanwhile, the school has pledged a whopping $200,000 to install lights on the soccer field.

If the school can find $200,000 in the budget for some lights, how can they not at least make an effort to try and solve the flooding issue at the baseball field?

Photo from MCLA Athletics

Junior forward Kayla Hotaling led the Trailblazers this season in scoring, rebounding and blocks. see in the team heading into next season.

“The players need to understand the basketball season can not begin on Oct. 15. It takes preparation in the off season to achieve continued success,” McGovern said. “If they want to make a run at a championship next year, every player on the team has to be motivated to improve.”

The Trailblazers also got strong contributions from freshmen

Mattera, Robinson, Courtney Pingelski and L’rae Brundige, all of whom started games for the Trailblazers this season. Sam Gawron did not start, but appeared in 23 games and averaged 10 minutes per game in conference play.

“All five freshman at some point in the season provided energy and enthusiasm. This translated into their willingness to improve during the season. It’s a challenge as a freshman to understand the

demands of college basketball,” McGovern said. “The length of the season and physicality can be overwhelming at times. They developed chemistry before the basketball season, and I think that enabled them to help each other through it. The upperclassmen were supportive of the freshman adapting at their own pace. When it came to chemistry, this is one of the best teams we’ve ever had.”

My Mom Made Dinner claims victory in SAC Flag Football Tournament

Photo from MCLA Intramurals

(From left to right) Junior Anthony Basile, sophomore Kam Anderson, sophomore Joe Tavella, junior Sakan Sadowsky and sophomore Tyler Tatro of My Mom Made Dinner celebrate their win.

My Mom Made Dinner defeated Waves in the championship game to claim victory in the SAC Flag Football Tournament on Saturday.

The tournament involved nine teams and more than 45 students as they vied for flag football supremacy. My Mom Made Dinner

advanced to the championship game by winning the Campus Center bracket, upsetting heavy favorite Team Baconater in the semi-finals.

In the championship game, they met Waves, a team comprised of Men’s soccer and basketball players, who de-

feated Team Perk-Up and their handsome slot reciever in the semi-fnals to win the Venable bracket. In the end, the steady quarterback play of Tavella and the athleticism of Anderson and Basile made the difference and My Mom Made Dinner picked up the victory over Waves.

12

Photo Essay

Thursday, March 3, 2016

Beacon.MCLA.edu

A few of the sandwiches that were sold during the fundraiser.

National Residence

Hall Honorary’s Grilled Cheese Fundraiser Photos by Domonique Ackley Rachel Sullivan, ‘19 and Rachel Durgin, ‘18 organize Berkshire Towers’ orders.

Kayla LaVoice, ‘18 prepares sandwiches.

Ames, ‘17 wraps a grilled cheese sandwich in tin foil.

Alex Horton, ‘18 gets ready to deliver an order to an awaiting customer.

Sam Kipp, ‘17 butters slices of bread before they are placed on the grill.