Paramount emissions

Emerson College’s student newspaper since 1947 • berkeleybeacon.com

Thursday January 16 , 2019 • Volume 73, Issue 14

Paramount produces large amount of emissions Dana Gerber, Beacon Staff Of all of Boston’s residence halls, The Paramount Center produces the most greenhouse gas emissions compared to its size, according to data gathered in 2018 and published in September 2019 by the City of Boston.

In 2018, Paramount produced 13 kilograms of carbon dioxide per square foot, totaling nearly 2 million kilograms of carbon dioxide, according to Building Energy Reporting and Disclosure Ordinance data. This is equivalent to driving over 4 million miles in the average car, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Comparatively, Simmons University’s Evans Hall only produced 1.2 kilograms of carbon dioxide per square foot, the lowest rate among Boston residence halls.

Paramount, which houses approximately 260 students, is the only Emerson residence hall that is not LEED-certified. LEED certification, which is given by the U.S. Green Building Council, gauges the environmental friendliness of the technology and construction of buildings.

Piano Row, which is LEED Silver certified, trails closely behind Paramount in greenhouse gas emission intensity at 8.8 kilograms of carbon dioxide per square foot, followed by 2 Boylston Place and then the Colonial Building.

The data for the Little Building is not yet available, but the college is attempting to secure the top LEED certification.

The Building Energy Reporting and Disclosure Ordinance requires all of Boston’s largeand medium-sized structures to report their energy and water usage yearly in hopes of lowering greenhouse gas emissions by 15 percent every five years, according to a BU News Service article.

Although Paramount was the residence hall that emitted the most greenhouse gasses relative to building size in Boston in 2018, Berklee College of Music residence halls had on average the highest intensity of greenhouse gas emissions in

the city.

Campus Sustainability Manager Catherine Liebowitz said the reason for Paramount’s sustainability shortcomings is that its last renovation was in 2010. Since the college renovated 2 Boylston Place and the Little Building more recently, Liebowitz said the college utilized more sustainable building materials.

“LEED certifications were around, but [they weren’t] something that was necessarily the standard,” Liebowitz said. “There are definitely things that were taken into account to make it a greener building, but it wasn’t a priority at the time.”

Duncan Pollock, associate vice president of facilities management,, said Paramount currently utilizes some green technologies, such as using LED bulbs and the green steam system, which delivers thermal energy to Boston buildings. Pollock said compared to the other renovation projects on Emerson residence halls, the Paramount renovation didn’t lend itself to massive green overhauls.

“It wasn’t what we call a gut renovation, where you tear everything out and rebuild everything,” Pollock said. “It didn’t allow for us to do more sustainable projects.”

Paramount also houses two theaters, which Liebowitz also cited as a contributing factor to its high energy usage. Liebowitz said various green updates to Paramount are in the works, including LED bulb upgrades, installing an energy analytical system that adjusts energy load to maximize efficiency, and electricity load-shedding that shuts down certain systems when others are in demand. However, the college has yet to implement any of these changes.

“I don’t want to say there’s anything set on a specific timeline, because that isn’t true,” Liebowitz said. “But everyone is aware and everyone is definitely interested in making those green updates.”

See Paramount, page 2

The Paramount Center sign lit up Washington Street Wednesday night. Montse Landeros/ Beacon

Sunsetta set to release new single and music video Emily Cardona, Beacon Staff Sophomore drummer Amogh Matthews posted on the Emerson Musician Mafia Facebook in 2018 in search of a group of fellow musicians to jam with. He received a response from sophomore singer and guitarist Karthik Ramaswami that led to the creation of Sunsetta, a band the two describe as a “pastel” punk band.

“During our first rehearsal playing together, we started a song and ended the song together,” Matthews said. “If you are a musician, you know that never happens and I just knew we clicked.”

The group is made up of four Emerson musicians—Matthews, Ramaswami, sophomore singer and guitarist Thomas Chadwick, and sophomore bass player Henry Tyndall, who joined the band in Oct. 2019. Their new single and first music video will be released by the end of January, and they plan to release their first EP in April.

The band began rehearsing in March 2019 at Berklee College of Music, since Matthews has access to the college’s studio space through the ProArts Consortium. Chadwick described Sunsetta’s sound as a mix of alternative, rock, blues, pop and some punk, but the members of the band call Sunsetta’s style “pastel” punk.

The style comes from their love for the mindset of punk music and pastel colors.

“When we say punk we don’t mean like punk, but like bring down the norms—punk as in the mindset,” Chadwick said in a phone interview. “We want to redefine masculinity.”

They performed their first live show in April 2019 during the EM Magazine release party at Studio 550 in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

See Pastel, page 6

Minimal usage after midnight might see Campus Center closing early Dana Gerber, Beacon Staff Operating hours of the 172 Tremont St. campus center remain in question after the college observed minimal student access past midnight.

Director for Campus Centers Josh Hamlin said in a phone interview the college analyzed tap records and space booking records to determine when students most frequently accessed the campus center. He said tap records indicated only 170 students accessed the building after 11 p.m., and fewer than 60 students after midnight.

After 1 a.m., Hamlin said only 20 students accessed the building. The building currently closes at 2 a.m.

“We looked at the actual hard data of who was accessing the building—how many reservations we were getting into the system,” Hamlin said. “The data wasn’t showing that the building was really being used that late in the evening.”

In response to this, the college sent a survey on Jan. 7 asking students how closing the building at midnight would affect them or their organization. The possible survey responses ranged from “no impact at all” to “this would have a negative effect on me/my organization.”

The campus center—which opened its doors last semester—features six conference rooms, “pods” for smaller meetings or individual studying space, a community lounge and kitchen, and the offices for various organizations, including the Student Government Association.

Sunsetta plans to release a single and music video in January. Jakob Menendez/ Beacon Staff

See 172, page 2

News

The Berkeley Beacon

January 16, 2020

2

SGA introduces executive cabinet Financial Equity Board on SGA docket

Andrew Brinker, Beacon Staff The Student Government Association unanimously approved a sweeping change to the organization’s executive structure and appointed a new executive vice president Tuesday at the first joint session meeting of the semester.

Executive President Will Palauskas’ first major act was to introduce a proposal to establish an executive cabinet that would dramatically expand and organize SGA’s top tier of leadership.

The proposal, approved by a unanimous vote, would indefinitely add five new positions to the organization including Chief of Staff,

Incident Journal: Winter Break Edition The Emerson College Police Department provides the Incident Journal to The Beacon every week. Beacon staff edit the Incident Journal for style and clarity but not for content.

Monday, Dec. 16, 2019 A student reported to the ECPD that a stranger followed and harassed them while walking near the 300 Block of Boylston St. Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2019 A student reported finding the front door to the Barnes & Noble bookstore unsecured. A check of the bookstore showed nothing out of order. ECPD notified the Barnes & Noble manager and officers secured the bookstore.

Sunday, Dec. 22, 2019 A box truck delivering supplies struck the Colonial Theatre fire escape, causing minor damage to the box truck. ECPD notified Facilities Management and the Ambassador Theatre Group, which manages the Colonial Theatre of the accident.

Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019 ECPD and the Boston Fire Department responded to a fire alarm from the Walker Building. ECPD determined contractors working on the eighth floor caused the alarm. There was no fire and there were no injuries to report.

An officer on patrol noticed that someone had vandalized the ID card proximity reader for the Elma Lewis Center. ECPD notified Facilities Management of the vandalism.

Saturday, Jan. 4, 2020 A student came to ECPD to see if a pair of headphones had been turned in. The student said they left the headphones inside the Bobbi Brown and Steven Plofker Gym the prior evening and they were concerned that someone had stolen them.

Monday, Jan. 6, 2020 An ECPD officer on patrol found an abandoned couch left inside the loading dock area of the Paramount Theatre. An investigation revealed that people moving on Mason Street left the couch before leaving in a U-Haul vehicle.

An ECPD dispatcher noticed an individual who attempted to steal packages left inside the Allen’s Alley on video surveillance. ECPD chased the suspect, who dropped the packages and fled the area. ECPD recovered the packages.

Thursday, Jan. 9, 2020 ECPD, Facilities Management, and the Boston Fire Department all responded to the Little Building for a fire alarm. Contractors in the basement set off smoke detectors by creating dust and debris, causing the alarm.

Friday, Jan. 10, 2020 A pedestrian flagged down an ECPD officer concerning several suspicious packages left on Stuart Street near the State Transportation Building. The ECPD officer conducted a preliminary inspection of the packages and determined they were not dangerous. ECPD notified Boston Police to confiscate the packages.

Communications Director, Elections and Outreach Director, Social and Events Director, and Education and History Director.

Each new position will be filled in the coming weeks by appointment and approval from joint session and will not be restricted to SGA members.

“Really, the goal of the executive cabinet is just bettering that internal structure overall of SGA,” Palauskas said. “I think everybody [in SGA] can work a little bit easier when the load is not so heavy.”

Former Communications Studies and Disorders Senator Melissa Bordelon, will serve as executive vice president this semester after being appointed to the position by Palauskas and approved by SGA’s legislative body in a unanimous vote.

SGA’s constitution dictates that if the executive vice presidency becomes vacant during the second semester of an academic year, it is the executive president’s responsibility to fill the vacancy with an appointment that at least twothirds of joint session must approve.

Palauskas organized a last-minute writein campaign in December that allowed him to claim the presidency after former Executive President Raz Moayed departed to attend Emerson’s Los Angeles campus. “[Bordelon] has some really good experience in SGA as the transfer commissioner and CSD senator,” Palauskas said. “I think she’s really battled-tested and she knows what she’s doing and she’s so driven, so she’ll make a great VP.” Bordelon, who has been in the organization for two years, told The Beacon that she plans to focus her efforts as executive vice president on SGA’s senate.

“I’m really excited to support all the senators and achieving all the goals they laid out in the academic initiative for last semester,” Bordelon said. “I was the CSD senator and the only student at my table during the academic town hall, and so I’m really trying to concentrate on and support the senators that have constituents that aren’t really showing up and figuring out how to help them.” andrew_brinker@emerson.edu

Paramount Center, not LEED certified Continued from page 1 Despite this data, Liebowitz said Emerson has reduced direct carbon dioxide emissions by 80 percent since 2007, despite campus size increasing by 60 percent per square foot.

Senior Raven Devanney, co-president of on-campus environmental advocacy group Earth Emerson, told The Beacon she is frustrated that the housing requirement compels students to live on campus for three years in spaces that often have significant carbon footprints.

“As a student, you want to know what your impact is, especially since Emerson’s changed their housing policies,” Devanney said. “To not have that information to know exactly what each building is doing—it’s kind of frustrating because it kind of takes the agency away from the students.”

Liebowitz said she understands student concerns over the sustainability of the campus they live on and urges them to voice their opinions to college officials to spur change.

“I get that there can be a lot of frustration, and it’s true—you don’t always get to choose your setup of where you’re living,” Liebowitz said. “But you’re in an environment that is very open to feedback.”

Devanney said she wishes the campus would prioritize greener building decisions, even if it means sacrificing comfort or aesthetic.

“It is so cool to see the flashing lights on the Paramount building, but what would happen if we turned those off for a month?” Devanney said. “Would it look as cool? No. But is it going to look cool in 10 years when the world is on fire? No.”

dana_gerber@emerson.edu

Tomas Gonzalez, Beacon Staff

want to] create a space where students who feel as though their financial needs are not met can Student Government Association Executive come and be heard.”

The board would also work as an educational Treasurer Abigail Semple is poised to unveil platform where stuthe new Financial dents can ask quesEquity Board at tions regarding any Tuesday’s joint sesof their finansion meeting on Jan. “My job is both to create laws aspect cial issues, Semple 21.

“Where FAB Semple told The and enforce laws, and that’s said. allocates out funds, Beacon that the new board will act as an not necessarily how it should FEB will be suggesting policy toadvocacy group, work.” ward administrawith 8–12 members tion,” Semple said. who would hear Abigail Semple Semple said she students’ financial envisions that the issues and pleas. board would inThe board will also vite speakers from serve as a way for Semple to delegate the powers of the executive inside and outside of Emerson who are welltreasurer and be able to provide more support versed in economics to talk to students about for students, according to the senior Visual and topics such as how inflation affects tuition.

Semple also added that she hopes to receive Media Arts major. “[The idea for the board] came from the is- textbooks and a recommended reading list from sue of my job,” Semple said. “My job is both to Emerson faculty so students can gain access to create laws and to enforce laws, and that’s not information regarding financial situations.

Semple said the necessarily how it meetings would be should work. I think closed to the pubthat this is a situsimilar to SGA’s ation where more “Ideally, this meeting is going lic, senate. voices are more “Ideally, this valuable and one to be private the same way meeting is going to person’s opinions are not necessarily that Senate is, so that students be private the same way that Senate is everyone’s opinfelt that what is said in the so that students feel ion.” that what is said in Semple said she room can stay in the room.” the room can stay in and Executive Pres- Abigail Semple the room,” Semple ident Will Palauskas said. would co-chair the Joint session is board and students expected to vote on outside of SGA are the approval of FEB next Tuesday, and FEB welcome to join.

“Ideally, we’ll have commissioners who would also meet every Tuesday. serve in SGA who would be heavily invited [to participate],” Semple said. “We are very open to having other student leaders on campus, student leaders from cultural organizations, stu- tomas_gonzalez@emerson.edu dent leaders from theatre and production. [We

172 hours in question Continued from page 1

Hoppe and Hamlin, and they were receptive.

Director of Student Engagement and Lead“I think a lot of folks that are involved are ership Jason Meier said it’s difficult finding stu- definitely, like, ‘We understand what this might dent employees to staff the tap desk at the cam- cause and the changes that this might create,’” pus center after midnight, especially because all Palauskas said. “I think everybody in general MBTA lines are closed by 2 a.m.. This, coupled just wants to work together and make sure that with the lack of usage, was the incentive to send nothing really changes for any of these orgs.” out the survey to gauge student opinion.

Hamlin said the campus center would main“We really struggle staffing 172 after mid- tain the 2 a.m. closing time on a case-by-case night,” Meier said in a phone interview. “I think basis, since many student organizations, inour student workers would feel it is a relief not cluding SGA and The Berkeley Beacon, rely to have to give up their own time and sleep to on their offices to finish their deadline-oriented work the building hours.” work. For example, he said the campus center Vice Presiwould stay open until dent and Dean of 2 a.m. every WednesCampus Life Jim “I think our student workers day, which is the day Hoppe said over The Beacon sends its would feel it is a relief not to weekly issue to print.

700 students have responded to the said they would have to fill up their own time He survey. He said also likely enact later the most common times during and sleep to work the building closing response is that finals week, much like the earlier closing the Iwasaki Library hours.” time would not does.

-Jason Meier have an effect on Hamlin added students, but the these shortened hours administration may go into effect still hasn’t decided whether to enact the short- mid-semester, or the administration may wait ened hours. until next year to institute them.

“We still have to have that conversation with “It’s a conversation that we’re going to have the staff,” Hoppe said. “There’s a lot of factors to have pretty quickly,” he said. “It all depends that have to be put into play, so I don’t know on how everything aligns and what we think is that I would say I’m leaning one way or the best for our community.” other.”

Meier said the poll ensures that the Emerson SGA Executive President Will Palauskas community, along with the usage data, could sent an email to Hoppe, Hamlin, and Meier, contribute to the decision concerning the buildvoicing his concerns over how student organi- ing’s hours. zations would operate under the proposed short“Our decisions are always based around what ened hours. is best for the student body and what the stu“Literally at the end of the day, having an al- dents’ needs are,” Meier said. “We’re absolutely most all-hours space such as the Campus Cen- going to honor that.” ter is necessary to fostering safe work environments for students on our campus,” the email read.

Palauskas said he has since spoken with jacob_seitz@emerson.edu

The Berkeley Beacon

January 16, 2020

News

3

Emerson food establishments sustain violations since management switch Dana Gerber, Beacon Staff The Backstage Café and the Dining Center received four violations during the most recent Oct. 21, 2019 inspection, following a string of violations since Bon Appétit took over dining services in summer 2018, according to public records.

Throughout Bon Appétit’s management, issues with cleanliness, pest control, system maintenance, signage, and food protection have been among the violations at the college. During the most recent inspection, the Backstage Café received a violation for a dust buildup above the ice machine and the Dining Hall received three violations for a clogged floor drain, debris and water on the floors, and fruit fly activity.

Dawn Sajdyk, resident district manager of Bon Appétit, said the majority of Emerson’s violations are non-critical ones involving lighting, wall and ceiling cleanliness, or the occasional equipment malfunction.

“I don’t think we’ve had anything that is safety related,” Sajdyk said in a phone interview with The Beacon. “I’d say nine times out of 10, it’s been an equipment issue that was either addressed before the inspector came in, or when they identified it, we jumped on it to make

sure that that was addressed.”

Sadjyk said the Health Division conducts unannounced inspections twice a year at the Emerson dining facilities. Sajdyk added that the college itself pays for a third-party, Berger Food Safety Consulting, which is separate from the city, to inspect the Dining Center twice a semester, and the other establishments once a semester.

Duncan Pollock, associate vice president of facilities management, said in an interview that on-campus Business Services oversees these third-party inspections, and works with Sajdyk to enact employee training when violations occur. The purpose of the third-party inspector, Pollock said, is to ensure that all the dining facilities are as prepared for the City’s inspections as possible.

“Practice makes perfect,” Pollock said in an interview with The Beacon.

The City of Boston inspects The Max, Paramount Café, Backstage Café, Dining Center, and Center Stage. The Health Division of the Department of Inspectional Services performs these checks on at least a yearly basis to ensure dining facilities meet sanitary codes and standards, according to the City of Boston’s website.

All five Emerson College dining facilities have received at least one violation per inspection since Bon Appétit began running the dining services at the college.

Despite violations, the college has received only ‘A’ grades from the Health Division since Bon Appétit’s arrival, Sajdyk said.

Previously, Sodexo, a food management company based out of France, ran Emerson’s on-campus food establishments from 2013 to 2018. Pollock said the switch from Emerson’s previous dining contractor, Sodexo, was not due

“I don’t think we’ve had anything that is safety related.”

- Dawn Sajdyk

to inspection violations, but instead food quality and delivery. Under Sodexo’s management, there was a high frequency of violations, with The Max receiving two violations in 2016 and three in 2017.

According to the website of the City of Boston, inspections are based on a numerical system. Each facility begins with a 100-point total, and points are subtracted for each violation. The remaining points are then converted into a letter grade—any score from 94 to 100 points indicates an A grade.

This means that a restaurant can receive an A grade even with three ‘non-critical’ violations, or violations that don’t involve food safety. If an establishment does not receive an A grade initially, the Health Division inspects it again within 30 days, and the second grade stands.

According to a 2018 Boston CBS article, over 99 percent of Boston restaurants have an A rating. w Sajdyk said employee training is extensive in dealing with food safety, sanitation, and allergens. She said that in addition to training sessions at the beginning of each semester, there is dana_gerber@emerson.edu

College begins annual Kasteel Well alumni trip “I just love Holland so much, and not having seen it since 1993, I wanted to go back and re-experience it,” he said. “I’m close to 50 years old—all 26 years later and I’m still seeing things with fresh eyes, which sort of is that little seed Dulcia planted as a student, still inside me, growing.”

Sean Couglin ’08 and Elyse Ruback ’10, who met while at Emerson and later married, said that not attending the Kasteel Well program was the one major regret of their respective college experiences, which is why they decided to go on the alumni trip.

“There was this feeling that there was a small piece of the Emerson experience that we missed out on,” Couglin said in a phone interview with The Beacon. “When there became an opportunity to go to the Castle, it just seemed like the perfect opportunity to engage with the school as alumni.”

Although the trip featured alumni from a range of different classes, Coughlin said they all bonded over their shared experiences instead of becoming divided by generational gaps.

“As soon as we got there, we realized that the reason we went to Emerson in the first place was because it draws a certain type of person,” he said. “We just had a great experience.”

Ruback added that although many of the The gourp of alumni who participated in the Kasteel Well trip in summer of 2019 gather around a table. Executive Courtesy of Christine Del Favero workshops were career-based, such as a storyDana Gerber, Beacon Staff 1997, and the last one began two years ago. The that initial advertising was kept intentionally telling workshop to learn communication skills college renovated the entire campus, including small to gauge interest and feasibility, but the with potential coworkers, she appreciated that The college plans to introduce an annual the floors, foundation, electricity system, and department plans to expand and refine the promany of the experiences were ones she would alumni trip to the Kasteel Well Emerson cam- the sewage system. gram in preparation for this upcoming sumhave had as a student. pus in August following the success of a previ“We’re so ready to show the castle and its mer. Meijers said she believes increased ad“It was cool to feel like you’re getting a simous four-day trip, according to a college official. transformation to former—as I always call vertising will increase interest in the program. ilar experience to the students who are... studyDulcia Meijers, the Kasteel Well executive them—castle dwellers,” she said.

“My mailbox was filled with emails of foring in the castle program,” she said. “It defidirector, said eleven individuals attended last Meijers said the profit the trip earns will go mer castle dwellers that said, ‘We would love nitely felt like it was geared towards an alumni year’s four-day trip organized by the Office of into the Let’s Go Fund, which offers financial to come, are you still offering it in the next trip.”

Student Affairs in the Netherlands as well as support to Emerson students who want to study years to come?’” Meijers said. “And I said Meijers agreed that the trip attempted to Boston’s Alumni Office. Meijers said the trip abroad.

‘Sure. If you cannot come this year, we would blend teachable moments with the fun of a vawill happen again this upcoming summer from “We want that fund filled [for] the years, so like to make it a yearly event.’” cation. For example, since the Dutch colonized Aug. 23-28. that more students Meijers said Indonesia until the The trip costs apcan benefit from Kasteel Well faculty 1940s, Meijers took proximately $2,000 international edu- were also welcome the group to an Into attend, excluding cation opportunities to participate in the donesian restaurant airfare, and will inthat Emerson of- experience, and notexplore that part “It was cool to feel like you’re to clude an additional fers,” she said. ed that many faculty of the country’s hisday from last year’s The trip fea- members expressed tory. getting a simlar experience trip in response to tured many of the an interest in seeing “There’s a lot of to the students who are... feedback from last same events as the old students. entertainment, but year’s participants.

Kasteel Well stuDaniel Cox ’93 all educational,” studying in the cast program.” it’s The trip included dent program, in- participated in the Meijers said. alumni both who cluding excursions castle program -Elyse Ruback participated in the to Amsterdam and twice as a student, Del Favero, who Kasteel Well prothe Rijks museum, once during his attended the trip gram as students, as a canal tour, and sophomore year, as an alumni office well as those who dinner at an Indo- and a second time representative, said had not. Spouses and parents of some alumni nesian restaurant. Other events were specific to as a Resident Assistant during his senior year. the trip succeeded not only in connecting alumwere also in attendance. the alumni trip, such as a beer tasting session After hearing about the trip in April, Cox deni to the Emerson community, but vice versa as “They loved it, and they wanted more of ev- in Belgium, a falconry experience, a medieval cided it was too exciting an opportunity to well. erything,” Christina Del Favero, the director of singing troupe performance, and career-build- pass up.

“The castle is [so] warm and welcoming,” alumni relations at the Boston campus, said in ing workshops.

“I’d always had this daydream of returning Del Favero said. “Everybody there just loves an interview. “We’ve taken that feedback and “It’s all centered around going down memo- to the castle campus,” Cox said in a phone inthis opportunity to connect with alumni. So it’s updated the itinerary for this year accordingly.” ry lane,” Meijers said. terview from Colombia. “When the alumni ofa gift all around.”

Meijers said in a phone interview that she Last summer, the alumni office advertised fice sent out that letter, I turned to my husband wanted to start an alumni event at Kasteel Well the trip through the college’s alumni newsletter. and I said, ‘We’re going to Europe.’” for years, but restoration and renovation work An interest form for the 2020 trip is on EmerCox, who had Meijers as a professor when done over the summer deterred her. According son’s website, and Del Favero said they plan he was a student, said seeing the castle decades to Meijers, the first renovation project began in on launching a full website soon. She added after graduating gave him a new perspective. dana_gerber@emerson.edu

“I’d always had this daydream of returning to the castle campus.”

-Daniel Cox

Editorial Helping Marlboro students transition through finacial support is essential A guide released by the Emerson cost difference in room and board rates Office of Undergraduate Admissions between Marlboro and Emerson are not to the Marlboro community on Dec. covered by Emerson.” It is troubling 19 states that Emerson will not pay for to see that Marlboro feels they need to cost differences in housing for Marlboro raise money to combat the added costs College students living on the Boston that come with joining the Emerson campus next semester. community, and our administration is not The guide was sent through an email doing much to help. and was aimed to answer questions The merger between the two schools Marlboro students may have about was announced last November, and their transition to Emerson in the fall. Marlboro Dean of Admissions Fumio It included information on the general Sugihara said that approximately 75 transition process, credit transfer, students will transfer to Emerson. housing, costs, and financial aid, as well Emerson College has a projected $50 as opportunities to visit Emerson. million in earnings from room and board Just like Emerson students, Marlboro fees next fiscal year and an operation and students will be required to live on maintenance cost of $34 million for all of campus until the end of their junior year. its buildings. Marlboro students would According to the Marlboro website, the bring the total housing difference cost to cost of room and a pproxima te ly board is $12,595, $416,625 per which makes it year. $5,555 less than T h e s e the average cost additional “ It is troubling to see that of living on the housing costs Emerson campus.

Marlboro feels they need to are particularly This means that significant raise money to combat the because Marlboro students 38 and families still percent of added cost that come with have an additional M a r l b o r o financial burden are joining the Emerson com- students that was not considered munity, and our adminis- l o w - i n c o m e , explicitly stated.

Even though their according to tuition will remain tration is not doing much to CollegeCalc. The the same if they $5,555 additional help.” choose to be a cost for housing Liberal Arts and per year is not a Interdisciplinary small number for Studies (IDIP) many students major at Emerson, and their for a college that will potentially obtain families, and the school administration Marlboro’s $30 million endowment should not put it all on the students and an additional $10 million in real without clear warning. Emerson should estate designated for the IDIP program, actively communicate this situation with Emerson’s school administration should Marlboro students and even try to address work with Marlboro students to make some of the concerns raised. This merger sure they have enough financial support has already caused stress for Marlboro coming to Emerson so they can have a students, and we need to ensure that they smooth and painless transition. feel comfortable when coming into a The Beacon published an editorial different city to finish college. in November after President M. Lee Pelton visited Marlboro College and spoke with students during their weekly Town Meeting. We praised the president and school administration for taking the initiative to visit the Marlboro campus in Editorials are written solely by Vermont and communicate directly with students there, even answering individual Editor-in-Chief Chris Van Buskirk, questions and concerns. Visiting the campus is an effective first step for Print Managing Editor Domenic Emerson College to build a supportive Conte, Opinion Editor Ziqi Wang, relationship with Marlboro College, but that tour should not mark the end Deputy Opinion Editor Jess of communication and support between college administration and the affected Ferguson, and Assisstant Opinion community.

However, indirectly informing people Editor Jocelyn Yang without about the additional costs of their living situation in a document within an email consultation from other staff is not very supportive for Marlboro members, and does not influence any students. Marlboro has already begun raising funds to help students, staff, and stories. Op-Eds reflect the views of faculty affected by the merger, according to Marlboro Chief Advancement Officer only their authors, not The Berkeley Rennie Washburn. Meanwhile, Emerson College told these students that “any Beacon.

The Berkeley Beacon

January 16, 2020

Editorial Cartoon by the Editorial Board illustration by Christine Park

The moment students realize Tatte is not as great as they thought.

Letter: Jan Tarlin responds to “Marlboro College Alumni Association disapproves of proposed merger with Emerson” Jan Tarlin Tarlin is a current member of the Marlboro College Alumni Association.

Writing as just one of the 500 very different people holding very different views who make up the current membership of the Marlboro College Alumni Association, I would like to correct what I believe to be an inaccurate conclusion one might easily reach after reading the article titled “Marlboro College Alumni Association disapproves of proposed merger with Emerson” published in the Jan. 8 issue of The Berkeley Beacon.

The article is based primarily on a series of quotes from a letter sent by the six alumni on the Interim Association Council (the team currently guiding the Association) to the Association’s members on Jan. 6. Given the article’s title and the particular quotes from the letter chosen for inclusion, a reader might very well conclude that the Association has, as a body, taken an official position against the proposed merger.

However, a reading of the whole letter quickly shows that this is not the case.

The letter clearly states that the council members hold a variety of different positions on the proposed merger with Emerson. What they agree on is that the lack of transparency and inclusion in the process that has brought Marlboro to where it stands now requires acceptance of the Wootton Challenge to

legitimize any further actions by Marlboro’s current leadership regarding the future of the college.

Even this position is not presented in the letter as a position of the Association as a whole, it is simply the consensus position of the six individuals who are currently guiding the Association, and they make no demand that the Association’s membership adopt or support it. Rather, in the letter, the Council invites all individual members of the Association to consider the Council’s collective position as well as other publicly available information and ideas, and take individual action as they see fit.

The proposed merger of Marlboro and Emerson is a complicated issue that arouses deep feelings and sensitivities among all concerned. Overall, The Beacon’s reporting on it has been absolutely excellent. My attempt to provide a more detailed summary of the Jan. 6 letter than appeared in The Beacon’s Jan. 8 article is one person’s effort to deepen the dialogue between the Marlboro alumni community and the Emerson community by offering additional information that will help readers form perspectives that are fair to both the diversity of opinions within the broad community of Marlboro’s alumni and to the hard, committed, careful, and caring work of the Interim Association Council to help that diversity of opinions flourish and bear fruit.

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4

The Berkeley Beacon

January 16, 2020

Opinion

5

Holidays: The worst time of the year for international students

Xinyan Fu Fu is a sophomore journalism major and a Beacon columnist.

It’s that time of the year. With tree lights dancing and snowflakes swirling, the holiday hype starts with people shopping for Christmas decorations and gifts. College students are getting ready to go home for a long cozy break with their families.

As the song goes, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” Well, for some people, it might be, but the holiday seasons have always been the worst time of the year for me.

I’m not talking about Christmas itself here, but holiday breaks in the United States in general. As an international student, I face the dilemma of choosing whether or not to return home for winter break.

This is a tricky question for me because neither option is ideal. If I choose to go home during the winter break, the plane tickets are going to be quite expensive. The last time I checked the price of a ticket back home for winter vacation, the round trip total reached

home during break. Traveling can also be tough elsewhere, especially for Spring Festival. It has since it requires detailed planning beforehand. been my favorite time of the year because I get Even though I choose to stay in the states, to sit down with my entire family and enjoy a spending holiday breaks in the U.S. is weird full 15 days of celebration with them. I’m from for me because I do not celebrate most of one of the ethnic groups in China—Hakka, these holidays back home. We do celebrate which means that my family has many unique Christmas, but it feels more like another excuse traditions to celebrate the new year, including to go wild on discounted shopping rather than a “Open the Door,” also known as “Welcome serious deal. the God of Wealth.” We use fireworks and In China, festivals and holidays are a big firecrackers one specific time in the morning part of our daily lives. There are eight major of New Year’s Day to welcome another year of traditional festivals—Chinese New Year’s wealth and harvest. But now, besides giving my Eve, the Spring Festival, the Lantern Festival, parents a call at noon, there is not much I can do Tomb Sweeping Day, the Dragon Boat Festival, to feel the festivity. the Ghosts Festival, the Moon Festival, and Last year, my friends and I decided to make the Winter Solstice. Ever since I came to the Spring Festival a big deal by cooking a whole U.S. for school, I have meal together. We arrived had to spend six of the early in the 2B kitchen eight festivals on foreign and stayed there the land. The holiday seasons entire day to prepare. It always becomes the time “ This year, homesickness was a fun day until I saw other students passing by Illustration by Christine Park / Beacon Staff of the year where the feeling of “not belonging” and having weird glances hits a little harder bekicks in. Seeing people like they don’t know cause the Spring Festical why a bunch of Chinese up to $2,200. Packing could also be a pain if I celebrate their holidays with families and friends, students are all in the decided to go home. falls on Jan. 25.” kitchen looking happy.

For most of the flights, passengers could only able to stay in their own At that moment, although check two bags with each less than 50 pounds cozy room, relaxing for I was surrounded by my for free plus one carry on, which could only the whole holiday break, be around 20 pounds depending on the airline. makes me both jealous and friends and the smell of The long travel time for flights is another huge sad to be 7,644 miles away from home. good food, I can still feel the loneliness and drawback. There are no direct flights to my city This year, homesickness hits a little harder how much I’ve missed just celebrating it with in Xiamen, China. Usually, the trip will require because the Spring Festival falls on Jan. 25, everybody else. Before I left home for school, I at least one transfer flight and last more than 20 one of the earliest days of the year that the thought Spring Festival would be a well-known hours. festival can occur and around the time when festival around the world, but it turns out it is Therefore, since I arrived in Boston, I’ve schools begin their spring semesters. It is a only celebrated in five countries. never gone home for winter break. Despite all rare opportunity for students, because usually As I’m writing this article, Spring Festival the drawbacks of going back, the decision is the Spring Festival is in February instead of is fewer than 11 days away. I don’t think I can still hard because I need to have a solid plan for January. In fact, the Spring Festival is not going ever get over this weird feeling of celebrating 30 days. I have no close relatives living in the to be in January until 2023. Therefore, this year, traditional festivals here, and even though I U.S., which means I have no place to go after the timing gives students more of an incentive am learning to adjust to it, I still wish that one the residence halls are closed. The only options to travel back home for vacation. Many students day I can feel just a little bit more at home in for me are either staying with someone who have decided to go home during winter break, Emerson. has an apartment around Boston, or traveling and those who stayed missed out even more somewhere else to spend the time. However, than usual. finding apartments to sublet for only a month The feeling of celebrating big festivals is nearly impossible, and most of my friends go at home is different from celebrating them xinyan_fu@emerson.edu

Fighting climate change should be everyone’s New Year’s resolution the era of fossil fuels, we need a culture shift that is only going to happen from individual action,” Katie Eder, climate activist and executive director of the Future Coalition, said My New Year’s resolution was to take my to Teen Vogue. vitamins every day. I wanted something simple My brother’s resolution this year is to reduce and attainable considering 2020 is the big year his carbon footprint by commuting instead of I graduate and start my career. However, my driving. Changing daily habits can help fight boyfriend said it was lame and I shouldn’t be climate change. Unplug devices overnight. afraid of committing to something bigger, like Reuse plastic bags as trash bags or carry your fighting climate change. own reusable shopping bag. Propose a compost When I scrolled through my firsthand photos pile in your family home. Shop secondhand at of the bushfire smoke from my family trip to Depop or Goodwill. Swap in eco-friendly and the Blue Mountains in Australia last December, sustainable products. Eat less red meat. Adopt a I realized he’s right. But fighting climate change koala. Use Ecosia, the search engine that plants shouldn’t just be my New Year’s resolution–– trees, instead of Google. it should be everyone’s.

Personal actions like Earth isn’t just my planet, these are small, and it’s everyone’s too, and it’s going to be hard to inaction is not an option. follow through knowing The Amazon these habits alone aren’t rainforests lost land “I’d rather try again than enough to solve the equivalent to about 8.4 crisis. Thus, arguing give up and let the world personal million soccer fields behavior this decade because of change is pointless literally burn.” deforestation.

Since and meaningless September of last year, compared to collective over 1 billion animals political action. Many were killed in the environmental advocates Australian bushfires, and commentators said according to biodiversity individual action draws expert Chris Dickman. Videos of forests attention away from the governmental action burning and animals suffering continue to needed for climate justice. The Daily Beast circulate the Internet, and all of the news and columnist Jay Michaelson said focusing on facts about climate change can easily make us personal action lets corporate polluters, who are feel defeated, powerless, and discouraged to the true culprits of climate change, off the hook. even fight.

It’s easier to blame politicians and world “Climate emergency” was the Oxford word leaders for not taking political action than it is of the year in 2019. But a new year is a fresh to follow our new personal habits. We share a start. We all get excited to go to the gym, start photo of a burnt baby kangaroo on Instagram, a new diet, quit a bad habit and more basic bash the Kardashians for not donating to the resolutions to start this January. If we can put Australian Fire Relief, and exclaim how the all that newfound hope, drive, and energy into net worth of Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, and Warren ourselves, then we should also apply it towards Buffet should be enough to stop the rise of the planet. Last year, everybody was alerted climate change on Twitter. with how serious the crisis is, but this is the year It’s also easier to put the responsibility on everybody should act. others and let our individual resolutions be a “To truly transition our society away from part of the 45 percent of those that fall through Melissa Rosales Rosales is a senior journalism major and a Beacon columnist.

Illustration by Christine Park / Beacon Staff

by February. It takes more than two months to start a new habit, not three weeks. I honestly forgot to take my vitamins on the sixth day of the year anyway.

But messing up every now and then doesn’t affect the habit formation process. I’d rather try again than give up and let the world literally burn.

“When you choose to eat less meat or take the bus instead of driving or have fewer children, you are making a statement that your actions matter, that it’s not too late to avert climate catastrophe, that you have power,” Jason Mark, editor of Sierra Magazine, said. “To take a measure of personal responsibility for climate change doesn’t have to distract from your political activism—if anything, it amplifies it.”

Collective political action and personal action aren’t separate; they’re self-reinforcing.

We need to fight climate change with both, and climate scientist Michael Mann said there’s no substitute for the other.

By registering to vote, calling our local politicians, and supporting grassroots climate action organizations, we can use our individual resolutions to reinforce political action in our communities.

The news will discourage us. We’ll forget to bring a shopping bag to the store, and maybe we’ll question if it’s better to just do nothing and die young. But it’s important that we keep trying and believing we can fight climate change together.

If you can imagine a better you this new decade, your New Year’s resolution can imagine a better planet too.

melissamarie_rosales@emerson.edu

Living Arts

The Berkeley Beacon

January 16, 2020

6

Alum returns to YouTube with unconventional video Julian Valgora, Beacon Correspondent Following the death of his father in 2017, Luke Palmer ‘13 sought to follow in his father’s footsteps with a creative career. In June of the same year, Luke created Rhino Stew Productions, a YouTube channel that produces shorts, video essays, and sketches that are both unorthodox and experimental.

“My dad used to have a saying,” Palmer said in a phone interview. “The process of writing is a lot like following the recipe for rhinoceros stew. Step one, find a rhinoceros. That’s where the name came from.”

Luke said he is largely inspired by his father, Michael Palmer, an American author and physician, known for his best selling medical thrillers including Extreme Measures. Luke said his father’s creative drive and work served as the main reason behind Palmer’s decision to create Rhino Stew Productions.

At the end of 2019, between June and December, Rhino Stew Productions took a six month hiatus from video production. Palmer said that the channel took a break because of his preference for quality over quantity content.

After the six month break, Palmer returned to posting videos on his channel in Dec. 2019 by uploading a new video called ASMR Xenomorph Attack, which pays tribute to the 40th anniversary of the horror film Alien. The video has amassed over 70,000 views.

In June 2017, Rhino Stew Production released its first video project, called 2Kawaii4Comfort: a weeb series. This project was a six-part series that captured the lives and relationships of emotional weeaboo teens— Westerners obsessed with Japanese culture, according to Palmer. This project achieved moderate success, as Palmer described how it resonated with many viewers who suffered Luke Palmer ‘13 writes, produces and directs videos for his YouTube channel Rhino Stew• Courtefrom bipolar disorder displayed in the videos. sy of Luke Palmer “[2Kawaii4Comfort] was a personal and challenging script,” Palmer said. absurd scripts and unconventional content. An- video in Dec. 2019 as a follow-up, calling it Following the release of his first series, other video titled ASMR Bank Robbery was ASMR Xenomorph Attack. The video once Palmer said he became encouraged to produce uploaded in July 2018 and is his second most again features ASMR Miranda. and upload more videos to give himself an op- popular video with a total of over one million Jill Galbraith, the actress who plays ASMR portunity to experiment. views.

Miranda, said that she feels fantastic about hav“I wanted to create something with the subThe video, according to Palmer is a parody ing the opportunity to be involved in Palmer’s stance and genuine human love and compas- of conventional ASMR videos, which usually unorthodox content. sion that comes without having to be nice,” involve a single person making soft and often “What’s so exciting and tangible about workPalmer said. “It’s not nice, it’s love. Two very sedative sounds with their voice or objects. ing on Rhino Stew sets is that every project is different things. A project that was much more Contrary to the traditional structure of ASMR fueled by passion and the blind faith that this is of a personal endeavor rather than something videos, ASMR Bank Robbery depicts a wom- a stupid video that has to be made,” Galbraith completely professional.” an named ASMR Miranda violently robbing a said.

Since 2Kawaii4Comfort: a weeb series, bank while speaking in a soft whispered voice.

Palmer said Rhino Stew stands out from othPalmer has created seven video shorts to reach In light of the success of ASMR Bank Rob- er YouTube channels because of its variety and his goal of subverting viewer expectations with bery, Palmer decided to upload his most recent dedication to quality. The channel is not focused

on creating streamlined or popular content.

“It tries to give the audience something new, and will make you go holy shit,” Palmer said.

The style choice for the channel creates a challenge. According to Palmer, YouTube viewers do not have the patience to watch videos that fail to stick to a channel’s unusual style. Since the channel does not have a distinct genre, Palmer said viewers have more difficulty understanding, appreciating, and investing in their content as a whole. “[Viewers] don’t realize that this channel is a portfolio of ideas,” Palmer said. “Nowadays, you need to do one thing and stick with it, have a regular schedule. People don’t recognize that all these videos are made by the same person and in the same spirit.”

Palmer said he is unsure what the future of the channel will hold as he struggles to find a balance between personal artistic fulfillment and success.

“Interesting is not exactly commercially viable,” Palmer said. “I don’t want to be a brand, but if you want to build a career, you’re going to have to be a brand. You’re going to have to build an identity.”

Galbraith said she is optimistic about the future of the channel and confident in Rhino Stew’s mission to create content that will shock, confuse, and humor its viewers.

“I know that whatever Palmer and Rhino Stew do from here on will be, at the very least, a ludicrously good time,” Galbraith said. “Selfishly, I would love to see more ASMR Miranda, but who knows?”

Freshman Cameron Cohen, a fan of Rhino Stew, remained hopeful and anticipated future content during the channel’s hiatus.

“It’s been a wild ride seeing how the channel has changed over the past year or so, and I’m looking forward to where they might go in the future,” Cohen said. “It would be neat if they created another series like their first one, but that probably isn’t that realistic.”

Palmer said he plans on continuing to experiment and create videos during 2020 without settling into a singular style, voice, or idea. He said he wants to keep following his creative passion despite the growing competition on YouTube. “[ASMR Xenomorph Attack] was a gamble, and more of an ambitious concept than my other videos,” Palmer said. “I’m definitely more in the failure over success stage right now, but failure is a necessary part of experimentation.”

julian_valgora@emerson.edu

“Pastel” punk band to release new single and music video in January ginning of the Fall 2019 semester, said the band plays with more dedication than he’s seen in his When the band first started out, Chadwick past music groups.

“I have worked for many bands in the past, and Ramaswami wrote and composed all of but I have the music. Over never seen the time, however, level of comthe songwriting “We are very open when it comes to mitment like process became this band has,” more collaboraTyndall said. tive. Every memideas. We want to come up with the During a ber contributes to trip to the Bosthe final sound of Museum a song by helping best possible song, so the only way to ton of Fine Arts, out with the comChadwick saw position.

“Now we are do that is to listen to each other’s sug- a building in the skyline getting to a sweet with the compoint of collabpany name of oration where gestions and ideas.”­ Sonesta—an [Chadwick] or international I come up with — Karthik Ramaswami hotel chain. lyrics and the di“Sonesta rection we want is such a sick for the song, but name for anythen we as a band fill out the rest by helping with composition,” thing so I started to play around with the word Ramaswami said. “We are very open when it and eventually I came up with Sunsetta,” Chadcomes to ideas. We want to come up with the wick said.

Sunsetta will start recording for their first best possible song, so the only way to do that is to listen to each other’s suggestions and ideas.” EP in February at Nothing Productions music Tyndall, who approached Chadwick about studio outside of Boston. All four band membeing Sunsetta’s official bass player at the be- bers of Sunsetta plan to pay a combined $2,000 Continued from page 1

for the recording costs, spending money out of pocket and through donations from a GoFundMe page they plan to set up. Sunsetta will release the EP during their release party on April 25 at the Lily Pad in Cambridge.

“The EP will have S u n s e t t a ’s ‘staples,’ the songs that we have been playing since the get-go,” Ramaswami said in an i n t e r v i e w.

“We want to progress forward, so we need more than just a SoundCloud to do that.”

Over the winter break, Sunsetta worked with sophomore William Rowley to produce a music video for their new single, Bruise, set to be released by the end of January.

The band has a live show on Jan. 16 at the

Lily Pad in Cambridge and another on Feb. 10 at O’Briens Pub in Allston. Additionally, Sunsetta is planning a promotional summer 2020 tour. They will start in Boston and make their way down the coast to Atlanta, GA. Sophomore Laura Phillips, a fan of Sunsetta and friend of the players, met Ramaswami during their freshman year.

Philips saw them perform at the April 2019 EM Magazine release party and she enjoyed their performance.

“You just know that their music is written by them because it’s based on their own life experiences as college students,” Phillips said.

“You just know they are passionate about music in the way they perform.”

“You just know that their

music is written by them be-

cause it’s based on their own life experiences as college students.”

— Laura Phillips

emily_cardona@emerson.edu

The Berkeley Beacon

January 16, 2020

Living Arts

7

Person of Color Column: Black, Angry, and Female? The consequences of stereotypes Melanie Curry is a junior journalism major, The Beacon’s deputy arts editor and this week’s POC columnist.

I’ve been stereotyped before. Last week, my neighbor told me that I speak like a white person, as if African Americans cannot speak properly. When I was around the age of ten, a counselor at a Girl Scout camp complimented my intelligence and asked me why I was so smart.

To her surprise, black people are educated.

In Dec. 2019, my friend told me during a sleepover that her mom believes every black person smokes cannabis and walks on the side of the road. Typically, I do not let stereotypes alter my perspective of myself. I am confident in who I am and I brush aside the comments about me that are based on prejudice and racist notions. However, when my former roommate applied the “angry black woman” trope to my character last semester, I began to question who I am.

A few days before winter break, my roommate declared she was changing rooms because my “rude and angry” attitude stressed her out.

She claimed that I was upset every day and always yelled at her and my other suitemates.

“When did I yell at you?” I recall saying to her. “How did you know I was upset if you never asked me how I was feeling?”

She never responded to my questions in our conversation.

In the days following her declaration about my character, I repeatedly asked my suite members and friends if I come off as rude or angry.

Everyone I talked to believed her perspective

was inaccurate, and I was continuously reassured that I do not fit her description. But if her perception was inaccurate, what caused her to feel this way? After explaining the situation to my best friend and her boyfriend once more, I realized why she believed I am rude and angry.

She applied the angry black woman stereotype to my character.

According to Forbes, this stereotype describes black women as angry, hostile, overly aggressive, and upset.

While I was angry with my roommate once or twice over the semester, those incidents were isolated and completely separate from my character as a whole.

During our disagreements, I passionately expressed my feelings and opinions openly, an action that has been attributed to the angry black woman stereotype, according to the BBC. “Black women are not supposed to push back, and when they do, they’re deemed to be domineering. Aggressive. Threatening. Loud.”

Professor Trina Jones said to the BBC. She stereotyped me by using my anger in our

disagreements to create a perception about my character. While my roommate may not have realized the effects of her actions, the implication of stereotyping is still dangerous. Weeks after her comments, I still doubted myself and asked everyone around me if I seemed rude and angry. This experience is called stereotype threat, according to The Conversation.

The Conversation defines stereotype threat as the fear of committing behavior that may prove the stereotype true. This fear can influence cognitive ability, intellectual skills, and one’s self-image.

Stigmatized individuals experience higher levels of anxiety, which can lead to a decrease in work performance.

Being stereotyped is not easy, especially when it is someone close to you, but there are ways to cope after being stereotyped. The Conversation suggests looking at positive role models to prove the stereotypes inaccurate. . Other methods include focusing on positive attributes about oneself in an effort to increase positive self-examination and become aware of stereotype threat to decrease the like-

“While my roommate may not have realized the effects of her actions, the implication of stereotyping is still dangerous.”

lihood of experiencing anxiety and other detrimental consequences.

While these coping strategies can help, the best way to eliminate stereotype threat is to eliminate stereotypes as a whole. By doing this, stereotyping and its implications will stop confining individuals to certain behaviors. Eliminating a century-old practice takes time, but there are small steps everyday people can take to avoid perpetuating racism and prejudice.

The first, according to the American Association of University Women, is to take an implicit bias test. The test can help individuals know which biases they may subconsciously hold. After taking the test, it is imperative to accept the bias in order to recognize it and make changes to correct it. These changes can include volunteering in new environments to better increase education and knowledge of people, places, and communities. By seeking new experiences, individuals can learn how everyone is multifaceted and not confined to certain behaviors based on race, gender, hair, religion, etc. Lastly, raise awareness of bias and stereotyping. While these small steps will not stop this stereotyping immediately, it is a place to start.

No one likes to be stereotyped. It hurts. It puts people into boxes. It makes people doubt themselves, but it doesn’t have to. Everyone is different and multifaceted. Some homosexual men do not like shopping. There is no such thing as a ‘Jewish’ nose. A woman is not gay if she doesn’t want to bear children or get married. It is okay when black women are upset and angry.

melanie_curry@emerson.edu

Love Column: Moving on from a non-monogamous relationship Jacob Seitz is a junior journalism major, The Beacon’s assistant express editor and this week’s love columnist.

A few weeks ago, I received a text from a friend.

“My man you know I love you,” she began.

“But you just got out of a serious long term long-distance relationship. I know you are infatuated with this girl but I personally think the best thing for you might be to give yourself some time to be alone and fuck around.”

She was right, at least about the timeline.

Last month, I broke up with my partner of three-and-ahalf years.

We had been together since my senior year of high school.

Not even a month later I hopped into a new relationship.

When people around me started to question whether this was healthy, I started to question it myself.

In psychologist Paulette Kouffman Sherman’s Dating From The Inside Out, she writes that personal grace periods—the amount of time a person takes after a breakup before getting into a new relationship—can vary, but said most people need at least a month or two to process the breakup and to regain independence.

According to Sherman, the stages of grief

must pass before a person is ready for a new relationship. They should focus on getting back to work, reengaging with their hobbies and friends, and feeling confident again.

“This way, you will feel whole and in high self-esteem before you go back into the next relationship and won’t just be trying to fill that hole,” Sherman said.

In my case, there’s one problem with that— my last partner and I were non-monogamous.

When I decided to transfer to Emerson last fall, my partner and I decided to be in an open relationship. We both valued physical intimacy and since we wouldn’t be seeing each other very often, we decided to open things up. No emotions. Strictly sex. We drafted some ground rules and had an open line of communication between us the entire year while we were open.

It also allowed us both to explore our sexualities, since both of us are bisexual but had never explored same-sex partners.

For a lot of people who get out of long-term monogamous relationships, it can feel like there’s a void or a pit of some sort left in their heart. But, for me, that pit didn’t really exist. During our relationship, I was always able to see other people, go on dates, and have people in my bed. It’s not like any of those things were going away after the breakup. I felt supported by my friends and my other partners, so there wasn’t as much of a void. I was already seeing people who listened to me, who knew my stories, who supported my work. My partner complemented my life—she didn’t rule it.

I’m not the only one that feels this way. According to a 2016 study by the Journal of Sex &

“For a lot of people who get out of long-term monogamous relationships, it can feel like there’s a void or pit of some sort left in their heart. But for me, that pit didn’t really exist.”

Marital Therapy, about 20 percent of all single U.S. adults have engaged in some sort of ethical or consensual non-monogamy at some point in their lives. The respondents weren’t just young, city-dwelling liberals, either. The same study found that age, education level, income, religion, region of the country, political affiliation, and race did not impact the likelihood or willingness for people to engage in non-monogamy.

Being in an open relationship made me realize that I’m not cut out for m o n o g a m y.

I’ve always dated around and I’ve never felt the desire to be with one person exclusively.

In The Polyamory Break-up Book: Causes, Prevention, and Survival, author Kathy Labriola writes that breakups, whether non-monogamous or polyamorous, (a type of emotional as well as physical non-monogamy with more than one partner) can be tricky, because there’s usually more than one person’s feelings involved. Labriola says that while a person might be emotionally distraught after the end of a serious relationship, they still need to be caring for their remaining relationships if they want them to continue.

November was a tumultuous month for me in that regard. During Thanksgiving break, I broke up with my main partner. This left the person I had started seeing more recently in a weird position. I now had to deal with being newly “single” while also attempting to be mentally present and emotionally intimate with someone fairly new to me.

I came back to Boston ready to have flings

and be chaotically single in a city that makes me feel chaotic in the most beautiful way. I wanted to feel like I didn’t have any rules, any bounds, and that I didn’t have to tell anyone anything.

But, all of the sudden my relationship with the person I had just started seeing in November got more serious. She was over so often that she had a toothbrush at my apartment. And I fell for her, hard. It wasn’t anything like the feelings I had for my former partner. It happened in a completely new and different way. I went from not wanting to date anyone to wanting to date her specifically in less than a month. But, I don’t want to change who I am. I don’t want to be monogamous.

To w a r d s the end of the semester, we started officially dating. Just over a month after breaking up with my former partner, I’m back in a non-monogamous relationship with a new main partner. I still love going on dates, kissing cute boys in bars, and flirting with people on Tinder. Nothing about that has changed, just my main partner has.

Personal grace periods after relationships can be helpful for some people. People need time to figure out who they are and what they want if they aren’t in a relationship. But getting into a new relationship faster than other people should not be shamed, especially by people who don’t know the context.

“Getting into a new relationship faster than other people should

not be shamed, especially by people who don’t know the context.”

jacob_seitz@emerson.edu

Sports

The Berkeley Beacon

January 16, 2020

8

UPCOMING ACTION WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Fisher at Emerson, 7 p.m., Thursday WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Smith at Emerson, 1 p.m., Saturday MEN’S BASKETBALL: Springfield at Emerson, 3 p.m., Saturday MEN’S BASKETBALL: WPI at Emerson, 5:30 p.m., Wednesday

Lions enter conference play at the top of the food chain Ethan McDowell, Beacon Staff Men’s basketball head coach Bill Curley knew his team’s mentality needed to change following its 2019 NEWMAC championship.

The Lions are no longer underdogs, and Curley wants the squad to keep this in mind as they continue conference play.

“Last year we got to hunt people down, and no one thought much of us,” Curley said in an interview. “Now everyone’s really mad. They’re not just overlooking us. You’re the hunted now, and you’re getting everybody’s best effort.”

The Lions currently hold a 9-5 overall record and are 2-1 in conference play. After beginning the season with a pair of wins by 20 or more points, the team lost three straight matchups.

The Lions have now won seven of their last nine games and are tied for third in the NEWMAC standings.

Senior guard Jack O’Connor leads the team in scoring with 18.5 points per game and is averaging a career-high 8.6 rebounds per game.

On Jan. 2 the Lions played Nichols College without O’Connor, who missed the game due to an injury.

The team won 87-81 in overtime, as sophomore guard Zach Waterhouse led the team with 25 points and four rebounds. Sophomore center Jarred Houston scored 21 points, pulled down 16 rebounds, and blocked three shots. These performances resulted in the Lions winning the NEWMAC offensive and defensive player of the week awards on Jan. 6.

“It was a huge step for these guys to figure out how to win without O’Connor and without Geoff Gray against a team like that, but we want to see more consistency day in and day out,” Curley said.

Houston and Waterhouse average 13 and 15 points respectively, and Houston, who leads the NEWMAC in field goal percentage at 66 percent, credits their improved play to his work over the summer.

“I think it all starts in the off-season,” Houston said in an interview. “I think a big focus was just getting into better shape so I could make plays on the defensive end and just move around a lot quicker. I know I’m not where I want to be yet, but I think I’ve definitely taken the leap from where I was towards the end of last year to the midseason point that we’re at right now.”

Waterhouse said he and Houston have to play

“Now everyone’s really mad.

They’re not just overlooking us.

You’re the hunted now, and you’re getting everybody’s best effort.”

- Bill Curley a larger role in the offense now that Geoff Gray ‘19 graduated, and as a result he is guarded differently than last year.

“They might not have known much about us freshmen last year, but the way they play Jarred now, they hang back off me or press up because I’m a shooter,” Waterhouse said in an interview.

“It’s just a little more difficult, but at the end of the day it’s just basketball.”

Despite returning four of their five starters

from the 2018-19 season, 12 of the 16 men on the roster are underclassmen.

“We have a very young team, and they’re still trying to figure out what it takes,” Curley said. “We had great success last year, but we had a great leader with Gray and some guys that were battle-tested with O’Connor, but now they have to take that next step to lead this team when their shots are not going that way.”

Curley’s philosophy of unselfishness has led to a team average of 85 points per game on 47 percent shooting. Curley said the team is full of offensive talent, but he thinks the fast-scoring mentality of the team hurts them on defense at times.

“We have a lot of weapons,” Curley said. “I think we have a lot of guys that are skilled, and I think that’s also not helping our defense because we were able to score real quickly. We want our guys to be confident to take shots and step up, and we have guys that can really do that. But sometimes you got to get a little bit more pace and we can get that same shot 20 seconds later.”

Curley said the team’s defense needed to improve, and they showed this in a 54-44 victory over the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. They held the Beavers to eight points in the second half. Waterhouse says the team is ready for the remainder of conference play thanks to a tough non-conference schedule.

“The NEWMAC is very physical, and they just have long drawn out games,” Waterhouse said. “You have the game plan really heavily for them, and I think playing those games in the first half of the season really helps us.” ethan_mcdowell@emerson.edu @EthanMMcDowell

Sophomore Zach Waterhouse is averaging 14.5 points per game while shooting 37 percent from behind the arc.

Rachel Culver / Beacon Staff

Boyle, Madden deliver strong performances in Puerto Rico

Amanda Benavente led the defense to allow 0.86 goals per game. Rachel Culver / Beacon Staff

The women’s team went 1-1 in its two matches in Puerto Rico over winter vacation. Courtesy of Dan Toner Ethan McDowell, Beacon Staff The women’s basketball team had no time for sightseeing the day they landed in Puerto Rico for a tournament in San Juan. After the Lions grabbed their bags, they immediately headed for the practice court.

Despite playing in unfamiliar territory, head coach Bill Gould said the team focus ed on basketball from the moment they arrived. The team did not travel together, and Gould said this caused some problems.

“We had been on break for 10 days,” Gould said in an interview with The Beacon. “Some people were taking the red-eye, it was brutal.

We practiced for an hour, and the next day we played a game.”

Junior guard Rachel Davey said the quick

turnaround from winter break to the games made the adjustment to the tournament difficult.

“It was hard because we were coming right from home after having a week off,” Davey said. “We practiced really hard before we left, and then when we got down there, we had to really focus. We had only one day to practice and focus on the fundamentals and stuff so that we could get our touch back.”

The Lions played the University of Massachusetts Boston in the first game of the tournament. The distance between Emerson College and UMass Boston is 3.6 miles, but on Dec. 28, the Lions traveled 1,678 miles to play the Beacons at Colegio Universitario. “That was kind of funny,” Davey said in an interview. Every time we talked to people they would ask ‘Are you playing Puerto Rican teams?’ and we were

like ‘No.’ It was kind of funny because they were at our hotel too, but it felt normal.”

The team lost the contest by eight points after UMass Boston outscored them by nine points in the fourth quarter. Junior forward Sam Boyle scored 23 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the loss.

Two days later the Lions bounced back in their second and final game of the tournament by defeating nationally-ranked Messiah College 63-61 in overtime.

“They play in a great, great conference,” Gould said. “They’re always very, very tough.

They were in the Final Four two or three years ago. They were nationally ranked last year, and they were again this year. They’ve traditionally been a real strong team. That was a big win for our program.”

Senior guard Quinn Madden scored 29 points and recorded nine rebounds in the win. With the Lions trailing 59-60 with 57 seconds remaining, senior guard Kate Foultz scored the Lions last four points from the free throw line.

“It just showed our mental toughness, especially because we were down at halftime,” Davey said. “We were able to grind and get the lead back in the second half. So it was really promising to show for the rest of the season that we won’t tire out.”

Gould, who has taken the women’s basketball team on trips before, said he really enjoys the experience tournaments provide for his players.

“It’s not something we can do every year, but we definitely like to do it,” Gould said. “It ended up being a great opportunity for us to kind of get a jump-start on the second semester. I thought it was a great experience for everybody.

We had a lot of family that went, so it was really nice for them to be able to spend a little time in a nice area.”

During past trips, Gould said the team engaged with the community by running basketball clinics or handing out t-shirts. He said conflicts with the holiday season prevented them from doing it this year.

“We weren’t able to do that this year, which I would have liked to have done because I think the kids enjoy that,” Gould said. “It’s a nice thing to do, and you know as a former teacher, I think it’s important that you gain some other experiences while you’re doing these kinds of things.”

Gould said some of the families went sightseeing to historical locations in the area and visited the rainforest. Davey said she enjoyed the overall experience, and the team got closer on the trip.

“It was really nice,” Davey said. “The weather was obviously super nice, and we were all like, ‘Oh, we have to go back to Boston after this.’ It was really good for team bonding.”

ethan_mcdowell@emerson.edu @EthanMMcDowell