Emerson College’s student newspaper since 1947 • berkeleybeacon.com
Thursday, January 23, 2020 • Volume 73, Issue 15
Swastikas found in Piano Row Chris Van Buskirk, Beacon Staff
Four swastikas were found in a Piano Row stairwell early Wednesday morning. • Jakob Menendez / Beacon Staff
ECPD to unveil safety app
Tiny Thrift Store helps avoid fast fashion
Carlee Bronkema, Beacon Staff Emerson police plan to launch a new safety app called LiveSafe in the coming weeks designed to increase overall student safety on and off campus. The app, a joint project of ECPD and the Department of Emergency Management, will provide safety resources and information to the Emerson community in a way that is more convenient, ECPD Lieutenant Robert M. Bousquet Jr. said in an interview. “It is an added safety resource for our community members to communicate and share information with the police department,” Director of Emergency Management Chris Beaurpere told The Beacon. The implementation of a safety app has been in the works at the ECPD and the Emergency Management Department for a year and six months as the two departments examined different apps before settling on LiveSafe, Beaupere said. LiveSafe is commonly used among colleges and other organizations and serves three main functions. One is to provide information that students would originally have found in the Emergency Preparedness and Safety Guide, which is posted in various locations on campus and given to students during orientation. The guide provides community members with information regarding what to do in extreme weather, how to report crimes, and what to do for utility issues. See LiveSafe, page 2
Emerson police are investigating the source of four swastikas “scrawled” in Piano Row after a student reported the graffiti early Wednesday morning, according to college officials. The discriminatory, anti-Semitic graffiti was located between the 10th and 11th floors of the residence hall and it remains unclear when it was created. Vice President and Dean of Campus Life James Hoppe said ECPD might encounter difficulties when determining the perpetrator and recovering physical evidence from the site. “Odds are somebody knows who did this and so if anyone would have their ability or willingness to come forward and share information they know that would be very helpful,” he said. In a community-wide email sent out late Wednesday afternoon, Pelton said he is consulting a handful of senior administrators about the best way to “engage our community in our strongest denunciation of this hateful act.” As of publication, administrators were in the early stages of planning a vigil for Thursday at 4 p.m. with a location still up in the air. Jewish Advisor Jake Freedman and Hoppe plan to lead a vigil at 4 p.m. in the Reflection Room located in 172 Tremont St. “At a time when anti-Semitism and other ugly forms of bias are on the rise around the world, the Emerson community needs to hold all the more strongly to our values, and to be united in our condemnation of it,” Pelton wrote in the email. The incidents at Emerson College follows a nationwide, heightened sense of awareness among the Jewish community. Residents in New York experienced a string of anti-Semitic crimes including the stabbing of five Hasidic Jews by Grafton Thomas at a rabbi’s home as they celebrated Hanukkah in December, according to the Associated Press. See Stairwell, page 2
Taina Millsap, Beacon Staff
Young men’s volleyball team begins season By Pedro Figueiredo • p. 8
After years of being surrounded by nature as a Boy Scout and accidentally stumbling upon the environmental studies minor, junior Ben French decided to create a small thrift store on campus to help students avoid shopping at big chains that support fast fashion. French’s project, called the Tiny Thrift Store, consists of a cabinet in the Colonial basement next to the building’s laundry room. There, he said students can donate and pick up clothes and shoes for free to avoid supporting fast fashion and help steer Emerson toward a more environmentally conscious campus. “What you literally do is go down to the Colonial basement and take whatever clothes and shoes you have and just put them in the cabinet, and you’re welcome to look around at any time of day,” French said in an interview. “If you find anything you like you’re welcome to take it. You don’t even necessarily have to donate clothes to take anything.” In fall 2018, French started brainstorming the idea with his advisor, Campus Sustainability Manager Cathy Liebowitz. French said they set up the Tiny Thrift Store around two months later. As an eco-representative at Emerson, French’s job is to create sustainable projects that improve campus life. See Advocates, page 6
News
The Berkeley Beacon
January 23, 2020
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Sidewalk expansion project on schedule despite delays
Charlie Mckenna, Beacon Correspondent The college’s sidewalk expansion project experienced unanticipated delays in December but is still projected to finish on schedule in mid-September, according to a college official. The delays resulted from what Assistant Vice President of Facilities and Campus Services Duncan Pollock labeled as “emergency repairs” that construction workers needed to address before they could progress. Pollock said construction of the sidewalk itself will finish by the time students return from summer break in August. “Underneath the sidewalk are these chambers where the transformer bulbs are… for electricity,” Pollock said in a phone interview with The Beacon. “When they were digging up the cement they found that there was steel supporting the cement that needed to be replaced so they’re taking care of that now.” The space between Little Building and Colonial Building also required a repair—crews had to lift the lid off of the transformer bulb, which converts the high voltage energy from power lines to lower voltages or vice versa, Pollock said. The project, which initially began construction in September 2019, will bring greenery and benches to Boylston Street and a wider sidewalk that extends into the parking lane between Little Building and Boylston Place. “I think the results will surprise a lot of peo-
ple,” Vice President for Government and Community Relations Peggy Ings said. “Not only is it just a new sidewalk… we are also improving the [Boylston and Tremont] intersection and building a mid-block raised crossing.” The raised crossing would provide safe passage for pedestrians who wish to cross Boylston Street outside of the established crosswalk. The new crossing will begin at Boylston Place and stretch over to Boston Common. Crews are continuing to pour cement over sections of the sidewalk they demolished months earlier. Pollock said crews first need to repair the existing sections of the Boylston Street sidewalk before expansion can begin. As a result of the expansion project, the college intends to increase pedestrian flow across campus and make the area more appealing to residents of the city, Ings said. “One [goal] is to make this area a destination point for folks in the city to come down here to partake in … [including] appealing restaurants and an environment which will match that,” Ings said. Other features of the construction, including the mid-block raised crossing and the re-painted Boylston and Tremont intersection will remain unfinished as they are “city dependent,” according to Pollock. He anticipates that these features will be complete around mid-September.
“I think the results will suprise a lof of people.” — Peggy Ings
Workers continue sidewalk construction in front of Little Building. Rachel Culver / Beacon Staff
charlie_mckenna@emerson.edu
Stairwell swastikas ECPD app: LiveSafe Continued from page 1 Reports from the Associated Press also detailed several other attacks including a Dec. 10 shootout that left six people dead in Jersey City, New Jersey that was later deemed anti-Semitic and a stabbing in Monsey, New York, that left an Orthodox Jewish man injured. Freedman, also the advisor to Hillel, said he was disheartened to learn of the anti-Semitic incident on campus. The organization, which is dedicated to the education and observance of Jewish culture, plans to work with the Center for Spiritual Life to provide a “space of support” for community members. “We must work together as a community to continue to fight hate of all forms,” he wrote in a statement to The Beacon. This isn’t the first time the college has dealt with racially offensive vandalism in or around college property. Seven posters promoting the white nationalist group American Vanguard were found littered around campus in 2016. The fliers called for white men to “take a stand” and “take your country back.” The college also dealt with a spate of discriminatory and racially offensive graffiti found in four separate buildings in 2013. Former Director of Housing and Residence Life David Haden told The Beacon in 2013 that the phrase “kill the whites” was found in a Paramount Center elevator. Whether or not the incidents were connected was never determined. Articles in The Beacon from various years document a multitude of hate crimes and graffiti found at the college. Hoppe said these incidents bring up immediate, troubling reactions
from students. “I anticipate the whole spectrum of reaction,” he said in an interview. “For some folks, this is going to just bring up things very immediate … and very real reactions.” Emerson College Hillel Chapter President Melissa Bordelon said she found out about the incident during a break in class and received messages from Freedman to expect an emailed statement from Pelton. “It’s a very, very difficult time for our Jewish community on campus,” she said in a phone interview with The Beacon. “There will be conversations surrounding this topic for a long time, and Hillel will continue existing and continue being a community for Jewish students on campus.” Student Government Association President Will Palauskas told The Beacon that he echoes Pelton and thinks the vandalism is a desecration of the values that Emerson College holds. “It’s disappointing to see this ugly behavior on our campus,” he said. “I want people to know that SGA stands with them and I stand with them.” Executive Treasurer Abigail Semple said SGA plans to release a statement Thursday morning.
“It’s a very, very difficult time for our Jewish community on campus.” — Melissa Bordelon
c_vanbuskirk@emerson.edu
Continued from page 1 The app will also include important phone numbers for the Emerson community, such as ECAPS, the Title IX Coordinator, and the Center for Health and Wellness. Another one of LiveSafe’s main features, which Beaurpere said he has received positive feedback on, is called the “safety walk.” If a student is walking alone or doesn’t feel safe, they can use this option and its location sharing services to send their whereabouts to a trusted contact. The person can then actively track the user to ensure their safe arrival. The app also calculates how long the walk should take and will alert the contact if the tracker doesn’t make it to their destination on time. “The safety walk gives the person the ability to reach out to a person on their contact list and do the walk with someone they know who can monitor their progress,” Bousquet Jr. said. LiveSafe will also work in collaboration with the emergency notification system the college uses. Users will be able to respond directly to emergency notifications through the app to inform the school if they have been affected by a crisis, such as extreme weather. Beaurpere said this will be particularly useful for students living outside of ECPD’s jurisdiction.
For example, if there is a fire in Allston, ECPD can use the app’s tracking feature to send a notification to all of the Emerson students or affiliates in that area to ask if they require assistance, Beaupere explained. “If you allow the app to know your location, we can now pinpoint where you are and forward that information to the responding services,” Beaurpere said. The app also has a feature that allows users to submit tips, noise complaints, and file crime reports with the ECPD. The LiveSafe app can be downloaded on both the Apple and Android app stores, but the Emerson specific part of the app is not live yet. The college will send out emails to the Emerson community regarding how students and faculty can access the Emerson specific part of the app when it goes live. Family members or those without an Emerson login can also download the app, but will not have access to as many features. They will still be able to see all of the phone numbers and safety resources. “This is providing people a different way to communicate with us and if it is something they are more comfortable with, it is an option for them,” Bousquet Jr. said. carlee_bronkema@emerson.edu
The ECPD and Department of Emergency Management have been working on the safety app for over a year. Maya Gacina / Beacon Archives
The Berkeley Beacon
January 23, 2020
News
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Marlboro signs three new transfer agreements Jacob Seitz, Beacon Staff Marlboro College President Kevin Quigley announced that the Vermont college is working to cover the difference in room and board costs for students transitioning to Emerson. “For any student who transfers to the Marlboro Institute at Emerson, we can now guarantee that we will cover the difference in housing costs until they graduate,” Quigley stated. Marlboro students will pay $5,555 more in room and board on average and are required to stay on campus until the end of their junior year. A month ago, Marlboro also announced partnerships with three other New England liberal arts colleges that are less expensive than Emerson. The agreements, announced on Dec. 23, will give Marlboro students the option to transfer to College of the Atlantic in Maine, or Bennington College and Castleton University, both in Vermont. The three institutions, all smaller liberal arts schools, have agreed to waive certain fees and requirements to make it easier for Marlboro students to transfer. Students from the Vermont college will also pay a discounted tuition rate at the three colleges, similar to Marlboro’s agreement with Emerson. Marlboro also announced it would pay for any transfer application fees for students wishing to transfer to non-partnered institutions. Room and board at Marlboro is $12,595 per year, and is $16,200, $11,694, and $9,747 at Bennington, Castleton, and College of the Atlantic, respectively. “We understand students have various preferences and needs in meeting their academic goals, and that for some students transferring to an institution other than Emerson may be their best path forward,” said Marlboro Dean of Admissions Fumio Sugihara in a statement on Marlboro’s website. Sugihara also wrote that a fourth transfer agreement is in the process of being signed. The newly announced agreements come after Marlboro College declared a merger agreement with Emerson on Nov. 6. The merger will grant Emerson Marlboro’s endowment and control of its campus, rename the Institute for Liberal Arts & Interdisciplinary Studies after Marlboro, and take in students from the Vermont institution at a discounted tuition rate, so long as they stay in the Individually Designed Interdisciplinary Program. Sugihara said the new transfer agreements arose from Marlboro student concerns. “We recognize that not all of our students were going to want to go to Emerson,” Sugihara said. “Some of them intentionally chose Vermont, and they really want to be here. Some students might prefer a location that is not in an urban center, or they might prefer a more rural location.”
Sugihara later wrote in an email to The Beacon that room and board costs will not be covered by any institution under the transfer agreements and that faculty and staff are not included in the plan, unlike Marlboro’s merger deal with Emerson. Sugihara said Emerson was included in the discussions about transfer agreements with other institutions. “We also did this in discussion with Emerson, because, of course, we don’t want anything to jeopardize the agreement process,” Sugihara said. “We want Marlboro students to make decisions that are going to enable them to achieve their success, and if that’s not going to be Emerson, we all want to make sure that there are opportunities for those students.” Bennington College Vice President for Enrollment Tony Cabasco said the agreements have been in the works for a few months. “Maybe late November or early December, it was only a few weeks after [the Emerson-Marlboro announcement],” Cabasco said. “The folks at Marlboro had approached us to say that they’re wanting to, I believe, provide more options for the students because the expectation [is] that a lot of students are likely headed to Emerson but that some may not be.” Cabasco also said that Bennington lines up with Marlboro’s pedagogical vision on education. “[They have a] commitment to the kind of self-directed learning and how we do the liberal arts—it is a good match in that regard,” Cabasco said. The College of the Atlantic is a liberal arts college on Mount Desert Island in Maine, focused on interdisciplinary learning and human ecology, according to its website. The college has 365 students on a 37-acre campus, with an average class size of 12 students. In Bennington, Vermont, Bennington College has an academic structure similar to Marlboro’s Plan program, where students work one-on-one with an advisor to create their own curriculum and a primary and secondary area of study. There are about 755 students on the 440acre rural campus, with an average class size of 15 students. Castleton University in Castleton, Vermont offers 30 undergraduate majors, minors, concentrations, and certificates focusing on the liberal arts and social sciences as well as ecology and earth sciences. The 165-acre rural campus houses nearly 2,000 students, and the average class size is 17 students.
jacob_seitz@emerson.edu
Top right: The sun fades behind a building on the Marlboro campus, Bottom left: Marlboro’s Dining Hall where all community meetings are held, Bottom right: A picturesque scene unfolded on the quaint campus in Vermont. Jakob Menendez / Beacon Staff
Incident Journal: Vandalism in LB, outside of Union Bank 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. Wednesday, Jan. 15 A student reported vandalism on a white board in the Little Building.
Thursday, Jan. 16 A Resident Assistant turned over confiscated drug paraphernalia found inside a student suite in the Little Building. Saturday, Jan. 18 An ECPD officer on patrol found vandalism on a fire sign attached to a sprinkler standpipe outside the Union Savings Bank Building. An officer found the Fire Command Center to
the Tufte Building unsecured. After checking the area, the officer secured the Command Center. ECPD investigated a report of a disturbance in the Colonial Building. There was nothing found. A student reported losing money inside of Piano Row.
Editorial The time to take hate speech seriously is now
College officials reported Wednesday the school took to refute prejudicial that four swastikas were marked in a propagandists. The school also took Piano Row stairwell overnight. action after the 2013 incident to “work An email sent by President M. with members of our community Lee Pelton said the incident is under to develop additional programs this investigation and the offenders are semester and in the future.” However, unknown. In consulting with officials as anti-Semitism and other race-related from different departments around hate speeches becomes more common, campus, Pelton said the college is the school should recognize this trend looking to “determine how to engage our and provide better educational programs community in our strongest denunciation aimed to better serve the student body. of this hateful act,” and that staff from the At the moment, the only mandated Office of Student Life would be available “preventive” measure that the college on the fourth floor of 172 Tremont to talk offers is an online diversity and inclusion to students on Wednesday night. Piano training program that incoming freshmen Row will also host floor meetings in the are required to complete before they near future to discuss the incident. arrive at Emerson. This program consists Unfortunately, this is not the first of videos where students are presented time the college has dealt with offensive with scenarios and given multiple-choice vandalism on campus. In 2005, racist style answers in which they respond and homophobic posters appeared in with how they would react. Even though residence halls. In 2006, homophobic students are required to take the training in slurs were written order to participate on a whiteboard. in orientation, this In 2008, antitype of education Semitic graffiti is inefficient due to was found in the students’ nonchalant library bathroom, “With the recent uptick attitudes towards and a racial slur online training in anti-Semitic inciwas written on a programs. An inbulletin board in training dents, the response from person Piano Row. In 2013, would allow two swastikas were the admistration should students to be more drawn in the library. actively engaged in look different from past the content, which In 2014, yet again, two swastikas were will result in a ones.” found on a bulletin greater outcome. board in a residence The College hall. needs to implement E m e r s o n a new form of College has said training to raise it values diversity awareness—one and inclusion; we have different offices that’s not online, one that students will around campus promoting these ideas actually take seriously, and one that and educating students on these issues. would allow them to engage in a more Emerson College’s Office of Housing & meaningful conversation surrounding Residential Education has stated they aim diversity and inclusion. As President to create an “open, respectful, disciplined, Pelton said in a statement condemning and appreciative” community. With the nearly identical incidents in 2013, “the recent uptick in anti-Semitic incidents, strength of our community will be however, the response from the demonstrated by how we respond to this administration should look different from situation.” If the college wants to prove to past ones—something more needs to be the student body that it is truly committed done, and different approaches on how to to fostering an inclusive environment respond and prevent these incidents need devoid of hate speech, then their response to be workshopped. should be one of action, not regurgitated According to a report from The Wall emails spun with apologetic rhetoric. Street Journal, anti-Semitic incidents have been increasing since 2014, and in 2017, there were 1,986 incidents reported, This editorial was written by the highest total of the last decade. On Oct. 27, 2018, 11 parishioners were shot Visual Managing Editor Jakob and killed inside a Pittsburgh synagogue. Just before the start of the new year, an Menendez, Print Managing Editor intruder stabbed and wounded five people Domenic Conte, Opinion Editor in the home of a Hasidic rabbi as they gathered to light candles for Hanukkah. Ziqi Wang, Deputy Opinion Editor These incidents, along with many others, prove that anti-Semitism does Jess Ferguson, and Assistant not solely exist in isolated pockets on the fringes of society. In New York, San Opinion Editor Jocelyn Yang Diego, and other places people would not expect, the lives of Jewish people are without consultation from other staff being threatened. To ensure students feel members, and does not influence any safe on campus and in Boston, there is more the school should do. stories. Op-Eds reflect the views of The Beacon wrote an editorial following the incident in 2008, praising only their authors, not The Berkeley the RA who stood up against the hate speech and supported the stance that Beacon.
Editorial Cartoon
Crossword
Clues
Down: 4. Thief’s favorite place on campus. 5. New cafe that’ll make all of us broke. 6. Office with least accesibility for students. 7. The most terrifying places on campus. 8. Emerson employee who makes over $900k a year. 9. People who pay a reasonable amount for their education. *Answers available on www.berkeleybeacon.com
Across: 1. Where purchases go to die. 2. The building where Stuart lives. 3. Chain of sex shops in the midwest. 4. College in Vermont that Emerson has an “alliance” with.
News Editor Belen Dumont
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January 23, 2020
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January 23, 2020
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Thoughts
Stop using addiction-related language for comedic effect Jess Ferguson Ferguson is a freshman journalism major and Beacon’s Deputy Opinion Editor. Last January, Devour Foods, a subdivision of the Kraft Heinz Company, aired a Super Bowl commercial to promote their frozen foods. The commercial focuses on a wife who reveals that her husband suffers from frozen food porn addiction. With somber music and a serious tone, the commercial not only delegitimizes actual addicts but also uses their struggles for comedic relief. “To promote porn use and make light of porn addiction is the height of irresponsibility and we call on Kraft Heinz to provide resources to groups preventing porn addiction,” Dr. Gail Dines, president and CEO of Culture Reframed, said in a statement on Culture Reframed’s website. Increasingly, many have made terms such as “crackhead,” “addicted,” and “alcoholic” “Although I was surrounded by my friends and the smell of good food, I can still feel the loneliness a part of their daily vocabulary to describe and how much I’ve missed just celebrating it with everybody else.” • Illustration by Christine Park their craziness or their wild partying on the / Beacon Staff weekends. Yet, in doing so, they are minimizing activity, even if they want to quit. the complex struggles that real addicts face and Sometimes people say things without TikTok users created comedy videos of their normalizing a stigma against people who are considering their implications, especially in “crackhead” behaviors, like falling asleep in class and dancing with battling addictive behaviors. casual situations with a weird outfit. While Since when is making light of addiction, a friends. Choosing words to the common viewer, chronic brain disease, considered acceptable that reflect your actual videos may be and humorous? It’s easy to fall into the trap intentions is important “Since when is making these funny, others may find of claiming you’re “addicted” to something in order to resist the these videos offensive instead of just saying you’re really into it. We normalization of these light of addiction, a for making a joke out of are all guilty of saying it at one point or another. terms in contexts other a highly addictive drug. However, it is essential to remain cognizant of than addiction. Instead chronic brain disease, Nearly 14,000 Americans how this language impacts those affected by of saying you’re a considered acceptable died of a cocaine overdose addiction. “crackhead,” say that in 2017; therefore, it is As the daughter of a recovering alcoholic, you’re crazy; instead of and humorous?” insensitive to toss around it is hurtful to hear people casually throw saying you’re “addicted these words without being around these phrases as a quirky way to to something,” say that aware of the hurt they can describe their drinking habits. Addiction isn’t a you really love it. Though cause. trendy label to slap on yourself after blacking it may not have the same Furthermore, the word “crackhead” has out—it is a journey of physical and emotional ring to it, it will—more importantly—avoid struggle involving the addict and their loved offending someone who has actual experience historical implications relating to the War on Drugs. The War on Drugs dates back to the ‘70s ones. Addiction is also not a choice: those with addiction. facing addiction become both physically and After hip-hop group iLOVEFriDAY released with President Richard Nixon and continued psychologically dependent on the substance or a song entitled “CRACKHEAD!” last May, in the ‘80s with President Ronald Reagan.
During this time, the number of incarcerated nonviolent drug offenders rose from 50,000 in 1980 to 380,000 in 1989. The initiatives may seem like wellintentioned; however, the minimum sentence for Americans arrested for possession of crack cocaine was extremely disproportionate compared to those arrested for possession of powder cocaine. An American found with 5 grams of crack cocaine could be sentenced to five years in jail, which is the same amount of time for someone caught with 500 grams of powder cocaine. And this was no coincidence. At the time, 80 percent of crack users were black. John Ehrlichman, one of Nixon’s top aides, revealed that the War on Drugs was created for getting Americans to “associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin.” Therefore, it is irresponsible for people to use these terms without understanding the historical, racist context surrounding it. Generally speaking, many people who use these terms are likely not trying to offend others. However, in a culture in which those battling addictions are stigmatized and viewed as inferior, we should make it our priority to be more conscious of what we are saying and how that affects others. Because of these terms, addicts may be deterred from seeking the help they need in fear of being seen as a “crackhead” or a “drunk.” Just as we would avoid joking about someone with a disease such as cancer or Parkinson’s, we should treat those struggling with addiction the same way. You might let it slip out that you’re acting like a “crackhead” while dancing in your bedroom at 3 a.m., or you might jokingly announce to your friends that you’re an alcoholic because you binge drank last weekend. What is important, however, is that you are conscious that what you are saying might potentially upset someone or have negative historical implications. Going forward, we can do better to combat our use of this harmful language. jessica_ferguson@emerson.edu
Recognize me for more than just my nationality
“I’m tired of these generalizations because I’m more than just a Chinese girl; I wish people could see the individual side of me more often.” • Illustration by Christine Park / Beacon Staff Xinyan Fu Fu is a sophmore journalism major and a Beacon columnist. As a person who enjoys meeting new people, I hate introducing myself. To be more specific, I hate telling people where I’m from while doing self-introductions because some people are only interested in the fact that I am from China and will start asking me tons of questions about my home country. Don’t get me wrong, I love telling people about my culture. But sometimes people treat me like an expert of Chinese culture who knows absolutely everything that’s happening in China, and sometimes, they forget that I’m more than just Chinese. In my last job interview, I answered questions mostly related to China, as if all of my experiences at Emerson matter less
than my nationality and my skin color. Race and culture are huge parts of myself that impact many of my daily life decisions and actions. However, it sometimes annoys me when people seem to not care about anything else. The first time I felt objectified as an Asian occurred the summer before I first came to Emerson, when I met a guy on Facebook who messaged me after I posted something in the accepted student group. I thought he was just trying to be friendly, so we talked during the summer. But later, after the orientation, I found out that he was messaging all of my East Asian friends, trying to befriend and even flirt with them. He even created a WeChat account, which is pretty odd since WeChat is a social media app whose users are mostly Chinese or foreigners who live in China. I started to question if he
wanted to be friends with me just because I’m typically divided into five main regions with 48 East Asian, and for no other reason. countries, is too big to simply have one Mac Another example occurred very recently, and Cheese. during a casual night after coming back from I wish people could see the individual side of the laundry room. While I was waiting outside me more often. I understand that many people for my roommate to get the door for me, one of are trying to be respectful and woke by centering my neighbors opened their door. He glanced at on their small-talk questions around another’s me, turned back, and with a voice loud enough race and ethnicity. However, when putting for me to hear, told the people in his room there race or cultural background as the dominant is “a Chinese girl” outside. I felt very offended aspect of one person, it is an objectification that because it was totally out of the blue. Instead of groups together each person from the same race asking my name and why I’m standing there at or ethnicity as a part of their race or ethnicity. 9 p.m. with all my laundry, he chose to describe In other words, perceiving me merely as Asian me as “a Chinese or Chinese denies girl,” as if I am my existence as nothing else. an individual. It I’m tired is another subtle of these form of racism. generalizations Nevertheless, “Race and culture are huge parts because I’m I’m not suggesting of myself that impact many of my that we should more than just a Chinese girl. I’m ignore race or daily life decisions and actions. Chinese, but there ethnicity, because is so much more However, it sometimes annoys me over-emphasizing to me than just one’s individuality Chinese food and when people seem to not care about could also deny pandas. I’m also the significance of anything else.” Hakka, known as race since it often “guest families” results in obscuring in Mandarin, and maintaining which is an ethnic racism. My race branch from Han and ethnicity Chinese. I’m a should still be a daughter and a sister; I’m a student, a traveler, part of me, but not everything about me. Every a writer, and a graphic designer. As much as I race is defined by the people, but every person love informing people about interesting facts is defined more than just their race. regarding China and Chinese culture, I’m tired I hope that one day, I can be perceived as of people overemphasizing my nationality. “Xinyan, a girl from China who enjoys writing,” Such generalizations don’t just happen to me. instead of “a Chinese girl, named Xinyan, who Around two weeks ago, my friend and I walked likes writing.” by P.F. Chang’s, an Asian restaurant in City Place, and we noticed a dish on the menu called “Asian Mac and Cheese.” Both of us burst into laughter at the same time. What even is “Asian Mac and Cheese?” Asia, the largest and most populous continent on earth, a continent xinyan_fu@emerson.edu
Living Arts
The Berkeley Beacon
January 23, 2020
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Alumna to host revived talk show “The Soup” on E! Shruti Rajkumar, Beacon Staff Emerson alum Jade Catta-Preta ‘07 fondly recalls watching the TV show Talk Soup on E! during her childhood and being drawn to the humor and friendliness of its host John Henson. After the show’s 2015 cancellation, E! announced at the People’s Choice Awards in November 2019 that the show will return for their 13th season on Feb. 12, 2020 with Catta-Preta as the new host. The show originally aired under the name Talk Soup from January 1991 to May 2002 and included hosts Greg Kinnear, John Henson, Hal Sparks, and Aisha Tyler. It returned as The Soup in July 2004 with comedian Joel McHale as the host, before it’s cancelation in December 2015. The Soup’s format consists of humorous commentary from the host and clips selected from reality television, daytime talk shows, scripted television series, and social media. “This is a dream job,” Catta-Preta said. “I was a fan of the show since I was a kid, [and] it’s a great job for a comedian because it combines not only your ability to be on your feet and improvise as you go, but it also allows you the chance to do scripted material and act out and be funny and be myself.” Catta-Preta was born in Brazil before moving to Charlottesville, Virginia at age 12. After graduating from Emerson in 2007, she pursued her passion at the Comedy Store comedy club in Los Angeles, where she performed stand-up at open mic nights. This paved the way for performances in larger venues with bigger crowds, and landed her cameos and roles in television shows including Manhattan Love Story and Modern Family. In January 2020, Catta-Preta released tour dates for her Tiny Heads Tour, which included stand-up comedy shows in cities all over the U.S. from February 2020 through May 2020. Catta-Preta said she entered E!’s radar when she tried to sell a pilot to Nick Cannon’s production company, NCredible Entertainment. E! reached out to her in May 2019 to discuss the revival of the show. Catta-Preta underwent an audition process for the host role, which she officially acquired in June 2019. Catta-Preta also chose the writers team for the show, which includes one of her close friends, Justine Marino. Catta-Preta began performing stand-up with Marino 11 years ago, when they met at the Comedy Store. Marino said that the show’s writing process begins with the writers on the team compiling clips from across media and the internet. “We’ll all watch [the clips] and see which
work with people that I love,” Catta-Preta said. Catta-Preta majored in musical theater and acted for films and improv groups while at Emerson, which drew her to stand-up. She said majoring in musical theater gave her the confidence to perform stand-up on stage. “She’s always been really confident on stage, but I think just watching her really step into her point of view and own it has been really cool to watch,” Marino said. “She’s an attractive woman with a strong point of view and she’s a boss. I think it’ll breathe new life into The Soup.”
“This is a dream job. I was a fan of the show since I was a kid...” -Jade Catta-Preta
Jade Catta-Preta ‘07 will host the talk show The Soup on Wednesday nights on the E! network. Courtesy of Jade Catta-Preta ones make us laugh,” Marino said. “We’ll know right away [if] there’s nothing there, and if there’s a little something there, we’ll try to riff jokes.” Catta-Preta said E! allowed her to be involved in the writing meetings for the show in Glendale, California. Typically, hosts do not write for their shows, but Catta-Preta said E! wanted her involvement in the show as much as possible to further emphasize her point of view. “Having done stand-up for 11 years, I definitely have a specific voice and a point of view,
and it was really cool that E! is letting me be myself,” Catta-Preta said. “It’s definitely my perspective on the videos and ultimately my point of view. I’m in the writers room with [everyone] and I’m involved as much as I can.” Episodes film on Wednesday mornings and air the same night. Catta-Preta said this allows her to continue her current tour from Thursday through Sunday. “The whole thing is really emotional for me because I graduated [Emerson] in 2007 and have been grinding ever since, so it’s cool to
Senior comedic arts major Claire Farnsworth believes the industry would benefit from more female representation in comedy, and is glad to see Catta-Preta taking on the role as the host. “It does feel harder [as a woman] to get into an industry that has been historically straight, white, cis-male dominated and feel heard rather than just looked at,” Farnsworth said. “[Catta-Preta] gives me hope [as a female comedian].” Catta-Preta said she hopes the show serves as an escape for people after the end of a hard day, and that she can make people smile and laugh. “The struggle is of course the pressure of [the show] being good, and I have big shoes to fill,” Catta-Preta said. “People are really upset that Joel McHale [isn’t the host anymore], so I guess the pressure is the only thing that’s difficult, but pressure is a privilege, so I’m happy to take it on.”
shruti_rajkumar@emerson.edu
Junior advocates for clothing sustainability with thrift store Continued from page 1 French met his advisor, Liebowitz, while working as an eco-rep and decided to make the project a reality. “Working with campus services as an [ecorep], we’re looking for a way to go from administrative things and overall college practices to a way to get the students excited and involved in sustainability and make it as accessible and fun in a directly beneficial way as possible,” French said. French is in the process of promoting his project by placing posters around campus to ensure students take advantage of the thrift store. As a co-president of the Emerson Green Collective, an organization composed of small environmental groups on campus, French described the Tiny Thrift Store as a “sister initiative” to the Emerson food cam. French said he will post photos of the cabinet whenever new clothes come in, similar to what the Emerson food cam does with food, so students know what to look for. “Sustainability in general has been important to me my whole life, one of the first classes I took here was the Eco-Warriors class,” French said. “It’s always been something that I’ve wanted to underline because it’s kind of incredibly unrelated to my major in a lot of ways. I’m majoring in sound design but I think that as you get all these technical skills, it’s also important
to have something that you care about a lot so you have something to use those skills to stand for.” Liebowitz helped French find a space and a cabinet to store the clothes while offering additional guidance during the process of setting up the Tiny Thrift Store. “I had [French] put together a proposal with a budget, marketing, the basics,” Liebowitz said in an interview. “He talked to campus stakeholders, [and] reached out to [Associate Director for Housing Operations] Kendra Stokes.” Liebowitz said all the clothes in the cabinet are reusable. Liebowitz said she encourages students with old clothes that can’t be reused to dispose of them at Allen’s Alley, located behind Little Building, in a white bin designated for textile recycling. “There’s a lot of clothes with the tags still
on it going into the Tiny Thrift Store, so being able to take that usable clothing and just giving it to someone else in the community is really helpful,” Liebowitz said. For students who are not familiar with thrifting or recycling clothes, Liebowitz said the project provides a simple alternative to going off campus. “It’s a very easy access point for a lot of students who maybe aren’t thinking about sustainability,” Liebowitz said. Jon Honea, an assistant professor focused on environmental change, said French’s project helps reduce the purchase of cheap clothing items, which consumers often have to replace quickly. “Ben’s project is a huge contribution because it gives people a mechanism to reuse clothing and have their own clothing reused,” Honea said in an interview. “He’s a former student of
“I want it to be a staple that all Emerson students know about and can go to if they need to.” — Ben French
mine so I was really proud of him when I heard that he had done this.” Honea said the project also contributes to the minimization of each student’s individual carbon footprint and waste production. “It’s really straight forward, it’s like reducing meat in your diet,” Honea said. “It’s a concrete thing that individuals can do to reduce their materials and energy footprint.” Liebowitz and French have no plans for the Tiny Thrift Store to expand more than its current size but are open to future conversations about growth if it becomes necessary. “If we collaborate with anybody, it’ll probably be at the swap and shop at the end of each year, which is essentially just a huge version of the Tiny Thrift Store,” French said. French hopes more students use the Tiny Thrift Store and become more conscious of their purchases. “I want it to be a staple that all Emerson students know about and can go to if they need to,” French said. “I don’t think it necessarily needs to expand, at least not at the moment. It’s more about making more people aware of it.”
tania_millsap@emerson.edu
The Berkeley Beacon
January 23, 2020
Living Arts
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“Old Town Road” is a decade-defining yeehaw anthem Kyle Bray is a junior Journalism major and this week’s music columnist.
If there was one song that no one could escape hearing in 2019, it would be Lil Nas X’s country-trap banger “Old Town Road.” The song went diamond in the U.S., and holds the record for most time spent at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts for a record-breaking of 19 consecutive weeks, with four different remixes featuring artists such as Billy Ray Cyrus, Diplo, Young Thug, Mason Ramsey, and RM of KPop juggernaut BTS. The song, while simple itself, has already left a large impact on the face of the music industry going forward, making it a—if not the—decade-defining single of the 2010s. The song itself comes from humble beginnings. Lil Nas X created it in late 2018, just after dropping out of college. He bought a $30 beat from a Dutch producer and recorded and released the song. The song features a banjo sample from popular rock band Nine Inch Nails and lyrics about cowboys and horses. At just under two minutes in length, the song was almost destined to be a hit due to its easy replay-ability. The length was not the only factor of “Old Town Road’s” success. In fact, it’s not even the most important aspect of the song’s success. That belongs to arguably the most influential mediums of the past and this current decade—memes. Memes are easy to consume photos, videos, and text that can be spread and shared throughout the internet, and as of recent, they have become a powerful tool in market-
ing. Juergen Dold, the CEO of creative agency Optimist Inc., said brands now use memes as marketing tools because they “demonstrate that they’re on the same page as target audiences and appeal to younger consumers.” This was no different for Lil Nas X. In an interview with The New York Times, Lil Nas X detailed how he immediately started promoting “Old Town Road” through memes on Twitter—where he boasts 3.7 million followers—because the internet was and is a very important part of his early years. “The internet is basically like my parents,” Lil Nas X said. “I was raised picking up on stuff and I learned how to use it in my own way.” Through Twitter, “Old Town Road” took off. Videos with the song in posts on Lil Nas X’s Twitter earned hundreds of thousands of views and took the internet by storm. YoungKio, the producer of the beat used in the song, told The New York Times he only found out about the song after someone sent him an “Old Town Road” meme. This was not the end game for “Old Town Road,” which then made its jump from viral meme song to Billboard hit thanks to one of the most popular social media platforms at the moment—TikTok. TikTok is an app that thrives off of music, as users take videos of themselves making jokes or doing dances set to various songs available on
the app. “Old Town Road” made it onto the app through influencer @nicemichael, who has over 1.6 million followers on the app. In February of 2019, he posted a 15-second clip of himself dancing to the main hook of the song in cowboy attire, and shortly after that, the app was full of people dancing to Lil Nas X’s song. Since its release in 2016, TikTok has become both a massive cultural influence and a great viral marketing tool for music. “Old Town Road” is not the only song to see soaring success after going viral on TikTok. The song “Dissolve” by Absofacto became a popular TikTok meme in 2019 despite the song itself being released in 2017. As of Jan. 22, it sits No. 1 on the Billboard alternative chart. “Jesus is the one (I got depression)” by comedian Zach Fox and rap producer Kenny Beats went so viral on TikTok to the point where Kenny Beats said “This song is bigger than all the serious shit I’m working on, and it’s TikTok’s fault.” TikTok still continues to influence music into 2020, as a song called “The Box” by rapper Roddy Rich just hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart after spending weeks as a viral TikTok meme—I personally found out about the song from the app as well. Monica Mercuri of Forbes Magazine detailed the app’s influence, arguing that “although the app isn’t a traditional music discovery platform, TikTok was a big force in shaping 2019’s biggest hits, producing one of
“While ‘Old Town Road’ came out in the late 2010s, it makes a strong case for one of the most important songs of the decade.”
the most iconic songs of 2019.” The success of “Old Town Road” also helps to display the great shift in musical demographics observed in the 2010s. Since the 1960s, rock music was the most popular music genre. However, that changed in 2018 when Nielsen reported that rap dethroned rock as the most popular genre. Lil Nas X told The New York Times the song is part of a subgenre of both country and rap, known as country-trap, which fuses the styles and content of country music with the production and delivery of trap music—possibly the most popular subgenre of rap. “Old Town Road” even landed on the Billboard country charts until they removed it, citing that it “does not embrace enough elements of today’s country music to chart in its current version.” While some may consider the “country-ness” of the song up for debate, the way that it fuses two genres that aren’t often associated together proves its artistic merit. While “Old Town Road” came out late in the 2010s, it makes a strong case for one of the most important songs of the decade. It’s a versatile mix of two unlikely genres that depicts the transformation of music over the past 10 years. Within its short run time, it was almost tailored exactly to the diet of a listener in the streaming age that took off this past decade. Its success showcases a new powerful method of music discovery and promotion that will surely shape the future of the industry. However, above all that, it’s a fun song. Rarely have I seen a song be enjoyed by both my younger cousins and their friends as well as my dad and his friends. As we ride into this new decade of music, the success of “Old Town Road” will be important for the future of the music industry. kyle_bray@emerson.edu
Navigating hookup culture as a serial monogamist Grace Griffin is a senior Interdisciplinary major, The Beacon’s copy editor, and this week’s love columnist.
I am a Taurus sun sign with Cancer moon and Venus placements. Astrologically speaking, that means I’m a clingy little baby when it comes to relationships. It means I get attached to people too easily and I break my own heart in the process when they can’t reciprocate the intensity of my feelings or my affinity for commitment. If you don’t believe in astrology, that’s fine, but personally, the stars hit the nail right on the head for me this time. In the past few years, I’ve become a serial monogamist unable to pursue casual relations without my mind jumping into relationship mode. I wasn’t always like this. A mere two years ago as a freshman in college, I slept around a lot, not committing to anybody. I had partners I saw frequently, but somehow I was able to compartmentalize my feelings as separate from the sex I was having. I look back on my 18-year-old self enviously, because, though I’ve moved into a more stable state of my life, societal pressure to have a partner has become more and more ingrained in me. Over the past two years, my anxiety has become more severe, and with so
many life changes, I feel out of control sometimes. Naturally, I’m craving the stability that comes with a relationship. But can’t a girl just have casual sex and move on with her life? I think about this a lot, sometimes subconsciously, so of course, it interferes with my interpersonal relationships. I have an apartment, a full-time job, I know how to cook, and I take care of myself and my pets—I can’t help but think a serious, monogamous partner is the next step for me because it’s supposed to be for everyone who’s reached the “adult” stage of their life. Researchers at the University of Missouri delved into the familial and societal pressures put on single women to find a serious partner, and found the pressure often makes women feel more insecure and even unlovable. “Mainstream media also enforces these ideas,” Larry Ganong, University of Missouri’s co-chair of Human Development and Family Studies said. “For example, shows like ‘Sex and the City,’ which portray female protagonists who are hyper-focused on finding men, and end with the majority of those characters getting married, are popular.” I have only seen two shows where the female protagonist’s arc doesn’t end in monogamous love and she is wholly satisfied with her life: “Dollface” and “Fleabag,” for anyone wondering. Thus, every time I pursue a connection with someone I’m attracted to and also enjoy spending time with, my mind immediately jumps to thinking about a relationship with them. This makes hook-up culture hard to navigate because hookups inherently feel like a step toward a relationship—not the end goal. I’ve heard many friends express sentiments
“I’m taking things as they come without putting too much pressure on myself or the relations I have.”
along the lines of “I can’t hook up with people, I want a relationship.” And I understand that; casual sex isn’t what everyone is looking for. The thing with me is that I don’t necessarily want a relationship—I’m constantly busy, my mental health is still a bit out of whack, and I’m finishing up my last semester before graduation with no real plan for what I’ll do after. My life right now isn’t conducive to a serious partner, and I know that. But why do I want one? I’ve written about having anxiety and its role in my relationships before, but in this context, relationships provide a type of solace to my constant worries. With my new job and the looming date of graduation, I’m certainly excited but incredibly nervous. My anxiety often manifests internally as self-doubt or insecurity. Psychologically, romantic relationships offer a support system and fill a desire to be wanted and valued, therefore benefiting mental issues I and others face at times of change or transition. “We greatly desire relationships because they increase our confidence and self-esteem,” Robert Evans Wilson Jr. wrote for Psychology Today. “They make us feel important, worthy, and good enough.” I realize I’ve begun to associate commitment with acceptance. Relationships often feel like the end goal, to have a connection so deep with one person you have to put a public label on it. But the lack of a label doesn’t mean lack of a connection. Recently, I’ve gone on dates with and slept with a few different people. Without the pressure to define my relationships, I still feel the closeness and connection I once thought
was only possible through a monogamous relationship, maybe even more so because these connections don’t come with implied rules or societal jurisdictions like relationships do. I’m literally just vibing. Recognizing the effect of societal impacts as well as psychological cravings is a step in the right direction for me and others who find themselves inexplicably tied to monogamy and the stress that comes with it. I’m able to recognize why I’m drawn to the idea of a relationship, which makes the prospect of one more digestible. I’m not opposed to being in a relationship, but I’m also trying to train myself not to see it as the only option for me. So, in an attempt to break away from this monogamous box I’ve shut myself in, I’m trying to embrace casual dating culture. I’m using dating apps. I’m hooking up with no strings attached. I’m forcing myself not to ask the dreaded “what are we?” to every person I’m intimate with, and I’m able to focus more on the emotional connections I’m forming rather than stressing over the label that typically comes with them. I’m taking things as they come without putting too much pressure on myself or the relations I have. And I’m feeling more content with my romantic life now than I have in a while.
“Naturally, I’m craving the stability that comes with
a relationship. But can’t a
girl just have casual sex and move on with her life?”
grace_griffin@emerson.edu
Sports
The Berkeley Beacon
January 23, 2020
8
UPCOMING ACTION WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Babson at Emerson, 7 p.m., Wednesday WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Emerson at Coast Gaurd, 1 p.m., Saturday MEN’S BASKETBALL: Emerson at Nichols, 7 p.m., Thursday MEN’S BASKETBALL: Wheaton at Emerson, 1 p.m., Saturday
Emerson special olympics event draws hundreds Ethan McDowell, Beacon Staff Liz Saville said the experience meant everything to her as she watched her team members run up and down Emerson’s basketball court with smiles on their faces to the cheers of about 100 people on Sunday. Saville is the head coach of the Belmont Braves, one of three Special Olympics basketball teams that played in the Bobbi Brown and Steven Plofker Gym Sunday. The Student-Athlete Advisory Council coordinated the event, and Saville said she was impressed by how it was run. “It is very well organized, props to Emerson,” Saville said in an interview. “This day makes a huge difference for them, and they will remember it. If you couldn’t tell, they all love being on live TV.” Emerson Channel Sports broadcast the three games, and senior Sam Knox interviewed athletes at halftime. Knox also served as the Public Address Announcer for the event and said he loved the experience. “It brightens everyone’s mood,” Knox said in an interview. “It’s fulfilling. It just makes me so happy because it’s the littlest things that make these kids’ days.” Saville began working with Special Olympians in college and said the organization provides a unique opportunity for the athletes. “A lot of them are in a situation where this is one of the only things they’re able to do to run around and get to see each other every week,” Saville said. “It’s really important to me that they’re able to just have fun and play, and I think all of them really love seeing each other when they get to play.” The Belmont Braves defeated the Milton
Quincy Superstars 48-28 in the first game of the event before going on to finish the day undefeated in their two matches. Tricia Tierney, a parent of one of the Milton Quincy Superstars, explained the opportunities the Special Olympics provide her son. “It gives him social interaction with kids or young adults that are just like him,” Tierney said in an interview. “He is not striving to be like someone else, he can be himself.” During the halftimes of the games, the athletes and Emerson students joined together to dance at mid-court. Senior Quinn Madden said the SAAC did a good job of marketing the event, which led to many Emerson athletes attending the event. “It’s so much fun getting everyone together to do something like this,” Madden said in an interview. “It brings the athletic department a heartwarming sense of community. We did it a couple of years ago, and I just remember a lot of the parents of the players saying how much the kids loved it.” Emerson hosted a Special Olympics event in 2018, but SAAC President Sam Willinger said he wanted to make it more of a campus-wide event this year. “The hardest part for us was getting the word out and building that infrastructure originally of how we can use our social media platforms and really get the word out to people, so they know to come out to these games,” Willinger said in an interview. Madden and Knox both said they found out about the event thanks to Willinger’s efforts, and they are just two of the many volunteers who helped out at the event. Willinger said the Emerson College Police Department agreed to support the event very quickly, and athletes,
Emerson hosted the second Special Olympics event since 2018. Courtesy of Kate Foultz fraternities, and sororities all helped out at the event. Once Willinger finished planning the event, he said he felt the magnitude of what they prepared when he was finishing setting up Saturday. “I was standing, putting some streamers up, and I look back and I saw all of the SAAC members that have been coming out to help on a Saturday night, willing to give their time and promising me they were going to be here the next day,” Willinger said. “I think in that moment, I was like ‘we accomplished something really cool.’” Willinger said his past experience working with special needs kids as a swim instructor at the YMCA motivated him to find a way to support them at Emerson. “I’ve worked with a lot of special needs kids before, and events like these are great for us, and we love we love to do them, but it’s real-
ly something special for them,” Willinger said. “This is something that’s easy for us to do and something that we can accomplish that has a bigger impact on these people’s lives than we can really understand.” The event ended with an awards ceremony where each athlete received a certificate commemorating their participation in the event. Tamara Joseph, the mother of one of the Belmont Braves, said Special Olympics creates an inclusive environment for her child. “When he was on a non-specialized team nobody would pass him the ball, no one would talk to him, and it is because he is different,” Joseph said in an interview. “Being on a team like this where he can really be valued and be a part of it, it’s huge.” ethan_mcdowell@emerson.edu @EthanMMcDowell
Men’s volleyball searching for playoff success in 2020 games. “Forget the past,” Read said. “You can learn from it and grow from it but you do have to move on. There have been plenty of games in the past that if we had served one ball in or got a kill, or done something small differently, who knows what the outcome of that set would have been and then ultimately what the game could have been.”
“If we are determined on being a more scrappy team, a smarter team, and being willing to dive for it, it is really where we will find success.” -Ben Read
Amanda Benavente led the defense to allow 0.86 goals per game. Rachel Culver / Beacon Staff
Last season marked the third straight year the Lions lost in the first round of the playoffs. Alexa Schapiro for The Berkeley Beacon Pedro Figueiredo, Beacon Staff Head coach Ben Read wants to emphasize resiliency to this year’s men’s volleyball team. “We will do some fast-paced drills in practice that, win or lose, you just have to get up and get ready for the next point and focus on what you can control,” Read said in an interview. Senior co-captain and defensive specialist Lucas Raagas, the lone senior on the team, said this year’s Lions need to place more of an emphasis on team bonding. “We can mold together as a team instead of growing as individuals,” Raagas said in an interview. The Lions fell to Johnson and Wales University in the first round of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference playoffs last April.
This marked the third straight year the Lions lost in the first round of the playoffs to Johnson and Wales, a streak Raagas and Willinger said they hope to break this season. The Lions have four upperclassmen on their roster to go along with seven freshmen or sophomores. Read said he understands the difficulty of leading a group of players who are still developing. “We’re a younger team, a smaller team,” Read said in an interview. “We have one senior, our co-captain [Raagas]. We did graduate three really strong players, and they are hard to replace. We’re just hoping that those young players can still learn and grow from this year and carry it into the next season.” The Lions graduated Jacob DiTore, Win Kittivatcharapong, and Mark Piorkowski last
spring. Piorkowski made the GNAC all-conference third team last season. “Playing in the GNAC, we have a couple of experiences playing these teams,” junior middle blocker Sam Willinger said in an interview. “We have to play smarter than a lot of these other teams that have the height and the players.” Willinger is the second co-captain and received a spot on the GNAC all-sportsmanship team last season. Willinger said the team trained throughout the preseason to prepare for its first opponent, Nichols College. As the season begins, Willinger said the Lions are ready to focus on improving their team and boosting morale to start the season on a high note. Read said the team needs to improve on minor mental mistakes that end up costing them
Read said the Lions are going to look towards their upperclassmen as the stronghold of the team’s core while the younger players have a chance to step up. This is Raagas’ final season at Emerson. It is also his last chance to make the playoffs and beat Johnson and Wales Raagas mentioned mental fortitude and toughness as traits the team will need to maintain this season. “If we are determined on being a more scrappy team, a smarter team, and being willing to dive for it, it is really where we will find success,” Read said.
pedro_figueiredo@emerson.edu @pedrosfig