December 13, 2012 - Issue 12

Th u r s day D e c e m b e r 1 3 2 0 1 2

The BeaconStudent Newspaper of Massachusetts College

of Liberal Arts

North Adams Mass

For more contentvisit online at

theonlinebeaconcom

Volume 76 Issue 12

twittercomBeaconMCLA_EIC

facebookcomMCLABeacon

Club looks to break world records

Have eyes set on breaking record for longest dodgeball game

News page 3 Sports page 6

Lucy Tremblay nets 1000th career point

Acoustic duo Dala returns to MCLA

Only h womenrsquos player in school history to reach milestone

Will perform tonight at 730 pm in the Church Street Center

Arts amp Entertainment page 8

News 2-4Sports 5-6Arts amp Entertainment 7-9Campus Comment 10Fun amp Games 11Photo Essay 12

Over the past two years the schoolrsquos meal plan and food fa-cilities have undergone several improvements including the ad-ditions of Subway and Starbucks the new Campus Store and drastic renovations in the cafeteria Direc-tor of Dining John Kozick said that hersquos really pleased with all of the changes that were made possible

ldquoFrom my perspective I like it a lot It has a much lighter look and therersquos a lot more spacerdquo Kozick said

Since changes were made meal plans include more bu et style meals and with the addition of Subway and Starbucks there are a lot more options for students when it comes to declining balance Students seemed to agree for the most part that one of their favorite changes is the renovated Campus Center

ldquo e Campus Center looks so much better from the rst time I came hererdquo said Brian Ellithorpe a senior ldquoIt really gives it a more modern and updated look that is more open and inviting than the previous onerdquo

According to Kozick ARAMARK conducted a student research mar-keting program in order to nd out what chain restaurants students would be interested ey came to the conclusion that Starbucks and Subway were the best choices He also said that students really seem to be enjoying the late-night hours that Subway provides

Josh Nitti a senior said Subway is his favorite aspect of the improve-ments but he really hasnrsquot been us-ing his meal swipes

ldquoI use very few of the meals and 90 percent of my declining balance at Subwayrdquo he said

ere have also been a lot of small changes Kozick said that hersquos extremely pleased with the f rsquoreal

milkshake machine in the market place and the new pizza station both of which were added this year

According to Kozick the f rsquoreal milkshakes have been popular and Ellithorpe said that hersquos enjoyed the pizza station

ldquoIf I had to choose one favorite thing that stuck out to me it would have to be the pizza stationrdquo he said

According to Kozick besides all of the new options and improve-ments the new meal plan is funda-mentally similar to the old one in the sense that students are compen-sated with more meals as opposed to the great declining balance that was o ered to new students a cou-ple of years ago

Ellithorpe noted on one hand that while Subway and Starbucks have been bene cial for him he hasnrsquot noticed a huge di erence in the quality of the cafeteria food

ldquoI feel that the changes over the past year have been relatively neu-tral the food quality inside the caf-eteria is still the samerdquo he said

As far as other concerns Kelly Lewis a senior said he wishes he could eat o campus more o en

ldquoI wish I had more o campus bucks with the standard meal plan but I spent most of my declining balance at the campus storerdquo he said

Overall students seem to enjoy the renovations and Kozick said he feels that so far theyrsquove been really successful in meeting students din-ing needs

ldquoWe saw thatrsquos what they wanted so thatrsquos what they gotrdquo he said

Photo by Jack GuerinoBeacon sta Students enjoy the bu et style meal plan one of the many new additions to the dining program

By Ryan FlynnSta Writer

Students weigh pros and cons of revamped meal plans

Campus police o cers will have completed their nal rearms training session by the end of the week

Director of Public Safety Joseph Charon said this is one of the few remaining steps to the arming process

ldquoO cers will complete one nal training and upon completion of that training o cers will successfully meet certi cation requirements necessary to carry rearms as campus police o cersrdquo Charon said

Currently Public Safety has completed a number of di erent tasks involving suitability screening for o cers acquiring equipment necessary to arm the o cers and policy review in the department Charon said

ldquoWersquove also enhanced the department of Public Safety campus police headquarters with some physical security measures as well as some security directives and operational proceduresrdquo he said

He added that the department has continued to work with other law enforcement agencies

for guidance and to ensure that o cers will continue to meet with proper certi cation standards

Charon expressed a great deal of con dence in how the o cers have performed throughout the entirety of the implementation process

ldquo e o cers have quali ed throughout every phase of the process and Irsquom personally proud of the dedication and the unwavering commitment everyone especially

the o cers brought to this important endeavorrdquo he said ldquoI have con dence in how the implementation process was planned con dence in how it was carried out con dence in its quality and con dence in its overall value that itrsquos contributed to the departmentrdquo

e decision to arm campus police o cers was made by a ten to one vote by the Board of Trustees in February of this year

According to an MCLA Student Life report the process was originally inspired by a report released in June 2008

ldquoIn June 2008 the company Applied Risk Management (ARM) delivered the report Campus Violence Prevention and Response Best Practices for Massachusetts Higher Education to the Massachusetts Department of Higher Educationrdquo the report stated ldquo e report was commissioned in response to high-pro le incidents of gun violence on college campuses including Virginia Tech in 2007 and Northern Illinois University in 2008rdquo

Despite the majority vote by the trustees students and faculty opposed the arming In a campus

vote 68 percent of students 93 percent of the department chairs and 87 percent of the faculty voted against the arming according to iBerkshires

Despite the resistance Charon has assured the campus that safety is still his top priority

ldquoEach day I along with all the members of the campus police department commit ourselves to ensure that we provide quality law enforcement services based on shared values our values the communityrsquos values and always with the communityrsquos safety and well being at its corerdquo he said ldquoI do not expect that commitment to change and as long as Irsquom chief I promise that it wonrsquotrdquo

e nal remaining step a er the o cers complete their last training will be a completion report which Charon will present to President Mary Grant

ldquoI expect to be able to report to President Grant that o cers met the certi cation requirements necessary to carry the rearms as a campus police o cer provide her my recommendation for o cers to begin doing so by the end of the calendar year and to seek her nal authorization to do sordquo Charon said

Firearms training nearly completePublic Safety set to be armed when students return in January

By Nick ArenaSta Writer

Dance Co dazzles

See page 7Photos by Dennise CarranzaBeacon sta

Photo by Takeya LeeBeacon sta Joe Charon director of Public Safety says the goal is for o cers to be armed by Dec 31

Thursday December 13 2012 News theonlinebeaconcom2

Weekend Weather 1213 - 1216Thursday

December 13Friday

December 14Saturday

December 15Sunday

December 16

Partly CloudyHigh 40degLow 24deg

Precip Chance 0

SunnyHigh 42degLow 25deg

Precip Chance 0

Mostly CloudyHigh 39degLow 26deg

Precip Chance 0

RainSnowHigh 36degLow 28deg

Precip Chance 40

localmsncomweather

The 2013 Student Leadership Conference is scheduled for Satur-day Feb 9 This yearrsquos theme ldquoTherersquos no

place like leadershiprdquo is a way to encourage students to quest for leadership in a variety of ways and to discover new ways to teach oth-ers what they have learnedJenn Craig advisor of Student Af-

fairs coordinates the Leadership Conference and reads through each proposal sent in by students who express an interest in present-ing Faculty members are also en-couraged to present Some of the suggested topics in-

clude assessment community ser-vice dress for success networking stress management speech mak-ing and many others Craig said presenting at the con-

ference is a great chance for stu-dents to show their strengths in multiple topics ldquoWe are giving students the ability

to work research and present like any other conference thus giving students the confidence to present at other student conferencesrdquo she said ldquoPresenting skills are trans-ferable directly to the classroom and to future jobs students might be applying forrdquo The conference is also a great op-

portunity for students who want to learn about a specific topic she said Brycen Waters a senior has pre-

sented at the Student Leadership Conference before Working with fellow student Alyson Carey his previous research talked about the essentials of how to successfully program on a college campus ldquoWe covered the basics of re-

cruitment retention PR fundrais-ing and much morerdquo he said Waters currently has two propos-

als submitted in hopes of being chosen to give another presentation in February His topics include the benefits of ePortfolio compared to the traditional resume and recruit-ment and retention There are many benefits to a stu-

dent presenting at this conference according to Waters ldquoFirst the public speaking experi-

ence that one gets from presenting in front of a large group such as at the Leadership Conference is in-valuable Second MCLA student leaders accomplish amazing things each and every day Having an op-portunity to share our knowledge and ideas with other student lead-ers is a very rewarding experience I encourage all to take part inrdquo he saidThe deadline for presentation

proposals has passed and Craig is currently in the process of looking them overFor more information on the Stu-

dent Leadership Conference con-tact Jenn Craig at (413) 662-5129 or Nicole LeBlanc at (413) 662-5139 Craig and LeBlanc are also available through FirstClass

Leadership conference set for February

By Amy CubelloStaff Writer

SGA approves money for substance abuse awareness

By Chris GoodellEditor-in-Chief

The Student Government As-sociation (SGA) voted Monday night to approve up to $400 in donations toward substance abuse awarenessProject Purple is an initiative

founded by Chris Herren a for-mer NBA player who struggled with drug abuse and visited the College in SeptemberDuring the Dec 3 SGA meet-

ing Kaylyn Smith co-advisor of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) spoke about Herrenrsquos story and how Project Purple helps those struggling with substance abuseldquoAll that money goes to some-

body who needs the helprdquo Smith saidldquoPeople are suffering from [sub-

stance abuse] and there arenrsquot al-ways resources to get the people the help they needrdquo she addedThe Senate debated at length

whether to contribute monetary support to the campaign or con-

tribute in some other way Some senators were wary about con-tributing SGA funds saying that it was not clear exactly where the money would be goingSenator Alyson Stolz assured

SGA that 100 percent of the money donated to Project Purple would go toward helping some-one struggling with substance abuseUltimately the Senate voted to

transfer up to $400 from SGArsquos supplemental budget to its oper-ating budget with nine in favor two opposed and two abstaining from the vote This move allows the Executive Cabinet to allot a sum of money at their discretion without needing an official vote by the SenateSince SAAC plans to hold a ldquogo

purplerdquo event during the Jan 17 home basketball games against Framingham St the Executive Cabinet will have the ability to allot any amount of money they see fit before that time whereas the Senate will not convene again until after that date

Public Safety Update

Joe Charon director of Public Safety updated SGA on the fire-arms implementation processAccording to Charon officers

are undergoing their final train-ing session this week and his goal is for officers to be carrying firearms by the end of the calen-dar yearldquoThe implementation process is

near completionrdquo Charon saidTo read more details of the im-

plementation process see page 1

Referendum on Student Involvement

According to SGA President Ja-son Brown students overwhelm-ingly voted ldquoyesrdquo on the SGArsquos referendum concerning student involvement in the Collegersquos gov-ernance processA total of 211 students voted on

Dec 4 and 5 with 205 (98 per-cent) voting ldquoyesrdquo 5 (2 percent) voting ldquonordquo and one recording an invalid ballot

ldquoIrsquom very thankful to everyone who participated in this processrdquo Brown said ldquoI believe wersquove ar-rived at an outcome that will be most beneficial to all students at MCLA not only this year but for each of the remaining years of this faculty contractrdquoThe approved referendum means

that students will have a place on College committees and a voice in the decision-making process at MCLA for the remainder of the current faculty contract

Upcoming Events

Advisor Jenn Craig announced that Late Night Breakfast will be held tonight from 930 to 11 pm in the Centennial RoomShe also announced that SGArsquos

Winter Week will take place from Monday Feb 18 to Saturday Feb 23Executive Vice President Kate

Moore said Winter Weekrsquos annu-al Midnight Skate event is likely to take place on the Tuesday of that week

DENVER (AP) _ Marijuana for recreational use became legal in Colorado Monday when the gov-ernor took a purposely low-key procedural step of declaring the voter-approved change part of the state constitutionColorado became the second

state after Washington to allow pot use without a doctorrsquos recom-mendation Both states prohibit public use of the drug and com-mercial sales in Colorado and Washington wonrsquot be permitted until after regulations are written next yearGov John Hickenlooper a Dem-

ocrat opposed the measure but had no veto power over the voter-

approved amendment to the state constitutionHickenlooper tweeted his decla-

ration Monday and sent an execu-tive order to reporters by email after the fact He told reporters he didnrsquot want to make a big deal about the proclamation a deci-sion that prevented a countdown to legalization as seen in Wash-ington where the lawrsquos support-ers gathered to smoke in public to celebrateFewer than two dozen people

publicly marked Coloradorsquos legal-ization day A small group puffed away at 420 pm on the steps of the state Capitol with no arrests and no police officers in sightldquoIt smells like freedomrsquorsquo said a

smiling puffing Timothy Tipton a longtime marijuana activist

Colorado law gave Hickenlooper until Jan 5 to declare marijuana legal He told reporters Monday he saw no reason to wait and didnrsquot see any point in letting marijuana become legal without his proclamationldquoIf the voters go out and pass

something and they put it in the state constitution by a signifi-cant margin far be it from my-self or any governor to overrule I mean this is why itrsquos a democracy rightrsquorsquo Hickenlooper saidAdults over 21 in Colorado may

now possess up to an ounce of marijuana or six plants Public use and sale of the drug remain illegalColorado and Washington of-

ficials both have asked the US Department of Justice for guid-

ance on the laws that conflict with federal drug law So far the federal government has offered little guidance beyond stating that marijuana remains illegal and that the Controlled Substances Act will be enforced Of special con-cern for state regulators is how to protect state employees who vio-late federal drug law by comply-ing with state marijuana lawsThe US Attorneyrsquos Office issued

a statement Monday shortly after Hickenlooperrsquos announcement restating its positionHickenlooper also announced a

state task force Monday to help craft the marijuana regulations The 24-member task force in-cludes law enforcement agricul-ture officials and marijuana advo-cates

Associated Press

Colorado legalizes recreational marijuana

Thursday December 13 2012 News 3theonlinebeaconcom

A World Record Breaking club (WRB C) is under works accord-ing to the proposed clubrsquos vice president Anthony Cancilla

ldquoAs far as we know this is a pretty original ideardquo Cancilla said

e purpose of the WRBC is to ldquoorganize and compete in activities that will break andor set records in accordance to the Guinness World Record Bookrdquo reads the clubrsquos constitution

e idea for the club came to the proposed executive board while at a cross-country meet at Castleton State College in Vermont

Castleton currently holds the world record for the longest dodgeball tournament lasting 42 hours Cancilla said

ldquoIt was a dodgeball recordrdquo he said ldquo e worldrsquos longest dodge-ball tournamentrdquo

Cancilla was at Castleton with other interested club members

Nick Hernigle Cody Blain Bren-dan Peltier and Kelley Bryant who was at a volleyball match

ldquo e rst plan is to get the club started wersquove been talking the club uprdquo Cancilla said ldquo[Everybodyrsquos] interested in being park of break-ing a world recordrdquo

e WRBC will have to wait a full year of operation to be eligible for a budget but according to Peltier the club will not need one so soon

ldquoA lot of things donrsquot really call for a budgetrdquo he said

Peltier is expecting to be able to team up with the intramurals club for the equipment he said

ldquo ey have all the equipment we need for a dodgeball tournamentrdquo he continued

Beating Castletonrsquos 42-hour long record is one of the rst records on their minds for the WRBC he said

ldquoWersquore expecting to have this club up next semesterrdquo Peltier said

e possibility of the WRBC was presented to the Student Govern-

ment Association (SGA) on Tues-day Dec 4 Peltier said

To introduce the club the E-board is considering putting on a smaller event

ldquoSomething like how many marshmallows can you t in your mouth or eat in one minuterdquo Bry-ant said

Beyond beating Castleton the group hasnrsquot picked a second world record to either set or beat e proposed club has a new edition of the Guinness World Record Book to ip through when considering new records to tackle

e proposed WRBC is open to all matriculated students who have paid their Student Activities Fee which is part of the bill paid by each student every semester

ldquoAnyone interested in joining should keep an eye out for the Facebook pagerdquo Cancilla added

He said he is expecting the club to be fairly popular Cancilla plans to put out a Facebook page once the club is passed

57 Main Street North AdamsTake-out or indoor and outdoor seating

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Financial Aid Annoucement

ITrsquoS TIME TO GET READY FOR 2013-2014 FINANCIAL AID

-Prepare your PIN for re-fi ling the FAFSA after January 1 apply for a PIN or request a duplicate PIN at wwwpinedgov

-Complete the MCLA Institutional Application for Financial Aid ndash available online December 17 at wwwmclaeduaid

-Mark your calendar for the free on-campus FAFSA Workshop on January 28 from 6 to 8 pm in Murdock 119 Bring your and your

parentrsquos PINs and tax information with you

FILE EARLY AND DONrsquoT MISS OUT ON MONEY

MARCH 1 PRIORITY DEADLINE

INTERNSHIPS AVAILABLE For Spring 2013

Want an internship that will make real

change happen Fix the public transportation system

and improve the cell phone service at MCLA

Ban the use of plastic bags to reduce

waste and protect the environment

Apply for an internship or volunteer

To Apply Now visit wwwmasspirgstudentsorg

MASSPIRG MCLA Chapter

Contact Campus Organizer Caroline Webster on First Class or at carolinemasspirgstudentsorg for

more info

Photo by Kayla DegnanBeacon sta Members of the World Record Breaking club hold a copy of the Guinness Book of World Records


By Marc LatourSta Writer


Key West Lounge159 State StreetNorth Adams

(413) 663 5055Open 7 days a week

11 am - 2 am

Our kitchen never closesHot Wings

Chicken TendersMozzarella Sticks

French FriesOnion RingsWing Zings

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Lunch SpecialsAll legal beverages

Keno

3 Pool Tables

7 TVs all with Direct TV amp NFL Package

DJ Thursday and Friday Nights

Just a short walk from campus for a lot of fun good food and entertainment

See you at the Key

Find us on Facebook taking applications for bartenders

Open 5-10 PM Everyday40 Main Street

North Adams MA 01247(413) 663-6500

Large assortment of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages

Lounge area with couches and TVs

Buy one burger or

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SAN BERNARDINO Calif (AP) _ Authorities on Sunday identified the graduate student shot and killed by Cali-fornia State University San Bernardino police during a fight in an off-campus dormThe campus officers went to the Uni-

versity Village dorm on West Northpark Boulevard Saturday evening after receiv-ing reports of a disturbance said San Bernardino police Sgt Shauna GatesA fight erupted when the officers con-

fronted 38-year-old Bartholomew Wil-liams in a hallway Gates said Williams became violent toward the officers who fired their weapons when they feared for their safety she saidWilliams was shot in the torso He was

declared dead at the sceneOne officer was hospitalized with non-

life threatening injuriesThe San Bernardino Police department

is investigating the circumstances that led to the shootingThe university said Williams who was

majoring in educational-instructional technology was enrolled in one course during the fall quarter which ended Fri-day He began taking classes at the uni-versity last summerStudents were alerted of the shooting

via text message and phone calls the Riverside Press-Enterprise reported The statement to students said the crime scene was secure and there were no out-standing suspectsThe incident occurred hours after the

university celebrated December gradu-ation

Associated Press

Cal State student shot by police identified

LINCOLN Neb (AP) _ A Nebraska wom-an who claimed she was attacked by three men who carved anti-gay slurs into her arms and stomach was found guilty Monday of making a false reportCharlie Rogers a former University of Ne-

braska basketball star entered a no contest plea which allowed her to not admit guilt but state that she wouldnrsquot offer a defense Her attorney said Rogers maintains her in-nocence but didnrsquot want a court fight or more of the intense publicity that her case has generatedldquoShe has a very sensitive personality and

this has been a very frightening experience

on many levelsrsquorsquo attorney Brett McArthur said after the hearing in Lincoln ``Shersquos not a particularly outspoken person in the gay communityrsquorsquoThe 34-year-old could face up to a year in jail

and a $1000 fine when sentenced in FebruaryLancaster County Attorney Joe Kelly de-

clined to comment Monday saying he could not discuss the case until after Rogers was sentenced He wouldnrsquot say what sentence prosecutors would recommendRogers was charged a month after telling

police in July that three masked men broke into her home in Lincoln assaulted her and carved derogatory words into her body A neighbor told police that Rogers crawled from her home naked bleeding and scream-ing for help

Police believe she faked the attack because she believed it would spark changeInvestigators have said that evidence gath-

ered at her home undermined her account of what happened including a pair of gloves that Rogers said didnrsquot belong to her but contained mostly her DNA and none from a male Police said she deleted several text messages shersquod sent the evening of the alleged attack and that shersquod recently purchased a box cutter and zip tiesPolice also pointed to a message she posted

on her Facebook page shortly before the in-cident that read ldquoSo maybe I am too idealis-tic but I believe way deep inside me that we can make things better for everyone I will be a catalyst I will do what it takes I will Watch mersquorsquo

Woman found guilty of faking hate crimeAssociated Press

REDFORD Mich (AP) _ President Barack Obama says right-to-work legis-lation in Michigan is more about politics than economics He is criticizing a mea-sure that would prevent requiring non-union employees to financially support unions at their workplaceObama received loud applause at a

Michigan engine plant when he said we shouldnt be ldquotaking away your rights to bargain for better wages and working conditionsrdquoThe president says that the right-to-

work bills are more about ldquogiving you the right to work for less moneyrdquoThe Michigan House and Senate ap-

proved the legislation last week Demo-crats have urged Republican Gov Rick Snyder to veto the measure that he has pledged to signThe Republican-controlled Legislature

is expected to take final action on the bills as early as Tuesday

Associated Press

Obama criticizes right-to-work bills

Thursday December 13 2012 Sports theonlinebeaconcom 5

Over the weekend the menrsquos basketball team played two heated games in the Hoops for Hounds tournament triumph-ing over SUNY Canton but fall-ing to Keene State after a hard fight

On Sunday the team tried their luck against Keene State Down three points to Kenne State with precious seconds left on the clock sophomores Mike Muller and Ruben DelRosario each got off a three-point shot that would have tied the game but both fell short as the buzzer sounded

In the last four minutes of the game the Trailblazers made their final push for a win The team forced Keene State into numerous turnovers resulting in points for the team as well as poor free throws from Keene

With a minute and 30 seconds left in the game junior John

Jones ran the floor and forced a foul His free throw and a steal from the Trailblazers caused them to only be down by five points with under a minute left

On Saturday the team played at home against SUNY Canton Jones led the College with 22 points sparking the run that overtook SUNY with a final score of 78-67 The team had the lead in the first half with a score of 32-21 but just before halftime SUNY moved past the Trailblazers with a 43-37 lead

The Trailblazers came on strong defensively in the second half causing SUNY to have 18 turnovers in the half

Junior and captain Ray Viches said the teamrsquos defense is im-proving

ldquoDefensively we are working to be better but we need to be bet-ter at help defenserdquo Viches said

The Trailblazers showed their defense skills by pressuring SUNY and were able to hold

them The game resulted in both teams coming out with the same record 2-5 overall

DelRosario benefitted from missed foul shots by Keene and moved the score up to 82-80 Keene finally made some free throws which brought the score to 89-86 Owls Viches said the teamrsquos offense is improving but it wasnrsquot enough to beat Keene

ldquoWe scraped and clawed back and ended up losing by three at the buzzer to a really good teamrdquo he said

While their wins boost team morale Viches said he hopes the losses will prepare the team for conference games in the upcom-ing year

ldquoPlaying all these great ranked teams although wersquove come up short is good for us because itrsquos prepping us for conference timerdquo Viches said

The Trailblazers begin confer-ence play against Salem State on Jan 8

By Ariana TourangeauSports Writer

It couldnrsquot have been more fit-ting than when senior guard Lucy Tremblay broke the 1000 point mark for her career at MCLA one face in the crowd knew how big this accomplish-ment was She had done it her-self a few years before

On Friday Dec 8 Jen Wehner watched as Tremblay joined her former teammate Allie Do-brovolc and two others to earn 1000 points while playing bas-ketball at the College

For Wehner to be there to cheer on her team-mate was a special moment

ldquoI was glad I was there and able to see it I was so excited cer-tainly one of the loudest onesrdquo she said

Once Tremblay passed into the 1000th point club every basket was a celebration

ldquoEvery time she hit a bucket we jumped up screamingrdquo she said ldquoShe showed great poise with itrdquo

This fall was a transitional pe-riod for Wehnerm who went from being a two sport player to a coach and from a student to a mentor She finds herself in in-creasingly different roles

ldquoIt is difficult There are times

when I go through a mental stage where I feel the need to play and coaching helps a littlerdquo she said

When she watches her former team play she misses the game the most the squeak of the sneakers the satisfaction of hit-ting the court hard hearing the whistle and making that three-point play

She stays in touch with her former teammates and catches games whenever she can get back to campus

ldquoI contact a lot of the girls for support Every game Irsquoll text them good luck After a loss Irsquoll tell them to keep their heads up thatrsquos what I want to be for themrdquo she said

Wehner knows how hard it is in the locker room after a loss and how just a text message with a little something supportive can make all the difference

But text messages canrsquot re-bound Losing the all-time re-bounder along with a few other stand-out rebounders is hard for any team

This year the team has taken up the slack averaging 40 rebounds per game already this season ldquoI donrsquot think Irsquove seen better box-ing-out from this team than last night (last Friday)rdquo she said

The team might not be as tall as when Wehner played but she doesnrsquot doubt their abilities to control the paint

ldquo[The MASCAC] is only go-ing to get more physical They might not have the height but they have the strengthrdquo Wehner said

Though she walked with her class in May the last piece of Wehnerrsquos education is an athletic training internship at Hartwick College near her hometown of Oneonta NY

After December Wehner will officially complete her educa-tion at the College

Though her work this fall dealt mostly with the Hartwick foot-ball team seeing the womenrsquos hoops team in passing just re-minds Wehner of the court and the itch to play comes back

Shersquos staying busy working 60 to 70 hours a week from August to October with the football team as a trainer She also has taken up coaching a U-16 girls travel team in her hometown the next best thing to taking to the field again

When asked if Tremblay could take her one-on-one she cracked that signature smile ldquoOh yeah easily shersquos much faster than merdquo

Tremblay joins Wehner in 1000 clubBy Andrew Hodgson

Sports Editor

Menrsquos hoops splits two games in tournamentPhoto by Cara SheedyBeacon archives

Former MCLA athlete Jen Wehner hit her 1000th career mark in 2011

Photo by Siyun WuBeacon staffJunior Richard Johnson leaps for the ball

Photo by Siyun WuBeacon staffSenior Vernon Cross gashes the defense for a layup

Thursday December 13 2012 Sports theonlinebeaconcom6Senior Tremblay celebrates

1000 career point

Friends and fans create signs and t-shirts to celebrate Tremblay on Dec 7

IRVING Texas (AP) _ San Francisco 49ers defensive end Demarcus Dobbs walked away from a one-vehicle accident on his 25th birthday last month and was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving

Less than two weeks later with the NFL rocked by the car crash that killed Dallas Cowboys player Jerry Brown and left his teammate Josh Brent facing a manslaughter charge Dobbs swears hersquoll find another way home whenever he does too much partying

ldquoIrsquom never going to put myself in that situation ever againrsquorsquo he said

This is of course exactly what the NFL its teams and the playersrsquo union wants to hear amid fresh questions about whether all the warnings and safety nets because players in most of the major US sports leagues arguably have more than the general public will ever

be enough to prevent accidents and deaths

ldquoTherersquos a lot of pressure being in the NFL but itrsquos no excuse for bad decisionsrsquorsquo Detroit coach Jim Schwartz said ldquoPlayers have a lot of options tools at their disposal that they need to take advantage of but it comes down to individuals making good decisionsrsquorsquo

Brownrsquos death on Saturday and the arrest of defensive tackle Josh Brent after police say he caused the fatal wreck by speeding and driving drunk put the NFL Players Associationrsquos safe ride program back in the spotlight It was revamped three years ago after concerns that enough players werenrsquot using it

Union spokesman Carl Francis said the program was a strong point of emphasis and every playerrsquos membership card includes the contact information And CEO John Glavin of Florida-based Corporate Security

Solutions Inc which runs the program said he was happy with how the union gets the word out on the program

He also stressed the confidentiality of the program saying the company doesnrsquot even tell the union when players call for rides

Jacksonville cornerback Rashean Mathis the teamrsquos union representative said players rarely if ever use the program

ldquoConfidentiality is the problemrsquorsquo Mathis said ldquoGuys are going to go out and have fun Wersquore just like the regular guy that works a 9-to-5 job On a Friday night he goes out and has some beer Itrsquos not the best-case scenario but it happens in lifersquorsquo

To use the program players can either work in advance to set up a full night with a driver or make a call for a ride home The brochure says most response times are less than an hour The program is available all year and Glavin said

his company also serves the NBA and NHL

In Major League Baseball designated drivers are available to players and fans through the teams and the players have access to a confidential program that will take them wherever they need to go

In the NFL some teams rely solely on the NFLPArsquos program while others have an additional system In Cincinnati the Bengals pay a company to make two drivers available when an employee calls One drives the caller home and the other follows in the employeersquos vehicle

Glavin said some players hesitate to use that kind of program because they donrsquot want others driving their expensive vehicles Either way the program hinges on a player making the first move

ldquoWe canrsquot make them make the phone callrsquorsquo Glavin said

League owners are gathering in

the Dallas area on Wednesday The agenda was set to focus in part on player safety through the addition of leg padding but itrsquos likely to change A week before Brownrsquos death Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher fatally shot his girlfriend before driving to the teamrsquos stadium and shooting himself in front of his coach and general manager

ldquoI am sure the events of the past two weeks will be discussed at the league meetingrsquorsquo league spokesman Greg Aiello said ldquoWe are always looking to do morersquorsquo

Several coaches said on Monday they were talking again about issues of safety and good decisions after Brownrsquos death They also acknowledged there was only so much they could do as did Mathis

ldquoWersquore not immune from life because wersquore athletesrsquorsquo Mathis said ldquoWersquore not but there are smarter choicesrsquorsquo

Cowboys player death raises question of safetyAssociated Press

Teammates embrace Tremblay No 15 following her 1000 basket

Trailblazers defeated St Joseph 86-75 Coach Holly McGovern with Tremblay

Recent Achievements Tremblay earned 1000 career points

For the Week of Dec 10

New England Womenrsquos Basketball Association (NEWBA) player of the week

Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) player of the week

Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) New England player of the week

According to the campus website Tremblay is the second Trailblazer in MCLA history to earn these three awards joining former teammate Jen Wehner who accomplished the feat in 2010 and 2011

Photos courtesy of Sarah HowardNorth Adams Transcript

Thursday December 13 2012 Arts amp Entertainment theonlinebeaconcom 7

As finals week approaches and classes begin to wind down Dance Company brought back all the energy and excitement during their annual fall semester showAccording to box office records the

performance sold out on Friday night and the theatre was nearly filled to capacity on Thursday and Saturday nightsBrycen Waters and Tyler Prendergast

Masters of Ceremony provided comical skits and bits of audience interaction between numbers After Dance Company co-presidents

Makayla Lemaire and Emily Dessingue introduced the performance Waters and Prendergast sang a parody of ldquoWe Are Youngrdquo by fun changing the lyrics to suit the showRight before they were about to sing a

grand chorus dancers from the aisle and wing entrances galloped onto the stage for a brief jam session to ldquoGangnam Stylerdquo the hit by Korean-pop sensation PSYThe audience cheered and laughed as the

dancers flawlessly performed the absurd choreography The amount of energy set the tone for the rest of the show

ldquoThe Gangnam Style opening was really greatrdquo said Will Herrero a junior ldquoI couldnrsquot have thought of a better way to kick off a Dance Company showrdquoDance Company showcased a variety of

dances ranging from lyrical and modern to hip-hop and belly dancing Along with themed costumes and colorful lighting effects the dances were incredibly expressive theatrical and very creativeChelsea Crowe choreographed a

theatrical hip-hop number titled ldquoNightmare on Blackinton Streetrdquo Her dancers demonstrated a wide array of creepy monster-like movements to intense alternative hip-hop beats A soloist dressed in flowy white clothing

opened the number with beautiful and graceful bends and twists before ldquofalling asleeprdquo and awaking within a crazy nightmare of dancing ghouls Herrero said he particularly enjoyed this

piece for its clever use of lighting effects and external visuals to help set the moodShaun LeBlanc Dance Companyrsquos

secretary choreographed a hip-hop piece as well but to the upbeat ldquoPound the Alarmrdquo by Nicki Minaj He featured a cops and robbers theme

with each group showing their moves as

smooth policewomen or edgy thieves The group solos showcased very well and came together very nicely in a fun-filled pieceFreshman Kathleen Sansone said ldquoThis

dance was my favorite Shaun and his dancers were incredibly ferociousrdquoJenna Pappas choreographed a beautiful

number to an acoustic cover of Kanye Westrsquos ldquoHeartlessrdquo Her simple set and costuming emphasized her choreography and the skills of the dancersldquoI loved the simplicity of lsquoHeartlessrsquordquo

said Stephan Rochefort a junior ldquoI loved that we [the audience] could focus on the choreography and dancing without being too distracted by external visual effectsrdquoAlexa Hebard and Melanie Grocott

choreographed another lyrical piece to Coldplayrsquos ldquoFix Yourdquo While the crowd took a while to calm down after the previous piece Grocott and Hebard brought a great deal of power and emotion to the stage Like Pappasrsquos number the overall piece

was simply designed and placed an emphasis on the choreography concept and skillChristine Brandao and Joseph Goncalves

brought some Cape Verdean culture to the stage with ldquoNos Culturardquo a tribute

to the island by mixing contemporary and traditional dance routines The piece brought the audience to a tropical paradise with whimsical and romantic partner dancing and upbeat prancing and bouncing that represented unity pride and positivityKate Moore showcased a belly dancehip-

hop fusion where traditional belly dancing moves were paired up with modern beats The audience cheered and applauded the dancersrsquo elegant and technical dancing skills as well as their ability to make contemporary hip-hop tunes seem exotic and mysterious The show concluded with another piece

solely directed by Hebard to ldquoRolling in the Deeprdquo by Adele Her performance featured a cast of fierce ladies in war paint and feathers giving off a feral and beautiful representation of female empowermentldquoI was inspired by the beat of the song and

imagined a tribe of strong Amazonian-type womenrdquo Hebard said ldquoIrsquom so proud of all my dancers for pulling this off so beautifullyrdquoHebardrsquos signature complex and precise

choreography reflected well within her cast and managed to balance skill and visuals in this showstopper

Dance Co pumps rhythm into Venable Theatre

Photo by Dennise CarranzaBeacon staffGhouls and zombies strut across the stage in Chelsea Crowersquos dance lsquoNightmare on Blackinton Streetrsquo

Photo by Dennise CarranzaBeacon staffDancers perform a modern piece choreographed by Alexa Hebard and Melanie Grocott

By Shannen AdamitesAampE Writer

Photo by Dennise CarranzaBeacon staffDancers dress in red aprons for the opening number lsquoHip-hop Dinerrsquo choreographed by Emily Dessingue for the fall semester performance of Dance Company

Thursday December 13 2012 Arts amp Entertainment theonlinebeaconcom8

Ang Leersquos most recent film ldquoLife of Pirdquo uses astounding visual effects and a mesmerizing score to tell the story of a young man trapped in the middle of the ocean with a Bengal tiger

The film follows teenager Pi Patel after his family is forced to sell their home and zoo in India and move to Canada to start anew

While on the massive ocean liner transporting his family and the animals a powerful storm hits This leads Pi to seek refuge on a lifeboat In the confusion

a few animals survive with him on the boat including the zoorsquos tiger Richard Parker

The film is not the typical story in which man and beast learn to live together in harmonymdashPi is kept aware and sane on his 227 day journey out of fear of the vicious animal It is more so a story about keeping faith even when things couldnrsquot be worse (because really whatrsquos worse than your family dying and being stuck on a raft with a Bengal tiger)

Some of the images in the film did not seem to have a point or even a place in the story such as a scene in which a glowing

humpback whale dives next to the lifeboat Nonetheless the visuals were dreamlike and beautiful

For people who are more interested in the story rather than the cinematography the twist at the end of the film is what really defines ldquoLife of Pirdquo

ldquoLife of Pirdquo received an 88 percent rating on the ldquotomatometerrdquo on Rotten Tomatoes and an 84 rating on the Internet Movie Database (IMDB)

It is currently No 5 in the box office with a total grossing of about $60 million according to boxofficemojocom

Tonight acoustic duo Dala will return to the College as part of MCLA Presents

Back by popular demand Dala whose music is best described as a blend of acoustic pop and folk first played at the College in 2011 The duo Amanda Walther and Sheila Carabine loved their initial visit to the College

Some of their influences include The Beatles Joni Mitchell Bob Dylan and Neil Young who write songs that

are both ldquocatchy and insightfulrdquo according to their website dalagirlscom The two women are Juno nominees and winners of the 2010 Canadian Folk Music Award for Vocal Group of the Year

ldquoThe sheer joy with which they perform is infectious turning first-time listeners into instant fans Dala are equally entertaining between songs telling funny and down-to-earth stories that make every show uniquerdquo said their website

The two have opened for artists such as Tom Cochrane Stuart McLean of the CBCrsquos

Vinyl Cafeacute Arlo Guthrie and Richie Havens They have also performed at various festivals in New Orleans and California as well as the only Canadian act invited to play at the 50th Anniversary of the Newport Folk Festival back in 2009

ldquoWe decided it would be wonderful to bring them back for a holiday show this timerdquo said Shannon Costello an alumna of the College and marketer for the event

ldquoDala is very excited to returnrdquo she added

Melody Rolph a junior will open for Dala playing a folk music set including instruments such as the piano and ukelele

Rolph has also been an opening act for the MCLA Presents ldquoThe Endrdquo by Samuel Beckett

On campus she is the co-president of the Allegrettos the class of 2014 secretary and a group leader for an Introduction to Leadership Course

Shersquos also been a LEAD Academy staff member for two years Recently she played Hope in Mainstagersquos production of ldquoUrinetownrdquo Polly Peachum in ldquoThreepenny Operardquo and Olive in ldquoThe 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Beerdquo

Rolph is a huge fan of Dalarsquos music and they have been an inspiration to her she said MCLA Presents personally asked Rolph to perform the opening act for Dala since they know of Rolphrsquos love for their music

ldquoThey did a workshop in one of my classes and immediatly had me hooked with their smooth

harmonies and musical insightrdquo Rolph said ldquoThese two girls have a lot of the same musical influences as me and I look forward to opening for them and listening to them againrdquo

The event will take place at Church Street Center on Thursday Dec 13 at 730 pm

ldquo[Dec 13] is reading day so it will be a nice opportunity for students to take a break from all the stress that comes during finalsrdquo Costello said

The performance is $10 for general admission $8 for MCLA alumni $5 for faculty and staff and free for students Tickets can be reserved by calling MCLA Presents at 413-662-5204

For more information call 413-664-8718 or go to wwwmclaedupresents

Photo by Tyson LuneauBeacon archivesSheila Carabine and Amanda Walther of Dala perform at last yearrsquos MCLA Presents event at Gallery 51

Dala returns to College for a holiday show

By Aya LanzoniAampE Writer

Photo by Tyson LuneauBeacon archives

Review

By Haley CostenAampE Writer

lsquoLife of Pirsquo delivers stunning visual effects


After three and a half years three different schools and multiple internships senior Lauren Antil is preparing to say goodbye to North Adams and move further on in her academic career

ldquoIrsquom really excited about graduating early Itrsquos really going to give me a head start to find a place that will value my time that I can apply what Irsquove learned in an academic settingrdquo Antil said

Antil already had 21 credits coming in as a freshman Throughout her entire time at the College she maintained a very high reputation in her academic life

ldquoI started my undergraduate degree in my fall semester of my senior year in high schoolrdquo she said ldquoI was dually enrolled at Holyoke Community College then I went to Framingham State for the second semesterrdquo

She sustained a high GPA throughout college and has never received lower than a B in her life Along with studying between classes she also spent at least four hours a day studying and completing schoolwork at the library

ldquoI should literally pay room and board to Freel Libraryrdquo she said

Antil later revealed that the giant stack of at least 100 notecards was for one class along with three other books

ldquoI put a lot of pride and effort into being a studious person and being able to express myself academicallyrdquo she said

She disclosed that the most satisfying feeling is being able to cross everything off of her to-do list before she goes to sleep

Antil is a member of three national honor societies Alpha Lambda Delta Psi Chi Alpha Chi She has also accepted two internships one of which was at New England Center for Children in Southborough Mass

Antil doesnrsquot plan to go right into the field after receiving her Bachelorrsquos degree She

intends to move on to higher education and earn her graduate degree in Applied Behavior Analysis at Westfield State University

She also enjoyed other aspects of being a college student outside of the classroom

ldquoI had a great freshman yearhellip definitely my best year here sociallyrdquo she said

Since her freshman year she also held a long-lasting job at Big Y on top of classes

One thing many students worry about Antil said is whether or not theyrsquore ready for the real world She believes that there is no question in it

ldquoIrsquove always been ready but Irsquom going to miss the small community baserdquo she said ldquoItrsquos growing but itrsquos such a small little community that you develop this wonderful group of friends and theyrsquore from different cultures and educational backgroundsrdquo

Antil said that students play a big part in keeping a strong atmosphere at MCLA Even though she did not have a lot of time to take part in many extracurricular activities Antil still found time for herself to enjoy a few clubs on campus

ldquoI never really got involved in too many clubs but I did do the Alternative Spring Break when we went to Belizerdquo she said ldquoWe planted a bunch of fruit-bearing trees [to replace ones] that were destroyed by a hurricane that went throughrdquo

Antil became a member of MCLArsquos Good Vibes yoga club during her freshman year and has remained part of the group ever since

ldquoGood Vibes club has definitely been a big part of my MCLA stayrdquo she said ldquoTherersquos no limit to what I can say about Good Vibesrdquo

Antil described how the yoga club allowed her to look back at her day and relax and let her feel like she was part of a community Seeing Good Vibes grow from ten people to now over 60 members gave her a great feeling of happiness she said

Antil has gone to all the Dance Company performances and loves how all the clubs are

student-run She said it goes to show how many motivated people there are and that it makes other students feel motivated as well

Antil said she will look back fondly at the team of professors that helped her through her time here at the College

ldquoMy advisor Tom Byrne has held my hand the whole way through my academic careerrdquo she said ldquoHersquos opened so many doors for me and has helped me pick out classesrdquo

Antil also said that Byrne has not only been a professor but also a companion and someone she trusts

ldquoLauren has done very well academically at MCLArdquo said Psychology Professor Thomas Byrne also acting as Antilrsquos advisor ldquoI look forward to seeing how her career in the field unfoldsrdquo

Byrne mentioned Antilrsquos good analytical skills and understanding of the value of taking a data-based approach

Antil said that the aid from her professors and advisor sculpted her into the students she is today She also believes that personalized assistance is a big factor in becoming a successful student

Antil plans on working in her field after her graduate studies

ldquoI plan to work hands-on with autistic individuals better the quality of life through early intensive behavioral interventionsrdquo she said ldquoNothing is more rewarding than working with a child who doesnrsquot speak to having him answering questions and interacting three months laterrdquo

Antilrsquos hard work and self-discipline did not go unnoticed

ldquoLauren is one of the hardest working people I knowrdquo said Jordan Cohen a senior and friend of Antil ldquoShersquos someone who truly understands the purpose of being at school doing the work and learningrdquo

ldquoIrsquom confident in saying shersquos going to go on to do meaningful and important things and contribute to the field of psychology and just hard working people in generalrdquo Jordan said

Tano HolmesAampE Editor

Lauren Antil exemplifies ambition and hard work

A pristine small school nestled in the Berkshire Mountains

Where behind iron wrought gates knowledge fountains

A place where three years ago on Hoosacrsquos fifth floor

A small group of friends aspired for more

To succeed academically socially and to grow

Well we made it because look what we now know

Oh how I will miss the red and yellow leaves

or the building anticipation on weekend eves

How the trees turn bare at the end of fall

And navigating the tunnel to Murdock Hall

From listening to the wisdom of the Nnodims

And realizing I can be whatever I dream

The rising brick majesty of Berk-shiresrsquo own towers

Or waiting for buffalo chicken wraps for an hour

A memory of lonely walks to the Hoosac Tunnel

Or racous parties where frater-nity brothers funnel

Or the crowds who roam Black-inton on Friday nights

And how they scatter from the blue flashing lights

Quiet evenings at home with my Nhi

I hope you know how much you have meant to me

And the galleries of MoCA where abstract is the norm

To watching Yorick Harlequin or Dance Co perform

Oh I will miss this small school for the arts

A place that has been my college right from the start

AUDITIONS

for the role of Prospero

in Yorickrsquos production of

THE TEMPESTwill be held

Thursday 1213 in Bowman 211 at 6 pm

Friday 1214 in Sullivan Lounge at 6

pm

Everyone is encouraged to audition regardless

of gender

No preparation necessary

By Michael FeloniAampE Writer

Ode to MCLA

Photo courtesy of Lauren AntilLauren Antil belongs to three honors societies and has never received a grade lower than a B in her life

amp

Congratulations to MCLArsquos Allegrettos on winning first place

and $2000 at Lenoxrsquos Second Annual Caroling Festival

Thursday December 13 2012 Campus Comment theonlinebeaconcom10How are you handling finals week

ldquoItrsquos not as stressful as everyone elsersquos I just need to make sure I get my materials ready I just have projects and performances so Irsquom one of the easy casesrdquo

-Brandon Roy 2016

ldquoI just do the work Thatrsquos itrdquo

-Corban VonOuhl 2013

ldquoIrsquom a little stressed I multi-task and procrastinate and thatrsquos not good To de-stress I talk a lotrdquo

-Ali Elwell 2013

ldquoIrsquom very stressed out I clean a lot when Irsquom stressedrdquo

-Brittany Wood 2014

ldquoNot going well Irsquom not really studyingrdquo

-Josh Nitti 2013

ldquoI have three finals Irsquom doing deep-breathing exercises

-Josh Hunter 2016

Compiled by Jess GamariBeacon staff

The Beacon

Sports Editor Andrew Hodgson

AampE EditorTano Holmes

Copy Chief Megan Cooney

Photography EditorDennise Carranza

Business Manager Yvonne Camacho

Web Editor Ken Rodriguez

The Beacon is published Thursdays during the academic year and is distributed free to the College community The Beacon is funded by the Student Government

Association the EnglishCommunications department and from ad revenues

Contact information

News desk number 413-662-5535Business number 413-662-5404

E-mail BeaconmclaeduWeb site wwwtheonlinebeaconcomOffice Mark Hopkins Hall room 111

Mission Statement The Beacon strives to provide timely and accurate news of campus and local events

Editorials Policy Unsigned editorials that appear on these

pages reflect the views of The Beaconrsquos editorial board

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

the writers

Letters Policy The Beacon welcomes Letters to the

Editor Deadline is noon on Mondays for that weekrsquos newspaper

Letters should be kept to 500 words or less

and are subject to editing for grammar and content The Beacon will not publish

anonymous or libelous letters

Letters must be signed by the writer and include a phone number Letters may be dropped off at the office or e-mailed to

Beaconmclaedu

Contributions Policy The Beacon accepts stories photos and

opinion pieces for publication Submissions should be dropped off at the office by Monday at noon or e-mailed to

Beaconmclaedu

Advertising Policy The Beacon reserves the right not to

publish any advertisement it deems to be libelous false or in bad taste

Editorial Board

Staff Writers

Nick ArenaRyan Flynn

Amy CubelloMarc LatourAya Lanzoni

Haley CostenMichael Feloni

Shannen AdamitesChris Oxholm

Ariana TourangeauMaci Estrella

Photographers

Takeya LeeKayla DegnanJess GamariJack Guerino

Siyun Wu

Copy Editors

Topher LewisLindsay Green

Shannen AdamitesKorinna Dennehey

Videographers

Ken RodriguezMichael Dahlroth

Adam Larson

Advisers

Advertising

Adrianna CarusoLauren Coffey

Jenifer AugurJim NiedbalskiGillian Jones

twittercomBeaconMCLAfacebookcomMCLABeacon

Online attheonlinebeaconcom

Editor-in-Chief Chris Goodell

Design Team

Stephen KilduffMichael Feloni

Nalaja CaesarJess Gamari

Staff

Holds more than one position

A big thank you from the First Baptist Church in North Ad-ams to all the young men and women at MCLA for donating warm clothes as part of our community outreach program to provide needed clothing to our neighbors MCLA students and parents donated up to 25 large bags of clothing ndash coats

shirts sweaters shoes gloves etc With what was also donated by members of the First Baptist Church we had 40 large bags of items to give out

We opened our church doors the first week of November to the public as well as to people from the Berkshire Food Project and the Friendship

Center Food Pantry on Eagle Street When we finished the 40 large bags of clothing were packed into eight bags ndash a lot of needed clothing was given out Obviously there was a need for many people and your dona-tions and caring helped meet that need Thank you all and please thank your parents for

their participationWe look forward to working

together in the future

Thank you

David Babcock ChairmanBoard of MissionsFirst Baptist Church of North Adams

Letters to the Editor

Church offers thank you to students and parents

Students appeal to governor concerning TrusteesDear Governor Patrick There is a serious breach of trust

at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

Despite significant dissent on part of students and faculty the Board of Trustees voted to arm the collegersquos campus police start-ing January 2013 Since the spring of 2012 both students and faculty protested this decision Whereas some protested the act of arm-ing others protested the Boards refusal to heed both student and faculty opinion

Prior to this letter the results of a Student Government Asso-ciation referendum showed 68 percent of MCLA students voted against arming

Furthermore MCLArsquos only stu-dent trustee represented our ma-jority opinion with only one vote However the ten appointed trust-ees voted in favor of arming cam-pus police The Board of Trustees decision ignored the will of a ma-

jority consisting of both student and faculty while satisfying the whims of ten

Although many months passed both students and faculty remain disconsolate Likewise though many of the trustees that made this particular decision have left there is a problem that still remains

Procedures in regards to deci-sion making by Board of Trustees is our concern but advocating for disarming campus police is not Both the vitality and the open-ness of MCLA is threatened by an overt disconnect between the Board and the campus commu-nity in addition MCLA faculty and the Board share a similar re-lationship whereby they are sub-ject to the whims and decisions of the Board of Trustees due to their lack of representation

Furthermore since the Board de-cides on faculty tenure and student conduct issues both groups need to be represented in higher num-bers on the Board of Trustees

Given that you appoint the members of the Board we found it most fitting to contact you re-garding this issue We acknowl-edge the important role that trustees have in acquiring fund-ing for and providing an outside opinion to the college however this does not justify their au-tonomy The purpose of any in-stitution of higher education is the instruction and education of students therefore their views should be a vital component in decision making Our concerns reflect the truth that there is a severe problem with how college governance operates in this state

As a sovereign community we should not be subject to an ap-pointed entity such as the Board of Trustees rather we all deserve and demand a democratic system whereby we play an integral roll in college governance Increasing the amount of student and faculty rep-resentation on the Board of Trust-ees beyond the token status that we

currently hold will attain this ideal Furthermore in addition to more representation on the Board of Trustees binding referenda must be used to insure that students are truly represented whenever a con-troversial issue arises

We the undersigned further-more pledge to aid you in this endeavor so that faculty and stu-dents of the institutions of higher education in Massachusetts will have the proper representation they deserve at the highest level of college governance

Yours Sincerely

Stephan RochefortClass of 2014Author

Brian FitzpatrickClass of 2015Author

Signed by over 40 students alumni and faculty

Thursday December 13 2012 Fun amp Games theonlinebeaconcom 11

Weekly HoroscopesAries March 21-April 19Your social energy is fun and flirty ndash and you may surprise someone who thought they had you pegged Now is a great time to hang out with your crush or a new romantic partner

Taurus April 20-May 20You find yourself slipping into some odd behavior today ndash but itrsquos not so bad that you have to keep restraints on Yoursquore just a little less cautious than usual and it could lead somewhere fun

Gemini May 21-June 21Your social energy is abuzz with all the new people coming into your life ndash even if many of them are online You donrsquot really care as long as you get to keep chattering and showing off

Cancer June 22-July22Your to-do list seems to have doubled in length overnight ndash what can you do Try to get some help from friends or family or see if you can delegate anything to an intern (or teenager) in your life

Leo July 23-Aug 22You need help ndash but therersquos no shame in that Just make sure that you ask the right people or that you are surrounded by teammates you know you can count on Things are looking up

Virgo Aug 23-Sept 22Everyone seems to be speaking at once today so make sure that you are as clear as can be If someone only gets to hear part of what you have to say arenrsquot they likely to get the wrong idea

Libra Sept 23-Oct 22Try to speak up today ndash yoursquove got some deep issues that need reso-lution and they arenrsquot going anywhere without some serious com-munication It may be a family thing or it could be work-related but itrsquos vital

Scorpio Oct 23-Nov 21You see something that seems too good to be true ndash so do what you can to avoid buying it or taking the risk Itrsquos likely a scam or some-thing with hidden costs and you have to play it safe now

Sagittarius Nov 22-Dec 21You may have a full schedule today ndash and if not watch out for inter-ruptions and sudden invitations At least some of them are sure to be fun but you may have to say no now and then

Capricorn Dec 22-Jan 19Too much chatter is sure to keep anything useful from getting done today ndash so make sure you turn off your ringer when appropriate and find other ways to keep your mind focused

Aquarius Jan 20-Feb 18You meet someone today who shares many of your interests ndash and possibly more If yoursquore looking for love this could be a good match so ask all the right questions and remember to be yourself

Pisces Feb 19-March 20Things are moving a little too quickly for you right now so make sure that yoursquore anchored and getting all the help you need Things are sure to settle down in the very near future

Horoscopes courtesy of Yahoocom

Cartoon by Jackie Coughlin

ChristmasCookiesFamilyGiftsGingerbreadHanukkahHot Chocolate

Ice SkatingJacketKwanzaaMistletoeNew YearsSantaSledding

SkiingSnowflakeSnowballsSnowboardingSnowmenSolsticeVacation

Holiday Happenings

Word Search Courtesy of httppuzzlemakerdiscoveryeducationcom

Looking forward to the holidays

Thursday December 13 2012 Photo Essay theonlinebeaconcom12

Dancers take their bows during the finale of the show A Cape Verdean piece choreographed by Christine Brandao and Joseph Goncalves

Emily Dessingue co-president of Dance Company choreographs a group of energetic workers in a lsquoHip Hop Dinerrsquo piece to open the show

Makayla Lemaire choreographs a Scooby Doo themed hip-hop number for her final piece lsquoNos Culturarsquo shows traditional and modern dance moves

Dance Company Fall PerformancePhotos by Dennise Carranza


Weekend Weather 1213 - 1216Thursday

December 13Friday

December 14Saturday

December 15Sunday

December 16

Partly CloudyHigh 40degLow 24deg

Precip Chance 0

SunnyHigh 42degLow 25deg

Precip Chance 0

Mostly CloudyHigh 39degLow 26deg

Precip Chance 0

RainSnowHigh 36degLow 28deg

Precip Chance 40

localmsncomweather

The 2013 Student Leadership Conference is scheduled for Satur-day Feb 9 This yearrsquos theme ldquoTherersquos no

place like leadershiprdquo is a way to encourage students to quest for leadership in a variety of ways and to discover new ways to teach oth-ers what they have learnedJenn Craig advisor of Student Af-

fairs coordinates the Leadership Conference and reads through each proposal sent in by students who express an interest in present-ing Faculty members are also en-couraged to present Some of the suggested topics in-

clude assessment community ser-vice dress for success networking stress management speech mak-ing and many others Craig said presenting at the con-

ference is a great chance for stu-dents to show their strengths in multiple topics ldquoWe are giving students the ability

to work research and present like any other conference thus giving students the confidence to present at other student conferencesrdquo she said ldquoPresenting skills are trans-ferable directly to the classroom and to future jobs students might be applying forrdquo The conference is also a great op-

portunity for students who want to learn about a specific topic she said Brycen Waters a senior has pre-

sented at the Student Leadership Conference before Working with fellow student Alyson Carey his previous research talked about the essentials of how to successfully program on a college campus ldquoWe covered the basics of re-

cruitment retention PR fundrais-ing and much morerdquo he said Waters currently has two propos-

als submitted in hopes of being chosen to give another presentation in February His topics include the benefits of ePortfolio compared to the traditional resume and recruit-ment and retention There are many benefits to a stu-

dent presenting at this conference according to Waters ldquoFirst the public speaking experi-

ence that one gets from presenting in front of a large group such as at the Leadership Conference is in-valuable Second MCLA student leaders accomplish amazing things each and every day Having an op-portunity to share our knowledge and ideas with other student lead-ers is a very rewarding experience I encourage all to take part inrdquo he saidThe deadline for presentation

proposals has passed and Craig is currently in the process of looking them overFor more information on the Stu-

dent Leadership Conference con-tact Jenn Craig at (413) 662-5129 or Nicole LeBlanc at (413) 662-5139 Craig and LeBlanc are also available through FirstClass

Leadership conference set for February

By Amy CubelloStaff Writer

SGA approves money for substance abuse awareness

By Chris GoodellEditor-in-Chief

The Student Government As-sociation (SGA) voted Monday night to approve up to $400 in donations toward substance abuse awarenessProject Purple is an initiative

founded by Chris Herren a for-mer NBA player who struggled with drug abuse and visited the College in SeptemberDuring the Dec 3 SGA meet-

ing Kaylyn Smith co-advisor of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) spoke about Herrenrsquos story and how Project Purple helps those struggling with substance abuseldquoAll that money goes to some-

body who needs the helprdquo Smith saidldquoPeople are suffering from [sub-

stance abuse] and there arenrsquot al-ways resources to get the people the help they needrdquo she addedThe Senate debated at length

whether to contribute monetary support to the campaign or con-

tribute in some other way Some senators were wary about con-tributing SGA funds saying that it was not clear exactly where the money would be goingSenator Alyson Stolz assured

SGA that 100 percent of the money donated to Project Purple would go toward helping some-one struggling with substance abuseUltimately the Senate voted to

transfer up to $400 from SGArsquos supplemental budget to its oper-ating budget with nine in favor two opposed and two abstaining from the vote This move allows the Executive Cabinet to allot a sum of money at their discretion without needing an official vote by the SenateSince SAAC plans to hold a ldquogo

purplerdquo event during the Jan 17 home basketball games against Framingham St the Executive Cabinet will have the ability to allot any amount of money they see fit before that time whereas the Senate will not convene again until after that date

Public Safety Update

Joe Charon director of Public Safety updated SGA on the fire-arms implementation processAccording to Charon officers

are undergoing their final train-ing session this week and his goal is for officers to be carrying firearms by the end of the calen-dar yearldquoThe implementation process is

near completionrdquo Charon saidTo read more details of the im-

plementation process see page 1

Referendum on Student Involvement

According to SGA President Ja-son Brown students overwhelm-ingly voted ldquoyesrdquo on the SGArsquos referendum concerning student involvement in the Collegersquos gov-ernance processA total of 211 students voted on

Dec 4 and 5 with 205 (98 per-cent) voting ldquoyesrdquo 5 (2 percent) voting ldquonordquo and one recording an invalid ballot

ldquoIrsquom very thankful to everyone who participated in this processrdquo Brown said ldquoI believe wersquove ar-rived at an outcome that will be most beneficial to all students at MCLA not only this year but for each of the remaining years of this faculty contractrdquoThe approved referendum means

that students will have a place on College committees and a voice in the decision-making process at MCLA for the remainder of the current faculty contract

Upcoming Events

Advisor Jenn Craig announced that Late Night Breakfast will be held tonight from 930 to 11 pm in the Centennial RoomShe also announced that SGArsquos

Winter Week will take place from Monday Feb 18 to Saturday Feb 23Executive Vice President Kate

Moore said Winter Weekrsquos annu-al Midnight Skate event is likely to take place on the Tuesday of that week

DENVER (AP) _ Marijuana for recreational use became legal in Colorado Monday when the gov-ernor took a purposely low-key procedural step of declaring the voter-approved change part of the state constitutionColorado became the second

state after Washington to allow pot use without a doctorrsquos recom-mendation Both states prohibit public use of the drug and com-mercial sales in Colorado and Washington wonrsquot be permitted until after regulations are written next yearGov John Hickenlooper a Dem-

ocrat opposed the measure but had no veto power over the voter-

approved amendment to the state constitutionHickenlooper tweeted his decla-

ration Monday and sent an execu-tive order to reporters by email after the fact He told reporters he didnrsquot want to make a big deal about the proclamation a deci-sion that prevented a countdown to legalization as seen in Wash-ington where the lawrsquos support-ers gathered to smoke in public to celebrateFewer than two dozen people

publicly marked Coloradorsquos legal-ization day A small group puffed away at 420 pm on the steps of the state Capitol with no arrests and no police officers in sightldquoIt smells like freedomrsquorsquo said a

smiling puffing Timothy Tipton a longtime marijuana activist

Colorado law gave Hickenlooper until Jan 5 to declare marijuana legal He told reporters Monday he saw no reason to wait and didnrsquot see any point in letting marijuana become legal without his proclamationldquoIf the voters go out and pass

something and they put it in the state constitution by a signifi-cant margin far be it from my-self or any governor to overrule I mean this is why itrsquos a democracy rightrsquorsquo Hickenlooper saidAdults over 21 in Colorado may

now possess up to an ounce of marijuana or six plants Public use and sale of the drug remain illegalColorado and Washington of-

ficials both have asked the US Department of Justice for guid-

ance on the laws that conflict with federal drug law So far the federal government has offered little guidance beyond stating that marijuana remains illegal and that the Controlled Substances Act will be enforced Of special con-cern for state regulators is how to protect state employees who vio-late federal drug law by comply-ing with state marijuana lawsThe US Attorneyrsquos Office issued

a statement Monday shortly after Hickenlooperrsquos announcement restating its positionHickenlooper also announced a

state task force Monday to help craft the marijuana regulations The 24-member task force in-cludes law enforcement agricul-ture officials and marijuana advo-cates

Associated Press

Colorado legalizes recreational marijuana






























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Custom

Decorated

Cakes

NOWOPENMONDAYS




















more info







11 am - 2 am




Fiery FingersPizza


Keno

3 Pool Tables




See you at the Key



North Adams MA 01247(413) 663-6500



Buy one burger or


12off












Associated Press


















Associated Press











































Sports Editor






1000 career point





































































































Review

































































AUDITIONS






pm


of gender



Ode to MCLA


amp





-Brandon Roy 2016




-Ali Elwell 2013


-Brittany Wood 2014


-Josh Nitti 2013


-Josh Hunter 2016


The Beacon









Contact information







the writers







Beaconmclaedu



Beaconmclaedu



Editorial Board

Staff Writers






Photographers


Siyun Wu

Copy Editors



Videographers


Adam Larson

Advisers

Advertising






Design Team



Staff








Thank you

















Yours Sincerely






















Holiday Happenings





































AskAbout

Custom

Decorated

Cakes

NOWOPENMONDAYS




















more info







11 am - 2 am




Fiery FingersPizza


Keno

3 Pool Tables




See you at the Key



North Adams MA 01247(413) 663-6500



Buy one burger or


12off












Associated Press


















Associated Press











































Sports Editor






1000 career point





































































































Review

































































AUDITIONS






pm


of gender



Ode to MCLA


amp





-Brandon Roy 2016




-Ali Elwell 2013


-Brittany Wood 2014


-Josh Nitti 2013


-Josh Hunter 2016


The Beacon









Contact information







the writers







Beaconmclaedu



Beaconmclaedu



Editorial Board

Staff Writers






Photographers


Siyun Wu

Copy Editors



Videographers


Adam Larson

Advisers

Advertising






Design Team



Staff








Thank you

















Yours Sincerely






















Holiday Happenings











11 am - 2 am




Fiery FingersPizza


Keno

3 Pool Tables




See you at the Key



North Adams MA 01247(413) 663-6500



Buy one burger or


12off












Associated Press


















Associated Press











































Sports Editor






1000 career point





































































































Review

































































AUDITIONS






pm


of gender



Ode to MCLA


amp





-Brandon Roy 2016




-Ali Elwell 2013


-Brittany Wood 2014


-Josh Nitti 2013


-Josh Hunter 2016


The Beacon









Contact information







the writers







Beaconmclaedu



Beaconmclaedu



Editorial Board

Staff Writers






Photographers


Siyun Wu

Copy Editors



Videographers


Adam Larson

Advisers

Advertising






Design Team



Staff








Thank you

















Yours Sincerely






















Holiday Happenings

















































Sports Editor






1000 career point





































































































Review

































































AUDITIONS






pm


of gender



Ode to MCLA


amp





-Brandon Roy 2016




-Ali Elwell 2013


-Brittany Wood 2014


-Josh Nitti 2013


-Josh Hunter 2016


The Beacon









Contact information







the writers







Beaconmclaedu



Beaconmclaedu



Editorial Board

Staff Writers






Photographers


Siyun Wu

Copy Editors



Videographers


Adam Larson

Advisers

Advertising






Design Team



Staff








Thank you

















Yours Sincerely






















Holiday Happenings









1000 career point





































































































Review

































































AUDITIONS






pm


of gender



Ode to MCLA


amp





-Brandon Roy 2016




-Ali Elwell 2013


-Brittany Wood 2014


-Josh Nitti 2013


-Josh Hunter 2016


The Beacon









Contact information







the writers







Beaconmclaedu



Beaconmclaedu



Editorial Board

Staff Writers






Photographers


Siyun Wu

Copy Editors



Videographers


Adam Larson

Advisers

Advertising






Design Team



Staff








Thank you

















Yours Sincerely






















Holiday Happenings










































































Review

































































AUDITIONS






pm


of gender



Ode to MCLA


amp





-Brandon Roy 2016




-Ali Elwell 2013


-Brittany Wood 2014


-Josh Nitti 2013


-Josh Hunter 2016


The Beacon









Contact information







the writers







Beaconmclaedu



Beaconmclaedu



Editorial Board

Staff Writers






Photographers


Siyun Wu

Copy Editors



Videographers


Adam Larson

Advisers

Advertising






Design Team



Staff








Thank you

















Yours Sincerely






















Holiday Happenings











































Review

































































AUDITIONS






pm


of gender



Ode to MCLA


amp





-Brandon Roy 2016




-Ali Elwell 2013


-Brittany Wood 2014


-Josh Nitti 2013


-Josh Hunter 2016


The Beacon









Contact information







the writers







Beaconmclaedu



Beaconmclaedu



Editorial Board

Staff Writers






Photographers


Siyun Wu

Copy Editors



Videographers


Adam Larson

Advisers

Advertising






Design Team



Staff








Thank you

















Yours Sincerely






















Holiday Happenings






































































AUDITIONS






pm


of gender



Ode to MCLA


amp





-Brandon Roy 2016




-Ali Elwell 2013


-Brittany Wood 2014


-Josh Nitti 2013


-Josh Hunter 2016


The Beacon









Contact information







the writers







Beaconmclaedu



Beaconmclaedu



Editorial Board

Staff Writers






Photographers


Siyun Wu

Copy Editors



Videographers


Adam Larson

Advisers

Advertising






Design Team



Staff








Thank you

















Yours Sincerely






















Holiday Happenings










-Brandon Roy 2016




-Ali Elwell 2013


-Brittany Wood 2014


-Josh Nitti 2013


-Josh Hunter 2016


The Beacon









Contact information







the writers







Beaconmclaedu



Beaconmclaedu



Editorial Board

Staff Writers






Photographers


Siyun Wu

Copy Editors



Videographers


Adam Larson

Advisers

Advertising






Design Team



Staff








Thank you

















Yours Sincerely






















Holiday Happenings


























Holiday Happenings













Documents

December 13, 2012 - Issue 12