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Thursday, September 24, 2015 twitter.com/ THEBEACON_MCLA facebook.com/ MCLABeacon MASSPIRG’s campaign to approach Subway’s use of antibiotics News Page 3 Page 6 Arts & Entertainment Sports Page 8 News 2-4 Features 5 Arts & Entertainment 6-7 Sports 8-9 Campus Comment 10 Local Events 11 Photo Essay 12 Annual bluegrass festival rocks MoCA again Women’s volleyball up to eighth victory For more content, visit online at: Beacon.MCLA.edu Volume 81 ◆ Issue 2 [email protected] 413-662-5535 Mark Hopkins Room 111 Photo from Greg M. Cooper/Borrego Solar Mayor Alcombright speaks at the ribbon cutting at the new fixed tilt solar panel farm in North Adams on September 8. By Joseph Carew Staff Writer With the opening of a 3.5 megawatt solar panel facility, North Adams now expects to be 100 percent solar powered. e thousands of panels supplementing the electricity for the municipal and school buildings reside on a capped landfill about a mile from the city center. e city agreed to a twenty year purchasing agreement with Syncarpha Capital, a New York based private equity firm that deals heavily with solar energy systems. Commercially, the rate of electricity reached $15.03 per kilowatt hour in June 2015, according to eia.gov. Even with a possible increase of up to 2 percent a year, the project, along with other projects, could save taxpayers $400,000 a year. As of September, the state of Massachusetts had a 923 megawatt solar capacity, a dramatic rise from the fewer than 100 megawatt capacity of 2011. e North Adams facility will add 3.5 to this figure, pushing the state closer to their announced goal of 1600 megawatts by 2020. “[We are] well on our way,” Dan Burgess, deputy commissioner at the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, said. “As a region…we have plateaued the amount of energy we are using. Overall the growth is flat.” is grants the state a better understanding of future energy needs and allows for better planning on where and how to increase renewable resource usage. Going into depth about Massachusetts and the New England region as a whole, the commissioner spoke of the disadvantages the State faces with intense winters and varied terrain. e way this new solar facility will work is the electricity produced by the panels will go into the grid and be purchased back by the town from Syncarpha Capital at a reduced cost. Mayor Richard Alcombright opened this site earlier this month along with Senator Benjamin Downing. e American Council for an Energy- Efficient Economy (ACEEE) ranked Massachusetts number 1 in the nation for the fourth consecutive time in 2014. Specifically for installed solar capacity, Massachusetts is ranked fourth by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) for 2014. “I think that’s awesome,” said Sophomore Stefani Nieves when asked about a possible 100 percent solar North Adams. “ere are more than 30,000 solar installations across Massachusetts and projects like the one in North Adams are helping communities, businesses, and residents in the Commonwealth reduce their energy costs,” said Burgess. MASSPIRG is currently operating a solar energy campaign and will attempt to unveil the details of the campaign at a press conference in the near future. Senior Christian Kennedy, the operator of this campaign for MCLA, has set the goals and is working on increasing awareness of anti-solar movements. “Liſting the net metering cap,” and committing Governor Charlie Baker to a “20 percent solar energy state by 2025,” said Kennedy when asked about his campaign’s goals. North Adams city and schools go 100 percent solar Photo by Harmony Birch/The Beacon Senior Ben Gunnes, and BT resident, walks toward Tower B with his belongings after it reopened. Photo by Mitchell Chapman/The Beacon Berkshire Towers residents were evacuated to Venable Gym on Saturday and fed Pizza from Pizza Works as emergency personnel examined the towers. Berkshire Towers cleared to reopen to residents Despite inital tests of ammonia, no source of contaminated air quality was found By Nick Swanson and Harmony Birch Co-Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor Berkshire Towers (BT) reopened Tuesday evening aſter the evacuation of A and B Towers due to a strong odor detected Saturday evening. Public Safety received the safety hazard dispatch to BT at 5:10 p.m. on Saturday that lead to the evacuation moments later. Students were not allowed re-entry to Tower B until Monday at 6 p.m. and Tower A on Tuesday at 4:45 p.m. Full building access was not allowed until nearly 36 hours aſter evacuation. is event leſt BT students without their belongings until they were able to return. BT residents were offered alternative housing options, as well as other medical assistance following the evacuation, according to the MCLA emergency alerts. “I was sent to the hospital Saturday night to make sure everything was alright because I showed some symptoms,” Sophomore Elise Cronin said. e Regional Hazmat team and North Adams fire department initially found indications of ammonia, but no source was identified. “I was just itchy everywhere,” Cronin said. “I’m pretty sure it was just stress related but they took me to the hospital anyway, and when I got back to campus, I had to sleep in the Venable gym.” Twenty-seven students were sent to Berkshire Health Systems North for evaluation aſter being recommended by the Regional Poison Control. Freshman Melissa Mchenry said the first night of the evacuation she resided in Hoosac Hall and the second night they were given a townhouse. She added the college provided them with clothing for warmth as well as other necessities. All students had access to showers during the evacuation and were provided with (shower) sandals and towels, according to Mchenry. “It was cold so they gave out a lot of sweatshirts, socks, and other clothes,” Freshman Michele Vanwormer said. Massachusetts Department of Public Health Indoor Air Quality Program (IAQ), Clean Harbors, and Cardno performed tests each day attempting to locate the odor origin. Clean Harbors is an environmental contractor specialized in emergency response air testing and Cardno is an engineering and environmental services consultant; both hired by the college. Although each agency used numerous forms of technology to test all areas and mechanical operations of BT, no contaminates were detected.

Spring 2015 Issue 2

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Page 1: Spring 2015 Issue 2

Th u r s day, S e p t e m b e r 2 4 , 2 0 1 5

twitter.com/THEBEACON_MCLA

facebook.com/MCLABeacon

MASSPIRG’s campaign to approach Subway’s

use of antibiotics

News

Page 3 Page 6

Arts & Entertainment Sports

Page 8

News 2-4Features 5Arts & Entertainment 6-7Sports 8-9Campus Comment 10Local Events 11Photo Essay 12

Annual bluegrass festival rocks MoCA

again

Women’s volleyball up to eighth victory

For more content,visit online at:

Beacon.MCLA.edu

Volume 81 ◆ Issue 2

[email protected]

Mark Hopkins Room 111

Photo from Greg M. Cooper/Borrego SolarMayor Alcombright speaks at the ribbon cutting at the new � xed tilt solar panel farm in North Adams on September 8.

By Joseph CarewSta� Writer

With the opening of a 3.5 megawatt solar panel facility, North Adams now expects to be 100 percent solar powered. � e thousands of panels supplementing the electricity for the municipal and school buildings reside on a capped land� ll about a mile from the city center.� e city agreed to a twenty year

purchasing agreement with Syncarpha Capital, a New York based private equity � rm that deals heavily with solar energy systems.Commercially, the rate of electricity

reached $15.03 per kilowatt hour in June 2015, according to eia.gov. Even with a possible increase of up to 2 percent a year, the project, along with other projects, could save taxpayers $400,000 a year.As of September, the state of

Massachusetts had a 923 megawatt solar capacity, a dramatic rise from the fewer than 100 megawatt capacity of 2011. � e North Adams facility will add 3.5 to this � gure, pushing the state closer to their announced goal of 1600 megawatts by 2020.

“[We are] well on our way,” Dan Burgess, deputy commissioner at the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, said. “As a region…we have plateaued the amount of energy we are using. Overall the growth is � at.”� is grants the state a better

understanding of future energy needs and allows for better planning on where and how to increase renewable resource usage. Going into depth about Massachusetts and the New England region as a whole, the commissioner spoke of the disadvantages the State faces with intense winters and varied terrain. � e way this new solar facility will work is

the electricity produced by the panels will go into the grid and be purchased back by the town from Syncarpha Capital at a reduced cost. Mayor Richard Alcombright opened this site earlier this month along with Senator Benjamin Downing.� e American Council for an Energy-

E� cient Economy (ACEEE) ranked Massachusetts number 1 in the nation for the fourth consecutive time in 2014. Speci� cally for installed solar capacity, Massachusetts is ranked fourth by the Solar Energy Industries Association

(SEIA) for 2014.“I think that’s awesome,” said Sophomore

Stefani Nieves when asked about a possible 100 percent solar North Adams.“� ere are more than 30,000 solar

installations across Massachusetts and projects like the one in North Adams are helping communities, businesses, and residents in the Commonwealth reduce their energy costs,” said Burgess.M A S S P I R G

is currently operating a solar energy campaign and will attempt to unveil the details of the campaign at a press conference in the near future. Senior Christian Kennedy, the operator of this campaign for

MCLA, has set the goals and is working on increasing awareness of anti-solar movements.“Li� ing the net metering cap,” and

committing Governor Charlie Baker to a “20 percent solar energy state by 2025,” said Kennedy when asked about his campaign’s goals.

North Adams city and schools go 100 percent solar

Photo by Harmony Birch/The BeaconSenior Ben Gunnes, and BT resident, walks toward Tower B with his belongings after it reopened.

Photo by Mitchell Chapman/The BeaconBerkshire Towers residents were evacuated to Venable Gym on Saturday and fed Pizza from Pizza Works as emergency personnel examined the towers.

Berkshire Towers cleared to reopen to residentsDespite inital tests of ammonia, no source of contaminated air quality was found

By Nick Swanson and Harmony Birch

Co-Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor

Berkshire Towers (BT) reopened Tuesday evening a� er the evacuation of A and B Towers due to a strong odor detected

Saturday evening. Public Safety received the safety hazard

dispatch to BT at 5:10 p.m. on Saturday that lead to the evacuation moments later. Students were not allowed re-entry to Tower B until Monday at 6 p.m. and Tower A on Tuesday at 4:45 p.m.

Full building access was not allowed until nearly 36 hours a� er evacuation. � is event le� BT students without their belongings until they were able to return.

BT residents were o� ered alternative housing options, as well as other medical assistance following the evacuation, according to the MCLA emergency alerts.

“I was sent to the hospital Saturday night to make sure everything was alright because I showed some symptoms,” Sophomore Elise Cronin said.

� e Regional Hazmat team and North Adams � re department initially found indications of ammonia, but no source was identi� ed.

“I was just itchy everywhere,” Cronin said. “I’m pretty sure it was just stress related but they took me to the hospital anyway, and when I got back to campus, I had to sleep in the Venable gym.”

Twenty-seven students were

sent to Berkshire Health Systems North for evaluation a� er being recommended by the Regional Poison Control.

Freshman Melissa Mchenry said the � rst night of the evacuation she resided in Hoosac Hall and the second night they were given a townhouse. She added the college provided them with clothing for warmth as well as other necessities.

All students had access to showers during the evacuation and were provided with (shower) sandals and towels, according to Mchenry.

“It was cold so they gave out a lot of sweatshirts, socks, and other clothes,” Freshman Michele Vanwormer said.

Ma s s a c hu s e t t s Department of Public Health Indoor Air Quality Program (IAQ), Clean Harbors, and Cardno performed tests each day attempting to locate the odor origin. Clean Harbors is an environmental

contractor specialized in emergency response air testing and Cardno is an engineering and environmental services consultant; both hired by the college.

Although each agency used numerous forms of technology to test all areas and mechanical operations of BT, no contaminates were detected.

Page 2: Spring 2015 Issue 2

Thursday, September 24, 2015 Campus News Beacon.MCLA.edu2Police Logs

The week of 9/14-9/20

Public Safety re-sponded to 103 total

calls

Monday, September 14 ◆ 12:30 p.m. - Public Safety responded to fire alarm call at the Flagg Townhouses.

Tuesday, September 15

◆ 10:05 a.m. - Public Safety found property in the Power Plant parking area. A spe-cific report was filled. Lost and found is located in the Campus Police Office at 277 Ashland Street.

Wednesday, September 16

◆ 4: 39 p.m. - Public Safety responded to a larceny/forg-ery/fraud call. A report was filled.

Thursday, September 17 ◆ 1:08 a.m. - Public Safety made a vehicle stop for a registration check. The driver was issued a citation.

Friday, September 18 ◆ 6:54 p.m. - Public Safety responded to assist an arrest on Blakinton Street.

◆ 10:52 p.m. - Public Safety responded to a vehicle lockout in the Ashland Street parking lot.

Saturday, September 19 ◆ 1:17 a.m. - Public Safety responded to a trespassing call near the Flagg Town-houses. The individal was verbally warned.

◆ 5:10 p.m. - Public Safety responded to the safety haz-ard emergency at Berkshire Towers. Tower A & B were evacuated.

◆ 10:53 p.m. - Public Safety responded to a medical call. The person was transported to Berkshire Medical Center south in Pittsfield.

Sunday, September 20 ◆ 2:59 p.m. - Public Safety

responded to a medical call

in Venable Hall.

Thursday, September 24

Friday, September 25

Saturday, September 26

Sunday, September 27

Mostly SunnyHigh: 75°Low: 47°

Precip. Chance: 0%

Partly CloudyHigh: 71°Low: 46°

Precip. Chance: 0%

Mostly SunnyHigh: 70°Low: 48°

Precip. Chance: 0%

Mostly SunnyHigh: 70°Low: 43°

Precip. Chance: 0%

Weekend Weather

By Nick SwansonCo-Editor-in-Chief

SGA president Alexandra Kadell thanked all who contributed to the evacuation of Berkshire Towers (BT) last Saturday evening. She recognized all Resident Advisor Security Monitors (RASM’s), Residence Advisors (RA’s), and others who helped overnight during the emergency evacuation. “It was pleasing to see many SGA members take time to lift spirits by visiting students in Venable Gym the night of the emergency,” Kadell said.

Presidential Search A search consultant from the Korn-Ferry search firm is holding a student session to discuss what qualities students hope to see in the next MCLA college president. The session is open to all students and is being held today in Murdock Hall room 208, from 1:45 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. “It’s better to have a diverse selection of students come in and talk to the search firm rather than just a few individual students,” Kadell said. She said the search committee

would like to see a higher number of students than last year attend these presidential search meetings. “Since we are able to do it all over again we can definitely strive for exactly that,” she added.

SGA Elections Nomination papers are now passed due to fill the remaining SGA positions. Students living in BT were given an extra 24 hours to hand in nominations, since they were unable to retrieve the paperwork from their dorm, according to SGA parliamentarian Rachel Durgin. Senior Colby Harvish asked the SGA if a person must be either Greek or a commuter in order to hold the position of Greek Seat and or Commuter Seat. Durgin said the SGA constitution does not specifically state the seat must be a Greek or a commuter, but to hold the position they must communicate with the Greeks/commuters to keep their vote in mind and discuss the best decisions for them.

SGA Treasurer Kadell said there is currently no appointed SGA treasurer, and until one is chosen she will complete all responsibilities for the position.

These responsibilities mainly include all questions pertaining to club budgets and supplemental budget requests. SGA student trustee Nick Hernigle, also a former SGA treasurer, has agreed to assist Kadell during this time due to his experience with handling club budgets. “Fortunately we already have a person who is extremely interested that could potentially be the next [SGA] treasurer,” Kadell said. She said it’s essential to have somebody who communicates clearly with students on campus and who is familiar with how to manage budgets. The potential treasurer meets this criteria; however, they have not yet returned to MCLA after a recent surgical procedure.

Annual Leadership Summit Kelsey McGonigle, SGA coordinating vice president, urged club executive boards (e-boards) to participate in the upcoming SGA Sponsored Leadership Summit on Sunday, Sept. 27. She said helpful information for each club position is beneficial and available at the leadership summit.

“I would like to have at least all e-board members there, but if only one member can attend, then just respond and let us know,” McGonigle said. All club e-board officers, general members, and SGA sponsored clubs and organizations, as well as other MCLA organizations, should attend, according to SGA’s summit registration webpage. The page states that after a person registers, their attendance then becomes mandatory. “If you know someone who hasn’t registered yet, encourage them to do so as soon as possible,” SGA adviser Jen Craig said. Sunday’s leadership summit runs from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. and lunch is provided for all who attend.

Flu Kits Soon Available Senator at Large Timothy Williams said the Class of 2017 is starting a flu kit fundraiser to increase their total class budget. Parents of enrolled MCLA students will soon be receiving a letter inviting them to buy a flu kit for their son or daughter at the College. Williams said the fundraiser goal is set to raise $3,000, which will provide the class with a total of $5,000 in their budget.

SGA seeks to fill remaining positions

By Nick SwansonCo-Editor-in-Chief

Jeff Speck, city planner and urban designer, will present his best-selling book “Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time” on Thursday, Oct. 1. The main presentation is open to the public in the Church Street Center Center’s Eleanor Furst Roberts Auditorium starting at 7 p.m. A brief Q&A session for students is to run from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 pm in Murdock Hall room 218. Both events are free. “It’s a great idea for all people on campus to attend, not just

the freshman, to come and hear a speaker who went to Williams (College) and has that local connection to all of us here,”

English/Communications chair Paul LeSage said. The nonfiction book was a required First Year Experience (FYE) summer reading assignment for all incoming MCLA students. All will potentially have the opportunity to meet the author and get their book signed, according to LeSage. “Walkable City” is recognized as the best-selling city planning book of 2013-‘14. Jeff Speck has dedicated his career to determining what makes cities thrive. He has boiled it down to one key factor: walkability, according to MCLA’s FYE event webpage. As director of design at the National Endowment for the

Arts from 2003 through 2007, Speck presided over the Mayors’ Institute on City Design and created the Governors’ Institute on Community Design. Speck spent 10 years as the director of town planning at DPZ and Co., the principal firm behind the New Urbanism movement. Since 2007, he has led Speck and Associates, a boutique planning firm that specializes in making American downtowns thrive, according to a MCLA press release. “Every person has something to learn from somebody (Speck) who has made their city more livable by looking objectively at what people do,” LeSage said.

Author Jeff Speck to present “Walkable City”

Photo Courtesy Jeff SpeckSpeck will present “Walkable City” in Church Street Center on Oct. 1

Page 3: Spring 2015 Issue 2

Thursday, September 24, 2015 Campus News 3Beacon.MCLA.edu

By Makayla-Courtney McGeeney and Torin Gannon

Co-Editor-in-Chief and Sta� Writer

Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group, better known as MASSPIRG, kicks o� the new semester with four campaigns including solar power energy, hunger and homelessness, open source textbooks, and getting food companies to go antibiotic-free.

State Representative Gailanne Cariddi spoke about politics and suggested ways students can get involved with larger social issues.

“Register to vote, and then vote or get an absentee ballot,” she said. “We need younger people to put the punch in issues. Older people are paid attention to because they vote.”

Two MCLA students previously worked with Cariddi on campaigns. One went on to a full time job as a state senator, and the other runs big campaigns.

Cariddi represents nine communities

in the Berkshires, including North Adams.

“Go to a rally and show your support to

in uence people,” she said. Avery Woodbury, Mitchell

Chapman, AJ Cote, and Christian Kennedy act as campaign coordinators, and broke o� into groups for people to decide which they were interested in the most.

Previously, MASSPIRG got McDonalds to stop using antibiotics in their chicken.

“We want this to be a domino e� ect,” Woodbury said. “First McDonalds, then Coscto, then Angelina’s.”

“Seventy percent of animals

are fed antibiotics to be fatter to survive conditions they aren’t naturally supposed to,” Mitchell Chapman, antibiotics campaign coordinator, said. “Twenty-three thousand people have died from consuming [animals] that have been fed harmful antibiotics.”

Each student passionately sold their campaign with descriptions of a future project to spread awareness. To convince Subway to stop serving meat raised on antibiotics, Chapman said they’ll compile a ten foot long paper sub with petition signatures.

ose developing the campaign are already hard at work. Volunteers have been tabling in the Campus Center, asking students to take photo-petitions. For these petitions, students were asked to take a picture of them holding a cardboard sub brandishing the hashtag, “#subsnotdrugs”. ese pictures are then spread throughout social media, primarily Twitter. e photos are also sent directly to Subway’s Twitter account.

“A photo-petition is a little more personal. It puts a face behind the name,” MASSPIRG Campus Organizer Michael Basmajian said.

Kennedy joined MASSPIRG last week and is currently the head of the solar energy campaign.

“It a� ects everyone,” he said. “I’m from Pitts� eld and [I saw] what General Electric (GE) did when they le� , [concerning] the PCBS (polychlorinated biphenyls, a by-product of many industrial processes); I saw how it damaged the environment.”

Kennedy said that seeing it in his own community is what made him commit to the campaign.

“We need to be careful before it’s too late. We need to be more active,” he said. “Climate change is real and we need to look out for the future generations.”

Cote’s campaign to reduce hunger and poverty in the area particularly spoke to senior Dahlia Gallagher.

“It’s important and involved with every other campaign aspect,” she said. “I think these [campaigns] are pretty awesome things to be happening.”

“If we don’t act now, it’ll just get worse and worse and eventually more people will develop diseases that they wouldn’t normally die from,” Grassroots Coordinator John Kelly said.

Kelly, a freshman, was drawn to the cause because he was troubled by the idea of people dying from diseases that should be preventable, especially when he had lost a family member to a disease that wasn’t.

MASSPIRG is a statewide, nonpro� t advocacy group run by students, which targets social change reforms on a variety of issues. MCLA’s chapter is funded through a $9 waivable fee per student. Michael Basmajian is the campus organizer and can be contacted at [email protected] for more information.

By Idalis FosterSta� Writer

Are religious objections to accommodating LGBT rights constitutional? For Professor Bruce Miller, at Western New England University’s School of Law, recent events have made this a topic he wanted to look at closely.

Miller opened up his Constitution Day lecture by referencing the First Amendment as it relates to religion. e basis of this confusion is whether it is constitutional to disobey the newest ruling by the Supreme Court, which made gay marriage legal. In particular, he points out the use of the phrasing “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

One case Miller used to debate the legality of religious objections to the latest ruling is the media spectacle that is Kim Davis, a county clerk in Rowan County, Kentucky. She would not issue marriage licenses to same sex couples despite it being her duty as the county clerk to do so. She was then placed in jail for � ve days for being in contempt of court.

“Our constitutional rights are protected from interference by the government, not from other private people,” said Miller.

He also referenced past religious objections to laws, including the case of a Seventh Day Adventist who could not work Saturdays and was � red due to this. Another case mentioned was one of Native Americans in 1990, who claimed their right to use peyote, a cactus used in the form of drugs, in their religious pracitces.

Miller sited the � rst case as an event where

a broad scope was given to accommodations, and the second as a case where very few accommodations were allowed, if any. ese cases were considered part of the � rst and second eras, respectively.

“ e third era I want to suggest to you is just beginning, with [a] 2012 case,” said Miller, referring to when a Lutheran church used the pre-exercise clause to avoid hiring disabled people.

“If the government [used religious opt-outs], a violation of the constitution, then what we have is the government itself, by allowing the opt out, supporting the denial of constitutional rights,” said Miller.

A student in the audience questioned if the issue is opinion based rather than objective, to which Miller admitted he had no answer, as it is still the “key problem of law.”

e student went on to ask about what would stop a group of people from establishing a religion, which would allow them to have religious

opt outs. Miller stressed that regardless of their religious opt outs, they could not do so in a way that denies the fundamental rights of others.

“He’s very smart,” freshman Melissa McHenry said. “I had to come for class, but it was interesting.”

Many of the students in the room attended through their College Writing II course. Freshman Abbie Walsh agreed with McHenry that the lecture itself was more interesting than she had expected.

� ere is a very serious reason that

MASSPIRG has been committed to this

cause. According to Chapman and the

other campaign work-ers, 70% of our an-tibiotics are used on

healthy farm animals. � is creates “super bugs” that are resis-tant to medication.

“Twenty-three hun-dred people here die

every year from anti-biotic-resistant dis-eases. � at’s insane. � e population of

North Adams is only 30,000. � at’s most of the people here dead. In the United States, that’s unacceptable,” Said Chapman, re-

garding why he joined the campaign.

MASSPIRG targets Subway in antibiotic campaignThe Facts:

Photo by Makayla-Courtney McGeeney/The BeaconRepresentative Gailanne Cariddi address-es MASSPIRG and community members about ways to get involved in politics at their kick-o� meeting Thursday.

Constitution Day Speaker touches on LGBT rights and religionBruce Miller stresses constitutional rights in regards to marriage

Photo by Tiearra Henson/The BeaconBruce Miller, professor at Western New England University’s School of Law spoke on Thursday for Constitution Day.

Don’t forget to “like” us on

Facebook

The MCLA Beacon Online

Page 4: Spring 2015 Issue 2

Thursday, September 24, 2015 Campus News Beacon.MCLA.edu4

Don’t forget to “like” us on Facebook

The MCLA Beacon Online

By Matt HotalingSta� Writer

In the third � oor o ces of

Bowman Hall, there is a new face around the proverbial water jug. Joshua Ostra is a visiting professor who will be at MCLA for this academic year. Ostra is teaching courses in design, studio art, and art history.

He’s only been here a few weeks but he’s already enjoying being part of the campus community. Ostra taught previously at the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI), but when he saw the opportunity to teach at MCLA, he jumped on it.

“I was attracted to the close-knit college community,” Ostra said. At CCRI, Ostra would have needed to commute between the college’s four campuses, which he felt fragmented both the student and faculty

communities. � e art in the community surrounding the college and the Berkshires’ natural beauty were also big draws for him.

As an undergraduate student, Ostra studied abroad in New Zealand at Maori University, and was exposed to a much di erent way of learning and expression through art.

While immersed in a community that was so dissimilar to his previous Western style, he found a philosophy he would carry with him through the rest of his career: the joy of collaboration.

Ostra has already

started collaborating with the community in an initiative that he is coordinating with the Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum. � e museum is preparing to celebrate the 100th anniversary of women’s su rage in 2019, and Ostra is having some of his students work with the museum to help

promote and contribute to the anniversary.

“When [Ostra ] spoke to me, I thought it sounded like a waterfall of possibility,” Museum Executive Director, Colleen Janz said.

According to Janz,

students may be able to create and curate exhibitions of art and artifacts centering on su rage, which may be placed in libraries across the commonwealth. � is would spread awareness in the years leading up to the anniversary.

Janz also hopes to collaborate with the town of Adams to give students and local artists places to hold exhibits.

“If we can teach people to be creative, then they can give back to the community,” Ostra said. “Rather than be original, art should be authentic. When you’re authentic you can ful� ll both you and your community’s needs.”

Ostra welcomes students to investigate the art department, even those not in the major, because he feels that skills one can learn in the art program are valuable to students of all disciplines.

Visiting professor wishes to make lasting impact

Photo by Isabel McKenzie/The BeaconProfessor Joshua Ostra� is collaborating with both MCLA students and local museums.

By Gionna NourseFeatures Editor

Morgan McCarthy ’16 knew in her heart that the young Labrador retriever named Dewey would be going home with her from the moment she laid eyes on him. McCarthy o cially brought Dewey

back from the Canine Companions for Independence (CCI) center to her home in Saratoga Springs, NY just a� er � nals on May 15. He is a full service dog, and was part of a graduating class of 12 service animals that went through extensive two year training. Once McCarthy was acquainted with the dogs, she participated in two week training, followed by a matching process. According to a brochure explaining how

CCI works, newborn puppies are nursed by CCI volunteers for eight weeks, and then spend the following 13 to 18 months with “puppy raisers” who care for them and provide basic obedience training and socialization skills. A� er their time with the puppy raisers,

McCarthy said, “dogs spend an additional six to nine months training with professional CCI instructors, where they learn over 40 specialized commands before completing team training. � ey are then matched with an adult or child with a disability, enhancing independence and improving their quality of life.” McCarthy is close with many students

on campus, especially her Volleyball teammates. McCarthy is manager of the MCLA Women’s Volleyball team, and describes herself as her coaches’ “Siri”. “I basically help the coach with organizing

events for the team, among other things,” she said. As a major in English/Communications with a concentration in Public Relations, McCarthy is taking six classes this semester. � roughout her college career, she took

classes at a local community college every summer, and will be graduating early as a result. “I like to stay busy and stimulated,” she

said. � is is the very � rst semester Dewey is joining McCarthy on campus.

McCarthy describes Dewey as “her le� arm”. Due to her neuromuscular disorder, the assistance Dewey provides gives her a larger sense of independence. Some students are certainly more understanding than others when it comes to Dewey and his job. “When people continuously come up and

ask to pet Dewey, imagine someone wanting to pet your le� arm, all day, every day,” she said. ”I kindly let them know he is a working service animal, and if they want to pet him later on, in a more con� ned setting such as my dorm, they are welcome to.” Some of the issues McCarthy has

faced during her time at MCLA include handicap buttons in close proximity to � re alarms, as well as older elevators that were constantly under repair. Since these

problems were preventing her from navigating campus, she decided to go to the Center for Student Success and Engagement (CSSE) and speak to someone. Katie Sutton, Coordinator of Disability Services, was ultimately able to resolve those issues to suit her individual needs. Before Dewey joined her

on campus, McCarthy found herself relying on friends to help her with everyday tasks, such as cooking, cleaning, and laundry, but with the help of Dewey, she is able to accomplish these tasks on her own. “� e activities for daily

living that most people take for granted are those Dewey assists me with,” McCarthy said. “At � rst, students were apprehensive about inviting me to certain events because they didn’t really understand what my needs and boundaries were.” Since Dewey has joined her,

students invite McCarthy to gatherings all of the time, because they no longer feel like they are either not enough help, or asking her what she needs too much of the time. Dewey is completely aware of and in-

tune with everything McCarthy does on a daily basis. “He is almost human,” she said. He is at rest during class and lectures, but if something goes wrong, he knows

the proper precautions to take in order to ensure her safety. He also has full access to go anywhere McCarthy goes, including an airplane or cruise ship. Not wanting to give away the school she

hopes to attend next year, she says she is ready to “take the next step” attending a di erent campus with Dewey.

MCLA welcomes McCarthy’s canine companion

Photo by Tiearra Henson/The BeaconSenior Morgan McCarthy poses with her Labrador re-triever, Dewey.

“ Dewey’s job is to assist me. I have the liberty of having him as a pet during his down time, but he is not a pet.

Dewey, along with twelve other service dogs, went through 2 years of extensive training

Joshua Ostra� to teach courses in design, studio art, and history

I love the option to have a dialogue

with others. Other people help me

see what I’m not seeing. The options I

hadn’t considered myself.

Want to read more? Scan the code to read on at

Beacon.MCLA.edu

Page 5: Spring 2015 Issue 2

Thursday, September 24, 2015 Beacon.MCLA.edu 5FPA major studies performance techniques in East End of London

Sophomore creates 3D app to integrate into classrooms

By Gionna NourseFeatures Editor

To say she has a love for fine and perform-ing arts (FPA) would be an understatement. Veronica Sniezek ’16 of Adams, Mass. eats, sleeps and breathes FPA.

She has been passionate about costume design since she was young, even if it start-ed as a mere hobby. Cosplay, short for ‘cos-tume play’ is a performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear cos-tumes and fashion accessories to represent a specific character. Discovering cosplay was when Sniezek realized she loved to cre-ate costumes on her own.

“It is like creating a costume for everyday living,” she said. “I liked to put together costumes that represented musical theatre characters.”

When she first started cosplaying she would buy items to create a costume, since she didn’t know how to sew.

“When I first came to MCLA, I said to costumer Dawn Shamberger, ‘my sewing skills are very minimal,’ and she replied with ‘I can change that,’” Sniezek said.

Sniezek has built pieces and designed hair and makeup for a multitude of shows at the college, with her favorite being The Liar.

“I started out as an assistant to the hair and makeup designers, and eventually I was trusted enough to do it on my own,” she said. “[The Liar] was a very big build for us, and as far as costuming, we didn’t have much from that time period, so a lot of pieces were built from scratch.”

In the spring of 2015, Sniezek spent five months at Queen Mary University

(QMU) in London, England. When looking into the programs MCLA offered,

she knew she wanted to live smack-dab in the middle of London, and not somewhere outside where she would find it necessary to take the train in each day.

QMU is located in the East End of Lon-don, which Sniezek compares to Green-which Village in New York City.“It is a very alternative area, and is so diverse in cul-ture,” she said. “The campus is even a little bit like MCLA, where everything is close together.”

“I knew I wanted to study abroad ever since I visited London as a senior in high school,” Sniezek said. “It was very expen-sive. My tuition was $21,000, but that in-

cluded all of my housing and fees.” Sniezek went through a program called

International Studies Abroad (ISA), which MCLA offers to all students who are eli-gible. “A group of students from MCLA wanted to go abroad, but I was the only one who wanted to go to London,” she said. “Once I got there, I met others in the ISA program, but we all studied different ma-jors, so we didn’t see each other too often.”

According to the institution’s website, “Queen Mary University of London is one of the UK’s leading research-focused higher education institutions, with around 17,840 students, and 4,000 staff.” Sniezek also said QMU is one of the top drama schools in the country, which influenced her decision to attend.

“Most of their theatre classes were theory based, but I made it work for me,” she said. Sniezek took a total of three classes: Per-forming Shakespeare, Performance Sexual-ity & Identity and Offstage London, which looked at alternative performance art in the city.

“We looked more at underground and immersive theatre, rather than mainstream theatre and opera,” she said about the latter course. “I was going to performance spaces I never would have attended otherwise, but once I did, I wanted to experience more.”

Sniezek not only learned about costume and makeup design, but how to produce and market specific types of performances that may have a smaller following.

She attended about 25 shows during her time in London. “They gave discounts to students, and it only cost us about $30 for a front row seat to a popular show,” she said.

Sniezek also completed an independent

study and was able to schedule a ‘study ap-pointment’ at both the Fashion Museum in Bath and the Alexander McQueen “Savage Beauty” exhibit.

“I was able to touch real Victorian clothes, it was surreal to me,” she shared.

When asked to give advice to students interested in studying abroad, Sniezek says “Look into it, and if you feel like it is right, go for it!” She also felt as though her time in London helped her to grow and change as a young woman.

“Although the Berkshires are diverse in art and culture, what I experienced there, I may never get to experience here,” she said. Sniezek looks forward to graduating in May, and hopes to move to London in the future.

By Gionna NourseFeatures Editor

Have you ever imagined yourself looking out of a classroom window to see the breathtaking city of Rome, Barcelona, Shanghai or London? Although the mountains here are nice, a change of scenery might be something to look into. Studying abroad not only enhances your college career, but also offers the opportunity to understand and experience a different way of life.

If you are thinking about studying abroad, The Center for Student Success and Engagement (CSSE) works with a program called ‘International Studies Abroad’ (ISA), which offers assistance in studying abroad to all students who are eligible. CSSE staff members such as Ashton Darrett will be happy to help you with the application process, and get you in touch with an ISA representative.

According to their website, ISA is a nation-wide program that is available to “assist students, parents, and university faculty and advisors throughout the study abroad process, from choosing the appropriate program to completing the application process and participating successfully in the study abroad experience.”

ISA offers 229 study abroad programs in over 30 countries such as China, Japan, Italy, Greece, England, Ireland,

Argentina, Brazil, Peru and Australia.

However, different schools come with different price tags. For example, Queen Mary University in London costs about $21,000 per semester, whereas The American University of Rome in Italy is $15,900.

All fees normally paid per semester at the college are added on to ISA fees, including transportation to the other school and assistance for students. If eligible, students may receive assistance through financial aid or an ISA scholarship to help with the cost.

A group of students from the college go abroad every semester, usually to different locations across the globe. Sometimes a few students will want to go to the same school, but typically end up going abroad on their own and meeting other students upon arrival.ISA’s website offers many tools

aimed to help those who wish to go abroad with every aspect of planning. For example, when you click on a city, there is a tab titled ‘culture corner’, which gives an in-depth background of the city and things to do while visiting. The website also has an FAQ section for quick answers, and a series of 60-second videos on the study abroad processFor more information, or to

apply for a program, visit: www.studiesabroad.com.

By Nick TardiveFeatures Writer

Room 224 of the Feigenbaum Center for Science and Innova-tion is noticeably bare-bones. Be-sides the typical sterilized counter tops, drawers and cabinets there lays a single textbook out in the open, untouched like the rest of the room.Sophomore Daniel Heinen

opens a drawer to reveal a single, unidentified model bone. He slams the drawer shut and rushes back and forth between the lab and another room, adorned with a single desk, chair and computer, a whiteboard with sloppy hand-writing all over it, and a poster Daniel used to show off his pro-gram at the Undergraduate Re-search Conference last spring.This program is an app for smart-

phones and tablets that combines ‘augmented’ reality with virtual reality, which means laying 3D models over 2D models. Through the power of computer graphic imaging, Daniel was able to trans-mit models into a 3D image that moves with the smartphone, tab-let, or even virtual reality glasses or goggles. Staring at a mess of what looks

like peanuts stacked haphazardly on top of one another, it is almost shocking to be greeted with the ventricles of a human heart, or, when looking at the barcodes from Daniel’s URC poster, a mod-el of a human’s insides. It seems outside the realm of possibility, but it isn’t.“If you can interact with what

you’re learning, you can see it, practically touch it, like it is right in front of you,” Daniel explains wistfully, talking about the advantages of his augmented reality pro-gram.According to Daniel,

the 3D technology avail-able to make this pos-sible outdates the need for 2D learning tools. Surprisingly enough, not many people have taken advantage of augmented and virtual reality outside of entertainment purposes. This is what sets Dan-iel apart from the rest who have worked with augmented reality technology so far. “I want to have the best,” Daniel clarifies, “not the first.”Everything Daniel does is not

for popularity or profit. He ex-plicitly states that he wishes to do this strictly for learning purposes. Once he graduates, he plans to donate all the technology he’s pur-chased to the school.He also expresses a desire to

expand the innovation process. “We need anyone who has a good idea,” Daniel says. “We need ma-jors in art, biology, math, or just anyone who has a good idea. This is a center for innovation, and in-novation isn’t just science.”Though he encourages collabo-

ration, Daniel’s augmented reality venture is a solo project. He came up with the idea thanks to a streak of boredom over winter break, developed the program, and now

he practically has his own lab in C.S.I.Daniel cannot take all the credit

for himself, however. While he is responsible for creating the pro-gram, Daniel has to acknowledge the parts Professor Sarah Herrick and Professor Justin Golub played in the process. Both agree that the project is Daniel’s.“This is his project,” says Golub.

“This is his baby.”The most important aspect of

Daniel’s program is that it uses models lent to him from classes on campus. The two professors explain the difference between Daniel creating this program and someone with a degree and years of experience is that Daniel’s ven-ture is non-profit. Both professors say the program could be benefi-cial to classroom learning if it is implemented “in the right way”.Professors Herrick and Golub

both said they have never seen a student with such a natural pas-sion for one subject and love for another.

Photo by Liz Quirk/The BeaconSenior Veronica Sniezek displays a jacket she designed for last year’s production of The Liar.

Photo by Liz Quirk/The BeaconVeronica in in Straford upon Avon at the William Shakespeare memorial “Hamlet” statue.

Thinking about studying abroad?

Photo by Liz Quirk/The BeaconSophomore Daniel Heinen explains the in-terworkings of his newly innovated app.

Page 6: Spring 2015 Issue 2

Thursday, September 24, 2015 Arts & Entertainment Beacon.MCLA.edu6

Yorick cancels fall show to hold workshopsClub lacks members to produce large production “Anthony and Celopatra”

FreshGrass continues to growAnnual bluegrass and roots music festival draws in crowds of 5,000

By Mitchell ChapmanA&E Editor

Country and roots music resonated not only in the FreshGrass festival, but throughout North Adams. The fifth an-nual installment of the festival boasted the largest turnout yet, continuing its impres-sive rate of growth as a major presence in the city. “FreshGrass’s growth has always been very progressive,” said intern Joe O’Neil, who worked in the box office. “We had over 5,000 people. We’ve been growing at around 500-1,000 people per year.” Country music could be heard well into town, with a friendly greeting to country fans visible outside of the Holiday Inn and the Pitcher’s Mound Pub. Several lots were also filled to accommodate the large crowd, stretching from MoCA to Big Y. “It’s our first time here,” said audience members Sydney and Molly, who chose not to give their last names. “We drove three and a half hours to listen to some good music.” Different acts occupied multiple stages at the same time, allowing audience mem-bers a variety of choices as to what music they’d like to listen to. Smaller acts sprung up spontaneously around the old mill building, as several members of the audi-ence brought instruments from home. The whole festival is drenched in a bluegrass and roots atmosphere that many crave.

“One of my favorite things about this festival is so many people come because they love the festival itself,” Mass MoCA Director of Communications Jodi Joseph said to the Berkshire Eagle. “They don’t come for a particular artist, they just dig the vibe. It keeps growing through word of mouth. People [come] one year, bringing friends the next.” The festival felt very comfortable, despite the large crowd. The only time visibility or space became an issue was during the larger acts, such as the Del McCourey Band or Dwight Yoakam, but patrons were free to attend any of the simultaneously-happening smaller acts if there was limited space. No facet of the museum seemed empty, with the festival making full use of the old mill buildings. People could be seen browsing art in their spare time, looking down at the festival from above. “This is the best FreshGrass ever,” said Charlie, a pop-up musician who chose not to give his last name. “I was here two years ago, and it is built on the strengths of the previous lineups.” This year included the headliner Dwight Yoakam, who is regarded as a country pio-neer for his popularization of his particu-lar brand of country. He is not, however, strictly a bluegrass or roots performer, which was met with some criticism at the festival. “I didn’t feel as if the headliner was as strong as last year,” O’Neil commented.

“He is country, and that’s why I think people didn’t like him.” Nevertheless, FreshGrass is growing, and shows no signs of stopping. Berkshireon-stage.com reporter Larry Murray specu-lated that FreshGrass “could be as big as

Solid Sound,” which raked in roughly 8,000 people last year, according to Mass MoCA Director Joseph Thompson in an interview with iBerkshires.

Photo courtesy of Joe O’NeilEvery field of MoCA was filled with enthusiastic music lovers, even when no act was performing.

Photos by Mitchell Chapman/The BeaconPatrons enjoy listening to Birds of Chicago, an americana folk rock band that com-peted for the FreshGrass Award.

Photo by Mitchell Chapman/The BeaconWeather was never an issue during the festival. Anyone could enjoy FreshGrass on the grass.

By Chris Riemer A&E Writer

The E-board of MCLA’s Yorick Shake-speare club has made the decision to shelve Antony and Cleopatra, which they had originally planned to perform this fall. According to Yorick president Mallory Schettine, the decision was entirely an in-ternal one. “We needed a semester to collect our-selves,” reasoned Schettine. “We had a large graduating class last semester, and we have lots of members studying abroad. Antony and Cleopatra is a very large show, and we didn’t have the membership.” “There was no conflict at all with any other clubs,” Schettine added, address-ing the rumor that the E-board’s decision stemmed from a scheduling conflict with

another campus club. “We want to put out quality stuff.” The club has no plans to launch a replace-ment production at this time. However, fans of the performing arts both on and off cam-pus should take heart: there’s a lot to look for-ward to this year from our resident Shake-spearian thespians. The members of Yorick are interested in putting on some community workshops this year that will hopefully help attend-ees to better comprehend and appreciate Shakespeare’s playwriting. “Shakespeare can be overwhelming,”

Schettine admitted. In order to fund the workshops, the club would like to enlist the help of other on-campus clubs and organizations to throw a gala, at which they’d gather donations. Addi-tional funds could be donated to local charities. With the club tem-

porarily focused on workshops rather than frequent and strenuous practice per-formances, Schettine believes that pro-spective members of Yorick could take part without sacrificing their jobs, studies, and social lives.

“This’ll be way more accessible,” she said emphatically. Acting students and fans of Shakespeare will be able to drop in for an hour or two at a time, without the heavy commitment of a full-length performance. It is possible these low-key workshops could continue into the future, with some members performing in the annual pro-ductions and others having the opportu-nity to attend with less commitment. The disappointment of postponing their play has not extinguished the spirits of Yorick’s members. If anything, their en-thusiasm seems to have grown. “It’s going to be an adventure,” said Schet-tine. “I’m excited.” Interested students should attend Yorick’s first club meeting on Sept. 29.

Page 7: Spring 2015 Issue 2

Thursday, September 24, 2015 Arts & Entertainment Beacon.MCLA.edu 7

SAC prepares for Freak Week, fall eventsStudent Activities Council to host Holloween-themed events every day of the week in conjunction with the holiday

By Jared ClappA&E Writer

The Student Activities Council (SAC) already has several events planned for students this semester, including their weekly Saturday Night Spotlight events. On Saturday, Sept. 26 there will be a journal binding event held in Sullivan Lounge at 8 p.m., and the following week, Oct. 3, “Flapjacks and Lumberjacks” will take place, where students are invited to wear their favorite flannel shirts and enjoy pancakes. Through the Charlemont’s adventure company Zoar Outdoor there will be a zip lining trip offered to students on Sunday, Oct. 4. Signups are available until Thursday Sept. 24 and the cost is $15. “The event I’m looking forward to most this semester is Freak Week,” says MCLA senior and SAC treasurer, Joelle Dumont. Freak Week takes place over the last week in October and consists of a different Halloween-themed event every day. While there is still some planning to be done for the week, some activities that are in the works include a murder mystery, where students are put in a crime scene and must find the killer in the same manner as the board game Clue. Freak Week has in the past included an array of

other events including Boo Bash, Spooky Sundays, where there is free ice cream, and a hypnotist performance. Similarly themed attractions will take place between Oct. 25 and Oct. 31. “I’m really looking forward to our spring concert,” says Jordan Goyette, junior and concert chair at SAC. “We are in the planning stages and should have a list of candidates within the next month.” The spring concert is one of the biggest events planned by SAC and takes place during the “Spring Fling” week. Spring Fling and Freak Week are typically the most attended and activity-packed events put on by SAC. “I like to have the club involved with the community,” Senior and SAC President, Alex Lopez, says. “We try co-sponsoring events with other clubs to help other events get off the ground.” “With an acronym like SAC you have to have some cheeky humor about it,” Alex continues. “We have to be serious about our events, but we try to find the humor in it.” At this time there is a position open at SAC for planning Saturday Night Spotlight events. Anyone interested in the Saturday Night Spotlight planning position is more than encouraged to contact SAC prior to Friday Sept. 25, through their facebook page (facebook.com/sac.atmcla) or president Alex Lopez, or attend their meeting at 3:15 in CC 324A.

Photo by Jared Clapp/The BeaconFrom left to right, SAC President Alex Lopez, Secretary Sam O’Brien, Destinations chair Allison Gilbet, Treasurer Joelle Du-mont, Comedy stop chair Kyla Graves, Saturday night spotlight chair Gaby Brown, and Concerts chair Jordan Goyette.

Common Folk gives opportunities to local artistsBy Matt Hotaling

Staff Writer

Common Folk is doing some uncommon things for local and emerging artists in downtown North Adams. “Common Folk is keeping young creative people in the region, and keeping them engaged in their community,” said Diane Scott, arts management professor. “It’s important because the more people who stay in the community, the more others will want to stay.” Common Folk had its humble beginnings as an open-mic night hosted at the Hinge in Northampton. Jessica “Sweens” Sweeny, MCLA alumna and artist, started Common Folk with other members who felt that most open-mic nights only focused on music or poetry, and that there was not a venue for visual arts and other more non-traditional art. Common Folk eventually decided that they wanted to move on from just organizing open-mic, and decided to shift its focus to art as a catalyst for change. After a collaboration and benefit concert with the jazz fusion group Moon Hooch, Common Folk finally had some capital to start

expanding. Common Folk continued to get exposure when they collaborated with the MCLA arts management department’s Rock the Block 2.0, a music and arts festival that was held in Venable Gym attracting hundreds of people from the surrounding community and further. “I’m really hoping to see Common Folk keep growing,” Sweeny said. “This time next year I’m hoping we’ll have a more permanent location like a gallery space. And eventually I’d like Common Folk to be my full time job, and be able to have other paid employees.” Common Folk collaborated with Down Street Art and this past summer occupied one of the gallery spaces downtown, featuring local and emerging artists, hosting live music, and just giving artists a space to create

and meet. Common Folk may be leaving downtown at the end of the month, but they have lots more in store for the coming months. Common Folk hosts two monthly music events at The Parlor Café. “The amount of growth they’ve had in such a short time is really a credit to the group,” Scott said. “Common Folk is made up of mostly MCLA grads and some current students, and I think that’s why they’re so tenacious.” Common Folk is entirely volunteer-run and open to a variety of artists, student or community members. Sweeny said they are especially hoping to find more people with marketing and communication specialties to get involved. Scott stated that she hopes as Common Folk expands, MCLA students will eventually be able to do internships with the

organization. Those interested in joining or becoming part of Common Folk are invited to the gallery space on 87 Main Street in North Adams

on the evening of September 28 for an open meeting to discuss future plans and events.

Photo by Matt Hotaling/The BeaconBlank canvasses and paint brushes are provided for aspiring artists.

Photo by Matt Hotaling/ The BeaconFinished products hang proudly on the wall, many without names. Imagery of North Adams is a central motif in many pieces.

Photo by Matt Hotaling/The BeaconCommon Folk provides a comfortable environment where anyone is welcome.

Drop in at any time to express yourself!

Common Folk Artist Collective87 Main Street, North Adams MA

Page 8: Spring 2015 Issue 2

Thursday, September 24, 2015 Sports Beacon.MCLA.edu8Volleyball win streak up to eight

By Jesse CollingsSports Editor

The Trailblazers swept their home tri-match against Becker College and Green Mountain College to bring their winning streak up to eight. MCLA volley-ball is now 9-3 on the season with a record of 1-0 in the MASCAC.

MCLA hosted the Becker Hawks in the first match and dis-posed of them in three straight sets. MCLA took the first two sets by the scores of 25-12 and 25-18 respectively, before finishing off Becker in the third and final set, 25-14.

The Trailblazers were led by ju-nior Allison Clark, who added 14

kills to bring her MASCAC-lead-ing total to 146. Senior Courtney Parent had 12 assists and sopho-more Chanielle Enomoto had 10 digs. Samantha Caouette had 6 kills for Becker and Brittney Bul-lis led all players with 19 digs.

MCLA was able to finish the day undefeated, topping Green Mountain College again in three straight sets. During their win-ning streak, the last seven games have all been 3-0 victories. MCLA took advantage of a winless Green Mountain team and defeated them by the scores of 25-7, 25-13 and 30-28.

Sophomore Margaret Allen was the top offensive player for MCLA, as Clark sat out the final

two sets. Allen finished with 10 kills and sophomore Brittney Pihl added 11 digs for MCLA.

Last Thursday, MCLA was able to take advantage of an Elms Col-lege team that was traveling with a depleted roster, dropping the Elms Blazers in three straight sets, winning the match with scores of 25-7, 25-15 and 25-13.

The Trailblazers were led once again by Clark, who led all play-ers in kills with 19 and digs with 9. Freshman Beatrice Lechler had 18 assists and 8 digs and Allen added 10 kills.

The visiting Elms Blazers were dealing with a bundle of inju-ries and were only able to field the minimum six players in the match, forcing their healthy play-ers to play the entire match, of-ten out of their natural positions. Elms was led by freshman Dani-elle Redding who had 5 kills.

MCLA faced Norwich College on Wednesday and are back in ac-tion this Saturday as they host a tri-match. MCLA will face MAS-CAC foe Mass. Maritime at 12 p.m., and then will play Bay Path University at 4 p.m. The Trail-blazers will finish their extended home stand on Tuesday when they host Anna Maria College at 7 p.m.

By Jesse CollingsSports Editor

The Women’s tennis team was dealt their first NAC loss of the season on Tuesday, falling to Castleton State at home, 7-2. The Trailblazers now have a record of 5-3 overall and are 2-1 in confer-ence play. Castleton improved to 6-1 overall and leaped ahead of the Trailblazers in conference play with the tiebreaker, as they now have a record of 2-1.

The Trailblazers picked up their first point in the number three doubles spot with juniors Rebec-ca Waterhouse and Anna Despart combining to defeat the Castle-ton team of Dianne Benedicto and Gabrielle Welch 8-2. MCLA picked up their second point of the day in number one singles play, with sophomore Emily Dea-so defeating Castleton’s Sara No-venstern 6-2, 6-2.

Unfortunately for the Trailblaz-ers they were unable to capitalize on the victory in the number one slot as the rest of the team fell in straight sets.

MCLA picked up their second conference win of the season last Friday, when they rolled by Green

Mountain College, 9-0. MCLA sophomore Lyna Benantar earned her first point for MCLA in her first match, defeating Green Mountain’s Hseng Leng, 6-0, 6-0.

“I was very nervous and excited for the match,” Benantar said. “It felt great winning my very first match of the season and I learned a lot more from that game.”

Sophomore Mariza Sfakianaki talked about the importance of getting conference wins early in the season.

“I believe it is very important for the team that we were able to get off to a 2-0 in conference play, be-cause as a team we all gained a lot of confidence and pride already.” Sfakianaki said. “Although, we expected to get those two wins against these two teams. We have more competitive teams to com-pete later in conference, but we already as a team have gained confidence.”

MCLA will continue NAC play this Saturday when they host Johnson State, beginning at 11 am.

On Tuesday they will travel to Paxton, MA to compete against Anna Maria College in non-con-ference action.

Tennis dropped by Castleton State

Photo From MCLA AthleticsSophomore Emily Deaso picked up the long point in singles play for the Trailblazers on Tuesday against Castleton State.

Photo by Kasey ConklinJunior Rachel Mills rises above the net for a block against Green Mountain College on Saturday.

By Tyler BaconSports Writer

The MCLA Men’s Soccer team went to Skidmore College and lost the game 5-0 on Tuesday af-ternoon. Skidmore controlled possession for most of the game with the Trailblazers failing to get on the scoreboard.

Skidmore scored early and of-ten as they got on the board in the eighth minute. They scored a pair of goals in the first half, 14 seconds apart, to make the score 3-0, with one of those goals com-ing from a penalty kick.

Four minutes into the second half, Skidmore tacked on another goal, dashing any hopes of a Blaz-er comeback. The final goal came in the 73rd minute, making the final score 5-0.

Forward Dylan Pereira led the Blazers with three shots on goal. Starting goalkeeper Kamron An-derson stopped 10 shots in the loss. Skidmore held a 35-8 shot advantage.

With the loss, the Blazers’ record moves to 0-4-2 on the season.

The MCLA Men’s Soccer team opened up their conference schedule at home against Bridge-water State on Saturday. They lost 1-0.

The game was physical for most of the contest, but Bridgewater State would break the tie in the ninth minute when 2014 MAS-CAC Player of the Year, Conor Murtagh, found the back of the net after a poor clearance by the MCLA defense for a quick 1-0

lead. The Blazers had a couple of

chances to even the score. Pereira had a chance early on, but Bridge-water State keeper Colin Jepson made a nice save to keep MCLA off the board.

In the second half, both teams had chances to score, but neither team could find the back of the net. MCLA’s Pereira and Anthony Basile were aggressive and at-tacked for most of the game, but could not get a shot by Jepson as Bridgewater State held on to a 1-0 conference win.

Blazers’ Ryan Baker thought the game went very well despite the loss.

“I feel like we played very well,”

Baker said. “We played to our strengths and kept good defensive pressure on them. Unfortunately, a small mistake cost us a goal.”

Senior Tyler Vona thinks the game was even throughout and Bridgewater State just made one more play.

“In my opinion, it was an even match throughout the game,” Vona said. “Chances were plenti-ful for both teams. The Bears were just able to capitalize on one of their shots. I think our possession in the oppositions half was the best it has been this year.”

MCLA will play Salem State on Saturday in Salem

Photo by Kasey Conklin/The BeaconForward Kwadwo Kusi beats a defender and sends a cross into the box.

Men’s Soccer beaten at Skidmore, still looking for first victory

Page 9: Spring 2015 Issue 2

Thursday, September 24, 2015 Sports Beacon.MCLA.edu 9ScoresMen’s Soccer

Saturday, September 19MCLA vs Bridgewater State1-0, L

Tuesday, September 22MCLA @ Skidmore5-0 L

Women’s Soccer

Saturday, September 19MCLA @ Bridgewater State2-0, L

Women’s Tennis

Friday, September 18MCLA vs Green Mountain9-0, W

Tuesday, September 22MCLA @ Castleton State7-2, L

Volleyball

� ursday, September 17MCLA vs Elms3-0, W

Saturday, September 19MCLA vs Becker3-0, W

MCLA vs Green Mountain3-0, W

Men’s Cross Country

Saturday, September 19MCLA @ UMASS-DartmouthInvitational 10th

Women’s Cross Country

Saturday, September 19MCLA @ UMASS-DartmouthInvitational23rd

SchedulesSaturday, September 26

Women’s TennisMCLA vs Johnson State11 am

Volleyball MCLA vs Mass. Maritime12 pm

Women’s SoccerMCLA vs Salem State1 pm

VolleyballMCLA vs Bay Path University4 pm

Men’s SoccerMCLA @ Salem State4 pm

Sunday, September 27

GolfMCLA @ Elms Invitational10 am

Tuesday, September 29

Women’s TennisMCLA @ Anna Maria 3 pm

Sophomore Nick Young wins MCLA Invitational

By Jesse CollingsSports Editor

� e Women’s Soccer team was defeated in their rst MASCAC game of the season, losing 2-0 to the Bridgewater State Bears on Saturday. It was the team’s h consecutive loss and they fall to 1-5 on the season and 0-1 in conference play.

Bridgewater pounded on the door for most of the rst half, but junior goalkeeper Kat Daly and the Trailblazer defense was able to hold the Bears scoreless. � e game was still knotted at 0-0 at the half.

Bridgewater outshot MCLA 10-2 in the rst half, but had nothing to show for it thanks to the goalkeeping of Daly, who saved 8 out 10 shots during the game.

Bridgewater nished the game with a shot advantage of 27-4, but it took them until the 64 minute to get on the board. Senior defender Olivia Planty put a free kick into the middle of the box. It fell to freshman Drew Guay, whose shot de� ected o� an MCLA defender and found its way past Daly, into the net. It was Guay’s rst career

goal for Bridgewater and Planty’s second assist on the season.

� e Bears put the game out of reach in the 82 minute when senior defender Carolyn Sessler sent a cross into the box that found the foot of freshman forward Taylor Loyd, who buried a shot into the right corner of the net to give Bridgewater a 2-0 lead. It was Loyd’s rst goal of the season and Sessler’s rst assist.

Bridgewater held many of the o� ensive advantages during the day, including corner kicks, where they had an 11-1 advantage over the Trailblazers. MCLA was also whistled for more fouls than the Bears, committing 15 to Bridgewater’s 9.

� e Blazers played SUNY-POLY on Wednesday and will host their rst conference game on Saturday when the Salem State Vikings come to North Adams. Salem State is 1-5 overall and 0-1 in MASCAC play a er losing at West eld State 1-0 last Saturday.MCLA will be looking for revenge as last season, Salem State defeated the Trailblazers 4-0 in a game that was played in North Adams.� e game will begin at 1 pm.

Women’s Soccer fallsin MASCAC opener

Cross Country teams compete in UMASS-Dartmouth Invitational � e Men’s and Women’s cross country tream competed in the UMASS-Dartmouth Invitational over the weekend. � e Men’s cross country team were led by freshman Christopher Gamble who nshed the race in 28:41, good enough for 28th overall. Sophomore Avery Woodbury was second for the Trailblazers, nishing in 57th place overall with a time of 29:48. He was followed by sophomore Drew Weisse who nished in 30:35 which placed him in 80th place and narrowly edged teammate Ryan McMahon. McMahon, a freshman, nsihed right behind Weisse with a time of 30:36. � e Traiblazers nished

in 10th place overall out of 19 competing teams. � e Women’s cross-country tream nished in 23rd place out of 25 teams in their competition. Sophomore Paige Herzog paced the Trailblazers with a time of 23:24, good enough for 144th overall. Junior Annie Gagon nished in second place for the Trailblazers and 180th overall with a time of 24:30. Sophomore Kaitlyn Wright nished third for MCLA with a time of 26:08 and junior Aunna Shamilan nished fourth with a time of 27:40. Both programs are o� until Saturday, October when they compete in the Keene State Invitational in Keene, NH.

MCLA’s Nick Young shot a two over par 74 to claim rst place in the Trailblazer Invitational last Tuesday. � e annual tournament was held at the Berkshire Hills Country Club in Pitts eld, and featured players from MCLA, SUNY-Cobleskill, West eld State, Worcester State, Rhode Island College and Green Mountain College.

“Winning the MCLA Inviation-al was a great experience, it felt good to win the tournament that our school hosted.,” Young said. “It’s a nice con dence booster go-ing into the next couple tourna-ments.”

Ian Wilson of Cobleskill and Jonathan Cooper of RIC tied for

second, three shots o� of the lead with a nal score of 77. Austin Cilley of RIC and Mike Sarkis of West eld State rounded out the top 5, tying for fourth place with a total score of 78.

MCLA freshman Cooper Gavin placed in second for the Trailblaz-ers with a nal score of 91, and he was followed by sophomore Sam Slocombe who nished with a 94.

RIC claimed victory in the team competition with a cumalitive score of 321, they won a tiebreak-er over Coblskill who also shot a 321.

� e fall season continues this weekend when the Trailblazers travel to Longmeadow, MA to compete in the Elms Invitational.

Photo by Kasey Conklin/The BeaconMCLA senior mid� elder Darien Sullivan charges up the � eld during MCLA’s game Castleton State.

By Jesse CollingsSports Editor

Two weeks into the season is prime time for overreaction, so here are my Week 2 Power 12 rankings:

1. New England Patriots-Defending Super Bowl champions are o� to a hot start thanks to an overachieving o� ensive line and the cold, calculated game planning of Bill Belichick.

2. Green Bay Packers-Despite the injury to Jordy Nelson, Aaron Rodgers has been as good as ever and the defense has kept opposing quarterbacks in check.

3. Arizona Cardinals- Early season predictions called for regression from Bruce Arians squad, but a physical defense and a surprisingly explosive o� ense has guided Arizona to two convincing victories.

4. Cincinnati Bengals-Regular season Andy Dalton has returned for Cincinnati, throwing for 5 touchdowns and no interceptions while completing 68 percent of his passes. A healthy Geno Atkins has spearheaded a defense that has held o� enses to 32 total points over the rst two games.

5. Pittsburgh Steelers-Pittsburgh looks primed to have a gigantic o� ensive season, and the return of Le’Veon Bell, last

years top running back, should make the Steel City o� ense even more dangerous.

6. Denver Broncos- While Peyton Manning may be reconsidering his decision to not retire a er last season, the Denver defense has been monstrous in the rst two weeks, led by Von Miller and the elite cornerback tandem of Chris Harris and Aqib Talib.

7. Atlanta Falcons-New head coach Dan Quinn has the Falcon’s � ying high a er two weeks, with two consistent games against Philadelphia and the Giants. Julio Jones is right there with Antonio Brown for the best wide receiver in the NFL crown.

8. Carolina Panthers-Cam Newton has gotten the most of his mediocre weapons and a stingy defense should only improve when star middle linebacker Luke Kuechly returns from a concussion.

9. New York Jets-� e powerful defense was expected, but the composed play of quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has Jet fans more hopeful since the halcyon days of Chad Pennington.

10. Seattle Seahawks-Popular Super Bowl pick has gotten o� to an 0-2 start, but Pete Carroll’s squad is still arguably the most talented team in the NFC and also saw the return of strong safety Kam Chancellor this week.

11. Kansas City Chiefs- Kansas City lost a heartbreaker to Denver last week, but still utilize a steady o� ense and a competitive defense. Justin Houston remains the one of the most underrated players in all of football.

12. Bu� alo Bills-Bu� alo has invested $259 million in their defensive line, only to watch it be manhandled by the rookie Patriot o� ensive line. Still, Bu� alo watched Tyrod Taylor spark a spirited comeback against New England and should get better running the football as the season progresses.

Fair Territory

NFLPower Rankings

Page 10: Spring 2015 Issue 2

Thursday, September 24, 2015 Opinion Beacon.MCLA.edu10� e Beacon

The Beacon is published Thursdays during the academic year and is distributed free to the College’s community. The Beacon

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Twitter.com/� eBeacon_MCLAFacebook.com/MCLABeacon

Online at:Beacon.MCLA.edu

Sports Editor Jesse Collings

A&E EditorMitchell Chapman

Copy Chief Brittany GallacherPhotography Editor

Agnella Gross

Managing Editor

Harmony Birch

Editorial Board

Sta� Writers

Jarred ClappChris Riemer Torin GannonJoseph CarewMatt Hotaling

Tyler BaconJake MendelNick Tardive

Photographers and Videographers

Isabel McKenzieTiearra HensonElizabeth Quirk

Jay Tocco

Copy Editors

Caitlin O’Neill*Paige VincentLauren Levite

Veronica Colacurcio

Advisers

Caitlin O’Neill*

Jenifer AugurGillian Jones

Shawn McIntosh

Co-Editors in Chief Makayla-Courtney McGeeney

Nicholas Swanson

Sta�

*Holds more than one position

What are your thoughts on the evacuation of Berkshire Towers?

“I was caught in the shower and didn’t hear the alarms until I turned the water o . I didn’t have my phone, my shoes, or anything. I was able to nd a place to stay and was comfortable the whole time so I can’t really complain.”-August Stowers, 2019

“I was sad that BT was evacuated. I had to leave my room with almost nothing.”- Bridget Sutton, 2017

“I feel like the authorities were bound by restrictions and the restrictions got in the way. I don’t think the blame rests solely on them, but the whole thing was kind of stupid.”-Kevin Hill-Williams, 2017

Cartoonist

Photos compiled by Agnella Gross and Liz Quirk

Co-Web Editors Jake Mendel Matt Aceto

Senior News Editor

Idalis FosterFeatures EditorGionna Nourse

Buisness Manager

Sam Stuhler

Health & FitnessBigger than

bicepsTips for exercising outside

By Makayla-Courtney McGeeney

Co-Editor in Chief

� ree weeks of the semester have already passed and there was only one where I had to su er going for running outside rather than in the Fitness Center. Once it opened I was back in full swing, alternating cardio days with total body workouts and weightli� ing. � e more the merrier. During the rst week back I managed some abdominal exercises in my room a� er a two mile run.

At home, I had four months in paradise. I work at the gym I use. Some weeks it was di� cult to get a workout in because a� er a ten hour shi� , I couldn’t wait to leave the place.

Some days, I would take my dog Shadow to the dog park so we could exercise together. If your working out outside set up under a tree in some shade, and not in the middle of a eld at noon, like I chose to. I do plyometric exercises when I have limited equipment and space. Shadow was barking when I did burpees and jumping jacks; he didn’t get it.

Sometimes I would cut my workout when I ran short of water. I also took my work out to two di erent playgrounds this summer. It was a great kick for my routine because of the variety of exercises I could perform. I may have had to dodge a few children, but at the end of the day, I was happy my muscles could be challenged di erently.

I suggest making use of your surroundings to t a workout for any occurrence: limited

time, limited space or because of boredom. Choosing the most appropriate spot is crucial. Stairs and monkey bars are helpful, as is a rope climbing wall. Many exercises can be done on stairs, such as step-ups, jump-ups, lunges forward and reverse, tricep dips, incline push-ups and ab exercises in case there isn’t a comfortable ground material.

I know some people who prefer to run at night because they hate the gym and don’t want to be seen sweaty. � at’s ne, as long as you’re safe about it. With the recent safety alerts, it’s best to use the buddy system at night. Run around the corner instead of downtown. It might seem normal to run with music if you have an iPod separate from your phone, but to avoid unwanted situations, bring your phone or let a friend know where you’re running.

My roommate once went on her millionth run and called me when she got stung by a bee. It doesn’t have to be something obvious to be dangerous and interfere with your workout. A pesky bug can cause quite the ruckus. When running under bridges or around sharp corners, stick your arm out in attempt to notify passing cars of your location.

Women’s Running Magazine o ers eight tips to stay safe when running at night. Some include running toward tra� c, carrying an ID, bringing your cellphone, wearing re� ective or bright colored clothing and leaving the headphones out. It’s bad enough to see people driving their car with headphones on, but to be on foot and not aware of your surroundings is scary. When I was younger, it was harmless to run around my small hometown even when it was dark, but now I would de nitely think twice about running a� er the sun sets. It’s best to perfect a route that’s close to your residence so your friends or family know where you could potentially be running.

� e Beacon acts as a microcosm of the range of experiences students faced a� er the Berkshire Towers (BT) evacuation. We had sta members who were displaced from their rooms without basic necessities, some who were transported to the hospital, and others who had to rely on friends for a place to stay.

On Yik Yak, a social media app for users to post pictures and text anonymously, some BT residents referred to themselves as refugees, even though housing was o ered to them in Hoosac Hall, the Townhouses and at the Holiday Inn downtown. We understand the sense of frustration and displacement BT students felt, but to call themselves refugees is ridiculous.

A refugee is someone who � ees their home for safety during a time of political upheaval. To put this situation in perspective, families are currently � eeing Syria due to violence and seeking ve host countries. Nearly 4 million refugees reside in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq while 16 million people are in need of assistance in and out of Syria.

About 270 students were without personal belongings and could be seen dragging blankets around campus on Monday and Tuesday. As if college isn’t stressful enough, classes were still in session and some BT residents were absent because they didn’t have their work, or a bra, or had gone back to their hometown. It was like a re drill in the middle of the night without expecting a return.

Considering the bizarre circumstances in investigating an unknown odor that can cause harmful symptoms, administration personnel e� ciently nurtured residents by purchasing clothes at Wal-Mart, o ering alternative housing, and providing for basic needs.

James Stakenas, vice president of administration and nance

and Catherine Holbrook, vice president of student a airs, assisted the evacuation on Saturday and stayed late into the night. However, students found it unfair that they were expected to attend classes without belongings. On the other hand, the percentage of students living in BT does not justify the need to cancel classes for the whole campus.

On Monday night at 5 p.m., an alert noti ed the campus community that Tower B would reopen an hour later and that testing had been completed. On Tuesday evening, Tower A reopened a� er nothing was found from tests as well; the type of testing, or for what substance was inconclusive, even though initial tests were made for ammonia. Tower A is where a strong odor was detected on Saturday evening, which lead to the evacuation and call for several emergency personnel. � e evacuation impacted students on campus elsewhere. Townhouse residents took in many stranded, and faculty as well reached out to those in need.

Now, residents have safely returned, although it would be nice to know what the cause of the crisis was. It would also be nice to know the college has a clear evacuation and communication plans for future incidents.

Student frustration during crisis creates unity

Editorial

We understand the sense of frustration and

displacement BT students felt, but to call themselves refugees is ridiculous.

Page 11: Spring 2015 Issue 2

Thursday, September 24, 2015 Announcements, Events, & Opinion Beacon.MCLA.edu 11Check it Out!

Upcoming events on campus

Today, Sept. 24Graduate School FairScience Center Atrium1-4 p.m.SSDP/SPIRES/SDSOpen Mic NightMurdock Conference Reception Room 2187-9 p.m.

Bible StudyMurdock Hall Fitzpatrick Room8-10 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 25Resume WorkshopAmsler Campus CenterSullivan Lounge4-6 p.m.

Flagg FestFire Lane5 p.m.

Athletics Department Guest SpeakerAmsler Campus Center Gym6:30-8:30 p.m.

Night of AsiaVenable Gym5-7 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 27SGA Leadership SummitMurdock 21812-4 p.m.

Upcoming events on campus

Email your press release and

information on O� ce 365

to [email protected]

MCLA Wind Ensemble invites members of the community to join them. All local residents, from high school age and up, are welcome to join.� e group–a community

ensemble composed of MCLA students and community members–meets on Tuesday evenings, 6:30-7:30 p.m., on the rst oor of the MCLA Church Street Center.� e ensemble is looking

forward to its Annual Winter Concert, which this year will be held on Monday, Dec. 7.For more information

contact the Department of Fine and Performing Arts, 413-662-5255 or [email protected].

Wind Ensemble open to community

20%

The

PubYard

Freight

FOR A Burger, ApPEtizer,

or entree

3 Furnace StreetNorth Adams, MA

(413) 662-6547

Offer Valid Until 12/31/2015, Limit One Per Customer

Off

Coupon

“Berkshire's BestBurger”

FINANCIAL AID ANNOUNCEMENTFirst time borrowers must complete the online

entrance form counseling and promisionary form (MPN) at

www.studentloans.govCheck with the � nancial aid o� � ce in Elderidge Hall

your requirements are complete!!

Letter from the Interm PresidentToday Presidential Search � rmto meet with sta� and falculty

Search consultant David Mead-Fox of Korn Ferry will be on Campus to meet with members of the MCLA community today.

Go to Murdock 208 to particpate in a Presidential Search Focus Group Meetings at 1:45 to 2:30 p.m.

Dear Berkshire Tower residents,

� e situation that caused MCLA to clear Berkshire Towers last Saturday evening was unexpected and unfortunate. MCLA worked closely with city, state, and contracted experts to assess and resolve the situation. On Monday, extensive testing showed that we could re-open Tower B, and Tuesday we were given the approval to open Tower A.MCLA and our partners

reacted quickly and followed planned protocol for safely handling situations of this nature. Now that operations have returned to normal we will undergo extensive post-response review to nd ways to improve our processes and procedures in these types of situations.

I want you to understand that our top priority was your safety. I want to thank the RPS sta� who helped to provide alternate accommodations. Other members of our campus community stepped up to o� er housing and other assistance to many of you and I wish to extend my gratitude to them as well. Every department at MCLA participated in our attempts to respond to your requests for comfort. Now that we can look back

and re ect, I feel compelled to share with you a common theme that has emerged. Our Public Safety sta� , the North Adams Fire Department, and many of our employees continue to tell stories of how tremendous our a� ected students acted during this situation. Many of you rose to the challenge by helping your fellow students which played

a big part in minimizing the disruption to our campus throughout this event.I understand that many of

you were without important personal belongings during this period and that this situation was stressful. I apologize for the disruption that occurred. I thank each of you for handling the situation in a mature and thoughtful manner.

I am proud of our students, sta� , and faculty for supporting one another and exemplifying the spirit of community here at MCLA.

Sincerely,

Jim Clemmer ‘86Interim President

Page 12: Spring 2015 Issue 2

Thursday, September 24, 2015 Photo Essay Beacon.MCLA.edu12

Students wait to be served ice cream by members of the MCLA Faculty.

Sophomores Natalie Carpentier and Tenri Cross Table for QSU.

Ice cream was served in the center of the quad. Students, faculty, and some alumni attended the event.

Ice Cream SocialPhotos by Agnella Gross

The annual ice cream social hosted by the

President’s office gave clubs the chance

to make connections with new students.

Bella the dog was there to show her support of the Student Activities Council.

Students weren’t the only ones smiling during the ice cream social.