Th u r s day, D e c e m b e r 6 , 2 0 1 2

The BeaconStudent Newspaper of Massachusetts College

of Liberal Arts

North Adams, Mass.

For more content,visit online at:

theonlinebeacon.com

Volume 76 ◆ Issue 11

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RA applications are now available

Students can contact Emily Schiavoni for more information

News, page 4 Sports, page 7

Concussions more common than in past

Harlequin performs annual revue

Students should be aware of the symptoms, experts say

Show features musical comedy, solos, and a brief striptease

Arts & Entertainment, page 10

News 2-5, 14Sports 6-8Arts & Entertainment 9-11National/World News 12Campus Opinion 13Fun & Games 15Photo Essay 16

During the 2013 Winter Break, students will travel to Liberia, Af-rica to help struggling youth and citizens.

� e program is sponsored by the Population Caring Organiza-tion, a national humanitarian e� ort working in West Africa. Students have been working closely with Emmanuel Dolo, president of the Population Caring Organization, in order to make this trip happen.

Students embarking on this trip will aid Liberian citizens with things such as teaching literacy, at-tending peace-making workshops,

and working with government of-� cials, community leaders, and re-ligious leaders on making Liberia a better place to live.

Sophomore Aloysius Street, a Student Government Association (SGA) senator, said he’s trying his best to receive donations from people and local businesses alike in order to cut costs.

“I’m looking for donations,” he said. “So if there are any organiza-tions that would give money, it will be really bene� cial for both us and the school.”

Street said as of right now, there are seven students con� rmed to go, most of whom are active SGA members including Senator Adam

Tobin and Treasurer James Wetzel.Wetzel emphasized how this trip

could be life changing and really rewarding for both students and the Liberian community.

“Many people wait around a lifetime for an experience that changes them,” he said. “� is is one of them.”

Adam Tobin said he feels this is a great opportunity to give back to those less fortunate for both him-self and others.

“I would say that this is a rare opportunity to get out of your own sheltered life and expand your understanding of the world around you, all the while helping out a brother in the process,” he said.

Liberia is a war-ridden area, so students would be working pri-marily to make citizens’ living situ-ations easier.

Street said that he’s really looking forward to this opportunity.

“We’ll get experience out of the United States and in a country that is very a� ected by war,” he said.

More than anything all three stu-dents emphasized how important donations are as they currently have no � nancial backing.

“We are raising money through donations of family, friends, and community members who are in-terested,” Wetzel said.

Tobin said they are hoping for the school to sponsor them through

scholarships as well.“We would also like the school to

sponsor us through a scholarship because this could be an opportu-nity that MCLA could support an-nually, which in my mind, would be a very respectful gesture,” he said. 

Students going to Liberia have to pay $2,000, which will cover trans-portation, housing, medical needs, meals, and any other additional costs. � e trip’s estimated depar-ture time is Dec. 15.

Involved students are also look-ing for a teacher to sponsor this program and accompany them on the trip. According to Street, they have not found one yet.

� e founders of the College over 100 years ago were not attentive of people with disabilities when de-signing what would later become a small liberal arts school. However, the administration today wants to build fully accessible buildings to serve people who have disabilities.

“I think we have appropriate handicapped access,” James Stak-enas, vice president of Adminis-tration and Finance, said carefully behind the round table in his of-� ce last week. “Is it as good as it can be? No. But it’s because we’ve inherited old buildings.”

Murdock Hall is the oldest build-ing on campus, where construc-tion started in 1894 as part of the North Adams Normal School. A past article in � e Beacon written by Michelle LeBlanc focused on the 2005 renovations to the build-ing; a self-service elevator was not installed until 1960.

Murdock Hall is now fully acces-sible; however, students who have experienced injuries that make them temporarily disabled have expressed issues with the building.

“You have to wait 10 minutes just for the elevator to come,” said Sarah Lieneck, a junior. “I [have] to leave 15 minutes early to get to class on time.”

Earlier this semester, Lieneck tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) for a second time and was con� ned to crutches for nearly three weeks. She said getting to Murdock Hall was the most dif-� cult building to reach from her townhouse, because to get to it she would need to go through Venable Hall or up a hill.

Another old building that is a potential problem for students who are disabled or temporarily disabled is Mark Hopkins Hall, which opened in 1913, according to Freel Library’s archivists’ his-torical timeline of the College.

College seeks to improve handicap access

Photo by Jess Gamari/Beacon sta� While most buildings have handicapped accessible doorways, not all are easily navigable for people on crutches or in wheelchairs.

By Haley CostenSta� Writer

ACCESS, continued on page 5

Photo by Dennise Carranza/Beacon sta� Adam Tobin, Aloysius Street, and James Wetzel helped organize a trip to West Africa.

Image courtesy of www.cia.govLiberia is on the West Coast of Africa.

Students plan service trip to Liberia

By Ryan FlynnSta� Writer

Students gear up for the Dance

Company show during rehearsal

on Monday night.

Photo by Dennise Carranza/Beacon sta�

Dance Company premieres tonight

For full story, see page 9

Thursday, December 6, 2012 News theonlinebeacon.com2

The Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) is trying to gain support for a substance abuse awareness initiative known as the Project Purple.The Project Purple was started

by Chris Herren, a former NBA player who struggled with sub-stance abuse and spoke at the College in September.“He taught us that [substance

abuse] is a disease that affected him throughout his life and his athletic career,” said SAAC co-advisor Kaylyn Smith.Smith, SAAC President Joe

Duncan, and Senator Alyson Stolz addressed the Student Government Association (SGA) Monday night, outlining their plans to “go purple” in January and asked for support from the student population in raising awareness.According to Smith, SAAC

wants to get as many players, coaches, referees, and fans as possible to don purple during the home men’s and women’s basketball games against con-ference foe Framingham State on Jan. 17. She added that the fan sporting the most purple

will win a prize.Smith also asked SGA to con-

sider partnering with SAAC in helping to fund the purchase of purple T-shirts through the Project Purple, the proceeds of which will benefit substance abuse awareness.“All that money goes to some-

body who needs the help,” Smith said.

“People are suffering from [substance abuse] and there aren’t always resources to get the people the help they need,” she added.SGA President Jason Brown

said he will consult his execu-tive board over the next week to consider what role SGA might play in helping support the ini-

tiative.“Addiction is something

that exists in our community, whether we’re aware of it or not,” Brown said.Senator Adam Tobin suggested

that perhaps the two groups could also work to support lo-cal substance abuse awareness efforts or rehabilitation centers.

Leadership Conference

Advisor Jenn Craig announced that the College is still looking for submissions for the annual Student Leadership Conference on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2013.“We still need programs and

we really like students to pres-ent workshops,” Craig said.The deadline for submissions is

Friday, Dec. 7. The link for pro-gram submissions was sent out in an email via Announcements for Students on FirstClass.A list of suggested topics in-

cludes budgeting and finance, conflict mediation, fundraising, résumé building, and several others.Students with questions re-

garding the Leadership Confer-ence are encouraged to contact Craig or Townhouse Residence Director Nicole LeBlanc.

Committee Updates

Senator Evan Pirnie updated SGA on the Academic Policies Committee’s approval of chang-es to the course overload system.“Sixteen [credits] and up counts

as an overload, but there are differ-ent phases for each part,” he said.According to Pirnie, taking 16

to 18 credits counts as course overload but requires no special approval. Taking 19 credits will require the approval of a stu-dent’s academic advisor, while 20 or more credits will require the approval of the academic advisor, department chair, and dean of Academic Affairs.Senator Stephan Rochefort said

the All College Committee has approved a research assistant po-sition to count as a course in the Sociology, Anthropology & So-cial Work department.“This used to be part of an inde-

pendent study,” Rochefort said. “This shows to graduate schools that students have been included in research assistantship.”He added that the committee

also approved a change requir-ing instructor approval for the News Editing Practicum so that writers for The Beacon have tak-en the necessary prerequisites.

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Photo by Chris Goodell/Beacon staffPresident Jason Brown, standing right, addresses the senate during Monday night’s meeting.

By Chris GoodellEditor-in-Chief

Group looks to raise drug abuse awareness

BOSTON (AP) _ The Mas-sachusetts Medical Society is calling on the state to develop a clear set of regulations and guidelines for implementation of medical marijuana in the state.A ballot question approved

by voters last month will allow doctors to recommend marijua-na for patients with certain con-ditions, including cancer, AIDS and glaucoma. The law would establish up to 35 nonprofit marijuana dispensaries around the state.The medical society, which

represents about 24,000 Massa-chusetts physicians, is promis-ing to work with the state De-partment of Public Health and Board of Registration in Medi-cine to establish rules for doc-tors.The organization, which op-

posed the ballot question, said it would advocate that mari-juana registration cards only be provided after a determination is made that a patient’s pain or symptoms cannot be treated with conventional therapies.

Doctors call for marijuana guidelines

Associated Press

VICKSBURG, Miss. (AP) _ A policy that would allow the Vicksburg Warren School Dis-trict to randomly drug test any student who drives to campus has failed in a vote by the school board.The Vicksburg Post reports

that the proposal failed Thurs-day on a 2-2 vote. Two board members abstained.Under the proposal, any stu-

dent applying for a parking pass to either of two high schools could be randomly tested. Students in seventh grade or higher who participate in any extracurricular activities are currently subject to random testing.Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth

Swinford previously cited safety concerns about students using drugs or alcohol and operating vehicles on campus.The school can now randomly

test any student involved in ex-tracurricular activities or who appears intoxicated on school property or at any school func-tion.

Mississippi school seeks random drug testing

Associated Press

“Addiction is something that

exists in our community, whether we’re aware of it or

not.”

- Jason Brown

Thursday, December 6, 2012 News 3theonlinebeacon.com

Stephen L. Cowell, chairman and CEO of Conservations Ser-vices Group, said their 25-year renewable energy plan is an in-ternational plan.

“We’ve got a 25-year window at best,” he said. “We can � x the problem here, and then we can export those solutions to coun-tries that need them.”

e window Cowell is con-cer ned with is “a window to come up with what the post-fossil-fuel economy is going to look like,” he said. “Can fossil fuels last forever? What’s the real limit?” he asked.

Energy prices and their e ects on the economic meltdown were central to Cowell’s motivation.

He showed � gures stating a 15 percent drop in the average American’s disposable income starting ten years ago during the year 2002–2003. Since then, the percentage of a salary devoted to heating the average American home has risen from 3.5 percent to 8.5 percent.

“Retail gas prices have an ee-rie relationship with mortgage delinquencies,” Cowell said. “What’s sucking down our en-ergy is our buildings.”

Building energy consump-tion is more than twice as high as transportation’s energy con-sumption, according to Cowells graphs, but the problem is � x-

able, he said.“We can reduce the energy

consumption by 40 percent in every house in America,” he said.

Cowell’s own home has a re-duced energy consumption of 90 percent, he explained. His house has no heating system, no � re-place and no chimney. He makes sure the light gets in and relies on insulation.

Cowell connected the unsus-tainable energy use to global warming, melting ice shelves, and rising sea levels.

“ e Greenland Ice Sheet is melting three times faster than our predictions,” he said.

Glacier National Park’s glaciers are receding – shrinking, ac-cording to Cowell. He showed past and present photos of an ice sheet in the park which has turned into a lake.

“ e U.S. — we – can buy our way out of problems. We can put up levies in front of Manhattan but Bangladesh can’t. You’d be surprised how many people live a foot below sea level.” Cowell demonstrated the foot-di er-ence with his hands to help drive his point home.

Cowell argued against the as-sumption economic growth must be accompanied by increased energy consumption. His group has been working to change this assumption since its inception in 1984, he said. ey are work-ing against, “consumption, con-sumption, consumption.”

“[We need to] break the curve of economic development in-creasing energy consumption,” he said. “If we do it we can suc-ceed.”

“We’re starting at a place where we really have to be non-com-placent,” he said. “We’ve got 30 years down, and have 30 years to go.”

With this continued e ort, Cowell is con� dent “we’re going to lower our [energy] consump-tion as our economy grows.”

“I’ve got a couple grandkids. I’d really like them to grow up in an environment that is successful,” he said.

Cowell is not a fan of nuclear energy, he explained, but a bridge may be needed between fossil fu-els and renewable energy.

“Nuclear [energy] may be a last resort,” he said. “ at’s a hard one for me to get over in any way shape or form, but we may need a backup plan if we can’t get o fossil fuels fast enough.”

Founded in 1984 as a non-pro� t group, Cowell said Con-servation Services Group wasn’t going to look to Washington for funding.

“We’ve never sought grants or donations,” he said. “We planned to make it by the bootstraps.”

e Conservations Services Group now has 800 sta mem-bers for 7,000 � eld jobs, accord-ing to his presentation. ey’ve served over 3 million homes and facilities.

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Intern conducts research on student engagement

The Office of Institutional Re-search, Assessment and Plan-ning offered an internship this semester, giving one student the opportunity to work in survey research.

Alexandra Elwell, a senior, has spent the fall semester analyz-ing survey data, contacting re-cipients, and designing a focus group.

“It was designed for her, we have not done that before in this office,” said Kristina Ben-dikas, associate dean for Assess-ment and Planning. “We really wanted to try to do something like this, because we thought it would be such a good opportu-nity for a student, and it would be a win-win situation because we would also be able to have a student to provide student in-put.”

Elwell said the internship orig-inated from her interest in sur-vey research and focus groups, and was re-worked to provide her with the full educational benefit of an internship.

“The internship will provide the student with hands-on ex-perience in special projects pertaining to student learning outcomes and engagement as-sessment,” reads the internship’s documentation.

Some of the surveys Elwell worked with were the five-year alumni survey, where the Col-

lege follows-up with alumni five years after their graduation, and the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), a national survey that involves surveying freshmen and seniors about their college experiences.

According to Elwell and Ben-dikas, a question on the NSSE survey is what inspired Elwell’s focus group.

“The NSSE survey results were showing that students were very satisfied and engaged in a number of ways and yet there was one question that said how would you rate your overall ex-perience and that was much lower,” Bendikas said. “She was finding this disconnect and she thought that it might come from how students interpret overall experience.”

Elwell said she wanted to mea-sure how students decide what about the College affects their educational experience.

By Nick ArenaSta� Writer

Photo courtesy of Alexandra ElwellSenior Alexandra Elwell.

ELWELL, continued on page 14

Environmentalist envisions a post-fossil-fuel economy

Photo by Jess Gamari/Beacon sta� Environmentalist Stephen Cowell addresses Murdock 218 on Tuesday night.

By Marc LatourSta� Writer

Thursday, December 6, 2012 News theonlinebeacon.com4

Key West Lounge159 State StreetNorth Adams

(413) 663 5055Open 7 days a week

11 a.m. - 2 a.m.

Our kitchen never closes!Hot Wings

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French FriesOnion RingsWing Zings

Fiery FingersPizza

Lunch SpecialsAll legal beverages

Keno

3 Pool Tables

7 T.V.s, all with Direct TV & 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 P.M. Everyday40 Main Street,

North Adams, MA 01247(413) 663-6500

Large assortment of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages

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offer expires 12/31/12

Applications to become a Resident Advisor (RA) for the 2013-2014 school year are now available. The deadline for applications is Jan. 31, 2013.Emily Schiavoni, assistant to the di-

rector of Residential Programs and Ser-vices (RPS), said there are requirements students must meet for the position. Interested students must have a cur-

rent GPA of at least 2.2 and be regis-tered as a full-time undergraduate student, she said. Students must have successfully completed 15 credits, have on-campus living experience, a desire

to develop critical leadership skills and have an interest in building supportive communities within residence areas, she added. The benefits of being an RA include

bi-weekly installments of $300, which accumulates to $6,000.Interviews for candidates take place

with the current Resident Directors of the residence buildings. Alexa Hebard, a junior, is currently an

RA in Berkshire Towers. She encour-aged students to put themselves out there and become a leader. “I love being an RA. It feels great to

be able to help people out and be a part of a very important time in a person’s

life,” she said. Hebard added that becoming an RA

helps students make connections with others.The student leader position builds friendships and allows students to take on a leadership role on cam-pus, she said. “I think someone would want to be an

RA to reap the benefits of a leadership position,” she said. “You learn many useful skills and get to flex your creative muscle. It’s really a great opportunity and it looks fantastic on your resume.”Students interested in becoming an

RA for the 2013-2014 school year can email Schiavoni via FirstClass with any questions.

Resident Advisor applications now available

Photo by Takeya Lee/Beacon staffThe current Townhouse RAs attend a weekly staff meeting.

By Amy CubelloStaff Writer

Information Technology (IT) looks to completely upgrade the technology and computers on campus no later than July. The IT department is experimenting with a

new computer system known as thin clients. The thin clients would allow students to access their computer from any thin client on campus, as well as get access to software they do not have on their own personal machines or tablet. The thin clients are small, inexpensive

computers able to relay a virtual computer from a central processor. The thin clients are small computer towers

that function similarly to any other desktop machine, but they use a virtual operating system of the user’s choice. This technology would be used in the computer labs. They only need minimal power and hardware to access the central processor that transmits the virtual operating system. However, all computers and tablets will

have the same functions as the thin clients and will have access to the central computer. Chief Information Officer Curt King

explained the functions of the thin clients. “All the processing is done in a central

machine; you can get your operating system from anywhere and any device. You don’t have to go to a lab; you can get a windows image over whatever you are using,” King said. The thin clients would change the way

computer labs on campus function, he said. “The computer lab can be anywhere, you

can work anywhere with software you don’t have,” King said. The thin clients are more cost effective and

only need a minimum amount of power to run a virtual machine, he said. “We are determined to keep the price of

education down for students, this technology will do that,” King said. King explained that the thin clients cost a

third of the price of a normal computer and need little maintenance because all the main work is done in the central machine. This means that upgrades just need to take place in the central unit. The thin clients would also be more energy

efficient, he said. “They only use 8 watts of energy,” King said.

He added that the machines used now use up to 80 to 200 watts of power and do not last as long as the thin clients. The IT department is now experimenting

with the thin clients in the computer labs and virtualizing the software used on campus.“We are at a tipping point…and people are

getting on board,” King said. He said they have all the licenses needed and just need to make sure all the important software on campus is compatible with newer versions of Windows and virtualization.

College looks to upgrade technology

By Jack GuerinoStaff Writer

TECH, continued on page 14

Thursday, December 6, 2012 News theonlinebeacon.com 5

Miyazaki Movie Night

Come join the Anime Club for its annual Miyazaki Movie Night!

Watch The Secret World of Arrietty and From Up on Poppy Hill both by Studio Ghibli.

Enjoy homemade baked goods and drinks at the concession stand.

Participate in a raffle for a Totoro pillow and other prizes.

Free admission!

Friday, December 7th, 2012

7:00 PM – 11:00 PM

Murdock 218

� e building, which holds many English classes and advisors’ of- ces, has a handicap paddle that opens an entrance, but does not have an elevator that allows access to the upper or lower levels of the building.

Stakenas said Mark Hopkins is not in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

“� e law provides ‘program ac-cess,’” he said, explaining that for buildings like Mark Hopkins that do not have ramps or elevators, disabled students can have the lo-cation of their classes changed or can meet with their advisor in an-other room, provided that all the materials needed for a classroom environment were supplied.

Sophomore Lyndsey Johnson had to use crutches last year for about two weeks a er getting ten-donitis in her ankle. She found she had the most di� culty traveling from her dorm room in Berkshire Towers to Bowman Hall.

“It was the hardest to get to and not a friendly trip for people with crutches,” she said.

However, one of her biggest is-sues was with the elevators.

“� ey’re not labeled very well. In

Bowman there is an elevator, but there’s no label anywhere. It’s also very old and scary.”

� e fall 2013 renovations of Bow-man Hall should change things.

Stakenas has plans for the build-ing in his o� ce on display and said access will improve with renova-tions. � e entrance will have a ves-tibule, which, he said, will be easier for wheelchairs, and the exit will have a ramp o� of Montana Street near handicapped parking spots. Stakenas realizes that both side en-trances lead directly to stairs and decided to shi focus on xing the front and rear entrances as much as possible.

In addition to renovations on entrances, there will be a new el-evator and new toilets in the bath-rooms with handicapped access. Stakenas also said there will be bigger doorways.

“We’re following the building codes and paying attention to ac-cess needs” he said.

While students like Lieneck and Johnson expressed their di� culty with crutches, freshman Morgan McCarthy was optimistic about the handicap access on campus.

McCarthy was born with spastic diplegia cerebral palsy, a condi-tion that a� ects her muscles and

gives her poor balance. She uses a motorized wheelchair to travel on campus.

“For the most part it’s good,” Mc-Carthy said about her experience with access at the College. “� ey’re good about keeping up with the maintenance, and the kids are nice enough to work around it.”

McCarthy’s older sister gradu-ated from MCLA years ago and she said she was aware of campus conditions when she applied to the College. McCarthy hasn’t taken a class in the one not fully accessible building, Mark Hopkins Hall, but

said her professors have said they are � exible.

� e biggest problem McCarthy has experienced so far is with the handicap paddles that open the doors. Stakenas said this problem is from the overuse of this feature by people who are not disabled.

McCarthy said a er telling fa-

cilities or Public Safety about the problem, it is normally xed with-in the time it takes for her to go to a 50 minute class and come back.

“I chose this school more so be-cause the student body and the professors are willing to help,” Mc-Carthy said. “Most of the time I’m independent, but when there’s a problem, there’s usually someone around to help.”

McCarthy said President Mary Grant checks in with her o en and asks about what she can do to help.

Grant is currently working on xing a path that leads to Hoo-sac Hall. It leads from the Amsler Campus Center down to a stone wall in front of Hoosac Hall where it abruptly ends, not providing a steady path for a wheelchair.

“I would like to continue to talk to my friends and not have to split o� through the Campus Center,” said McCarthy, who lives in Hoo-sac Hall.

� e path is just a small renova-tion among the many that are planned for the College in upcom-ing years. Along with Bowman, the Center for Science and Inno-vation will be fully accessible.

Stakenas said the idea is eventu-ally to renovate all the buildings.

“We’re following the building codes and pay-ing attention to access

needs.”

- Jim Stakenas

ACCESS, continued from page 1

Photo by Jess Gamari/Beacon sta� Venable Hall has handicap doors leading into the third � oor.

College plans renovations to improve handicap accessibility

� e College is one of nine schools selected to receive a grant from the American Association of Univer-sity Women (AAUW). � is year’s theme is pay equity.

Recent studies conducted by the AAUW concluded a pay gap in-equity between men and women’s salaries.

OjaeMichal Beale, director of the Women’s Center, and Janine Des-gres, assistant director and coordi-nator of Career Services, co-wrote a grant which led to the Women’s Center receiving $5,000 through AAUW’s college/university part-nership program, Campus Action Project (CAP).

CAP allows student leaders and faculty members to facilitate pro-grams on campus that educate the student body and local community on leadership skills, while working to improve academic and career outcomes.

Beale and Desgres must now be-gin working with students to raise awareness about pay equity and the earnings of men and women and how this a� ects them as they look to buy homes, make investments, and handle other nancial respon-sibilities.

In order to educate the campus and the community, the Women’s Center is planning to hang � yers and host an advocacy campaign, organize a leadership seminar, and work with the Girls Inc., program at the Gladys Allen Brigham Com-munity Center in Pitts eld, Mass.

Girls Inc. is a multi-service orga-nization which works to transform young girls into con dent and in-dependent individuals. � e Col-lege will be teaching young girls the importance of leadership skills and con dence to further themselves in education and in a work environ-ment.

Beale said encouraging young girls to major in a subject that in-terests them will take away the pressure to major in a subject in the typically women dominated elds. � e Women’s Center will work with the Girls Inc., program to edu-cate self-expression and self-worth, as well as to teach the girls about leadership to raise con dence.

College receives grant for pay equity

By Kayla DegnanSta� Writer

According to President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign released on June 21, “women [are] being paid 77 cents on the dollar for doing the same work as men.

Sarah Jane Glynn and Au-drey Powers from the Center for American Progress wrote, “In 1967, women only earned about 58 cents to a man’s dol-lar... if progress continues at its current rate, it will take 45 years to eradicate the wage gap.”

PAY GAP, continued on page 14

Thursday, December 6, 2012 Sports theonlinebeacon.com6

Andrew HodgsonSports Editor

This week was yet another wake up call for America that the players in our beloved NFL have troubles of their own. They are not supermen.

An incident started when Kansas City police were called Saturday morning to the home of Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher’s girlfriend. Her mother reported to police that her daughter had been shot several times.

Later in the morning, Belcher allegedly went to Arrowhead Stadium to thank his general manager and coach Romeo Cordell, and went into the parking lot. As police pulled into the lot on a tip about a gunman at the facility, Belcher put a gun to his head and took his own life. The couple had an infant child and supposedly was going through a rough patch.

Belcher, a native of Long Island, played college ball at Maine. He joined the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent and

worked his way onto the starting lineup. This season he has started in every game, earning 33 total tackles for the Chiefs.

The suicide of NFL great Junior Seau last season rocked the NFL and led to questions concerning head injuries and mental illness. This unfortunate incident will highlight the humanity of the NFL.

We put these men on pedestals as gods, masters of the universe.Why not when they get paid to play a children’s game to the delight of bloodthirsty throngs of violence junkies? But these men have to go home just like we do. They have bills, girlfriends, kids, wives. And they have demons.

In 2009, a similar incident involving Steve “Air” McNair left the league rattled. The shooting of Sean Taylor in 2007 was the result of a home invasion, not domestic dispute. While it hasn’t been found that more violent incidents involve NFL players than the wider demographics of people they represent, often times a glamorized league can show us the faults in our society.

The NFL is heating up with playoffs approaching, though

the Kansas City Chiefs will not be contenders to win their division or a wild-card berth. But this incident can do something important; allow fans to see their favorite players as humans.

With Fantasy Football at an all-time high popularity, we become desensitized. Players are objects which succeed or fail in helping us win our own game. Well maybe terrible incidents like this can make everyone take a step back and realize that sometimes there are more important things than football.

The Chiefs played their scheduled game on Sunday, besting the Carolina Panthers 27-21. The tragedy has prompted all kinds of dialogue in the sports media, which peaked when during the halftime show of the Sunday Night Football, commentator Bob Costas denounced the sports cliché that tragedy “puts everything in perspective” and instead chose to use another empty cliché, blame the guns.

He ended his speech by quoting a Kansas City writer who said, “If Javon Belcher didn’t possess a gun, he and Cassandra Perkins

would both be alive today.”Costas knowingly tapped

into the passion on both sides of the gun control issue. One side, infamously endorsed by the National Rifle Association, holds a famous platform that “guns don’t kill people, people kill people.” The other side argues that gun possession makes people more likely to choose violence over non-violence.

Bob Costas is a great sports commentator, but contending that in a domestic dispute a gun is somehow the only violent option at peoples’ disposal is ridiculous. In most kitchens you can find a knife, an equally deadly tool.

Politics and sports are very similar, one of my favorite writers, Hunter S. Thompson married the two subjects flawlessly (with an ESPN.com column to boot). That said, thinking of guns as a different issue than, say, alcohol is foolish. Both are age-restricted in our country. Both kill many people a year. Both, when used safely by the 99% of Americans that use them, are relatively harmless.

Costas compromised himself here in my eyes. Sports writers can express opinions, but when filling the capacity of a commentator, the political views should be kept hidden if at all possible. Just the way Costas approached the issue tells everyone that he is anti-gun possession. Which is a fine opinion, but since I disagree vehemently with his position, he has compromised his neutrality to me. But I’m old school myself.

We don’t use perspective clichés in vain, we use them because the human experience is full of tragedy and pain, as well as joy. Being reminded of the darker side of life when something tragic happens isn’t some vain knee-jerk cultural cliché, it is how humans contextualize tragic events. Guns aren’t some incase-murder-is-cal led-for option, they are tools.

The only person using worn-out clichés while chastising the rest of us for not overhauling society every time something is misused to harm someone is Bob Costas, and it just shows that he has no intention on keeping his opinions off the air.

For student athletes life is always about time management. Practices, travelling to games, classes, clubs, other activities dominate their calenders. Sometimes it seems overwhelming.

In response to recognizing the stress of attending college and playing sports among everything else in life, the Athletic department has partnered with faculty to create a mentor program for students.

The program is designed so each sports team has a faculty member who oversees the athletes not only academically, but in any way the student needs.

“I’m another resource,” Chemistry Professor Robert Harris said. He is the mentor for the baseball team. “They come to me when they don’t know where to go, when their having problems with grades, getting in trouble, etc. [It’s] somewhere to go when they feel lost.”

Harris has been mentoring the baseball team since the program began.

Harris said he spends time with these students going over their work. It’s easier for these

student athletes to approach him rather than their coach or teachers, he said.

“Basically, I’m a friendly face

for the team,” he said. “I’m someone they can comfortably talk to about anything. But if I have an athlete with an academic

problem, you can be damn sure I’ll be watching them.”

Mentors do have to report the athletes when they get in trouble, Harris added.

Jim Moriarty, mentor for the women’s basketball team, said the program is working out well.

“This program is about getting faculty involved with the teams to establish relationships you wouldn’t normally see in the class,” he said.

These relationships, based on caring rather than obligation are what give players the level of comfort that a coach or one of their professor’s might not be able to provide.

Moriarty has a lot of experience with both basketball teams at the College, acting as the assistant coach of both the men’s and the women’s teams at one point.

He is currently working with Lucy Tremblay, and has nothing but kind words for her.

“Lucy is a four-year starter and very active on and off the court,” he said. “We’ve developed a relationship where we’re comfortable about her problems with academics and sports.”

Basketball has the longest season of any other sport at the College. Moriarty said he knows to stick by his players throughout the season. the trust built between mentors and students can be both comforting, and a way for the mentor to hold students responsable.

However, use of a mentor is not required. Some athletes are able to keep their busy lives in control without a faculty mentor. Those that do chose not to make use of the program still know that it is there to help them even if they haven’t had a mentor for their first three years and decide to meet with one as a senior.

“Some athletes I’ve never met; some I meet with every week,” Harris said.

For more information on the faculty mentoring program for student athletes, contact Athletic Director Scott Nichols via FirstClass.

Photo by Andrew Hodgson/ Beacon Staff

Professor Robert Harris is a faculty mentor to athletes.

Tragedy in the NFL brings perspective, and backlash

Mentor program gives athletes supportBy Chris Oxholm

Sports Writer

“If I have an athlete with an academic problem, you can

be damn sure I’ll be watching.”

- Robert Harris

Thursday, December 6, 2012 Sports theonlinebeacon.com 7

You can live without an appendix or a kidney, but you need a brain.

The word “concussion” has become a buzz-word in sports in the last decade, and studies researching the effects of concussions have dramatically increased. Science is finding that concussions are more common than doctors previously thought, and not just in the NFL.

It is not just athletes who should be informed about damaging brain cells. Anyone can get a concussion from a sports event, a car accident, or even a seemingly minor fall.

A concussion is a traumatic blow to the head that causes the brain to move or shake, hitting the skull. Those who suffer from a concussion experience symptoms differently, but need to take precautions when recovering.

A concussion may have long term effects if it is not taken care of correctly or if the patient suffers a second blow. Second impacts can cause early dementia or depression, and can even be fatal.

Athletic Trainer Matthew Boillat deals with sports injuries with a strong focus on concussions. Boillat said there have been approximately 10 cases of moderate to severe concussions in MCLA Athletics this year.

“There [are not] any more than previous years, it is just being recognized more because of research,” Boillat said.

When dealing with a concussion, it is important to know the symptoms, which happen after the initial impact. Blurred vision, headache, and nausea are a few of the symptoms that occur almost instantly after impact. Lack of focus, concentration and sleeping problems can also occur.

A person with a concussion should take the matter seriously, Boillat said. A muscle tear or broken bone’s recovery can be accurately assessed. A concussion, on the other hand, is harder to decipher whether it is healing properly.

“A concussion is nothing to mess around with, students are welcome to see me if they have any questions about the injury

or healing process,” Boillat said.Once it is clear that a person

has a concussion, certain steps and tests are used to measure the healing process. For the athletes at MCLA, Boillat keeps a close watch on their recovery.

Sophomore Samantha Barbarotta experienced her first concussion this past volleyball season. During warm-ups at a Bridgewater game, Barbarotta was accidently hit in the head with a volleyball. The impact was hard enough to have her neck snap back and shake her brain.

“Every person experiences different symptoms based on their physicality and how they were hit,” Boillat said.

Barbarotta said she experienced headaches, neck

pain, irritability, difficulty concentrating and remembering and a sensitivity to light and noise.

The sophomore sat on the side lines for a few weeks to heal. Every day during the recovery process, Barbarotta filled out a SCAT2 sheet to keep track of her symptoms and had Boillat perform cranial sacral work on her neck.

Once the symptoms cleared up, she was told by Boillat to keep physical activity at a minimum.

Concussions usually occur on the field or during sports, but their symptoms are most often felt in the classroom for student athletes. Some of her symptoms made it difficult for Barbarotta to concentrate in class. She

addressed her teachers about the concussion to make sure they understood what she was going through.

“My advice to students would be to address the issue directly with professors. My professors were very understanding for the most part and they really helped in accommodating me the best they could,” Barbarotta said.

Concussions are not just a problem in collegiate sports. In the world of professional sports, concussions have been an issue for quite some time.

In the National Football League (NFL), a class-action law suit has been filed on behalf of retired and active players who claimed the League did not take concussions seriously in the past and put it’s players at risk.

Now, with the vast amount of information available about the seriousness of concussions, doctors are starting to see a correlation between head trauma and self-mutilation and suicide.

Boston University (BU) has been leading the way in concussion research, and believes that professional football players who receive many concussions during their career are much more prone to suicide after they leave.

Junior Seau’s death is directly related to many concussions received while playing the game of football.

They based this evidence off of another former player, Dave Duerson, who shot himself in the chest and left a note telling scientists that he shot himself to preserve his head for scientific research.

Concussion DiscussionNearly a dozen students per year affected by head trauma

Photo by Andrew Hodgson/ Beacon staff

Athletic Trainer Matthew Boillat assists with the recovery process for sports injuries.

By Kelsey MariniSpecial to the Beacon

Tuesday night the Trailblazers visited Union College. Though both teams played hard, two players rose above the rest to make the game a one-on-one test of wills.

Union’s stand-out sophomore forward Kate Thompson effortlessly put up an impressive 32 points and 16 rebounds. The double-double gave Union the push they needed.

Not to be outdone MCLA senior guard Lucy Tremblay earned a season high 25 points. Tremblay is now just 15 points shy of the 1,000 point mark for her career.

Union was able to gain a ten-point advantage at half-time and killed the Trailblazers in the paint, with a 40-18 point advantage in the painted area.

The Trailblazers made a run in the second half, but Union held out to hold on to the 74-69 win. The Trailblazers record drops to 3-3 with the non-conference loss.

On Saturday MCLA fell in the finals of the Optimist Invitational to Salisbury with a close score of 74-68.

The team had a rocky first half with Salisbury taking a 21 point lead, and the score at 29-8 in the opening period.

MCLA stepped their game up in the second half with captain Tremblay scoring 18 points, and Kaitlyn Chenevert, a senior, and Danielle Scolpino, a junior, adding ten points each.

The team had one lead in the game with a score of 68-67 and only had two minutes of playing time left. Salisbury tied the game with a free throw and after Scolpino missed a three-pointer Salisbury hit a layup and regained the lead.

“We battled back from a 21 point deficit in the first half and we couldn’t hit a shot,” Tremblay said. “That’s what killed us. The second half we played with so much heart and enthusiasm, but we just didn’t convert in the end.”

MCLA chipped away at their deficit, while Salisbury held a double digit lead for most of the second half.

MCLA got into some foul trouble allowing Salisbury to get four free throws in the last 33 seconds of the game, earning Salisbury the victory.

“It was like a series of unfortunate events,” Chenevert said. “Lucy picked up her fourth foul on a really tough call and we both had four fouls so the coach had to take us out.”

While MCLA did play an intense game, and ended with a team score of 37 rebounds and 45 points in the second half alone, the players agree they

still have work to do. “I think one thing we need

to focus on is consistency,” Chenevert said. “When shots aren’t falling we have to be able to lock down defensively.”

On Friday, Nov. 30, the women’s team played against Lehman and stole the game with a three point lead. The win brought their season to a 3-1 and allowed them to face the tournament hosts in the finals the following day.

In the second half the players met impressive game highs and some played their best games to date.

Scolpino scored 20 points including four three-pointers, one of which was the game winning shot at the last minute. She also had five rebounds, three assists, and four steals.

“My shots weren’t really falling in the first half,” she said. “I knew I needed to focus on them in the second half and

get something going right away, and it felt great.”

Sophomore Danielle Beauchamp also had her best game scoring 19 points, and eight rebounds in only 17 minutes of playing time.

Tremblay finished the game with a double-double effort of 13 points and a career high 15 rebounds, and Chenevert finished with 15 points as well.

Even though MCLA got the win, the players did agree that they did not play their best game.

“It was a sloppy game for us but a win is definitely a win,” Tremblay said. “Dani [Scolpino] and Danielle [Beauchamp] both stepped up for us; it got us ready to come out strong on Saturday.”

The Trailblazers host St. Joseph tomorrow night and hope to get back on track in front of the home crowd.

By Maci EstrellaSports Writer

Tremblay nears career mark as women’s basketball falls to Union

Thursday, December 6, 2012 Sports theonlinebeacon.com8Men’s basketball splits games at tournament

Photo by Dennise Carranza/Beacon staffJunior John Jones drives to the hoop in a game against Wesleyan University.

Photo by Dennise Carranza/Beacon staffSophomore Mike Muller makes contact, and the basket.

The men’s basketball team played in the Tri-State Shootout at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) over the weekend and came out with one win and one loss.

The Trailblazers bested Southern Vermont with a final score of 98-86, giving the team their much-needed first win.

Captain Vernon Cross led the team with 21 points.

Freshman Paul Maurice and sophomore Ruben DelRosario each contributed 14 points for the team.

The Trailblazers had a double-digit lead for most of the game and shot an impressive 48 percent of the game while defensively, they held Southern Vermont to 39 percent from the field.

On Sunday, the team looked to build in it’s success against tournament host RPI.

The Trailblazers controlled the tempo of the game through the first half, leading RPI 53-39 at the break.

The team maintained their lead into the second half, up 69-54 with 14 minutes left to

play. The game was tight. The score

78-77, in favor of MCLA with five minutes left in the game.

RPI made a massive push in the remaining few minutes, forcing turnovers and robbing MCLA of the offensive chances that came so easily earlier in the game.

The game came down to the wire, with RPI completing the comeback, upsetting the Trailblazers with a loss of 92-87. The loss drops the Trailblazers to 1-4 on the season.

This was due to the Trailblazers’ carelessness with the ball at times.

RPI caused 27 turnovers; their defensive stand at the end put them over the top.

Senior guard Bilal Shabazz led the team with 18 points. Vernon Cross added 13 points of his own.

The pair was named to the All-Tournament team for their performances over the weekend. The team will play SUNY Canton, at home, on Saturday at 2 p.m.

By Ariana TourangeauSports Writer

The Trailblazers come out of the tournament 1-1 this past weekend,

leaving the team 1-4.

Thursday, December 6, 2012 Arts & Entertainment theonlinebeacon.com 9Dance Company builds anticipation before performance

A line of about 20 art lovers braved the cold, waiting patiently outside Gallery 51 for the “99 Cents and Up” exhibition to officially open its doors on Thursday, Nov. 28.

“It wasn’t Walmart at midnight, but there was much better stuff,” said Jonathan Secor, director of Special Programs at the College and manager of Gallery 51.

Secor added that the first customer to buy a piece was a student from the College who purchased a painting for $99.99.

Part of North Adams Hometown Holidays, this was Gallery 51’s fourth annual “99 Cents and Up” show.

The installment is an “initiative of the North Adams Office of Tourism and Community Events and Develop North Adams to encourage the community to shop locally and benefit from in-

house products,” according to the exhibition’s Facebook page.

The show features an array of items. Viewers snacked on chips and salsa and checked out pieces like pink feline plush toys with armpit and pubic hair called “Lovecats,” glass art by Josh Simpson, and a series of green and blue prints made by Visual Arts Professor Melanie Mowinski.

The prices were as varied as the art itself. Some small baubles were 99 cents; a few framed

photographs were priced at about $50, while smiling toaster key chains were $9.

A few art series were sold out within the first half of the three-hour long opening.

Many graduates of the College had art for sale in the show, including Kristen Parker, Andrew Davis, Danielle Christenson and Pam Buchanan.

In addition to featuring handcrafted lanterns on display, Parker, who was once the assistant

manager of Gallery 51 and an intern while studying at the College, co-organized the show with Davis.

“It’s really chaotic but the artists have been great,” Parker said, taking a break from the crowd at the back desk. “I end up buying something every year. I’ll end up doing my Christmas shopping here.”

Art can be purchased from the exhibition until Dec. 31.

By Haley CostenA&E Writer

Photo by Dennise Carranza/Beacon staffMembers of MCLA’s Dance Company rehearse for their show, which opens tonight at 8 p.m. in Venable Theatre.

It’s that time of year again. MCLA’s Dance Company’s fall semester performance will take to Venable Theatre’s stage Dec. 8, 9 and 10 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $2 for everyone.

Dance Company shows have a tendency to sell out very quickly, so it is highly recommended to

reserve tickets in advanced. To reserve, call the box office at 413-662-5123.

Co-presidents Emily Dessingue and Makalya Lemaire are pleased to present a wide variety of dance styles to this show, including hip-hop, modern, lyrical, belly dance/hip-hop fusion, and a Cape Verd-ian-inspired dance.

“Everything is very theatrical this year,” Dessingue said. “A lot

of the dances are very expressive and feature a lot of distinct char-acters.”

Dessingue’s “Hip-Hop Diner” dance, she mentioned, will feature her dancers using various props to carry out her energetic, diner-themed piece.

“This is my last dance for the year,” she said. “I’m hoping to bring back some new inspiration after coming back from Australia,

but this is probably my best piece I’ve choreographed so far. I’m re-ally excited for it.”

Lemaire, a graduating senior, plans to leave Dance Company with a bang rather than a whisper.

“A lot of graduating choreogra-phers like to create really sad fare-well pieces,” she said. “I’m doing something more fun and person-alized, instead.”

Lemaire’s Scooby-Doo-themed

dance represents her favorite childhood pastime.

“I wanted to make a Dance Com-pany episode of Scooby-Doo,” she said. “Every college kid’s got their own guilty pleasure, and I wanted to incorporate that nostalgia into a really fun dance.”

Both Dessingue and Lemaire hope the audience has as much fun watching the performances as they did choreographing them.

By Shannen AdamitesA&E Writer

‘99 Cents and Up’ exhibition opens at Gallery 51

Dolls crafted from wood burning by Claire Fox.

Photos by Jess Gamari/ Beacon Staff

‘99 Cents and Up’ is on display until Dec. 31.

Daniel Dieter Weissbrodt crafts earrings from recycled game pieces.

Dina Noto’s feline plush toys.

Original buttons featuring lifes natural partners are hand-drawn by Sarah Haze.

A mannequin beckons shoppers to come in and browse.

Thursday, December 6, 2012 Arts & Entertainment theonlinebeacon.com10

Harlequin, the College’s musical theatre club, showed their audience what they do best during their 11th annual musical revue.

� e club featured an hour and a half of musical comedy, unique solos, quirky concepts, and even a bit of a strip tease.

A er a brief introduction from the E-board, senior Jimmy Dunn introduced the rst piece, scantily clad in cut-o� denim shorts and a cropped, plaid button-down shirt.

Junior and Harlequin co-president, Brittney Gerber, featured “A Bushel and a Peck” from “Guys and Dolls,” with a cast of bubbly girls in matching plaid and denim cut o� s, lead by junior Josh Lapierre.

Lapierre demonstrated a wide array of quirky characters throughout the course of the show, from a seductive UPS deliveryman, to the naïve Le Fou in “Gaston,” to dressing in drag in Gerber’s number.

His versatile voice and ability to perform several distinct characters made him a truly memorable cast member and performer.

Sophomore Lance Ruggiero debuted his rst directed piece to the stage, featuring “Goin’ Back to Hogwarts” from the YouTube musical sensation, “A Very Potter Musical.”

“My favorite part of directing would have to be working with such talented people and seeing them use those talents to turn words on paper into a beautiful display on stage,” Ruggiero said.

“I could not be more proud of my cast.”

Sophomore Shaun LeBlanc played an exceptional Harry Potter and showed o� his vocal range and belting talents. Seniors Brycen Waters and Jackie Coughlin, who played Albus Dumbledore and Draco Malfoy, stole the show with their strong, over-the-top personalities and dramatic entrances.

Ruggiero’s abilities as a rst-time director were very promising; the large cast exempli ed exceptional character work and strong group vocals.

Senior Mary Marcil de nitely stole the rst act with her piece, “With Cat-Like Tread, We Pray Upon Our Steal” from “� e Pirates of Penzance.” A rowdy cast of manly men, plus senior Aimee Hudon, who managed to add her own sassy � air to the piece, brought a surge of energy to the auditorium. Audience members cheered and clapped to the catchy number, especially during a hilarious chorus line and strip tease.

Other notable pieces included “Gaston” from “Beauty and the Beast,” which showcased senior Joel Praino’s vocal talent where he sounded very much like Disney’s Gaston, Josh Lapierre’s “I’m a Big Girl Now” from “Hairspray,” featuring a cast of sassy ladies, and senior Lizzy Mullen’s solo from “[title of show],” “A Way Back to � en.”

Mullen said, “I chose the song by simply stumbling across it over the summer and realizing that the lyrics were extremely close to my own story in theatre.”

Her poignant song choice along with her sweet and

charming voice made this solo a nice break from the high energy group numbers and an adorable, emotional farewell to the club.

“[Harlequin] truly was the turning point for my MCLA career,” she said. “Harlequin made me love MCLA, and this song just seemed like the perfect thank you card to them.”

Act II opened with senior Jay Cottle’s rendition of “Up the Ladder to the Roof ” from “Everyday Rapture.” Sophomore Ben Balon played a depressed alcoholic, and Veronica Gibson, Melody Rolph, and Harlequin Treasurer, Micky Olivier, provided beautiful gospel vocals, and never faltered despite the complexity of the music.

Pianist and sophomore Jacob Fennell took a contemporary spin to “Do You Hear the People Sing” from “Les Miserables,” alluding to the current gay rights movement. A strong ensemble, simple choreography, and organized blocking made this number particularly striking and powerful.

Sophomore and Harlequin secretary Courtney McLaren brought the sass and cuteness with “� e Bend and Snap” from “Legally Blonde.” Senior Katie Fitzgerald directed “� e Cell Block Tango” from “Chicago,” incorporating a cast of erce murders, dapper looking men, and sultry choreography and vocals.

Senior and Harlequin co-president, Jon Kinney performed an a-cappella rendition of “Guido’s Song” from “Nine.” He said Guido is a character he can identify with very well, and the complex nature of the song represents several aspects of his

own personality.� e Revue closed with Gerber’s

“Time Warp” from “� e Rocky Horror Picture Show.”

� e enormous cast worked exceptionally well together and provided an immense amount of energy; they le audience members bobbing their heads and mouthing the words.

Gibson and sophomore Cory Flood, who played Magenta and Ri� Ra� , bore striking

resemblances to the lm’s characters while still providing their own uniqueness to the number.

With the exception of a few sound issues, particularly with some voices getting lost within the walls of the auditorium, the show maintained a high level of energy and featured a plethora of strong singers, promising directors, and exceptional actors.

� e Pirates of Penzance meet Elle Woods and Rocky Horror

Whats going on around campus?!

Dance Company performs Dec. 6 through 8 in Venable � eatre at 8 p.m. Tickets are $2 for all attendees. Reserve tickets at (413) 662-5123.

On Saturday, Dec. 8 the Slam Poetry club will be throwing an Awarness Party in Venebal Gym from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m.

� ere will be a Slam Poetry reading on Sunday, Dec. 9 from 7 to 8 p.m. in Sullivan Lounge.

On � ursday, Dec. 6 at 8 p.m., the Blazin’ Hot Comedy Show will be in Sullivan Lounge.

From Dec. 10 through 11 visit the Marketplace in the Campus Center to get your holiday gi s wrapped for free. � e event takes place from 4:30 to to 7:30 p.m. Take the chance to learn about this new, and upcoming club.

On Wednesday, Dec. 12 from 4 to 6 p.m. you can make your own gingerbread house in Sullivan Lounge.

On � ursday, Dec. 13 Dala will return to the College for a second performance in Church Street Center at 7:30 p.m. Melody Rolph, a junior, will open for the duo.

Come enjoy an abundance of events before going home for winter break.

Photo by Takeya Lee/Beacon sta� Seniors Joel Praino and James Dunn perform a scene from ‘The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.’

By Shannen AdamitesA&E Writer

Check out the full story of Broawdway’s Next H!t Musical on page 11

Photos by Takeya Lee/Beacon Sta�

Thursday, December 6, 2012 Arts & Entertainment theonlinebeacon.com 11

As the Hoosac Wind Project reaches completion, con-

troversy arises over the true value of green energy.

It is clear that human impact is the driving force of climate change, and that the Earth in gen-eral is getting warmer. Two years ago, when a study came out prov-ing the Earth was, on average, one degree warmer than 100 years ago and is set to be four degrees warmer by the end of the century, many skeptics raised an eyebrow and scoffed at such a miniscule in-crease. But let’s put that number into perspective. When the hu-man body is one degree warmer, you have a borderline fever; two degrees and you’re sick; and three degrees is quite serious. Four four degrees might require hospitaliza-tion. The world is sick and getting worse, and we need to do every-thing we can to change it. Even as I write this, the temperature is 50 degrees in December! Accord-ing to The Weather Channel, this weel across America, tempera-tures have tied or broken 1,600 daily records.

Humans aren’t going to de-crease their demands for energy, especially in this technology and travel-dependent era. So what we need to do is create and maintain green energy initiatives like the Hoosac Wind Project, so we can have energy and not destroy our planet while doing so. However, there are those who resist the change because of the appearance of wind turbines and how they af-fect the natural scenery, but what they do not mention is how much uglier coal burning smoke stacks are, or how hurricanes like Sandy, which where all but unheard of in our region before the last 20 years, do a lot more destruction to local scenery and homes.

We are coming to a key point in human history. We have hurt Mother Earth terribly, and we are continuing to do so even though we have the facts to tell us to stop and the resources to do it. Mother Earth is striking back. Hurricanes and other storm systems are in-creasing in strength and range all over the world. Sea level rises as the ice caps melt, sentencing many of the world’s sea level cit-ies to a watery grave within the next century. Droughts become more pronounced in some of the world’s poorest regions, such as the Sahel in Africa. Are we going to live out our consumerist fanta-sies that negate us of all responsi-bility? Or are we going to realize that we have a chance to stop this travesty, and support green initia-tives now?

Green Energy is Good Energy!

Tano HolmesA&E Editor

“I’m going to hold my breath until I die.”

The house lights go out. On the movie screen, a young boy runs across a yard. The lights go back up, and Tim Crouch, co-director of “My Arm” with Karl James, stands center stage staring at the audience with his hands folded together.

Written and performed by Crouch, “My Arm” mesmerized the Mass. MoCA audience Saturday night.

Crouch, dressed in a plain light-blue button up and jeans, went around the dim-lit room at Club B-10 collecting a few ordinary and everyday objects to use during his performance: a shoe, pills, cards, photos of loved ones, IDs, and more.

“My Arm” was the first play written by Crouch. It tells the story of a man who lived with his arm

above his head for 30 years.

“With the authenticity and detail of a first-person autobiography… it is a completely honest, convincing piece of theatre performed by someone who never lifts his arm above his head, not once,” reads the program’s flyer.

The performance is largely told through the use of film and the animation of everyday objects from the audience, becoming the icons of the story. It is “a study of bloody-mindedness, modern art, and how the things we do when we’re ten years old stick with us for life.”

The stage was simple: a movie screen behind the stage, a television on one end and a table with the objects on the other end of the stage, with a video camera set up to film the objects that would be used.

Crouch moved over to the table and began telling his story. He moved a figure into a

sitting position under the camera, bringing a set of car keys next to the figure.

“This is me watching TV,” he said, staring straight ahead. “And this is my brother, Antony,” he added, gesturing to the keys.

Crouch told his story through anecdotes, using the audience’s objects to represent other people within the story, such as a paintbrush as his father and an apple as his mother’s car. Photos of loved ones became people Crouch met throughout the story of his life.

“I had ended and the rest of the world began.”

One summer night when Crouch was 10 years old, he told the audience, his brother challenged him to raise his arm over his head and Crouch complied. Time had passed, and he kept his arm up because he was proud of his achievement of four days and wanted to avoid a sense of failure. So he kept

his arm up for many years after that night.

Crouch became known as “the boy with the arm.”

His achievement in the story got him recognized by people, some becoming upset and some embracing his arm. His parents said he was possessed and needed an exorcism, while his brother’s artistic friend Simon, represented through a shoe under the camera and whose motto was “Art is anything you can get away with,” was intrigued.

Crouch continued to go on tangents about people he met and small anecdotes that added to the performance, such as when he told how his mother died, or when his family put him into a center for children who experienced trauma because of his arm.

Elizabeth Greenfield and Jane Burns, employees at Mass. MoCA, enjoyed the performance.

“We had asked him to tell us three words to describe

‘My Arm,’ and he said, ‘simple, complicated, and playful,’” Greenfield said. “It all makes sense now.”

“Mass. MoCA is visual and performing arts. [‘My Arm’] felt appropriate to be here at MoCA,” Burns said. “Crouch is a wonderful performer and storyteller.”

Robin Maltz and Rob Camarata, residents of Northampton, came all the way to MoCA to see Crouch perform.

“[‘My Arm’] leaves you with a lot to think about,” Maltz said.

“I really like Crouch. I like the way he creates a world mainly through his voice,” Camarata said. “What I love is that he makes me feel disturbed through the silence and little movements. You’re forced into his world.”

Crouch’s verisimilitude throughout made the story a remarkable one. Raising his arm began as “a questionable act of will, but became more like a fact of life,” he said.

‘My Arm’ hits audience hard

Nearly 200 people came together at the Church Street Center auditorium to witness “Broadway’s Next H!t Musical,” a completely improvised musical performance group from New York City.

Prior to entering the auditorium, which was filled with sounds of free-form jazz, event-goers were asked to write down the name of a humorous musical number title and toss it into a fishbowl. These titles would later be chosen at random by the performers as hit numbers from fictional musicals.

Before the main show began Harlequin presented a preview of their Musical Revue.

The show was set up as a mock awards show, much like the Tony Awards. However, in this case, they were the “Phony Awards.” The cast created a scene from the fabricated musical based solely on whatever title selection the actor made from the fishbowl.

Judging from the uproarious laughter from the audience, the cast did it well. Very well.

Every song was backed by the piano stylings of Eric March who, like the rest of the cast, improvised everything presented in the musical numbers.

Such songs included the stereotype transcending, “I’m a Pretty Princess” from the hit musical, Castle on a Hill;

the passionate and love-struck ballad “The Floor is Lava, it’s Hot like You”, from the musical, Kalekemaka (Kah-lee-kee-mah-kah), and “99¢ and Up,” a jazzy number about discounted children from the musical, “Adoption Agency.”

Then the unicorn showed up.The final musical selection was

the song “Electric Fire-breathing Unicorn Experience” from the hard-hitting musical, “Hazed.” The song featured a young fraternity hopeful who has to endure the horror of a fire-breathing unicorn burning his face off as a test of brotherhood at Alpha Kappa Thigh.

At the end of the four acts, the emcee for the night, Greg Triggs, announced that the audience would have to choose which musical won the coveted Phony Awards. Instead of votes, the

winner was determined by how loud the applause was when Triggs listed the names of the songs.

“Hazed” won by a mile.While Triggs entertained

the audience and discussed the everyday life of living in Western Massachusetts, the rest of the cast went back stage and changed into their costumes for a full presentation of the musical “Hazed.”

After going through three rites of passage to get into Alpha Kappa Thigh, Heath Bar Cliff, the main protagonist of Hazed, finally gets the girl of his dreams, Stacey, who then takes over as the head fraternity brother.

Overall, the audience enjoyed the show and even took a moment to reenact the “Electric Fire-breathing Unicorn Experience” choreography, which was selected by The Beacon’s own Takeya Lee.

A Moment with Mary Marcil

“We all had a wonderful time,” said Mary Marcil, a Harlequin director. “Some members of Harlequin were able to partake in a workshop with Rob Grant [a cast member] and we all worked on

group music improv and learned a lot.”

While most of the audience left after the final bow, the event didn’t end when the house lights went up.

“The cast came out and talked to the audience for quite some time,” Marcil said. “We all shared our stories about theater, and improv, and how exciting it is to have something like this come to the school.”

According to Marcil, the cast of Broadway’s Next H!t Musical did their research on the College and the surrounding community as material for their show. The actors made references to Blackinton Street, the Pitcher’s Mound Pub a.k.a. The Mound, and even threw a joke out to the arming of the campus police.

“It was so exciting to see a lot of what we had just learned right up there on the stage,” Marcil said. “It was so clever and you could tell how close all of the actors were with each other to build off of each other so successfully.”

Marcil didn’t fail to mention the cast of Broadway’s Next H!t Musical told her she was their favorite audience member.

By Aya LanzoniA&E Writer

By Michael FeloniA&E Writer

Students ‘Hazed’ at Church Street Center

Photo byTakeya Lee/Beacon staffRobert Grant of Broadway’s Next H!t Musical performs ‘I’m a Pretty Princess’ at Chuch Street Center.

Thursday, December 6, 2012 National/World News theonlinebeacon.com12Five states to increase class time in some schools

Open your notebooks and sharpen your pencils. School for thousands of public school stu-dents is about to get quite a bit longer.

Five states announced Monday that they will add at least 300 hours of learning time to the cal-endar in some schools starting in 2013. Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and Tennessee will take part in the initiative, which is intended to boost student achievement and make U.S. schools more competi-tive on a global level.

The three-year pilot program will affect almost 20,000 students in 40 schools, with long-term hopes of expanding the program to include additional schools - especially those that serve low-income communities. Schools, working in concert with districts, parents and teachers, will decide whether to make the school day longer, add more days to the school year or both.

All told, education officials ex-pect to provide nearly 6 million

more student learning hours next year.

“I'm convinced the kind of re-sults we'll see over the next cou-ple of years I think will compel the country to act in a very dif-ferent way,'' said Education Sec-retary Arne Duncan.

A mix of federal, state and dis-trict funds will cover the costs of expanded learning time, with the Ford Foundation and the Na-tional Center on Time & Learn-ing also chipping in resources. In Massachusetts, the program builds on the state's existing expanded-learning program. In Connecticut, Gov. Dannel Mal-loy is hailing it as a natural out-growth of an education reform law the state passed in May that included about $100 million in new funding, much of it to help the neediest schools.

Spending more time in the classroom, officials said, will give students access to a more well-rounded curriculum that includes arts and music, indi-vidualized help for students who fall behind and opportunities to reinforce critical math and sci-

ence skills. “That extra time with their

teachers or within a structured setting means all the world,'' said Colorado Gov. John Hicken-looper. “It means it allows them to continue the momentum they had the day before. It means they don't slip back over the summer. It allows them to really deliver.''

The project comes as educators across the U.S. struggle to iden-tify the best ways to strengthen a public education system that many fear has fallen behind other nations. Student testing, teacher evaluations, charter schools and voucher programs join longer school days on the list of reforms that have been put forward with varying degrees of success.

The report from the center, which advocates for extending instruction time, cites research suggesting students who spend more hours learning perform better. One such study, from Harvard economist Roland Fry-er, argues that of all the factors affecting educational outcomes, two are the best predictors of success: intensive tutoring and

adding at least 300 hours to the standard school calendar.

More classroom time has long been a priority for Duncan, who warned a congressional commit-tee in May 2009 - just months af-ter becoming education secretary - that American students were at a disadvantage compared to their peers in India and China. That same year, he suggested schools should be open six or seven days per week and should run 11 or 12 months out of the year.

“I think this is the kernels of a national movement,'' he said Monday as he announced the initiative.

But not everyone agrees that shorter school days are to blame. A report last year from the Na-tional School Boards Associa-tion's Center for Public Educa-tion disputed the notion that American schools have fallen behind in classroom time, point-ing out that students in high-performing countries like South Korea, Finland and Japan actual-ly spend less time in school than most U.S. students.

The broader push to extend

classroom time could also run up against concerns from teach-ers unions. Longer school days became a major sticking point in a seven-day teachers strike in September in Chicago. Mayor Rahm Emanuel eventually won an extension of the school day but paid the price in other con-cessions granted to teachers.

Just over 1,000 U.S. schools already operate on expanded schedules, an increase of 53 per-cent over 2009, according to a report being released Monday in connection with the announce-ment by the National Center on Time & Learning. The nonprofit group said more schools should follow suit but stressed that ex-panded learning time isn't the right strategy for every school.

Some of the funds required to add 300 or more hours to the school calendar will come from shifting resources from existing federal programs, making use of the flexibility granted by waivers to No Child Left Behind. All five states taking part in the initiative have received waivers from the Education Department.

Associated Press

Mars rover Curiosity: No surprise in first

soil testResults are in from the first test

of Martian soil by the rover Curi-osity: So far, there is no definitive evidence that the red planet has the chemical ingredients to support life.

Scientists said Monday a scoop of sandy soil analyzed by the rov-er's chemistry lab contained water and a mix of chemicals, but not the complex carbon-based com-pounds considered necessary for microbial life.

The latest findings reported at a meeting of the American Geo-physical Union meeting in San Francisco came from an instru-ment aboard the six-wheel rover that baked the soil and analyzed the gases released.

Curiosity landed in Gale Crater near the Martian equator in Au-gust on a two-year mission to study whether the environment on Mars could have been favorable for life.

The dirt at Curiosity's landing site appeared similar to that found in regions visited by other Mars spacecraft, scientists said. It con-

tained water, sulfur and possibly perchlorate, a compound made up of oxygen and chlorine. NASA's Phoenix lander, which touched down near the Martian arctic, pre-viously found perchlorate in the soil.

The rover did find a simple car-bon compound, but scientists have yet to determine whether it's na-tive to the red planet, or came from elsewhere.

Scientists think the best chance of finding complex carbon is at Mount Sharp, a 3-mile-high (5-kilometer-high) mountain rising from the crater floor. Curiosity won't trek there until early next year.

A comment two weeks ago by the mission's chief scientist led to spec-ulation that Curiosity had made a major discovery that would be an-nounced Monday. But NASA last week said that wasn't the case.

The rover is the most sophisti-cated spacecraft sent to Mars. The rover Opportunity has been ex-ploring craters in Mars' southern hemisphere since 2004. Opportu-nity's twin, Spirit, fell silent in 2010 after getting stuck in a sand trap.

Associated Press

Get your garlic, crosses and stakes ready: a bloodsucking vampire is on the loose.

Or so say villagers in the tiny western Serbian hamlet of Zaro-zje, nestled between lush green mountain slopes and spooky thick forests. They say rumors that a legendary vampire ghost has awakened are spreading fear - and a potential tourist opportu-nity - through the remote village.

A local council warned villag-ers to put garlic in their pock-ets and place wooden crosses in their rooms to ward off vampires, although it appeared designed more to attract visitors to the impoverished region bordering Bosnia.

Many of the villagers are aware that Sava Savanovic, Serbia's most famous vampire, is a fairy tale. Still, they say, better to take it seriously than risk succumbing to the vampire's fangs.

“The story of Sava Savanovic is a legend, but strange things did oc-cur in these parts back in the old days,'' said 55-year-old housewife Milka Prokic, holding a string of garlic in one hand and a large wooden stake in another, as an appropriately moody mist rose

above the surrounding hills. “We have inherited this legend from our ancestors, and we keep it alive for the younger generations.''

Vampire legends have played a prominent part in the Balkans for centuries - most prominently Dracula from Romania's Transyl-vania region. In the 18th century, the legends sometimes triggered mass hysteria and even public ex-ecutions of those accused of be-ing vampires.

Sava Savanovic, described by the Zarozje villagers as Serbia's first vampire, reputedly drank the blood of those who came to the small shack in the dense oak tree forest to mill their grain on the clear mountain Rogatica river.

The wooden mill collapsed a few months ago - allegedly an-gering the vampire, who is now looking for a new place to hang his cape.

Some locals claim they can hear steps cracking dry forest leaves and strange sounds coming from the rocky mountain peaks where the vampire was purport-edly killed with a sharp stake that pierced his heart - but managed to survive in spirit as a butterfly.

“One should always remain calm, it's important not to fright-en him, you shouldn't make fun

of him,'' said villager Mico Matic, 56, whose house is not far from the collapsed mill.

“He is just one of the neighbors, you do your best to be on friendly terms with him,'' he said with a wry smile, displaying garlic from both of his trouser pockets.

Some locals say it's easy for strangers to laugh at them, but they truly believe.

“Five people have recently died one after another in our small community, one hanging him-self,'' said Miodrag Vujetic, a local municipal council member. “This is not by accident.''

Vujetic, however, said that “whatever is true about Sava,'' lo-cals should use the legend to pro-mote tourism.

“If Romanians could profit on the Dracula legend with the tour-ists visiting Transylvania, why can't we do the same with Sava?''

Richard Sugg, a lecturer in Re-naissance Studies at the U.K.'s University of Durham and an ex-pert on the vampire legends, said the fear could be very real. Stress can bring on nightmares, which makes people's feelings of dread even worse.

“The tourists think it is fun - and the Serbian locals think it's terrifying,'' he said.

Associated Press

Vampire on the loose in Serbia?

WASHINGTON (AP) _ Presi-dent Barack Obama could name his next defense secretary in De-cember, far sooner than expected and perhaps in a high-powered package announcement with his choice for secretary of state, sev-eral senior administration officials tell The Associated Press.

The personnel moves, coupled with Obama’s coming choice for a new leader of the Central Intel-

ligence Agency, will be viewed by U.S. allies and enemies alike as sig-nal of how he will pursue national security in a second term. All of his choices will be subject to Sen-ate confirmation, which itself is a significant factor in his decisions.

The top names under consid-eration for defense secretary are former Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel, former top Pentagon of-ficial Michele Flournoy, Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and Democratic Sen. John Kerry.

Among those, Kerry is seen as de-siring the secretary of state’s job more.

While Obama has made no final decisions on Cabinet vacancies, announcements could come as soon as next week.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has made clear he did not intend to stay for a second term but he has never publicly discussed the timing of his departure, widely thought to be down the road in 2013. Yet Obama’s thinking on

Panetta’s replacement has quietly advanced, aided by a strong list of candidates, officials said.

One senior U.S. official said Pa-netta is expected to stay on the job at least through the Jan 21 in-auguration ceremony for Obama, another sign that the president is close to naming a new defense chief. The officials spoke on con-dition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss internal White House thinking.

Far more political attention has centered on the chief diplomatic job of secretary of state.

Obama is believed almost cer-tain to pick Kerry or U.N. Ambas-sador Susan Rice, with Obama’s considerations of his choice so closely held that even members of his innermost circle are asking each other which way he may go. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has long announced her plans to leave and hopes to do so soon.

Associated Press

Obama’s defense pick could come sooner than expected

Thursday, December 6, 2012 Campus Comment theonlinebeacon.com 13If you could study abroad, which country would you choose?

“Spain, because it is one of the most diverse countries in Europe. I love their National Soccer. And the majority of the Spanish people are friendly towards visitors and do not resent tourists or international students.”

-Aloysius Street, 2015

“Ukraine, it’s by all my European friends.”

-Caleb Laude, 2013

“France, especially Paris. I love the culture there and it attracts me a lot.”

-Ruben DelRosario, 2015

“I actually studied abroad this summer in Belize and I chose this country because it has an excel-lent anthropology [studies] which complemented my minor.”

-Anyelin Antigua, 2014

“I [would] choose Ireland. It seems like an amazing country with a wonderful culture and I hear it is beautiful. I know it would be an incredible experience.”

-Jacquitta Ferguson, 2013

“I would like to visit Italy be-cause I am interested in Italian food. I would also like like to embrace their culture too. I want to play professional basketball in Italy.”

-Tyshawn McGee, 2014

Compiled by Siyun Wu/Beacon staff

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Thursday, December 6, 2012 News theonlinebeacon.com14

“What offices do students have issues with?” Elwell asked. “What offices do students love? [What] departments do students love? What makes this college unique? What if they could define an overall experience? One of my questions was: how does what you imagined college to be like compare with now that you’re at the end of your four years.”

She added that while she is currently compiling the finished data for her report on the fo-cus group, that the results were positive and she learned quite a bit about how different students gauge an educational experience.

“They had a lot of really good information and a lot of different stories,” she said.

While Elwell primarily worked on surveys, she said it all led up to her focus group which was what she truly wanted to do with the internship.

“The internship that she’s do-ing was 95 percent working on the surveys and then she had the time to do one of these focus groups, which I hope we will be able to continue in some way go-ing forward,” Bendikas said.

There is currently no final de-cision as to whether or not this internship will be offered again. However, Bendikas said she hopes it will be made permanent.

ELWELL, continued from page 3

Intern researches student engagement

Beale explained that the younger generation, if educated, has the ability to make a difference in the future.

Freshman Alexandra Kadell is an example of a young woman in this generation working to make a difference. Kadell added a lead-ership minor due to the influence of the Introduction to Leadership course offered at the College.

“If people can teach younger girls the quality and abilities that leaders possess and really give them the confidence to lead oth-ers, the more women will be seen leading society,” Kadell said. “We have to start looking at each other

equally and take a stand on equal pay for women by educating . . . woman and young girls become strong influential leaders.”

AAUW has been a national nonprofit organization since 1881 and has been fighting for pay equity since 1913. With over 1,000 branches over the country, AAUW works to provide break-

throughs for girls and women. “AAUW advances equity for

women and girls through advo-cacy, education, philanthropy, and research,” states the AAUW’s mission statement.

AAUW studies showed that men typically major in STEM fields (Science, Technology, En-gineering, and Mathematics), and get higher-paying jobs; whereas women are encouraged to get a degree in education and social work and go on to receive lower paying jobs.

“I believe in the mission for break-ing barriers for women and girls and helping advance them in the workplace,” said Julie Mackaman, an AAUW member since 1996.

PAY GAP, continued from page 5

College receives grant amid national inequality in pay

“If people can teach younger girls... the

confidence to lead others, then more women will be

seen leading society.”

- Alexandra Kadell

King added that he has done this type of upgrade at larger schools he has worked at, and the results were impressive. “I have done this to 3,000

machines before and I know the benefits,” King said.Computer Science Professor

Mike Dalton said the current state of the College’s computers is not acceptable.“We have no open computer

labs for students to use. The computers in classrooms are

barely adequate to fulfill the needs of our students,” Dalton said in an email exchange.“The school needs newer

computers and more open computer labs thats students can use; not classrooms students can use if a class isn’t going on,” he added.The school currently runs

on Windows XP, which was released in 2001. Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8 have all been released, but the school has kept Windows XP as its main operating system.

Freshman Max May said Windows XP, although dependable, is outdated.“XP is fine but we are living in

the past and a lot of people are probably more comfortable on Windows 7,” May said.The school has a license for

Windows products so cost is not the issue. King explained that the issue with upgrading Windows is compatibility. “Windows XP is a very stable

platform and all the software needed on campus runs on it,” King said. If the programs

teachers and students depend on are not compatible with a newer version of Windows, an upgrade could cause problems. Computer science major Roger

Simpson described Windows XP as satisfactory. “The continued use of Windows

XP is seen as a negative by some, but its longevity and reliability are a mark of quality,” Simpson said. Windows released Windows 8,

its newest operating system, in August of 2012, yet the school remains hesitant to go forward

with the upgrade. However, with the technological

upgrades underway, a newer version of Windows can be expected. King added that the IT department is in the process of figuring out if the school will be an exclusively Windows 8 campus.The IT department looks to

have all decisions completely made before the Science Center is finished. “We want to make sure the

science center has the newest technology in it,” King said.

TECH, continued from page 4

IT department plans for campus upgrades

Students for Sensible Drug Pol-icy (SSDP) has hundreds of chap-ters in colleges across the country.

The MCLA chapter was founded by Mike Vogt, a junior, in 2010, and gained national affiliation with the grassroots organization during the fall semester of 2011.

Since then, the group has held successful events such as their recent open mic night in col-laboration with the Inter-Greek Council. Earlier this year, some members attended an SSDP con-ference held at Brown University.

Since 1998, SSDP has been growing and networking not just nationally, but internationally as well, with chapters in countries all over the world, such as Can-ada, Columbia, Mexico, Ireland, Australia, and Nigeria.

According to its mission state-ment, the student-led organiza-tion aims to get young people actively participating in the polit-ical process to change the failing policies that the “War on Drugs” has employed, and put less harm-ful and more sensible policies in place.

One of the main goals of SSDP is to implement alternative drug-education plans. SSDP believes the Drug Abuse Resistance Edu-cation (D.A.R.E.) program and the “Just Say No” campaign, ini-tiated by Nancy Reagan in the

1980’s, has not been successful. “Those programs are mainly

fear-based,” said Ruth Vital, a junior and vice president of the MCLA chapter of SSDP.

President Mike Vogt nodded in agreement in a recent interview, adding, “There are alternatives to just abstinence.”

At the SSDP conference, Vogt found that many chapters of SSDP are working with professionals in both education and psychology to develop and implement new and more “honest” ways of drug education.

SSDP is not alone in this opin-ion. on the D.A.R.E. program.

“I didn’t really take my D.A.R.E. officer very seriously. They made out every drug to be the worst thing ever, as if all drugs would kill you, even alcohol,” said Kayla Victor, a junior. “But since adults drank openly, it seemed like what they were telling us just wasn’t true.”

In 1998, the University of Mary-land submitted a report to The National Institute of Justice on a study done on D.A.R.E. gradu-ates. It was found that those who had graduated from the D.A.R.E. program were significantly more likely to smoke tobacco, drink al-cohol, and use illegal drugs.

Marsha Rosenbaum, head of the West Coast Lindesmith Center, a drug policy reform organization, stated in a previous Village Voice article, “In D.A.R.E.’s worldview,

Marlboro Light cigarettes, Bacar-di rum, and a drag from a joint are all equally dangerous. For that matter, so is snorting a few lines of cocaine. It isn’t really educa-tion, its indoctrination.”

These programs, failed or not, have all sprouted from the 40-year-long War on Drugs, originally declared by the Nixon administration in 1971. One of SSDP’s other main goals is to get students actively involved with changing the policies implement-ed by the war on drugs.

“Legalization of marijuana is just one of the many steps,” Vogt said, “and though Washington and Colorado passed the bill, it is still likely to be stalled as much as possible by the federal govern-ment, and probably here in Mas-sachusetts as well.”

The recent election brought on a lot of state policy changes,

making marijuana legal for rec-reational use in Colorado and Washington, and legal for me-dicinal use in some states such as Massachusetts and Connecticut. This only means legalization on a state level; under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), marijuana possession is still a federal of-fense.

One of SSDP’s recent events brought a member an organiza-tion called the Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), to lecture on the War on Drugs. LEAP, consists of current and for-mer members of law enforcement who are speaking out against the failed drug policies in the United States.

According to the presentation (and statistics easily obtainable by the general public), the War on Drugs has resulted in the incarcerations of one million Americans per year, with over 225,000 of those arrests being for cannabis possession. As of 2004, more than half of all prisoners in the country were serving time for non-violent, drug-related crimes.

LEAP, along with SSDP, believes that if the government were to take control of the drug market away from drug dealers and crim-inals and regulate it properly, it would be less costly, less harmful, and more effective. According to an article by the Associated Press in 2010, The U.S. has spent more than one trillion on the War on

Drugs with little to no effect. The article included an interview with U.S. drug czar Gil Kerlikowske.

“In the grand scheme, it has not been successful. Forty years later, the concern about drugs and drug problems, is, if anything, magni-fied, intensified,” he said.

As for our own chapter of SSDP, Vogt and Vital are working on a slightly smaller scale.

“Right now we are collaborat-ing with other groups to try and implement the Good Samaritan policy here at the College,” Vogt said.

The Good Samaritan policy, al-ready enacted on many college campuses, is also known as the Medical Amnesty policy. It allows students to call for help if they, or a friend, has an alcohol related emergency, without fear of retri-bution for underage drinking on on-campus alcohol possession.

Vogt said it may be awhile be-fore the policy gets any recogni-tion unless students get more in-volved.

“It runs deeper than just the president and vice president [of SSDP)]” he said. “We’re all ac-tivists, we’re in this together. If the College knows there is a lot of support, these changes might happen faster.”

For more information on MCLA’s chapter of SSDP, contact Mike Vogt via FirstClass, or email ssdpmcla@gmail.com.

By Lauren CoffeySpecial to The Beacon

“Right now we are collaborating with other groups to try and implement the Good Samaritan policy here at the

College.”

- Mike Vogt

Group seeks drug education reform

Thursday, December 6, 2012 Fun & Games theonlinebeacon.com 15

Weekly HoroscopesAries: March 21-April 19You should take better care of yourself – though that’s hardly unique! You do have uniquely focused energy today, though, so you should be able to follow through on even the loftiest of health goals!

Taurus: April 20-May 20You’re seeking out the company of others, even if you don’t see it that way. Somehow, your energy just craves attention, or at least companionship. It’s a great day to meet new people!

Gemini: May 21-June 21Try to figure out what’s really going on today – it’s not as hard as you might think! In fact, your ability to understand little details and how they add up is sure to make your day go a lot better.

Cancer: June 22-July22Your social energy is drawing others in – so make sure that you’re ready for a busy day! Even if it’s mostly online, you should still find that things are more interesting when you’re with others.

Leo: July 23-Aug. 22What’s next? You are in the best possible position to make important decisions about how to face the next year or two (and beyond). If things aren’t working, make sure that you’re willing to change them.

Virgo: Aug. 23-Sept. 22Your energy is too good to keep on a leash, so get started on some-thing new and bold today. It could be a new job, a new romantic campaign or just a new commitment to hitting the gym regularly.

Libra: Sept. 23-Oct. 22You need to listen to that little voice within you – even if what it says sounds insane! Well, if it’s telling you to burn things or otherwise wreak havoc, you may need help, but other than that, anything goes!

Scorpio: Oct. 23-Nov. 21You’ve got secrets within secrets, so make sure that your energy is up for keeping them today. You may find that your people are trying to get you to spill, but you can stand firm if you want.

Sagittarius: Nov. 22-Dec. 21You just can’t handle rules today – unless you’re making them, that is! If you’re the boss, all should go well, but if not, you may need to take some time off or find a quiet space of your own.

Capricorn: Dec. 22-Jan. 19You should find that things go more or less your way today, even if you feel a bit uneasy. Your gift for planning is paying off in a big way, and things should settle down for you very soon.

Aquarius: Jan. 20-Feb. 18Sometimes you can’t trust your eyes and ears – so ask big questions and maintain your skepticism for longer than usual to see if you can figure out what is really going on. It’s not as hard as it seems!

Pisces: Feb. 19-March 20Don’t stress out about today’s big weirdness – you are sure to figure it all out later! It’s a good time for you to try to make your move, but you don’t have to think about it too hard.

Horoscopes courtesy of Yahoo.com

Cartoon by Jackie Coughlin

Where are you off to?...

Thursday, December 6, 2012 Photo Essay theonlinebeacon.com16

All Decked OutPhotos by Jess Gamari

Holiday wreaths hang throughout the campus, including the gates.

The bookstore gets into the holiday spirit with window decals.

“Shop North Adams” is the city’s campaign to encourage people to shop locally.

I Got Goodies, a candy shop at 73 Main St., showcases their candy and handmade treats in a window display adorned with Santas and snowmen.

The North Adams Transcript and the Advocate display holiday photos and Christmas decorations.

The Local, located at 67 Main St., is open on Tuesday through Thurs-day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

The trees on either end of Main Street are about 40 years old, according to the rings on their trunks, and are lit with thousands of colorful lights.