Th u r s day, N o v e m b e r 2 9 , 2 0 1 2

The BeaconStudent Newspaper of Massachusetts College

of Liberal Arts

North Adams, Mass.

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Volume 76 ◆ Issue 10

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Students to vote on decision-making

SGA approves referendum; students to weigh in on college governance

News, page 2 Sports, page 6

New faces look to impact men’s hoops

Student groups hold benefit concert

The Trailblazers open their season with three freshman guards

Aim to raise awareness about Hunger and Homelessness week

Arts & Entertainment, page 8

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

The College will host another installment of the Elizabeth and Lawrence Vadnais En-vironmental Issues Lecture series on Dec. 4.

Stephen Cowell, founder and CEO of the Conservation Services Group (CSG), will present the lecture in Murdock 218 at 7 p.m. It will revolve around two main themes, he said.

“[First will be] energy policy and the his-torical connection of how it fits into the economy,” he said.

Second, Cowell will focus on how energy efficiency plays a part in our country’s en-ergy economy.

CSG has been in business since 1984 and has worked on energy initiatives in 23 states.

“Our mission at CSG is to promote en-ergy efficiency and the development of re-newable energy resources to: 1. Protect the environment by reducing demand on natu-

ral resources and minimizing the harmful local and global of nuclear and fossil-fuel (oil, gas, coal) electric power generation, 2. Make homes and buildings safer, healthier, more comfortable, more durable, and more affordable, 3. Create a profitable, sustain-able industry focused on the wise use of energy thereby contributing to building a more effective and efficient economy over-all,” reads the CSG website.

Over a period of time, CSG has worked to install five solar power plants in the Berk-shires and has helped people to finance re-newable energy sources in their homes and businesses, Cowell said.

“He is one of the pioneers of net meter-ing, which allows people to sell power back into the utilities grid through wind and solar [power sources],” said Christopher Derby-Kilfoyle owner of Berkshire Pho-tovoltaic Services, an Adams based solar panel installation company.

Net metering was also piloted in the Berkshires, Cowell said.

Cowell first entered the sustainable en-

ergy business over 30 years ago. “[It started with] the 1978 oil embargo,

when the Iran hostage taking occurred, and our country was plunged into a crisis,” he said.

Cowell detailed how he was contacted by a friend who was working under the administration of President James Carter who asked if he could think of a way to re-duce energy consumption.

He began working on the Fitchburg Ac-tion to Conserve Energy, in Fitchburg, Mass. This initiative encompassed 85 per-cent of Fitchburg households and educated people on how to properly weatherize their homes, reduce energy consumption, and proper waste and recycling techniques, he added.

Within ten weeks, energy consumption in that area had dropped 13 percent. Cowell said this inspired him to work in clean en-ergy.

“I had decided that energy [efficiency] was an issue that could unite people,” he said.

Environmentalist to address College on Tuesday

Photo courtesy of mcla.eduStephen Cowell founded the Conservation Services Group in 1984.

By Nick ArenaStaff Writer

Students complete leadership program

By Ryan FlynnStaff Writer

Ten residents of Berkshire Towers (BT) recently concluded their participation in Residence Director Heather Quire’s in-teractive residential leadership program: Berkshire Towers Leadership, Ethics, Ac-countability, and Development of emerg-ing students, or BT LEADERS.

The program included weekly seminars hosted by Quire on topics in leadership and student projects that incorporated making a positive change for the BT com-munity. The projects resulted in three new events/initiatives that are still on-going in the building.

Residents accepted into the pilot pro-gram met with Quire every Wednesday from 5 to 7 p.m. for five weeks. During this time, she touched upon topics such as the definition of leadership, leadership identity, teamwork, networking, and pub-lic speaking.

Sophomore Deanna Boucher said this program helped her grow as an up-and-coming leader on campus.

“This program encouraged me to chal-lenge myself and really take the time to look at myself as a leader, especially in key areas like leadership style, conflict man-agement, and program implementation,” she said.

LEADERS, continued on page 4

‘Scenes’ excites

Photo by Kayla Degnan/Beacon staffStudents from the Fine and Performing Arts Department in ‘Scenes From an Execution.’ For the full story, see page 7.

Professor explores corporate responsibility

Paul Nnodim, chair of the Philosophy, Interdisciplinary Studies, and Modern languages departments, co-wrote a book on corporate social responsibilities (CSR) titled: Corporate Social Responsibility, En-trepreneurship, and Innovation. The book was published on Nov. 20. by the Routledge Taylor and Francis Group.

“I hope to offer a course on corporate so-cial responsibility here at MCLA sometime soon.” Nnodim said in a recent email ex-change. “The book would be helpful to our students.”

The book’s description states the text’s aim to answer the question: “What then is CSR, and how do we understand its purpose?”

Nnodim wrote the book with Ken Amaeshi, whom he describes as a friend. Onyeka Osuji also helped write the text, another friend of Nnodim’s.

“We’ve been writing and publishing ar-ticles together since 2007, which made the collaboration on the book a lot easier,” Nnodim said.

“Corporations have some responsibili-ties toward society,” Nnodim said. “These

are not merely acts of charity, but rather the legitimate expectations of today’s citizens.”

Nnodim and his fellow authors are ex-tending the scope of CSR to “matters of basic justice.” The text is changing the defi-nition of CSR from just a problem of cor-porate philanthropy, he said.

Nnodim said the book covers recent events in the United States that “shape or continue to influence the current CSR de-bate here and around the world.”

He also said the book includes events such as the Great Recession, the BP oil spill, the Supreme Court Campaign Finance Ruling, and the Occupy Wall Street Movement.

“These events and others inspired the writing of this book,” he said.

By Marc LatourStaff Writer

NNODIM, continued on page 3

“Corporations have some responsibilities toward

society.”

- Paul Nnodim

Thursday, November 29, 2012 News theonlinebeacon.com2

The Student Government As-sociation (SGA) voted unani-mously Monday night to endorse a “yes” vote on a ref-erendum to gauge whether stu-dents want to remain a part of the decision-making process at the College.“I’m very pleased that [the sen-

ate] approved this referendum in a timely manner,” said SGA President Jason Brown. “It’s important that students have a voice on a college campus.”According to Brown, the refer-

endum comes as part of the fac-ulty contract negotiated earlier this year between the Massa-chusetts Teachers Association and the Board of Higher Edu-cation. A “yes” vote would af-firm a student’s wish to remain a part of the College’s decision-making process, while a “no” vote would decline that option.The referendum will take place

from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tues-day, Dec. 4 in the lobby area of Bowman Hall and Wednesday, Dec. 5 in the Marketplace.The 11 senators in attendance

voted unanimously to hold the referendum and to officially en-dorse a “yes” vote, moves that Brown and the executive cabi-net also supported.“I encourage you to vote ‘yes’

in this matter,” Brown said.“It speaks to the fact that we

want to be involved in student governance,” he added.Coordinating Vice President

Sarah DiMarino said that this referendum could also give stu-dents more of an ability to make change in college governance.“We want to be able to make

adjustments if we need to, and we can’t do that if we’re not in-volved,” DiMarino said.Brown clarified that this ref-

erendum is not intended as a way for students to vote on what they think of the current

college governance process, but as a way to ensure that students remain involved in the process moving forward.

Supplemental Club Budgets

The senate voted in agreement with the Budget and Finance Committee (BFC) to approve a supplemental budget of $57 for the Computer Society.According to Computer Soci-

ety President Kurtiss Keefner, this money is for three $19 memberships to join the Asso-ciation for Computing Machin-ery (ACM), an international computing society.Most senators were in agree-

ment with the BFC’s recommen-dation, with nine voting in favor of approving the $57, one voting against, and one abstaining.“I think it’s perfectly accept-

able to approve the $57,” said Senator Adam Tobin.The Computer Society also

requested an additional $1,000 for the cost of joining a nation-al computing honors society, which the senate did not ap-prove on the grounds that it is a departmental resource.During the Nov. 19 SGA meet-

ing, the senate voted 6-5 not to approve a proposed supplemen-tal budget of $700 for the Cheer Club. The Cheer Club initially requested additional money in part to pay for their coach.“Without a coach, there is no

backbone,” said Jenna Ciota, Cheer Club vice president.“I would like the budget to be

approved for the betterment of our squad,” she added.The BFC recommended not to

grant the Cheer Club’s supple-mental budget request, arguing that they had received money in their original budget for coaches.“Part of the reason they’re in

this pickle is because they over-spent on the coach,” said SGA Treasurer James Wetzel.

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SGA: Vote yes on referendumSenate endorses referendum on student involvement in college governance

By Chris GoodellEditor-in-Chief

The following is a draft of SGA’s referendum on student participation in decision-making at MCLA

To cast your ballot, place an “X” in the space provided next to the statement of your choice. Choose only one or your ballot will not be valid. Please read the ballot in full before casting your vote.

1. Effectiveness

Acceptance of this proposal by the students of the College in ac-cordance with the provisions of this Article shall be a condition precedent to the right, at such College, of students to participate in the decision-making procedures provided herein. Non-acceptance shall make the terms of this Article, insofar as they grant to stu-dents the right to participate in such decision-making procedures, null and void, but shall in no way otherwise impair any other term of this Article or of this Agreement.

2. Acceptance

“Shall the students of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts par-ticipate in decision-making at the College as provided for in the contract executed between the Massachusetts Teachers Associa-tion/MSCA and the Board of Higher Education?”

____ Yes

____ No

“(Acceptance or rejection shall in no way affect the entitlement of students to participate in other duly authorize student or campus

organizations.)”

Photo by Kayla Degnan/Beacon staffSenate Chair Brendan Peltier, left, and President Jason Brown, right, address the senate on Monday night.

DOHA, Qatar (AP) _ As nearly 200 countries meet in oil-and-gas-rich Qatar for annual talks starting Monday on slowing global warming, one of the main challenges will be raising cli-mate aid for poor countries at a time when budgets are strained by financial turmoil.Rich countries have delivered

nearly $30 billion in grants and loans promised in 2009, but those commitments expire this year. And a Green Climate Fund designed to channel up to $100 billion annually to poor coun-tries has yet to begin operating.Borrowing a buzzword from

the U.S. budget debate, Tim Gore of the British charity Ox-fam said developing countries, including island nations for whom rising sea levels pose a threat to their existence, stand before a “climate fiscal cliff.’’“So what we need for those

countries in the next two weeks are firm commitments from rich countries to keep giving money to help them to adapt to climate change,’’ he told The As-sociated Press on Sunday.Creating a structure for climate

financing has so far been one of the few tangible outcomes of the two-decade-old U.N. climate talks, which have failed in their main purpose: reducing emis-sions of heat-trapping gases that scientists say are warming the planet, melting ice caps, gla-ciers and permafrost, shifting weather patterns and raising sea levels.The only binding treaty to

limit such emissions, the Kyoto Protocol, expires this year, so agreeing on an extension is seen as the most urgent task by envi-ronment ministers and climate officials meeting in the Qatari capital.However, only the European

Union and a few other coun-tries are willing to join a sec-ond commitment period with new emissions targets. And the EU’s chief negotiator, Artur Runge-Metzger, admitted that such a small group is not going to make a big difference in the fight against climate change.“I think we cover at most 14

percent of global emissions,’’ he said.The U.S. rejected Kyoto be-

cause it didn’t cover rapidly growing economies such as China and India. Some hope for stronger commitments from U.S. delegates in Doha as work begins on drafting a new global treaty that would also apply to developing countries including China, the world’s top carbon emitter. That treaty is supposed to be adopted in 2015 and take effect five years later.

Associated Press

U.N. to discuss global warming

Thursday, November 29, 2012 News 3theonlinebeacon.com

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The last Brown Bag Lecture of the semester featured Professor Joseph Ebiware with “News Literacy and the First Amendment.”

His lecture explained how the News Literacy course was introduced to the College. Ebiware also shared information on how to define news, and how to determine the credibility of a story.

The course began when President Mary Grant was emailed by a faculty member from Stonybrook. The new class aimed to teach students about the journalism process, as well as finding and using reliable sources.

Grant asked Ebiware to teach the course. After two workshops and extensive preparation, News Literacy became a capstone for dedicated journalism students and those just interested in the media.

“That excites me, having a course like this,” Ebiware said.

Ebiware said in order for news to be reliable and authoritative, it must be from a verified news organization with a reputation for respect to ethics and the law.

English and Communications Professor Jim Niedbalski asked, “How would you define an accredited news journalist?”

Ebiware said news is from an identified source. He explaining that newspapers, radio, and television are all examples of news. Their credibility based on whether or not they are from an organized group of professionals that can be contacted directly by anyone who wants to ask questions about a news article. This type of news is non-discriminatory and placed in public domain.

“Other” news was defined as news mostly gathered by the general public or non-accredited journalists, mainly on social media outlets. Social media is made up of non-professionals and is represented by a mix of pseudonymous and anonymous sources.

The financial aspect of news is divided. Industrial news has paid professionals that gather articles and information, whereas non-industrial news has paid employees and the articles are inspired by personal interests.

“The line between news and ‘other’ news is fuzzy,” Ebiware said.

It is a constant battle to control information. Some information from entertainment and cable television is not news.

Ebiware showed an example of a video from TMZ of Snooki from Jersey Shore being arrested. After the video, he asked the room if TMZ is accountable for errors, if there is serious concern about its reputation as a credible source, or if TMZ made any deals to obtain the footage.

If one of these questions could be answered “yes,” then it is considered non-industrial.

With the increase in technology, Ebiware explained that there is a huge increase in non-industrial news because of the easy access of cellphones, blogs, and other social media outlets.

Anyone can call themselves a journalist by

videotaping news-worthy stories and posting them online. Accredited journalists have the constitutional right to gather and publish or broadcast news along with “other” news individuals.

There is a verification process to determine if a news story is industrial. One of the fundamentals of the process is to have many sources. More sources means greater credibility because multiple points of view elimate bias.

The journalist also should be available to be contacted regarding the story. A background check can be performed and information that leads to the news report can be explained. “Other” news lacks some of these fundamentals.

Ebiware also mentioned crime-related news stories and showed the audience an example of a crime story being reported,. Crime stories are usually biased unless the news source interviews a people from both sides .

“Let crime stories have courts and evidence speak for themselves,” Niedbalski said.

Grant said that there is an “issue of race because it seems like newscasters are all of a certain race but the bad guy, even his mug shot, looks awful. The visual aspect of crime stories and alleged offenders misconstrues audience.”

After the presentation, Grant asked, “How do students get their news from credible sources since no one sits to watch the news?”

Skyla Seamans, a senior, said she gets her news from online sources.

“Students don’t have time. Even Facebook now has news articles posted from news sources such as CNN,” she said.

Mark Miller, English and Communications Professor and Chairman of the department, concluded, “We will never be able to suppress the ‘other’ news; all we can do is educate.”

The Brown Bag Lecture series has officially ended for the semester. Lecturers have already been decided for the spring.

By Amy CubelloStaff Writer

Ebiware wraps up Brown Bag series

Photo by Jess Gamari/Beacon staffProfessor Paul Nnodim just released his third academic text.

Professor pens bookFor its use in philosophy, “the

book will be primarily used in Business Schools around the world,” Nnodim said. “However, it could also serve as a secondary text in a business ethics class.”

Nnodim has recently taught ten different philosophy courses at the College: three courses at the 400 level, three at the 300 level, three at the 200 level, and one at the 100 level.

This book is the third academic text Nnodim has published, ac-cording to the school’s website.

He also wrote two children’s books, and numerous scholarly articles. He was recently an In-vited Senior Academic Visitor – Dept. Philosophy, at The Univer-sity of Oxford, England – among

other listed awards.Logic and Critical Reasoning,

and A First Course in Philoso-phy are classes taught by Nnodim which are offered under the Hu-man Heritage core requirements section.

Nnodim joined the College in 2004. He received his Ph.D from Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany, with joint honors in philosophy, English, and American studies in 2003. He earned his B. (honors) Phi-losophy in 1992 from Pontifical Urbanian University in Rome.

Ken Amaeshi was a past school-mate of Nnodim’s in both high school and college. Amaeshi is a reader at the University of Edin-burg in Scotland. Onyeka Osuji teaches Law at Exeter University in England.

NNODIM, cont. from page 1

Photo by Takeya Lee/Beacon staffProfessor Joseph Ebiware addresses Sullivan Lounge during his Brown Bag lecture.

Thursday, November 29, 2012 News theonlinebeacon.com4

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Working in groups of two or three, the students also executed three different ini-tiatives advocating for change among resi-dents: a “Go Green” recycling initiative, a sexual assault awareness seminar, and a movie and pizza night.

Caitlyn Ogilvie, a junior, helped coordi-nate the movie and pizza night. She said bringing residents together was a particu-larly important achievement for her.

“Confronting the issue of BT as a rather isolated community was important to me, because I feel like connecting to your col-lege community and getting involved is a really big part of being successful in school, and I wanted to encourage it,” she said.

Quire said she wanted to incorporate these types of projects in order to benefit all residents.

“It came out of wanting to create some-thing beneficial for students,” she said.

Quire said each student is actually con-tinuing with their specific projects, even now that the program has come to an end. She said this, as well as seeing each student grow as a leader, was a remarkable thing to see.

“To actually have it happen and see it as a success was just a great accomplishment,” she said.

Quire said she was glad to have provided this opportunity for students to improve their leadership skills.

“It helped me develop my leadership identity, my networking skills, and my confidence in public speaking,” Ogilvie said. “I think this will help me emerge as a leader in the future and achieve my career goals.”

Boucher said not only how important this program was to her, but how impor-tant leadership programs are for students in general.

“I feel that leadership programs are just so beneficial in general, whether some-one’s a new or established leader,” she said. “Leadership programs like this force you to examine yourself and realize your full potential.”

While this was the first trial of the pro-gram, Quire said it was certainly a success on all ends. While the program ran ex-clusively for BT residents, she said it may branch out to Hoosac Hall, as well as the Flagg Townhouse Complex.

“I would love to see it branch out to the other areas, but who knows,” she said.

LEADERS, continued from page 1

Experience boosts student confidence

WASHINGTON (AP) _ White House economists warned Monday that the uncer-tainty of a potential hike in taxes next year for middle-class taxpayers under the loom-ing fiscal cliff could hurt consumer confi-dence during the crucial Christmas holiday shopping season.In a new report that coincides with Con-

gress’ return after the Thanksgiving holiday, the White House says that if lawmakers don’t halt the Jan. 1 automatic increase on in taxes for households earning less than $250,000, consumers might curtail their shopping in advance.Across-the-board tax increases and deep

spending cuts will take effect, with the pos-sibility of driving the country into another recession, if President Barack Obama and a divided Congress can’t reach a deal by the end of the year to avoid them.The holiday shopping season started in ear-

nest on Thursday, the Thanksgiving holiday.“As we approach the holiday season, which

accounts for close to one-fifth of industry sales, retailers can’t afford the threat of tax increases on middle-class families,’’ the re-port says.The study by Obama’s National Economic

Council and his Council of Economic Ad-visers also says a sudden increase in taxes for middle-income taxpayers would reduce consumer spending in 2013 by nearly $200

billion, significantly slowing the economic recovery.

The figures echo estimates by private fore-casters and by the Congressional Budget Of-fice.Congress and Obama have until the end

of the year to avoid across-the-board tax increases that would do away with rates set during the administration of President George W. Bush and restore higher tax rates that were in place during President Bill Clin-ton’s administration, when the economy was robust, the federal government had a budget surplus and the country was not at war.According to the report, a married couple

earning between $50,000 and $85,000 with two children would see a $2,200 increase in

their taxes.Obama wants the Bush-era tax rates to re-

main at their current level for households earning less than $250,000. He is calling on Congress to increase taxes for families earn-ing more than that threshold.Obama’s plan is part of an overall deficit

reduction package that would increase tax revenue by about $1.5 trillion and reduce spending by a similar amount over 10 years.Congressional Republicans, led by House

Speaker John Boehner, have said they are open to including tax revenue in any bud-get package but have balked at any plan that raises tax rates on wealthier taxpayers. They argue that higher rates would also hit some small businesses.

Assosiated Press

Tax hike threat could hurt retailers this holiday season

Thursday, November 29, 2012 Sports theonlinebeacon.com 5

Andrew HodgsonSports Editor

This week the NFL saw commissioner Roger

Goodell do something he has very seldom done during his six-year tenure as head of the biggest cash cow league in the world, relent.

Throughout his time as head of the NFL, Goodell has been proactive to change the game to make it more safe, and made rule enforcement a top priority. For the past few years, the league has taken heat for not being more proactive about concussion diagnosis. Goodell is fixing that, tightening the screening process required for a player to be cleared to play again after being concussed. He has implemented controversial rules that protect quarterbacks, and made a defensive back’s job twice as hard.

He has implemented suspensions and enforced a no-tolerance policy toward players who act irresponsibly and has become famous for his strictness in regards to player conduct. Goodell sees his mission as “protecting the shield,” a reference to the NFL logo.

This week however, we have seen at least a slight change in the league office in New York. Last week, Ravens all-pro safety Ed Reed faced suspension for repeated hits to opponents’ heads. In an unprecedented move, the league lowered the punishment to a $50,000 fine. It might not seem like much, but being suspended and losing pay for that game is a far cry from a fine.

Then on the biggest football day of the year, Thanksgiving, Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh fell next to Texans quarterback Matt Shaub and his leg contacted Shaub in the groin. Fans throughout the country cringed, and remembered Suh being suspended two games last year for another dirty move on Thanksgiving. But the incident was in too much of a gray area for Goodell, who normally when in doubt leans toward punishment.

It may seem insignificant, even a tyrant can be expected to

loosen up every now and then, especially when the empire they lead rakes in billions per year. But under the Goodell era we may be witnessing the so-called “most powerful man in sports” finding a balance six years into his tenure.

Head hits may be a huge problem for the NFL, but there is a happy medium of enforcement. Ndamukong Suh may prove to be a dirty player through his career, maybe knee-jerk suspensions aren’t a precedent the league should create.

To me these are good signs. In a league that has cow-towed its rules to more offense with strict pass interference enforcement among other things, maybe some moderation is good. Maybe an inadvertent kick to the groin isn’t worthy of punishment (surely this isn’t the first time it has happened).

Let’s be honest, offense is sexy, the baseball adage about chicks digging the long ball works across sports. But let’s not act as if defense in the NFL is somehow boring.

Sure the product wouldn’t be as good if the NFL scoreboard was all full of 7-0 wins, but don’t tell me that when Aaron Rodgers cocks-back to fire a pass to Jordy Nelson downfield and the defensive back defends the pass perfectly that is not exciting.

Defense can excite too, just look at this years Chicago Bears, whose defensive exploits and exciting scoring I’ve already praised in weeks past. Thank you Chicago Bears, for showing Roger Goodell that defense is sexy too.

In any case we are witnessing a shift in attitude by the NFL league office. The implementations of rules that favor offensive players may be moderated in the coming years, and a more balanced NFL product can only make everyone involved happier.

Maybe they are rethinking their more strict policies, and for the players and the fans, that is something we can all get behind.

And all it took was an inadvertent kick to the groin.

The Women’s Basketball team is going through a transitional period. Captain Lucy Tremblay is replacing former captain Jen Wehner, a senior, and began her final season with the team this year.

“When Jen left we lost a prominent player,” Tremblay said. “She was a good leader and her presence in the paint was huge for our program.”

Sunday the Trailblazers offense faltered against Williams College. Williams went into the game undefeated with a 3-0 record. For the Trailblazers it was their first loss of the season. MCLA couldn’t overcome an early 12-4 deficit, as soon as they had a lead the Eph women’s strong defense kick in, and they never looked back besting the Trailblazers 65-31.

The impressive defensive stance by Williams held MCLA to 22 percent shooting, making only 11 baskets on the night. Junior Kaitlyn Chenevert put up 10 points for MCLA while senior Johanna Miner contributed eight rebounds.

On Nov. 19 the Trailblazers took on Becker looking to continue the success they had against Daniel Webster.

The Trailblazers went on a tear to start the game, scoring 19 points to give them a 19-4 lead. Becker was able to tie up the game in the second half, before the Trailblazers went on another 19 point run to win the game, 74-51. Showing strength defensively as well, MCLA forced Becker to turn the ball 31 times on the night.

Tremblay scored 14 points in the winning effort. Freshman Sara Hamilton, junior Danielle Scolpino, and Chenevert rounded up the balanced offensive game by each contributing a dozen points of their own.

The Hawks were led by Tatiana Mojica's game high 27 points. The Trailblazers proved that when their offense is distributing the ball evenly, they can be a force

to be reckoned with.In the team’s home opener on

Nov. 15 Tremblay and company were put to the test for the first time against Daniel Webster without the presence of standout forward Jen Wehner.

The game saw two players hit career high’s. Kaitlyn Chenevert's 24 points and Danielle Scolpino's 20 point efforts were both career marks, helping to clinch the 66-57 win for the Trailblazers. The game stayed tight until the last ten minutes of the first half, when MCLA outscored Daniel Webster 27-11 and gained a lead they would maintain for the rest of the game.

Tremblay was named Rookie of the Year in 2009 at MCLA. She started in every game that season and averaged 12.6 points per game during her freshman year. She has been a starter all four years and offers her playing experience to the team.

“Through the year, I hope to be a demonstration of poise, heart, and competitiveness,” Tremblay said. “I am excited for this season and cannot wait to win games.”

While resuming her place as captain and hoping to lead the team to victory, Tremblay does not see herself as being the only captain. The team has decided to not have captains this year; instead they choose players who show the most leadership during a game to be the team leaders.

“I’ve considered myself a leader since my freshman year,” Tremblay said. “We encourage our underclassmen to step up and be leaders as well.”

Last Thursday, Nov. 15, the Women’s Basketball team played their season opener against Daniel Webster College. They defeated the Eagles with a nine point lead, finishing with a score of 66-57. Tremblay finished the game with five steals and six assists. She admits that it wasn’t her best night.

“I got into some foul trouble in the second half, which I need to work on,” Tremblay said. “The players did step it up and we got the win, so that’s all that matters.”

Tremblay talked about the team becoming a family on and off the court. The women have become close over the seasons, and Tremblay relies on them as friends as much as they rely on her as their captain.

“I’ve been with her for four years now and she becomes a better teammate each year,” senior Johanna Miner said. “She knows how to lift you up when you need it, but also takes charge when it’s necessary. “

When asked about this being her last year, Tremblay expressed her sadness about leaving her team and her mentor, Coach McGovern. She also expressed how being a part of the Women’s Basketball team has helped her throughout her college career.

“I couldn’t be happier finishing my college basketball year with my team,” Tremblay said, “They have always supported me on and off the court.”

Andrew Hodgson contributed to this article.

By Maci EstrellaSports Writer

Women’s basketball attains new captain

Photo by Jess Gamari/ Beacon staff

Senior Lucy Tremblay, the new captain of Women’s Basketball.

The iron fist of Roger Goodell loosens its grip

“Through the year, I hope to be a demonstration of poise, heart, and competitiveness”

-Lucy Tremblay

Thursday, November 29, 2012 Sports theonlinebeacon.com6

The Men’s Basketball team goes into their 2012 season with three seniors, seven juniors, three sophomores, and three freshmen. The three freshmen are all guards, each looking to benefit the team in the coming years.

On Tuesday, the team was in action hosting the Wesleyan University Cardinals. The Trail blazers struggled to get on the board at the 15:59 mark, bringing the score to 15-2. The Cardinals continued to dominate and went on a 17-2 run. Wesleyan’s Mike Callaghan had seven points in the opening onslaught.

For the Trailblazers, John Jones had a game high 26 point. He added seven rebounds and four steals as well in a well-rounded effort. Bilal Shabazz chipped in with 15 points, and energized the team in the second half with six steals. Despite a better effort in the second half, the Trailblazers lost the game 99-84, dropping the Trailblazers to 0-3 on the season. The Cardinals improve to 3-2 with the win.

Sunday the Trailblazers took on Williams College in their first away game of the year. The Trailblazers were able to come out strong, but during the second half they let Wil-liams score 64 points. The Trailblazers were on the defen-sive for most of the half, allowing Williams to shoot a stag-gering 73 percent in the second half. Despite a run toward

the end, the Trailblazers fell 102-78.Six players for Williams made it to double digit points, led

by Michael Mayer who put up a game high 27 points and 12 rebounds. MCLA was led by sophomore Mike Muller’s 14 point effort off the bench. Vernon Cross had 13 points while Bilal Shabazz added another 11 points.

The team started their season out with a loss to Nichols College with a score of 94-83 on Nov. 19. Jones, Ray Vi-ches, Mitch Scace, Richard Johnson and Shabazz were all starters for the game. Jones led the team with 18 points, as well as 17 points each from Ruben Delrosario and Cross.

The Trailblazers played Williams College on Sunday re-sulting in a loss with a final score of 102-78, with Mike Muller as the top scorer for the team.

Pete Vasil, Lee Turner and Paul Maurice are all guards who came from different high school backgrounds look-ing to make a productive transition into college basketball.

“I look to be a key shooter on the team from the 3-point range and mid-range, find my teammates on offense and work hard on defense,” Vasil said.

Vasil went to high school at Clifton in Clifton, New Jersey and said high school basketball is a lot different compared to college basketball.

“I went from being a player selected to a lot of NJ hoops honors and awards and now I start my college basketball career injured,” he said.

Suffering an injury of a torn meniscus during the first

scrimmage of the year, Vasil hopes that once he is healthy again he can contribute to the team and show his true po-tential.

Turner, also a guard, feels he too has a lot to contribute to the team. Turner attended high school at Central High School in Springfield. His transition from high school to college is a little different.

“High school was hard for me,” Turner said. “I went to three different high schools because of bad academics or transportation issues.”

Even though the start of high school was difficult for Turner, he said his senior year was the best, especially in basketball.

“I became a state champion that year and accomplished other things in my summer AAU team as well,” he said.

Turner was a starting guard for his high school team and said his experience from high school and his AAU team will give him the ability to be a “spark” to the Trailblazers when they need one.

“I can bring good defense, good team chemistry and good shooting,” he said. “I can also get through adversity when down in games by being a leader.”

MCLA is off until Friday when the team faces Southern Vermont in the Tri-State Shootout at RPI.

Andrew Hodgson contributed to this article

Photo by Dennise Carranza/ Beacon staffJunior forward John Jones makes an easy layup against Nichols in the team’s home opener on Nov. 19.

Mens team adds three freshmen

By Ariana TourangeauSports Writer

College responds to growing fan base

For years, colleges everywhere have desired to have a bigger fan base. For a small school like MCLA, it can be a hard task to get people’s attention to the sports teams.

The Athletic Department is planning to solve this problem with President Mary Grant’s idea, the “Trailblazers Varsity

Club.”The club is a brand new pro-

gram for the school and North Adams community this year. Its members are trying to create a group of supporters for the Trail-blazers from staff, alumni, and the town.

“We’re getting good support,” said Scott Nichols, the Athletic Director. “This is a good way to connect with the community.”

The club promotes itself

through various events to re-cruit its members, such as a lun-cheon it hosts, usually with guest speakers. MCLA attracted the members who joined this year by giving them the title as founding members.

“The first year members are considered founding members,” Nichols said. “Gold pins are also given out to each new member.”

It costs $50 annually for a regu-lar membership and $75 for a

family. The club recruited about 70 members this year. Members don’t have much to do after join-ing except for rooting for the Trailblazers.

“We’re primarily about getting people to come to the games,” Nichols said. “By word of mouth, hopefully it will continue to grow.”

The Trailblazer Varsity Club members simply want their teams to have a large fan base.

Professional teams like the Okla-homa City Thunder (NBA), and the Kansas City Chiefs (NFL) are well known for their loud and dedicated fans. Loud fans make it harder for visiting teams to play at full potential.

To find out more about the Trailblazer Varsity Club, con-tact Scott Nichols. To join, mail a check to MCLA Athletics, 375 Church Street, North Adams, Mass, 01247.

By Chrix OxholmSports Writer

President Mary Grant suggests ‘Trailblazer Varsity Club’

Thursday, November 29, 2012 Arts & Entertainment theonlinebeacon.com 7

By Shannen AdamitesA&E Writer

The Fine and Performing Arts (FPA) Department’s Main Stage production featured Howard Barker’s “Scenes from an Execu-tion”, directed by Theatre Profes-sor Laura Standley. Barker’s work is often described

as “theatre of catastrophe.” Many of his plays, including “Scenes,” often explore themes such as vio-lence, ambition, a lust for power, and sexuality. Set during the late 1500s,

“Scenes” is roughly based on Ba-roque artist, Artemisia Gentiles-chi: a controversial female painter who often depicted realistically violent images in her works. Jackie Coughlin, played Galac-

tia, a strong-willed and extraor-dinary painter who was com-missioned by the lavish Doge, Urgentino, (Tom Leidenfrost) to create a large-scale representation of a bloody battle between the Ve-netians and the Turks. Though Venice won the battle,

there was an incredible loss of life on both sides. Galactia, a re-alist painter, refused to paint the triumphant and glorified version as the Doge requested, and there-fore, conflict arose. “Scenes” touched upon themes

such as power within gender roles, sexualization, and the highly irra-tional stubbornness between the

extraordinary creative mind and the glory-seeking political figure. The play opened with an exordi-

um: a piece which takes place be-fore the play begins. Jack Sleigh, Tyler Prendergast, and James Dunn slowly paced the stage as wounded soldiers to an orchestra of gunshots and ominous piano music. Sleigh, Prendergast, and Dunn

also portrayed several other char-acters within the show and dem-onstrated their wide range of act-ing ability. The eerie opening left many

audience members chattering amongst themselves, wondering what exactly is happening. After each of the actors faded into the darkness, Standley gave a brief and poetic introduction, and the action began to unfold. The opening scene set the over-

all feel for the play with dramatic, high-contrast light resembling the artistic technique of chiaroscuro. The set, though generally mini-malistic, was emphasized through the use of lighting, and levels. Sophomore Stephen Smith com-

mented, “I feel like every photo [taken of the play] will look like a scene from an actual Renaissance painting.” Contrast did not only exist

aesthetically, though. Cough-lin’s character greatly contrasted with everyone else around her. Coughlin brought to the stage a

gritty, headstrong attitude and fearsome, quick-witted, and con-fident diction. Her stage presence commanded the utmost respect and authority with every line she spoke. Her relationship with Carpeta,

her young, married lover and sec-ond-rate religious artist, played by Erik Dabrowski, not only ex-emplified an intense, forbidden passion, but also represented two completely different viewpoints on how art should be executed. Dabrowski exuded a powerful,

sensitive demeanor and added to the drama with eloquently spo-ken words that worked very well against Coughlin’s toughness. Lily Urquhart and Clarissa

Henebury played Galactia’s daughters, who elegantly rep-resented the ideal female in Ba-roque society. They both carried themselves in a very sophisticated manner, even in more comedic moments. Mary Rose Petrozola played the art critic, Rivera, who, along with Carpeta and Galactia’s daughters, warned her that taking on such a controversial task could damage the artist’s career and rep-utation.The sketchbook, played by Ve-

ronica Gibson, wandered about the stage with Coughlin and pro-vided the artist’s creative thoughts, concerns, and processes about her work. Adorned in a dress made from brown leather and aged

paper with preliminary studies, Gibson was creativity personi-fied. Gibson also was featured in a second exordium between the first and second acts, where she pantomimed painting, paced the stage, and serenely observed the audience.Leidenfrost demonstrated a

wide variety of over-exaggerated expressions and vocal techniques as Urgentino, often causing the audience to chuckle at the bla-tant absurdity of his extravagant gestures. Ben Balon exerted an unsettling sternness as the moral and perhaps overly virtuous cler-gyman, Ostensible.Josh Lapierre, who played the

admiral and Urgentio’s brother, Suffici, also exhibited a stately sense of composure, until he finds himself depicted as a cold-hearted monster in Galactia’s painting and bursts into a firery, but well-artic-ulated, rage. “Scenes from an Execution”

featured two and a half emotion-ally charged hours full of art, sex, power, and politics. The spirited cast worked exceptionally well together, bringing a realistic sense of chemistry and unity to an “an-ti-realist” show. Combined with the cast’s talents,

unique direction, and boldness of the set, lights, and costumes, “Scenes” was a Baroque painting brought to life both aesthetically and conceptually.

‘Scenes from an Execution’ enthralls audiences

Niicugni (Listen) perfomance at Mass. MoCA, see page 8 for full story

Photos by Takeya Lee/ Beacon StaffPerformers Emily Johnson and Aretha Aoki dance onstage at Mass MoCA. Johnson delivers a monologue about wildlife and preservation while Aoki

crumbles one of several masks.

Photos by Kayla Degnan/Beacon staffJacqueline Coughlin and Erik Dabrowski embrace in a sensual encounter from “Scenes from an Execution.”

Above: Veronica Gibson performs.

Below: From left: Lily Urquhart, Clarissa Henebury, Jacqueline Coughlin, and Veronica Gibson perform in “Scenes from an Execution.”

Thursday, November 29, 2012 Arts & Entertainment theonlinebeacon.com8

The Society of Music and Chamber Ensemble partnered with MASSPIRG and the Northern Berkshire Interfaith Action Initiative on Nov. 17 to throw a benefit concert to raise awareness about Hunger and Homelessness Week from Nov. 11 - 17.

The concert benefitted the Friendship Center in North Adams, which sold various baked goods at the concert. Caroline Webster, the MASSPIRG campus organizer, said that it was more than just bringing awareness to the campus and community.

“We collect donations and raise money to have [people’s] needs met,” Webster said. “We

also have volunteer projects, the most recent to help the Friendship Center prepare for their Thanksgiving dinner.”

She also said that the Friendship Center is not only for people who are homeless, but lonely or disabled as well, and just want a venue to socialize.

Damon Fowler, senior and president of the Society of Music, said that this concert was the capstone to Hunger and Homelessness Week.

“It helps bring attention to the local food center [in North Adams], the Friendship Center,” he said.

Opening for the benefit concert was Spooky & the Nomads, who sang original songs as well as covering “What I Got” by Sublime. Spooky &

the Nomads is seniors Corey Sloane on vocals and Andy Cross on guitar. The other members of the band, Tom Leidenfrost and Allan Krause, could not be there that night.

The Chamber Ensemble Society performed various songs after Spooky & the Nomads, including improvisation techniques and covering “Back to Black” by Amy Winehouse, performed by senior Caitlin Versailles on vocals and sophomore Mark Labbe on piano with sophomore Christopher Johnson playing a piano solo, and more. They ended their performance with a unique cover of “Crazy Train” by Ozzy Osbourne.

Webster then went on stage to inform the audience about

some fact about hunger and homelessness. According a 2009 survey conducted by the National Coalition for Homelessness, 15.3 million people experience homelessness throughout the United States. That is the equivalent to the size of Florida.

Closing the benefit concert was T-Bone Daddy, a blues band that infuses smooth rock rhythms and blues roots to create a unique, promising sound. The band is comprised of Paul Cowan (bass, backing vocals), Tyler Fairbank (guitar, vocals) and Lou Parreault (drums, vocals). According to tbonedaddytrio.com, the band is “a rockin blues trio, plain and simple. Soulful, but with a big, bad sound. With

musically tight, fun, rockin’ blues they engage audiences on an energy path ride that leaves them uplifted and wanting more.” They covered “Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone,” the 1970’s hit by Bill Withers as well as “Gravity” by John Mayer. After their performance, the crowd called for an encore, in which the trio gladly obliged.

“I really enjoyed the entire concert,” said junior David Boerman. “I like the electric violin a lot as well as the guided efforts of the groups they get together before Thanksgiving to help boost effort.”

Sophomore Jon David Shetler thought similarly.

“I thought it was interesting and well put together,” he said. “I just wish more people showed up.”

Raising Hunger and Homelessness awareness through music

Mass MoCA once again brought an original and progressive production with Niicugni (pronounced Nee-coog-ni), an award-winning modern dance and movement project presented on Friday, Nov. 16, in the Hunter Center Auditorium.

The show was directed, written and choreographed by Alaska native, Emily Johnson, an artist and director of the dance group, Catalyst. The band included multi-instrumentalist James Everest, performer and dancer Aretha Aoki, and violinist/electronic musician Bethany Lacktorin.

“We wanted to have our bodies on the ground but our spirits somewhere else,”

Johnson said. “I love the dialogue of space and what’s going on in our thoughts.”

The audience sat in stadium-style seating with handmade fish skin lanterns hanging overhead in a downward cascading pattern toward the stage.

The cast was not only made up of Johnson and her crew, but also featured beekeepers, farmers, water polo players, dancers, and MoCA staff. The show changed with every location to include the surrounding community.

At one point, Johnson and Aoki slowly rolled across the stage and unraveled two peculiarly placed rolls of reflective paper. These were later illuminated by a projector displaying a film of two women smiling into the camera, focusing on their eyes, while

the two performers spoke about The tour also contributed

funding to up and coming carbon projects that address sustainability of the environment and global warming initiatives through a group called Native Energy. This group creates programs assisting Native Americans, Alaska Natives, farming families, and rural communities.

Johnson was also awarded the 2012 New York Dance and Performance Award, also known as a “Bessie” for her last show, The Thank-you Bar at New York Live Arts, earlier this year.

“She wanted to create two parallel worlds,” Everest said. “She wanted to find things about the communities energy. It’s knowing what your world is.”

At the end of the show, the performers gathered onstage for an open Q&A session.

“It’s such a rich texture, what you’ve created here,” an audience member said. “Everything ripples. It’s rhythmic and amazing in so many ways.”

One audience member called out to Johnson at the end of the session.

“I’m trying to figure out what this story means to the world, how it works,” the man said, throwing his hands toward the stage.

Johnson smiled, looked up at the lanterns, and simply replied, “Me too.”

The Lanterns

Many attendees stopped outside of the auditorium to view fish skin lanterns hanging

in the hallway. The lanterns ranged from small and bulbous, to elongated and cylindrical with small openings allowing light to escape.

“I saw an exhibit about fish skin and I decided I wanted to learn it,” Johnson said. “The exhibit was put on by an Alaskan artist named Audrey Armstrong; her work is absolutely beautiful.”

The lanterns took five days to make, and were made by volunteers in Vermont, Arizona, California, Alaska, and Minnesota. Johnson included this work to continue the theme of community support and work.

“The first time I attempted my first fish lantern, it took me thirteen hours just to skin it,” Johnson said. “Thankfully, it doesn’t take that long, anymore.”

Fish lanterns and modern dance: Niicugni (Listen) at MoCA

By Michael FeloniA&E Writer

By Aya LanzoniA&E Writer

The audience at Niicugni (Listen) takes their seats in MoCA’s Hunter Center. A projector shines a film on Johnson and Aoki as they hold up screens.

Photo by Michael Feloni/ Beacon Staff Photo by Takeya Lee/ Beacon Staff

Thursday, November 29, 2012 Arts & Entertainment theonlinebeacon.com 9

Tano HolmesA&E Editor

The Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts’ Gallery 51 presents “99¢ and Up.” The annual holiday sale event will open up as part of North Adams’ Hometown for the Holidays. A free opening reception will be held on Nov. 29 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Gallery 51 located at 51 Main Street. All artwork will remain on exhibit for sale through Dec. 31.

If you are looking for that perfect, one-of-a-kind holiday gift, this years “99¢ and Up” is the show for you. This once a year event, features local artists and prices that cannot be beat. All art is for sale between 99¢ and $99.99.

“I love this show for so many reasons,” said Kristen Parker of the the gallery. “[It] is a fast paced show with something for everyone. It benefits the artists who create high quality artwork and benefits the public by making art available at affordable prices. And, when you purchase, you leave with your art.”

Like past years, the gallery staff will be available to gift wrap purchases. “In the last two years of being part of this show, I have seen all types of art ranging from watercolors, collages, drawings,

pottery and silkscreen. Some artists have even taken the opportunity to stem from their own comfort zones to create new art while exploring new mediums,” Parker said.

Kristen Banks, an alum of the College, said, “The show has great energy. It’s rare to find amazing art that is so affordable.”Hometown for the Holidays is a joint venture between the North Adams Office of Tourism & Community Events and

Develop North Adams. It aims to encourage people to shop local and buy local with special shopping bargains and family events. The event kicked off with the North Adams Tree Lighting on Nov. 21 at 5 p.m. and continues with the 99¢ and Up art show.

Featured artists include: Yura Adams, John Breiner, Pam Buchannan, Danielle Christensen, Laura Christensen, Andrew Davis, Claire Fox, Forrest Graham, Wayne Hopkins, Jen Huberdeau, Henry Klein, Wendy James, Julia Morgan, Melanie Mowinski, Mark Mulherrin, Dina Noto, Kristen Parker, Marianne Petite, Sean Riley, Ben, Ripley, Gail and Phil Sellars, Josh Simpson, Karin Stack, Christina Stott, Sandra Thomas, Ven Voisey, Colleen Williams, and Cathy Wysocki.

Gallery 51 is a program of MCLA’s Berkshire Cultural Resource Center. The gallery is open every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call (413) 664-8718, or go to www.mcla.edu/Gallery51.

Shop Local, Buy Local: 99¢ and Up Art Show Offers Great Deals

What’s going on around campus?!The Harlequin Musical Revue will go up this weekend on Dec. 1 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Dec. 2 at 7 p.m., in the Church Street Center.

Dance Company’s fall performance will take place from Dec. 6 through 8. Tickets are free for students but it is highly suggested to reserve tickets through the box office. Call (413) 662-5123 for reservations.

“It is so boring here,” is a common complaint heard around campus. While North Adams is not a bustling metropolis with a wide variety of things to do, nothing is keeping you here if you choose to study abroad for a semester, or even a year!

The College offers a decent variety of study abroad programs, as well as travel course options. Over 30 different countries with study abroad programs are listed on the College Consortium for International Studies. Among these are China, Australia, Namibia, Italy, India, and Russia. The College also allows students to study at sea, where they live on a huge cruise ship that circumnavigates the world.

The requirements to study abroad are simple. Most programs require a 2.5 cumulative GPA, some solid extracurricular activities, a couple of letters of recommendation and a personal essay. Additionally, most of the programs are not entirely expensive.

I studied abroad in Heidelberg, Germany. It was $3,000 more than normal in-state tuition at the College, which is only about a 25 percent increase.

While $3,000 is obviously a lot of money, the experience of studying a foreign language in a different country was worth so much more. It can be difficult to leave your home country, but the feeling of adventure quickly replaces inhibition when studying abroad.

Studying abroad is the easiest to pursue when in college. No other time in your life will it be this simple to visit a foreign country and meet people from all over the world, while studying and learning about different cultures, traditions and customs for a relatively affordable price.

Siyun Yu is a foreign exchange student from China is currently studying abroad at the College.

“You will find a different type of environment for learning. I have tried so many things I’ve never tried before,” she said. “For example, I developed film for the first time in a darkroom, because people only really use digital in China.”

Yu also mentioned she enjoyed meeting people from different cultures, as well as taking part in a collaborative learning experience.

Applcations for study abroad options are avaiable on the garden level of Eldridge.

The next contribution of MCLA Presents! is “Broadway’s Next H!t Musical,” an improvised musical comedy show that will be performing at the Church Street Center Auditorium on Nov. 30 at 8 p.m.

Jonathan Secor director of Special programs explained that the audience comes up with musical titles. Within minutes, the cast improvises several songs to accompany it. The audience then votes for their favorite songs, and the cast turns them into a full-length musical production.

Secor discovered the New York City based

group last year while on an annual trip with students to the Association of Performing Arts Presenters Conference. Among the hundreds of performers showcased was a former colleague of Secor’s who is affiliated with “Broadway’s Next H!t Musical,” and convinced him to take his family and students to the show.

“You have amazing Broadway singers doing improv and not knowing what the others are going to do,” Secor said. “It was funny and had great music, so we booked it.”

According to Harlequin Co-President Jonathan Kinney, the student-ran musical theater club will co-sponsor the event and will perform two pieces from their annual fall

revue and a selection from “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” which was put on earlier this year.

“It’s been great partnering with Harlequin,” Secor said.

Robert Grant, who has been a part of the cast since 2005, expressed his enthusiasm for the upcoming performance in an email interview last week.

“College audiences are great. Students get what we’re doing and improv is familiar to them. I think a lot of college students would enjoy doing what we do, so they relate to it from that point of view,” Grant said. “It looks like a lot of fun, and who wouldn’t want to be a part of that?”

‘Broadway’s Next H!t Musical’ comes to MCLABy Haley Costen

A&E Writer

Photo courtesy of Joseph Mansfield

Cast members of ‘Broadway’s Next H!t Musical’ create and perform improv musical songs on the spot.

See the world through study

abroad!

Thursday, November 29, 2012 Campus Comment theonlinebeacon.com10What did you do over Thanksgiving break?

“I ate turkey and played games.”

-Hannah Connolly, 2015

“I had a turkey dinner and hung out with two high school families.”

-Sean Kelleher, 2015

“I ate dinner at my boyfriend’s house then mine.”

-Caitlin Belk, 2014

“Just went home and had a family dinner.”

-Ben Latini, 2014

“I went out with my boyfriend’s family.”

-Tiffany Barton, 2014

“I went to three Thanksgiving dinners.”

-Amanda Fleming, 2014

Compiled by Jack Guerino/Beacon staff

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Thursday, November 29, 2012 Fun & Games theonlinebeacon.com 11

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

Taurus: April 20-May 20You find yourself slipping into some odd behavior today – but it’s not so bad that you have to keep restraints on. You’re just a little less cautious than usual, and it could lead somewhere fun!

Gemini: May 21-June 21Your social energy is abuzz with all the new people coming into your life – even if many of them are online! You don’t really care, as long as you get to keep chattering and showing off.

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

Leo: July 23-Aug. 22You need help – but there’s no shame in that! Just make sure that you ask the right people, or that you are surrounded by teammates you know you can count on. Things are looking up!

Virgo: Aug. 23-Sept. 22Everyone seems to be speaking at once today, so make sure that you are as clear as can be. If someone only gets to hear part of what you have to say, aren’t they likely to get the wrong idea?

Libra: Sept. 23-Oct. 22Try to speak up today – you’ve got some deep issues that need reso-lution, and they aren’t going anywhere without some serious com-munication. It may be a family thing or it could be work-related, but it’s vital.

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

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

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

Aquarius: Jan. 20-Feb. 18You meet someone today who shares many of your interests – and possibly more! If you’re looking for love, this could be a good match, so ask all the right questions and remember to be yourself.

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

Horoscopes courtesy of Yahoo.com

Cartoon by Jackie Coughlin

Courtesy of http://www.abcteach.com/free_sudoku_form.php

Some Stimulating Sudoku Take a break from the stresses of school work

and relax with sudoku!

“How was your Thanksgiving break?”

Thursday, November 29, 2012 Photo Essay theonlinebeacon.com12

The building as seen from the parking lot behind Mark Hopkins last week.

The progress of the Center for Science and Innovation

Photo by John Durkan/Beacon archiveFrom left, Mayor Richard Alcombright, Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray and Gov. Deval Patrick participate in the groundbreaking ceremony in Oct. 2011.

Photo by Chris Goodell/Beacon staffThe interior of the building around the beginning of the fall semester. James Stakenas predicted that the structure would look like the science building by Thanksgiving.

Photo by Jess Gamari/Beacon staffA crane digs in the old parking lot between Black-inton Street and Porter Street.

Photo by Siyun Wu/Beacon staffPhoto by Kayla Degnan/Beacon staffThe final steel beam, signed by the college community,

was placed into the building’s skeleton on Sept. 13.

Photo by Chris Goodell/Beacon staffConstruction on the Center for Science and Innovation progresses over the summer.

October 2011 to Present Day