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The Online Beacon

The Student News Site of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

The Student News Site of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

The Online Beacon

The Online Beacon

The Online Beacon

Michael DeMarsico (right), with his family. DeMarsico passed away unexpectedly on November 17.

MCLA Mourns: Remembering Michael DeMarsico

The Beacon November 20, 2024

On November 17th, the MCLA community was rocked by the loss of one of its' own. Michael DeMarsico, a beloved member of MCLA’s facilities department, passed away unexpectedly on Sunday evening, leaving...

Student Financial Services Clerk, Becky Lincoln, processes paperwork at MCLA’s SFS office in Eldridge Hall.

The FAFSA Fiasco: What Happened Last Year?

Kate Zelkowitz, Web Editor November 2, 2024

As college students across the country wind up for the 2025-2026 FAFSA cycle, the aftershocks of the ’24-’25 FAFSA are still ringing in their ears. Last year’s FAFSA cycle, or Free Application for...

On August 28, MCLA officially announced the partnership with officially licensed vender, Influxer.

NIL Comes to MCLA with Partnership of Influxer

Owen Brown, Editor-in-Chief October 22, 2024

Since the NCAA introduced the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) Plan for student athletes to earn a profit from their identity, hundreds of schools throughout the country have partnered up with companies...

MCLA Athletics Teams Up with TicketSmarter: A New Era of Ticketing and Fan Experience Begins

MCLA Athletics Teams Up with TicketSmarter: A New Era of Ticketing and Fan Experience Begins

Karen Yamada, Staff Writer October 21, 2024

MCLA Athletics officially announced a new partnership with TicketSmarter, a leading ticket resale marketplace, on October 3, 2024. This exciting new collaboration marks a major step forward for MCLA Athletics...

Mat Gover '27, of Atkinson, NH, won this year's MASCAC golf tournament, earning back-to-back titles.

MCLA Golf’s Stellar Season: Gover Leads All-Conference Honors

Brigh Cote, Staff Writer/Social Media Manager October 18, 2024

Just days after the MCLA Men’s Golf Team became MASCAC runner-up for the second straight time, the MASCAC released their all-conference awards. The Trailblazers are set to bring home quite a few awards...

The War on Drugs: Berkshire Harm Reduction Visits MCLA

Ainslie Lafko, Copy Editor October 4, 2024

96,700. That is the number of people across the United States who die each year as a result of a drug overdose.  7 out of 10. That is the amount of overdose deaths that are specifically caused by opioid...

Reclaiming Lost Narratives: MCLA Day of Dialogue 2024

Reclaiming Lost Narratives: MCLA Day of Dialogue 2024

Karen Yamada, Staff Writer October 2, 2024

The MCLA Day of Dialogue is an annual event that emphasizes campus-wide participation in a unique day of alternative education, where traditional day classes are suspended, and campus members are encouraged...

Berkshire Towers Reopens for Fall Semester 2024

Karen Yamada, Staff Writer October 1, 2024

As students return to Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts for the fall 2024 semester, they have been greeted with a major change in their living arrangements: the reopening of Berkshire Towers (BT)....

Constitution Day 2024 at MCLA: A Celebration of Democracy and Civic Engagement

Constitution Day 2024 at MCLA: A Celebration of Democracy and Civic Engagement

Karen Yamada, Staff Writer September 26, 2024

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts honored Constitution and Citizenship Day 2024 by hosting a special event aimed at deepening the community’s understanding of the U.S. electoral process. MCLA,...

Students view the live presidential debate inside MCLA's Freel Library

What’s Up for Debate?

Mariposa Ribon, Staff Writer September 26, 2024

In a time where political divide is at its peak and human rights often become a topic of debate, the Presidential Election of 2024 appears to provoke mass anxiety.  As a result, MCLA called for what...

Photo from Dietz & Company Architects

A Peek Into the Closing of Hoosac Hall and Reopening of Berkshire Towers

Ainslie Lafko, Staff Writer April 19, 2024

As the academic year is beginning to draw to a close here at MCLA, new changes are looming on the horizon regarding students’ housing for the next academic year. With the closing and reopening of different...

Welcoming Tamar Sarai: Champion of Narrative Justice

Welcoming Tamar Sarai: Champion of Narrative Justice

Karen Yamada, Staff Writer April 18, 2024

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) proudly announces Tamar Sarai as the 2024 Hardman Journalist in Residence. A beacon of modern journalism, Sarai brings a refreshing perspective to storytelling,...

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