Skip to Main Content

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

The Beacon and Beacon Web News editors Fallon Maloney, left, Kate Zelkowitz, top center, Ainslie Lafko, bottom center, and Anna Najimy, right, in The Beacon office, Thursday, April 3, 2025, in Freel Library.
A Fading Light, Extinguished: A Letter from the Editors
The Beacon May 2, 2025

To our readers, As journalists, it is our duty to keep ourselves out of the stories we write as much as possible. We have done our best work...

A Have Hope Peer Recovery Center member attending the 1st Anniversary Celebration hugs Director Rebecca Dodge after speaking on his recovery journey.
Be The Bridge: North Adams’ Stories of Recovery
Tonimarie Basil, Staff Writer • April 28, 2025

Note: Out of respect for their privacy, this story includes only the names of individuals who have given their explicit consent for disclosure. Fentanyl,...

BWN
BWN 4/24/25
BWN 4/24/25
The Beacon April 24, 2025

BWN returns with our last episode of the '24-'25 academic year. This week on BWN, stories include funding cuts for Pittsfield Public Schools,...

A Have Hope Peer Recovery Center member attending the 1st Anniversary Celebration hugs Director Rebecca Dodge after speaking on his recovery journey.
Be The Bridge: North Adams’ Stories of Recovery
Tonimarie Basil, Staff Writer • April 28, 2025

Note: Out of respect for their privacy, this story includes only the names of individuals who have given their explicit consent for disclosure. Fentanyl,...

Decorative Background
A team photo of the 2023-24 MCLA Women's Basketball team. The 2024-25 season would be cancelled in large part due to a lack of players on the roster this year.
No Season on the Court: MCLA Announces Cancellation of 2024-25 Women’s Basketball Season
Owen Brown, Editor in Chief • November 17, 2024
Trailblazer Brandon Balcazar '19 clinched a win for MCLA in the final home game of the season for the Men's Soccer team.
A Last-Minute Masterpiece: Men’s Soccer Seals a Home Win with a Final-Second Goal
Ainslie Lafko, Copy Editor • November 14, 2024
North Adams Weather


  • 5 PM
    48 °
  • 6 PM
    47 °
  • 7 PM
    45 °
  • 8 PM
    41 °
  • 9 PM
    39 °
  • 10 PM
    38 °
  • 11 PM
    37 °
  • 12 AM
    36 °
  • 1 AM
    36 °
  • 2 AM
    36 °
  • 3 AM
    36 °
  • 4 AM
    36 °
  • 5 AM
    36 °
  • 6 AM
    36 °
  • 7 AM
    36 °
  • 8 AM
    36 °
  • 9 AM
    40 °
  • 10 AM
    42 °
  • 11 AM
    43 °
  • 12 PM
    44 °
  • 1 PM
    45 °
  • 2 PM
    47 °
  • 3 PM
    48 °
  • 4 PM
    50 °
  • 5 PM
    50 °
May 9
54°/ 37°
Heavy rain
May 10
51°/ 36°
Moderate rain
May 11
61°/ 39°
Sunny
Get Inspired by Mya Linsky, Student Editor with Spires
Get Inspired by Mya Linsky, Student Editor with Spires
Ainslie Lafko, Editor-in-Chief • April 25, 2025

A pencil rests against a notebook page. A camera lens is adjusted for the perfect shot. No matter what form of art a person is creating, it always...

Freel Library's Valentine's Day Event Spreads the Seasonal Love
Freel Library’s Valentine’s Day Event Spreads the Seasonal Love
Ainslie Lafko, Editor-in-Chief • March 12, 2025

As the bitterly cold month of February trudged along, one special holiday kept the hearts of students all across MCLA’s campus warm: Valentine’s...

Decorative Background
Decorative Background