LIFESTYLE OPINION SPORTS Alum documents world travels Creating a conscious classroom Baseball set to start season in Florida The Berkeley Beacon Emerson College’s student newspaper since 1947 • berkeleybeacon.com Thursday March 1, 2018 • Volume 71, Issue 20 Fenway residents don't see college’s contribution College Maya Gacina, Beacon Staff releases 2017 Fenway residents say they have yet to see the benefits Emerson College promised last climate survey year in an effort to approve its lease of the 12 Hemenway Residence Hall. Last year, the Boston Planning and results Development Agency approved an amendment to Emerson’s Institutional Master Plan to Chris Van Buskirk, Beacon Staff temporarily lease Boston Fenway Inn, a hostel, for two years as housing for 115 Emerson The college released the second Emerson360: students. The Beacon previously reported that Community Climate Survey, which highlighted the Fenway community opposed the college’s an apparent lack of communication between decision on frequent occasions. senior administration and employees, on Feb. “Emerson did not even approach the Fenway 28. residents before they decided to go through with The Climate Survey, facilitated by consulting this,” Fenway resident Conrad Ciszek said. “At firm ModernThink, is a 64-question study aimed least in my observation, they have not offered at understanding power-based interpersonal anything to contribute to the betterment of the violence and institutional response, teaching Fenway.” environments, and communication. This is the Margaret Ings, vice president for government second time the survey has been administered. and community relations, said her office has According to the results, 28 percent of faculty done a number of things to benefit Fenway, and staff said the college involves them in including going to the community organization’s institutional planning and 37 percent said they monthly meetings and contributing financially were meaningfully involved in decision making. to and participating in different events, such The survey polled 746 executives, faculty, as the 44th Anniversary Fenway Ball Gala and salaried staff, and hourly staff. the West Fenway Christmas Tree Lighting with In November 2014, administration polled Mayor Martin J. Walsh. Emerson also hosted both employees and students. The results, trick-or-treaters in the Hemenway building last released in April 2015, demonstrated a low Halloween. sense of college pride among Emerson students “We operate the way Emerson operates, and a need for an increase in sexual education. which is always to go to the community first Associate Professor and Chair of the before we do any process with the city. I’ve done Marketing Communications Department that since the day I walked into this office,” Ings Brenda Wrigley is part of the committee Neighbors of 12 Hemenway don’t see Emerson’s community partnership since moving last year. reviewing the results and said communication See Fenway, page 2 Zivah Solomn / Beacon Staff See study, page 2 Fossil fuel WECB to host (Sandy) Alex G after break divestment movement resurfaces Stefania Lugli, Beacon Correspondent Earth Emerson launched a second attempt at convincing the college’s Board of Trustees to withdraw investments, or divest, from fossil fuel companies. The revitalized effort spurred from concern about the ongoing environmental crisis. The campaign centers around the #DivestEmerson hashtag. Members began using the phrase for recruitment and promoting awareness through social media early February, Earth Emerson Co-President Kayla Burns said. In an email to the Beacon, President M. Lee (Sandy) Alex G follows after Frankie Cosmos in WECB Live’s concert series.• Cassandra Martinez / Beacon Staff Pelton said he plans to forward Earth Emerson’s request to the Trustee Investment Committee Ally Rzesa, Beacon Correspondent his most recent project, released last year, was performed at the Cabaret last semester on for consideration. listed by Pitchfork as one of the 50 Best Albums November 17, the first WECB Live free concert “Divestment would mean really committing Indie-rock singer-songwriter (Sandy) Alex G of 2017. He also arranged and played guitar on for Emerson students. Ultra Chapelle, a band to reducing carbon emissions … leading to a will perform in the Cabaret on Thursday, March Frank Ocean’s 2016 album Blonde, on the songs comprised of Emerson students, opened for greener future,” Burns said. “A lot of people 15 for a free concert. Only Emerson students “Self Control” and “White Ferrari”. Cosmos. don’t understand how dire the situation is.” will have access to the event, which is hosted by Senior Sam Baler, WECB’s General Manager The tradition of student opening acts will The Beacon previously reported the college WECB Live. reached out to (Sandy) Alex G’s booking team to continue at this semester’s concert with junior has a $150 million endowment, a sum of Pennsylvanian multi-instrumentalist (Sandy) secure a concert date. performing arts major Annie Krivit and her financial assets donated to the college. Fund Alex G, real name Alexander Giannascoli, built “We did the Frankie Cosmos show last band. managers shift investments daily to maximize a following by releasing a series of self-published semester, which went really well,” Baler said. “I’m looking forward to [the show],” Baler profits following approval by the Board of albums on Bandcamp. He has received critical “And we wanted to do another show like that … said. “If anybody was at the Frankie Cosmos Trustees—a strategy called indirect investing— acclaim for his sixth album DSU, which [I] thought [Alex G] would be a good fit for the show, it’s going to be a similar environment. appeared on several publications’ Best Albums Emerson student crowd.” See Pelton page 3 of 2014 lists, including Vogue’s Top 10. Rocket, Singer-songwriter Frankie Cosmos See Cabaret, page 6 The Beacon online /berkeleybeacon @BeaconUpdate berkeleybeacon berkeleybeacon berkeleybeacon news The Berkeley Beacon March 1, 2018 2 Fenway residents left out in own backyard Continued from page 1 the day and late at night which causes disruption LaBella said. “[Institutions] are encroaching in the 738 survey responses the office received last and drives away families. He said there’s no way our neighborhood and taking over buildings for August said they live in the Fenway area. 2,482 said. “I think [Emerson] has made a very to tell which college the students come from, but school that could have been affordable housing students live off-campus, which is more than positive impact in that neighborhood because that other inquiries about skateboarding started or had been affordable housing.” half of the Emerson student population. we care about being a part of the neighborhood six months ago, when Emerson moved in. Northeastern University, Berklee College “All of these schools are battling for the and not just living in the neighborhood.” “I think the [Emerson] administration has of Music, Boston Conservatory, and Boston Fenway area because it is so popular,” Morris The college put forth a list of benefits for made a lot of steps University students said. “It’s the bottleneck of the green line.” the Fenway community, but residents do towards trying also reside in the Chantal Ariana, a sophomore resident not see them as beneficial. The list includes to put in practice area. According assistant at Hemenway, said the students and the added security in and around the building, a procedures to the BPDA, 70 community have engaged in friendly relations community room open to residents when not in that will help percent of Fenway’s so far and that her Resident Director Matthew student use, and five resident assistants on-site, minimize any population is made Carney goes to the Fenway community meetings which Ings said is a considerably large number kind of problems,” "All of these schools are battling up of college all of the time. for the four-story building. Giordano said. students. Ciszek, “He made sure that we are going to abide by “It doesn’t benefit me. It benefits [Emerson’s] Ings said for the Fenway area because it is a Fenway resident their rules and their policies,” Ariana said. dorms and their students that they have an Little Building’s so popular. It's the bottleneck of of 27 years, said Fenway residents like Ciszek and LaBella obligation to protect,” Ciszek said. “Somebody reconstruction the community think the city needs to step up and limit the in the Fenway wanted to stop by to use the displaced 750 the green line." continues to see institutional expansion that is driving out and restroom there … and were told they couldn’t Emerson students, rent prices rise displacing residents who have vested interest in use it. I don’t know how accessible that is.” and that 12 for permanent their community. Ciszek said he likes living with students in Hemenway was residents and small “If you think of a hotel—everyone’s new, no the area because they give the neighborhood just part of the businesses. one stays, and all the workers commute—the vibrancy and keep businesses open later, plan. She said “I’ve seen rents Fenway is turning into a hotel,” LaBella said. but administration causes his opposition to heavy opposition came from Fenway residents and housing costs go through the roof,” Ciszek Emerson’s residency. feeling like they could no longer afford to live in said. “When I first came to the Fenway, you Richard Giordano, policy and community the neighborhood and that to them, the college could get a studio apartment for $450. Now, planning director of the Fenway Community took the one affordable building for two years. you’re lucky if you can get one for $1,800.” Development Corporation, said there has been “The students who are not housed on-campus In addition to about 100 students living at 12 a wave of complaints about students occupying are … killing the Fenway and a large number of Hemenway, Assistant Director of Off Campus the neighborhood children’s playground during other neighborhoods,” Fenway resident John Student Services Jeff Morris said about 37 of [email protected] SGA senator proposes space allocation policy Chris Van Buskirk, Beacon Staff administration, staff, and faculty needs last.