Spring sports cleared

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Emerson College’s student newspaper since 1947 • berkeleybeacon.com

Thursday, March 04, 2021 • Volume 74, Issue 19

@berkeleybeacon // @beaconupdate

Pelton poised to reshape Boston Foundation presidency Frankie Rowley Beacon Staff After Emerson President M. Lee Pelton steps into his new role as CEO and President of The Boston Foundation on June 1, he will be tasked with setting new priorities for the organization, managing its $1.5 billion budget, and serving as a liaison between donors and nonprofits. Established in 1919, The Boston Foundation works as “Boston’s largest grant maker,” providing grants to nonprofit organizations in the greater Boston area through their endowment fund. The foundation also works to create “donor advised funds”— funds invested into donor-created charitable funds and dispersed over time. Among its other duties, the foundation acts as a civic and research innovation hub to develop solutions for issues facing the greater Boston community. “The job has changed a lot because the organization has changed a lot, mostly for the better,” current President Paul Grogan said. “It’s like a bank for community improvement. Much of our money is supplied by donors [who] wish to do their charitable work in conjunction with the foundation. We’re able to assist generous donors, putting their money in the right place, identifying programs for them to fund, and so forth.” Grogan, who led the Foundation for 20 years, said the President must manage relationships both with the board of directors and nonprofit organizations across the country and internationally—though most grants go to nonprofits in Boston and Massachusetts. The president is also responsible for hosting and organizing fundraisers, as well as determining the foundation’s priorities alongside the Board. “Our goal is to work with all the major stakeholders in Boston to focus on the major challenges and opportunities facing our city,” Linda Mason,

A student walks down Boylston street. Alec Klusza / Beacon Staff

Exterior of The Boston Foundation. Zhihao Wu / Beacon Staff chair of the foundation’s board of directors, said. “That would be community leaders, the universities, the business community, the government, other foundations, [and] donors. We represent the city in its entirety [and] serve the city in its entirety.” The organizations supported by the foundation typically align with one or more of the foundation’s “five impact areas,”—arts and culture, education, health and wellness, neighborhoods and housing, and jobs and economic development, according to their website. Nonprofits can also apply for “open door grants”—which envelops nonprofits that don’t fall under the impact area—or directly through donors-established funds. In the 2020 fiscal year, the foundation and its donors made approximately 12,000 grants, totalling to more than $215 million, according to Ted McEnroe, senior director of communications and digital media. The job of the president has changed as the foundation expanded. He said the most significant shift has been the financial responsibilities of the position. Grogan said it was time

to leave the foundation and allow a new leader to develop a fresh vision. “Fresh blood and a fresh pair of eyes are needed in most institutions periodically,” Grogan said. “It’s a very demanding job and it’s relentless... I feel like I’ve had my experience with that and I think it went very well, and [now it’s] time to do something different.” Grogan said Pelton could expect a steep learning curve after his induction into the foundation following commencement. “Part of it is just a whirlwind that takes place as he gets into the job,” Grogan said. “Given the relationships that have to be built, the number of people who will want to be meeting with him and talking with him, there’ll be a lot of pressure.” Pelton will be taking the helm as the 10-year priorities for the foundation are being set. ”It will be a real opportunity for him to put his stamp on the foundation and its activities and his priorities,” Grogan said. “He’ll have a lot of flexibility to do that.” Foundation, Pg. 2

Administrators suggest restriction loosening on the horizon Charlie McKenna Beacon Staff

With coronavirus cases on the decline in Boston and in Massachusetts and the gradual lift of restrictions, positive COVID-19 tests at Emerson have begun to slowly dip back to fall semester rates, prompting administrators to consider loosening some on-campus restrictions. For just the second time this semester, Emerson reported single-digit positives last week, with seven community members testing positive for the virus. The only other week in which fewer than 10 positive tests were reported was the first week of testing this semester—the week the fewest number of tests were administered. This week, four community members have tested positive of the more than 2,400 tests administered. This comes on the heels of Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker progressing the state’s reopening to Phase Three, Step Two, and Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh indicating the city would follow suit on March 22. Baker announced that the state will move into its fourth and final phase of reopening on March 22, allowing for the resumption of some large gatherings. At Emerson, administrators wouldn’t say what restrictions might be lifted, but said as cases continue to decline, some aspects of “normal,” pre-pandemic college life could return, “COVID Lead” Erik Muurisepp said. “Relaxing some of our regulations, we want to do that, we’ve started conversations of what could we do, knowing that the city has,” he said. “We are reviewing that, we hope that maybe in a few weeks we can start loosening some things up and allowing some more capacities. That would be my ideal, is if we can get back to some of those spaces and practices before the end of the school year.” Muurisepp declined to provide any specific examples of restrictions that could be lifted. Restrictions, Pg. 3

Emerson green lights spring sports Christopher Williams, Joseph Dubois Beacon Staff Nearly a year after their season came to an unexpected halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Emerson’s spring sports teams will be the first programs to compete in an official season since last March. “When my coach told me at first, it didn’t really hit, and then when I was making my way to campus I was like, ‘Holy shit,’” junior baseball Captain Calvin Jacey said in an interview, “It just makes everything that we’ve really gone through really worth it.” The New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference announced its plans for a spring sports season with ongoing COVID testing and mandatory masking on Monday. Emerson athletes were left in the lurch for two days following the announcement, unsure if the college would opt in to competition. The conference required each of its eleven member schools to independently determine if they would opt into the season, and Emerson was the second-to-last school to reach a decision. Clark University, Springfield College, United States Coast Guard Academy, Wheaton College, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute all opted to participate in

149

positive COVID-19 tests

.18%

positivity rate

84,600+ tests completed *Accumulated from 2020-2021 school year

The men’s lacrosse team will soon compete for the first timesince March 2020. / Courtesy Justin Schmalholz the spring season following the announcement. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, and Wellesley College opted out, and Babson College has yet to reach a decision. Junior softball pitcher and infielder Katelyn Torlincasi said in an interview the team “tried to remain optimistic,” but were left feeling anxious while waiting for the college’s decision. Emerson announced its decision

Wednesday morning, allowing four of its six spring sports teams— baseball, men’s and women’s lacrosse, and softball—to compete this spring. The announcement, which set the season start date as March 13, left athletes feeling grateful and excited to be doing what they love once again. “It kind of feels like we’re picking up where we left off,” Torlincasi said, “It’s a really cool opportunity, and we’re all really grateful we even get a chance to step on the

field this season.” As part of the college’s decision, athletes must receive three COVID tests per week, are not permitted to travel overnight, have the opportunity to individually opt out of the season at any time, and will continue practicing in groups of seven to eight players. The official schedules are yet to be determined, but teams have already begun practicing. Fans are not permitted to attend games this season. NEWMAC, Pg. 8

INSIDE THIS EDITION Spring sees rise in inconclusive COVID-19 tests Pg. 3 Editorial: Biden falls short on election promises Pg. 4 Op-ed: Confronting feelings of lonliness Pg. 5 ‘Coded Bias’ highlights racial prejudice in AI Pg. 7 Fall sports teams begin training for next season Pg. 8


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