MCLA Using Music to Engage Prospective Students

By Jen ThomasPrint Story | Email Story
NORTH ADAMS - Five years ago, a young Adams musician wrote a song so sweet and romantic, it convinced the girl of his dreams to dump her boyfriend and go out with the budding Romeo. Now, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts is hoping Travis Cunningham's ballad will convince prospective students to fall in love with the college. The song - called "10 Minute BreakUp" - will be included in a special end-of-the-semester podcast that features a collection of music from artists in and around Berkshire County. Titled "100 Miles from North Adams," the podcast aims to attract students from within a 100-mile radius of the college, from where much of the school's population comes. The podcast, which is set to be officially launched on Dec. 13, is just one of many efforts by the college to become an online presence over the last several years. According to Amy Stevens, the college's Web communications manager, the quickest and easiest way to engage the college crowd is to go where they are - the virtual world. "It's where the students are now," Stevens said. "If we want to be seen, we have to get our name out there. The more places they can see us, the better." In addition to the weekly podcasts, MCLA has its own blog and is a staple on social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook. Though the interactive content online was originally designed for current students and alumni of the college, the features have evolved into recruiting and community-building tools. "The blog is mostly talking about what happens on campus and showing that off. It's not just for prospective students and their families but it's geared toward them," said Stevens, adding that the blog is mostly composed of "things that catch my fancy." Next week, MCLA will also unveil a brand-new admissions Web page, which will offer interactive campus tours and a glimpse of what student life is truly like with candid snapshots of students participating in on-campus activities. "We'll be showing students in their natural habitat and showing off students who are really happy here, who are thriving," said Stevens. For Cunningham, any opportunity to get his music to a new audience is a positive one. "I think it's an awesome idea to include local music in a podcast. In this area, it's hard to get your local music out, and lately, it's been really stale. Being included is another way to feel supported by your community," said Cunningham, 22. Now a sociology major at MCLA, Cunningham still spends much of his spare time recording acoustic songs, though not all of them are as "public-friendly" as "10 Minute BreakUp," he said. His other greatest venture – as guitarist and vocalist for metal/hard-core band Subluxation – means working on a comeback tour and relegating the lovelorn poetics to the back burner.
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SteepleCats Shut Out on Road

iBerkshires.com Sports
MONTPELIER, Vt. -- Four Vermont pitchers combined to strike out 11 and allow four hits Tuesday as the Mountaineers beat the North Adams SteepleCats, 11-0, in New England Collegiate Baseball League action.
 
Evan Meier, Bobby Stang, Tonny Woodie and Chris Diaz each had a hit for the SteepleCats, who used five pitchers in the loss.
 
North Adams (0-2) comes home Tuesday to host the Mystic Schooners at 6:30 p.m. at Joe Wolfe Field.
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