MCLA Adds Class to Summer Sessions Offerings: 'I Can’t Breathe'

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — As part of its first Summer Session from May 31-June 11, 2021, MCLA will offer an education course titled "I Can't Breathe:" Racial Capitalism at the Intersections of Race, Social Class, Space, and School,"(EDUC 364) taught by Dr. Lisa Arrastia, assistant professor of education.  
 
The course will take place remotely on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:30-6:20 p.m., and addresses Massachusetts Subject Matter Knowledge goals for history and social science, English language arts, and digital literacy and computer science for grades 5-12.  
 
Course description 
 
The guiding, interdisciplinary question of this course is, "Why can't Black bodies breathe in America?" The professor and students in this course will act as parallel learners who attempt to respond to this same question and, therefore, both will be "the student" in this unique and timely class that will use methods of history, aesthetics, and multimedia. The course will use as a case study the Derek Chauvin trial in the death of George Floyd to examine how the historical and contemporary landscape of American racial traumas are devised, composed, and constituted. 
 
Learn more and register for summer classes at www.mcla.edu/summer

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Macksey Updates on Eagle Street Demo and Myriad City Projects

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff

The back of Moderne Studio in late January. The mayor said the city had begun planning for its removal if the owner could not address the problems. 
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Moderne Studio building is coming down brick by brick on Eagle Street on the city's dime. 
 
Concerns over the failing structure's proximity to its neighbor — just a few feet — means the demolition underway is taking far longer than usual. It's also been delayed somewhat because of recent high winds and weather. 
 
The city had been making plans for the demolition a month ago because of the deterioration of the building, Mayor Jennifer Macksey told the City Council on Tuesday. The project was accelerated after the back of the 150-year-old structure collapsed on March 5
 
Initial estimates for demolition had been $190,000 to $210,000 and included asbestos removal. Those concerns have since been set aside after testing and the mayor believes that the demolition will be lower because it is not a hazardous site.
 
"We also had a lot of contractors who came to look at it for us to not want to touch it because of the proximity to the next building," she said. "Unfortunately time ran out on that property and we did have the building failure. 
 
"And it's an unfortunate situation. I think most of us who have lived here our whole lives and had our pictures taken there and remember being in the window so, you know, we were really hoping the building could be safe."
 
Macksey said the city had tried working with the owner, who could not find a contractor to demolish the building, "so we found one for him."
 
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