04/12/2016

Southern Maine Community College Issue 6, #12 | April 12th, 2016 By the students; For the students

www.facebook.com/thebeacon.smcc | www.thesmccbeacon.wordpress.com

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TEDx SMCC Alex Serrano CNMS Major

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nerd who made it. A study on poverty. A businessman high on innovation. The benefits of youth. A soul-filled frontman from the Congo. An inspiring motivational speaker built up by motivational speakers. A suave Vietnamese entrepreneur. A trans revolutionary, and a bruised alcoholic-turned-gladiator. What do all these people and concepts have in common? They are the speakers of TEDx SMCC of course.

The event started with a few classical ballads and hymns from the SMCC Chorale.

Jarringly juxtaposed with a bubblegum pop rap from a local artist named Thommy Kane, while this beginning was not a rocky one by any means, it was certainly a bold statement. Finally, with an introduction from our very own Chuck Ott, the event began in earnest.

The theme “Mind The Gap” exploring ideas of “old vs. new, tradition vs. innovation, and struggle vs. triumph” was certainly open and appealing to all.

The first speaker was Lloyd Metcalf, an adventure writer, illustrator, and SMCC Communications & New Media alumni. He spun a rich yarn of a young boy growing up in a sorry mill town, and how we as adults stifle “unrealistic” childhood dreams. As a CNMS major myself, his was the story I related to the most, but more was soon to come.

Three speakers that day spoke of business, from a business perspective. Becky McKinnell, young President of iBec Creative, outlined her struggle as a young busi-

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nesswoman to be taken seriously and take herself seriously as a young entrepreneur.

Jess Knox, President of Olympico Strategies, enthralled us with the wonders of innovation, no matter how small. Quang Nguyen, an SMCC graduate with a degree in Business Administration, talked about his tumultuous introduction to America and his hard-won success.

Michelle Neujahr, an SMCC Business Professor, Nicole Maines, a transgender youth activist, and Liz Leddy, a two-time Golden Gloves champion boxer, shared a common theme. All three fought from the bottom through the quagmire of self-deprecation, social norms, and alcohol abuse respectively. Theirs were the most poignant stories of the day.

Then there was the fantastically talented Fiston “Seba” Bujambi. A singer, songwriter, pianist and guitarist from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Fiston provided the intermission with some incredible smooth jazz fusion. Paired with coffee and cookies, he and his band helped set the mood for the creative, sometimes aggressive discussion led by a simple

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question: “What does ‘Mind the Gap’ mean to you?” Patrons were encouraged to pin their thoughts on a triangular prism-column in the middle of the lounge area, yielding varied and complex responses. “...[the] gap between many peoples’ expectations/needs and reality” pondered one such sticky-note.

Another stoically insinuated, “the Bible and school.” Yet another asked a conceptual challenge. “The gap I see is generational.

Why can’t we get educated [in] both oldschool and modern ways and make them

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both better?”

The throughline across all of these inspiring individuals, musicians, and stickynotes was a hope. A hope, a passion, a dream, that each and every one of them has taken and molded into a reality. So go out!

Get inspired. All you need to acquire your dream is a bit of hard work, persistence, innovation, an acknowledgement of the obstacles, and a quart of high-concentrate elbow grease.

Campus News

Students & Faculty Read from the Heart Evelyn Waugh Physics Major

By the Students, for the Students

EXECUTIVE STAFF

Illaria Dana Executive Editor

Aiden Bothwell Creative Director Abraham Chouinard Art Director

Samuel Carlson Social Media Manager

SECTION EDITORS

Beacon Staff

Illaria Dana Diedree Glassford

Evelyn Waugh

Campus News Op & Ed Arts & Features Other World

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Derek Cain, Samuel Carlson, Justin Cochran, Oona Foley, Christian Guthrie, Hughes Roland Ingabire, Ness Hutchins, Jessamyn Leeks, Hannah Martin, Ramon Michaud, Nicholas Moll, Michael Priester, Alexander Serrano, Adam Poliquin, Carlin Whitehouse, Aria Zarnoski Find us online and make comments! www.thesmccbeacon.wordpress.com Facebook: The SMCC Beacon Twitter: The SMCC Beacon

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n celebration of National Poetry Month, students, professors and poetry connoisseurs came together Tuesday, April 5th for the first of a weekly series of poetry readings in the Campus Chapel. These readings celebrate April, National Poetry Month. National Poetry Month was established in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets. As the largest literary celebration in the world, the month is marked by a surge of interest in reading and writing poetry and is intended to celebrate and showcase poetry whilst bring-

Local Writers at The Local Buzz Saturday, April 23, 2016 Readings from:

“The Wildest Peal” Contemporary Animal Poetry II with Carolyn Frost, John McVeigh, Alice Persons, Betsy Sholl, Pam Burr Smith, David Stankiewicz, Kevin Sweeney, and Doug Woodsum

ing attention to poetry’s place in our lives: a cornerstone of culture, a creative outlet, and an embodiment of humanity.

Appreciation of poetry is a unique tool for teaching us to read, write, and understand text in ways prose cannot. A given person may read around a few thousand words a day (via Lakeland Library Region Staff / News Optimist), be it for pleasure, for a college course, for work, to stay informed, or while mindlessly scrolling through social media.

People are so often surrounded by writing that words may become too familiar to have a strong impact on readers. Poetry enables one to stare into the soul of words and evokes

meanings within the reader which may have been long forgotten. Poetry inspires reflection and reminds one of what it means to be human.

Take a break from the routine and bustle of the finishing semester and come feel something deeply. Join the poetic ambience with us each Tuesday this month. The readings take place in the campus chapel at 12:15pm.

PHOTOS: Student Tabitha Barker, Professor Kevin Sweeney, student Nichloas Mitchell and Professor Charles Ott reading Poetry in the Chapel.

THE SCIENCE DEPARTMENT AT SMCC INVITES YOU TO A FREE SEMINAR OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC THURSDAY APRIL 28TH

How the Salt-Loving Microbe Halobacterium salinarum Responds to Stress

Come hear local area writers reading from their work, while enjoying custom blended teas and coffees, wine or cocktails, and delicious locally sourced food.

Ron Peck, Department of Biology, Colby College

www.localbuzzcafe.com 4:00 – 5:00 PM at The Local Buzz 327 Ocean House Road, Cape Elizabeth FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Southern Maine Community College, South Portland, ME

THE SMCC BEACON | | April 9th, 2016

All seminars are from 5:30 – 6:30 PM in Jewett Auditorium, Jewett Hall

Campus News MCC Loses Only Full-time Sociologist Illaria Dana Education Major

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n a snowy morning, Dr. Genevieve Cox sat down in her office in Harborview to discuss the changes being made at Southern Maine Community College. Dr. Cox is the only full-time sociologist in the Maine Community College system. Her position was eliminated in January of this year, and her courses will be taught by adjunct instructors.

SMCC has evolved from a technical school into one that prepares students both for vocations and for continuing their higher educations. Dr. Cox commented on this change. “For better or worse, this school is becoming increasingly the first two years of college for a lot of students in Maine.” As SMCC shifts, the needs of students shift.

Sociology plays a dramatic role in the changes at SMCC. “Sociology is an important element for the first two years [of college], especially because it’s the first time that a lot of students have spent time talking analytically about racism or sexism or classism. It is an important conversation to be had.” The consistent forces of racism, sexism, and classism affect the ways people relate to each other on a national scale; in politics, wages inequalities, and class demographics; and emphasize a need for students to discuss these charged topics clearly.

Armed with the facts, students who continue on to their bachelor’s degrees understand how groups relate to each other and how to talk about these relationships.

Students develop a sense of the world that

calls for justice and creative solutions to modern day struggles. Dr. Cox offered her perspective of the cuts. “Some of the lay offs, or positions being cut, to me represent a short-sightedness in terms of the mission of a community college.” She called the cuts “uncreative” and would have liked to have seen other options explored.

“Full-time faculty are the heart and soul of the school. I made a particular choice to come to SMCC, because I believe in the mission of the Community College.”

Currently, full-time faculty are the only faculty who act as advisors to students. Dr. Cox mentioned that, “they’re who students increasingly come in contact with.” Fulltime faculty are also more likely to have office hours and be available to students during the day when they are not teaching classes.

Dr. Cox said that full-time faculty have “had a hard year. There has been a culture of fear, of waiting for the ax to drop, which does not set up an environment of connection.” Fear can affect the ability of professors to do their jobs. In Dr. Cox’s opinion, “It seems that faculty are worried about this new perspective from President Cantor that he calls, ‘On Their Terms, Not Ours’ (OTTNO). Although of course we pay attention to the needs of students, the phrase implies a lack of setting the bar high and having students meet that bar. Faculty are nervous about grading. But you have to be strong. That is how students grow.”

If SMCC is going to prepare students for the rigors of four-year colleges, this has to be the model for academic courses. Students in vocational programs need challeng-

es in preparation for the jobs they will enter.

As community colleges shift to accommodate both vocational and academic paths, the profile of students is increasingly diverse. Students at SMCC are parents with careers, caretakers, students with English as a second language. Community colleges make education accessible to a broad range of students. However, the expectations must be cohesive with what other college campuses expect from their students. Dr. Genevieve Cox in her office at Southern Maine Community College.

We are capable Photo by Beacon Managing Editor, Illaria Dana of meeting those expectations. get as a faculty member is when I see con As enrollment has decreased in the last nections being made, and I hope that I am year, one hopes that these new challenges contributing to a more sustainable society do not continue to inspire fear but call for as a whole by fomenting these conversastudents and faculty together to think of tions. There’s nothing like being in the creative solutions to a fiscal conundrum. As classroom and watching brains opening and Dr. Cox said, “The most excitement that I seeing the world in new ways.”

BIRTH NOTICES

Welcome to Planet Earth The Beacon Staff

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ongratulations goes out to Maiasarah Moiskoon and Erik Squire, proud parents of Charliee Nasya Squire who arrived on February 24th, 2016 at 6:64pm. Charliee Nasya was born at 7.5 lbs and has since then put on a few earthly pounds as she has climbed into the 9.2 lb range.

When asked how Charliee Nasya is doing Maiasarah replied, “she has had some issues with pattern and baby acne due to a boiler problem in our apartment.

The temperatures skyrocketed to 90 degrees on Easter weekend.” Maiasarah continued to say that Charliee Nasya, “fusses after feedings and needs to be bounced to

fall back to sleep. Rocking doesn’t work.”

Erik and Maiasarah were married on December 30th, 25 days after Erik proposed during a concert when one of their favorite songs was played. The wedding took place at the McKernan

winter evening as 4 friends and a baby attended as witnesses. The ceremonies were officiated by Maiasarah and Erik’s bank teller with a “holy donut bribe,” and according to Maiasarah the event “was perfect.”

On November 14, 2015 the Monica Klein and Maurice Murray welcomed their newborn son Elliot Leonard Murray to the world. Monica Klein is in Education at SMCC. Maurice who is in Behavior Health also at SMCC said that, “It’s so exciting to have a son as I have been finding myself thinking about how his life will be different than mine as he has two college educated parents and I only had my mother who was not college educated.”

The Beacon, the Cesil office and all that know Maiasarah, Erik, Monica and Maorice wish both family’s the best and look forward to being apart of Charliee Nasya’s and Elliot Leonard Murray’s lifes.

Center on a snowy

THE SMCC BEACON | | April 9th, 2016

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The Other World Preventative Care vs. Reactionary Care Aria Zarnoski

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n the United States, Americans are famous for their love of prescription pharmaceuticals, as well as their expensive health care system. Prescription drug use is more present in the United States than any other country, and it is no joke that drug use quickly becomes abuse. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the United States is 5% of the world’s population and consumes 75% of the world’s prescription drugs. Why is it that more and more people are being prescribed addictive anti-depressants? Why is it that yoga and alternative medicinal therapies such as acupuncture and massage therapy are not covered by most health insurance policies?

C’mon America, let’s get our priorities in check! We live in a society that values reactionary health care, rather than preventative health care.

The difference between reactionary care and preventative care is simple; reactionary care is simply reacting to the issue, rather than solving it and preventing the issue from happening in the first case. America,

and many other money-driven societies, put physical and mental health on the bottom of their long, strenuous checklists. Stress is the number one reason that many people are being placed on anti-depressants and other pain killers.

The pharmaceutical companies are making billions of dollars on our unhappiness. It has been reported by the Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI) that in 2011, prescriptions made up 17% of total per capita spending in the United States. However, it is proven that doing yoga increases happiness through the release of dopamine and endorphins, so why are we not signing up for a yoga class? Is it because the average yoga class is $15 per class and 3 day yoga retreats on average cost approximately $300-500? Yoga is a luxury my friends, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are some poses that you can try at home that will prevent medical difficulties in the future. Let’s act before we need to react.

the body.

Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana): lie on your back and place your feet on your mat (or floor). Bring your heels towards your body so that your fingertips can touch them.

Press your feet into the ground and lift your pelvis. The power is in your thighs, so keep your glutes relaxed. Hold for 10 breaths.

Feeling fatigued and overworked?

Instead of an espresso shot, try a backbend. Backbends wake up the body’s life force energy called prana, and rejuvinates

Do you suffer from depression?

The Maine Winter can be long. If you feel like you’re catching a bit of the Winter Blues, have no fear- Bound Angle Pose

Do you have insomnia?

Bridge pose is also really good for relaxation, but if you feel like you can never get a full night’s rest, try Corpse Pose (Savasana). This is a pose of total relaxation.

Lie on your back with your feet open like a book and about 6 inches away from each other. Have your hands 6 inches away from your body, palms facing up. Close your eyes and scan your body for any tension in your face, throat, chest, legs, and feet. Stay here for 5-10 minutes breathing normally.

(Baddha Konasana) is here! We tend to hold a lot of negativity in our hips, so naturally, a hip-opener will do just the trick to release any negative feeling. Remember: The issues are in the tissues!

Start by sitting on your mat with a tall spine. Bring the bottoms of your feet together and open them like a book. Gently try to lower your knees towards your mat, it can be helpful to use your elbows to guide your knees. Do not fret if your knees are as high as your chest. The point is to feel a stretch.

It may be uncomfortable, but you should not feel pain. Remember that yoga is a process.

Accept where you are and move forward. If your body feels good here, start to lean forward with a flat back over your ankles. You can also lie on your back and try this pose for deeper relaxation in Reclined Bound Angle Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana).

For more information on preventative poses, email me at ariazarnoski@aol.com The power is in your body, mind, and spirit.

Namaste

Tech Talk: Should you buy or build your own pc

By Derek Cain

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Adam Poliquin Computer Technology Senior Seminar

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440p. 120 FPS. Some of you reading this look at that jumble of characters and see gibberish. Others see performance they merely dream of attaining.

There are others still, I’m sure, that look at those numbers and laugh pitiably at the peasants. This article is not for you.

As a PC gamer myself, I understand the plight of trying to keep up with the ever-improving requirements for playing games at an acceptable level. Especially when that acceptable level seems to be climbing higher and higher out of reach. New equipment for your gaming machine that can keep up with this demand (graphics cards in particularly) can be prohibitively expensive. I’m here to tell you that there may be another way to squeeze out some higher numbers without thinning out that bank account.

Overclocking is a term I’m sure most, if not all, of you reading this have heard before. It is the process of changing some settings on your hardware to force them into running faster; and, it might just be what you need to not drop five hundred dollars on that brand new piece of tech. But is it the right choice for you?

It wasn’t too long ago that overclock-

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ing any component of your computer came with a great deal of risk. It isn’t unheard of that someone tries to get more performance out of their machine and ends up burning out their processor, memory, video card, and/or anything else they messed with.

Even melting it beyond recognition in the most extreme cases. During that time, overclocking anything on your computer would immediately void the warranty, and was left to hobbyists or power-gamers more than anything else.

Times have changed. Overclocking is nowhere near as dangerous or frowned upon as it was not even five years ago.

Nowadays, manufacturers have put safeties in place to prevent you from cooking anything important beyond the point of no return. In fact, the biggest names in the video card industry (Nvidia and AMD) have produced GPUs that are built for doing just that, and they have also provided the tools and utilities necessary for you to accomplish this feat. The tools for accomplishing this can be found for AMD in the “AMD Overdrive” section of their Catalyst Control Center software. For an Nvidia card, you will need to download and install their System Tools utility and modify your card’s performance through the GeForce drivers.

THE SMCC BEACON | | April 9th, 2016

have had quite a few friends and family members ask my about new computers. Usually they will have looked at premade computers or laptops and when they have seen the prices, they will look at me and ask what they need. For the most part desktop computers will offer you more power per dollar. So at that point I’d look at the person asking and ask if they needed their computer to be portable.

Examples of why you’d need portability would be if: you’re a student bringing your computer to class to take notes as you would want a computer that’s portable and one that can play games. (You won’t be able to play games on high graphics for long.

I’ve had two gaming laptops since I’ve been going to SMCC and you’ll be lucky to get that level of power to last a year). Or you will need something portable to use for work.

If you fall under any of these categories, you will want to buy a premade laptop because for the most part, unless you are a very talented case/computer modder, you’re not going to be able to build your own laptop. So if you fall outside of these categories I mentioned then you should look at desktops. For the most part (unless you don’t need any power on your computer ie. you will just use it to check email surf the web etc.), you will spend a lot less money building your own computer.

This can be a very daunting task, however if you need something now and spending more money isn’t a problem to buy a computer factory made where the whole computer is covered by warranty, then by all means go for it. However, if you want to get the most out of your money and aren’t afraid of a little research (youtube is an amazing place for this. Channels like Linus tech tips and Jayz two cents are invaluable for such endeavors. I’m almost done with

my computer tech degree and I still learn tons from these guys), then this really is the way to go.

The hardest part is shopping for components. You NEED to make sure that your CPU and motherboard match up (for this you look at something called socket type).

The next thing you’ll need to look at is ram.

This one can be tricky as there are a few kinds out at the moment. The main ones you’ll be interested in are ddr3 and ddr4 (ddr4 is the newest kind of ram for desktops). After that you’ll need a hard drive.

The two that you’ll need to decide over are hhd and ssd (hhd is the older but more reliable kind that have metal spinning disks but are a lot slower than ssds, but they won’t last as long and if the power suddenly goes out you could lose all the stuff on them).

At this point you will need to decide if you want to get a graphics card. If you don’t play video games or do any sort of video production, then for the most part you’ll be fine with the graphics module that come in most CPUs. This can very easily be one of the most expensive parts of your build so keep your budget in mind.

Then you’ll need to look into a power supply. This one’s pretty simple if you don’t add a graphics card you’ll be, for the most part, fine with a 500 watt one. Lastly you’ll need to get a case. For this you’ll need to look at the motherboard again, this time for its form factor (most of the time it’s one called ATX). The only other thing you’ll need is something called thermal paste to bond your CPU to the heatsink. So basically, if you need a computer but you’re on a short budget look into building a computer.

Once you get a few basic themes down it’s not nearly as daunting as it might first appear.

Derek Cain is a Computer tech student at SMCC who hopes to get a job in computer security

The Other World A New Way to Look Home: Instructor Megan Grumbling Reads From Her New Book of Poems Illaria Dana Education Major

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he audience is lively. People chat with drinks in hand while two projectors, one located behind the stage and one to the right, show images and films.

Some are hazy and old-looking. Others are clear and crisp images of water and crackling leaves. The median age of the audience is forty if not older. The walls are yellow with a mix of orange. They seem to glow.

The moving images settle to the image of a man. He is old, and he stands with his back to the camera. A stick is in his left hand, his right hand on his hip. His face in profile. He isn’t smirking, but he might be.

This is the cover of Megan Grumbling’s book of poems, Booker’s Point.

Booker’s Point is the way Grumbling chose to make the landscape of her childhood home again. The stories of an old man are the tool she used to shape her poems.

Printed by the University of North Texas Press in April of this year, Booker’s Point received the Vassar Miller Prize in Poetry.

Grumbling is introduced by Gibson Fay-Leblanc. He thanks Space Gallery and the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance for sponsoring the event. Fay-Leblanc says that we are here to “celebrate one of our own who has made it- made many things, this beautiful book being one of them.”

One can tell he is a writer by the way he describes Grumbling’s ability to “get to the heart of things and make them sing.” He says her work is “bright with abandon” and chastises those of us who may think that writing is less than “working your ass off.”

One imagines Booker standing behind him with a sidelong glance. There are, indeed, many ways to make things. Some people make their hearth with stones “from other men’s yards.”

Grumbling stands before the microphone, while there is technical difficulty. The microphone is fixed, the audience claps, and Grumbling begins.

Grumbling describes Booker as the “quintessential jack of all trades” that could “build you anything from what he found at the dump or in the quarry.” He’s that ar-

chetypal old man who is set in his ways which is perhaps why many people have asked Megan whether there really was a Booker. Indeed, there was, and he lived across the pond.

Grumbling reads her poems and in between gives a description of Booker. She says he loved “elemental things: dirt, earth, water, trees, and stones.” One poem is called “Good Digging” and describes Booker’s meticulous way of digging a hole. She reads, “‘Been looking all my life for gold,’ he cackles.

‘None down there today.’”

Listening to Grumbling, one is driven closer to the center between her, her hometown of Wells, other places she’s been, and of course, Booker. Listeners are reminded they have no control over where the world places them. To be born involves no choice, but from this point of origin, choices begin

to present themselves. You have control over what you look at and how you chose to look.

Perhaps something catches your eye.

For Booker it was white marble. For Grumbling, it was Booker and her hometown of Wells, Maine. Grumbling’s relationship with Booker fueled her writing, but these poems are her own. She descends from the podium gracefully and sits to sign copies of Booker’s Point.

Episodic Gaming and Hitman Christian Guthrie CNMS Major

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ver since the announcement regarding how the recently released stealth game Hitman would deliver its content through use of an episodic model, some confusion has left consumers and gaming enthusiasts with multiple questions on why IO Interactive (the developers of Hitman) had stepped away from a usual launch strategy. What are the benefits of episodic content, and why would a development company switch to it?

After the release of the previous title Hitman Absolution, IO Interactive was met with some criticism in terms of the direction the series was headed. Many fans were left upset with the level design of the game.

Most levels were straightforward and didn’t

allow much player freedom, something the Hitman series was well known for. While these critiques were well thought out and valid, IO Interactive couldn’t just simply change the game’s DNA overnight. Once it shipped, that was it. Nothing drastic could have been done to alter the core mechanics of the game.

Since a niche of the series was player interaction, a choice was made to be more directly involved with the players. Before the official reveal of the latest installment (simply titled Hitman) IO Interactive flew in some of the best players from the Hitman community to test and give feedback on their first episode of content. Not only did this become a learning experience for the fans and developers alike, it showed a clear strength of having a game be episodic.

When a developer decides to tackle the

episodic model, it changes the entire experience of the content. Usually, a game is made from start to finish in a development studio. It is a time consuming affair that typically results in blindly shipping a game with developers nervously awaiting to see how well-received the game will be.

Instead of delving into something blindly, why not communicate with the fan-base and develop a game in chunks based on player feedback?

Episodic gaming allows feedback based development. If a developer releases one section of the game, it allows them to listen to their fans’ feedback about what worked and what didn’t. This results in higher quality content which then makes the whole experience stronger.

There has been some notions that the whole

game is done, and IO Interactive has split the game up purposely in order to make a higher profit. This conspiracy could have potential merit if the pricing structure was different. With an episodic model, potential new fans can dip their toes in the water by purchasing a selection of game content (The introduction pack is listed at a $15 price point) and essentially seeing if it’s worth the full $60 price tag.

Because of the constantly evolving hardware, some game developers are treating their games more like a platform of content by allowing constant iterations to the project. Not only do the staff maintain their jobs, consumers also get constant updates to their favorite games. It’s a winning situation for both parties.

THE SMCC BEACON | | April 9th, 2016

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Opinions and Editorials Beyoncé’s Message of Equality is Unsurprisingly Condemned Jessamyn Leeks Liberal Studies, Science Concentration

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eyoncé’s Super Bowl halftime performance created a great deal of controversy over the past few months. There have been protests and boycotts as a response to the show in cities such as Miami and New York. It has been called “reverse-racist,” “anti-police,” and a “race-baiting stunt.” These reactions should not have been evoked from the singer’s performance.

An anti-Beyoncé rally was held in New York by a group called Proud of the Blues. The rally was held in order to “tell the NFL we don’t want hate speech & racism at the Superbowl ever again,” due to the singer’s allegedly racist performance.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Dear Beacon Editor,

I am writing in support of the “How to use Google Drive” article written by Ramon Michaud. I thought that this kind of “info-article” was a breath of much needed fresh air among the opinion and controversy laden editorials that often permeate school newspapers.

Not only was it written in a very straightforward and easy to understand manner, but the information presented is genuinely helpful to any and all students attending SMCC! I, for one, am a huge advocate for knowledge regarding streamlining techniques, and I feel like Ramon did a great job with this article.

Thank you, Rick Aguilar, SMCC Student Letters to the editor are welcomed, and can be printed anonymously but the sender must identify themselves to the editor. Send letters and inquiries to illariadana@smccme.edu or cott@smccme.edu

The protesters failed to mention their stance on the Washington Redskin’s team name and logo in their call to arms. The post included claims that the singer’s performance was anti-police, which is perhaps the most prevalent argument regarding this issue.

People claim that the performance was anti-police due to the dancer’s outfits resembling those of the Black Panther Party.

This claim is made due to the fact that in 1973 a Black Panther Party member murdered a police officer. This fact is not to be overlooked or made light of in the slightest. It was a horrific incident which should not be commended. It is also not reflective of the party as a whole, as it breaks several of the rules the party held sacred. The

Black Panther party was pro-black, which is a term that much of the population misinterprets to mean anti-white. They provided free breakfast programs to thousands of school children and opened over a dozen health care clinics. They were a group of at least 10,000, though many believe there to be substantially more, that had an ultimate goal very similar to that of the Black Lives Matter movement: equality.

Many people were upset over Beyoncé’s halftime performance, but the message we should have taken from it is another very important similarity between the Black Panther Party and the Black Lives Matter movement. In the Black Panther Party’s ten point program, they called for

an “immediate end to police brutality and the murder of black people.” The Black Lives Matter movement frequently emphasizes the importance of each case in America where an unarmed black individual is shot and killed unjustly by a white police officer. While one member of the Black Panther Party went against what their party believed and murdered a police officer, it is not reflective of the party as a whole. While there are white police officers who unjustly murdered black children, it is not reflective of all white police officers or white people as a whole. Beyoncé’s performance was not anti-police, nor was it anti-white, it was pro-black and pro-equality.

Everyone Has a Fear Justin Cochran Education Major

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veryone has something they are afraid of. What I am afraid of is Donald Trump. What makes me the most afraid about him is that I see perfectly rational people being won over by this man due to their own extreme fears. Some of these fears make sense, while others do not at all. What scares me the most is we see other Republican candidates, just as conservative as Trump, who want to solve the same problems as him but who are not using fear tactics or racism and bigotry to do so.

What does it say about my future as an openly gay man who cares about our environment and human rights when this is the candidate who is getting all the attention? I really want to see someone like Bernie Sanders get in office, but at this point I want anyone but Trump. He legitimately terrifies people.

I may be a college student, but I work hard. I have never gone longer than 6 months or so without a job total since I got out of high school (I’m 23 now) and had many different styles of jobs from a server at a restaurant to an office assistant at Southern Maine Com-

munity College. But, I can still barely make ends meet. If I did not live with my family, I would not be able to live. There

I really want to see someone like Bernie Sanders get in office, but at this point I

anyone but Trump. want

He legitimately terrifies people. is no way. With high rent prices all over the country, the cost of average food, let alone healthy food, and the cost of a car to get to a job, many people of my generation and younger can’t live independent-

ly especially without a college degree.

I feel with Trump we never will be able to gain independence. I worry that all this violence that he perpetuates is not only going to hurt me as a person if he becomes president but will also hurt all of America and our relations with the rest of the world. I worry that all the work that has been put in by hard working people for civil rights will disappear. I’m not just talking about people of color or people in the queer community. I’m also talking about women who had to fight just to vote in this country or even be considered an autonomous person.

These decades and decades of progress will have completely been for naught. I worry that the world I will raise children in will not be safe for them if this continues. I am a very scared American, but it is not the terrorists overseas with nuclear technology that could wipe my life out in an instant that I fear most. It is the people driven by their fear and the leaders whom are capitalizing on this fear, trying to make these fearful people frenzied and thereby violent using racism, Islamophobia, and other fear tactics.

Home of the Free & Brave… The Melting Pot Ntumba B. Mutombo Business Administration & Communications New Media Major

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ue to the recent unrest due to the political battle heating up…

Some of our presidential candidates are not making this easier for us the voter. Their individual accolades start from small million dollar loans, to the deletion of 30,000 emails… It leaves us in a cloud of confusion. These candidates just don’t seem fit for the oval office. N o presidential candidate has stirred up as

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much love and adoration evenly balanced by hatred at the same. Donald J. Trump found guilty in the counts of Making America Great Again... As well as blatant ignorance to attract voters. According to the New York Times article Trump openly said, “I’m opposed to new people (referring to immigrants) coming in.” He continued, “We have to take care of the people who are here.”

Dear Mr. Trump… The apprentice is a great show! But on to serious matters let’s take a look at this comment and break it down. The “Melting Pot,” what is

THE SMCC BEACON | | April 9th, 2016

the Melting Pot? If we take a deeper look at the lineage of the USA’s inhabitants, it dominantly consists of immigrants and refugees... Studies show that 1.7% of inhabitants of this country are Native Americans. Let’s take a mathematical look at that (100-1.7= 98.3%), so I know that 98.3 % did not get here through evolution, but I believe we call them ships and planes. There are people of this beautiful country deployed and are currently serving in over 150+ countries and that means that there is more than 150,000+ US military members all over the world,

on foreign soil right now at this moment as you read this post. On Saint Patty’s day millions of people claim to be 1/349th % Irish...

In conclusion we all come from somewhere else and before you post or share an offensive post about allowing refugees into this country, and promoting the killings of innocent civilians, be sure that you understand the history and facts of how this great country came to be... I’m glad to be an American but I’m gladder to be an immigrant of Africa...

Opinions and Editorials There Can Be No More Waiting Nicholas Moll Marine Science Major

mouths to worry about than their own.

As many people can hear about today, sexual harassment is rampant in the workast week, I joined over a dozen place. 37% of reported sexual harassment restaurant servers at a press concases are restaurant related and those are ference in Portland to support raisonly the cases that are reported. I can attest ing the minimum wage at the ballot this to these occurrences. There isn’t a single November. Over the summer many of us ounce of pride that, when I look back on helped collect signatures for this referenmy time working in the kitchen, I was comdum, which would raise the minimum wage plicit in this toxic culture. This is a product to $9 an hour in 2017 and then a dollar of this unhealthy power dynamic between each year until it reaches $12 in 2020. Just workers that is artificially inflated by the as importantly, it incrementally raises the environment created by the establishment. subminimum wage for It shouldn’t be this tipped workers (which is way, this is not right. just $3.75 an hour plus

This initiative tips) until all workers are would allow so many paid the same fair wage people in this state “My employer believes that my time, work, in 2024. This increase to acquire the good for tipped workers is so needed for survival. and energy is worth $0”. Tipped workers are important, and the main This is also a good disproportionately women, roughly 66%, and reason so many of us step in fighting povercame together to speak ty. Census data from many of these same women are mothers who out last week.

2007 to 2009 shows have more mouths to worry about than their own.

While my employthat states without a ment never involved reseparate subminimum ceiving tips, almost my wage for tipped workentire working life has ers have lower rates been in what are known of poverty than their as back of the house jobs in restaurants and between front of house and back of house counterparts. This bill also puts in an inwant to speak to why raising wages is good workers in a restaurant. I think one of the cremental increase so that minimum wage for all workers in the food industry. primary drivers of this tension is this unfair doesn’t practically double overnight. This, Until recently, I was working as a chef wage dynamic in restaurants. You basically in my opinion, is a great argument for raisde partie, a sort of chef in waiting, for a have one portion of restaurant employees ing the wages but the opponents of this inirestaurant in Portland. After three years of being paid by their employer and another tiative think otherwise. non-stop work, this work had me terribly being paid by their customers. Many of my These opponents like to make the arguburned out and hungry for a change of di- old coworkers would always have the same ment that raising the wage like this would rection in my life. I left that job to go back envelope at the end of the pay cycle; their be bad for small business owners. This isn’t to school at Southern Maine Community paycheck always came out to zero with the necessarily the case. Sierra Dietz, a small College, which is also my employer. This sub minimum wage. An employer has an business owner in Rockland, says that “A left me with a very personal viewpoint on obligation to an employee to pay them for minimum wage increase would make a levhow employees are treated and trained as their services, always. Having a wage that, el playing field for small business owners well as the conditions that are put up with after taxes, comes out to zero is unethical like me.” This is a small business owner in the mindset of making any money at all. and, quite literally, a slave wage. Too many that has to compete with the local big box When my employment started in the of my friends wouldn’t even bother picking stores and having those stores pay their emback of the house, my pay was just above up their checks because they always said ployees more may allow her to expand her the minimum wage. It’s no surprise that the same thing. “My employer believes clientele base. there’s a national shortage of cooks - the that my time, work, and energy is worth Front of house and back of house low-pay can’t keep up with the cost of liv- $0”. Tipped workers are disproportionately workers, and all workers, would all benefit ing and doesn’t justify the time and energy women, roughly 66%, and many of these from this referendum to raise the minimum put into the work. Raising wages will help same women are mothers who have more wage. It starts to put everyone on an even

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restaurants offer competitive wages and retain good workers for these kinds of jobs.

These rates will allow individuals to earn enough to budget for all their expenses as opposed to some of my peers who take out extra student loans just to feed their kids.

That is not right.

When my experiences in the back kitchen of restaurant work come to mind, the most striking aspect would have to be just how competitive and toxic the work environment could be for all employees.

It’s not uncommon to hear about tension

“STEREOTYPES” A Message From a Student Hugues Roland Ingabire Business Administration Major

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ome people might know what this word means, some might not. Some people might have been victim of its erroneous conclusions, some might not.

Well, I am writing this article because, honestly, I am sick of this word “Stereotype.”

The funny thing is that some use this concept without even mentioning the word itself.

Let me first attempt to give a definition. A stereotype is an oversimplified description or definition of a group or a category of people. One example would be seeing a white male shooting a black kid in a movie; and concluding that all white males hate black kids. Therefore, white people are criminals.

It can be this crazy; A MOVIE sets the tone of our reality. Well, some people think that Africans carries diseases, don’t they?

Ask them where they got those ideas or at least if they even have any data to back up their wrongful opinions.

Oh! Ebola you would say, well, I never had it. Does that mean that I am not from Africa? What about the Americans who contracted that disease? Does that make them Africans? It’s time that we stop using nonsense stereotypes as excuses to back up our racial opinions.

Let’s face it: I’m black, you’re white, and we are all beautiful. Aren’t we? The skin color does not mean that much to me.

One inch underneath the skin we’re all red.

We all bleed. Oh, last time I checked our blood has the same color “RED.”

If you know me, you have probably

noticed that I have an accent. Or my English is not as good as yours, I should say!

Does that mean I am dumb? What if I tell you that I speak three other languages?

Does that make you not smart because you speak only English?

Let’s come back to our senses and learn from history. A long time ago people use to believe that some people were born greater than others. Do you still believe in this?

Hey, wake up we are in 2016 not 1206!

Let’s help each other out, let’s share our skills and our ingenuity. Remember, at the end of the day we are the same. We all have feelings. We all have fears. We all have a SOUL and that’s what makes HUMANS. God bless not only America, but also Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania.

Most importantly God bless YOU!

field and encourages cooperation. Many states that have already raised their wages are showing signs of job growth. That’s why many of us collected hundreds of signatures to put this issue on the ballot this November and it’s why I’m standing in solidarity with front of house workers, back of the house workers, low wage workers, and everyone that struggles to pay for the food for their families.

A Satirical Look at the World Hannah Martin CNMS Major

Old People Relive Their Golden Years Through Tour A tour this summer called “I love the 90’s” is just the thing these groups need to feel like they’re in their drug filled youth again. Groups like Salt N’ Peppa, Vanilla Ice, and Biz Markie are one of the many members of this tour that hope to become famous again.

So come on and get your tickets to the tour! Relive those years when you thought parachute pants and crimping your hair was a good idea!

Donald Trump Says Something Stupid Again Recently Donald Trump has stated that he believes women should be punished for having abortions. But before he starts controlling women’s bodies maybe he should start controlling how much tanner he’s using on his face and try to comb out that dead rat on his head. Of course everyone is entitled to their own opinion but it’s hard to listen to someone that looks like a cow chewing grass when he speaks.

THE SMCC BEACON | | April 9th, 2016

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Midcoast Campus Communications and New Media Students at SMCC Prepare for Careers in Digital Painting

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number of students on the south portland campus have already participated, and now this course is being of-

fered through the Brunswick campus as well.

Professor Rachel Guthrie says, “It’s a perfect compliment to the

(Right) Digital Painting by Roscoe, Comunications & New Media studies

student interested in learning to use Photoshop to create characters and landscapes that would be used for movies and games.”

Provided through James Mahoney, who owns Black Lobster Digital Arts Academy and teaches at Dartmouth College, students who wish to receive three new media credits are encouraged to meet with their art teacher or advisor to get help in setting up this independent study or capstone course.

James Mahoney is a veteran digital artist with extensive experience that ranges from design to 3D animation. Trained as an architect at Cornell University, his career includes working in places like Hanna-Barbera Productions and Microsoft Corporation as well as smaller independent animation and game development studios. Additionally, he teaches in the computer science department at Dartmouth College.

Students who have taken the course at SMCC are excited to have been able to learn this craft, some of their work can be seen here.

Contact: rguthrie@smccme.edu

GRADUATE WITH EXPERIENCE.

Attend an upcoming open house on April 14 at 5:30 pm.

ARCHITECTURE INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

DESIGN STUDIES

Register now! the-bac.edu/innovate 617.585.0123

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THE SMCC BEACON | | April 9th, 2016

Arts and Features African American Filmmakers have Made a Mark Michael Priester CNMS Major

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hroughout the years, African Americans have created landmark films that have made an impression on the film industry and the history of film-making. They also address social and race issues through the story of their film.

The very first African American filmmaker was Oscar Micheaux; he created ‘race films’ which involved all black cast members and were made for a black audience only. He pioneered this kind of film, and you can see it throughout movies today such as Don’t Be Menace To Society and Do the Right Thing. Micheaux inspired those films and directors today. Micheaux was the first African American director, producer and writer. He was the first African American to be able to show ‘Negro’ films in white theaters.

His first film that he ever made was The Homesteader, a really short film about a lonely farmer who dies of hunger, because his land can’t grow food. Obviously every director’s first film is going to be a work in progress, because the person is still learning or getting used to somethings. It seem liked Micheaux was still getting used to how to tell a story, plus in that time period the cameras weren’t that great. They were big, clunky, and needed a lot of maintenance. That is all he had to work with, but as the years progressed he made better movies.

He made around forty or so movies.

He was a great filmmaker that changed the

view on black people. As he continued to topic that Spike Lee was attacking was make films, he strayed away from the ‘Ne- equality. Everyone wants equality. gro’ stereotypes and focused on racism, Spike Lee is great at telling stories and what racism is like, and how we fix it. Many making people laugh. The type of comeof his movies seemed to show his learning dy that is in that movie is the type you see experience. on daily basis if you hang out with black

Since Oscar Micheaux, there have people. His movies affected the history of been a lot of African American directors, film by giving insight on what it is like to but there have only been a few that have be an African American and the racial and changed or impacted the way of cinema and social issues that come along with it. A lot society. One of the big imof white or Caucasian peopactors is Shelton Jackson ple did not know what it Lee, also known as Spike was like to be black. There When Spike Lee Lee. This man has made were some that wanted to a lot of movies. Some are know but still did not unmakes a movie, not so great, such as the derstand. it touches on Old Boy remake, while When Spike Lee movies others made amazing concame out, a lot of people racial issues, tributions to cinema. The understood but did not social issues, movies that have been inspeak out or do anything and the African spirational throughout the about it. That is what years are School Daze and makes him a great director American comDo the Right Thing. and a great inspiration. He munity.

When Spike Lee didn’t get Caucasians to makes a movie, it touches speak about race, but he on racial issues, social issues, and the Afri- got them to think about what is really going can American community. He likes to focus on in the world. on how African Americans are portrayed Some people say Tyler Perry is one and what it is like to be an African Ameri- of the greatest directors, or F Gary Gary. can in a time period where everyone thinks There are many talented directors out there, of you as a ‘Negro’. Some people who are but I don’t think they had a big enough imracist are ignorant and just plain stupid. pact on African American culture and the Spike Lee does a great job of this in Do the history of cinema for what it is. Tyler Perry Right Thing. is still new to cinema, because he started Mookie is just a young black who making plays at first, then made his way works for a racist pizza shop owner, but he into cinema. He hasn’t been around for that is not the only person in this movie that is long. racist everyone in this movie is racist. The F. Gary Gary makes movies just for

thrills. He does not include material that is really inspirational or makes you think about the world in a different view as Spike Lee does.

One of the most inspirational film directors is John Singleton. His landmark film is Boyz n the Hood. This film was the film that gave insight into what it is like to live in the Los Angles hood. This movie showed the good times, the parties, the hanging out with friends. It also showed the rough times, the gangs, the violence, and the murders. This is landmark and will be a landmark movie throughout the years because of how personal it is.

The actors in the movie brought a lot to the movie. Cuba Gooding Jr was kind of a goodie-goodie hanging out with gangsters.

Ice Cube and few others also starred in the film. What added more to it was that Ice Cube was a rapper at the time, and he already had a gangster style to him. One can see how his life experience helped the role become believable. This was phenomenal.

Even though this is the only landmark film Singleton has written and directed, he still impacted peoples mind on showing them what the ghetto is like.

It seems that over the years African American directors have attacked social constructs and racism through film. Every time a director has done so, they have created a landmark film. Even though cinema is filled with storytelling and fantasy, directors tell truth in these movies, and that is what these African American directors did.

They brought out the truth on racial and social issues through the art of cinema.

Maine Mayhem Coming to the Nickelodeon May 12th!

Samuel Carlson CMNS Major

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hat’s right people, get ready for it. Tickets are now on sale for this year’s incredible edition of the renowned Maine Mayhem Festival! Pre-order them from the Nickelodeon, because they are going FAST. There are two showings on May 12th, at 6:30 and 8:45pm. While we wait in eager anticipation, here’s a continuation of the March 8th edition’s article, giving you three more synopses for you to look at.

ALONE TOGETHER “Alone Together is a film about what it means to spend your last hours with a total stranger. How well can you get to know somebody when you only have 10 hours and 23 minutes left to live? Indifference more than in love, David and Beth find themselves together in their empty apartment building, their fate narrated by the countdown on the radio. The two share mo-

ments that, were they not occurring on the last day of humanity, might not be anything special. But for David and Beth, they might be some of the most important moments of their short, small lives. Wouldn’t you want

someone to spend your last day with, too?”

WHITE SKIES White Skies is a SiFi thriller set in the 1990’s. The story follows Brad and Jason, two friends, as they stumble upon what appears to be the site of an alien spaceship crash. When they finally realize what they’ve stumbled upon, a being from another world, it makes the two go though a series of disorienting and hellish events until they are taken. Will you be next?

WATERS “Waters” is a coming of age story looking at the hardships of loosing loved ones and the importance of having meaningful bonds. This love letter to the sea follows Evan, a shy 7th grader who walks home every day to an empty house. After loosing his Dad at sea, barely having his mother around and being bullied at school, Evan steals a dinghy to get away. After a struggle with his bully, he finds himself without an oar, helpless and all but stuck at sea. It is only by the luck of the tides that he finds himself on a small island not too far off shore.

He quickly finds a mysterious campsite and middle aged hermit. Weary at first, he talks to the man about his situation. The hermit convinces him to go home, but after a few days he can not help but return to the island. Evan and the hermit slowly become friends. The man teaches him how to survive in the cold and becomes a father figure to the boy. Unfortunately his mother forbids him from heading out into the dangerous waters. Evan is heartbroken. However, a large winter storm is forecast and Evan is sure that the older man will not survive.

Evan sets out to the island to save him, but will he be successful?

Please come and watch the product of several months of blood, sweat, tears, and too much caffeine be realized on the big screen!

THE SMCC BEACON | | April 9th, 2016

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Arts and Features Can The Division Stand Out? Christian Guthrie CNMS Major

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bisoft’s latest game titled The Division hit stores a few weeks back.

Not only was this new intellectual property from the company, it has been breaking records since launch. In the first five days, the game reached $330 million in sales. Not only did this break Ubisoft’s record for their fastest selling game, it also became one of the first new intellectual properties in the video game industry to sell a ludicrous amount of units so quickly.

While The Division has obviously been a success, Ubisoft has a much more challenging obstacle ahead of them: retaining players to their game.

The Division is a third person shooter with role playing elements tied into it, much like Destiny from Bungie Studios. It is also a mesh of the massive multiplayer online genre, offering a large world to explore, loot to collect, and plenty of people to play with. The core mechanics of the

game hinge around players getting hooked into earning better gear for their character, which ties into the feeling of progression.

In the first five days, the game reached $330 million in sales.

Whenever a player spends a few hours with any game, they expect to come out of it with a sense of growth. Whether it be through visual representation (gear earned in the game) or progressing a narrative further, players expect to be rewarded for their time put into a game. With a game like The Division, players are constantly running on a metaphorical treadmill. How long can Ubisoft keep players running?

With a minimal narrative, The Division focuses solely on gameplay. While a story with a lack of depth is not always a

bad thing, it doesn’t set a tone for the world and its characters well. Since the game is primarily quest based, players can find themselves doing the same quest line over and over again but with a different context.

It is arguable that the loot is the main hook of the game, in which even a core aspect of it is flawed. Since the game went with a realistic approach, the character designs can be bland. A majority of the visuals that change on the player model is a jacket with different colors, a situation that harbors diminishing returns, not conveying aesthetically that the player has progressed during

a multiple hour session.

Since the game is focused on its multiplayer aspect, the world in which the player explores is static. This hinders the narrative even more as the world itself is not reacting to events that transpire in the story. Even though the gameplay is solid, The Division is missing crucial components to extend the replay value of the game, something that is critical to other games in similar genres.

Hopefully Ubisoft has many plans in store to keep the content fresh and exciting.

gher each brought personality to their respective roles. With a narrative that only focuses on three characters, the actors needed to be compelling. Little backstory is learned throughout the film, especially about Michelle and Emmett. The viewer instead learns about these characters through their actions and how they handle themselves while trying to survive in a situation that just keeps unraveling. As actions unfold the characters make choices that have more and more immediate repercussions. John Goodman is especially brilliant in his unnerving portrayal of survivalist Howard Stambler. From the very beginning, his performance is disorienting. He reveals facts about himself while slowly demonstrating the volatile nature of his character, leaving the audience to question what is fact

and what is fiction.

However, the downfall of 10 Cloverfield Lane is the last fourth of the film. The ending feels disjointed from the rest of the narrative. It answers the biggest question, “What’s happened outside?”, but ultimately leaves even more questions unanswered.

10 Cloverfield Lane stands on its own as a fresh take on the often cliché apocalyptic-fiction theme, as well as being a nice addition to the Cloverfield franchise. Left on a cliffhanger, fans can most certainly expect another Cloverfield installment in the future. Enthusiasts of speculative science fiction or psychological thrillers will enjoy the superb acting and eerie atmosphere of a future that might not be too far away.

10 Cloverfield Lane Ness Hutchins CNMS Major

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0 Cloverfield Lane is the second film in J.J. Abrams’ Cloverfield media franchise. This directorial debut by Dan Trachtenberg follows a young woman, Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), after she leaves her fiancé to drive the backroads of rural Louisiana. She is hit by another car, and wakes up to find herself in an underground bunker with survivalist Howard Stambler (John Goodman) and local construction worker, Emmett DeWitt (John Gallagher Jr.) who claim there has been an unknown attack on America’s major cities. Michelle is unsure of who to trust while she adjusts to her

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new life underground.

As a psychological thriller, 10 Cloverfield Land delivers. Trachtenberg creates a compelling narrative that brings a fresh perspective to the post-apocalyptic genre. After Michelle wakes from her crash in an underground cell she, and the audience, have to decide whether or not to accept that the world is under siege in order to survive. Michele’s limited perspective of the events unfolding around her guides the audience in one direction while being blindsided by abrupt changes in the course of action as the plot progresses The viewer is consistently lead into a false sense of security only to upend what appeared to be true, leaving one with a great sense of unease. Despite the continuous plot twists within the narrative, the overarching storyline is easy to follow.

The mood is further heightened by interesting shot compositions and purposeful jump-scares. Trachtenburg makes use of tight shots to amplify feelings of hysteria and claustrophobia. In one scene Michelle has to crawl through a vent to reboot the air filter for the shelter. The close up of her face while she inches her way through the ducts showcases her frantic facial expressions, while the audience artificially senses the cramped atmosphere.

Trachtenburg also employs the use of jump-scares during tense moments to induce panic. Usually jump-scares are a hallmark of b-movie horror and poor cinematography, but Trachtenburg uses them artfully to mirror the shock of emotions the characters are feeling.

Winstead, Goodman, and Galla-

THE SMCC BEACON | | April 9th, 2016

The Artist Striving to End Poverty Club is accepting books for the clubs annual Book/Bake sale.

Donated books can be dropped them off in the CESIL office between 10am and 3pm on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, April 12th - 14th.

ASTEP is interested in your gently used books and appreciates your help!!!

Sports Spring Softball Looking To Improve On Fall Record Gio DiFazio CNMS The Lady Seawolves softball spring season opened in late March and with the arrival of an early spring in southern Maine a renewed sense of purpose and improvement is high on the to do list for the Lady Wolves.

To open up the spring season, SMCC was scheduled to and did take to the diamond against Northern Essex Community College on March 29th. After falling behind right out of the gates by ten runs, SMCC showed great resolve by battling such a large deficit for the greater part of the day, but Northern Essex constrained SMCC in every facet of the game. Northern Essex was firing on all cylinders and they had no trouble taking the day with a 19-1 win.

A doubleheader was scheduled for the day, and as the late spring afternoon rolled on, it was decided that the second game had to be postponed due to lack of light.

The following weekend of Friday, April 1st, slated three doubleheaders for this Lady Seawolves squad. The weather had everyone fooled as the doubleheader that was scheduled for April Fool’s Day, had to be postponed due to the weather.

On the next day of Saturday April 2nd, SMCC stood face to face with University of Maine-Presque Isle for the first meeting of the two teams since the kickoff of the spring season.

Game number one had Presque Isle running away with the contest early on, and not looking back to allow the opposing Seawolves to catch up. After SMCC gained an early lead due to Abigail Nielsen getting knocked in by Grace Davis on a ground out to second.

To say the least, the lead was short lived, and the Owls hopped out in front during the second, scoring three runs and found themselves with the upper hand. Presque Isle continued to lead the charge with an explosive offense that could not be stopped. The Owls lit up the scoreboard over the next three innings, scoring 15 runs and ending the game in the fifth inning.

The second game of the double-header ended with The Owls on top once again, but in a far less dominant fashion. SMCC managed to limit Presque Isles offensive production, fin-

ishing the game on the losing side of the contest 7-2. While the Wolves didn’t end up with a knotch in the win column, it is easy to see that this Seawolves squad is moving in the right direction.

On Sunday, April third, inclement weather pushed the contest against Dean College back. One can hope that after the initial weekend in April, that the weather will be more compliant to our spring sports schedule as interested SMCC softball fans will be able to catch their Wolves in action.

The most recent contest on April 9th, pit the SMCC Seawolves against familiar foe, University of Maine-Presque Isle. The Seawolves are came off of a doubleheader in which the fell to UMaine Presque Isle, in the previous weekend.

SMCC situated them selves in a position for a win after they found themselves down by one run going into the fourth inning. Maria Veino’s double put two runners in scoring position as Sami Rioux and Abigail Nielsen followed up with RBI singles to put the score at 3-2.

SMCC could not fend of The Owl’s red-hot bats, as Presque Isle scored again in the fourth and sixth innings.

SMCC could not find a way to stay in the game dropping the contest, 8-4.

As evening slowly approached, SMCC and The Owls battled for the second time of the day. Presque Isle easily handled SMCC once again and finished with a commanding 17-6 victory. Late game heroics allowed the Owls to easily fly away from SMCC. In the final two innings, SMCC went from being down 3-1 to 17-6, to drop another pair of games to Presque Isle.

The Seawolves stand with a combined record of 2-12 (fall and spring games are included in the overall record). On April 10th SMCC traveled to Massasoit Community College for a doubleheader. The games could not be covered in this paper. The Lady Seawolves will take to the diamond to play Northern Essex Community College on Tuesday, April 12th at Northern Essex, and return home for a doubleheader vs.

SUNY Delhi on Thursday, April 14th.

On Friday and Saturday, April 15th and 16th, SMCC is home for doubleheaders on each day against The College of St. Josephs.

Continued from page 12 doubleheader vs. Holyoke Community College and after all was said and done, SMCC split the day with a loss in the morning 2-9, and a win in the afternoon 7-4.

The April 1st and April 3rd games were both postponed due to poor weather. On Sunday, April 10th the Seawolves took to the diamond to play a doubleheader against the UMPI Owls. While the weather was a bit on the brisk side for baseball, the Wolves would walk off the diamond with two one run wins. For game highlights, visit the offi-

cial SMCC Athletics website which can be found on the SMCC portal under Student Life. The SMCC Baseball matches up with Northern Essex Community College on Tuesday, April 12th at 3:30 at The Graves Athletic Fields at SMCC. Friday, April 15th, SMCC is slated to face The College of Saint Joseph’s of Vermont, at home with the first pitch at 3:30. The next day, Saturday April 16 includes a doubleheader starting at noon, again vs. St. Joes.

GRADUATE WITH EXPERIENCE. Attend an upcoming open house on April 14 at 5:30 pm.

ARCHITECTURE INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE DESIGN STUDIES

Register now! the-bac.edu/innovate 617.585.0123

THE SMCC BEACON | | April 9th, 2016

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The Diamonds get Active

Seawolves Look to Improve on 10-14 Record Gio DIFazio CNMS SMCC looks to build upon a fall baseball season and a spring trip to Myrtle Beach in which they compiled a collective 9-14 record. In fall ball, this SMCC Baseball squad managed to put together a 6-7 record before the spring portion of the season was initiated.

On Tuesday March 15, SMCC played in their first contest of the spring during the trip to Myrtle Beach. Camden County College of New Jersey proved to be the superior team on that day. Cam Brochu knocked in two runs on the day, while Kyle Reichart had a three run shot in the second.

Soon after, SMCC squared off against the Skipjacks of Chesapeake College. The Skipjacks left SMCC in the dust early on, and the Seawolves were able to narrowly avoid the no hitter. SMCC finished the day down 0-2 losing the second game 14-0.

Perhaps the most memorable moment of the young season came from the second day of the trip. Starting infielder, Kyle Reichart was sent to the hospital after sustaining an injury during batting practice. After staring a 9-4 deficit in the face, SMCC rallied their way back into the game. Homeruns from Caleb Burpe, Juan Espinosa and Cam

Brochu brought SMCC back into the game coupled with timely hitting. Down 10-12, Kyle Reichart knocked a 3 run, walk off shot after returning from the hospital.

The second half included a matchup between St. Clair Community College and SMCC. A hard fought contest from the onset, freshman pitcher Caleb Chamber showed promise after he give up a three run homer early on. He did not go on to allow another earned run, but the SMCC offense could not keep stride with St. Clair. One thing did remain constant however, and that was the Mr. Reichart’s bat. For the third time over the duration of the spring trip, Kyle Reichart was able to hit three home runs, one of which was a walk off.

On Thursday March 17, SMCC went on take one contest, and drop another against Cumberland and Mohawk College. Against Cumberland College, it was a close game up until the fifth when SMCC gave up eight runs in the last two innings. Mohawk College proved to be not as harsh of a test, with SMCC coming out with the win 7-2.

For the last stop of the trip, SMCC would go on to lose once again to Chesapeake College in six innings. SMCC couldn’t even get on the scoreboard, as the game was conceded after six innings.

The March 26 games were slated as a

A Seawolf batter eyes a pitch from the UMPI pitcher in the bottom half of the first inning of Sunday’s second game of a double header. SMCC won the first game 5-4 and followed with a 3-2 win against the Owls.

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Transfer to the University of Maine, the state’s flagship university in Orono • Choose from nearly 100 majors and academic programs • Maximize your SMCC transfer credits by applying them toward a UMaine bachelor’s degree • Take advantage of SMCC-UMaine transfer agreements • Transferring credit is easier than ever in areas such as engineering, engineering technology, and food science and human nutrition

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