ISSUE DATE: 10/25/16 Issue #4 No. 13
BY THE STUDENTS FOR THE STUDENTS
Reaching OUT By Alex Serrano
S
ince the event largely catered to the schedules of students and educators, many woke up bright and early on Friday morning to travel by big yellow bus to Jewett Hall Auditorium. Why? For “Reaching OUT,” a conference for parents, teachers, students, and anybody interested in being educated on the issues facing LGBT+ youth in schools and around America. After a long mingle with coffee, introductions began with officials from the sponsoring organizations. Equality Maine, GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network), and GLAD (GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders) came together to give a trifecta of views on the problems facing the LGBT+ community. Three workshop sessions were held throughout the day with three options per session. With titles like “Interrupting Oppression,” “Trauma, Resilience and Prevention,” and “Creat[ing] Change through THEATER,” it’s a shame that no one person could possibly sit in on every single presentation. Even in a relatively progressive setting
such as SMCC, it is doubtful that anyone left that day without learning something. One conference that day was highly focussed on educating those not “up” on the “slick lingo” of their fellow young people. For example, we studied gender on a spectrum, in which male and female are on opposite sides of a line, and neutrality/trans/ queerness is in the middle. The graph is further split into three parts. The first is biological sex, or what’s between your legs, including chromosomes and hormonal factors. The second is gender identity, or how a person thinks of themselves on the spectrum between male and female. The third is gender expression, which charts the external communication of gender through
presentation (clothing, hair, makeup, etc.). Soon after the third workshop session, the conglomerate of students and faculty mingled back into Jewett Hall Auditorium. Here folks discussed various legal issues facing LGBT youth. These included gender-neutral bathroom availability, the changing of names to reflect gender, the flying of the LGBT Pride flag on school grounds, and more. The inconvenient truth is that even though many LGBT youth are abused by their parents verbally and bullied at school, they are still youth with very few rights as minors. Even at school, only thirty per-
cent of bullying reported is reported as effective. The fact of the matter is that our generation is reshaping the way we talk about people. They are creating respectful and non-discriminate spaces for discussion. Of all the highschoolers I met, and those who spoke up in front, it was revelatory to see such smart, socially conscious kids without the token naivete projected on them. With any luck, the world will not buckle at the sight of political correctness, but will flourish with the virtues of respect in the youth.
Election 2016 Education Platform By Brandi Abrams
N
othing elicits a visceral response like a conversation about politics. This election season, more time is being spent covering who said what horrible thing, or who sent what type of email instead of focusing on the facts. This article is an attempt at a bipartisan explanation of the candidate’s higher education platforms. We at The Beacon are attempting to explain how each candidate would impact the student experience here at Southern Maine Community College without bias; visceral response notwithstanding. Both Secretary Clinton and Mr. Trump have dedicated websites that explain their respective platforms on any issue one can imagine, but in regard to education, one candidate has a well thought out plan, while the other does not. Much like Donald’s ever elusive tax returns, his education platform is basically missing, and like his tax returns, we’re expected to believe the facts are in order, and in our best interest. His education platform only addresses higher education two times. Donald states that he will “work with congress
on reforms to ensure universities are making a good faith effort to reduce the cost of college and student debt.” He goes on to say that post-secondary education “will be easier to access, pay for, and finish.” Donald Trump’s plan for higher education is a “good faith effort.” He does not address the astronomical interest rates students face when repaying student debt. He also does not address the plight of college students with children of their own, nor does he address the difficulty families who make under $125,000 a year have funding their children’s education. He has said that he will not back debt-free or tuition-free higher education. At a CNN town-hall event Donald said that “education was one of the three most important priorities of the federal government.” Still, he provides no educational plan for “making America great again.” Perhaps greatness is not impacted by educational opportunities. Hillary Clinton’s education platform would drastically change the lives and experiences of students here at SMCC. Ms. Clinton believes that everyone deserves a chance at higher education regard-
COVER ILLUSTRATIONS BY VANESSA POIRER
less of their socioeconomic status. Her plan would use state and federal funds to pay community college tuition completely. Tuition at SMCC would be free. Free. But wait, it gets better. In the beginning, students from families who make $85,000 or less each year would be able to go to an in-state public college, or university for free. Free. By 2021 families making $125,000 would also be eligible for free in-state college tuition. Free. In regard to student loans, Ms. Clinton’s educational plan states
that students will never be expected to pay back more than 10% of their income, and after 20 years, any remaining college debt will be forgiven. She also has a plan for delinquent borrowers to get out of default and get back on their feet, and she will “crack down on predatory schools, lenders, and bill collectors.” Secretary Clinton also has creative ideas for paying back education debt. She plans on using a payroll deduction system to simplify and reduce costs associated with loan repayment. Also, if elected, Ms. Clinton will take immediate execu-
tive action, and offer a three-month moratorium on student loan payments to take advantage of the new initiatives. Ms. Clinton also has a plan to increase funding for quality child care on campus for student parents, as well as offering student parents extra scholarships to help with the expenses associated with raising children. These are the facts. The choice is yours. Vote. If you would like to read more about each of the candidates platforms, information can be found at www.hillaryclinton.com and www.donaldjtrump.com
CampusNews Rainbow League Hosting Mushroom Workshop By Juniper White
O
ne strategy to build food resiliency is to teach communities how to grow their own food with very little resources. Vegetables require good light, soil, and space—unlike their sisters in the queendom fungi. Growing mushrooms requires only ambient light, decent humidity, and very little space. Playing the role of nature’s decomposers, mushrooms can thrive on post-consumer waste products like coffee grounds and newspaper, which can be easily obtained for free. A little knowledge and experimentation is all it takes to reliably put mushrooms on the table. Oyster mushrooms are one of the easiest species to cultivate, alongside shiitake. Oysters are considered gourmet and commonly retail at $10 per pound, but they can be produced at home for basically free, with only some spent coffee grounds, starter spawn, and a plastic bag. Besides being delicious, oyster mushrooms boast high levels of protein, fiber, and
iron, with significant levels of zinc, potassium, selenium, calcium, phosphorus, folic acid, and vitamins B1, B3, B5, B12, C, and D. With this in mind, it’s easy to understand why they’re considered gourmet. What’s difficult to understand is why growing and eating mushrooms isn’t commonplace in our society. A big reason is “mycophobia,” or fear of fungi. We’re commonly told not to touch or eat mushrooms as children for fear they may be poisonous. While eating unidentified organisms is certainly inadvisable, overcaution may lead to missed opportunities in investigative youthful minds. Perpetuating this culture of ignorance is the all-but-complete lack of mycological education in our country. Fungi are widespread, marvelous, and critical to our planet, yet high schools barely touch them and only a handful of American colleges offer undergraduate degrees in mycology (usually focused on their role as pathogens). In an effort to smash this unfounded fear of fungi, the Rainbow League for So-
If you missed our Open House Sale, stop by on Election Day, November 18th Come in with your “I Voted” sticker and get a free gift!
cial Justice is hosting a mushroom cultivation workshop on Thursday, November 3rd, at 5 p.m. in the Campus Center. Everyone will be able to make and take home their own oyster mushroom kit, while learning
firsthand about the mushroom life cycle. This workshop will build food resiliency while spreading knowledge of the often overlooked—and tremendously under-thanked— queendom fungi.
The Student Senate at Work for You By Rebekah Martin
H
ello, SMCC! This is Rebekah Martin, the newly elected Student Senate public relations representative. It’s my job to make sure you feel represented and know what we’re up to in Jewett Auditorium every week. That’s why, every so often (every other week or so), I’ll be talking to you here so you know what’s going on. On the other side of things: we want to hear from you. Yes, you reading this right now. If you’re a student here, then guess what! Your feelings can be represented in the Student Senate! But we can’t know what those feeling are unless you let us know. If you feel like getting personally involved, then there are always seats for Stu-
dent Body Representatives. Look on the “My Student Life” page on MySMCC for more information. If meetings aren’t really your thing, then leave us a message! In the Student Center across from the A.S.K. kiosk, there is a Student Senate suggestion box. Leave any message you want to send to the Senate there. No names are required; everything will be kept completely anonymous. Like talking in person? I’m always available to sit down and talk. Look for a short girl with short hair, glasses, and most often a ukulele. That’s me. Come introduce yourself and let’s chat. Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to read The Beacon and my column! We hope to hear from many of you soon.
Executive Staff Managing Editor
ALEX SERRANO ABRAHAM CHOUINARD VANESSA POIRIER, JUSTIN TAYLOR SARAH FORD, JESS SPOTO BENJAMIN “EM-DASH” RIGGLEMAN LYDIA LIBBY, MICHAEL WHITE
Art Director Illustrators Graphic Designers General Copy Editor Photographers
Section Campus Editors News
BRANDI ABRAMS ANVITHA KRUTHIVENTI NOAH WILLIAMS JESSICA SPOTO GIO DIFAZIO
Other World Opinions & Editorials Arts & Features Sports
Contributing Writers
Alex Serrano, Brandi Abrams, Gio DiFazio, Jessica Spoto, Noah Williams, Rebekah Martin, Ryan Marshall, Ben Riggleman, Jared Jordan, Lydia Libby, Jack Rollins, Ryan Shaffer, Antonia Vail, Juniper White The SMCC Beacon is written and produced by students at SMCC with help and direction from their advisors, faculty members Charles Ott and Rachel Guthrie.
2
THE SMCC BEACON
October 25
2016
AFTER SMCC, WHAT’S YOUR PLAN? Last week, there was a transfer fair in the Ortiz Atrium. Quite a few colleges had tables set up, and visiting students were able to learn about these collges and the programs and majors they offer. Pictured here, Jean Zulu is chatting with a representative from PLymouth Sate University. Photos by Lydia Libby
CampusNews
The SMCC Art Club Hits the Road
There was quite a lot to see, though unGardner’s personal correspondences and her impressive collection of rare books. fortunately the second floor was closed for The building itself is designed to emulate renovation. So by early afternoon, we had the style of a 15th century Venetian palace. been through every room and made our way back out for a lunch In accordance with break. Ms. Gardner’s wishes, The Art Club meets After lunch, we it’s remained completely Thursdays at 12:30 in the made our way over to unchanged since 1924. the Fine Arts Museum, That includes the art Art Studio. a colossal building conitself, which is displayed taining over 450,000 exactly where Ms. Gardner placed it almost a century ago (Her will works of art. It would take days to see every specified that if anything is changed, the art exhibit, so the group split up to explore the is to be auctioned off and the money given to areas that most interested us. The building is divided between Asian, African and OceHarvard).
anic art; European art; American art; Contemporary art; and art of the Ancient World. It’s worth mentioning that SMCC students may enter the museum any time for free with an ID—a good thing considering how many times you would have to go before seeing all it has to offer. I would highly encourage all of you to see for yourselves what I can’t describe with words, and also if you are interested, to come visit the art club. We meet Thursdays at 12:30 in the Art Studio. We are looking forward to a year of interesting projects and adventures.”
By Ryan Shaffer
T
he sun had only just risen when we climbed onto the bus, southbound out of Portland: myself and five other members of the art club, led on our adventure by faculty advisor Jeff Badger. Our destination: the galleries at the Isabella Stuart Gardner and Fine Arts Museums. The trip itself took no time at all, and by mid-morning we had arrived in Boston and were making our way to the first stop on our trip, the Gardner Museum. Founded in 1903 by the woman after which it is now named, the Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum holds an impressive collection of paintings and statues, as wells as nearly 6000 of Mrs.
TRIVIA NIGHT Bring your team of up to 6 and compete
SMCC Students, faculty, and staff are invited to attend- and participate in- the second Real Talk! session.
OPEN MEETINGS
Wednesdays at 8pm Health Science Center 106 csoaamaine.org 774-4335 800-73SOBER
Every Second and Fourth Tuesday at 7:30pm in the Campus Center Ortiz Atrium
Join fellow students, faculty, and staff in a respectful and honest discussion regarding current issues that affect all members of our college community- and our society! Real Talk 2! will build on
Tuesday, Nov. 1 Presented by Michaela Reagan, Maine Medical Center Research Institute
the initial Real Talk! session held earlier this
Targeting the Bone Marrow Microenvironment in Multiple Myeloma
semester. The discussion in Real Talk 2! will focus on the complex issues that contemporary society faces:racism, bigotry, prejudice and discrimination.
THE SMCC BEACON
October 25
2016
3
theOtherWorld This Week Food for thought: in History: The Uphill Battle of Texting
Oct 23-29 Compiled by Ben Riggleman
OCTOBER 23, 1959 “Weird Al” Yankovic and director Sam Raimi are born. (Raimi will create the Evil Dead series and direct the 2002-07 Spider-Man trilogy.) OCTOBER 24, 1973
The nineteen-day Yom Kippur War ends with an Israeli victory. In this conflict, Egypt and Syria, supported by a number of other Arab nations and Cuba, briefly took back territory that had been occupied by Israel since the Six-Day War of 1967.
By Beatrice Talmage
H
ow many things can possibly go wrong in a text message? Oh, only about 74,000 things.
TIMING: Why is this person taking so long to reply? Is it deliberate? What is he/she up to? Is my significant other cheating on me? Is he/she safe? Is he/she just in a rural place with no reception? Did he/she fall asleep? Did he/she lose their phone? Am I not important to this person? Is this person ticked at me? Am I being ignored? Is this a game? Should I be expecting a carrier pigeon with a message? WORDING: Different words reflect different meanings for different people. Arguably, “I miss you” is not the same as “miss you,” and “I love you” is not the same as “love ya.” Likewise, short responses and longer responses can illicit different meanings. For instance, a short text could merely be a direct and concise answer, but it could also signal anger or unhappiness.
EMOJI CONFUSION: Why didn’t she send a heart? Why no smiley face, is she upset? Why did he send me a winking face; does that make this a sexual conversation? And you’re telling me that If I use the angel emoji, it gives me more freedom to say something uncomfortable? And what do you mean there is a “chocolate ice cream emoji,” that’s literally crap. Oh, and can someone tell me why this guy keeps sending me questions with the eggplant emoji?
SARCASM: The difference between a standard “great” and a sarcastic “great” can be the difference between petting a bunny and a porcupine. Are you prepared for that? GRAMMAR: If someone says “YOUR
an idiot,” who really wins that argument? Or, say you’re telling a joke. Are you telling a dirty dad-joke, or a dirty-dad joke: is the joke dirty, or is the dad? Better yet, try asking a girl “how are you beautiful?” instead of “how are you, beautiful?” What happens when you’ve made someone mad, or hurt them? How do you tell someone that you didn’t mean something the way they took it? How can you ever be sure your message is being interpreted the way you intended? The questions are endless, as are the possibilities for error. Perhaps the joke is on us. In creating this hyper-technologicallyadvanced form of communication, the very messages we seek to communicate to others are often completely lost. Fancy that (insert alleged “chocolate ice cream” emoji).
OCTOBER 25, 1983 The United States invades the Caribbean island nation of Grenada in Operation Urgent Fury. The operation is ordered by President Ronald Reagan in response to a Grenadian coup. Its goal is to instate a stable, non-Communist government in Grenada. After less than a week of fighting, Urgent Fury is an American victory. However, the invasion receives widespread international criticism. OCTOBER 26, 1905 Sweden recognizes Norway’s independence after the Norwegian people vote to secede in an August referendum. This peacefully ends an almost century-long period of union between the two nations. OCTOBER 27, 312 Roman Emperor-to-be Constantine the Great is said to have experienced a vision of the Holy Cross before the Battle of the Milvian Bridge. After winning this decisive engagement, he will take control of the western Roman empire and convert to Christianity. As Emperor, he will legalize and patronize the early Church. OCTOBER 28, 1965 Pope Paul VI officially absolves the Jewish people of responsibility in the killing of Jesus Christ. OCTOBER 29, 1969 The ARPANET program, funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, links computers together together wirelessly for the first time. This paves the way for the modern Internet, which will emerge just over two decades later. Source: Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
4
THE SMCC BEACON
ILLUSTRATION BY JUSTIN TAYLOR
Feeling a bit crowded? Do you need a little more room to strech and breathe? Consider visiting the Learning Commons at night, when the crowds have moved on for the day!
The LC is open until 8:00 p.m. Monday-Thursday, and from 4 to 8 p.m. on Sunday. So stop by after dinner to study, work on that presentation, get a homework boost from a tutor, or start some research with a Reference Librarian! October 25
2016
theOtherWorld
Off Campus in the Fall By Lydia Libby
M
any students at SMCC can agree that there are many great things to do while on campus, but there are many who have no idea what lies beyond campus property. During the fall especially, southern Maine is enveloped in foliage. People go for walks and can enjoy the pretty scenery, or take pictures to post to Facebook and Instagram—the thing to do now because OMG! IT’S FALL! When leaving campus, Maine offers exciting activities such as apple picking, going on haunted walks, and going to pumpkin patches. Apple orchards like Doles in Limington, Maine, and Randall’s in Standish, Maine, are only forty-five minutes away from campus, and offer a variety of apples that everyone can enjoy. Some apples to choose from in-
clude Cortland, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, and Mcintosh. At Doles Orchard, they have live music playing on Sunday’s from 1 to 4 p.m., and they have other types of fruit to pick such as raspberries and blueberries. At Randall’s Orchard, they do tractor rides through the orchard, so you are able to take in the scene of the whole orchard. Only an hour away from campus, there is another attraction that is a different approach to enjoying the fall. There is a haunted walk called Destination Haunt, which is located in Lebanon, Maine. For those who are adventurous, maybe an hour’s drive to Lebanon with your friends could be exciting. Destination Haunt is a haunted walk where guests follow a path and endure frightening scenes, and get spooked by cast members dressed in some of our favorite Halloween attire. The scenes at Destination Haunt can
get pretty frightening, so be sure to bring your friends! Back to the less scary fall attractions, at Brackett’s orchard in Limington, visitors are able to pick their own pumpkins and apples. Picking pumpkins can lead to yummy pumpkin pies, or jack-o-lantern carving where friends and family can create funny and unusual faces. Just think—you could go for an adventure and receive the Maine fall experience. Fall in Maine is the perfect time to get together with friends and go off and enjoy the outdoors; we all know the fluffy white stuff called snow is coming. On a brighter note, SMCC is hosting a Halloween dance on Thursday, October 27th, at 9 p.m. in the HUB. Be sure to wear your costume— and your student ID to get in for free!
Building Your Experience By Christian Guthrie, SMCC Alumnus
Y
ou spend years in the world of academia, it’s a torrent of self growth coupled with learning from your mistakes. Today, let’s look at that next step—the job market— and review the steps that put me on the path to doing what I love, game writing. Now, before we get to how an opportunity like this came to fruition, let’s discuss the trials and tribulations along the way. After graduating with an associate’s degree in Communications and New Media from SMCC, it was time to see what opportunities a college education could bring. Months passed. There were countless job websites that kept bringing back diminishing returns; there simply wasn’t a huge demand for game writers in Maine. Not to mention, the job market in this state is competitive. There’s not enough incentive (or interest) in hiring young talent. While discouraging, that discouragement lead me to a hobby that would never have crossed my mind in a million years: writing books! Luckily, the cover- and logo-design aspect of creating a book was taken care of. I knew design and was itching to write some-
thing down, and to include more written content in my portfolio. While there was a lot of trial and error, deadlines, and marketing, it turned out that self-publishing is easy. With my first short story, “Soot,” released digitally, production began on the next book: Bootleg Therapy. During this time, I had managed to find a job in retail which at least made me a steady income, and a steady income meant California, and California meant video game jobs. About a few months later, fatigue started to set in. How can an individual get experience in the field they love when there isn’t a demand for it? One night, out of curiosity, I decided—one last time—to at least try to find something in Maine. Lo and behold, on Craigslist there was a job posting. A company was looking for associate game writers. After a lot of nail-biting and a written submission, they replied, informing me, “You’re on board. Expect your first assignment soon.” No portfolio or résumé submission, just a contract and a signature. There was a lot of uncertainty in searching for a job. I had so much anxiety about not getting the experience, starting with even
less in California, and ultimately losing my way due to such a niché job. If there’s any lesson to be gained from reading this article, it’s this: if you can’t find
an opportunity right off the bat, find hobbies that supplement your dream. Because you never know when you’ll stumble upon the chance of a lifetime.
Why join the activities campus Committee?
• Create and plan events for students • Meet new people and feel connected to campus • Work Study opportunities available
Every Thursday at 3pm in the CeSIL Office For more information email klevine@smccme.edu
THE SMCC BEACON
October 25
2016
5
Opinions&Editorials Inconsiderate Students Take Over Spring Point Jessica Spoto
I FROM THE DESK OF THE MANAGING EDITOR Alex Serrano Hey Beacon Readers,
I
t seems like it’s been a while since we talked. How’s it going? Now that midterms are over for the most part, how about a few of you write a bit for the paper? Nothing too long, just a three to four hundred word piece would be awesome. Don’t like the paper? Don’t like the writing? Not a diverse enough staff? Well then you should come over and write about it! Meetings are every other Monday in the Captain’s House. I know we’re all college kids and nobody has a great schedule, but if you put aside an hour or two every other week to crafting a well-worded article, it would absolutely make it into the paper. Think of the glory! What a great feeling it is to expose the truth to the public, in your own words. And to see those words printed in ink and appear in those omnipresent blue boxes, it’s a thing to behold. Do you have a friend with a band? What better promotion than a feature in our Arts and Features section! Have a lot of knowledge on a particular current event? Other World for you! Feel the urge to interview a professor or write about the cool new club you joined? That’ll go into Campus News thank-you-very-much. Do you like sports and writing about it? You should write about sports for our Sports section! The point is, get involved. It’s hard work at the beginning but once you get in the groove of writing, it doesn’t stop. And it looks great on a resume. Your Friendly Neighborhood ManagingEditor
Alex Serrano
n Spring Point, the main lobby lounge is the place to go to hang out and chill with friends: drink some coffee, play some pool, play some videos games, and eat some Dominos. But what really happens when all the students leave for the night? Well, if you live in Spring Point and decide to wake up super early—like 6pm early—and go to the lounge, you will see a total disaster of a mess. Now, this mess isn’t even subtle. This mess is like a twelve-year-old threw up their immaturity and inconsideration all over the lounge. You will see empty coffee cups and crushed Red Bull cans on the floor. All the furniture is moved out of place, with gross trash just sitting on it. How damn inconsiderate this is! The custodians do have the job of
cleaning up the lounge in the morning, but seriously, they don’t need to pick up after an adult’s mess. Keep the lounge clean, or at least pick up your trash! Honestly, have
some respect for the students, staff, and most importantly, the people who have to clean up after you “adults.” We come to college to learn. Now learn some courtesy and manners, students, please! You as a student may be considerate in holding doors or saying please and thank you, but this is a bigger matter. Leaving a mess in a common area is one of the most inconsiderate things you could possibly do to the students, staff, and custodians on campus. Be an actual adult and pick up your mess. It’s as simple as taking your coffee cups and Dominos to the trash bin two feet away. Also, please don’t leave ketchup all over the trash can. This is also really inconsiderate! So just remember to pick up after yourself and have some respect!
Yes on 2 and 3 Noah Williams
I
- 2 -
f you stop to ponder for a moment the amount of people making more than $200,000 a year (roughly 2% of the population) and then consider the number of children enrolled in public school you would find that Question 2 is extremely important to Maine’s future.
Question 2 proposes a 3% tax on household incomes of those who make more than $200,000 a year, and applying those funds towards public K-12 education right here in Maine. “What’s the big deal?” you may ask incredulously. Last year, the state spent $984 million on public education. If Question 2 passes, it is estimated that the tax will generate $157 million in the first year. If you combine the increase and state funding with the revenue
generated through Question 2, then we will have increased our funding to public schools by almost $200 million. Although there are stipulations as to what the money can be used for (money generated from the Question 2 tax cannot be used for teacher salaries) the increase in funding would allow schools to reevaluate priorities like having to choose between safe and healthy facilities and current industry standards in technology. Most importantly this measure would ensure that all the money is no longer concentrated so heavily in southern Maine, and instead could be of use to students attending schools as far away as Presque Isle. Many of us here at SMCC attended public K-12 schools in our youth and may even still have family or friends who are in the system. Imagine the impact that having functional computers and state of the art lab equipment would have had on your education. By voting yes on 2, you are giving this opportunity to 185,000 Maine youth who otherwise may never had had
I
- 3 -
f you live in this state and work for a living than get yourself to the polls on Tuesday, November 8th, and vote yes on question 4. Question 4 would raise the minimum wage from $7.50 (not even enough money to buy a back of cigarettes) to $12 an hour for employees who do not receive tips. If you do
work for tips, than your employer can no longer pay you half of minimum wage (currently $3.75), but $5 an hour increasing every year by $1 until 2014, plus your often cash, and therefore un-taxable, tips! How could anyone not vote for this bill? Governor Paul LePage and a couple of other “businessmen” tried to pass a counter measure on this citizen initiative with a hourly wage less than $12, which is still roughly the same amount of money that the average Armenian earns in a day. Luckily the House of Representatives iced it before things got to out of hand. Allegedly this question four is going to make “mom and pop” business wither and die in a mere matter of months while the rest of the business in Maine flees our socialist utopia. However, this excuse has been applied to every other minimum wage hike since the 1938 when it was 25 cents and hour. Not once has the labor market or industry collapsed in upon itself because industry paid people a livable wage. If you are successful enough to be in business, than you can probably afford to stay in business. Things generally increase in price by 3% each year in the U.S. through a process called inflation. Oddly enough, even though life is almost 25% more expensive than it was in 2009, the minimum wage has increase less than 10%. Question 4 means a better quality of life for those of us working and living in the state of Maine, so on November 8th, please vote Yes on 4.
What’s Up With Midcoast? By Alex Serrano
T
he Midcoast campus is not very well represented in the Beacon newspaper. As much as It would be easy to point fingers at the South Portland campus staff—who possibly harbor anti-Midcoast resentment—but alas, doing so would be akin to libel. The real culprit is that grotesque beast we all know and love. You guessed it: apathy. Apathy has gripped the Midcoast campus. Too many students, on too many occa-
6
THE SMCC BEACON
sions, have proclaimed to me that they have no representation on the SMCC South Portland campus. Their Senate positions are relegated to a dinky Skyping laptop, and their propositions for funding are often turned down. This may be bias, but it is also an opposition to changing things themselves. As a South Portland student, I want the Midcoast to step up and oppose the dominant narrative in which Midcoast students are lazy, uninvolved losers. This narrative insists that they hold neither the numbers nor the drive to support their own clubs—or
October 25
2016
even a page or two in the newspaper! Chuck Ott, faculty advisor for the Beacon, has been writing articles for the Midcoast section of the paper all year, the last of which being a paragraph or two describing a picture of Ron Cantor and administrators visiting. The Midcoast campus got the attention of the all-powerful Cantor and still we did not receive even a paragraph from them written. This, my friends, is despicable. We cannot blame Chuck for the dearth of Midcoast content. That blame, that responsibility, falls on you: the apathetic population of the
Midcoast campus. If you want more representation in the Beacon, write for it. If you want more representation in the Senate, repre-freaking-sent for gosh sakes! I, as managing editor, challenge you to shake the languid slug-monster from your little uncaring brain and work for the representation you deserve. Because at the end of the day, our time here is so, so short, and to waste any of that time would be a disgrace to yourselves as students and to the college as a whole. Go! Write!
Opinions&Editorials Referendums: What They are and How They’re Flawed By Ben Riggleman
Y
ou’ve probably heard the word referendum quite a bit in the last year. If you don’t know yet, a referendum is when citizens vote directly on a proposal. Earlier this month, a referendum was held in the nation of Colombia. By a razor-thin margin, Colombians voted against a peace treaty
between their government and an insurgent group. Back in June, the United Kingdom held a referendum—termed “Brexit”—on whether to stay in the European Union. There too, a slight majority prevailed. Britain is now exiting from the E.U. Mainers will soon vote on six referendum questions. These include marijuana legalization, a minimum-wage hike, and
ranked-choice voting. (Ballotpedia.org is a great resource for learning more. You should also check out Noah Williams’s pieces on questions 1, 2, and 4.) Our referendums won’t have the huge impact of Britain’s or Colombia’s. Nonetheless, by Maine standards, they’re weighty. And we’ll be deciding on them just as the British and Colombians did: by filling in an
Vote “NO” on Question 1 By Noah Williams
W
eed. Dope. Ganja. Everyone’s heard about it, most of the populous has tried it, and lots of people from 15-year-old kids to 70-year-old cancer patients think marijuana is pretty great. Whether or not marijuana should be a recreational drug made radially available is a relatively complex and personal decision, and the intention of this article is not to convince the reader either way. The intention, more or less, is to inform you of the potential lesser known problems that legalizing mari-
juana in this state could have. Unbeknownst to the majority of the Mainers who doesn’t blaze on a regular basis, Maine has a thriving “cottage industry” surrounding the production of marijuana. Basically this means that most of the dope grown in this state is grown by small time growers producing drugs for medical usage for individual patients. These people are generally pretty nice humans growing a safe and quality agricultural product for patients to consume to relieve pain, stress, or induce appetite. It is not difficult to become eligible for medical marijuana in case you’re won-
What Matters Most By Jack Rollins
M
enials are being reported as the most apathetic generation of Americans in history. Many of us still live at home, have bachelor’s degrees in Anthropology or English, yet are barely able to subsist from a meager coffee shop salary. This election season many of you may be considering abstaining from voting. After all, why bother? The Bern has fizzled out, Clinton’s a liar, and the other option is a handsy groping ape. So why waste your breath and your vote choosing between the lesser of two evils? The things shot before it’s even begun. It’s understandable, and as Americans we are all entitled to do what we want with our vote. The wonderful thing about this country is that you have the freedom to do what you wish so long as you don’t harm someone else. But instead of seeing the frustration as defeatism, see it as empowerment.
Your apathy, your unwillingness to do anything is so incredibly powerful that it has the ability to sway elections, influence societal trends, and affect the lives of people you’ve never even met. To choose nothing, is still a choice to do something. If we can change the world by simply doing nothing, than imagine the power that our actions could have if we act with intention. By stepping forward to act you are taking control of your own world, as well as the world as a whole. If our actions can make someone’s quality of life better simply be not being passive, than we owe it to ourselves and society to do so. We may be the most apathetic generation, but there are more of us now than any other generation before us. Perhaps then it is not so far fetched to believe that our vote can indeed make a difference, and by acting with intention we can change the system that we now feel excludes us.
dering. All you need is a qualifying ailment (anything from HIV to irritable bowels) and a doctor’s note. If the government sticks its grubby little hands into the weed world, weed is going to be a lot more expensive and a lot less potent. Currently the actual cultivation of the drug for recreational and medical use has minimal governmental oversight, however, if it’s made available to the general public, then there has to be some form of regulation. We can expect potency testing, impairment parameters, legal levels of intoxication, propriety wars over strains of the plant. On top regulatory woes, how on earth are police going to enforce these restrictions? How will police officers administer roadside sobriety tests, seeing as you need a blood test to indicate the level of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in your blood? Must we submit to being jabbed by some ill trained police officer if he or she suspects that we are driving under the influence of good ol’ mary jane? Marijuana stays in the body even after the user is no longer impaired, so how can a police officer know if someone used recently or not? Even if we decide to pass Question 1, possession of marijuana will still be considered a federal offense, which means that if you get busted moving dope across state lines (perhaps to attend a concert in Boston for example). So friends, if you want to keep Maine drug money in Maine, still not go to jail for possession of less than 2.5 ounces, and in general keep Maine weed the way it should be, than vote no on Question 1 this November.
oval with a pen. There’s a lot of promise in this kind of direct democracy, but it can also be problematic. Take Brexit. Much has been written about the ignorance of the 51.9% who voted to leave the E.U. Clearly, many voted on gut-level fears about immigration. Pro-Brexit billboards showed shadowy hordes of brown people outside England’s gates. Did the average “Leave” voter research and carefully weigh the economic impacts of Brexit? Let’s be real. Policy can be dauntingly complex. Referendums provide a way around government inertia, but they risk fast-tracking bad ideas. I wouldn’t call any of Maine’s current ballot initiatives bad. Nonetheless, there are some knotty issues lurking behind those little ovals. Raising the minimum wage has been hotly debated by economists; some foresee damaging effects on small businesses. Ranked-choice voting can occasionally lead to strange election outcomes. The marijuana legalization bill is over thirty pages long. (Who’s got the munchies on hand to get through all that?) Another problem with referendum questions is that they can be abused by powerful special-interest groups. Putting one on the ballot in Maine currently requires 61,123 signatures. Those with deep pockets can afford to finance signature drives in which collectors are paid as much as $10 per signature. One such individual is Las Vegas tycoon Shawn Scott. Scott was behind one of the sleaziest petitions in Maine history: a $2.6 million effort to put a York County casino proposal on this year’s ballot. The bill was written so that only Scott’s company could possibly build the casino. It failed—over 55,000 of the signatures gathered were found to be invalid!— but Scott is already working to bring it back next year. As Brexit and Shawn Scott demonstrate, referendums aren’t perfect, and the Maine system of ballot initiatives has its own flaws. That doesn’t mean we should scrap it, though. To combat citizens’ ignorance, Maine could follow Oregon’s lead. In Oregon, twenty-four citizens are randomly selected to evaluate the year’s ballot questions. Much like a jury, this “Citizen’s Initiative Review Commission” spends five days hearing expert testimony on the questions’ pros and cons, then publishes its consensus. We could reform pre-referendum petitioning by banning “pay-per-signature.” However, the constitutionality of this is iffy. Maine could also institute Massachusetts’ requirement that signatures come from each county in roughly equal number. So let’s not give up on referendums just yet. In the long term, we can seek ways to improve Maine’s referendum process. In the short term, let’s get informed about what we’re voting on. Author’s note: this article was inspired by Tim Wallace’s October 18th piece in The Portland Press Herald, “It’s time to question whether referendums are a good way to tackle problems.”
THE SMCC BEACON
October 25
2016
7
Arts&Features MARSHALLING CINEMA
Jan Svankmajer, Profiles in Directing By Ryan Marshall
J
an Svankmajer, born September 4th 1934, is best known for his genuinely fantastical adaptations of popular works such as ALICE IN WONDERLAND/THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS (1988’s ALICE), 1994’s FAUST, and his exquisite short works
What’s Next for you? University of New England
ADMISSIONS TABLE WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM CAMPUS CENTER LOBBY such as FOOD and DIMENSIONS OF DIALOGUE. An exceptionally talented
ADMISSIONS TABLE WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM CAMPUS CENTER LOBBY
University of Southern Maine
ADMISSIONS VISIT ONE-ON-ONE CONSULTS ARE AVAILABLE BY APPOINTMENT DURING THE DAY. CALL 741-5626 TO MAKE APPOINTMENTS. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM CAMPUS CENTER
Heart Attack Hot Pocket By Jessica Spoto ood. No, we aren’t talking about that healthy crap. We’re talking about junk food, greasy food, sugary food, salty food. College students fuel themselves up on artery-clogging, heart-stopping, blood-sugar-dropping, and good-tasting food. They think about what food they should eat next while eating food. They think and they think until they are finished with their plate that was once full of greasy g o o d -
8
THE SMCC BEACON
CONSPIRATORS OF PLEASURE. The 2000’s saw Svankmajer trying his hand at more conventional narratives that nevertheless retained his signature weirdness and impeccable craftsmanship. Such examples of this are 2000’s LITTLE OTIK, about a grieving couple hiding a nasty secret in the form of a man-eating baby made of wood, and LUNACY, wherein a mentally unstable man befriends an elder claiming tbo be the Marquis De Sade. Svankmajer is currently hard at work on what will ultimately be his seventh and final feature: INSECTS. When it comes to phantasmagoria, few are as consistent and accessible (though that is a matter of opinion) as the great Czech animator. His works are at once incredibly endearing, funny, scary, and perceptive in their own strange way. Though it is sad that he will soon retire, he’ll have left behind quite an impressive legacy.
The Alchemist Cookbook
Saint Joseph’s College
F
multi-media artist whose work spans over half a century, Svankmajer is a true auteur whose trademarks are immediately distinctive: he often incorporates terrifying stop-motion animation into live action environments and his soundscapes are simply delectable, as those who experience the sensation known as ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) will know all too well. Before making his first short films in the 1960’s, Svankmajer practiced more traditional art forms such as puppetry, sculpture and even theater direction. The aforementioned ALICE was his first foray into feature-length filmmaking, and it was an unforgettable one. Six years later, he made FAUST (which undoubtedly features some of the director’s finest work), and two years after that came the hilarious Sadean satire
by Ryan Marshall
T
he forest has always been an essential breeding ground for cinematic insanity, and it’s not hard to imagine why; after all, the things closest to us but which we have really have only begun to understand are among the most terrifying. Writer/Director Joel Potrykus uses the woodlands to summon a consistent air of dread in his latest genre-defying curio, THE ALCHEMIST COOKBOOK, though it’s hardly the sole location herein whose deep-seeded hallucinatory horrors are so cleverly uprooted throughout the film’s tight, disconcerting narrative. Men and the spaces they occupy alike are deconstructed from the inside out and then put back together again, only to malfunction in spectacularly grotesque fashion after the fact. Ty Hickson, a relative newcomer with only a few credits to his name, stars as Sean, a mentally unstable young man who has taken to living in a trailer somewhere in the woods, where he can be alone with only himself and his cat Kaspar to practice alchemy as a means of acquiring a fortune. It’s clear that Sean’s pill-popping may be the source of his wild ambition, but at the very least he’s committed, and his friend Cortez (a hilarious Amari Cheatom) visits often to ensure that he’s got
ness. With a smile on their face and a twinge of regret, the college student gets up and walks to the minifridge that is two feet away. They open the door to see what lies within. Oh no! What is this? With their lack of money, they only have leftover ramen and hot pockets. This is literally a life-threat-
October 25
2016
plenty of food, tools, and has his prescription refilled to boot. As good of a friend as Cortez is, he is far from perfect, and one day forgets to bring the meds. Sean, of course, immediately panics, but the initial anxiety is nothing compared to what is to come shortly. As he dabbles with the prospect of black magic, his fragile existence is turned upside down, as supernatural bellows from deep within the woods are revealed to be more than just threatening noises and Sean’s seemingly borderline schizophrenic, one-sided conversations with invisible entities no longer seem so utterly implausible. The Michigan-based Potrykus prefers to work with restrained budgets, situations and characters, surely providing him with an honest challenge every time he sets out to create – but these limitations seem to have worked in his favor thus far (this is his third feature, after 2012’s APE and 2014’s BUZZARD), with the film’s concept of terror rivaling even the finest contemporary horror films. One is eventually unable to discern reality from delusion, which brings to mind films such as LET’S
ening decision. Will they choose high-bloodpressure ramen or heart-attack hot pockets? They make the only decision that all college students know. They choose both. Now, you may think they would cook them separately—but no. With the lazy-butt genius that lies within all college students, they put the hot pockets in the ramen. They put this concoction in one of their old plastic tupperware containers. They stick this in the microwave while contemplating if they can put plastic in the microwave. Then, they walk one foot over to their bed—again, regretfully—to relax while the food cooks.
SCARE JESSICA TO DEATH and Roman Polanski’s REPULSION, wherein mental illness and external horrors overlap. The director concocts an unusual and highly effective cinematic cocktail, combining minimalist introspective character study with Satanic Panic, body horror, and occasionally, buddy comedy. Potrykus once described the film as The Evil Dead as directed by Jim Jarmusch, which is as apt a description as any; it is simultaneously absurd, disturbing, meditative, and sad. In the end, it is a film about testing our own limitations and exposing the horrifying consequences this might have on the mind and body alike; another thoroughly fascinating work from one of American independent cinema’s most intriguing auteurs.
With a loud bubbling, the tupperware starts to melt. The college student quickly hops off their unmade bed to tend to the potential fire. They immediately open the microwave door, while the nose-cringing smell of ramen, hot pockets, and plastic leaks from within. So always remember: plastic, hot pockets and ramen do not mix well in a microwave. Please remember that even though food is yummy, it could very well kill you. So go back and contemplate your whole entire life as a college student. Oh—so sorry to nterrupt you while you’re eating!
Arts&Features Bad Gettin’ Bolder: Some Beastie Boys Early History as Licensed to Ill Turns 30 By Antonia Vail
T
he year was 1986. The Oprah Winfey Show had just premiered, skillful backcombing was held in place with Aqua Net, the first ever computer virus was spreading, and Top Gun was the year’s highest grossing film. It was also the year that, on November 15th, three New York men in their early twenties would release their debut album, Licensed to Ill. This album wouldlaunch the
East Coast hip-hop scene from underground to mainstream and change the game entirely. Licensed to Ill is arguably one of the most influential hip-hop albums the East Coast has to offer. But how did it all begin? Adam Yauch and Mike Diamond (better known as M.C.A. and Mike D, respectively) started playing music together during their late teen years. Their band was called Young Aborigines, a four-piece hardcore punk outfit heavily influenced by the likes of Black Flag and Minor Threat. However, their style
started to change once they changed their name to Beastie Boys and added Adam Horovitz (known as Ad-Rock) to the mix. It was Ad-Rock that encouraged a hiphop style and decided to purchase a Roland 808 drum machine over a Rickenbacker guitar. The other two musicians became less involved as the group became more enticed by hip-hop. They would eventually leave the group in 1983, thus creating the legendary hip-hop trio we all know and love. That same year, the Beastie Boys went
New Media Student Showcase Check out the awesome student art work in the Hildreth New Media by the stairs and all along the walls. Prepared by Amie Howard and other faculty for open house, the work
is by students who plan to have careers in graphic design, web design, film making and
Little Complaints, Overheard By Jessica Spoto
I
t’s the little things we overhear. The little complaints college students say day-today. And let me tell you, stairs is one of the most common complaints around! But there are so many more. Let’s see what college students are complaining about this week:
q *Annoyed Voice* “Oh seriously, I don’t want to take the stairs today. *Deep sigh* And the elevator is on the fourth floor. *Deep sigh* Why can’t it be on the first floor right now?!?!” q *Angry Voice* “Why is it raining? Like, come on! I need to get to my class and I really don’t want to have to run!”
q *Irritated Voice* “The printer’s out of paper! It’s 7:55 a.m. and my class starts at 8:00 a.m.! I need this for English! Come on, this printer should have paper!” q* “Hangry” Voice* “Oh man, the only good thing they have today is pizza! Why did I spend all my Beacon Bucks already?!” Annoyed, angry, irritated, or “hangry,” we all complain every day about things we absolutely don’t give a crap about. We just forget that people can hear us! But who cares anyway? It’s not like someone’s going to write down our complaints and put them in the newspaper. Oh, wait…
other areas of New Media.
on to record their first singles. The two tracks were titled “Beastie Revolution” and “Cooky Puss,” the latter of which caught the attention of an NYU student named Rick Rubin. Rubin instantly wanted to work with the boys, and he got Russell Simmons (manager of Run–D.M.C.) on board. It was in Rubin’s NYU dorm room that Rubin and Simmons began constructing ideas to form a label that would become the famous Def Jam Recordings. Rick Rubin wanted the Beastie Boys to garner some traction before releasing a debut album, so he landed them the gig as openers for Madonna on her Like A Virgin tour in 1985. The guys started recording Licensed to Ill in late ‘85 to early ‘86, presumably at a New York studio called Chung King Studios (then known as Chung King House of Metal). Chung King was the studio responsible for the early successes of the not only the Beastie Boys, but other East Coast acts such as LL Cool J and Notorious B.I.G. Licensed to Ill, recorded under Def Jam Records, brought new ideas to the table. One of these new ideas was the art of sampling: taking a section of music directly from a song or track (not just similar chords) and playing it under the drum track. The whole concept for the album was to mock the mainstream “hair metal” scene that was going on in the 1980s. The group thought that those artists took themselves too seriously and saw that whole scene as a joke; their music video for “No Sleep ‘Til Brooklyn” showcases this belief. By February, Licensed to Ill had been certified platinum, skyrocketing the Beastie Boys into a successful career spanning almost three decades.
Open Mic Night Every First and Third Tuesday of the Month
Ortiz Atrium in the Campus Center @ 7:30pm Presented by
SMCC
THE SMCC BEACON
October 25
2016
9
Arts&Features
W
e all have those moments of self doubt and negative thoughts. With everything going on in our lives, it can feel like it’s just overwhelming us. Sometimes we try to pick up everything that is already broken, but in the end, it’s still broken. Jessica writes about this in her poem, in hopes of shedding some light on how imperfect life can be.
The Inevitable By Jessica Spoto
Examine the truth The truth that defines you Reality that breaks you Time that consumes you Busy schedules eat away at your life As you fall back into doubt You fracture into pieces Your thoughts on repeat Your life on repeat Forever stuck in your unconscious being
Peace, Love, & Vintage Vibes Beacon Staff Spotlight
E
tsy is such a cool online marketplace for vintage and handmade sellers. Today we are looking at The Neon Mushroom. This shop sells 50s, 60s, and 70s items, from fashion to housewares. The Neon Mushroom really does have something for everyone. Founded in 2010 and started up by the Beacon’s Arts & Features editor, Jess Spoto, when she was just 14 years old. She started by renting booths at vintage shops and going to flea markets to sell them. Eventually she realized that she had enough inventory to have her own venue, so after researching her options, she decided to start an Etsy shop. Starting an Etsy store takes some initiative, but it isn’t rocket science. The Etsy “Seller’s Handbook” lists seven steps to a successful start, “if you’re new to selling online or dream of starting your own Etsy shop someday, let these seven steps be your guide.”
1. Gather Essentials 2. Choose a Name 3. Set Specific and Attainable Goals 4. Consider Keywords 5. Take Captivating Product Photos 6. Think Like a Brick-and-Mortar Store 7. Remember, Done is Better Than Perfect The guide can be found easily, just search: “How to start an Etsy store.” The great thing about having an Etsy store is that you can take break at any point, it’s not like a store location that someone has to watch all the time. At one point Jess realized that she needed to focus on school, so she stepped back for a while. She is having a re-grand opening on November 1st. Like The Neon Mushroom on Facebook: she is planning lot of fun giveaways and contests the day of the grand re-opening. Also don’t forget to follow the store on Instagram @the_neon_ mushroom and always remember: peace, love and vintage vibes!
Understanding Meditation By Jared Jordan
W
hat is meditation? A lot of people would says that it’s sitting and saying “omm” repeatedly,
but there are many different types of meditation—from the kind that everyone does without thinking about it to types that are almost non-existent. In my meditation column, I will be going over all forms and types of meditation, how it could benefit you, and where you can learn locally. To meditate simply means to “think deeply or focus one’s mind for a period of time, in silence or with the aid of chanting, for religious or spiritual purposes or as a method of relaxation.” The first form of meditation is one we all do: sleep! Some of you may be saying,
The Business Club is up and running, and there is room for you. The SMCC Business Club meets Thursdays from 12:30 – 1:15pm In the Biz Club Lounge on the 1st floor of Hague Hall
10
THE SMCC BEACON
October 25
2016
“This guy is crazy,” but hear me out. By definition, sleep is a form of meditation because you are mentally in silence when sleeping. The next form of meditation, and the one most people think of, is chanting or silencing your thoughts. This involves sitting in one place for a period of time, either in silence or chanting a sound, removing all thoughts one by one until your mind completely runs out of them. This is commonly known as mindfulness meditation. It allows thoughts, memories, ideas, sounds and senses to be known. People such as Taoist Monks practice mindfulness meditation. You can learn how to meditate by going to a quiet place in your mind, or you can physically find a place that brings peace to you and practice there. The last form that I will discuss is known as focus-based meditation. This is where you focus on one thing, idea, or thought. You can say a mantra repeatedly, or even focus on a type of breathing. Focus-based meditation includes: “Samatha (Buddhist meditation), some forms of Zazen, Loving Kindness Meditation, Chakra Meditation, Kundalini Meditation, Sound Meditation, Mantra Meditation, Pranayama, some forms of Qigong, and many others.”1 Focus-based meditation can happen randomly—like when reading a book—or by actually sitting down wherever you are comfortable and focusing on one object. There are several places relatively near SMCC where you can learn meditation; one is the Serlingpa Meditation Center in Portland. For other meditation centers, check out the Sunrise Guide website for Southern Maine and Serlingpa Meditation Center in Portland, Maine.
SeawolvesSports
Photo by: Beacon Staff (Continued from Page 12) ball enthusiast should enjoy. With a little under 5 minutes to play in the first half he Seawolves had built a 11-point lead. After UNBSJ cut the lead to 9, freshman Timothy Dixon padded SMCC’s lead back to 12 after draining a three-pointer from the left hand corner. With two defensive shops SMCC went on to build a 17-point lead which was answered by a three from UNBSJ. SMCC would sustain their double digit lead and go into half time leading 49-35. The start of the second half started off a bit rough for the Seawolves as UNBSJ scored the first 5 points cutting into the Wolves lead. Baskets by Kenyon Martin and Ryan Clout-
ier kept the Seawolves lead in the high end of single digits, but the renewed high energy that UNBSJ opened the second half with gave SMCC mild fits. With a little more than 5 minutes to play UNBSJ had trimmed the Wolves lead to 6. A charging call on UNBSJ would stall their drive to cut further into the lead. After a SMCC turnover and missed layup UNBSJ cut the lead to 4 on a breakaway layup. After a few minutes of erratic play Matthew Tenney’s 3 pointer padded SMCC’s lead back to 7. The Wolves would see their lead cut to one after two consecutive three point plays. SMCC would relinquish the lead for a few seconds until John Morgan rattled off 6 consecutive points giving SMCC a 5-point lead.
Photo by: Michael White Defense was key on the next UNBSJ offensive play as Chase Soares steal leading to an Anthony Lobor layup. With a few seconds under 10 minutes to pay SMCC had survived a NBSJ offensive push because of their defense pressure. Highlights going down the stretch include: two beautiful drives by Chase Soares which were finished off with crisp tight passes to Dylan Silvestri and John Morgan, a threepoint shot by freshman Timothy Dixon, John Morgan finding his way to the foul line, and the swarming defensive pressure applied by the SMCC squad. After 40 minutes of play, the Men Seawolves would finish their first weekend of play as the Lady’s did, starting off the 20-16-
17 season with two sound wins. In Saturday’s game, the Wolves would build a first half 12-point lead against a sound St. Thomas University squad and would have to regroup to hold off a serious offensive push by St. Thomas University in the second half. Junior captain and veteran John Morgan would lead all scorers with 16 points and seven assists. Ryan Cloutier contributed ninepoints while grabbing six rebounds. Eleven Seawolves would make it into the scoring box. The Wolves would walk off the floor with their first victory of the season, a 63-53 win against a sound St. Thomas University team.
Photo by: Beacon Staff
Photo by: Beacon Staff
Top Left: Chase Soares starts to drive against St.Thomas’s Mitch Claybourn in Saturday’s action. Chase ended the day with seven points, five steals and three rebounds. Top Right: SMCC’s Destinie Montano pauses before starting the next offensive set for the Seawolves in Sunday’s game. Destinie tallied eleven points and three rebounds against UNBSJ. Bottom Left: Keanyon Lambert puts up a Willis Reed-esque hook shot from inside the top of the key. Keanyon contributed a quiet three points and three rebounds in Saturday
Get Off My Lawn Gio DiFazio
I
n a world of Gronk Spikes and bat flip”s, we all have to take a minute and think about whether we agree with the nature of post-play celebration that takes place in professional sports today. Last Sunday Vernon Davis was flagged fifteen yards for scoring his first touchdown since the 2014 season. After snagging a pass in the end zone, he quickly ran up to the goalpost, and with a half-hearted attempt, shot a jump shot through the goalposts with the football. The penalty was assessed on the kickoff, which led to a touchdown. Antonio Brown decided that the best choice of dance moves was a pelvic thrust that has become known as the “twerk.” Not only did he draw the harsh unsportsmanlike call,
but he was fined over six thousand dollars by the NFL. Again in week four, he decided to again, twerk, but in a much milder manner. That resulted in his second unsportsmanlike and a $24,000 fine. These are just two of the many celebrations that have been deemed illegal by a league that believes that it is obligated to rob us of the amazing moments in which the game offers. Plucked right out of the NFL rulebook, from the league’s website, “These acts include, but are not limited to: throat slash; machine-gun salute; sexually-suggestive gestures; prolonged gyrations; or stomping on a team logo.” Antonio Brown clearly violates the rulebook, but all there is to say, is watch the video for yourself, and draw your own conclusion.
The issue is not the celebration themselves, but the rules and spotlight the league has now placed on them. We can all only imagine what other senseless and mindless these new “crackdowns” on post-game celebratory gestures will lead to. Of all the labels that Mr. Goodell has earned himself in the past year and a half, the most recent is the “Get of my lawn,” stereotypical old man. This generation of athletics is much different, in an infinite amount of ways. It’s easy to remember the days of “hand the ball to the referee when you score,” but what actual good does that lead to? Sports are very emotional, and the fact that professional organizations and the media take time to spend more on what happens after the play than during it, is saddening.
As stated earlier, what good will happen from restricting a highly entertaining and progressive element out of football, and sports all-together. The argument of respect the game, and respect your opponents can be easily made, and frankly, when it comes down to it, watching an opponent relish in the glory of a victory is, well shitty. Real shitty. Like my dog just died shitty. Football has been played longer than I have been alive, and it will be around when I am dead. BUT appreciating the game, is seizing the opportunities that it gives you to show your emotions and bask in the moment which was brought on by hard work and sacrifice.
THE SMCC BEACON
October 25
2016
11
SeawolvesSports Hoops Season Begins The Seawolves have a 4-0 Weekend Beacon Staff
T
he SMCC women and men’s basketball seasons started Saturday as the Seawolves teams traveled to Central Maine Community College to participate in the Can-Am Tournament. This year marks the 22nd year that the tournament has been played at CMCC, which has proven to be a wonderful venue to catch games that have an international flair.
On Saturday, the tournament opened with the SMCC Lady Seawolves taking on Cegep, Champlain St Lawerance. The Men Wolves would take to the court to play St. Thomas University in the 4pm game. The Lady Seawolves squad has seen many changes to both the coaching staff and player roaster since the end of last season. Last May, Katie Bergeron was named as head coach and in September, Sarah Assante joined longtime assistant coach Patrick Haviland. In Saturday’s afternoon game, the Lady Seawolves started off the game aggressively on the offensive and defensive side of the court. After one period of play the Lady wolves had outscored Cegep 28-16. Jordan Farquharson set the tone for the first ten minutes of play by draining three three-point shots on five attempts. She would be the top scorer for both teams at the end of the first quarter. Destinie Montano added six points helping the Lady Wolves to build the double digit lead. The second quarter of play saw each team post 15 points apiece enabling the SMCC squad to maintain a lead that the Cepeg squad would not be able to overcome during the second half of the opening game. The second half of play saw Cepeg out score the Wolves by three points which would not be enough to overcome the 12-point deficit they found themselves in at halftime. Sophomore Jordan Farquharson would bring home top scoring honors at the end of regulation after netting 20 points. Jordan also
grabbed ten rebounds and had two steals. Hannah Heald would also record a double-double, by scoring 11 points and grabbing 15 boards. In Sundays action, the Lady Seawolves took to the court in a mid-morning game against University of Brunswick St John’s. The Seawolves looked to improve not just upon their record, but with their transition game, working the clock and looking for the appropriate shot. Sunday’s game would start out tighter for the Seawolves as they would struggle to find their offensive flow and settle with a five to five tie after ten minutes of play. Both offensives turned on the offense in the second quarter which enabled UNBSJ to Photo by: Beacon Staff grab a three-point lead 26-23 heading into intermission. The three point shooting of SMCC would keep the Seawolves close as Jennifer Conrad and Allica Ruth would connect twice apiece from beyond the line. Destinie Montano’s five points greatly aided the Wolves in a quarter when scoring was a bit scarce.
The fourth quarter proved to be quite the contest as the Seawolves were unable to pull away from UNBSJ, and UNBSJ couldn’t cut into and overtake SMCC. With a little more than a minute left, Kayla Abdul buried a 3-pointer padding SMCC’s lead back to 5. After a foul that was committed by SMCC’s Hannah Heald, UNBSJ would connect on one of the two shoots trimming the lead to 4. After some moments of erratic play Jen Conrad would once again connect at the foul line padding the lead back to five. SMCC would close out the game after a UNBSJ turnover as they brought the ball down court in the final seconds of the game. SMCC started off the weekend as they started it winning in Auburn and getting the season off with a 2-0 record. In the second game of the Sunday’s games for SMCC, the men Wolves took to the floor and started off their game against UNBSJ by nailing their first three three-point shoot. The flurry of scoring was capped off when Chase Soares stole the ball along the UNBSJ baseline dribbled up court and tossing up a beautifully timed ally-oop pass which was finished
Photo by: Michael White off by Ryan Cloutier dunk. Ryan would earn a trip to the line after being fouled while in the act of shooting. While not tremendously tall in the paint, SMCC does have an inside presence with veterans John Morgan, Keanyon Lambert and Dylan Silvestri, and freshmen Anthony and Patrick Lobor, and Ryan Cloutier that makes them a force to be reckoned with. The Wolves bring a defensive intensity and offensive patience and focus to the front line that basket (Continued on Page 11)
Photo by: Michael White The third quarter saw the Lady Wolves out score UNBSJ fourteen to seven, which erased a three-point deficit giving the Seawolves a four-point lead going into the final quarter. While no single player lite up the scoring box, five different players helped spread out the scoring for the Wolves.
Photo by: Beacon Staff Top Left: SMCC defenders Emily Hogan and Hannah Heald apply in Saturday’s game. Emily finished the day with six points and four rebound. Hannah Heald recorder her first double-double of the season scoring 11 points and grabbing 15 rebounds. Top Right: Seawolve Ryan Cloutier reaches for the upper stratosphere attempting to deny a clean shot by St. Thomas’ Tariq Thomas. Bottom left: Keanyon Lambert finds space underneath getting a shot off against a stubborn St. Thomas defense. Bottom Right: Destinie Montano looks for an outlet pass after being denied the baseline. Destinie finished the game with 14 points and two steals against Champlain St. Lawrence.
October 25
2016
Sup po
r S e a wo lv !
THE SMCC BEACON
Women: 10/30 Berkley 11am 11/15 Navy Prep 1pm
u yo
es
12
Men: 10/29 Berkley 11am 10/30 Holyoke CC 3pm 11/15 Navy Prep 3pm 11/8 Northern Essex CC 6pm
rt
While the weather taunts us to stay outdoors, the Lady and Men Seawolves Basketball teams are taking to court.