Issue Date 4•11•17
BY THE STUDENTS, FOR THE STUDENTS
Volume 13 No. 12
SMCC Students Go to Italy By Olivia White
Thanks to both the SMCC Global Classroom and the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE)* program, eight students and I took a trip to historic Italy for spring break as part of Professor Jeffrey Badger’s online class Italian Renaissance Art and Architecture. The first half of the semester focused on the historical backgrounds of the Italian Renaissance, including the art, architecture, and artists, as well as the influences provided by the Church and wealthy benefactors such as the Medici family. The course also prepared us for this intercultural experi-
ence by reminding us that Italy would be very different from America in many ways, such as food and language. Although we felt very prepared for this trip, one thing that no one can be prepared for is Italy’s beauty, such as how it felt to see the snow-capped Alps from the plane’s window, or to experience Ferrara’s tall and proud Castello Estense. Florence’s Duomo completely overwhelms you in size and intricacy, and Venice’s web of canals is simply amazing, as it weaves a wonderful, even poetic, puzzle around you. It was surreal. We spent most of our time in Ferrara, a relatively small, charming city mostly un-
(Continued on page 2)
Gelato shop in Florence, Italy. Photo by Olivia White
SMCC students pose with Florence’s Duomo. Photo by Olivia White
Welcoming Jason Saucier to SMCC By Jessica Spoto and Ben Riggleman
There is a new employee here at Southern Maine Community College. His name is Jason Saucier (pronounced “SO-shur”), and he is the director of residential life and student involvement. He goes by Jason or Sauc (which sounds like “sohsh”). He has only been here for two weeks, but let’s just say he’s doing a phenomenal job! Jason has always had a passion for helping people. Following in the footsteps of his father, a professional firefighter, Jason began studying firefighting and search-and-rescue in high school through a program at the Togus veteran’s hospital. Then, while a criminology major at the University of Southern Maine–Gorham, he got a firefighting certification, which led to a paid job with the Gorham fire department. Jason went on to get his M.S. in adult education at USM, and while a graduate student, took on a full-time job as residence-hall director. This finally spelled the end of his firefighting career. He was a full-time RD for three years. “And then,” he says, “I got really involved in ‘learning communities.’ … I was involved in creating a community-of-arts program in one of our residence halls that kind of focused on students who had a creative interest, whether they were an art major or not. And we did some fun projects, like a film festival where students made their own ten-minute films.” He
speaks proudly of the “Golden Husky” awards and red-carpet ceremony he set up. Running such events led naturally into a five-year stint as USM’s director of residential life and student activities. And now Jason is here, doing essentially the same job. He’s already begun “mapping out” events and programs for 2018; and in the short term, preparing for SMCC’s upcoming annual Spring Fest, which will involve a barbeque, music and inflatables. The theme this year is the Grateful Dead. He has some novel ideas. One is to
create a college-newspaper consortium, bringing The Beacon together with other regional student papers to collaborate and share content. He has also spoken with students about inaugurating an SMCC day of community service. Jason acknowledges that it’s difficult joining a new community near the end of the school year. But he said his “experience has been fantastic” so far. He says he “really enjoys getting to know students here.” His first week, he encountered many friendly people — teachers, students and faculty. Students would just pop into his office
to say “hi.” He really enjoyed the warm welcome he received, and just how friendly people are here at SMCC. He encourages students to continue to seek him out. His office is in 122 Spring Point — and he’s around all week, he says. Asked if he has any advice to give students at SMCC, he offers this: “Get involved in at least one thing that connects you to campus. This could be a student organization, athletics, on-campus employment, you name it. Studies have shown that students who do this for at least two to three hours a week on a regular basis report a positive connection to the college, better grades and a higher success rate in college. In addition to these benefits, your involvement on campus helps you build your professional network and your resume.” He mentions some clubs offered on the South Portland Campus: cosplay club, nursing club and Student Senate. (So there are a lot of opportunities here at SMCC to get involved on campus, if you haven’t already!) Some other facts about Jason: He has two children; Milo is going into second grade, and his youngest, Reid, is going to pre-K. Jason has lived in Maine his whole life and loves it here. He seems like a great addition to the SMCC staff. The Beacon gives Jason Saucier a warm welcome!
C ampus N ews SMCC Students Go to Italy (Continued from page 1)
(Above and below) Scenes from Venice. Photos by Olivia White
THE
BEACON Executive Staff
Managing Editor Creative Director Art Directors Copy Editor Illustration Cartoons
Alex Serrano Troy Hudson Oguzhan Ozkan Max Lorber Paul Moosmann Ben Riggleman Vanessa Poirier Daniel Elliot
Section Editors Arts and Features Jessica Spoto Sports Gio DiFazio Contributing Writers Gio DiFazio, Rebecca Dow, Brian Gooze, Troy Hudson, Nicole Jacobson, Lydia Libby, Max Lorber, Ryan Marshall, Oguzhan Ozkan, Breanna Penny, Benjamin Riggleman, Jessica Spoto, Olivia White Advisors Chuck Ott &Rachel Guthrie
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known to tourists. Ferrara is also a city rich with Renaissance history, much of which we were able to visit and explore, including the underground prison and rooftop orange trees of the Castello Estense. (The castle used to be the home of the Este family, who served as the dukes of Ferrara for many years.) Ferrara is famous for their delicious cappellacci, which are ravioli stuffed with sweet pumpkin. All this and more made Ferrara the perfect destination for us to set up camp at the Hotel Touring near the middle of the city. Our days in Ferrara were sunny and warm, and one morning a few of us rode bicycles around the city wall, which stretches for about five miles, and once protected the city from Medieval invasions. Mostly, though, we spent our time going from one historic site, such as the top of the bell tower (which sported terrific views), to another, such as a local contemporary art gallery. Our trip also included tours of Florence and Venice — cities that strike your heart with allure after one glance. In Florence we visited the Duomo, a great cathedral overwhelming in both size and intricate detail. A picture doesn’t do it justice; one must walk around it in its entirety to get the full effect. While we were in Florence, we also visited the Uffizi (“offices”), once the offices of the wealthy Medici family and now a popular museum. People from all over the world come to see works of art by highly esteemed artists, such as Sandro Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus (1486) and Primavera (1482). In Venice, it seemed that every picture taken was one that belonged on a postcard. The bright blue canals that stretch throughout the city shimmered in the light, carrying tourists and newlyweds aboard beautiful gondolas. While in Venice we visited three particularly captivating
historical sites: the Doge’s Palace, Saint Mark’s Basilica, and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. The Doge’s Palace housed immaculately detailed ceilings and frescoed walls depicting religious scenes, and also gave stunning views of Venice from the top floors. Saint Mark’s Basilica is an incredibly gorgeous cathedral, with every part of its walls covered in gilded mosaic scenes of Jesus Christ, Mary Magdalene, and many other significant religious figures. Each small piece of mosaic is gilded with gold-leaf paint, which creates an illusion of dancing sequins in the sunlight. Lastly, we visited the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, which is held in the house she lived in, and her body presently rests under a small garden outside the building. Inside we walked through Peggy’s personal collection, which includes pieces by Pablo Picasso, Max Ernst, Jackson Pollock, and Man Ray. When we weren’t visiting museums, cathedrals, or other historical sites, we were eating. The food in Italy was remarkable, exceeding all expectations. Dinners would sometimes be hours long, full of conversation and one delectable course after another. We relished Ferrara’s famous cappellacci, the pizza was amazing, and we revisited the handmade gelato multiple times. We learned how to make pasta by hand from a real Italian chef, and we were also invited to Azienda Agricola BioPastoreria, an organic farm in Ferrara, to make pizza. It was all an incredible experience that I’m sure none of us will soon forget, leaving us all wanting more of the beautiful country of Italy. For more information about the nonprofit CIEE program and what it provides, please visit https://www.ciee.org
Respect The Captain’s House By The Beacon Staff
Did you know that the Captain’s House is available for student use between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.? It is a meeting place for many student clubs (including The Beacon) and the Captain’s Cupboard, SMCC’s on-campus food pantry.
Unfortunately, the Captain’s House is getting trashed on a daily basis. If you spend time in the Captain’s House, please keep it clean. Students should be provided with access to a clean and welcoming learning space. Treat the Captain’s House as you would treat any of the other spaces on campus — with respect.
C ampus N ews
Christian Farnsworth: Earth Edge Photos and Artist Talk in the Learning Commons By The Beacon Staff Christian Farnsworth has established a diverse and solid knowledge base that has informed his photography work adding wonderful insight into the work that he chose to hang in the Learning Commons second floor study lounge. Last Thursday, Farnsworth’s touched on his studies in Geoscience and Natural Resources, as well as his time in the Peace Corps and the World Food Programme. which lead him via a circuitous route Maine College of Art where he earned his MFA in Interdisciplinary Studies. Farnsworth spoke of the moment when
he was challenged by his professors at MECA which in turn set him on the path that lead to the work exhibited at SMCC. He also mentioned the impact that Susan Sontag’s book, “Regarding the Pain of Others” made on him as a photo journalist. His professors and Sontag challenged him in a manner that forced him to confront how an image might lose its ability to address the human condition and emotional impact. The dilemma of seeing a multitude of images that documents the plight of the human condition across the planet while losing their importance is a point that Farnsworth focused on.
When The Beacon’s Just Not Enough By Ben Riggleman
Attention, news aficionados! As of two weeks ago, the SMCC community has free online access to The New York Times. Simply go to http://tiny.cc/SMCCLibraryNYTimes, log into SMCC if prompted and create an account with your SMCC email address. You’ll be getting heated in Ross Douthat’s comment section in no time. While this is incredibly convenient, it’s actually just the tip of the iceberg. It only takes a couple more steps to have decades’ worth of issues from any of over 2,000 newspapers — U.S. and international — at your fingertips. Here’s what to do: Go to http://smccme. libguides.com/library/articles, or click the
Articles & Databases tab on the SMCC library website (accessible through MyLearning on the portal). Then scroll through the huge list of “Databases A to Z” on the right side of the page until you get to ProQuest Newsstand, near the bottom. Once you’re in Newsstand, you can search by article text, headline, or issue. If Newsstand is too open-ended for your purposes, databases specific to The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post can also be found in the A–Z list. And if you’re addicted to old-fashioned smudgy ink, physical copies of those papers and more are always available in the Campus Center.
Is College a Good Deal? Annual Earnings for Millenials age 25-32 by Education Level $45,500
$30,000
$28,000
Bachelor’s Degree or More
Two Year Degree/ Some College
High School Graduate
Unemployment Rate for Millenials
WILL STUDY FOR FOOD
3.8%
Bachelor’s Degree or More
8.1%
Two Year Degree/ Some College
12.2%
34
High School Graduate
Age the Average College Degree Starts to Pay Off
Keep Going! It’s Worth It!
Sources: money.cnn.com/2017/01/09/pf/college/college-degree-payoff www.pewsocialtrends.org/2014/02/11/the-rising-cost-of-not-going-to-college
The Beacon ■ April 11 ■ 2017 3
O pinion & E ditorial Truth in Photographs
nonetheless limited, technology to recreate what the photographer saw (or felt) when looking through the viewfinder. Photo manipulation is common practice, Photography provides us the ability to look and tacitly accepted, in some publications, through another’s eyes (albeit through a e.g. fashion magazines, and strictly forglass darkly) at a particular moment, which bidden in others, e.g. newspapers. Some is magic enough, but we expect too much photographs, then, are held to a higher of it. Since photography’s rise as the most standard than others. All photographs reauthoritative form of visual reproduction flect the unique vision of the photographer (though perhaps video has now usurped it), and/or editor, and this includes post-prowe have placed unreasonable expectations cessing, whether in a chemical darkroom or on photographs to be our infallible records software like Photoshop. of the past. Photographs do indeed have Like a painting, photographs attest to the power to the singular tell us somevision of an If we release photographs from their thing about the observer who supposed obligation to present an truth, but are documents objective view of reality, we can begin to not that truth what she or he sees. The appreciate the true power of photography. itself. Viewed this way, photo categorical manipulation need not be viewed in so difference is that a painting may be generharsh a light. ated from pure imagination, whereas with When photos are used to mislead a photograph, we know that actual light reflected off actual objects was captured the viewer, certainly this is an ethical dion film (or digital sensor). This has led lemma. But perhaps the fault lies not only many people to associate photographs with with the manipulators, but also with an absolute truth, but this faith in the veracity unscrupulous public who expect from phoof photographs needs to change; not only tographs what cannot possibly be delivbecause of the distorting power of photo ered. If we would accept that photographs manipulation, but because photographs are the subjective, temporal compositions themselves are not capable of providing an of individual human beings, then altered objectively true depiction of a subject. photos could be no more than impresIf we release photographs from their sionistic interpretations and not damnable supposed obligation to present an objective betrayals of trust. Individual publications view of reality, we can begin to appreciate may put restrictions on the degree of photo the true power of photography. manipulation that is acceptable, but they It is the marriage of an individual vision can never eliminate the personal, subjective of a singular moment with ingenious, but nature of photography itself.
By Troy Hudson
Chewing in Class: The Distraction and the Annoyance By Jessica Spoto
Have you ever heard that dreaded apple being eaten so loudly in class that you’re internally screaming? Or that hated bag of chips that with every crunch makes you want to pull your hair out? When you’re harmlessly paying attention and just trying to listen to a lecture and someone has to eat carrots? With every snap of those carrots, you die a little inside and your attention span for the lecture decreases. The worst part is when you start a new class and the teacher introduces themselves with a big, “Hello, you can all eat in class, I don’t mind.” Well, teacher, your students may mind a lot — a lot to the point where they have to leave the room if they hear someone crunching, snacking and smacking their food.
Some people may think, what’s so wrong with eating in class? Well, that’s the issue: those people. The people who don’t understand and just think about themselves. They don’t understand why some people get anxious, irritated and unhappy when eating is done in a classroom, a quiet learning space. If you get annoyed and anxious from chewing, you are not alone, and you may actually have a real medical condition, called misophonia. Misophonia not only pertains to chewing but to any sounds that are highly intensified for people that may trigger them. So if you are that person who doesn’t have misophonia, just remember that some people do have it, and just be more considerate when chewing in class. Chewing in class could genuinely hurt someone’s focus and increase their anxiety.
Rugged Individualism By Nicole Jacobsen
Bruce N. Waller writes, “Rather than rugged individualists we are a profoundly social species.” Not only does Waller posit this as a successful evolutionary strategy, he also suggests that to assert we are individuals who can live without connectedness is nothing more that artifice. In my case, such rugged individualism affected my health adversely — that is until I realized the key to good health lay in the very connectedness to which Waller refers. I recollect the story of Roseto, Pa. in Malcolm Gladwell’s book “Outliers.” In it Gladwell describes researchers’ fascination with the small town of Roseto, which had almost no disease and not a single case of coronary artery disease, which was at that time on the rise in the United States. Apparently, while the people of Roseto ate a refined and high-fat diet and were obese at a rate that was comparable to the rest of the country, they lived longer and healthier lives. What’s more, they all seemed to merely die of old age. Ultimately, researchers concluded the secret to Roseto’s good health was the existence of extended family and a strong sense of community. In our textbook Waller explains that humans form strong family and social bonds due in part to the length and vulnerability of infancy, but also because that strong sense of community ensures the longevity of the human species as a whole. He writes, “The notion of humans as rugged individuals is an artificial contrivance, while cooperation and affection come
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naturally to members of our deeply social Foundation and moved into a nice species.” apartment in a bustling neighborhood. In my experience, Waller is correct. Yet making friends there or in any sphere It certainly seems the people of Roseto of my life wasn’t proving successful. It understood the importance of cooperaseemed the northern Virginia and Washtion and affection, and I’ve found it to be ington, D.C. area wasn’t suited to me, but essential in my own life as well, though it because I was pregnant with my first child, took me a while to understand just how I decided it was wisest to stay put. Some much so. roots are better than none, I told myself. In my late teens and early twenties, I I gave birth to my first daughter in my would most certainly have categorized apartment, joyfully, though without medimyself as a rugged individualist, and cal assistance or any semblance of postperhaps I was. Looking back now, I see partum care, in part because of the rugged how successful I was at all I set my mind individualism to which I clung. to as a fiercely independent woman, Over time, the lack of family, friends or though I paid the price for the “artificial any sort of network left me feeling lonely. contrivance” I’d always of which In my late teens and early twenties, I would wanted to Waller most certainly have categorized myself as a visit New speaks, and England, and rugged individualist, and perhaps I was. the lack of after hearing community Portland, and connectedness. Maine was a great city to raise a child in, I I’d been raised to believe independence once again packed up a moving truck and was a virtue, but more than that, I learned made my way there — this time with a that the mutual affection, concern and newborn in tow. cooperation came at a price — at least The good news was that the moment I in my family — so I sought to attempt arrived in Portland, I knew I’d made the a life without it. As such, it was entirely right decision. Everyone and everything fitting that after graduating high school felt like home. The bad news was I’d begun I packed up a moving truck with my few to succumb physically to the lack of deep possessions and left the windy city of social connectedness. For the first time in Seattle bound for Alexandria, Va. I hadn’t my life, I found myself sick and in need arranged an apartment to land in, nor had of medical treatment. The doctors were I even a single friend to await me there, unable to figure out why I had a persistent but it was the fresh start I needed. fever and sinus infections that didn’t Before too long, I found a job I liked respond to antibiotics or other treatment. with the National Fish and Wildlife I was given a hearing test to check for
abnormalities. I had X-rays and a cranial CT scan, as well as a litany of allergy tests, but everything came back negative or inconclusive — no one knew what was wrong with me. Then I met my husband. He helped me to see that what I lacked was precisely that which my deeply social species thrived on: mutual affection, concern and cooperation. He assured me that I’d return to health if I allowed myself to plug in socially, and he was right. Shortly thereafter I began to feel I belonged in a way I never had anywhere before, and not surprisingly, all signs of sickness disappeared. I’d found love, friendship and reciprocity with a group that cared for me, and that equaled physical wellness, just as it did for the people of Roseto, Pa. Now I find my life so full of friends and connectedness and purpose that I hardly have the time to sit still and recollect these events of my past, were it not for writing this essay. When this past November I had my second child at home, I did so with a midwife standing by, and with my husband and 11-year-old daughter watching over me. I can say with certainty I’m no longer the rugged individualist Waller speaks of, though I’m still fierce, independent and maybe a little crazy. While rugged individualism was perhaps the correct modus operandi for me at a particular juncture, I agree with Waller: such things are essential for myself, for the people of Roseto and for all of us.
O pinion & E ditorial
A Response to Karl Marx’s ‘Communist Manifesto’ By Oguzhan Ozkan
As my good friend Emre Ceren thinks, Karl Marx was a man of high ideals, and I agree. Not only did he help transform Europe, his endeavours and determination also reshaped and rebuilt the world from top to bottom. His controversial legacy still lives on and remains a glimmer of hope for a significant number of people around the globe. Communism may be a debatable and slippery concept, but the man who pulled it out of thin air was a man of perseverance, and deserves respect no matter what our ideology, religion or view of life is. “The Communist Manifesto” begins with a call to the oppressed, and Marx, who says that the history of the existing society is the history of class struggles, has a rather wide definition for oppression. One thing never changes: There are the oppressed and the oppressors; and the oppressed — the “proletariat” or workers, who comprise every layer of society below the “bourgeoisie” or capital owners
— must unite. This is not a choice, but a the oppressed — and unfortunately, this crucial necessity for every living soul in the vicious cycle is still prevailing over us soworld who aims for a better future. called modern people, the descendants of The discovery of America in the 15th the proletariat. century started a new era. It paved the way Marx thought that a communist for modernization, mechanization and the revolution was inevitable. Given that all global market. As the global market grew, historical movements were movements the bourgeoisie prospered in a very unfair of minorities, the proletariat created by way, and proletarians were the ones to the hands of the bourgeoisie was the suffer from piteous immense majority. Marx is one of the most working conditions The struggle with and salaries. Mod- influential people to pass from the the bourgeoisie ern industry began face of the earth, without a doubt. would be a national in the 19th century. struggle at first; the Altogether, this led to modernization and proletariat of each country should deal mechanization, and the global market was with with its own bourgeoisie. But in the the victorious, profitable result of this long course of events, the proletariat would continuum-of-production phase. understand that living under the rules of Bourgeois governments formed new such oppressors was no longer compatible alliances with each other and built new with the masses. armies to preserve their interests and The progress of modern industry would shares. Scientific development was utilized be the bourgeoisie’s own grave-digger, to invent brand-new war machinery. There ironically. The more the need for the was not a single proletarian drop of sweat workforce rose for the sake of the industry, that wasn’t exploited by the oppressors. the more the proletariat’s victory would Every innovation and every economic be unavoidable. Time would reveal truth, improvement was to the detriment of according to Marx — by the hands of the
From the Desk of the Managing Editor: Springtime
We Are SMCC: A Brief Moment in History Breanna Penney
“You strike a woman, you strike a rock” — Zulu proverb National Women’s Day in South Africa is a trademark of equality. Annually in the summertime, the DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo) community in Maine hosts a celebration in Portland. It’s hardly advertised. Usually, most people hear about it through word of mouth, or after the celebration takes place. However, as quietly as National Women’s Day comes and goes, it’s one of the loudest voices for African women today. On Aug. 9, 1956, twenty thousand South African women took part in a protest in front of the parliament building in Pretoria
against the government’s “pass laws.” The pass laws required all black citizens to carry a passport around with them at all times. These documents contained general physiological information, as well as number ranks based on each person’s additional rights. And as it turned out, gender had a huge impact on the ranking system: Men were always ranked higher than women. Sarah Matima describes, “Even today, gender equality is a big issue in Africa, especially in the DRC. Most African tribes see women as birth givers and nurturers to children, while men hunt and protect. It’s a very ancient hunter and gatherer, but relevant in the traditional
Justice Upturned
ILLUSTRATION BY DANIEL ELLIOT
oppressed, for the oppressed. Marx is one of the most influential people to pass from the face of the earth, without a doubt. His findings, determinations and arguments are very important to resolve and analyze the relationship between the layers of society, which in this case are the oppressed and the oppressor. However, although reducing every single detail of every movement to a struggle of class might be the answer for the 19th century’s world, it is not for the 21th century. The world is so much more complicated than it was in two centuries ago. Even though Marx’s findings on oppression are still valid and solid, his suggested solution, communism, is quite questionable. The exigencies of modern people are incomparably different from those of 19th-century society. If Marx was still alive (which might be an immense contribution to human knowledge), even he would accept this fact and revise, or maybe remodel, his recipe. What we do know is he intended to make the world a better place than he found it.
Alex Serrano
Hey Beaconizers! Photo from Wikimedia Commons
communities in Africa.” It wasn’t long before the outrage of thousands of South African women turned into a protest. The country itself tried to discourage the protest by shutting down public transits and buses in surrounding area. However, women from far and wide, some carrying children on their backs, traveled miles by foot to stand against gender inequality. Several women showed up at the seat of government with petitions totaling over 100,000 signatures and handed them to the Prime Minister’s secretary. You could hear the words “Wathint’ abafazi, wathint’ imbokodo” — “You strike a woman, you strike a rock” — resounding through the town. It was recorded that a little over 20,000 women attended the protest. Although the women’s bravery won the fight, they lost the battle. In fact, it wasn’t until 39 years later that National Women’s Day become an official holiday in South Africa. Around that time, in 1995, South Africa had just become a democratic country. The shift in government may have contributed to the recognition of National Women’s Day — but even if that’s true, we still owe it to the ladies. So, as the event continues to brush past our feet, African women’s rights and equality are slowly on the rise every year. Inspired by an SMCC student.
As you may know, April is National Poetry month, so as students and faculty recite verses in the All Faiths Chapel, birds in the air and mud on the ground heralds the beginning of spring. With the warming weather meaning stuffy classrooms, dogs on the beach, and clear blue skies, avoiding school work to stare longingly out the window is now a commonplace occurrence. In some classes you can feel the momentum of curriculum slowly winding down to summer. But this is not an excuse to slide by, shirk responsibilities, or to party preemptively. The time for frolicking on the beach, eating ice cream and long, open-window car rides may be close, but tests and projects can still pile up. Whether by way of unfortunate procrastinating accidents or just a weird week, schoolwork still requires almost constant vigilance. This is particularly difficult when you factor in work, friends and sleep. So take care. Take your time. On the other hand, there’s not as much time left in the year as we’d like to believe. In a few short weeks we’ll all be hanging around the annual Spring Fest BBQ (this year it’ll be Grateful Dead themed). Finals will be in the past and summer jobs, classes, or a vacation in the future. Those days are close at hand, but not close enough. So keep on plugging along.
The Beacon ■ April 11 ■ 2017 5
A rts & F eatures The Mystery Machine Jessica Spoto
THE DIRECTOR’S PROFILE:
Jeff Lieberman
Jeff Lieberman may be one of the unsung masters of late 20th-century terror, in spite of only having a handful of directorial credits to his name. Born Oct. 16, 1947, the Brooklyn native’s career spans over 40 years, and each outing is marked with the same utterly entrancing concoction of splatter, psychedelia, and satire that has allowed the filmmaker’s oeuvre to far withstand the oh-so-important Test of Time with ease, surpassing many of his peers in both brains and looks alike. Lieberman’s feature debut was 1976’s “Squirm,” a wonderful marriage of acid-tongued hixploitation and the “natureruns-amok” cinema that was all the rage at the time featuring early work by acclaimed makeup artist Rick Baker. (The image of man-eating worms crawling under a man’s face is an unsettling one, to say the least.) “Blue Sunshine,” a decidedly unsubtle critique of ‘60s and ‘70s drug culture that’s as
devilishly funny as it is genuinely poignant, followed two years later, and remains a fan favorite to this day. The next decade brought another double
dose of Lieberman, though it would unfortunately be the director’s last for some time. Nevertheless, 1981’s “Just Before Dawn” is a marvelous subversion and cel-
ebration of slasher-film formula, a twisty tale with a sort of elegant naturalism that might make Terrence Malick blush. 1988 brought perhaps the most underseen entry in the director’s modest collection, “Remote Control,” which once again entertains notions of science fiction and horror and broad comic strokes. All was quiet on the Lieberman front, save for some work in television and documentary filmmaking, until he marked his territory yet again in 2004 with the delightfully demented “Satan’s Little Helper,” which further proved the director’s resourcefulness when working under tight budgetary constraints. Lieberman has yet to make another move since, unfortunately, but has been active in allowing his legacy to live on by actively participating in restorations and revivals. If nothing else, the man seems to know his worth, and with such a unique mastery of an admittedly difficult tone, it’s hard not to see a little bit of Lieberman in his successors.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Effortlessly articulate in its unabashed social consciousness and fearless in its evocation of delectably dream-like ambience, “Get Out” is something of a miracle in terms of the modern cinematic circuit. It’s a brooding, remarkably intelligent picture that pays its respects to the horror masters of old while making way for the new. That the latter in question is none other than Jordan Peele, one half of subversive comic duo Key and Peele, only serves to make the film’s enduring taste all the sweeter. While Peele is hardly the most likely candidate that comes to mind when faced with the task of delivering grueling terror, he’s no stranger to the festering racial tensions that his debut actively confronts. In this case, Chris (Daniel Kaluuya), an established photographer and all-around exceedingly likable guy, is the vehicle, and the catalyst is the family of his white girlfriend, Rose (Allison Williams), which he is soon to finally meet over a weekend getaway in the country. While it’s safe to assume that Peele’s influences range far and wide, it’s perhaps most obvious that he’s taking significant pages from the Book of Polanski, as this turns out to be quite the enticing slow-burn. Rose’s family appears to be a jolly bunch —
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a little too jolly, in fact — and the presence of two African-American servants who act as if they’re trapped inside their own bodies is certainly foreboding. Chris’ social isolationism and apprehension toward his partner’s kin play well against old-timey interiors and a sequence of increasingly odd incidents. These include a collision with a deer on the backroads — an early harbinger of worse things to come — and a midnight cigarette break that turns into a trauma-baring hypnotism session courtesy of Rose’s mother (Catherine Keener). This is as rich and brave a brew as they
come, but at its heart, “Get Out” is a scathing critique of liberal bigotry, a portrait of a toxic mindset that ultimately does more harm than good in spite of assuming the contrary. It’s decidedly serious stuff, though roughly half the fun is watching Peele and company flirt with conventions with such
How To:
Grandma Chic By Jessica Spoto
Ryan Marshall is a Communications & New Media major focusing on cinematic journalism. You can also read his writing at podcastingthemsoftly.com
Get Out
Some people know the Mystery Machine and others do not. The Mystery Machine is a van used for the characters in Scooby Doo. The mystery machine has its mysteries. One big mystery is what kind of van it is. Some say it’s a Corvair Van, VW or even a Ford Econoline. This groovy van has a trippy floral pattern on it and big bubble letters; it embodies the 1960s. This makes sense, because the cartoon first debuted in 1969, when everything was hippyfied. Scooby Doo and the gang drive around in this van on a mission to find ghosts and other ghouls. The van comes in handy for catching criminals! The characters in this show refer to themselves as the gang, the mystery gang! They find out the real truth behind the mysteries, and catch who was involved in the crime. After getting caught by the mystery gang, the criminals always say, “I would have gotten away with it too, it if wasn’t for you meddling kids!” Zoinks! You should get going so you can catch your own ghosts and ghouls too!
an obvious affection for genre blissfully intact. This is exceptional entertainment that makes no attempt to conceal its intentions, and it shouldn’t have to; simply getting to the heart of the problem, and daring to challenge it as Peele does here, is more than enough. Besides, there’s plenty of intimate deception, nosebleeds, and blind-man’s bingo to tide one over until the storm. There’s also no shortage of humor to allow the darkness to go down a bit easier, most of it courtesy of Chris’s friend Rod (Lil Rel Howery) back home, but what’s admirable is that the film doesn’t once let its meticulously crafted guard down. Peele commits to his anger and anxieties all the way to the bittersweet end, and if nothing else, his passion is the unmistakable mark of vision. If this is his entrance onto the scene, then it’s an unforgettable one; and if this is his voice, it’s been heard loud and clear. More terrifying than the film’s implications where racial politics are concerned — like the best the genre has to offer, “Get Out” envisions cinema as a mirror — is the fact that Peele can only get better from here on out. If it can even be argued that he doesn’t display a master’s hand now, just wait a few years. He’ll surely attain it in no time.
Ever see a young woman in cat-ladycouch, floral-print-style clothing with big chunky brown loafers? Well, this is one of many styles that are included in a trend called “grandma chic.” Of course, anyone can sport this chic grandma style, but the trend is seen mostly in people in their 20s to early 30s. Grandma chic puts a modern twist on older pieces of clothing. A lot of grandma-chic clothing comes from the ‘80s. The ‘80s had these horrible-looking, long, frumpy dresses with big white lace details and floral patterns that looked like that ugly couch you saw every time you visited your grandma. Although the patterns and details may be out of date, the fit and shape of the garment can be tailored to today’s style to make the clothing more modern. The long, grandma-style dresses can be shortened and fitted. There are many great ways to add grandma chic to any outfit. Shawls are one way, as are chunkier, out-of-date shoes. The chunky shoes work best in brown for this trend. Where can you find grandma-chic items? Thrift stores, of course! If you are really into digging for treasures, try Goodwill Buy the Pound in Gorham, Maine. You just have to pay the price of digging through large blue bins with the items mushed together and a large crowd around you. Other than that, the clothing is super cheap — pennies on the pound! If you’re not into digging to find things, there’s always A Good Cause Thrift Shop, located in downtown Portland. It’s a fantastic place to find grandma-chic clothes. Now that you know where to get these grandma-chic outfits, thrift like there’s no tomorrow!
A rts & F eatures
LEGO Batman: Better Together Alex Serrano
Cartoons by Daniel Elliot
Bentley and Bugs By Captain W. Russ Webster, USCG (Ret.), CULA 18
Bentley arrived at Portland airport from a Kansas City breeder in utter shambles. He had adapted and endured multiple flights and a baggage transfer, but he and his crate were a cesspool of urine and feces. After the car ride home and a quick cleanup, a treat and a fresh bowl of water, Bentley perked up while I introduced him to his new home. I have to admit, it had been 40 years since I owned a dog, and Bentley, a Springer Spaniel-Poodle mix, presented some unique challenges. Within a few weeks, he had grown from this little fur child I could fit in one hand, to double his size, and with the beginning jumping ability that would rival Michael Jordan. That dog on the State Farm commercials who starts the kitchen fire by turning on the burner in his quest for pizza was no match for Bentley. The only thing that kept Bentley safely within the confines of my kitchen was not knowing he could easily vault the gate. We all knew what an “escaped Bentley” could do. Once, the gate had been mistakenly left ajar and he quickly used his paw to create enough room to escape and wreak havoc on the rest of the house. He chewed socks, tore through loose paper and jumped on beds. Those who own spaniels and poodles understand the energy they commit to
their running, jumping and play. Tasmanian Devils they be! An escaped Bentley was “full-speed,” back and forth and no voice command or treat would stand in his way of exploring new nooks and crannies. The only stopping Bentley was flushing him out in to the hallway after closing all the adjacent doors. Seal Team 6 tactics — these are smart critters.
Soon after Bentley’s arrival, I started Chef Rascati’s CULA 100 Food safety course and my “awakening” about the hazards Bentley presented to me and my guests quickly took shape. That occasional accident in the kitchen soon took on new meaning and invoked a full-blown HAZMAT response! Oh, sh.., now I have to clean, rinse, sanitize and air dry the floor, again. More importantly, I started studying
Who’s the definitive Batman? Right now, popular opinion points to Christian Bale as Christopher Nolan’s angsty post9/11 metaphor for the war on terrorism in the excellent “Dark Knight” trilogy. The other contender, Ben Affleck, portrayed as a grimdark psychopathic killer in the much-defamed “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice,” is a glimmer of good in a garbage fire of a movie. Indeed, the last time we had a fun, charismatic, cartoon-aestheticized Batman was the critically panned, so-bad-it’s-good “Batman and Robin” nearly twenty years ago. I find that most grimdark Batmen play more towards the older 30-something fans who grew up with Frank Miller’s gruesome and revolutionarily revisionist run. But to me, Batman is not a man. Batman in my eyes should not be a man plunged into deep, never-ending depression by the death of his parents. This is a simple comic book character, and applying real-world politics and circumstances to his story takes away a lot of what makes Batman fun. Batman, at the core, is like a child’s daydream. Batman rids Gotham of childish nightmare villains using ‘50s-style detective work, high-tech gadgets, and judo by night; and by day is Bruce Wayne, an absurdly rich Hugh Hefner-styled man-child. Batman is like a miracle mix of pulp heroes James Bond, Sherlock Holmes, and Indiana Jones. Why should
information related to zoonotic diseases that were transmittable between dogs and humans. When I started reading things like, “Zoonotic diseases are responsible for fifty eight percent of all pathogens in humans,” my spider senses began to tingle. Zoonotic diseases are diseases that can be transmitted among animals. They commonly are transmitted through viruses and in some cases, bites. Fortunately, most are handled easily by the body’s immune system without major effect. Others can be quite serious. The second area of concern are those diseases transmitted from dog to human caused by bacteria. Most often, these come from the critters that animals may bring in to the home from the outside like ticks, mites, fleas and louses. So, what’s a Bentley owner to do? A very close friend encouraged me to rein in my free-range hound and “crate the little guy.” Isn’t that inhumane? No, crate training wasn’t available when I owned my last dog and it turns out dogs like the security of their new domicile and won’t mess their surroundings unless left way too long. The other pathway to a safe kitchen has been to check the fur child regularly for incoming bugs and to wash him with pet friendly products on a regular basis. While I still worry about the occasional inevitable accident, my awareness about the consequences and remedies is now almost as high as Bentley’s jumping abilities.
Batman be perpetually hung up on the murky gray morality of his suffering? Can’t he just move on from his parents’ death? These are questions that the movie in question, “The Lego Batman Movie,” tackles head on and with vigor. In “Lego Batman,” Batman (“Arrested Development”’s Will Arnett) is the ultimate nihilist. When the movie opens, he doesn’t care to acknowledge his overarching absent-parent syndrome. His longstanding arch-nemesis-ship with The Joker has lost it’s spark. Even the Justice League and Bruce Wayne’s playboy shenanigans are secondary to the idea of Batman, and Batman’s too-cool narcissism. So when The Joker (Zach Galifianakis) and the entire rogues’ gallery of villains turn themselves in, Batman struggles to maintain his sense of self-worth. Without villains, what is a broody Batman to do? “The Lego Batman Movie” seems to understand that all brooding, sulky, grimdark Batman needs is… a hug. Companionship. Because in addition to being an avatar for a child’s fantasy of adulthood, Batman can also function as a surrogate father figure. Similar to Indiana Jones and Short Round, Batman in this context exists to save a young orphan’s childhood, the life a young Bruce Wayne never had the chance to live. A life of goofball-ish adventure, mystery, and friendship. And that is exactly the kind of Batman “The Lego Batman Movie” gives us.
Advising Month Has Begun! Ensure the best educational experience possible: review your degree audit, ask questions, and make plans for fall 2017. Summer and Fall registration for students with 30 credits or more is now open. Fall registration for students with less than 30 credits begins April 12th, 8:00 am.
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A rts & F eatures national Poetry Month SMCC is Alive With Poetry Readings By Jessica Spoto
April is National Poetry Month. In 1996, the Academy of American Poets started National Poetry month to honor poetry and poets themselves. Throughout April there are numerous venues for poets to read and the public to enjoy. Highlighting the power of poetry was he aim of the Academy of American Poets when they organized National Poetry Month. The academy also aimed to strived expand the coverage of poetry in the media, as well as in the classrooms. National Poetry Month was all about increasing the support and use of poetry all around the nation. The Academy was influenced by Women’s History Month and Black History Month as these moths helped to expose the general public to women’s and African American causes. As the month of April became National Poetry, the Academy of American Poets saw the power of poetry come to the forefront in 1996. Here at SMCC, faculty, staff and students read their favorite poems in the All Faiths Chapel between 12:15-1:30. The SMCC community is welcome to read one of their favorite poems, or just listen. Last Thursday Poetry Month at SMCC started as Kevin Sweeney hosted the first set of readings. Participants included: SMCC President Ronald Cantor, students: Ian Myers, Nita Rose, Chris Rial, Megan Webster and Annette Britting. Faculty included: Rich Pitre, Mike Bove, David Stankiewcz, and Robert Vettesse. The readers did honor and celebrate National Poetry Month as many of the poems took on a humorous slant. Later in the month SMCC will be scheduling an open mic night where students, faculty, staff will be able to read their own original poetry. Overall SMCC has been celebrating National Poetry Month since. If you cannot make it to one of the readings and want to share your poems with the SMCC community, submit your poetry to The Beacon. You’ll find your word crafting in the Arts and Features section under poetic license! We hope you enjoy the poems featured here and have fun and enjoyable National Poetry Month.
Mother to Son By Langston Hughes
Well, son, I’ll tell you: Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair. It’s had tacks in it, And splinters, And boards torn up, And places with no carpet on the floor— Bare. But all the time I’se been a-climbin’ on, And reachin’ landin’s, And turnin’ corners,
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Not A Weekend Getaway
I, Too
By Langston Hughes
By Rupi Kaur
I, too, sing America.
Did you think i was a city big enough for a weekend getaway? I am the town surrounding it, the one you’ve never heard of but always pass through There are no neon lights here, no skyscrapers or statues but there is thunder, for I make bridges tremble I am not street meat, I am homemade jam thick enough to cut the sweetest thing your lips will touch I am not police sirens, I am the crackle in a fireplace I’d burn you and you wouldn’t take your eyes off me I am not a hotel room, i am home I am not the whiskey you want. I’m the water you need Don’t come here with expectations and try to make a vacation out of me
I am the darker brother. They send me to eat in the kitchen When company comes, But I laugh, And eat well, And grow strong. Tomorrow, I’ll be at the table When company comes. Nobody’ll dare Say to me, “Eat in the kitchen,” Then. Besides, They’ll see how beautiful I am And be ashamed— I, too, am America. ~Read by Nita Rose
~Read by Megan Webster
Fifth Grade Autobiography Rita Dove
Who Are You By Jack Marcus
I am a small poem on a page with room for another. Share with me this white field, wide as an acre of snow, clear but for these tiny markings like the steps of birds. Come now. This is the trough of the wave, the seconds after lightning. Thin slice of silence as music ends, the freeze before melting. Lie down beside me. Make angels. Make devils. Make who you are. ~Read by President Cantor
And sometimes goin’ in the dark Where there ain’t been no light. So boy, don’t you turn back. Don’t you set down on the steps ’Cause you finds it’s kinder hard. Don’t you fall now— For I’se still goin’, honey, I’se still climbin’, And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair. ~Read by Nita Rose
I was four in this photograph fishing with my grandparents at a lake in Michigan. My brother squats in poison ivy. His Davy Crockett cap sits squared on his head so the raccoon tail flounces down the back of his sailor suit. My grandfather sits to the far right in a folding chair, and I know his left hand is on the tobacco in his pants pocket because I used to wrap it for him
every Christmas. Grandmother’s hips bulge from the brush, she’s leaning into the ice chest, sun through the trees printing her dress with soft luminous paws. I am staring jealously at my brother; the day before he rode his first horse, alone. I was strapped in a basket behind my grandfather. He smelled of lemons. He’s died— but I remember his hands. ~Read by Ammette Boitting
Blessed By Jessica Spoto
Heart lifted with joy The joy that newly fills her Her entire being radiates love The smile put back on her face That smile that was taken away for so long Her heart filled with an intense amount of freedom The freedom that now will forever be with her The scars on her arm remind her of the past These battle wounds also remind her about her strength She survived 100% of her worst days Even though she wanted to die in almost all of them
A rts & F eatures SMCC Student Poetry The Lights Lydia Libby
Her life uplifted into her new world This new world that she will never forget She is now permanently happy Happiness forever
Side by side, silent are the waves. Pools of pale yellow and white outline their silhouettes. There is a soft impending whisper coming from the wind. Two shadows in the thick of the stillness. A glow dances in small circles against the black. A beacon in the distance lighting a path. It is there where the two silhouettes find it. Neither speak. Only a glimmer of a smile. Illuminated by the hopes and dreams of those who are willing to love. The lights will transcend us into perfect harmony.
4444 Life can get people down sometimes, but just always think about the positive things in life. There are always so many positive things that people overlook. The negatives in life can overshadow those positives very quickly. People just need to remember to look on the bright side, because the things that seem negative in life may actually be positive and full of joy.
Monday Blues By Jessica Spoto
Freezing, cold, drowning in sorrow Numb the pain, it goes away Take the leap of faith tomorrow It’s just another day Growing, progress in a way Letting go just to stay Holding on to something unclear For what you have, is nothing dear You breathe a sigh of non-relief For you are taken, such a thief Give it all back so you can say That you lived another day
Our City By Max Lorber
pulling air deep into our lungs listening to the sounds of our city a comfortable silence in the space between us you light a cigarette a silver nebula caught in the moonlight drifting to a ceiling fan chop chop chopping above us. you pass the cigarette the moment stretches. I exhale the cloud is an acrobat. you look over sticky brown sugar eyes stuck on me and I have nothing to say.
Sunset, Free Of Charge By Rebecca Dow
I see the peach colored in-between of horizon, and storm. How do the birds receive that uniqueness on their wings? As the tide rolls out and my stocking feet clench over rugged ocean rock, And the wind takes my warmth in a natural exchange, It’s as though I’ve been here before. I miss the clouds back home, sporadic at times but awe-evoking; Kin of mine. One may venture to believe that this place
is meant For solely kings and queens to please. That only He, Himself, would be allowed to knock Decadently upon Her delicate door and be greeted by a nip of ecstasy - warm. Lucky for me, the skies are not so exclusive. She sprawls and ages, drawls and changes For every soul to witness, free. And so, I watch her move, Sitting on a rock by the sea.
The Bird Flies By Brian Gooze
You ever stare at a bird for long enough to watch it take off into flight? I have. Sometimes I wonder what I must look like to the people who walk by. They probably find it strange. “What did that bird do,” they might think, “that would make this guy glare at it so?” But I’m not angry at the bird. I just like the way birds move. This way and that; I wonder how they can seem so sure of themself. Because they always ending up turning, changing their mind. Peck and turn. This way and that. And suddenly, they stop. Turn their head. Stop again. And then they fly. You can hear the air move around them, if you listen for it. Sometimes the air makes a “fffth” sound. Sometimes it makes a “whoosh” sound. Either way, the sound that happens isn’t about the bird anymore. It’s about the air surrounding the bird. It’s directed this way and that. Focused into angles and pushed into vectors. Reducing the magic of flight into something so mechanical could seem wrong, perhaps. Talking about air the same way someone talks about machinery. How can something so invisible, so present, be so physical? But it is. Just by existing, it pushes, it pulls — it makes so much possible. It conducts the wave of the trees with the wind. It generates pressure that changes how bacteria can grow. It generates sound so that dogs can hear. Beings from plants to mammals, elephants to algae, move to the whims of the thing called air. Someday I’d like to be like the air. Help beings called people take off into flight. Help a being called human grow into something to take pride in. Help myself make pretty sound, a positive impact in the world around me. I feel the birds know something about that. They “fffth” and “whoosh” with the air. That’s why I stare when the bird flies.
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Tech Talk Introducing the myHomework App By Bradley Drummond
Do you have a hard time keeping up with your never-ending stream of work? Is it hard to keep track of all the duties you have to attend to in the day? This is where I’m here to help. I’m Bradley Drummond, a SMCC student majoring in Information Technology (IT). Today, I’m introducing an app that will make your lives a lot easier when it comes to organizing homework in your daily lives. The application is available on mobile and is called myHomework Student Planner, by Instin. This application allows you to input assignments with incredible organization. The first thing to do when using myHomework is to click the plus sign in the upper right hand corner. Here is where the functionality is amazing: This gives us an option of selecting a homework description; class name; type, due date and due time; whether or not to repeat the assignment after the due date; and assignment priority standards of none, low, medium, and high. You can even attach files with myHomework Premium Edition. MyHomework lets you choose when it will remind your of the assignment. You can choose a preset time or set your own date and time at which you would like to be reminded of each assignment. After “Add Assignment” is filled out and ready to
be used, we will click the checkbox in the upper right hand corner. Now, after the assignment has been added, we are brought to the main page, where our homework is organized and listed. We can choose how our homework is listed with the tab “All,” which will display all homework. It will also display “Completed” homework, which can be utilized by holding an assignment with our finger on the main menu. This will put a line through the assignment and put it in the “Completed” section. You can also organize your homework by class, priority and which is your favorite, if you have assignments that vary in difficulty and like to prioritize. Sure, we can add assignments, but how do we add class variables so we know which assignment is for which class? From the left-hand corner we will click the triple line and go to “Classes.” From here we will do the same as we did with homework. Click the plus sign in the upper right-hand corner. Teachers, listen up: This is where the application gets interesting. You can link your class with homework via Teachers.io, which pairs with myHomework. Students will then be able to click “Find Your Class” by typing in their school, which will show up on the list so they can follow their assignments. We are going to go ahead and manually enter our classes by clicking “Add
Is OneDrive the Best Cloud Based Storage? Ayoob Mahdi
If you have Windows 10 installed on your PC, then you should know what OneDrive is. OneDrive, formerly known as SkyDrive, was introduced by Microsoft in response to Apple’s iCloud. OneDrive comes as a built-in app on Windows 8, Windows 10 and as a free app on MacOS, iOS, Android and BlackBerry OS. When you are setting up a new Windows 10, you will be asked to provide or create a Microsoft account. They can be set up as Hotmail, Live, MSN, Skype, Outlook and OneDrive. Your Microsoft Account comes with free 5GB of cloud based storage and up to a 1TB with an Office 365 subscription, where the more you pay the more storage you get. If you are a student at SMCC, you will get up to 1TB with your SMCC account. Microsoft allows users to sync contacts, photos, audio files, calendars and other personal settings between devices. Google, Apple, Dropbox and many other companies offer free storage and sometimes more storage, so why OneDrive? OneDrive takes the lead in some areas with a few unique features. Sharing, editing and setting permissions are what makes OneDrive different. On Windows and MacOS a user can share a folder with others and have the same folder on more than one computer
10 The Beacon ■ April 11 ■ 2017
at the same time. To get the Add feature in your OneDrive to do that, login to your OneDrive account, create a new folder, select the folder you created and go to Share on the top bar. You will have a little window where you can get a link and manage permissions, such as Can Edit and View Only. This feature is fast and secure. Other cloud based storages offer the share option, but not the Sync on multiple devices. OneDrive also has a file size limit of 10GB, whereas Google Drive only has 5GB. OneDrive gives users full access to free, lightweight versions of Microsoft Office apps. The OneDrive Office suite offers an online document collaboration system, which saves on email storage and prevents you from having to reconcile multiple versions of the same document. Microsoft offers the OneDrive for business too. It comes in two plans and three others with Office 365 for Business. They all include data encryption, admin control and Sharepoint. These services work together in a very efficient way. Access and Sharepoint are an affordable solution for small businesses. OneDrive for Business complies with HIPAA and FERPA regulations and have the Active Directory integration to easily manage user credentials and permissions. Microsoft gives IT-level web support and 24/7 customer support for critical issues.
a Class Manually” from “Add Class.” From here, we log our class name, start date, end date, times, building, room and teacher. We can even assign a color to the class with additional information regarding the class. The next tab is “Calendar.” This simple tool keeps track of your assignments and class times from a calendar point of view. Assignments with due dates and color are listed below the calendar. Now, teachers, this is where the application becomes useful. The “Teachers” section below “Calendar” allows you to link up from your Teachers.io account, where you can share due dates and class information with other users of myHomework. Students and others will find you directly through searching.
Below “Teachers” is “Announcements.” This is where all Teachers.io announcements will be placed. Every student with notifications with the application will be notified instantly. The last feature is “Themes”: neat backgrounds available for your application if you so wish. I hope you all choose to do myHomework, as it has helped me tremendously in and out of the classroom. Thank you.
By RaZzaQ Alansari
the backup file on this computer, you can encrypt the file on the computer. At this point, you have a full backup file for your iPhone. Make sure you know all the passwords for your accounts and iCloud because passwords will not be backed up. Step 5: Since you have a full backup on your computer, let’s go and show you how to restore the iPhone from the backup file you just made. Go to iTunes and under iPhone Summary, go to Restore Backup, it will tell you to turn Find My iPhone off. Go to your iPhone, Settings, iCloud, and then Find My iPhone and turn it off. It will ask you to enter your Apple ID and password. Go back to iTunes and click Restore from the Backup again, and iTunes will ask you to check a newer iPhone update and it will shows you three options: Cancel, Backup or Don’t Backup. You can choose Backup if you want to restore the iPhone from the Backup you just did. Do not Backup if you want to resell, donate, or upgrade the phone. In that case, the iPhone will be set back to the factory settings so that the iPhone can be used as a new iPhone. Best Practice: If you have an iPhone with low storage capacity and need more storage, you should refresh the device (back it up and restore it). Extra system files build up and takes up more storage than it should. Therefore, if you do this process you will be able to get rid of the old files in the system, and keep your iPhone running smoothly.
Bradley Drummond is a member of the Information Technology senior-seminar course and is planning on a career in system administration or IT support. This article was originally published at http://www.bradleyidrummond.com/cmit-295-senior-capstone/ myhw-beacon-article/
How to (Properly) Backup Your iPhone in iTunes How many times have you tried to backup your iPhone and found that you lost some of your data? Well today, I will guide you to how to backup your Apple devices and avoid losing your data. Let us start: Step 1: Check if you have iTunes on your laptop or desktop. If yes, go to step 3. Otherwise, continue on step 2. Step 2: You have to download iTunes from Apple’s website or click on the link below: http://www.apple.com/itunes/ download/. Click on download now, then choose the location of your iTunes Setup (I recommend that you save it on the Desktop of your computer) then click Save. After the download is done, you should see an iTunes file on your Desktop. Double click on the file and click Run, Next, and then Install and Finish. Congratulations! iTunes is installed and ready to use. Step 3: Open iTunes, connect your iPhone to the laptop or desktop via USB cable and wait, you should see the iPhone’s name under the iTunes Devices. Click on the iPhone icon and it will jump you to another page (Summary page). Under Backups, you should see two options: Backup from the iCloud or This Computer. Step 4: On this step I will show you how to back up your iPhone, my recommendation do not Backup from iCloud because iCloud has a limitation of storage capacity, which is 5 GB free when you create an iCloud account. In most cases, 5 GB will not backup all of your data, so the best option is to Backup to his computer. Choose This Computer, then click on Backup Now and wait for the process to be complete. You should see the date and time of the backup under Last Backup. In addition, if you want to protect
All of the best cloud storage providers enable you to upload and share documents, but there are certain areas where some companies stand out more than others. You should use OneDrive if you’re looking for a specific type of online storage system and you are one of Windows’ devoted users.
RaZzaQ Alansari is a member of the Information Technology Senior Seminar course and is planning on a career in IT Field to help people understanding the technology and make it useful to them. You can also visit his website at http://razzaqalansari.com/beacon-article.html to see the online version of this article with pictures.
Ayoob Mahdi is a member of the Information Technology Senior Seminar course and is planning on a career in IT Project Management. An online version of the article can be found at http://ayoobmahdi. ijoob.com/beacon.html
SMCC S ports
Kaylah Abdul: Three Sport Athlete, Student, Musician By Ethan Wells
Meet Kaylah Abdul, who is the SMCC student-athlete spotlight for April. You may recognize Abdul from the soccer pitch, or from the basketball court, and this spring, from the softball diamond. A native of South Berwick, Maine and graduate of Marshwood High School, Abdul truly embodies what it means to be a student-athlete at SMCC. As a member of the women’s soccer team, Abdul appeared in six games and started four as both a goal keeper and a field player. As a goal keeper, she logged 270 minutes and led her team in save percentage (.800) and goals against average (1.67). As part of a dynamic backcourt on the women’s basketball team, Abdul played point-guard for the majority of the season appearing in 28 games and taking over the starting job for 19. The crafty five-foot five-inch guard averaged 9.3 points, two assists, and led the team recording 3.1 assists spanning 19.4 minutes per game. Abdul’s most impressive performance of the season was at the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) National Basketball Tournament in which she recorded 10 points, eight rebounds,
and five assists to help put her team deeper into the tournament than ever before. The softball season is underway and Abdul has already made an impact. Thus far the shortstop is hitting .571 (4-7) to start her collegiate career, smacking two home runs and collecting seven runs-batted-in in the team’s first doubleheader of the season. The three-sport athlete is taking a full course load of five classes in pursuit of her Liberal Arts degree with a focus in Science. Earning a 3.91 GPA her first semester, Abdul’s career goal is to transfer to a four-year institution, gain acceptance into medical school, and become a radiologist. In the transition of women’s basketball coaches this summer, Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach and Academic Advisor Patrick Haviland was a big influence for Abdul as she recalls in her commitment to SMCC. Speaking more about her fondness of the school, she said, “It’s everything that I was looking for—the absolute perfect location with my field of study, giving me the opportunity to participate in a storied athletics program.” The 18-year-old freshman identifies the benefit athletics has in her life, “I play three sports because I want athletics to be a total part of my life. Athletics has taught me so much about how I represent myself,
my school, and the community. Grades are important to me, and my participation in athletics has allowed me to become a better student—living this busy and demanding lifestyle has taught me how to budget my time and take that next step in maturity to succeed in the classroom.” In just her first seven months at SMCC, Abdul had a lot to say about her experiences as a SeaWolf. “I love being a part of a team. I’ve learned more than one valuable lesson from each of my coaches. Coach Cyr [women’s soccer] taught me that a team is a family and that everyone takes responsibility. Coach Bergeron [women’s basketball] always pushed me to be better on the court but more importantly in developing character. And Coach Magnant [softball] taught me the importance of a balanced lifestyle.” Among her many talents on the playing surface, Abdul is also musically inclined—she can play the piano, guitar, and sing to go along with it.
Legalize It By Gio DiFazio
America needs to reconsider its position on betting in sports after the Oakland Raiders Relocate to Las Vegas. “I would probably tell you that I think society has probably had a little bit of a change with respect to gambling in general,” ……. “I think we still strongly oppose it in that room, and otherwise, legalized sports gambling. The integrity of our game is No. 1. We will not compromise on that.” Those were the words spoken to the media at a press conference after an NFL owners meeting April 7th. Now compare them with the opening statement of an op-ed piece NBA commissioner Adam Silver penned for the New York Times in November of 2014, “BETTING on professional sports is currently illegal in most of the United States outside of Nevada. I believe we
need a different approach..” Even Rob Manfred, who governs Major League Baseball, and seems to be desperately trying to foster a younger fanbase, had this to say on the issue, “There is this buzz out there in terms of people feeling that there may be an opportunity here for additional legalized sports betting,” Manfred said. “We are reexamining our stance on gambling. It’s a conversation that’s ongoing with the owners.”
This is not the first instance of Roger Goodell publicly opposing sports gambling. In fact, Goodell assesses it to be the single biggest threat to the “integrity of the league.” A claim that “gambling would be number one on my list,” was reported by ESPN five years ago in a deposition between the NFL and the State of New Jersey regarding sports betting. How Rodger and Commissioner Silver
be on such different ends of the sports betting spectrum, without at least having a sliver of common ground to stand on. Sports betting may be the most accepted illegal activity in America. With a simple Google search, multiple sites that provide an avenue to gamble on athletics can be found. State governments have made efforts to bring sports betting to the local economy, but are invalidated by the Professional and Amauter Sports Protection Act of 1992, which made sports betting illegal in almost all of the United States. The move to Las Vegas was hopefully another nail lifted off of the coffin, in hopes of sports betting to once again, rise from the dead, and a massive, untapped industry to thrive.
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The Beacon ■ April 11 ■ 2017 11
SMCC S ports
Softball and Baseball Start Spring Seasons Teams Look to Improve on Fall Season Records
The Becaon Sports Staff The softball and baseball diamonds at SMCC are once again active after a belligerent winter has relented and the remnants of snow have receded. This past weekend both squads hosted home openers as the Lady Seawolves took on the Warriors of Massasoit Community College, while the Men Wolves battled it out with the Knights of the Community College of Rhode Island in double headers Saturday afternoon. The women’s home season opener started a week later than it should have as two games against the University of Main Presque Isle were postponed. The Lady Seawolves also had late March games against Northern Essex Community College cancelled. The season did start for the Lady’s on March 26th when thy played two at Dean College, dropping both 16-7, 11-9. The Lady Wolves rebounded brilliantly against the Massasoit Warriors Saturday with a come-from-behind win in the first game 12-10, and putting together an offensive outburst in the second game, winning 10-2 in five innings. First-year pitcher Sarah Guimond threw 11 of the 12 innings played, earning two wins for the day’s work. First-year infielder Kaylah Abdul had a banner day at the plate pushing across seven runs, while crossing the plate four times, and swiping four bases. Head Coach Ray Magnant reflecting on the day’s play stated, “I was extremely pleased with the way this team played today in both games—in all areas. I was
most impressed with the way the ladies kept their heads up and fought back when we fell behind in the late innings of game one. That’s the sign of a good team!” The Lady Seawolves have leveled their record at 2-2 for the spring season and will take on SUNY Delhi in non-conference doubleheader Wednesday, April 12. The first pitch is scheduled to cross he plate at 3:30 p.m. On the men’s diamond, the start of their season was postponed like the lady’s season, as their season didn’t start until April third when they traveled to Massachusetts to take on Dean College. The Men Wolves have yet to break into the win column as they have dropped their first five games of the spring season. The men have lost to Dean three times (6-4 at Dean, 8-5 and 10-1 here at SMCC) and dropped two in their season home opener on Saturday against CCRI (7-4 and 11-1). In Saturday’s action, Carter Chabot evened the score with a solo homer over the center field fence after SMCC spotted CCRI a one run lead in the first inning. CCRI would plate two more runs before SMCC would even the score again by way of a wild pitch and a fielder’s choice. The Knights broke it open in the fifth pushing across three runs on four hits to reclaim a 6-3 lead. Sophomore Amos Herrin (Wilton, Maine) earned the start on the bump for the SeaWolves in the first of the double dip. In his second start of the season, Herrin tossed a complete seven innings and allowed seven runs, four earned, on 11 hits. The right-hander faced 36 batters and recorded six strikeouts. The SeaWolves were only able to muster
one run against CCRI’s Dave Simmons who came on in relief and struck out nine of the 16 batters he faced. Simmons worked out of a bases loaded jam in the seventh to shut the door on a 7-4 win. CCRI’s Matt Kennedy earned the win going four strong allowing just three runs on two hits. SMCC pitcher Herrin was taxed with the loss. The Wolves would drop the second game 11-1 as their offense never was able to generate the runs needed to make the game competitive. Coach Yanni commented, “We battled today against a talented CCRI squad. In both games we played from behind and I was pleased with our ability to keep the energy and manufacture runs with runners in scoring position—we get another chance tomorrow.” The Men Seawolves take on Northern Essex Community College in a 9 inning game on Tuesday April 11th with the first windup scheduled for 3:30