The SMCC Beacon 3-31-2015

Campus News

2 A Wealth of Diversity

Other World

Op & Ed

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Immigrants in Maine

Turning “LePage”

Arts & Features

Sports

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Metal, Melody & Me

Coach Richards Interview

THE BEACON SOUTHERN MAINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE | For the students, by the students

March 31, 2015 Volume 12 Issue 12 mbeacon@smccme.edu

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Tobacco Shops, Mountaintops and Art of the Art Department, were studying art and architecture in the Catalonia region of Spain. This was all made possible through a collaboration with the Council on International Education Exchange (CIEE). Several class meetings were held here on campus in the months leading up to our departure and we still have one more meeting next month to wrap things up. This is an actual class, so it came with the usual assigned readings, quizzes and papers.

However, it wasn’t just a class. We were given the opportunity to live as students in Barcelona for a week...and it was pretty freakin’ cool. Too bad I didn’t know a lick of Spanish, but more on that in a minute. The trip is best summarized with the following excerpts from my travel journal...

Sunday: We land in Barcelona and settle into our dorm. Our welcome dinner is held at the famous Palau de la Música. I

The Art Department Visits Barcelona

By Koren Sullivan Art Major pring Break: two little words that are music to a college student’s ears. I’ll bet you’ve already got an image of a tropical beach in your head just hearing them, right? The thing is, you’ve got to travel quite a ways to have that sort of a spring break experience in the Northeast. That’s why some of us here at SMCC decided to take an extra class over Spring Break. Let’s just say the fact that the three-credit course took place in 65-degrees-and-sunny Barcelona didn’t hurt.

The course, Experiencing Art: Barcelona, took place March 7-14, 2015, during which time our group of seven SMCC students and two St. Joseph’s College students, accompanied by SMCC Instructor Jeff Badger

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Weigh the Waste

Sodexo and WE COMPOST IT! Host Compost Campaign at SMCC

By Garrick Hoffman Liberal Arts Major ommercial and residential composting has really seemed to take flight in Maine. Various compost companies have emerged such as Portland-based WE COMPOST IT! and Garbage to Garden, both of whom have already developed a considerable customer base throughout Greater Portland.

Businesses and schools alike have begun to implement composting systems, such as the Falmouth elementary school, who estimated a 90% reduction in solid waste, according to an article in The Forecaster.

Now Sodexo, the food provider for SMCC, has begun to look into a similar measure.

During the final week of February, Sodexo, paired with WE COMPOST IT!, hosted a campaign titled Weigh the Waste with the intent to ascertain how much waste is generated after a week of operation in the SMCC dining hall.

According to their Facebook page, “WE COMPOST IT! is a local organics collection and composting company that serves restaurants, schools, hospitality, and health care facilities throughout Southern and Central Maine. Our mission is to reduce waste and renew local soils by transforming food scraps to compost to grow tomorrow’s food and flowers.

Since 2011, We Compost It! has converted more than 10 million pounds of organics to nutrient-rich compost. With

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facilities in Portland and Auburn, Maine, We Compost It! has the capacity and expertise to grow with you.”

Rachel Fisk, Sodexo’s Unit Marketing Coordinator at SMCC, reported that at the dining hall, 800 pounds of food and paper waste was generated on the Monday and Tuesday of that week. On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, a total of 950 pounds of food waste was generated, totaling 1,750 pounds for the week. This figure does not include the waste that is generated at the Seawolves Café, which according to Fisk, “goes through around 80 to go containers daily,” although this figure can vary.

When Fisk was asked about why Sodexo sought to implement this campaign, she remarked, “We wanted to educate the SMCC community on the benefits of composting and how, by doing so, dramatically reduces our carbon footprint. This past week was only a trial but Sodexo would like to continue this campaign and be more sustainable and environmentally friendly. But first we need the support of both faculty, staff and students. ...Let’s make a difference together one step at a time.”

The Beacon vehemently advocates for a permanent composting system here on campus and we implore the students, faculty, and staff to do the same. The myriad benefits that accompany composting are jarring, and the act itself is lodged within the frame of our environmental conscientiousness.

If you would like to see composting at SMCC become permanent, please contact Rachel Fisk at Rachel.Fisk@ sodexo.com, or contact The Beacon and we will publish your response!

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Sodexo showcases how much waste was generated during their composting campaign at the Oceanview Dining Hall.

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OnCampus

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The Student Advocate

with reading an article. See what’s going on in the community. Portland is rich with events.” Events are also held on campus, including recent events for Women’s History Month.

“One of the little things we can do is to use inclusive language,” says Lee. People First Language is inclusive. For example: instead of saying “the visually impaired man,” say “the man with a visual impair-

ment”. We can also remove slurs from our vocabularies; even when we believe everyone is okay with casual use of a slur, we nurture intolerance instead of diversity with each use (respect for others is healthy, and not “gay”).

“If you see or hear something or feel something that is not right,” recommends Lee, “speak up about it.” Do not tacitly condone intolerance. And remember to

speak up, not down – we want to encourage growth and learning, not to mete out judgment for antisocial behaviors.

We, as individuals, can welcome and nurture diversity, and we may all benefit from doing so. We did, after all, choose to come together for education; why would we turn our backs to the wealth of learning we may find so readily available in our abundant wealth of diversity?

Shops, Tops, and Art

the Holy Grail to accentuate a point about the plague. Totally called it.

In the afternoon, we venture off into the Barri Gòtic (Gothic Quarter) after class and get disoriented in the twisting knots of streets. We make our way to the Basilica of Santa Maria del Pi with its enormous rose window - one of the largest in the world.

Tuesday: There could not be a more lovely setting than the 500-yearold Codorníu Winery in Sant Sadurní d’Anoia! They are the world’s oldest and second-largest producer of cava, which is bottle-fermented sparkling wine. In 1976, the gorgeous cellars were declared a Monument of National Historical Artistic Merit

by King Juan Carlos I of Spain, and it’s not hard to see why. The grounds are home to some seriously beautiful architecture designed by Josep Puig i Cadafalch, a contemporary of Gaudí’s. We get to see it all as we journey 36m (108 ft) below the reception area by way of a train ride that feels more like a rollercoaster through a dungeon.

We leave Codorníu and continue to higher ground: the Benedictine monastery of Santa Maria de Montserrat. Standing at nearly 4000’, the ride up the mountain is exciting, to say the least. Nothing like some good hairpin turns in a minibus to keep you awake. When we arrive, we are treated to a performance of the famed Escolania Boys’ Choir inside the abbey. It is magical, though the crowd is loud and restless. I am pleased when the priest actually shushes everyone!

Wednesday: I hit the tobacco shop on my way to The Casa. I don’t smoke, but that’s the only place to buy stamps while you’re in Spain. Gotta get these postcards mailed! Today’s fabulous Avant-Garde lecture is with Professor Urbano. She really knows her stuff and we are glad to have her accompanying us later that afternoon when we head over to the Picasso Museum. It is, of course, an awesome thing to be standing there, gazing at works by one of the most famous painters in history. I get as close to each painting as they will allow me, so that I may inspect each individual brushstroke.

We also check out what’s new at MACBA, the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art, followed by tapas with local students Marta and Laura at a cool place in the Gràcia neighborhood. The music is ZZ Top and Nirvana and the pintxos are delicious!

Thursday: We travel by bus to the ancient city of Girona and climb the many, many stairs of the beautiful, medieval city walls. We get a great view of the Basilica of Sant Feliu and the Jewish Quarter with its beautiful streets and porticoed squares, as well as the famed Arab Baths. Next, it’s off to the surreal Salvador Dalí Museum in nearby Figueres.

For dinner, my roommate Molly and I find a little pizza place that, for some reason, has a quirky Hollywood theme to the names of their pizzas. Molly is grateful for the opportunity to order something vegetarian; I fear she’s been nearly starving on this trip, as Spain is not a place to find many vegetables! However, her “Kill Bill” pizza looks delicious and my “Pamela Anderson” is amazing. I’m not really sure what makes it at all Pamela-Anderson-y, but it’s served with an over-easy egg cooked on top - a delicious first.

Friday: We’ve saved the best for last!

After another lecture, we head to Parc Güell, designed by famed Modernista architect Antoni Gaudí. We snap many photos of the Dr. Seussical structures before having a picnic lunch overlooking the city.

Next is Gaudi’s Basilica of Sagrada Familia, for which one just cannot be adequately prepared. I’ve read all about it and I have seen the pictures, but...walking through those doors yourself is literally breathtaking.

Words simply cannot describe this and I am brought to tears as I take it all in.

Tonight’s group dinner is a stark contrast to our first. We now feel like some sort of adorable, dysfunctional family and this last dinner together is bittersweet.

Though that doesn’t stop us from enjoying our deliciously hipster carrot soup served out of mason jars.

A Wealth of Diversity

By Wayne Lawson come to SMCC for the purpose of education. We sit through lectures and we are tested on our understanding. Through classwork and homework, we earn our education. But, in spite of the insecurities of certain governing powers, a school is more than just a factory to churn out identical parts for a machine we call society. We are diverse people of diverse experiences, diverse beliefs, diverse cultures, diverse passions, diverse abilities and inabilities – we arrive from diversity, we are enriched by diversity, and we depart with greater diversity. When we welcome diversity, we bolster our ability to adapt to an inevitably changing world – we are better citizens of our communities, our nations, and our world.

Tiffanie Bentley, Dean of Student Life, explains that the school has no specific division that is tasked with protecting or promoting diversity on campus, but must react to needs as they become apparent.

Instructors have greater power of proactivity at the curriculum level, says Bentley, and student groups are guided to include diversity, but financial and legal obligations tend to leave the nurturing of diversity on campus to the students.

The attempt to define “the students” of a two-year college is not unlike the attempt to nail the waves to the shore – the rapid turnover rate means the definition changes year to year and semester to semester.

Student groups emerge and fade with too great speed to maintain more than temporary cohesion. Student organizations are not necessarily more likely to achieve lasting successes where the school may not.

To draw from the wealth of non-curricular education made available through student diversity, it falls to the students as individuals. But how to begin?

“Start the dialogue. Swallow discomfort and ask. Make it okay and expected [to engage in discussion of diversity].” Bentley recommends not to be afraid to ask, and recommends patience when asked. This, of course, requires sensitivity and respect from both parties, but we are an educational institution and so we hope for a safe place to make mistakes as we learn and grow as a community and as individuals.

“Don’t hang with the same people all of the time,” says Bentley, and “go do new things.”

Lana Lee – Liberal Studies Advisor and Mentor, and more pertinently, instructor of Social Justice FIG – suggests that we may begin with self-education. “It can start

SOUTHERN MAINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE | For the students, by the students

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(Continued from Page 1) am pretty sure that the overtired and practically mute bunch of us are more suited for a meal at the Hometown Buffet at this point, but here we are... The Art Nouveau building, designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner in the early 1900s, is gorgeous.

Dinner is at 8pm, Barcelona time - a late start for dinner in the U.S., yet very early for Catalans - we are the only table in the restaurant and you could hear a piece of lettuce drop.

This becomes a constant theme throughout our trip. Spaniards do everything later - no lunch before 2pm and no dinner before 9pm. There’s a definite “what’s the rush?” kind of vibe going on here...I could get used to this. But for now, I have officially been awake for something like 36 hours, so it’s time for some shuteye.

Monday: The Coffee Incident. Finding no one else awake at 7:30am, I head off in search of coffee on my own. I find a café and try to decipher their completely Catalan menu. I unknowingly order a boozy coffee, due to my terrible understanding of the Spanish language. Note to self: five years of French class does no good in Spain.

I change my order to a boring old cappuccino and vow to dig deeper into my Spanish dictionary.

We have our first class in Spain today.

CIEE’s Study Center, dubbed The Casa, is cool. The Casa about a 20-minute walk from our dorm and it can be found on an old cobblestone street that you’d miss if you blinked walking past it. Today we have a lecture on Gothic Barcelona with Professor Toni Raja. His English is very good and I wonder if he might be a Monty Python fan, as he often lapses into a funny, higher-pitched British accent during the lecture. Not more than 20 minutes later, I find that I am spot-on with my assessment when he shows us a scene from Monty Python and

Art Director Graphic Designers Illustrator Digital Media Editor Managing Editor Photo Editor

SECTION EDITORS Arts&Features Op&Ed Other World On Campus Sports

Alexander Brooks Cory Valentine Craig Stanley Jennifer Lague Garrick Hoffman Nickolas Evan Acker F.A. Coletti Garrick Hoffman Rebekah Marin Erik Squire The Beacon Staff

CONTRIBUTING Nickolas Evan Acker WRITERS Ashley Berry Richard Bigega Patrick Doyle Wayne Lawson Dan Herley-Mathieu Koren Sullivan Ian Ziller

SUBMIT TO WRIT SMCC’s own Literary Magazine

BY STUDENTS FOR STUDENTS

ADVISERS Chuck Ott Rachel Guthrie

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send creative writing and art to: anaisttruman@smccme.edu

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OnCampus

An Interview with the Interim

By Erik Squire Education Major reetings SMCC-ites! We at The Beacon hope you had a lovely Spring Break and a smooth return. Surely some of you saw alligators, skyscrapers, sandy beaches, and (unfortunately) snow. We at The Beacon wished we had been able to see all of these things, although on a positive note, we did get to look a picture of a warm sunset, and that was no small consolation.

The other highlight for The Beacon’s spring break experience was conducting an interview President Interim Derek Langhauser. President Interim Langhauser was selected to hold the down the fort, while the Maine Community College System (MCCS) searches for its next president.

In the paragraphs to follow you will learn a little about Langhauser and his vision for the MCCS over the course of the next calendar year.

When I arrived at one of the MCCS offices located here SMCC, I was warmly welcomed by Director of Public Affairs Helen Pelletier, who had been kind enough to set up the meeting. She ushered me into Interim President Langhauser’s office where I was received with a firm handshake. Langhauser expressed that he was pleased with the work that was being done at The Beacon and with the fact that its writers and staff made the time to voluntarily produce our work. I then proceeded to ask a few questions of Langhauser; I queried about his history and what his new duties were as interim president.

Langhauser graduated from Bates College in 1984 and in 1987 he earned his JD from the University of Maine School of Law. In Langhauser’s biography (which was produced by the MCCS) it states: “Mr. Langhauser has served as General Counsel and a senior member of the MCCS leadership team for the past 20 years.

As MCCS General Counsel, Mr. Langhauser oversees student, employee, and corporate legal affairs, emergency management, statutory and regulatory compliance, and risk management. He also oversees the development and implementation of MCCS policies, procedures, and legislation.

In 2013, he served as the System’s Acting Director of Human Resources.”

A nationally recognized expert in higher education law, Mr. Langhauser has served as president of the National Association of College and University Attorneys, as an advisor to the Ford Foundation Initiative on Academic Freedom, and as chair of The Journal of College and University Law Board of Editors (Notre Dame University).”

Last month Langhauser was inducted as interim president and he has been very busy ever since. Advocating and promoting the MCC System is a large part of the interim president’s responsibility. He represents our community college system before both the State Legislator and before the Maine community. Langhauser is working to ensure that the system is continually funded and that the Foundation (SMCC’s source of scholarships) is sustained.

As an example of Langhauser’s sincere dedication and advocacy for students, staff, and faculty, I have included in this article an excerpt from Langhauser’s address to the 127th Maine Legislature. Langhauser is quoted as follows: “For the 18,000 students who seek a low-cost college degree? These are the

hard-working people who need us to access immediate employment, or to reach for an additional degree that opens the door to a more prosperous future.

For the thousands of additional Maine people who rely on our colleges for the affordable chance to upgrade their job skills and access valuable non-credit courses?

These are the hard-working people who need us to help them build their own career path, at their own pace.

And the State of Maine? Clearly, our economy needs more businesses thriving and more people working at higher wages.

From these observations, I am reminded of the dignity in work; of the dignity in having a meaningful opportunity to strive and

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achieve. All of the people who I reference here this morning -- all of the people who our community colleges serve -- these are our striving neighbors and friends. They want and need access to the community colleges’ lowcost, high quality education and training because it both promises, and delivers a direct return.

They ask for nothing more, and they deserve nothing less. I look forward to working with you on their behalf.”

We are fortunate to have Interim President Derek Langhauser serving and working on

our team. ‘Til The Beacon’s next publication, farewell SMCC and stay warm.

Phi Theta Kappa Regionals Bringing Home the Gold

By Erik Squire Education Major the weekend of the 21st, the officer team of Alpha Chi Nu (ACN), SMCC’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society (PTK), set off for Asnuntuck Community College in Enfield Connecticut for their Regional Convention.

It was quite the epic, full of campaigns, hypnotists, seminars, awards, and dancing.

Upon arrival, yours truly registered to run for Northern Regional Vice President (uncontested, as it turned out). After a refreshing dinner and much needed restroom break, we set of for Asnuntuck’s well-endowed auditorium to be entertained by a well-practiced hypnotist, Hypno Lorenzo.

After a couple hours of witnessing our colleagues play in an “orchestra” stroke their “pet kittens” and ride a “Harley,” we were ready to head back to our hotel. That night we all played some team building activities, such as building a straw tower to the ceiling and drawing symbolic team flags. As the activities wound to an end, we hit the beds; that is with the exception of the fellas in my room. We had a campaign to plan and run, even if there wasn’t competition. We were going to do this the right way (or at least try).

The next morning I prepared a last minute speech and gave it in front of a hundred people with at least a 3.5 GPA (aka, nerds with high expectations). After stuttering through a half-decent motivational speech, my campaign managers stood with me behind a table to hand out flyers reading “Let Squire be Your Knight.” It was an interesting meet and greet and a good learning experience.

Later, ACN got the chance to see some terrific colleges who came to Asnuntuck to present to PTK’s terrific students. A few of the colleges that came were Lesley University, George Mason University, and Smith College; they were all very informative.

We then had some informative training sessions that gave lessons on how to run our chapters more effectively, and personal betterment lessons, to boot.

Then the evening of the awards ceremony came. Our whole chapter was finely clothed in suits and dresses; we were quite the superlative sight (if I may say so myself).

First we heard a motivational speech from Miss USA Erin Brady of Connecticut. And

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finally, by the end of the gala we had won six awards, ranging from Chapter Advisors of the year, to runner up Chapter Officer of the year, and Honors in Action Project of the year (which we won for our divestment from fossil fuels project). After the awards were given out, the announcements for the election results were made. Considering no one else ran for my position, it wasn’t much of a surprise that I was the newly elected Northern Regional Vice President (for Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont).

That being said, it was a happy occasion all the same.

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After all that work, it was time to boogie. The energy on the dance floor was so strong and the dance moves so elegant that even our advisor was moved to bust a move. It was an amazing end to a great experience. We came home with some new friends and as a closer officer team.

The very day that we returned to Maine we held our induction for new PTK members, and though I won’t go in depth about it (as it would take another whole article), I would like to say: Congratulations to the new inductees, and welcome to the Alpha Chi Nu and Phi Theta Kappa family!

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The Student Dilemma

In our profit-driven, hard-working culture it’s crucial to ensure that we still cultivate creative open-minded individuals who can bring valuable and fresh ideas into society.

As students past the high school level it’s even more important to consistently evaluate progress and our level of interest in whatever subjects we’re learning about.

In this rat-race-esque society that many of

Choosing a Field of Study

By Rebekah Marin Liberal Arts - English Major our economy becomes an increasingly global one, it seems that business professionals have felt the need to draw thick lines between what they’re business/work life consists of and what their personal lives consist of. So what does this mean for the American businessman/ woman today? What happens when people start choosing a career path based on salary rather than their personal interest level?

Is there any way to reverse this trend?

Questions like the previous few are the kinds of issues that will be looked at in this three-part series about education, work, and personal lives.

The first issue to delve into is the process of choosing a field of study in college.

Many high schools in this country require their juniors and seniors to conduct a research project about a profession of their choice. This requirement can certainly be worthwhile if the students take it seriously and conduct an in-depth investigation as to what level of education and/or skills are required to get a job in that field. By communicating with an individual who has a job in the student’s particular field of interest, they are given experience in networking and making connections before even reaching the college level.

So what happens to those high school students who don’t have to complete research projects on career choices, and have no idea what they’d like to study, or what their academic strengths are? Are these the students that end up being forced to settle for a job just to get the bills paid? What, if any, educational reforms need to happen in order to ensure that every student has a better grasp of their passions and the opportunities available to them in relation to those passions before leaving high school? It’s unclear how much actual class time could be spent on a student figuring out what they enjoy learning about, but what is clear is that the most self-aware and passionate students are those who indulge in learning outside of the classroom. It’s important that parents and educators encourage students at that age to put themselves out there and try new things; to help them become creative, well-rounded students outside of traditional academia.

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us probably feel we’re being pushed into, we shouldn’t feel like we need to abandon our personalities just to fit as a piece in the puzzle. As students, we have the ability to make the necessary adjustments to ensure that we’re pleased with the path we’re pursuing. The most successful, positive, and productive students are those who know what they love to do and know what they

have to do to get where they want to be.

Find what you’re passionate about and let it be the driving force in your education, because otherwise education will feel like a chore instead of an incredible privilege. In the next segment we’ll take a closer look at how your education level and life experience can help and/or hurt your chance at getting that dream job!

Immigrants in Maine How Immigrants Can Make Maine Known for More than Just “Bear Baiting”

By Richard Bigega Electrical Engineering Major ery little catches me off in the political space. Then Maine bear baiting, one of the interesting topics in the last election, caught my interest. For the second time in a decade, voters settled the argument over traditional hunting practices. Winners argued that without the current tradition of baiting bears, the number of those carnivorous creatures would increase, and therefore threaten humans. It was joyful to watch, and I was involved in big debates about the bear baiting topic. I was surprised to see such a topic drive the state crazy. I shouldn’t have been surprised because bear baiting is a part of the rich culture of this state; what should surprise me the most is that Maine is not stepping up to support the immigration reform that would see this state boom economically.

History says it was three decades ago when an increased number of immigrants came to Maine. Immigrants and other low income individuals received state aid as general assistance instead of directly contributing to the economic and social growth of the state. Most will agree that immigrants may threaten the job market, but they also will agree - at least after seeing the statistics - that Maine is lucky enough to have a group of elite and most educated immigrants that would dramatically bring positive changes to the state if best practices of reintegration were put in place. They also will agree with the fact that diversity is a strong asset in the current global economy, and last but not

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least, they would prefer seeing immigrants go to school and work for Maine instead of running away from the current subtle conditions.

Most people don’t know that immigration is a contentious topic in other countries as well. U.S. President Barack Obama last month gave a reprieve to undocumented immigrants. British Prime Minister David Cameron has been at odds with his EU counterparts over immigration and has promised to hold a referendum on the U.K.’s EU membership by 2017 if he wins the next national election. In Switzerland, voters rejected immigration limits that risked thwarting growth.

My motivation to write was sparked by the recent debates in the aftermath of Obama’s announcement of his immigration reform that would protect immigrants from deportation. It is common that the immigration reform is a very controversial topic that leaves some frenzied and others’ teeth clenching.Yes, immigrants are excited by seeing positive reforms of the current broken system, and people who don’t like immigrants, just because they don’t like them, find it egregious. One shouldn’t agree with pessimistic

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ideas that associate immigrants with only negative points. I have decided to study on this topic in space and time: the space being Maine, and time being 2014.

Although the U.S. government is trying to agree on a comprehensive national reform, let’s not forget that the issue of immigration in Texas is different from the issue of immigration in Maine. Maine shouldn’t worry about undocumented immigrants or about border security because these are not relevant issues in Maine. The majority of immigrants in Maine are documented; they haven’t crossed borders or come with boats, but they flew to the U.S. and were registered while at the airports upon their arrival. These immigrants are, most of the time, very educated individuals who are seeking political asylum. They are top-notch persons in their countries and they could be so for the United States in general and for Maine in particular if there was a system that trains them with language and integrates them into the job market.

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Dr. Seuss Will Not Endorse Ted Cruz

By Ashley Berry Liberal Arts – Political Science

American politics. Although he has never run for political office it is known that his reach extends far and wide in the world of politics.

In the letters Seuss argues that Cruz very offensively plagiarized his great work, “Green Eggs and Ham” in his unnecessary and childish twenty-one hour speech to filibuster the Affordable Care Act. Seuss, who is a long time advocate of the Affordable Care Act, was incredibly offended that his seminal work was used in an attempt to greatly harm the well being of the American people.

There is no official word yet on whether he will be officially pulled as a candidate but the many whispers around Washington have been saying that Cruz doesn’t have a chance without the backing of Seuss. Dr. Seuss has served as the Secretary of Education during John F. Kennedy’s presidency, served as the Vice President for Bill Clinton, and has been a Senator for the newest of the fifty states, Whoville, for almost 23 years. Suffice to say that if Seuss thinks someone is not a qualified candidate they will not fare well in an election.

April Fools ladies and gentlemen! This article is most unfortunately only April Fools day antics. Even though this article is mostly fallacy just take a moment and think about how much better the world would be if Ted Cruz wasn’t running for President and Dr. Seuss was involved in politics.

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ecently, Ted Cruz, who is a Republican Senator from Texas, announced his intent to run for the Presidency in 2016.

The controversial senator has gained some surprising support among the nation’s ignorant and dimwitted. His most popular platform is his promise that if elected he will manually increase melting in the Northern Passage to open up shipping lanes. He says that the melting ice will not cause sea levels to rise and that coastal states shouldn’t expect to lose any land. This is one part of his plan to “Fix America.” The other components include: eliminating NASA and using the money for corporate tax breaks, taking away a woman’s right to choose, and making sure that same sex marriage is not on the table for anyone in this country.

All people with common sense can rejoice because it seems that the Presidency will not be an option for Senator Cruz. The always wise and revered Dr. Seuss, who is often seen hobnobbing with the movers and shakers of politics, has been having correspondence with President Obama, John Boehner, and Mitch McConnell.

Several of the letters that involve Seuss persuading the four men to drop Cruz as a candidate have been anonymously leaked to the WikiLeaks website. This is especially important because it is known by few in the political world that Julian Assange, who runs WikiLeaks, is a puppeteer of sorts in

Parliamentary vs. Presidential Democracies

By Ian Ziller Political Science Major here are two different types of democracies: parliamentary democracies and presidential democracies. The US has a presidential system of government, whereas the UK and Canada have a parliamentary system of government.

In a parliamentary democracy the chief executive is the Prime Minister, who is chosen by the parliament. In this way the Prime Minister is very similar to the speaker of the house. There are some differences, however: the Prime minister can

GUESS THAT PLACE! Be among the first three to correctly guess the location where this photo was taken!

Each winner is eligible for $10 of Beacon Bucks to be used at the Seawolves Café.

Email mbeacon@smccme.edu to submit your answer. Happy guessing!

be removed at any time with a vote of the parliament.

On the other hand, in a presidential system the legislature is chosen separately from the president so that the legislature cannot remove the president from power; only the people can do that, although the legislature can if the president breaks the law. Also, presidential systems are far less common than in a parliamentary democracy. In this way a prime minister can be more powerful because they have the support of the legislature, so they can get more things done.

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FINISH STRONG The race to May will be over before you know it – so take a minute now to make sure you’re planning for that home stretch: Make time to visit Tutoring and sharpen your skills before final exams.

Drop-In to work with a Writing Tutor and make sure your essay structure is just right.

Put in some time with a Librarian to access top-notch sources and cite them perfectly.

The Learning Commons is open 7 days a week, including evenings, to help you run every semester as your BEST semester!

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SMCC also partners with our local libraries, so you can make the most of:

 South Portland Public Library

 Curtis Memorial Library (in Brunswick) As a student in Cumberland County, you’re even entitled to a library card at:  Portland Public Library!

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Page 6 • March 31, 2015

Colorless

By Dan-Herley Mathieu et me reveal a secret that will change how we perceive the world forever and ever. It’s really hard not to be a writer when one is a thinker by nature. I spend 90% of my time reading and thinking, which is how I came up with this brilliant theory. It is harder and harder for me to sleep at nights because I cannot stop thinking. The spirit who lives in my body wants to reveal that secret to the rest of the world. I do not have any other choice but to obey. The secret is, we humans are colorless. I know that this declaration sounds crazy but let me explain.

Color is a huge issue in the world.

Racial differences are based on color. Color categorized societies. Color was such a big deal many years ago that leaders such as Adolf Hitler felt like it was important to separate the white race from the others.

They say Hitler wanted to preserve the purity of the white race. I have to tell you that this was one of the biggest mistakes that one could ever make. The reason why is simple. Humans are colorless, so how can they be separated based on color?

Some of you may be asking what makes me think that humans are colorless in a world where some people have many privileges because of their skin color. The answer to that question is that my concept of “human” is different from what most people seem to believe. I believe that humans are more than just bodies. Humans are spiritual beings living in a material world; therefore those spirits need physical envelopes to be on earth. Humans are invisible.

My understanding of our spiritual reality means that you have never and you will never see me, as I have never and I will never see you. Dan-Herley Mathieu is the spirit inside this Haitian body, which is 5.6 ft high, black skin, frizzy hair, and so on. I could have been in any other physical body, but I am inside this one for some reason. I did not choose to be in this body. If I had a choice, I would not have chosen to be in a body because I suffer physical pain in it. I am not what you see. I am more than just

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my physical appearance. My body has a color, height, weight, and all the biological traits, but I do not have any of those. I am the spirit who guides a body; so are you.

I am free and colorless; I am limitless, therefore do not judge me based on what I am not - a body. I am neither black nor white. I have no skin. I am just colorless.

If every one of us could picture humans as we really are, colorless, that will be the end of racism in the world. The concept of color is the main cause of all the

discrimination in the world. One hates others just because their skin is not the same color. Now, it is the time to start seeing each other not only at the physical level, but as spirits. Let’s consider each person in a different way than we used to consider them. We are spiritual beings, invisible.

We are colorless. If only we could see each other without those physical envelopes we would realize that we are similar. There are no differences of color among us.

A Stand for Fast Food Farmers

By Ashley Berry Liberal Arts – Political Science

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March 22nd, in St. Petersburg Florida, the Coalition for Immokalee Workers announced to the crowd at the Concert for Fair Food that the Coalition, alongside students from across the country, were enacting a boycott of the fast food giant Wendy’s. They dubbed this boycott “Boot the Braids,”playing off of the Wendy’s mascot.

The program was created as a partnership between the Floridan farm workers, tomato growers, and 13 multibillion dollar companies in effort to ensure that farm workers receive decent pay and humane working conditions.

Companies that have signed this program include Wal-Mart, McDonald’s, Burger King, and Taco Bell. The stipulations of

the partnership state that these companies can only purchase tomatoes from suppliers that dedicate themselves to having humane working standards, and that the farm workers are paid a penny per pound premium by their employers.

The announcement stretches far beyond a simple boycott and aims to end any relationships that Wendy’s shares with colleges and Universities around the country.

Interestingly enough, there has only been one other instance in which a boycott was deemed necessary by the Coalition. In 2002 Taco Bell refused to sign, resulting in a three year boycott of their restaurants, until their compliance with the Fair Food Program. Even more interesting is that the then CEO of Taco Bell was Emil Brolick, the now current CEO of Wendy’s. In light of the circumstances, it would seem that Brolick has an issue with the fair treatment

of workers.

Despite the yummy burgers at Wendy’s, it is unacceptable that they be allowed to endorse the unfair treatment of vulnerable farm workers. The Beacon stands in support of the Fair Food Program and asks that next time you’re looking for a quick and convenient bite, you think about the suffering endured by those who made it possible for you to have your sandwich.

Instead, choose restaurants and grocery stores that are committed to the fair treatment of workers. If you know that someone was not abused in the making of your snack, your treat will taste all the more delicious.

Why 2014 Was The Year We Should Have Turned “LePage”

By Ashley Berry Liberal Arts – Political Science overnor Paul LePage has drafted a Tax Reform Plan that would eliminate revenue sharing for municipalities, increase sales tax, decrease income tax and cut corporate taxes. The elimination of revenue sharing means that towns and cities will receive approximately $160 million less than last year. His grand idea to make up for the money lost is to allow towns to tax the property of a non-profit organization if it is assessed at over $500,000.

Although larger counties may be able to make up the difference, the smaller and more rural Maine towns will not fare as well as their larger counterparts, as they have significantly fewer non-profits. For instance, the small town of Madawaska, which has few major revenue services, relies on revenue sharing to keep property taxes afford-

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able.

Without the revenue provided by taxes, many towns like Madawaska will be forced to raise property taxes on residents, who in many circumstances can barely afford to pay their current property taxes. LePage’s tax plan is not in the best interest of the majority of Maine’s people, as it calls for spending cuts of public services and significant increases of property taxes for Maine homeowners. This tax plan would ultimately be more harmful than beneficial.

The revenue from property taxes from large non-profits could be helpful but not the way that LePage has planned. A blanket tax for all non-profits with property valued at or over $500,000 isn’t necessarily the best option. Smaller or more rural towns with fewer non-profits could see a hike in property tax because there are fewer large charities to tax and they are losing such a substantial

A Governor with his eyes on our school is a whole new NIGHTMARE

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sum from cutting revenue sharing.

Places like Shalom House in Portland, which provides needed mental health services, would manage to stay open, but would have to cut greatly needed public services. In the Portland Press Herald, Clare Whitney, who is a representative with the Good Shepard Food Bank in Auburn, said that “paying property taxes wouldn’t sink the organization, but would likely mean that 100,000 free meals wouldn’t be distributed to hungry clients.”

Private institutions of higher learning would also be subject to the property tax where they have traditionally been exempt. Although SMCC will be exempt as it is a public non-profit, it could come to affect students that wish to go on to a bachelor’s degree program at private universities. Laurie Lachance, the president of Thomas College in Waterville, said it will be a “direct hit on the affordability of college to the students we serve who are 75 percent from Maine and 70 percent first-generation. … A new tax would push college costs higher and would, ultimately, diminish our ability to raise the educational attainment of the region’s economy.” Lachance, who was formerly a state economist with the Baldacci administration, said it would cost the school about $600,000 a year.

We find ourselves in the midst of a job market that is desperate for workers with technical skills and where your chances of the “American Dream” almost always hinge upon your ability to get a bachelor’s degree. Surely, the taxation of non-profit schools would result in an increase of tuition, perhaps drastically hindering the number of students across the state who are able to attend.

The passing of the tax reform plan could have repercussions of increased tuition, cutting of public services and damage not yet realized. Should it pass, many people who are already struggling will see increased property taxes only making their lives more difficult. In regards to pursuit of education many people may be deterred from their dreams of building a better life and condemned to living paycheck to paycheck and struggling to just to make ends meet.

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OpEd

March 31, 2015 • Page 7

Why We Needed “Last Week Tonight”

By Garrick Hoffman Liberal Arts Major or decades, mainstream news media has continuously proven to be a red herring.

Often a dubious, deceptive distraction, the news typically serves as more of fodder for the eyes of its zombie-like viewers rather than as plausible, praise-worthy sources of pressing news. It relies on its sensational quality to sell itself, merely feeding dramatic or otherwise “interesting” stories to achieve this. Even local news isn’t exempt from this. When you turn on the news at night and the story you’re fed is about a couple who gave birth on the highway, it might be time to question the integrity of your news sources and take a more skeptical, incredulous - even cynical - eye at these channels.

Thankfully there’s HBO’s LastWeek Tonight with John Oliver to buoy us out of the venomous waters of mainstream news. Comprehensive without being too sensational, liberal without being dishonest, and hilarious without losing its integrity, LastWeek Tonight is without a doubt amongst the cream of the crop for exploring and exposing typically unseen news stories that actually matter.

LWT takes a similar approach to its comedy-news cousins, The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. (In fact, Oliver himself used to appear on The Daily Show.) Oliver is at the helm of the show, sitting behind a desk as he ex-

pounds on various topics to the television viewers and studio audience. He lectures almost inexorably, commercial-free, for a half hour while being punctuated by video clips to prove his point or further demonstrate the topic at hand.

The erudite and witty funnyman/ Englishman has broached and continues to broach a myriad of top-

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ics on LWT - chiefly pertaining to America - that consistently disillusion and enlighten his viewers: capital punishment, wealth inequality, civil forfeiture, student debt, beauty pageants, Dr. Oz, infrastructure, and as we covered in a previous issue, sugar. The list, of course, goes on.

Not only has LWT received tremendous acclaim, but its viewership is staggering: in its first season alone, according to a September 2014 article on HollywoodReporter.com, LWT was “pulling an average of 4.1 million weekly viewers across TV airings and DVR, on-demand and HBO Go plays,” with his Sunday night slot averaging a million viewers. When the main story of his show is posted on YouTube, it invariably garners at least a million views within approximately 24 hours.

The show seemed long overdue, as it is exactly what the public needed: a

platform that hosts hilarity and imperative issues at hand that are largely out of sight or ignored altogether by the public eye. The humor alleviates the weight of the stories being discussed, and we ultimately understand that what we’re listening to on the show is paramount. We again confirm in watching LWT that comedy and information prove to be a pair that coalesces into an educational powerhouse. This is satire at its best.

LastWeek Tonight is in its second season and is broadcast every Sunday on HBO at 11pm.

Last Week Tonight’s Host: John Oliver

The Deadly Styrofoam

By Ashley Berry Liberal Arts – Political Science

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ecently, Colgate University’s Student Government Association banned the use of Styrofoam on their campus. They did this by changing the bylaws that governed their Budget Allocation Committee. Specifically, they are not allowing the use of any funds from the Budget Allocation Committee to be used for the purchase of Styrofoam products. All that really means is that if, for example, your resident hall is making smoothies as an activity, the cups just can’t be Styrofoam. It’s a very small change that has a very large impact. Whole cities and towns in Maine like Freeport and Portland, and big cities like New York City, have bans on Styrofoam containers.

Everyone has heard of Styrofoam. It’s a petroleum-based product that is relatively commonplace and can be seen in a variety of places. It is most often seen in single-use drink cups and to-go containers for food. A main component in Styrofoam is Polystyrene and in 1987 the Environmental Protection Agency named 57 hazardous chemicals released in the production of Polystyrene, which have a wide range of negative health and environmental effects.

You can see discarded Styrofoam containers littering the waters and the ground, carelessly left by people who may not realize how damaging the cumulative effects of all those seemingly simple acts are. Although Polystyrene may break up and get smaller it is not biodegradable and therefore never goes away. It sits in landfills, fills our oceans and clogs up our waterways. It can cause many health issues for marine life, choking them and clogging their digestive systems. Considering Maine is a coastal state with many of us either relying on the marine life as a source of livelihood or simply enjoying the many pleasures and immense beauty of the ocean, we should take great care to make sure we do not pollute their home.

In addition to the hazardous byproducts from manufacturing Polystyrene, exposure has been labeled as hazardous by the EPA. SOUTHERN MAINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

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The Environmental Protection Agency stated that the effects on humans can include mucous membrane and eye irritation, central nervous system dysfunctions, headache, fatigue and gastrointestinal effects. Also, there are epidemiological studies whose results have suggested a link between Polystyrene exposure and lymphoma and leukemia.

The SMCC Beacon would like to publicly announce its commendation of Colgate University and their efforts to help the environment.

We at the SMCC Beacon would like to challenge our Student Senate to do the same and ban Styrofoam on campus. The location of our campus alone should make the health of marine life and the environment a top concern. We also would like to challenge the Student Senate to go a step further by enacting an initiative along with the ban to teach students about the importance of recycling and how detrimental these products are to our environment. This would strengthen and be a great accompaniment to the ban on Styrofoam.

A great aspect to this initiative would be to encourage a “bring your own” program, in which students are encouraged to bring reusable cups or water bottles for their beverages instead of always using single-use cups. Although we’re not suggesting that these single-use cups and the like should be completely unavailable, encouraging these reusable items would be a step towards helping the environment and would make SMCC a more eco-friendly place.

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Arts&Features

Page 8 • March 31, 2015

Metal Up Yr Ass, Pt. 3

By Garrick Hoffman Liberal Arts Major

an epic song.

Perhaps the only weak song on the album, “The Thing That Should Not Be” is still an excellent listen. It has a somewhat “filler” feel, coming across as a bit uninspired. Still, I find my veins pulsing and my face distorting as I lip sync the eponymous lyrics when James Hetfield bellows, “Face the thing that should not be!”

Their 1984 album Ride the Lightning boasted “Fade to Black,” and Metallica apparently decided to take the same route on MoP when they wrote “Welcome Home (Sanitarium),” a beautiful, yet haunting tune whose theme – like “Fade” – centers around emotional wreckage. It begins with a melancholy, down-tempo sound, then – also like “Fade” – sends us into a vortex of heavy, thus rendering it a “power ballad.” One of the best songs on the album.

“Disposable Heroes” took some warming up for me, and it took Guitar Hero: Metallica years back to achieve this. The sheer speed of it is incredibly appealing, with the guitars and drums both mercilessly unrelenting. If a train were going as fast as this song, you would not want to be in its way.

With the sound of the hi-hat being hit five times, we have entered “Leper Messiah.” I find that this is an underrated gem in the Metallica catalogue. I feel my hand slowly turning into a fist and I want to just

Review of the Issue: Master of Puppets

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far in this series we have re-visited Metallica’s first two albums, Kill Em All and Ride the Lightning. Their third studio album, Master of Puppets was released in 1986 and is widely considered to be their magnum opus. It became the first thrash metal album to be certified platinum, and was their last album with the late Cliff Burton, who died in a bus accident while on tour.

So get your horns out and let’s rock to some ‘80s Metallica, shall we?

Ride the Lightning was an evolution of Kill Em All, Master of Puppets proved to be twice the evolution.

Beginning with “Battery,” MoP kicks off with fury and carnage. One of my favorite songs in their catalogue, “Battery” is arguably the song that exhibits whatever percussive prowess Lars Ulrich holds. “Up-tempo” and “heavy as f#$!” are accurate words to describe “Battery.”

By the time their landmark title track comes on, we find we don’t even have time to breathe between songs. “Master of Puppets” comes crashing down on us and barely stops for the next eight minutes, save for a nice, mellow bridge with a classical sound to it. Then it relents, returning us to that same carnage and fury levied unto us. What

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strike the air when I hear this song. My head bounces up and down in its rhythm.

The song serves as commentary on blind faith and how religion can be diabolically deceptive.

Orion might be a constellation in the

Orion, make sure to go inside and take a listen to its own heavy metal song.

MoP comes to an end with “Damage, Inc.” When I first heard the solo in this song, I was a sophomore in high school.

It’s structured similarly to “Battery,” with a slow, hypnotic beginning that has this wonderfully hypnotic quality to it, but it doesn’t continue that way.

We find ourselves suddenly submerged in a riff storm, and when Kirk’s solo hits – well, let me put it this way. I first heard this when I was a sophomore in high school, and thought it to be impossibly fast.

It seemed superhuman, beyond the capabilities of man, totally exempt from the laws of nature. I made my friends listen to it and they had the same amazed reaction as I. A killer tune, and a killer way to end a killer album.

Overall, the release of Master of Puppets proved to be yet another step forward for Metallica, the Kings of Thrash. Flexing their metal muscles with “Master of Puppets,” “Battery,” and “Welcome Home,” this was their strongest release to date, and kept the locomotion of Metallica in full speed. It’s no wonder why MoP came to be so highly revered, and considered their master piece. (Overused puns, anyone?)

sky, but it also happens to be what I consider Metallica’s best instrumental song. The bass riff sounds like the cousin of the riff in Kill Em All’s “Anesthesia (Pulling Teeth).”

Infectious and catchy, it’s enough to tickle anyone’s fancy, and the main guitar riff will also infect your ears - pleasantly. Next time you take a look at the night sky and you see

Next up: ...And Justice For All

Marin on Movies

took place, right up until the very end. The almost sickening tale of deceit, lies, and wicked love games had me hooked. I had to get to the bottom of it all.

My book versus movie favoritism always depends on how well the movie sticks to the events in the book, and unfortunately there is a crucial scene missing at the end of the movie. In my mind a key component of a good thriller lies in the soundtrack choices, and Gone Girl nailed it. Steering clear of the cliché horror movie music, the soundtrack effectively upped the creepy factor, rather than taking away from it.

Another notably well done thing in the movie was Amy’s voice over. When reading her narration in the book I imagined it to sound more cheerful and upbeat, perhaps because in the book it was harder to tell just how insane she was until almost the very end. But in the movie Amy’s voice alone was enough to send a chill down my back. Although the movie was done incredibly well, with Ben Affleck as the emotionless husband and Rosamund Pike playing “Amazing Amy”, I would still have to recommend the book over the movie.

Overall I would give Gone Girl a total of four and a half stars because of its incredible storyline and well executed cast and effects.

“Gone Girl”

By Rebekah Marin Liberal Studies/English Major Valentine’s Day had you feeling down in the dumps for being a lonely, unlovable S.O.B, I strongly suggest you delve into the genius book and movie, Gone Girl.

After all, it’s never too late to kick those lingering V-Day blues once and for all, and I’m pretty sure Gone Girl will do just that.

The book, written by Gillian Flynn, details the chilling aftermath of a college love story gone awry. The college sweethearts, Amy and Nick Dunne, are forced to move to the mid-west and leave their jobs as writers in New York behind when Nick’s mom becomes ill. Nick is able to find a new job working as a college professor, and running a bar that was paid for through Amy’s inheritance. Meanwhile, Amy is attempting to adjust to their new lifestyle in a much different way. On the morning of Amy and Nick’s fifth anniversary Amy seems to have disappeared, and Nick seems to be the number one suspect.

While both watching and reading the story I was blown away by every new twist and turn in the plot. Coming from someone who isn’t generally a huge fan of what I would call a murder mystery/thriller story, I would recommend all books/movies of this genre if I knew they would all be as well executed as Gone Girl. Both the book and the movie had me questioning who was at fault for all of the utter craziness that

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Arts&Features

Metal, Melody & Me

earth) and it can have no singing at all, with the exception of some chanting here and there (August Burns Red, Parkway Drive).

It can embody a different generational sound (Metallica or Pantera vs. Bullet For My Valentine or Trivium). It can be heavy with melodic elements (any of the aforementioned bands) or it could be strictly heavy, seeping more into the “hardcore” genre for example that I’m not much a fan of (The Acacia Strain, Job For a Cowboy).

It could even be a bit more melodramatic, which I’m also not much a fan of (Bring Me The Horizon). Of course, as I noted, the sub-genres in which these or any bands fall into can be disputed endlessly, which is really a senseless battle that warrants no energy or time investment.

The metal I’m in love with bears a melodic element that really tickles my fancy. It’s, I argue, a happy medium: not overbearingly bludgeoning me with sounds heavier than a bucket of iron, while also not crossing into the land of melodrama. And this melody in metal, which I relish, and which I believe gives the song substance and dimension, often goes undetected by the average, inexperienced metal listener.

There’s a wonderfully skilled, independent pianist from Australia who goes by the moniker of missTIQmusiq. She makes piano covers of some of her (and my, for that matter) favorite metal bands. In her covers, the melody of those metal songs truly shines, as it’s stripped of all the other chaos found in metal: no harsh, screaming vocals; no chugging, driving guitar riffs; no percussion with relentless blast beats or hyper double bass. Even though I love all of those elements, when they’re all omitted and the melody of the music is deftly

Shattering the Myths of Metal

By Garrick Hoffman Liberal Arts Major rt is an inherently subjective form.

What you hate, I may love. What I love, you may despise. I absolutely love metal music.

With three brothers in my house alongside me, I grew up listening to rock music: Nirvana, Korn, Limp Bizkit, Disturbed. My parents were pretty big into classic rock, especially my father: Def Leppard, Tom Petty, Boston, Rush. I had that early exposure to the world of rock music at a young age. By 8th grade I discovered who are to this day one of my favorite metal bands, Killswitch Engage, after hearing their song “Rose of Sharyn” (which I actually did a guitar cover of with my own little original solo that you can find on YouTube, if you care to check it out). At first I was a bit turned off - it was a little too heavy for me, as it strayed from the typical “mainstream” rock sound I was so acclimated to.

Instead of primarily singing with some seldom screaming, this new music was almost entirely screaming with seldom singing.

The guitar riffs were heavier, faster. Double bass on the drums was rampant, as were what are called “blast beats” - incessant (but rhythmic) snare strikes to match or even enhance the intensity of the song. It was all an overload of sound I couldn’t quite get into, save for a few songs.

But I was still listening to KsE and enjoying the music more and more. Eventually my girlfriend in high school introduced me to more bands: As I Lay Dying, All That Remains, and Trivium. It all caught on to me as if it was an infection. Next thing I know, I became infatuated with the music.

Now I’m listening to other bands that still were once upon a time “too heavy” for me: August Burns Red, Parkway Drive, World Under Blood. How I adore this music now.

Many people cannot begin to conceive how this music is enjoyable.

It’s often on the receiving end of contempt, dismissal, and repulsion. It can be characterized as obnoxious, devoid of spirit or color, rage-driven, and even satanic. But let me tell you how it resonates within me. I’ve sort of dissected it by now, understanding why and how this affinity of mine has developed for a music style so often reproached.

When I hear someone say that metal is farthest from being their cup of tea, they almost invariably say it’s because “I can’t understand the lyrics,” although I think their explanation is actually inaccurate. What I think they mean to say is, “The music is actively obnoxious.” Think about a band like the Stone Temple Pilots, whose lyrics are at least to me - often incomprehensible as a result of their vocalist’s singing style. But throughout your life you’ve probably had to look up the lyrics to some of your favorite songs for clarity. However, just because you “can’t understand the lyrics,” you’re not deterred from listening to the music that you enjoy.

Metal - which I use as an umbrella term, since sub-genres are always moot can vary. It can have some singing (Killswitch Engage, World Under Blood, Un-

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conveyed through a classical instrument, it doesn’t take a fool to recognize the beauty that lay in metal. That beauty, that melody, is, to the inexperienced listener, veiled by all the instrumental pandemonium that chiefly comprises the music.

Of course, that instrumental pandemonium is of enormous appeal to many a metal fan. The sheer energy, the intense drive, the galvanizing electricity that defines the spine of metal, all blends into a delightful, adrenaline-fueled recipe of music. It sinks into your skin and ignites you. It transforms me, personally, into a wild, animalistic vessel of motion and emotion.You should see me at a show.You might laugh, be weirded out, or be concerned. Or all of the above.

Another misconception of metal is, as mentioned, its ostensibly enraged vocals and lyrics. Naturally, people listen and think the screaming vocal style is the essence of rage. But it’s merely a style to mold with the music. And the lyrics are often not even rage-driven, although they can be emotionally-driven in a perhaps critical or cynical way. But they can also be very touching, inspiring, poetic, creative, and •

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intelligent. Let me juxtapose both, respectively, with lyrics I revere: From Parkway Drive’s “Sleepwalkers”, which I interpret as socio-political commentary that reproaches materialism, selling our dreams for small desires (as Rush would say), and complacency with ignorance: “Buried alive at birth, never to return; Chained the masses, trapped and trained by vicious minds;…

Sleepwalk our lives away in search of shallow graves.”

And from Killswitch Engage’s “In Due Time”, in which the lyrical matters revolve around the vocalist’s personal struggles and his encouragement for others to rise above their own plights as he did: “All that we suffer through leads to determination; The trials we all go through gives us the strength to carry on; Something within us burns, desire feeds the will to live; A reason to believe I will see redemption; All in due time, see the world through different eyes; All in due time, the shadows will give way to light.”

Furthermore, many metal musicians take utmost regard for their craft. They can truly be extraordinary musicians who make music bearing extraordinary musicianship.

They can be vehemently affectionate for the product of their work. Also, their appreciation for their fans and their visible altruism are often broadcast, made evident through social media posts. Frequently I see “Thank You for coming out to the show!” posts from many of my favorite bands. Killswitch Engage held an online charitable donation event for an individual befallen by cancer, and they also collaborated with the Make a Wish foundation. August Burns Red held a show near Christmas time in 2013 and invited Toys For Tots to set up at their show, encouraging show attendees to bring gifts with them to submit.

Beyond all of this is the camaraderie that accompanies metal.

Since it’s comparatively a bit of an esoteric community (unless you fall into the kingdom of Metallica fans), I think there’s a certain bond that permeates throughout the metal community. It’s as if we view each like-minded metal fan as a rarity we can bond with, since metal isn’t universally adored. At metal shows, moshing can become intense if not dangerous, so the duty of each participant is to look out for one another. When one falls, participants or surrounding show attendees are quick to pick up the downed mosher. At the last show I went to – August Burns Red in Boston – my shoe came untied near the mosh pit, and a stranger shielded me from the rowdy moshers while I bent down to tie my shoe. It’s an unspoken responsibility that’s so heartening to see in action - all these strangers hitting and bumping and thrashing into each other at their own risk with this natural affection and regard among them. Anyone could get hurt, but no one wants to see anyone get hurt. It’s all in good fun, although there’s undoubtedly the pugnacious few who attend shows to get a little more than just rowdy. Those few attend to unleash and channel their aggression, surely.

Jon Gomm, an English solo acoustic musician, who last summer was invited to play at the British rock Download Festival, posted this on his Facebook following the

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festival: “Metal people are the best people. As a non-metal [musician] (although I can feel that changing inside me), I just wanna point out an obvious thing: Metal fans are like a family. The bullshit media stereotype of ‘Teenage Gunman Was Death Metal Fan’ makes me so angry. I’ve never felt more appreciation, respect, humour and LOVE at a festival. I hope when I have kids they’re metal fans. Maximum respect to you all.”

And as a side note, speaking of camaraderie, there’s nothing that can parallel the sight of hundreds (or thousands) of fists simultaneously striking the air in honor of metal. Now that’s community.

In conclusion, metal isn’t necessarily what you perceive it to be. It bears more substance than you may think, and its melodic elements and lyrical content are of great - and perhaps unexpected - appeal.

You may not love it or even like it, but it doesn’t hurt to give it a chance.

By Patrick Doyle Liberal Arts – English Major t’s now spring but you wouldn’t know it. It snowed the day after spring “officially” began.Yeah, yeah, I know.

Everyone is talking about it. We all wish everyone would shut up about the weather but here we are, talking about the weather. All the people I know (and those I don’t know but see) seem to be coming out of hibernation, their auras beaming with vitamin D. It leaves me hopeful that when winter goes back into recession, we all become children of the Sun once again…until October.

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Spring Fever Has Me Breaking Out With Lives When I got out of my car, I lit a cigarette. My scarf blew around from the wind, looking like angry octopus tentacles, except these tentacles were getting burn holes from my cancer stick. I marched myself across the large, vacant parking lot, my nose running from the cold air, my skin feeling as though it would either grip my innards so much my bones would break or would melt off entirely. A skeletal librarian trying to make amends with the elements.

Winter Mother Nature is a sadist.

She laughs at our anguish.

Her laughter turns to tears, but she is such an Ice Queen, it turns to snow.

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Sports A Chat with Matt

and made a big contribution.

They are sort of the unsung heroes of our program, y’know Chad Cichon has been with me for twelve years and does an outstanding job. Ryan Chicoine I think really developed our post players this year, Jack Tolan, Carlos Gonzalez, Jack Morgan, those guys played at a high level and was really

Coach Matt Richards Reflects on the Men’s Basketball Season

By Nickolas Acker Liberal Arts Major had the opportunity to speak with head coach Matthew Richards of the men’s basketball team after the season had ended.

Coach Richards provided an insight into what the basketball team has done, where it’s been, and where it’s going.

Wow, what a year for the Men’s Basketball Team. You posted an astonishing 16-1 conference record, and won the YSCC Coach of the Year award. Since you’ve taken over the helm as head coach, the Seawolves Basketball Team has been a constant presence at the YSCC Playoffs. So, you’ve got to be feeling pretty good at this point with the way the team has been performing and going to nationals again.

We were 16-0 in regular season, so first time in school history going undefeated for the conference. We won our first two games in the playoffs and then lost in the conference championship but, a lot of firsts for the program; first time we swept everybody and were undefeated in the regular season, so pretty happy about that.

Since you’ve taken over as head coach of the Seawolves the basketball team has really been a constant presence in the playoffs, it’s incredible.

Yeah, I mean consistency helps. We’ve had consistency with our staff. Certainly the school supports what we’re trying to do and I think that makes a huge difference.

Without that you’re not going to get the consistency you need, but if you’re good, I mean we’ve been between top 3 and 4 every year, and then obviously in our good years we’ve been the top team, but we’re really happy with the consistency we’ve been able to maintain for the last twelve years.

You’ve got to be feeling pretty good about the team at this point.

Very happy about it.You know we’ve had a lot of players come through that have bought into what we’ve wanted the program to look like, so we’ve had great kids, and the consistency of coaching staff has really made a difference.

You’re talking about great players, Atencio Martin and Tyheem Simon are both seniors and graduating this year and are pretty big performers on the floor. Are you concerned with filling their shoes next season?

When you have players like that you never really fill their shoes or replace them, y’know you hope that your returning players can fill some of that void and then you hope the players you’re recruiting can assist in that. Both players had outstanding years, so yeah, tough to replace but I like the core nucleus we have coming back and recruiting has been going pretty well at this point, so I feel pretty good that we’ll be able to again be at the level we want to be with the team.

Throughout the season one thing that really impressed me was not only that your coaching was phenomenal, but also that your assistant coaching staff was really impressive

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March 31, 2015 • Page 11

those things it kind of shows you how we play and the players bought into it. We had seven different players lead us in scoring at one time or another in the season, I mean that’s pretty impressive to have seven guys say that in that particular game they lead us in scoring. I’m doing player meetings right now with the players and every single

and coached long enough to know that it doesn’t really happen that way. So what we try and do is meet with our returning players and ask them some very directed questions in terms of what do they want to be coming back the second year, and then how do they plan on meeting that, and then we recruit specifically not only needs within our program but character. I think that’s been the difference that we’ve approached the last few years that we’ve been trying to recruit the best character players that we can. I don’t want to have talented players that don’t have the high character that we’re looking for, because I think that’s what’s created our team chemistry too.

So, what we’ll do next year and how we play will be dependent on how much work the guys do in the offseason and then what our recruits can add coming in. But would I like to keep playing an up-tempo style where defensively we make it difficult for other teams? Absolutely. Do I want to continue to play a style where guys understand that it’s “I’m sacrificing myself personally for our team”? Yes.You want all those things, and we’ll see hopefully that that happens, and if it does I expect similar results, but time will tell. here you have it people, it looks like the basketball team has a bright future ahead of it and they’ve worked hard for their success. Keep up the good work, Coach Richards, and good luck to the team next season!

Matt Richards coached the Seawolves to an undefeated Conference record during the 2014-2015 basketball season.

a lot to do with how much time he spent with them. I have a former player of mine, Joe Jardine, who’s passionate and absolutely doesn’t let the guys take a day off. So yeah those guys did outstanding work for the program and was obviously reflective in our performance this year.

So it seems from what I’ve seen observing the team, you don’t really have one or two star players that do the majority of the scoring and are backed up by the rest of the team.

It seems like you have a really deep bench and accumulate a lot of bench points. Of course every team wants to be good on offense and defense, but do you think the team focused more on offense or defense this past year?

I think this year’s team bought into the fact that we would be our best if we made defense a priority, and that we had a nextman-up type of philosophy. It was reflective in the all conference voting; we had one player make all conference.

And you were second place in rebounding in the conference.

Right, so y’know when you look at

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one of them said when asked, “What was our greatest attribute for the season?” and they said, “It was our team chemistry.” So they really bought into the fact that it’s not one individual, it’s a team. If you take him away, fine we’ll just have him step up, and I think that that’s very difficult to scout from an opponent’s stand point. Everyone during the season said that the top priority was winning. Period. It didn’t matter if this kid was in the line, or if this kid got all the accolades, it was about winning. They wanted to win as a group and experience those together as a group. That’s rare, and you don’t always get that. That’s why this season was, for me, a very rewarding season.

Going forward, and I realize that the season only just ended, do you see any large changes in what you’ve been doing as far as coaching and roster lineup are concerned going into next season, and in the future do you see the same amount of success in the Yankee Small College Conference?

Well, I hope so. I mean I hope we can bottle up what we did this year and do it again, but I’ve been around long enough

Mike Bove

12:301:00 PM

 Targeted Writing Sessions are organized by the Writing Across the Curriculum Committee and held in the Learning Commons. 

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SPORTS FOUR Talking Points in the World of Sports

By Richard Bigega Electrical Engineering Major

celona’s 80-million-euro summer signing repaid a large chunk of his transfer fee with the goal that won a potentially decisive La Liga Clásico to send his team four points clear in the title race.

NBA Power Rankings: Kevin Durant Goes Down

Giroud’s Goals have Arsenal Talking of a Late Title Bid

In an injury-riddled NBA season, in which we’ve already seen the likes of Chris Bosh, Paul George and Blake Griffin miss substantial time this season, we lost another star to injury for the rest of the season over the weekend.

While he’s only played in 20-some-odd games this season, it’s safe to say that almost everyone believed that Durant would be back at some point before the NBA playoffs for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

That…is no longer the case.

Even though the Thunder have, for the most part this season, navigated themselves without Durant to the No. 8 seed in the Western conference playoff picture, it’s uncertain whether they’re going to be able to seek out enough gutsy wins the rest of the year in order to clinch that seed in the West without Durant.

With Serge Ibaka and Kevin Durant out for the foreseeable future, it’s also uncertain whether Russell Westbrook can work enough magic in order to tie down a playoff spot.

The Thunder, yet again, may have been doomed by injuries

Leaders Chelsea are seven points ahead of third-placed Arsenal after grinding out a 3-2 victory against Hull City on Sunday, and still have the bonus of a game in hand on their title rivals. Wales international Ramsey is aware that Arsenal need favors from sides around them but remains optimistic given Arsenal have won nine of their past ten Premier League matches.

“We just have to focus on ourselves and believe other teams around us will be on the end of upsets,” he told reporters.

“We just have to try and win every game until the end of the season.”

In this division teams can lose against anyone. We have just got to be switched on and make sure it doesn’t happen to us and maintain this run. “Stranger things have happened.”

Arsenal return from the international break with a match against Liverpool and then host Chelsea at the end of the month.

New York Rangers move into three-way lead at top of NHL

New York Rangers move into three-way lead at top of NHL

EL CLASSICO, Clash of Titans: FC Barcelona prevails

El Classico, Clash of Titans: FC Barcelona prevails

Derek Stepan scored two goals and claimed an assist to put Rangers level at the top on 99 points alongside Anaheim and the Montreal Canadians. After going a spell of 12 games without a goal, Stepan scored a goal in each of the first two periods. Chris Kreider, Carl Hagelin, JT Miller, Jesper Fast and Derick Brassard also scored for the Rangers, who have played three games fewer than the Ducks and two games fewer than the Canadians.

This recent surge is a clear indication of a serious title contention.

Any match between fierce rivals Real Madrid C.F. and FC Barcelona is known as the biggest soccer game on earth. Its bloody appeal, political involvement and the presence of absolute talents on the pitch have long been the center of this rivalry game. The March 22nd, 2015 El Clásico did not disappoint; although either Ronaldo or Messi weren’t able to steal the show, reckless tackles, fights and abundant yellow cards rose to the expectation. BarNBA Power Rankings: Kevin Durant goes down

Giroud’s goals have Arsenal talking of a late title bid

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