SMCC Beacon February 13, 2018

THE

I S S U E DAT E 2•13•18

SOUTHERN MAINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

BEACON

VOLUME 14 NO. 9

BY THE STUDENTS FOR THE STUDENTS

Art Club Hosts Bob Ross Craft Day

By The Beacon Staff This past Sunday the Art Club hosted a craft day with SMCC’s very own Bob

Ross look alike, Wylie Holt. SMCC students and friends came down to the Art Studio to make Valentine’s Day cards with Wylie and other members of the

Art Club while watching “The Joy of Painting.”

Bob Ross has inspired many, and Sunday was no exception. Students created all

types of cards, from hearts, to bees, to trees, to three dimensional dogs. With glitter and cupcakes for all in attendance, the art studio was filled with love, creativity and Bob Ross.

Photos courtesy of the Art Club.

By Troy Hudson

Welcome to Deepfake Reality

On Jan. 8, 2018, a Reddit user known as deepfakes publicly shared an app he had developed called FakeApp, which allows anyone to take existing footage of a person and convincingly swap that person’s face with another face. Deepfakes has been sharing examples of videos (also known collectively as “deepfakes”) produced with the algorithm for about a year, but now anyone can download the app and, by taking advantage of neural-network cloud computing, create realistic simulations without expensive hardware or coding skills.

Unsurprisingly, the first and most widespread application of this technology has been porn. The faces of stars like Daisy Ridley, Emma Watson and Jessica Alba have been superimposed on adult film actors with results so convincing many people wouldn’t know they were looking at a fake.

Reddit’s r/deepfakes thread is now full of such user-generated videos.

The app may be new, but the idea isn’t.

Anyone who’s seen 2015’s “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” knows that Hollywood can digitally recreate a 19-year-old Carrie Fisher at will, albeit with mixed results.

Many fans of the series bemoaned the new technology as gimmicky, while others were perfectly happy with the cinematic trickery. What is different this time is that it no longer takes a Disney-movie budget to produce these fakes; anyone with a decent computer can create their own in about eight to 12 hours.

The ethical implications of creating realistic pornographic fakes of unwilling participants are certainly troubling—all the more so as our culture comes to grips with accounts of sexual harassment and abuse

in the entertainment industry and beyond.

But as is often the case, porn is just the beginning of what a technology like FakeApp can be used to create.

Political deepfakes cropped up almost as soon as the app was released, and include President Donald Trump’s face on German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Ad-

and tacitly accept it. A recent social-media meme got laughs at the expense of a Vanity Fair photoshoot where a bad edit seems to show Oprah with a third hand. There was no outrage that the photo had been manipulated, just ridicule that the editor had done such a poor job concealing the trick.

And if deepfakes do come to further

This could bring us to peak skepticism, when we doubt even what we see with our own eyes.

olf Hitler’s face on Argentinian President Mauricio Macri. These examples are obviously meant as satire, but it is not difficult to foresee a day very soon when these fakes become so convincing that they are all but impossible to recognize. In an era that has already been described as “post-truth,” this could bring us to peak skepticism, when we doubt even what we see with our own eyes.

Of course, visual fakery itself is nothing new. Heavily Photoshopped images appear on virtually every movie poster, magazine and billboard in existence, so much so that we have come to expect such manipulation

erode our crumbling faith in the media, it is only the final nail in the coffin of credibility. Escalating rumors and leaked information by anonymous informants are peddled daily by news networks in an endless battle for ratings, and the current administration has consistently worked to undermine any negative reporting by dismissing it as “fake news.” On Feb. 5, President Trump took time out from a speech in Blue Ash, Ohio to wave hello to the “fake news media,” saying he was glad the speech was being broadcast live so his remarks couldn’t be edited and misconstrued.

Gallup reported in fall 2016 that only 32 percent of Americans believe the news media presents the truth “fully, accurately and fairly,” and there are no signs that faith is being restored. It is worth pointing out that experts believe this may not entirely be the fault of the media, as people are known to distrust stories that conflict with previously held beliefs, regardless of accuracy. But if the power to create fakes so convincing that no one can tell them apart from reality becomes fully democratized, then the media will be just as helpless as the rest of us in distinguishing fact from fiction. Who can you trust to tell the truth when you can’t even believe your own eyes?

Now that FakeApp is nearly universally available (except, of course, in countries with heavily restricted internet access like North Korea), it is a virtual certainty that the phenomenon is already, or soon will be, unstoppable. Perhaps technology to detect the fakes will keep pace with the simulations, or perhaps not.

There may, however, be an upside to this new deepfake reality: In order to ascertain the truth when nothing is certain, it will become more necessary than ever to weigh new information against what we already know (or think we know), and to take nothing for granted. It is possible that our deepening skepticism could inspire a more discerning public, no longer so quick to react to the latest scandalous revelations which may, after all, turn out to be nothing more than cinematic sleight of hand. But if, as we now know to be true, foreign powers like Russia have already succeeded in infiltrating American politics using nothing more than Facebook ads and blog posts, the future of deepfakes could hold some very troubling realities indeed.

Campus News

Campus News

Maine Mayhem Shines Light on Student Auteurs

By Daniele Amandolini If you are pursuing a career in film, catching the right break can take a while. You often spend years begging friends and family to like and share your latest project on Vimeo, or getting coffee for other crew members as a production assistant. For the last eight years, though, Maine Mayhem has made the dream of making a movie and seeing it projected on the big screen a reality for many students.

The event was co-founded in 2011 by CNMS Department Chair Corey Norman, along with student James Crocco. Thanks to his

existing relationship with Nickelodeon Cinemas in Portland, Norman was able to strike a deal and provide the venue for what has become an annual highlight for the community, regularly selling out the theater. And it’s not just Portland: Films will debut at Nickelodeon Cinemas during the second week of May, as well as in Bridgton, Bangor, and at the Sanford International Film Festival in September.

For students, Maine Mayhem is the culmination of an eight-month workload. The fall semester covers pre-production, at the end of which students will pitch their movies to a panel of experts in the field. The film industry, after

all, is as much about cameras and scripts as it is about selling your idea to a potential investor.

Once a movie is greenlit, the director will spend the spring semester handling all aspects of the process — this means developing a budget, hiring actors, and scouting locations.

And then there is the actual shooting, which usually takes about six to eight days.

While students are ultimately responsible for the success of their own movie, classmates can always rely on each other’s support when things go wrong. They’re all in it together, as Norman sees the event as “not a competition, but a celebration.”

Not only does Maine Mayhem represent a great opportunity for a student to see their first movie come to life, but it’s also helped SMCC establish its film program as one of the best in Maine. And the fulfilling experience of sharing their creations will stay with the students forever, whether they stay in the film industry or move on to something new.

The students currently working on Maine Mayhem movies are Madison Holbrook, Bodhi Ouellette, Ben Rooker, Jason Smith, Jack Gentempo, Justin Taylor, and Brendan Kellogg. Good luck!

Cubism in the Classroom

By The Beacon Staff In Digital Foundations, a core requirement in the Communications and New Media program, students have been asked to take a stab at using Photoshop to create a version of their own Cubist self-portraits.

Each student begins with a selfie (who can’t come up with a selfie?), then selects squares, trapezoids and other shapes to copy to a new Photoshop layer. If this sounds like

Greek to you, there are a number of tutorials online; just Google “Photoshop Cubism.”

If playing around with Photoshop in a liberal-arts class sounds fun to you, the Digital Foundations class can take care of an Arts & Humanities requirement. Students also have a chance to create projects with Adobe Illustrator, InDesign and After Effects, as well as gaining a basic understanding of HTML.

Students Forge Their Own Paths With TRIO

By Liam Higgins Do you often feel overwhelmed with your own independence? As a student, you’re not alone. Like Lewis and Clark exploring the wild western plains of early America, the journey into college life can be a daunting and perilous expedition. Sixty percent of the SMCC student body is first-generation college students, and those students are attempting to navigate unexplored territory alone. But even Lewis and Clark enlisted Sacagawea to guide them, and as a student, you have the TRIO Student Support Service.

The Student Support Service (SSS) is a thorough and proven program focused on personal growth and individual success. It offers a variety of services to aid students in making the most of their time on campus and to ensure they receive their money’s worth from their education. Between securing financial aid, managing time for homework and classes, and maintaining that sought-after

social life, the average undisciplined student needs all the help they can get. From success seminars to unique classes offered only to TRIO student’s, the program is specifically tailored to the needs of the individual.

One of these classes, a FIG course offered to freshmen in the fall semester, is designed to help students refine the skills needed to be a successful student. A TRIO student who goes by “Li” reflects on a self-learning exercise from this class, saying it helped her discover personal strengths and attributes. A peer leader in the program, Hillary Pimentel, who has been with the program for one and a half years, say it has greatly helped her in managing her time. Through TRIO, she has had help with signing up for student loans and financial assistance.

One of the greatest services TRIO offers, in my opinion, is the Success Coach. Upon being accepted to the program, students are assigned a success coach that will stick with them until graduation. The objective of the

THE

BEACON

coach is to advise the student on a personal level — to work with you one on one in overcoming the barriers standing in the way of your goals.

The TRIO program is not a social club by any means. It is intended for students who take their education seriously but who may need a guide. That being said, there is clearly a communal feel to the way they operate. Many seminars are designed and orchestrated by students, and tutoring is available from your peers. The program may be intended to help students individually, but it also teaches them to help themselves. Working closely with others who share a similar mindset can be just what the doctor ordered.

If you are wondering if TRIO is for you, ask yourself, “Self, do I take my education se-

riously?” If you answered yes, keep reading. If you answered no, why are you here? In 2013, SMCC reported a dismal 13 percent graduation rate. The TRIO program graduates 25 percent of its students, and it’s only in its second year. That’s almost double.

“TRIO works because it offers both a community for students plus one on one advising, but most importantly because it represents a microcosm of the bigger SMCC community,” says Katherine Lualdi, the director of the program. Roughly 60 percent of SMCC students are eligible for this program, so do yourself a favor and check it out. Because while you may not be documenting the most direct water route across the continent for the purpose of commerce, everyone could use a little help.

Portraits left to right, top to bottom: Mary Mandell, Jay Collay, Ayreal Ziegler, Phuntira Tiparos, Jillian Brazel, Paul Kelsey and Melinda Carmichael.

Interested in a Bachelor’s degree?

Save time and money with ConnectED Pathways.

Executive Staff

Production Manager Managing Editor Art Director Copy Editor Digital Media Manager Midcoast Section Editor Poetry Editor Graphic Designers

Oğuzhan Özkan Troy Hudson Paul Moosmann Ben Riggleman Daniele Amandolini Dan Elliott Rebecca Dow Daniele Amandolini, Rebecca Dow, James Hubbard

Contributing Writers

Daniele Amandolini, Gio DiFazio, Rebecca Dow, Dan Elliott, Liam Higgins, Troy Hudson, Kyle Lappin, Andy Li, Max Lorber, Lloyd Metcalf, Oğuzhan Özkan, Jess Spoto, Jamie West

Illustrations Dan Elliott

Our many articulation agreements ensure a streamlined transfer of credits towards your bachelor’s degree. Learn more at usm.maine.edu/connected.

We offer merit scholarships to transfer students which helps to keep tuition costs low. Learn more at usm.maine.edu/scholarships.

Contributing Photographers

Jacob Clowes, Rebecca Dow, Troy Hudson, Max Lorber, Shari Shakti

Advisors

Chuck Ott & Rachel Guthrie

Contact Us

mbeacon@smccme.edu

2 The Beacon • February 13, 2018

Questions? We’re happy to help!

Contact our knowledgeable Transfer Success Coordinator, Christopher Fox at 207-780-4793 or via email: cwfox@maine.edu

February 13, 2018 • The Beacon 3

Other World

Other World >TECH_TALK

SMCC Alumni Open Saco Coffee Shop Before summer 2017, the town of Saco didn’t have much in the way of coffee shops.

A Starbucks was the only local option for people looking for a cup of coffee and a café atmosphere. When SMCC alumni Erik Squire and Maisarah Miskoon moved to Saco following

the birth of their daughter, they missed the neighborhood coffee shops they left behind in Portland. Having both recently graduated from SMCC and optimistic about the future, they decided to take the plunge and open their own.

Located right on Saco’s quiet main drag at 209 Main Street, The Rugged Spruce makes a charming first impression. Its eye-catching sign announces the business’s vision: “A Community Coffee Shop,” and that’s exactly what the shop has been from the start.

Hand-planed pine table tops were created with the help of Squire’s father and uncle, and design touches like suspended barn windows and even the espresso machine itself were acquired locally with help from friends. Maisarah attributes the design elements to luck, citing the old adage, “One man’s trash is another’s treasure,” but the overall aesthetic is well-executed and makes for a very pleasant place for coffee and conversation.

At The Rugged Spruce, fresh brewed coffee is available til noon, and pour

over coffee is offered all day. I had a cup of the latter, and found it to be an excellent dark roast made with care. The Rugged Spruce gets all their coffee from local Portland roaster Speckled Axe. In addition to teas and other drinks, the shop also offers egg sandwiches and pastries, including croissants from Standard Baking Company and gluten-free options from Bam Bam Bakery in Portland.

These days, locals frequently stop in for Saturday brunch, and Maisarah says the family-friendly atmosphere draws visitors of all ages. “That’s how my daughter has friends, actually, because she doesn’t go to daycare.” The Rugged Spruce also recently hosted Saco’s first ever “Coffee With Your Councilman” event for residents to meet their local town councilmembers over coffee, and they hope to host more such events The Rugged Spruce sign invites people to come in the future.

Erik, an Education major, says that while in and enjoy a cup of coffee. studying at SMCC, he never planned to open a coffee shop. “I wish I could say that I In their time at SMCC, Erik and Maiswas inspired by business classes at SMCC, arah made friendships they still treasure but I never actually took any. But what I do today. Erik claims his vision for The Rugthink definitely contributed was the extra- ged Spruce is partly modeled on the Colcurricular work that I did.” Erik is a former lege: “The sense of community at SMCC Managing Editor of The Beacon and served is something we wanted to replicate afas president of both Student Senate and ter leaving, as it’s something we really Phi Beta Kappa. “That definitely gives you missed.” Now Erik and Maisarah are usa whole slew of skills,” he says, “Coordinat- ing that experience to help create a new, ing a project from beginning to end, learn- thriving community in Saco, one cup of ing intuition, and just getting stuff done. I coffee at a time. would definitely say those were invaluable.”

Photos by Troy Hudson

By Troy Hudson

Studying Abroad in Ireland As you may know, the Maine Community College System is now taking applicants for the George J. Mitchell scholarship, a program that pays for a student to go to Cork, Ireland, for a semester to study at the Cork Institute of Technology. I was the recipient of this scholarship last year, along with another SMCC student, Michael Marino, and we are both currently here in Ireland enjoying the rare educational experience of

Graffiti in Belfast, Ireland.

studying and traveling in a different part of the world.

When I first got to Ireland, I landed in Belfast. Brief geography lesson for the laypeople: Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland, which is part of the U.K. (i.e., England, Scotland, Wales, etc.). Belfast was ground zero for the conflict between various factions of Catholic and Protestant militants and the British military. We’re talking violent protests, teargas, bombings, shootings, the works. This went on from 1975 until 1998, when George J. Mitchell, who was a senator from Maine, brokered a peace deal that has lasted ever since.

I won’t get into the how and why of it, but I will tell you that I stayed around the corner from the famous Europa Hotel, which was bombed 28 times during what is known as “The Troubles,” and I would have never known what had taken place years earlier unless I researched it. What I mean is, Belfast has changed, Ireland has changed, innocent people aren’t worried about whether the pub they are in will explode or not while they are enjoying a pint. But people still talk about it.

Catholics go to certain pubs, Protestants go to others. Late night barroom brawls still go down. The walls that separated neighborhoods are still

4 The Beacon • February 13, 2018

there, albeit nonfunctional, but there is a in the same hotel, so we went back together. strange sense of separation.

There really is nothing like traveling, meetBut what kind of city is Belfast now? ing new people, seeing and smelling and When I get to a new city, I like to explore, hearing new things. Everyone should travel; follow the crowds, judge the heart of the it is just as much an educational experience town, get lost, see things I would have never as it is a recreational one. seen if I had only relied on a search engine, So myself and Mike are now in Cork, then hopefully find my way back. In Bel- Ireland, studying (a little) and hanging out fast, I found this strange underground pas- (a lot) with other foreign students from all sageway that leads pedestrians underneath over Europe. If you have read this and it a major avenue. It was covered top-to-bot- seems like a fun experience, apply for the tom in layer after layer of elaborate, vibrant George J. Mitchell Scholarship. You never graffiti pieces. know what opportunities await you in the I walked along the passage and a couple future. of classic British punks passed me, decked I will be submitting another article to tell out in leather and metal piercings and tall you all about my adventures in Cork Counmohawks, smoking something that surely ty, and beyond. Stay tuned! was not tobacco. I passed them and came out onto the Queen’s Square, which features the Albert Memorial clock. This gigantic sandstone clock was built on unstable ground, and it has a heavy lean off its perpendicular as if it had one too many pints (it was bombed in ‘92, also). I could hear music blazing from a pub across the way, so I followed it inside, where I enjoyed a few hours of brilliant, distortion-laced rock.

Let me tell you, Belfast has soul.

It is as if you can feel the pulse of it from underneath the criss-crossing streets, flowing freely with music wafting from pubs and concert halls, bouncing off the walls covered in street art, drifting up the facades of beautiful brick buildings from the late 19th century.

I met a few people in that pub, all travelers from the United States as well, and we ended up having rooms Architecture in Belfast, Ireland.

Photos by Max Lorber

By Max Lorber

Some of the Worst CPU Exploits in History Should You Be Worried?

By Andy Li If you wanted the quick answer, then yes, you probably should be — or at least be paying attention. For those of us that don’t follow tech that much, January for the tech world has been abuzz with two words: Spectre and Meltdown. They’re two computer exploits that can give an attacker the ability to read data in parts of the system that are normally completely secured and unreadable by conventional means.

Normally, data that’s being input and processed into a computer system, such as passwords, usernames and other sensitive information, isn’t readable straight from the these heavily restricted areas of the hardware. This is thanks to industry conventions and standards that require developers to ensure these areas are well secured and encrypted against prying eyes. But thanks to researchers at Google’s Project Zero and other independent research teams, these parts of the com-

puter are now no longer as nearly secured as everyone once thought.

Being called “one of the worst CPU [computer processor] bugs ever found” by one of the researchers who originally discovered them, every major hardware and software vendor is currently in a frenzy trying to determine what should even be done with the exploits. That’s because they affect nearly every CPU within the last 20 years, with Intel CPUs being especially vulnerable.

This means that billions of devices are potential targets. While bugs and exploits are usual fare when it comes to technology, Spectre and Meltdown expose not just security problems with computer hardware, but inherent design flaws made by CPU developers trying to squeeze out as much performance as possible for their hardware.

It comes as no surprise then that current fixes to these exploits come at potentially steep performance costs, with some major companies reporting up to a 30 percent performance decrease for their systems after applying fixes for the exploits.

How I Became a Geek

By Jamie West My name is Jamie West, and I started in SMCC’s Computer Technology program in 2012. It has taken me five years to get to where I am now. I will graduate with my Associate in Applied Science with a major in Information Technology this spring. It has been a struggle at times. However, with help from all of my instructors and encouragement from my supporters, I will graduate.

Before attending SMCC, I was intimidated by today’s technology. I grew up with Atari, then the Nintendo gaming systems. The only PC I used was an old Commodore 64. I had no idea of the differences between Macs and PCs. I couldn’t tell you what a bit or a byte was, let alone a VM. Now, after all the classes I’ve taken, I’m hoping to get into the tech industry and make a career out of it. I can now maintain desktops, laptops, tablets and cell phones. I’m pretty good at troubleshooting hardware and software issues. I know what a VM is (Virtual Machine). I can set up basic networks for SOHO (Small Office/Home Office) environments.

The lessons that I’ve learned at SMCC and the skills that I’ve acquired I can now take with me into the workforce. I know what it’s like setting up VMs and having to configure the IP addresses so they work properly via the physical machine they are running through. I also know what it’s like to work and collaborate with others as a team to solve problems. Communication is a big part of all of the above. If I didn’t ask questions or answer questions

As of now, Google and Amazon have already reported that their infrastructure has been secured against the exploits with minimal performance issues. Microsoft has had mixed results for Windows patches, where some AMD CPU users reported unbootable computers before a subsequent fix was pushed out to address the problem.

Meanwhile, Intel has remained vague in their plans to address the exploits, despite it being their CPUs that are affected the most by the exploits. Early attempts by Intel to fix the problem through firmware updates have been lambasted by some developers, including Linus Torvalds, as being “complete and utter garbage.” Longer-term solutions announced by Intel, such as the development of Spectre- and Meltdown-proof chips, have only raised more questions than answers as scant details have been given other than that they’ll be released later this year.

So the question remains: What can we, as normal consumers, do to protect ourselves against these threats? Unfortunately, even with current fixes, you won’t be protected from certain variants of Spectre. Keeping your

system up to date, though, will go a long way in keeping you safe from becoming a victim of a new class of attacks. Use this tool created by the Gibson Research Center to determine if you’re still vulnerable: https://tinyurl.com/ y98na5c4. Pay particular attention to your web browser and operating system and update those as soon as possible to the latest versions.

In the long term though, the only way to be totally rid of these exploits would be to replace the system with Spectre- and Meltdown-proof machines. However, with Intel still being the titular CPU in use for most computer systems and given how long many of us can hold on to our computers for, this will certainly be no simple task. So for now, while we can only wait and watch to see what the big players will do next, one thing’s for sure: Meltdown and Spectre will be haunting us for quite some time.

Andy Li is a member of the Information Technology Senior Seminar course and is planning on an eventual career in database administration.

and participate in classes, I wouldn’t have maximized the potential knowledge offered.

I’d like to say that it has been a long road with some bumps along the way. Regardless of life’s challenges that I’ve had to deal with, I didn’t give up.

Whoever you are, however old you are, regardless of what challenges you have to deal with, you can achieve your goals if you put your mind to it. Don’t be afraid of the bits and bytes that come along.

They’ll usually update without you noticing. Things change, technology changes, and people change.

SMCC and the Information Technology department have helped me in more ways than I have words for. Not only am I able to network professionally, but I know how to set up networks as well. I understand servers and promoting them to a domain controller. I can set permissions on clients as well as myself within the network. I know what a login script is.

When I first heard some of these terms and acronyms, I was clueless. I still can’t quite speak “geek,” but I can do the tasks required to keep my grades up and learn skills that are sought after in our present time.

Had I not faced some of my own fears, I would not be writing this. If I can do this — go back to school later than the average student — anybody can. Keep on keeping on.

Jamie West is currently a member of the Information Technology Senior Seminar course and is planning on a career in networking.

February 13, 2018 • The Beacon 5

Opinion importance of habitual creative thinking and put it at the forefront of everyday education at all levels.

Without the arts and music, we would be a gray and somber nation. In fact, it could be argued that we wouldn’t be a nation at all. Even financial accounting,

By Lloyd Metcalf what many consider the opposite of the arts world, applies creative thinking in What if the arts weren’t an integral unexpected ways. Numbers need a place part of our educational system? to be, patterns need to emerge from data.

It’s always something that comes up Would we become a dead society of for debate whenever school budgets zombified, mindless wanderers without are discussed. The arts are treated alart, music and design to shape our most most like an expensive recess among useful and essential tools? Mobile device primary and many higher educational manufacturers put design before funcsystems that require funding. Why is tion. Cars, silverware, clothes, hammers, this the case? Is it because it seems like coffee cups, every single element in our fun from the outside? Because numbers lives has required an artist or musician, aren’t apparent? Because they engage yet when it comes time to look at the with aesthetics? budget, arts come to the chopping block.

Arts are always on the chopping block Federal funding for the arts and huand may not get their deserved attention manities comes to around $250 milin the educational system. What would lion a year, while the National Science our world look like if the arts weren’t Foundation is funded near the $5 bilessential pieces of societal growth? The lion range. Is this arts foster creative Arts are always on the putting the cart problem solving, an ability to “see” chopping block and may not before the horse?

Are we dumping the world more literally and con- get their deserved attention energy into soluin the educational system. tions to questions sider it instead of that have never just surviving it. been asked? Are we forcing numerical The arts don’t simply produce paintings solutions to problems that creative minds on the walls of museums. They create could resolve? the look of this font, how this informaHave you ever contemplated what tion is laid out and presented, how your your world would look like without the nail clippers fit your hand, how a spoon arts — design, literature, music and film? curves, and how streets are constructed.

Do you think that you would be able to Students who study art are four times function in a world that was devoid of more likely to be recognized for accreative thought and endeavor? Have you ademic achievement and three times ever thought about how enriched your more likely to be awarded for school atlife is because of the creative spirit? Or tendance. These numbers are hard facts. do you just take creativity for granted, not Education is the root of all successful appreciating how every object, every tool, societies throughout history. When the every article of clothing, the words on education of the masses crumbles, so do the page of your favorite book or on your the pillars of progress. handheld device and the device itself Arts- and music-education programs have required and have utilized aspects of are mandatory in countries that rank the arts and the creative spirit? Can any consistently among the highest for math of these objects, or even an enriched life, and science test scores, like Japan, Hunexist without the creative energy that is gary and the Netherlands. The most integral to them, or us? cutting-edge countries recognize the

Opinion The State of Whose Union?

From there, Trump proudly claimed credit for everything from “the biggest tax On Jan. 30, Donald Trump made his cuts and reforms in American history” to first State of the Union address, a speech “[ending] the war on beautiful, clean coal.” ostensibly delivered to both chambers of It should come as no surprise to anyone, Congress, but also traditionally viewed as supporters or detractors, that Trump used a message to the American public about this report on the country as an opportunity the president’s agenda. If you didn’t watch to trumpet his own perceived greatness. It it live, you might have heard less about the is curious that he did not mention what is speech than about its immediate aftermath, perhaps his administration’s clearest victosuch as that Trump erroneously claimed it ry to date, the nomination of conservative was the most-watched State of the Union justice Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. in history (it wasn’t), or that when deliver- Perhaps this is because Trump is reportedly ing the Democrats’ response, Rep. Joe Ken- concerned that Gorsuch will not be “loyal” nedy III (D-Massachusetts) seemed to be after the justice expressed private concerns wearing a tremendous amount of lip balm over Trump’s aggressive handling of the federal judiciary. (he was).

The most polarizing claim of the night If the speech itself failed to make waves in the news cycle, that’s because the usual hall- may have been Trump’s assurance that “For marks of a juicy Trump story — outrageous the last year we have sought to restore the bonds of trust between comments, nods to the our citizens and their far right, Russia — were Trump doesn’t like government,” which mostly absent. Disapto talk about the elicited laughter from pointing the millions Americans he’s the Democratic side of of Americans (especialCongress. For all his talk ly late-night talk-show leaving behind. of unity — and he talks hosts) who undoubtedly watched hoping for an embarrassing com- about it a lot — Trump has done very little edy of errors, the president pretty much to bring the country together, and it is hard stayed on script and on message throughout to see how refusing to release his financials the hour-and-20-minute-long speech. (It or facing investigation for possible obstrucmay not have been the most-watched, but tion of justice is restoring bonds of trust.

Throughout the speech, there was a lot of it was the third-longest in recorded history.)

Of course, acknowledging it was a good clapping. At home, there were probably lots speech is not to say it wasn’t riddled with of glasses raised to the president in support. misleading statements. In the first few min- But don’t be fooled by Trump’s bravado and utes, Trump honored a California firefight- superlative language. Trump doesn’t like to er named David Dahlberg, using the mo- talk about the Americans he’s leaving bement of collective admiration for Dahlberg hind as he works to build the America his to tout his administration’s response to the loyal base wants. This vision he claims to many natural disasters of 2017. Ironically, hold of the country is in many ways antithat same day it was revealed that FEMA thetical to the principles we were founded intended to scale down emergency recovery on, and our best defense against it is to open efforts in Puerto Rico (that decision has our eyes and ears to the experiences of those since been reversed). Trump’s words to Puer- who are already facing the harsh realities to Ricans, a third of whom are still without of life under this administration. Who else power, were, “We are with you, we love you, could be more qualified to assess the state and we always will pull through together,” of the union? which were met with great applause.

By Troy Hudson

The Blame Game

By Gio DiFazio A person in a position of authority carries a unique responsibility. Whether it be a lunch monitor in elementary school, a law enforcement officer or the leader of a major academic institution, a lack of action in certain situations is equal to a deliberately harmful action in others. The lack of action from Michigan State University President Lou Anna Simon and the MSU administration over the course of Larry Nassar’s reign of terror shows that the administration, in particular Simon, turned a blind eye to the heinous acts being perpetrated on her campus for as long as two or more decades.

Larry Nassar sexually abused hundreds of young women while working as a physician for Michigan State and the United States Gymnastics Association. (At a trial earlier this month, he was given his third consecutive life sentence.) In 1997, two young gymnasts were told by Coach Kathie Klages that their encounter with Dr. Nassar was entirely normal after they complained of inappropriate touching

when seeing him for an injury sustained in a youth program at Michigan State.

Klages told the 16- and 14-year-old girls they were misunderstanding the situation, and informed Nassar of their complaint.

This afforded Nassar the opportunity to justify his actions to the girls at their next appointment.

Kathie Klages retired in February of last year. Klages is just one name on an already long list of faculty that enabled Nassar to commit these acts over 20 years. The list will only grow as the over 140 lawsuits are resolved.

Nassar was investigated for sexual assault by the school’s Title IX office and subsequently cleared in 2014. After being notified of the investigation, MSU police even followed up with an investigation of their own, and submitted a warrant request to the Ingham County Prosecutor’s office.

The office decided not to charge Nassar.

Almost a year later, lawyer and former gymnast Rachael Denhollander filed a report with MSU police, who then reopened their investigation of Nassar, resulting in Nassar’s guilty plea.

6 The Beacon • February 13, 2018

Simon’s resignation letter was written Jan. 24 of this year. The letter reeks of entitlement and a total lack of remorse for the victims. She wrote in her resignation statement, “As tragedies are politicized, blame is inevitable.”

Everything is politicized. Discourse and debate should surround any issue. How else can we learn from such occurrences if we can’t sit back and see where the mistakes were made? To deflect the blame from herself is a very irresponsible and cowardly stance on an issue that will be talked about for some time. Michigan State has a burden of blame that they need to acknowledge, and there is no way around it. An administration led by Simon that allowed such acts to take place is a fitting spot to concentrate that blame.

We won’t know the details of everything that MSU did and didn’t do until all the victims’ cases are resolved, but some of the university’s missteps have already been brought to light. What exactly did Lou Anna Simon and the administration know, and when?

She says in her letter, “I have been told it is virtually impossible to stop a determined sexual predator and pedophile, that they will go to incomprehensible lengths to keep what they do in the shadows.”

Ms. Simon’s attitude and outlook toward the nature of sexual assault is brought into question with statements like these. The most depraved members of society do and always will exist, but that does not relieve us of our duty to try and stop them.

Up until his termination in 2016, many athletes would complain to authorities about Nassar’s actions, and the cries always fell on deaf ears — even on the ears of the administration of Michigan State University.

Simon’s underhanded method of deflecting the blame from herself and the trustees show us her true feelings in regard to the victims of this situation. If MSU had followed up and conducted a thorough investigation some 20 years ago, would this have turned into one of the biggest scandals since the turn of the century?

The Day I Became a True Eagle

By Oğuzhan Özkan I’ve never been an American football fan.

It is not even football for me, just some bumpy male bravado which happens somewhere around this time of the year, and some team named after an animal (mostly) wins a trophy. Or a bowl. I am not sure because I’ve never been around to see the end of any of the games I’ve watched.

But I hoped that the New England Patriots and their fearless leader Tom Brady would finally get me into being interested in America’s number one entertainment on Super Bowl Sunday.

Someone told me about the Patriots being the most hated football team in the whole universe. From where I stand, it always seemed to me like there is no other option than being a Pats fan. That being said, I’ve never been a patriot myself in my entire life, not for my native country, not for any other country I lived in. I am the exact opposite of a patriot, to say the least. But I had to ‘’assimilate’’ myself to be a part of the community. Because what is better than contradicting oneself from time to time?

Isn’t that what makes us look so stupid and enigmatic at the same time? But unfortunately, that didn’t apply to me.

As a result of a series of events, I found myself in the middle of approximately 50 angry Pats fans, drinking beer, minding my own business — which was everything but watching the game. My only concern was to pick the best possible beer for my enjoyment, and, of course, observe people’s reactions to the game. Suddenly I saw three or four green shapes at the other side of the bar. They looked like a condensed can of

food, like their whole existence depended on staying close to one another. They were standing shoulder to shoulder. As the game went on, and things started to look bad for the Patriots, they became an open target. People started booing them. Throwing stuff at them.

Cursing them. Bullying them. At one point, it became unbearable for me to stand this nonsense and I decided to interfere.

It wasn’t going to be my first time making everything more complicated than it already was. I told everybody to shut up and accept the fact that the Patriots suck hard this time. They knew they were going to lose. I wasn’t paying attention to anything that was happening on the field. Because even if I did, it would still be a pointless effort due to my ignorance about American

football. Their anger was contradicting their habit of winning. They were confused. A team like the Eagles, who had never won a Super Bowl, were about to end the mighty Patriots’ reign. It wouldn’t be so painful maybe if they’d lost against, say, the Steelers or Cowboys. But total losers like the Eagles? No sir.

I absorbed most of the hate and people started booing me. Their attention, focus, and eyes were on me. For the first time in my life, I was passionately defending something besides ‘’football is not football, soccer is the real football’’ and ‘’Kenny Rogers is the best thing that has happened in this country’’. There I was, standing in the middle of the bar like a true Eagles fan. Three or four green shapes were looking at me thankfully. I was asked to leave by the waitress. I refused. I was told that I wasn’t going to get any more drinks. I said okay. This, too, wasn’t the first time this had happened.

Then, as expected, the Eagles won. I’ve made my choice. I was an Eagles fan. Their green-ish jerseys, the way they ran around, how they crossed some lines successfully, they all started to make sense all of a sudden.

Apart from being drunk, I stood up against oppression and injustice like Spartacus.

Pats, on the other hand, lost a potential fan, who was very close to being so, because of some people’s irresponsible behavior. At the end of the day, isn’t everything about who will attract more customers?

The Student Senate invites you to

REAL TALK “AMERICA IN STRESS: Where Do We Go From Here?”

SMCC is undergoing a comprehensive evaluation.

As part of a NEASC Accreditation process, a team will be visiting SMCC March 18-21.

The subject matter is going to be far encompassing because of the fast news cycles we find ourselves living in.

Submit comments about SMCC to:

Some examples of what will be brought up include the events in Charlottesville and the “*Beep Beep*-Hole Countries” comment.

Public Comment on Southern Maine Community College Commission on Institutions of Higher Education New England Association of Schools and Colleges

The event is going to be held February 14th in Jewett Auditorium from 12:00 to 1:15

3 Burlington Woods Drive, Suite 100 Burlington, MA 01803-4514

Do You Smoke Cancer Sticks?

By Kyle Lappin In June 2017, Maine lawmakers approved a bill prohibiting Mainers below age 21 from purchasing tobacco products, and it will soon become law.

The Senate voted 29-5 and the House voted 90-44 to override Governor Paul LePage’s veto of the proposal, which supporters say will lower smoking rates and smoking-related deaths.

It turns out that the amended version of the bill exempts people already 18-20 years old and the bill implementation is delayed until July 2018, which is why we haven’t seen much stank, or still seen a lot of stank — It depends on how you look at it.

A report circulated by the American Lung Association found that increasing the legal age for purchasing tobacco could prevent over 223,000 premature deaths of people born between 2000 and 2019. This is serious!

I am two weeks in on quitting cigarettes myself. People listen, they belong on the shelves, it’s just an easy habit to indulge, just ignore that cancerous tumor bulge. Personally, I smoked because I decided to be miserable, and misery loves company — companies such as Camel, L&M, and Marlboro.

Misery loves these companies.

Escaping from the joyous activities of the night with my great friends, I sneak off to combust poisonous bursts of chemical warfare with myself, just sulking over the burdens of life as we know it today. On average, it takes seven minutes to smoke a cigarette. They say Rome wasn’t built in a day, but I have been working on it for 7 minutes per hour. Say I am awake for 15 hours a day. One cigarette an hour for 7 minutes adds up to 105 minutes, multiplied by seven days a week: seven hundred and thirty-five minutes.

Not only have I saved loads of money that I work hard for everyday, but in the past two weeks I have done amazing things with the extra 1,470 minutes I’ve saved: higher-quality hanging-out time, chess club, contra dancing, playing music, writing for The Beacon.

Overall quality of life is better. Air quality for myself and anyone near me has improved.

We as humans should not want to be part of the problem — infectious beings going around polluting ourselves and the planet. We have a corrupt government and good school grades to contend with as SMCC students, now is the chance to take advantage of any and all opportunities you have been gifted and presented. These chances you will not get back, just like your health if you don’t quit smoking now.

E-mail: cihe@neasc.org

February 13, 2018 • The Beacon 7

Arts & Features

Arts & Features

Portland In-Town Gallery Review He travels a lot, looking to add to his collection. Pelletier sells not only maps of Maine and the New England area, but of various locales all over the world, from Holland to the continent of Africa, and even the coast of San Francisco. When asked about themes in the artwork sold, Perry stated that, “The tie that binds . . . everything is region. Basically, we try to sell art that means something to people’s families . . . both in terms of the artwork and the maps.”

Left: Interior shot of Mainley Gallery Entrance, Right: Buddy the Cat, their mascot!

The upstairs front portion of Mainely Frames & Gallery is quite homey. There is a couch and a coffee table located here, as well as a small kitchen space just past the front counter. Past the kitchen, there exists a stairway lined with more framed maps, leading further down into the second level.

Here, another workspace can be seen, as well as multiple landscape depictions of coastal cities and towns. To the right of the stairwell is another room with additional seating, brighter lit than the initial downstairs room; it has a far greater depth, too.

Here resides the bulk of Pelletier’s nonmap compositions: pleasant portraits, still life paintings, cityscapes, animals, prints of better known works and a selection of framed photography. Lastly, a beautiful, fluffy gray cat roams the store; his name is Buddy and he’s the honorary host of the establishment. He has free reign, and greets customers warmly.

The second gallery that I visited is less advertised than Mainely Frames & Gallery.

Grant Wahlquist has purposefully chosen to be discrete with his Gallery’s marketing, catering to those who stumble upon it by chance, or through intentional search. “If they’re coming through the door, they made an effort to find [my] space,” says Wahlquist.

Being a second floor gallery, the mystique is enhanced; upon entrance one is presented with a crisp, snow white interior markedly

different from the red brick exterior of Portland’s multistory buildings. The atmosphere inside allows one to easily analyze the featured works; attention is allowed to gravitate to each piece in an unobstructed way due to the nature of the blank walls.

According to Wahlquist, the type of art he presents is “all contemporary work. I tend to focus on emerging artists . . . or people who are more in the middle of their careers.”

This is good news for those looking to get a foot in the door artistically. He goes on to mention that he does get some of his artwork from friends, but most are discovered via blog posts online. The displays in his gallery often rotate every 6-7 weeks, and cover a vast array of media — film, sculpture, digital design, paint, etc. For future exhibitions, Wahlquist plans to feature photographer Kate Green and Bill Albertini, a 3D digital sculpture artist.

This next exhibition will be showing from mid-March through the end of April 2018. Having lived in LA, New York, and San Francisco, Wahlquist has been exposed to many high-traffic areas, and has noticed that some galleries can be a tad standoffish.

This is not at all his mentality. “We need to welcome everybody who comes through the door,” he states. “The most fun thing for me is figuring out how to hang a show in a way that really looks interesting . . . and draws connections between different works that an artist has made.” To further add to the shop’s appeal, the Grant Wahlquist Gallery has a mascot, an adorable dog named Bibi.

Photo by Rebecca Dow

Art is timelessly important. Musings of the mind through graphic, tactile, melodic and other sensory forms historically play a significant role in keeping the world fun. To have a keen eye requires nothing more than an appreciation for that which exists beyond the limits of our own understanding.

On February 2, I travelled down the streets of Portland in search of galleries that might feature local or international illustrations. My exploration proved fruitful, as I had the pleasure of viewing two fine shops: Mainely Frames & Gallery, and the Grant Wahlquist Gallery (located at 541 Congress

St, Portland; and 30 City Center, Second Floor, Portland—respectively).

Mainely Frames & Gallery is a two-level gallery owned by Leo Pelletier. However, the business is soon to be passed down to a Mr. Dan Perry. Perry has worked under Pelletier for roughly four years. According to him, and implied by the workstations on each floor, “Everything’s been packaged by us, we make all the prints.” In other words, they put extra value into everything sold by framing each piece of art themselves. Regarding content, most of the works on display are maps — including original antiques, hand-colored from as far back as the 1600s.

To acquire content, Pelletier attends online and in-person auctions all over the country.

Photos by Rebecca Dow

By Rebecca Dow

Interior shot of Grant Walquist Gallery entryway.

It’s truly refreshing to be in an area with such a genuine love and appreciation for the arts. I hope that if ever you have time to spare, dear reader, you’ll scout the land yourself and hunt for hidden gems among the old city’s cobble and brick. There is so much to see, so many wonderful people to meet, and so much creativity in the world. Let it be your muse; a muse that nurtures and fuels your own expression of self for all to witness.

Let’s Contra Dance!

By Kyle Lappin Q: May I have this dance?

A: Why yes, you certainly may!

Have you ever been interested in dancing but just never knew where to start? Come contra dance! Portland Intown Contra Dance, located at 159 State St, Portland, is a short, free bus ride away from SMCC. I talked with Dela Murphy, one of the founding members of PICD. She says the dance hall “enriches lives and cultivates a vibrant community through dance.” They gather every Thursday night for “zesty, joyful dancing” and also find ways to “enjoy each other’s company when we’re not on the floor.”

Murphy is a pot boiling over with good energy and encouragement. I asked her a few things about the contra dance and she could not have summed it up more perfectly: “We consider it

8 The Beacon • February 13, 2018

like dance church. People come together without the religion, and have a ton of fun. We just create a community that is unlike any other community I have ever been a part of.”

(Continued on Page 9)

Photo by Shari Shakti

Left to Right: Eric Dang, Fern Kurek, Rebecca Dow, Kyle Lappin. Seen in back: Live band.

Classic Film Review: Casablanca

By Rebecca Dow “Casablanca” is a film from the 1940s that represents an era of cinematic flair which set the tone for many a genre—including golden classics such as romance and drama. Set in Casablanca, Morocco (unoccupied France) at the start of World War II, we are given a brief overview of the immigration situation regarding those wishing to sail from Europe to America. Essentially, as the Germans began occupying various regions, people were desperate to leave. The main route of passage was through Lisbon. However, due to the traffic and difficulty obtaining a license to leave, many made the journey to Casablanca, a hub of cultures and longing souls.

We are promptly brought to our main character, a hardened saloon owner named Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart). He’s a charismatic man with a shifty past, good with the ladies and a citizen for the underdog.

He never dabbles with politics and sticks his neck out for no one. The main conflict of the story is that two German couriers were killed and their letters of transit stolen (the equivalent of two exit visas), which the murderer presumably intends to sell. Such items are in high demand in Casablanca, and the Germans want to get to the bottom of things. A man by the name of Victor Lazlo (Paul Henreid) arrives in town and stirs up tensions, as he has been an avid fighter against the Gestapo, escaping their clutches on multiple occasions.

The secondary plot revolves around a woman, Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman), whom Lazlo brings with him to Morocco—an old flame of Rick’s, who shares with him a rich history.

Seeing her in his bar one night tilts his world on end, and as Rick and Ilsa recall their former passions, tensions rise with the German occupation, influx of disparity among immigrants, and the scandal surrounding the murder of the aforementioned German couriers.

The cinematographer for “Casablanca” was Arthur Edeson, the man famously known for his work on “Frankenstein” (1931), and “The Maltese Falcon” (1941). During the production of Casablanca, film noir lighting and expressionist techniques were used; this added to the emotional emphasis of the actors’ performances. Since black and white movies have no hue, value is key; the contrast and quality of a shot can make or break a scene. I certainly feel that while flaws do exist, Edeson created beautiful compositions within the film.

As for the score, it was written by Max Steiner, also known for writing the score for “Gone With The Wind.” My favorite musical number from the movie would have to be “As Time Goes By,” (Go figure!) mainly because of its importance to the plot and the history and sentimentality shared between Rick and Ilsa throughout the movie. The pianist at Rick’s saloon is known only as Sam (Dooley Wilson), a longtime friend of Rick’s. Along with Bogart, he is one of the few American actors in the film, and the only notable speaking character of dark complexion that we see. His voice is the honey that sung Rick and Ilsa’s timeless song back when they were in love, and when they met again.

There are so many movies from before our time that evoke dreamy emotions of wonder, love, lust, thrill and anticipation. Much can be learned about the culture of cinema and artistic style throughout history by watching these grayscale classics. I had never seen “Casablanca” until recently. Since doing so, I can clearly see why some people went “gaga” for suave men in suits and ties and mysterious woman with big innocent eyes in the 40s and 50s. There was a level of class that existed from the start of the 1900s, to the 1950s that was unique and was important in shaping film as we know it today. I would recommend “Casablanca” to anyone desiring to delve into the past and be treated with a shot of good old fashioned hollywood gold.

Contra Dance (Continued from Page 8)

Dela also proclaimed that “I smiled more than I have ever smiled probably in my life.”

There could not be a truer statement. This dance is a perfect way to let go of anxiety and flow with people who are all in the same mindset, rhythm and motion. There is zero tolerance for any conduct that does not honor your dance partner (which could be anyone you choose to ask) and respect every individual in the dance hall. Before each dance there is a brief, yet engaging and effective lesson that will get you in motion in no time. You are also provided with a pin that lets people know you are a beginner, so they can assist you throughout the dance and others know not to whip out serious dance moves. Everyone also gets to make a magnetic name tag button, which makes interactions that much more efficient.

Shari Shakti has been contra dancing for ten years, and she has been coming to Portland Intown Contra Dance since it opened two years ago in June.

Comparing PICD to other contra dances she has attended, she said, “I love the way Dela and Doogin have organized this as a gender-neutral

place, the welcoming nature of the dance, [that] they have created this sense of community . . .

The varying ages that are coming in, new people every week.”

Fellow SMCC student Rebecca Dow showed me the world of contra dancing by ‘dragging me’ there, but now I go almost every week! Here is what she had to say: “I began Contra Dancing at the beginning of last fall. Everyone was welcoming, and though I was a poor dancer at the start, I kept going as many weeks as I could, dipping into my refund check until I had no more funds.

To me, going out to dance was a priority—a time for me to let go and just have fun with strangers. I mean, live music and a room full of awesome people? Why wouldn’t I be hooked?”

Portland Intown Contra Dance told me they are willing to host an SMCC dancing club at a discounted price, or for free. If anybody is interested in starting a contra dancing club after reading this article, please contact me at my school email: kyleslappin@smccme.edu, using the keyword “Contra” in the subject line. We will have a contra dancing club formed in no time!

Stay loose and stay golden.

Poetic License Pleasant day to you all, my dear readers! In this issue, I have two poems to share, both about different perspectives on love.

One refers to the nostalgic love held for one’s home, and the other is a sweet affirmation of love for another person. If you wish to have a poem published in the 2/27/18 issue, please email me at Rebeccadow@smccme.edu, and I will do my best to place you in! Remember, April is National Poetry Month, so be thinking about pieces that you’d like to submit!

Missing You

By Jessica Spoto Your energy surrounds our entire being We feel you , we feel your warm love Embraced by our memories that we share Love for you will never disappear out of our existence Smiling and loving Never a dull day with your hefty deep laugh, Making all of us fill with joy Joyful hearts and happy faces.

We love you We love you still And we will always love you

For Home

By Rebecca Dow Remember Me, Dribbling Forest Brook.

The dusk with us shares Dappled evening warmth.

Like lovers in trance, We feel that gold, and see Vibrant hues on clouds begin to Flee.

A journey far, I bid farewell To Silence.

Oh, Forest, part your trees; Fill your breeze with Song and Dance.

Swaddle me in mingled Moss and needle once again.

When I return, As soil rids the land of Frost, The sweet of rain will Heavy hang like Mem’ries that I’ve lost.

Its kisses, scents within my Lungs, Will fervent whisper, “Stay” When I am gone.

February 13, 2018 • The Beacon 9

Midcoast Frosty Flights For Marines

By Dan Elliott

From the Mind of Dan Elliott

The Midcoast Campus has been abuzz lately, and not in the way you would imagine. Recently, visitors to Brunswick Landing were treated to an orchestra of deafening sounds coming from rather large helicopters that took up roost at the Executive Airport. While this isn’t exactly a novelty for a town that was once home to a naval air station, the region hasn’t seen this sort of aircraft convergence since the Blue Angels were in town for last August’s air show. This leaves the locals puzzled, with a single question rattling about in their heads: What is going on?

Speculation ran wild with human imagination. An invasion by communist forces like in the movie “Red Dawn?” Doubtful.

Our government on the verge of declaring martial law? Unlikely, though the answer might vary depending on whom you ask.

However, the reality of the situation is far less provocative. Hailing from North Carolina, the Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 464, Marine Aircraft Group 29 and 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing have come to Brunswick Executive Airport to conduct their annual aerial exercises during a weeklong drill the Marines refer to as cold-weather training. The event plucks the squadron from the comfortable climate of the Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in Havelock, North Carolina, and migrates them up the Atlantic coastline to participate in activities that they describe on their official Facebook page as designed to “ensure squadron readiness.”

The bulk of the aircraft brought north consists of CH-53E Super Stallions, currently the heaviest helicopter in the United

States military. First deployed to Lebanon on a peacekeeping mission, the Super Stallions later played a crucial role in 2003’s Operation Iraqi Freedom, where they transported supplies to frontline Marine divisions. Stallions have also seen action in such countries as Kuwait, Somalia and Afghanistan. The choppers have specialized in a myriad of duties, ranging from mine detection to heavy lifting of cargo. The aircraft is streamlined, with such features as 55-passenger capacity, a seventh rotor blade and a third engine to allow for such versatility.

The Brunswick Police Department received a heavy volume of phone calls from concerned residents in late January regarding the presence (and noise) of the aircraft, prompting them to take to social media to address the presence of the Marines in the area. The flights were not exclusively a Midcoast phenomenon; the airmen’s journey took them over vast tracts of the state.

Members of the Lewiston community reported spotting the Stallions in mid-flight as Squadron 464 braved the recent extremes of Maine weather.

Returning home on Jan. 31, the Marine Helicopter Squadron took home not only their Stallion Choppers, but a brief taste of life as it was during the days of the now-decommissioned Brunswick Naval Air Station, which offers a nostalgic piece of culture for those who grew up in the area that had become accustomed to the sounds of low-flying aircraft speckling their everyday lives. With the state of the world as it is, and the threat of war looming on the horizon, it begs the question — will these sounds once again become a part of our everyday lives?

Time will tell.

Zaat: A LaserDisc Masterpiece

By Nathanial Barter

The titular monster from the 1971’s “Zaat.”

“One of the most incredible stories of modern time. Zaat: invasion of the walking catfish.”

— Marshall Grauer, “Zaat” theatrical trailer (1971) From Barton Films, the same masterminds behind industrial-safety films and assorted local TV commercials of the Jacksonville, Florida, area comes their first feature film, “Zaat.”

After three minutes of montage featuring random aquatic life accompanied by a very B-movie voice-over, the story opens with a dumpy old Nazi scientist, Dr. Kurt Leopold (Marshall Grauer) stomping around a beach on his way home. Now of course, Leopold is an old Nazi, so he’s not staying in a beautiful Floridian beach home. He lives in an old, decommissioned WWII lab deep in Florida, where they experimented with turning fish into people, naturally. Within the first 20 minutes, he drops himself into a pit of radioactive water and turns himself into Zaat, a bipedal half-man, half-catfish.

10 The Beacon • February 13, 2018

SMCC Sports

And so goes the story everyone I’m sure is familiar with: a sci-fi horror rampage of a Greedo-looking rubber-suited man, slashing slowly and unmenacingly at peoples’ necks and chests. His goal? To pollute all the water in the world with radiation to create a massive army of mutated fish and destroy mankind. At least he’s ambitious; I just want to pass Bio. There is something about watching a campy monster movie made by the same people who would make a hard-hat safety film that brings me intense pleasure.* Maybe it’s because this movie is so systematic in its lack of exposition. For example, Dr. Leopold never once speaks directly. All of his dialogue is done in a very grandiose voiceover. This is partly because his 16 minutes and 17 seconds of onscreen humanity is him walking to his lab before literally turning into a fish-man. The events are lined up like dominoes in a very confusing and disjointed pattern, but they all magically fall down in a row, however confusing it might be.

Now, of course, we get to Zaat himself.

We all know that 1970 was the pinnacle of CGI and rubber-makeup applications,**

So the monster design of Zaat is well made for a film shot in a month on a $75,000 budget. As I said earlier, Zaat bears a close resemblance to Greedo from “Star Wars: A New Hope.” However, “A New Hope” was made in 1977, while “Zaat” was made in 1970. Say what you will, but I know Zaat shot first.

Overall, this film is a must-watch for people who are fans of old B-movies and LaserDisc icons. But if, for example, you think “Transformers: The Last Knight” is a great movie, I’d skip this one. Maybe watch “Sausage Party” instead, you monster.

“Zaat” gets 5 radioactive fish out of 7.

It’s the best “Nazi mad scientist turns himself into a walking catfish to take over the world” movie of all time.

Men End on Winning Note

Women’s Hoops

(Continued from Page 12)

(Continued from Page 12)

As the beginning of the second half panned out the Wolves would build a 13-point lead (48-35) off of a Timothy Dixon three-pointer and two Dylan Silvestri foul shots.

Again, the Knights would put together an offensive string rattling off ten straight points to get within three (48-45). After trading baskets, Vermont was again able to knot the score and level the playing field at 51 apiece with 9:51 remaining. The next minute of play saw Vermont grab a shortlived lead as SMCC would tie the game at 54 with 8:34 left on two fouls shots by Jacobee Burpee. Vermont Tech would respond grabbing another lead on a Tyrone Hilson three-point jumper.

With 7:02 remaining and SMCC down by three (60-56) Timothy Dixon buried two consecutive three-pointers to pull the Wolves within one and to grab a two-point lead (62-60).

The Wolves would pad their lead to seven on a two and three-pointer by Jacobee Burpee and a layup by Anderson Kavutse.

With 58 seconds remaining and Vermont Tech down by five, the Knights would claw their way to within one (59-58). Over the course of the final minutes, the Wolves had numerous chances to extend their lead only to watch missed laps and turnovers foil the opportunities.

Free throws by Jacobee Burpee and Anderson Katvutse with 28 and one seconds remaining sealed a hard-fought win for the SeaWolves.

The Wolves finished their regular season last night when the traveled to Abrn to take on CMCC. The game which was originally scheduled for last Wednesday was postponed because of school being cancelled due to snow.

A week ago this past Saturday, the College of Saint Joseph’s of Vermont visited the Hutchinson Gym taking on SMCC in a non-conference game. St. Joe’s who was in the YSCC is an independent school right now searching for a conference to join.

In the early stages of the game, both teams traded buckets until SMCC went on a 15-0 run separating them from the Fighting Saints in front of an electrified crowd. The Wolves outscored St Joe’s by a 22-point margin in the first half and shot near 58.0 percent in the second to win the last 20 minutes.

The Saints opened the game, scoring the first three points. After that, the Lady SeaWolves responded with a 10-point run, netting 23 points in the opening quarter. The first and last lead change of the game was stamped with only a minute or two elapsing on the game clock.

The Fighting Saints were only able to manage two baskets and a free throw in the second quarter. In the SMCC offensive side, Amanda Brett helped to build a 17-point lead for the SeaWolves, as she hit the nets for 9 points on 4-4 shooting.

Brett’s offensive prowess continued in the third quarter: She hit double figures with 10 points, dropping eight out of 10 from the foul line. Outscoring the Saints 19-12 in the third, the ‘Wolves held a 26-point lead heading into the final 10 minutes.

The SeaWolves’ offensive burst continued in the fourth quarter, when they posted their highest scoring for a quarter (24 points) for the season. After 40 minutes of play, the ‘Wolves would walk off the court with an 80-51 win, holding the Fighting Saints to 21 points less than their average.

SMCC’s point guard Abigail Ramirez, turned in a stellar performance, proving how effective she can be on both sides of the basketball. Ramirez finished the game with 18 points and six steals, and she had grabbed a season-high 17 rebounds over 38 minutes of play. Amanda Brett netted 27 points while grabbing 11 rebounds. This

Dylan Silvestri in his last game at the HUB, showing us how good of a player he is. Here, Silvestri forces his defenders off him as he drives into the paint, scoring 2 of his 15 points against the Knights and ending the game with a double-double with 11 rebounds.

Sophomore Timothy Dixon scored a season-high 23 points on his way to his first SeaWolf of the Game performance. Dixon was an efficient 9-11 from the floor through 24 minutes, his only misses coming from beyond the arc.

Dylan Silvestri would tally 23 points while grabbing 13 rebounds. The six-foot three-inch center netted his 120th offensive rebound of the season, a statistic that he leads in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) Division I and Division II players.

First-year point guard Jacobee Burpee contributed to the SeaWolves’ 53.2 percent shooting making 4-4 from the field finishing with 14 points.

The Southern Maine Community College (SMCC) men’s basketball team attained the 100-point total for the sixth time this season racking up 107 points while holding St Joe’s to 73.

The SeaWolves Travel to Concord New Hampshire to participate in the YSCC Elite Eight Tournament on Friday. The winner of the tournament receives an automatic bid to the USCAA Nationals in Pennsylvania.

was her second consecutive 20-point performance, as her 13 points from the foul line helped her cause.

In Saturday’s action against Vermont Tech, the ‘Wolves outlasted a pesky team that they had beat down severely on Vermont’s home court, 73-42. This go-around would be different, as the Knights hung close through close to three quarters of play.

After ten minutes of play, the ‘Wolves held a 3-point lead (16-13) and a 6-point lead at the half. Jordan Farquharson lead the team with 6 points in the first quarter, as Abigail Ramirez and Alicia Ruth hit the nets for nine apiece. Emily Emerson added four for the ‘Wolves’ 22-point quarter.

The third quarter saw the Lady ‘Wolves outscore the Knights by 10 and build a 15-point lead after three quarters of play.

Jordan Farquharson’s 8 points lead the scoring for the ‘Wolves.

With 10 minutes to play, the ‘Wolves would outscore the Knights by 2, securing a 16-point win and providing themselves with some momentum for Monday night’s game against CMCC. While results from Monday’s game cannot be posted in this issue of The Beacon, since they became available after our deadline, the Lady ‘Wolves have positioned themselves to make a serious run in the YSCC Elite Eight Tournament.

The Beacon wishes the Lady SeaWolves the best of luck in Concord.

Emily Hogan shooting at mid range and getting 2 of her 5 points against the College of St. Joseph.

Senior Day (Continued from Page 12)

Notice: This review is extremely sarcastic in places. *Not sarcasm **Definitely sarcasm

Sean Bowering driving into the paint, beating his defenders and going for the layup in a dominant game against the College of St. Joseph; Bowering would end the game with 3 points.

his accomplishments over the course of his three-year career. Silvestri joined the SeaWolves for the 2015-16 season. He played in all 31 games his rookie season, starting one while averaging 13.1 minutes a game, scoring 4.9 points a game. He finished his freshman year with 153 points, 30 assists and 163 rebounds.

In Silvestri’s sophomore year he played in 30 games, averaging 14.3 minutes a game and averaging 12.1 points per game. For the season he tallied 362 points, 31 of which came against the University of Maine-Augusta, while averaging 6.4 rebounds per game — which stood as a team high — and recording six double-doubles.

Dylan was a two-time YSCC Player of the Week, a USCAA Player of the Week and a

member of the YSCC Championship team that won the Elite Eight Tournament here at SMCC, earning an automatic bid to a USCAA National Tournament appearance.

A graduate from Pelham High School, Silvestri was a member of the 2015 squad that went undefeated and were State Champions. He was also an All-State selection his senior season and is planning on attending the police academy after SMCC. The Beacon would like to extend the best of wishes to the graduating SeaWolves and a note of thanks for all of the effort and energy they used on the basketball court making SeaWolves basketball what it is today, an exciting display of athleticism and teamwork.

February 13, 2018 • The Beacon 11

SMCC Sports Men End Home Regular Season on Winning Note

Women’s Hoops Head to YSCC With High Hopes

By The Beacon Sports Staff

By The Beacon Sports Staff

The 2017-18 YSCC regular season ended this past Saturday afternoon in the Hutchinson Gymnasium when the Vermont Tech Knights visited South Portland with the intent of winning both regular season games against the SeaWolves.

The Knights, who took the first meeting 89-86 in Randolph, Vermont, would find themselves in a similar situation to the SeaWolves in the November meeting.

The Vermont Tech Knights would get on the scoreboard first, after which the SeaWolves would respond with 6 straight points. The lead would change three times and be tied five times over the course of the first 20 minutes of play. Twice, the SeaWolves would build 8-point leads that Vermont Tech would cut back into.

After 10 minutes of play, with the Wolves holding a five-point lead, Dylan Silvestri would work his moves under the basket scoring on a layup, earning a trip to the line as he was fouled on the play. Silvestri would complete the old-fashioned three-point play grabbing the Wolves their first eightpoint lead of the half.

Over the course of the next eight minutes, the Knights would work their way back tying the score at 30 apiece, setting up what one could considered a momentum changing play. The Knights would outscore the Wolves 15-7 tying the game at 25 before they would tie the game again at 30.

With 1:59 left on the clock and the SeaWolves inbounding the ball to the side of the basket, the Wolves executed a perfectly timed inbound lobe pass to Ryan Cloutier who made his way down the right had side of the lane. Cloutier who has finished the play off numerous times this season, nestled the ball in his right hand at its apex allow-

ing his momentum to finish the play off with a thunderous statement dunk.

The Wolves would build another eightpoint lead (38-30) before Vermont would cut SMCC’s lead to six heading into halftime.

The second half opened with Anderson Kavutse draining a three-pointer padding the Wolves lead to nine.

(Continued on Page 11)

Ryan Cloutier slamming the ball down with authority against the College of St. Joseph, making the crowd scream and ending the game with 10 points.

Since the last Beacon, the women’s basketball team has won two and lost one. The two wins come at the expense of the College of Saint Joseph’s of Vermont (80-51) and Vermont Technical College (77-60). The loss comes by the hands of New Hampshire Technical Institute, a 73-47 thrashing in Concord, New Hampshire.

The women’s team traveled to Concord ranked sixth in the latest USCAA coaches

Lauryn Fagan pushing her way to the paint with power, looking for that layup and getting two rebounds against the Knights.

poll and was handed just its third Yankee Small College Conference (YSCC) loss of the season, 73-47, by the Lynx, who are ranked ninth.

The Lady ‘Wolves grabbed a first quarter lead (13-9), which was generated by freshman center Amanda Brett’s 8 points. After the Lady ‘Wolves drained the first basket of the second quarter, the Lynx lived up to their namesake, outscoring the ‘Wolves 16-3 in one stretch and outscoring SMCC 21-11 for the quarter.

After 20 minutes of play, NHTI held a 9-point lead (30-24); however, once the Lynx opened the floodgates, there seemed to be no stemming the onslaught, as the Lynx would scorch the nets for 25 points in the third quarter besting SMCC’s 12 points by 13.

SMCC center Amanda Brett would bring home top scoring honors with 22; first-year guard Abigail Ramirez finished with nine rebounds, bringing her season total to 122.

Four contributed double-digit point totals for the Lynx were paced by Melissa Martel, who scored 17, and by the conference leading scorer Riselly Deoleo, who posted a 15-point performance while grabbing seven rebounds, five assists, and six steals in a yeoman’s effort.

After the game SMCC remained tied for second spot in the YSCC standings at 11-3 in league action and 16-7 overall. The Lynx shrank SMCC’s lead as they stood at 10-4 in conference, 18-5 after the contest.

Two days after suffering their second-lowest offensive output of the season, the ‘Wolves took to the court to play the Fighting Saints of the St. Joseph’s. The ‘Wolves bounced back in splendid fashion, posting an 80-51 win in their next-to-last regular season game.

(Continued on Page 11)

Senior Day Comes to the HUB Gym

By The Beacon Sports Staff As has been the tradition at SMCC, pregame warmups were delayed in order to honor the senior basketball players on the women’s and men’s team Saturday afternoon.

Prior to tip-off for the women’s game against Vermont Tech, Amanda Matos, Alicia Ruth and Jordan Farquharson were acknowledged for their on-court contributions and their academic accomplishments. Dylan Silvestri, the solo senior on this year’s men’s team, was acknowledge after the women’s game finished and prior to the men’s game.

Amanda Matos, who graduated from Montverde Academy outside of her hometown of Orlando, Florida, attended Hollins University in Virginia (a member of the basketball team) prior to joining the SeaWolves squad in the fall of 2016.

Matos played in 16 games during her first season, averaging 10.3 minutes per game.

Amanda scored 7 points against Hampshire College while grabbing 32 rebounds and dishing out 17 assists for the 2016-17 season.

Alicia Ruth also joined the SeaWolves in 2016, and is completing her two seasons of play with the reputation of being a deadly sharp-shooting small guard. Ruth shot an impressive 40.7 percent form behind the three-point arch during her freshman season, draining 74 of them. She started in 16 games during the 2016-17 season, averaging 20.8 minutes per game and 10.7 points per game, and tallying 300 points for the season.

Ruth’s efforts on the court earned her YSCC Second-Team All-Conference status.

Prior to SMCC, Alicia attended and graduated from Tim-

From left to right: Alicia Ruth, Amanda Matos, Dylan Silvestri, Jordan Farquharson

berlane Regional High School in New Hampshire, and was a four-year standout in basketball and softball. In her senior year at Timberlane, Ruth led all of New Hampshire in three-point shots made, draining 68 her senior season.

Jordan Farquharson rounded out the seniors for the women’s squad. Farquharson graduated from Blue Mountain Union High School in Vermont, where she also served as class president and student-government president. Farquharson was a First-Team All-State selection in basketball, soccer and softball. She was also a member on the softball State Champion team and scored 1,000 points on the basketball court.

As a SeaWolf, Farquharson started 25 games her freshman year, while playing in 27 games.

Jordan averaged 17.4

minutes of play as well as scoring 6.4 points per game in her freshman year. She tallied 174 total points for the 2016-17 season, with her high-scoring game coming against Cegep Champlain - St. Lawrence, when she scored 20 points. She also grabbed 109 rebounds and completed 40 assists during the 2016-17 season.

All three seniors made an appearance in the United Small College Athletic Association’s national tournament last spring when the SeaWolves were extended an at-large invitation. Farquharson and Ruth are transferring to Granite State College in New Hampshire and Fitchburg State University in Massachusetts, respectively.

On the men’s side of Senior Day, Dylan Silvestri was acknowledged for (Continued on Page 11)