The SMCC Beacon 1-29-2013 by The Beacon

Lighting our Community

BEACON

The Southern Maine Community College Student News | Volume 8 • No. 6 • January 29, 2013

CampusNews Writing a College Application Essay & SMCC Diet Tech Group

The Secret of Buying Text Books, Spotlight on our Best: {Doreen} & The Senate Notebook

Editorials& Opinions

4 &5

An Adult Conversation on Guns

An Open Letter to SMCC & Let’s Rething This : Guns and More Guns

Dr. King, What Would You Have Done? & From The Managing Editors Desk

Presidential Inauguration 2013

A Celebration of Liberalism By Roy It was amazing how Meredith efficiently the whole

to address his constituents. I was excited, but I was not expecting to see an aggressive defense of Democratic priorities in President Obama’s speech. Although he won an intensely ideological election over the role of government against his Republican challenger in 2012, and has become

process went. One million people filled the streets of Washington, all heading for TSA tents to have their bodies scanned before entering the National Mall. Only those with special tickets were allowed to enter the premise. The crowd Rik and I found ourselves surrounded by was largely non-white; most of the people I encountered were either young or lower income. I didn’t bother guessing whether the situation would have been the reverse if Mitt Romney and the Republicans had beaten Barack Obama in 2012. It was morning, 9:00 AM to be precise, and perhaps the reason why everything went so smoothly was because people were still too tired to kick up a ruckThe inauguration as seen from the reporter’s point of view. us. Walking from the metro station to the tents only took fifteen minutes, the tents less than ten. increasingly hostile towards the Repub The crowd waxed enthusiastic once lican Party in recent policy negotiations, everybody found their places and the I expected him to revert towards more names of high profile guests and speak- conciliatory language when speaking ers were announced. Most of the people before a national audience. cheered Jimmy Carter. They unaniFor years Obama’s goal has been to mously booed Newt Gingrich. As the unite Republicans and Democrats into ceremony took off I struggled to hold an effective governing coalition. my interest in what the other speakers To accomplish this, he adopted had to say. I wanted to hear the presimany of the policies and even the framdent; everybody else felt like they were ing of his opponents. This has never going through the motions. Just before noon Obama was sworn in, and turned (continued on page 8)

…And Bearing Witness to it By Rik Sawyer

It was unseasonably warm for January even in Washington DC on Martin Luther King Jr Day. The wind put a little chill in the air but it still couldn’t dampen the mood of the day. The crowds that crammed in the subways and streets didn’t touch the festive atmosphere in the air that day. You couldn’t help but feel the sense of celebration as we made our way to see Barak Obama take the oath of office to begin his second term as President of the United States. The enormity the day could not be lost on anyone as we walked out of Union Station. The streets were completely congested with people making their way to the Mall. Street vendors set up shop anyplace they could to sell their inauguration day memorabilia. Some of it was surprisingly good quality while others sold their dime store wares at highly inflated prices. The level of security could not be lost on anyone either. Every street corner had some level of law enforcement on it. Military Police assisted local police by patrolling the streets and manning the entry points to the mall. The TSA checked people for weapons and any other dangerous objects. The FBI and Secret Service tactical teams make their presence known. Even the Texas Rangers (continued on page 8)

Lunch Box Art Talk With Charlie Hewitt

Floral Arrangements for sale, see page

By Kalyn Van On a brisk Valkenburgh Thursday

The Silent Flute & Silver Linings Playbook

9 10

Jessica Chastain Beats the Big Boys &What’s Happening in the Music Scene

SportsReports The State of the Patriots

afternoon, art students, teachers and art lovers found warm refuge in Jewitt Auditorium for the first Lunch Box Art Talk series of Spring 2013. One could not have imagined a better artist to host on such a unforgivingly cold day as Charlie Hewitt, who features hot summery colors in his bold, playful designs. Charlie Hewitt finds most of his inspiration from drawing in Sharpies with his young daughter. He is infatuated with the insignificant idea of the tool, how drawing with it forces his “doodles” (or as he once described them, “emotional sketches”) to come from someplace fluid. Hewitt stated, “When you are unaware of your moment you will allow yourself to make a

mistake.” These supposed mistakes are, in actuality, beautiful ideas which transform into prints, sculptures and paintings. One of Charlie Hewitt’s prints, “Good Dog” is a superb example of his child-like creativity yet sophisticated simplicity. Hewitt described himself as having two sides, “Good Dog” being one of them and best of his nature. One can see Hewitt’s love for experimenting with color in his prints and this can be further demonstrated by his piece, “Black Pearl”, a print take used 8

blocks in order to create. This experimentation with color is very visible is his paintings, which he says feel to him “like nothing more than humiliation.” One can feel that sense of emotion in Hewitt’s paintings, which he scrapes and scratches. He says that an artist must record life and take emotional content to be powerful. Without these emotional paintings, Hewitt believes the happy ones could not exist, “You put that shame on that palette, you put (continued on page 3)

CampusNews Writing a College Application Essay Thinking of Transfering? by sharon If so, you will very bannon liely have to write

an essay as part of your application! There are several different types of essay questions you

Library Research

The Library is online!

Learn how to use these resources to address your research needs.

Monday, January 28 - 11am Thursday, January 31 - 12pm Tuesday February 5 - 3 pm Wednesday February 6 - 1 pm Monday February 11 - 4pm

These workshops are held in Tech 102

might have to address. There is the “please tell us about yourself” question where they ask you to describe a certain portion of your life or a specific type of incident from your life. There is the, “why us/this program/this major” question where they ask you to explain your interest and motivation in gaining access to what they offer. Then there is the topical question, such as, “Which author in the 21st Century means the most to you and why?” or, “Tell us about the relationship between you and your arch-nemesis (either real or imagined).” and “So where is Waldo, really?” (Yes, they can get as strange as that. The last two are actual essay prompts from the University of Chicago.) You may have something like 500, 250 or, in some rare cases, only 25 words with which to communicate your talents and value to the admissions counselor! Never fear, there are ways to approach

the writing task that will ultimately produce a fine and worthy essay! First, start early. Do NOT leave writing your essay until the last minute. You need time to do several drafts and proofread carefully. Second, recruit two or three reviewers (who, ideally are talented and skilled writers) to help you polish each draft. Third, read the essay-prompt very carefully and make sure you understand it. (Before you submit the essay, read the prompt one last time to see how well you addressed it!) Take time to think about why the admission office picked that particular question and what it is that they hope to learn about you from your answer. Fourth, you are the protagonist in the story. Use the pronoun “I” at will, and stick with active, not passive, phrasing. Fifth, remember to “show” not “tell”. Don’t say, “My experience with the wildlife rehabilitation team changed my life.” Describe

how you changed your house-hold product choices, volunteered for beach clean-ups and found yourself lecturing friends and family members about the issues. Give them a picture to see in their mind’s eye! Sixth, don’t struggle to use intelligent-sounding vocabulary. Use language with which you are comfortable, that genuinely represents who you are!

Need help with your essay?

Sharon Bannon, SMCC Director of Career & Transfer Services is available to offer assistance with essay writing (741-5626) and SMCC Has a Writing Center that is part of the Learning Commons (741-5535) on the second floor of the Campus Center that can also offer help. More essay-writing tips are available on the Career & Transfer Services section in the STUDENTS portal on MY SMCC.

Diet Tech Student Unite Contributing Writers Sharon Bannon Dale Das Michael Dubois Gerry Foster Melanie Jutras Chomba Kaluba Roy Meredith Sarah Mulcahy Ali Pious Barb Ramsey Rik Sawyer Dm Smith Kalyn V. Valkenburgh Brittany Williams Illustrators Graham Meyers Andrew Holmes Managing Editor Angelina Smith

Coming Soon! In The Beacon Near You! Quick and Easy Nutritious Facts and Recipes... By Michael Hello SMCC students, faculty, DuBois

and staff! The Diet Tech Group wishes everyone asuccessful and healthy Spring 2013. We meet every 2nd Monday of the month. Anyone in the Nutrition and Dietetics field is welcome to our group meetings, and we are working on reaching out to the campus population through the use of The “Great” Beacon to begin passing on what we are learning about nutrition and dietetics and releasing it to our readers. Stay tuned! In the next publications and releases of The Beacon this spring, we will be including a monthly article with a tip and recipe of the month. We will discuss myths and facts about food; what we have learned in the past and what we know now! For many of us there is not enough time in the day to do it all, so the Diet Tech Group plans on giving

Art Director Meo Pourreyron

Graphic Design Layout Jason Poulin Cortney vamvakias

Advisor Charles Ott The Beacon is published by and for the students of Southern Maine Community College 2 | TheBEACON | January 29, 2013

you some fun-filled food facts, tips, and exercises that you can read and implement in a matter of minutes. One of the best ways to stay “energized” for the demands that we all have in our busy schedule here at school is to keep our body and mind fed, not only in thought, but through nutrient absorption. Did you know that giving your body the nutrients and minerals you need will keep you “amped” up all day long; in other words “your metabolism working for you.” Think of your metabolism as a “flame.” Throughout the day your metabolism needs fuel to keep you burning. Many people eat 3 large meals a day. This is not a bad thing all together, however, a better way is too keep your body fueled throughout the day, without over doing it. For example... have you ever heard the expression, “moderation is the key” or “anything in moderation is good for you.” Well, this is somewhat true. By eating three portioned and balanced meals and snacking twice in the day, once mid-morning and once mid-afternoon, can be very effective when we

want to maintain our energy levels throughout the day. There are benefits to eating smaller main meals and tossing in two snacks in our eating habits. By eating this way, we keep our metabolism fueled throughout the day, and we also reduce the chance of getting too hungry, resulting in eating too much in one sitting. What happens is the body needs certain nutrients and minerals to carry out all the functions our body wants to accomplish. By delivering these benefits to our body, at the right times, we are able to boost the metabolism and rekindle the flame in our body that will use our foods and burn calories. Here at SMCC, there is an opportunity to learn many things about improvements and benchmarking technologies that are shaping and reshaping our world, bringing us closer to a better and more fulfilled life. The same is true in the nutrition field. So much has been learned in the past 10 years in the biological, chemical, and physiological sciences. And we are learning about it at SMCC in the Dietetic Technology field. Some very bright minds are instructing and directing our students in the direction of research, education, and assessment methods relating to nutrition. Since we are all here for the same purpose... to succeed and feel good about ourselves, why not start with a healthy regimen!

CampusNews The Secret of Buying Books By Sarah Picture this: For a Mulcahy moment, you are a college student again. And if you already are in college, then this should be that much easier to imagine. You are working, either part or full time, for minimum wage in the state of Maine, which pays $7.50 an hour. Clearly, not a lot of money. It is backbreaking and hardearned money that takes many hours of accumulations to grate out enough to pay for gas (which costs an average of $40 per fill-up at the station), car insurance, rent, groceries, and all of those other fees of life that seem to be increasing in price over the years. And congratulations to you, you are about to go into college. You have everything, your schedule, your backpack, and your classes. All you need now is to pick out your necessary books. You go to the school’s campus store, and select a few books, maybe four or five. At the register, you await the cashier to ring up your vital

Charlie Hewitt (continued from page 1)

that joy on that palette.” Charlie Hewitt’s work doesn’t only live on paper. His lively shapes jump off the canvas and into the 3-dimensional world. For a man who likes to, “Take a small idea and make it grow,” sculpture seems an obvious choice. It is a true match for him as well, his colorful steel structures grace a New York City courtyard and, fittingly, the NYU Children’s Hospital, one of his prouder works. All left the Lunch Box Art Talk with a bit more of a playful bounce in their step. One could sense the inspiration that had occurred during the seemingly short hour-long presentation. I, personally, was left with these words of wisdom regarding art and the artistic process, words I would like to leave you with as well, “It’s like love. If it’s a lot of work, it won’t work.”

textbooks that will get you through college. “Five hundred dollars, please,” she says, as if she has just asked something casual, like “Will it rain today?” instead of asking you for more than sixty-seven hours of hard labor. Shocking? Those of you who have been in college for at least one semester already are very familiar with this awful and horrifying truth. Yes, college tuition at Southern Maine Community College is very affordable, roughly about $200 per credit, with all of the fees included. In fact, they were voted the most affordable college in all of New England. But one feature they are definitely not “affordable” on is the asking prices of their textbooks. The average student will spend about $1,100 on college texts alone. For the average college student taking four classes, translated to twelve credits, that is the same price as a semester’s tuition. Easily, college textbooks at Southern Maine Community College are a staggering third of the cost of admission. Most of you have been bewildered, stunned, or even outraged, when you have seen the price tag on a textbook. Even “used” ones in rough condition are tagged at sixty, seventy, or even a hundred dollars in the Campus Bookstore. Newer textbooks are even worse. A brand-new Biology textbook costs $168. And with the knowledge that most professors don’t even use most of the chapters that you’ve paid for sacrificially (and some don’t require textbooks at all!), you are faced with an ugly truth: You are wasting your money. Your money that you labored over, that you could have used to take your sick pet to the veterinarian’s office, or buy that extra bag of groceries to feed your family. And all of this waste is in the name of education. Some stores have agreed that prices are abnormally and criminally high. There is a store like that situated right near Southern Maine Communi-

The Senate Notebook The Senate would like to welcome everyone back to begin the spring semester. The Senate has a busy agenda in the coming months and we are excited to get back to work. Here is a run down of what we have going on: Winter Carnival will be the last week in February. We have a lot of fun activities planned for every one. There will be an ugly sweater themed dance, a sledding competition that includes best team costume, best sled design and best time. Other events include a comedy show, a dodge ball tourney, an ice-skating rink and much more. The response level for the student wellness survey topped our goal of a ten percent. The numbers will be released shortly. Planning for spring fest will begin

soon. If you would like to participate in planning and organizing the activities committee is open to all students. We are always looking for new senators. If you would like to join please stop by the CeSIL office for more information.

* Join us Wednesday, January 30th, 11:30 - 2:00, in the Orion Building for a fundraiser bake sale. Proceeds will fund the Welcome Back Social. Bake sale items to include: coffee and perhaps hot chocolate, as well as cookies, muffins, and other snacks.

Spotlight on SMCC’s Best

ty College, in walking distance of the parking lot and the College Campus Store. Reasonably priced, they offer their books at typically half the cost of the actual campus bookstore. They have a higher buyback rate. I once heard a student bought a psychology book from Southern Maine Community College for almost two hundred dollars and was only given back twenty dollars. For the same book, I sold mine back to the off-campus store, for sixty dollars. Three times the buyback rate. When times are hard, when pay is low, and labor is physically demanding, wouldn’t you be outraged to be asked for pay hundreds of dollars more for a book that could be bought cheaper elsewhere, for the same quality? Does it frustrate you when the cashier innocuously says, “Five hundred dollars, please,” all in the name of profit? Though the government has tried taking steps to help struggling college students, there are a few methods you can put into practice to ease the financial strain on yourself. Wait a few days during the first week of classes to figure out which books your professors use. And whenever possible, rent books, or buy them used from friends. Institutions don’t care about you; they care about lightening your wallet. Friends care about you and want to keep that money where it belongs: In your pocket. Before I knew this method, I ended up paying almost five hundred dollars for the first semester of books. But with this method into practice, I paid only $160. A major saving. Is there anything else that can be done about this abhorrent prices? Yes. Where you put your money is the place that will flourish. Whichever profit you choose to feed will be the one that succeeds. The choice is yours: Will you help corporate and industrial greed, or protect your assets?

MID-COAST CLUB Regular Club meetings every Wednesday at 1:30pm in the Orion Building

* And don’t forget the Welcoming Back Social, for new and returning students Wednesday, Feb. 13th. Relax and get caught up with old friends and meet new ones over coffee, hot chocolate, popcorn, and sandwiches.

Doreen Choate

By Barb Stop into the Dining Ramsey Hall most days and

you will be greeted by a smile! That is Doreen walking your way to provide you service. Over the last two years while eating at the dining hall, Doreen has always made an effort to say hello and ask how I am. I had occasion to dine for the first time this semester and as I sat, I watched Doreen answer questions asked by a group of young students, I think to settle a bet. I watched in admiration as

What I saw was Doreen creating an environment where everyone feels significant and respected Doreen patted a shoulder here, gave a laugh there, visited with a table of senior citizens and provided personal one on one attention when she could have just walked by to tend to the many tasks she is responsible for. What I saw was Doreen creating an environment where everyone feels significant and respected as she moves from table to table engaging in numerous conversations in a seemingly effortless manner. Her personal attention genuine care and respect for others shines through. You may have your own opinion of the dining hall experience. Space is at a premium at times and if you want a nice quiet lunch, you may be out of luck, but one constant is that Doreen will be available to personally get you the type of salad dressing you prefer if it isn’t at the salad bar. Or go and get more of something or another that is out of stock and do it while truly happy to help and ALWAYS with a smile! Please take a moment out of your day and acknowledge the effort and difference that she makes in your experience! Doreen is a perfect match for the position she is in! I am one student who is grateful to have gotten the opportunity to meet Doreen and experience the positive energy she exudes.

January 29, 2013 | TheBEACON | 3

“ 6

Editorials&Opinions

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Maine State Senator David Burns believes in magic. Burns is a Republican from Washington County and the reason I say he believes in magic is because Burns wants to arm teachers and other school employees in the mistaken notion that that will make Maine school children safer. He has proposed legislation to change Maine law to allow school workers to carry concealed firearms.

To ensure teachers, principals, custodians and others are properly trained Burns’ bill would require special training and a psychological evaluation before kindergarten teachers and others could start packing heat. Burns is just another in what is becoming a long line of right wingers, mostly Republicans, who have bought into the National Rifle Associations truly insane notion that arming teachers would somehow

By Jeff Tourish

keep children in schools safe from shootings such as the one that occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut in December. Here’s where the magic comes in; Burns and the NRA apparently believe the notion that a training course would properly prepare someone for an incredibly high intensity real-time shooting situation. If ever there was magical thinking, that is it.

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To be clear, I have and do own guns. I strongly believe in the Second Amendtr!çéuo uiur”éfryd ment. I personally have a concealed sgpa!zeurfdsg èr !èruçe uç iéaç” weapons permit and I sometimes ei ruzt’ carry a firearm. I am a military veteran trained in the use of various types of firearms and I know how to field strip every gun Arming teachers and other school I have ever owned. I am also a tactical employees is the wrong approach EMT, meaning I am trained to go into for other reasons. It is just not possiarmed conflict situations with SWAT ble to train teachers and keep them Teams. At one time I was a crack shot, trained for this kind of shooting. The and am still pretty good although I don’t level of precision shooting required really shoot all that much anymore. is staggering. Consider this: United As a journalist, I covered a great States special forces operators spend many stories that involved firearms. years training for this type of action. In many of those stories I interviewed They fire upwards of a million rounds people on both sides of firearms inciin practice and the US Government dents, including the parents of children spends literally millions of dollars train- accidentally killed by firearms. ing each of these soldiers and sailors. I mention all this to lay out what I Does Senator Burns really believe consider my bona fides on this issue. a teacher has that level of commitI will also say I do not support any sort ment to training, even ignoring the of wholesale collection of legally owned obvious cost and time commitment. firearms or other draconian measures related to guns and gun ownership rights. One thing I noticed when I have spoken to people directly involved in gun violence, either accidental, victim, family or shooter. In pretty much every case everyone involved wished there had been no access to a firearm. I find that compelling. !çéu

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More guns in schools mean more bullets and, presumably, more bullets fired. That is, after all, the point of arming teachers, right? A chance for a “good guy with a gun” to kill a “bad guy with a gun,” as NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre would say. But we know historically that in these situations the good guys with guns don’t really do much. At the Columbine shooting, there was an armed law enforcement officer present. Sheriff’s Deputy Neil Gardner was on scene, he actually engaged in a gun battle with one of the gunmen but in the end the best he was able to do was radio for help. The gunman went on to kill more students. During the Virginia Tech shooting there was an entire armed police force on campus but none of those officers were effective. At the cinema shooting in Colorado last year police offices were on scene in less than 90 seconds but that did not prevent 70 people from being shot and twelve people dying. At the Fort Hood shooting there was an entire army which could not stop a focused shooter who

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did not care about dying. In those places and others trained professionals were either already on scene or responded as quickly as if they were present and they were not able to change the outcome. Senator Burns must undoubtedly know this as he is a retired Maine State Trooper. What Senator Burns may not know is that school employees, including teachers, have apparently snapped and murdered students. In the deadliest attack against students in US history, school Treasurer Andrew Kehoe killed 38 students and six adults with a suicide car bomb in 1927 in Bath Township, Michigan. There are other instances of teacher and principals who have attacked children at school. Arming them just makes that more likely. Burns and other NRA allied politicians also suggest that mass shooters only stop when law enforcement are on the way, often taking their own lives. I have a different take on that; these people are expecting to die. In many cases they seem to seek out locations where a blaze of glory ending is almost inevitable. Arming school employees may make schools a more attractive place for that last violent stand. z

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Editorials&Opinions

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Jeff Toorish is an award winning journalist who is currently studying paramedicine at SMCC.

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Whenever gun control is mentioned folks like the NRA invariably trot out the somewhat disingenuous argument that cars kill people too. The idea here is that because there are automobile accidents we should take cars off the streets. Without question gun control advocates would be delighted if states regulated guns in the same way they regulate cars. For example, in many states, such as Maine, guns do not have to be registered. Cars must be registered every year. You have to pay taxes on cars every year and you have to tell the government how much you use your car every year. None of that applies to guns. Perhaps more importantly, cars are designed to transport people, guns are designed to kill. Hardly anyone is

Remember this, those children at Sandy Hook had some rights too, one of them was their right to life.

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I notice a disturbing trend among gun advocates and the right wing whenever anyone even suggests a national debate about gun control is in order. They either declare the Second Amendment an absolute or attack anyone who suggests there are limits on gun rights.

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Gun advocates often cite personal safety as a reason for owning a firearm. But statistically this is simply not valid. According to Emery University Professor Dr. Arthur Kellermann, a gun in the home increases the likelihood of a murder in that home by a factor of 2.7. That means if you have a gun at home, there is a 270 percent greater chance that someone will be murdered in that home. You are 21 times more likely to be killed by someone you know as opposed to a stranger breaking in. So the notion that having a pistol under your pillow or in the bedside table will help ward off an intruder rather than being used against you is simply false. Professor Kellermann and his team looked at 420 homicides. More than 96 percent of them were illegal, that is to say some level of unjustified homicide. Only 3.6 percent were legally justifiable, that is self-defense. Needless to say, the NRA vehemently attacked Dr. Kellermann’s report when it was published in 1993. They also attacked similar data reported by the US Centers For Disease Control and Prevention. About ten years ago the NRA managed to get Congress, then under GOP control, to defund CDC studies of gun violence. Essentially, the NRA and other gun advocates want lawmakers to have less data on gun violence. The US, one of the most gun violent industrialized nations in the world, has practically no current data on gun violence thanks to the gun lobby.

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It is also important to remember that mentally ill people are far more likely to be victims of gun violence than use a gun. I also believe things like assault type weapons that are made to look like the guns used by our combat forces allow for the playing out of deadly fantasy. Simply put, if this kind of gun is less attractive then perhaps some shooter somewhere will be less inclined to mass murder. With that in mind, no one really needs a 30 or 50 round clip. I understand it takes only a moment to change the magazine in a firearm. But it is still a second or two in which there is no shooting and the distraction of the magazine change might buy enough time to save a life. Also, changing magazines increases the chances of a gun jam or malfunction. All of these are reasonable points of discussion in an effort to make the nation safe. The Second Amendment right to bear arms is no more an absolute right than any other right. All rights are limited in various ways.

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Since the tragedy at Sandy Hook there has been a call for a action on gun violence and what steps, if any, the US might take to curb what has become a tragic national embarrassment. The NRA’s response has been the lunatic notion of putting more guns in schools and using right wing politicians like Maine State Senator David Burns to push that insanity. What is truly needed is an nationwide adult conversation on guns, gun ownership and gun violence. Currently 40 percent of guns sold in the US do not involve background checks. That is not just a loophole, it is a public policy joke. That would be a good starting place. Would it keep guns out of the hands of criminals who really want a gun? Probably not. But to be honest, I’m not really that worried about hard core criminals in this conversation. They will get a gun if they want one. What I am worried about is someone who is unbalanced, unhinged, insane who might be stopped from getting a firearm by some reasonable hurdles.

ever killed with a car on purpose, many people die from intentional gun violence. For those opposed to any regulations on firearms, the car analogy is simply the wrong road. It is pretty much the opposite of a logical, persuasive argument. hum

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So, having said all that, there are a few facts that simply must be made clear. Guns kill people. Period. It is silly to suggest anything else. People own guns because they like guns just as they like other things, like motorcycles. Nobody really needs a Harley Davidson motorcycle --but a lot of people own them because they like them, they like the image and the lifestyle. The same is true of Glock, Smith & Wesson or Sig Sauer firearms. People may hunt or live in a rural or remote location where a gun is a good thing to have. But few people need more than one or two and hardly anybody needs an assault style weapon in civilian life. The fact is, people own guns because they like owning guns. Since the mass shooting of small children at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, the nature of the gun debate has changed. National polls are showing more people now believe Congress must pass some sort of reasonable restrictions on gun ownership. This is a hot topic because the mere mention of even the most rudimentary steps to limit gun ownership raise the hackles of the gun rights gang led by the National Rifle Association. Ironically, at one time the NRA favored gun control; specifically, for nearly a century after its inception in 1871, the NRA worked to control gun ownership among black Americans fearing that former slaves would take up arms and hunt down their former owners. Later the NRA committed itself to encouraging gun safety, better marksmanship and reasonable gun control laws. It is only in relatively recent years that the NRA became the lobbying arm of gun manufacturers and ultimately staked out a reactionary narrow position on gun control.

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January 29, 2013 | TheBEACON | 5

Editorials&Opinions An Open Letter to the SMCC Community Semester; I am home watching news and one of the stories is about the recent shooting in Texas on a campus college. As I write this, I find it hard to believe a shooting has happened on a college campus, especially since there has been much debate and discussion concerning guns. At this point, I am wondering whether it could be possible for SMCC to hold a forum for all students (campus wide), providing a forum for students to be hear. A forum where students can take a stand on this issue, and most importantly discuss the issues surrounding their safety on campus. For me, SMCC is a safe and friendly community, but that doesn’t mean everyone feels the way I do. Actually, a student today in my courses asked me what I think about guns. I took about 2

minutes to express my views/opinions and ended by asking students to do their best to make our campus safer. Through an open forum, I think that students will be able to share their concerns and ways to deal with safety concerns. Lastly, I would like to thank our college administrators for providing safety information to staff members (adjuncts/ faculty) during professional training day a few weeks ago. I have attended a presentation about campus safety as a staff, but I have never seen one organized for students. Interesting enough, staff members have offices that make them safer than students who walk around campus and sit outside. Adjuncts come to campus and drive away after courses since they have no offices. So, people who are highly in danger are students who actually interact with each other on every area of the campus at every second.

In this case, I strongly feel that students should have an opportunity to express their concerns and ways to promote peace and stability on campus, actually, the same skills they could take to their own homes and communities. Thank you. You may wonder why I am so concerned; I have a Masters Education in Conflict Resolution (Transformation) where my main interest is in conflict

prevention, resolution, and management. As a new college staff member, I would like to contribute my knowledge and skills in dealing with conflicts and stability to our campus.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY ANDREW HOLMES

by Chomba Happy Second Week of the Spring Kaluba

Let’s Rethink This: Guns and More Guns By Rik Sawyer

In the past year we saw our far share of tragedies in this country. Gun violence raged across the map, including the tragic mass murders in Aura, Colorado and Newtown, Connecticut, among others. This has left many in shock. Everyone is looking for the answers of why and how? And how do we stop these from happening again? The problem is too many people are looking for the quick fix or ignoring the problem all together. As a nation and a civil society we must look further then what is really just a frail Band-Aid; gun-control. We need to look deeper. The real answers and solutions are a lot harder and will be more work to come by, but they must be done. The first thing we must face is the fact we are a nation of guns, a nation that was born by the gun. The first troops to fight in the Revolution at Bunker Hill were farmers, craftsmen

and others who carried their family rifle into battle against one of the best-equipped and most well trained armies in the world. That fact carried over into drafting the Bill of Rights, creating the much revered but vague second-amendment. The right to “bear-arms” is often seen as one of the cornerstones to our free-society. With that being said, the same thing that applies to the First Amendment applies here. Just because you have the overall right does not mean that it comes without natural restrictions. We need to get away from the idea that we can just ban things and it works. The market is far too saturated for this to ever be effective. They

Campus Violence Prevention and Response Presentation Open to all Students, Staff, Faculty, and Adjuncts Topics covered: SMCC Campus Security Emergency Response Plan City Watch Sign-up Expert Panel Discussion & Audience Questions Dates & times on South Portland Campus: Wednesday, January 30th, 9-10:30AM, Jewett Auditorium Thursday, January 31st, 2:30-4:00PM, Jewett Auditorium Thursday, February 7th, 9-10:30AM, Jewett Auditorium Thursday, February 7th, 2:30-4:00PM, Jewett Auditorium Dates & times on Mid Coast Campus: Wednesday, February 13th 2:30 – 4:00PM, Orion Hall Thursday, February 21st, 9 – 10:30AM, Orion Hall Please RSVP to prodev@smccME.edu

6 | January 29, 2013 | TheBEACON

would essentially still be available, just at higher prices. The most important thing is untying the hands of the law enforcement that is essentially unable to do their job in a proper manner. A national database of dealers and sellers needs to be created in order to easily find out the one percent of dealers that break the law. Among other laws that are toothless because of other laws standing in their way. Will the culmination of all these things that are already on the book working properly prevent tragedies in the future? The real answer is no. It may slow or deter some but not all. The hard fact is that we will most likely never be able completely end disgusting events like that that happened at Sandy Hook. Another aspect that has been pushed to the side for far too long is the state of our care for the mentally ill. The entire system needs a drastic overhaul. Many of these mass shootings are carried out by mentally ill individuals that are continually falling through the cracks. Even when their condition and the danger they pose is known there is no effective support system in place that reduces the risks of their inclusion in society. It is inhumane to simply go back to locking everyone with a mental illness up in asylums, but what we have right now is not working either. We need something bigger and more comprehensive. Without a new approach to care when it comes to the mentally ill we continue to see a cycle of unexplainable violence. In the speech given by NRA vice-president Wayne LaPierre, a week after the shootings at Sandy Hook he said, “The only thing that stops a bad

guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.” This was in reference to the new lobbying goal of the NRA to put armed guards in every school in America. On it’s face seems like a good idea to some and a despicable idea to others. Many Conservatives applauded the idea while liberals lashed back. The truth is many schools across the country already have armed guards in them. Some are private security; others it is uniformed police officers. This is already a growing trend; the NRA just put it in the national spotlight. Going back to the statement that LaPierre made about good guys with guns is very loaded and inaccurate at best. Just because some one who has a gun and has gone target shooting does not mean they can use it when it counts. There is a reason why they are the good guy, they care about human life. Making that decision to end someone else’s life does not come easy, nor should it, even in the face of danger. This is closely tied with images of gun-totting Israeli teachers that have been floating around the Internet and the idea of arming teachers in the US. This notion that first grade teachers all over the country of Israel with AK-47s and other heavy duty arms is grossly overstated. In fact, Israel has some of the tightest gun control in the world. The only teachers that carry any weapons are those that work in settlements, which are prone to attacks from Palestinians. The teachers are also reservists for the highly trained Israeli army. Most soldiers are not even allowed to have guns if they are off-duty. So to draw parallels is completely unfounded. When it came down it we need to find the solutions to these problems together. We need to find a center. We need to protect ourselves from ourselves, but just as important we need to protect our rights and liberty. There will never be perfect solution, but doing nothing is simply unacceptable.

Editorials&Opinions ‘Ayoo, Dr. King, What would you have done? By Pious Ali

Ayoo Dr. King, recently I have been brainstorming on a lot of issues and many questions have been running in my small brain on what would you do if you were alive? Or to be straight forward, how would you react if you were alive today? Before I go any further let me introduce my self to you, I am from Ghana in West Africa. I first heard of your name when I was in the 7th grade and studying the history of the Black People, my teacher, God Bless her soul, called you “the Black Moses.” She referred to you as the Moses of the African Americans who gave his last sermon at the Mall of Congress. Yes, she said you were there in flesh, but couldn’t make it in spirit. How ironic... Dr. King, as a child I had always admired how eloquent and patient you were, how smart and well spoken. I actually tried, though unsuccessful, to memorize the ‘I have a dream speech.’ I posted your picture next to that of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah the founder of my country (Ghana), on the walls of my room. Nkrumah was an eloquent speaker too. Dr. King this weekend we are celebrating yet

another holiday in honoring the day you were born, what a great day it always have been. I wonder if you were contacted before this holiday was instituted, would you have agreed that the whole world celebrated your day? Not long ago I learnt that you gave a speech which many thought sounded like your own eulogy, you said when you died, all you want to be said was how you served others, you didn’t want people to mentioned your degrees or your Nobel prize. You wanted your life to be celebrated as a servant of Humanity. How honorable of you. Guess what Dr. King; the whole world goes into service hysteria on your birthday. We kept the promise Doctor King!!! We kept the promise!!!! Oh did any one bothered to tell you that an African American was elected the president in 2008 and was re-elected again last year his name is Barack Hussein Obama. This year, your birthday was even greater. The president was inaugurated for his second term and I heard that he used your bible for the swearing ceremony. How Sweet, “I know, right!” Your work and vision just started

to manifest. We are still not there yet though. Dr. King, we are facing some of same issues you fought and died for, so many years ago after your famous poor people campaign, inequality can be found in health care, education and other social and cultural constraints. As a nation we are still divided on many issues from race to sexual orientation. Women are being paid less than men for same job. You we tragically taken from us 40 years ago, we are still fighting over who can own a gun and how can we make sure people will not use it violently harming others. I don’t know the statistics of gun violence when you were around, but now I think on an average there is one gun per one person. I am sure you would be turning in your peaceful sleep after you read this part. But that is the reality we live in. There are also, many good things that have change. Do you remember the march you led, that was awesome; wishing I were there is a way for me to travel back into time. I would have joined the March just to experience being in the same sphere as you, march-

From The Managing Editors Desk By Angelina There are many of us Smith

around SMCC who are members of the great team that produces the Beacon every two weeks. My job, as part of that team is “Managing Editor,” but please disregard how stuffy that sounds. A Managing Editor’s job is to facilitate communication and organization, meaning, it’s my job to be approachable and listen well. I’m here for questions and concerns, and to keep the workflow progressing smoothly. Lots of you will get to know me very soon, as it will also be my job to coordinate writers, illustrations, photographers, artists, and those interested in placing ads and Public Service Announcements in the paper. The Beacon has many great contributors: writers, photographers, graphic artists, and more. When you are flipping through the pages of the Beacon, please take a moment to notice the Public Service Announcements (PSAs). Maybe you didn’t realize this, but the paper has a team of CNMS students who design the announcements with the intent of generating interest in the organization who ran the announcement. What a great way to build your skills and resume considering that all of the PSAs need designing! On the front page, you will notice that the Beacon sent two writers to President Obama’s Inauguration, Rik Sawyer and Roy Meredith. Roy graduated SMCC in 2011 and contributed to the paper when he was enrolled. Rik is currently enrolled at

SMCC. Besides the high-profile stories, there’s tons of space for articles on whatever topics you want to write about. There’s even room for continuous columns that run every issue. The Beacon team would love to run biweekly articles on Business, Technology, Music, or Culinary topics, for example. Of course, photographers for articles are always welcome; a picture’s worth a thousand words, after all! The opportunities at the Beacon go beyond designing and writing. Last semester the idea of starting a Beacon Speaks lecture series was discussed. Though these discussions have yet to give rise to a lecture, the possibilities of organizing and scheduling a Beacon Speaks lectures remain wide open. All it takes is one student who has the desire to initiate the process. Here’s another hidden Beacon gem, we have our own YouTube Channel. A simple search for SMCCBeaconNewspaper gets you there. To date we only have three videos on the channel, a pre-election interview with Maine Senatorial Candidates Angus King, conducted by Daniel E. Gagne and SMCC’s Cynthia Dill (2 parts) who was interviewed by Dawn Smith and Rik Sawyer. Again, another great way to get involved with the paper and stay behind the scenes, especially if you are in Computer Technology or Communications. To top it off, the Beacon wants to grow. The paper has run 12 pages consistently every 2 weeks. !6 pages is with in reach. Not only is

the Beacon design staff wanting this challenge, they are ready to set a new watermark. Besides getting your name and contributions in the paper, experience gained from participating in the Beacon looks great on your resume! We’re not just looking for people who want to write or be a part of Layout; we have openings available for Section Editors that require no writing or experience with layout software! If you want to share your voice, or have a poem, a cartoon, or news story that needs to be seen, allow the Beacon to be that platform. The Beacon really is the best way

ing takes different forms now. We have something call face book and twitter where you invite people to march with you to join hands with you and fight for the common good of all, except that it is virtual. You don’t have to be with them in person. I bet you would have loved it. It would have tripled the number of your followers. Dear King, all this while, I haven’t ask you my question yet: I am working with a lot of young people some of whom may walk the path you have paved, and continue to fight against the same forces you fought, the same issues you died for. My question is, “if you were alive today, would you have continued fighting, or because there is an African American President, even though many things have not change, would you have retired and said, Yes we are at the mountain top.” Please feel free to email or text me what you may have done if you were alive. I have to meet with a group of young people I work with so I can tell them what your thought would have been. Your Ardent Admirer

to get your opinions and stories heard around SMCC. As the voice of the student body at SMCC, the Beacon hopes to create an even larger network of student contributors to take advantage of the opportunity to expand your skill sets while developing a sense community. Spread the word and join the Beacon team today! With your help we all can make the Beacon exactly that: a Beacon of communication and public interest. Creative participation in the Beacon is available for all students, contact Chuck Ott at cott@ smccme.edu for more information.

TIPS

LEARNINGCOMMONS Did you know that you can borrow many textbooks used at SMCC from the Circulation Desk in the Learning Commons? Not only that, but you can also borrow solutions manuals for many courses and even laptop computers! Textbooks, solutions manuals and laptops may be used anywhere in the Learning Commons, located on the 2nd floor of the Campus Center on the South Portland campus. Bring your student ID to access these resources!

TIPs

TIP OF THE WEEK January 29, 2013 | TheBEACON | 7

TheOtherWorld A Celebration of Liberalism (continued from page 1)

challenges, that preserving individual freedoms ultimately requires collective action.” By tying it to the Declaration of Independence and milestones in Ameri-

worked, but even intelligent people are creatures of habit. I’m happy to report that I was proven very wrong. Before I continue, it would be prudent to quickly explain some important terms. Everybody knows that American elections are dominated by two major political parties, the Democrats and the Republicans. Democrats in general are supportive of collective action through the government that addresses poverty, unemployment Official White House photo by Sonya N. Hebert and the environment, but can history, the president made the case believe that matters like speech, drugs that liberalism is an American tradition and sexuality should private matters. and part of our identity as a nation. It This belief in the American context is was the most persuasive argument to known as liberalism. that effect that I have ever witnessed. Republicans believe the opposite, The president went even further reasoning that people are responsible than this, and throughout his inaugural strictly for their own success and failaddress sounded off the litany of threats ures in life and that any attempt to help to the American way of life that stem with their situation only makes them more dependent on others, thus depriv- from an inactive and ineffective government: climate change, unequal pay, ing them of the chance to truly be free. wealth inequality, and voter suppresTheir ideology is called conservatism. sion. The crowd around me erupted Ever since the late 1970s conservatism has been the dominant political force in American politics. Even Democratic presidents and lawmakers normally ...And Bearing Witness to It couched their proposals in conservative (Continued from cover) language to appeal to as broad an auhad a role to play in security of the area. dience as possible; it was Bill Clinton in Slowly people packed into their desig1996 who declared that “the era of big nated areas. Some had been there since government is over.” the sun had rise. Kids played in what The refrain that freedom and government are incompatible forces has open areas they could find on the lawn. Adults talked about where they were “We hold these truths to be from and how they got there. One older couple mentioned how self-evident, that all men are they had flown from California and had created equal, that they are to fly back that night. A group of college endowed by their Creator with students had driven from Ohio. It was certain unalienable Rights, that a convergence of people of all different among these are Life, Liberty backgrounds that came to revel in the and the pursuit of Happiness.” culmination of November’s victory. They were white, black, poor, the not so hard been a source of weakness for Demup for money, young and old, families, ocrats for decades. But in his speech religious, southerners, northerners, and Obama rejected this notion forcefully, some many others that came together for and frequently invoked the language the same reason. of America’s founding documents. From our perspective from behind He opened his remarks with the most the reflecting pool, the people on the famous passage of the Declaration of stage were barley visible. That made Independence: “We hold these truths to no difference to any one that was there, be self-evident, that all men are created the moment seemed to be enough to equal, that they are endowed by their everyone. Jumbo-trons and massive PA Creator with certain unalienable Rights, systems helped though. that among these are Life, Liberty and Dignitaries were announced as the pursuit of Happiness.” they were shown their seats. Some were Immediately thereafter Obama cheered like Nancy Pelosi, Justice Sotoreminded the audience of all of the mayor, Bill Clinton and others. Many positive changes the government has were shown to their seats with reaction. made in the past two centuries, from Newt Gingrich and Speaker of the House eradicating slavery to building railroads John Boehner received a loud jeers. to welfare programs for the nation’s Charles Schumer, the senator from poorest citizens. These steps forward, New York, was the master of ceremonies. he argued, were more in accordance He opened with a speech that referenced with the revolutionary spirit in Amerthe completion of the capital dome that ica’s beginning than conservatism’s towered above us all. The speech told resistance to change. a story about how Lincoln ordered the “We have always understood that dome be finished despite the ongoing when times change,” he said, “so must Civil War. This was to be demonstration we; that fidelity to our founding prinof America’s resilience. Schumer used ciples requires new responses to new

8 | January 29, 2013 | TheBEACON

into applause when climate change was mentioned. Ever since 2009 when Republicans decided to make a rejection of climate science part of their party’s identity, addressing global warming has been considered politically dangerous. It was never mentioned in any of the presidential debates. But to the surprise of everyone, Obama promised action and chastised political opponents who still deny that the phenomenon is even occurring. “Some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science, but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires, and crippling drought, and more powerful storms.” While optimistic, Obama also pleaded with his supporters not to become disillusioned by limited successes and the ugly realities of lawmaking. “We must act, knowing that our work will be imperfect. We must act, knowing that today’s victories will be only partial, and that it will be up to those who stand here in four years, and forty years, and four hundred years hence to advance the timeless spirit once conferred

to us in a spare Philadelphia hall.” That line in particular resonated with me later in the day as Rik and I walked through Georgetown, a downtrodden neighborhood, which is rank with poverty and crumbling buildings. Populated largely by minorities, the only thing that separates it from the rest of Washington is a bridge. The massive economic stimulus bill Congressional Democrats passed early in 2009 fought off the most savage and brutal effects of the depression that began in 2008. And yet remarkably, in a neighborhood that is practically the president’s backyard, evidence for that claim is scarce. The long-term legacy of Obama’s second inaugural speech will reveal itself in time. But what is immediately obvious is that Obama is not the same man he was in 2009. Four years of organized, implacable, and fearsome resistance from the Republican Party have transformed the young idealist who once dreamed of uniting red and blue America into a grey-haired warrior for liberalism. Fully cognizant of the challenges he faces and well positioned to enact meaningful policies through executive action, Obama in his second term may be the man who finally dislodges the grip on our nation’s destiny that conservatives have enjoyed since Reagan.

this to as a metaphor for the current times, presumably referring to the battles in Congress over the last few years. The event went on with it’s usual fair of religious speakers, a poet and music around the oaths of office. Kelly Clarkson sang a stunning rendition of ‘My Country ‘tis of Thee’ that the PA system could barely handle. James Taylor sang his own version of ‘America the Beautiful, ‘ in his typical fashion. Of course the inauguration ended with Beyoncé’s controversial performance of the national anthem. When the President stood up to take the oath the crowd fell silent with anticipation. He said the words that every president must say at the beginning of every term; “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” Soon after the cannon next the Capital Building started firing, shaking the grounds. With the opening remarks of his speech he reminded us of what the true gravity of the moment was. It was not just about celebrating the current electoral win. This was about the most basic nature of American existence; the peaceful transfer of power or the peaceful acceptance of the current power structure. “Each time we gather to inaugurate a president, we bear witness to the enduring strength of our Constitution. We affirm the promise of our democracy. We recall that what binds this nation together is not the colors of our skin or the tenets of our faith or the origins of our names. What makes us exceptional – what makes us American – is our allegiance to an idea…”

The President went on with a sharper tone compared with the past about what he envisions for the future of America. It was not just speech about hopes but a rough outline of what will be his agenda for the next four years. He touched on issue from the environment to tax code reform. He acknowledged that some programs are outdated and there is a lot of work ahead to reform them, but he would not sacrifice one generation for another. With this call for progress that sounded hopeful for compromise, he did draw a line in the sand;“…Medicare, and Medicaid, and Social Security – these things do not sap our initiative; they strengthen us. They do not make us a nation of takers; they free us to take the risks that make this country great.” The most rousing part of the speech came near the end, just before he started wrapping up. The speech expanded to not just ideas of where we see pubic policy but what we should see as furthering the overall American dream stating, “We, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths – that all of us are created equal – is the star that guides us still; just as it guided our forebearers.” The President went on to mention equal pay for equal work when it comes to women, full equality under the law for gay and lesbian couples, and more. Between each sentence brought not just applauds and cheers, but tears of joy, and thank yous, and even many yelling out amen. Soon after the speech it was over. The hundreds of thousands of people filed out through the now sparsely guarded gates. Few stayed for the parade following the ceremony. Many shuffled back to Union Station past the pushy merchants and crowds to make their way home.

Arts&Features Silver Linings PlayBook By Dale Das Emotional

volatility is not new territory for director David O Russell. Russell’s Oscar - winning biopic about boxer Mickey Ward, The Fighter, dealt with Ward’s crack addicted yet more talented older brother Dickey, his overbearing mother, and his gaggle of sisters who don’t approve and ultimately get into a fistfight with Ward’s girlfriend. O Russell himself made a splash in the early days of viral videos when footage of his meltdown on the set of I <3 Huckabees, and Lily Tomlin‘s screaming fit at him was caught as well. On the set of his most oringal film, Three Kings, he got into a fistfight with George Clooney, the star of the film. Yes, Mr. Russell managed to get into a fight with Dr. Doug Ross. The irony being both are nominated for Oscars in this year’s tightly contested Oscar race. Given this resume, it’s no surprise

his latest effort, Silver Lining’s Playbook, is such a visceral and kinetic feat. The movie is based on Matthew Quick’s novel of the same name, about a former substitute teacher Pat (Bradley Cooper) who has a mental breakdown after finding his wife in the shower with another man. Recently released, he’s moved back in with his parents in Philadelphia while he gets his life together. He meets equally troubled Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), and after chasing him during his daily jogs, eventually gets him to help her win a climatic dance competition. Yes, this sounds like a cheap Valentine’s Day Rom-Com to write off, and I had doubts about it too, but this is an extremely authentic experience of love and family. It’s the first movie in 31 years to be nominated in both supporting actor categories, as well as the Big 5: actor, actress, screenplay, director, and best picture.

The Silent Flute

The movie’s core virtue is how it walks on a tightrope on so many levels and works regardless. Normally when a movie walks on thin ice with a subject like mental illness it’s forgiven because of one or two redeeming elements that buoy the story. But with Playbook the convention is used as a technique to bring us closer to Pat’s world. It has the momentum of a bullet train on slicked rails, which takes us one level closer to Pat’s edgy take on life. It’s easy to empathize with a man falling of a cliff when you’re thrown off with him. The physics are extreme in the movie, but like all roller coasters we know we’re safe in the end. This is not the most jarring or revolutionary movie of the year, for that I think you need to see Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master. If nothing else this is the best date movie in the tradition of Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

Art Club Thursday, January 31st at 12:15, Jewett 118A is the first meeting of the 2013.

Topics to be discussed: * Field trips for the semester * End-of-the-year exhibition * Silkscreen tee-shirt project * A possible service project at a local Elementary School! Feel free to bring any other ideas you might have to the table. Even if you can’t make the meetings, you are still welcome to participate in Art Club events and projects.

Floral

Arrangements

Only $15!

Part 1

By Melanie I saw the girl four Jutras times...the first time,

it was raining. I was walking along the beach, my shoulders hunched and my head stuffed into the collar of my raincoat like a turtle, fleeing the bad weather. The rain poured down in violent sheets, determined to sneak into my coat, dribble down my neck and extinguish the last bit of warmth. It had been ten minutes since I last passed someone. I was alone, cold, and wet. To this day, I don’t know what possessed me to raise my head. I’d spent the last hour trying to unsuccessfully shield my face from the onslaught of droplets. There was no reason for me to be curious about this particular stretch of beach, but nevertheless something made me look. And there she was. She was sitting at the edge of the pier, with no shelter to speak of. She didn’t seem to notice the rain, which is probably why I looked again. It wasn’t a pleasant day, with the sea lashing its cruel whip and the wind howling through the sky. And yet there she was, sitting calmly, vulnerable to the rage of the elements. She was sitting straight, her head thrown back and a sheet of wet hair dropping down her back like a curtain. She was holding something to her face. From a distance, it looked like a long stick, perhaps an oddly shaped pipe. It appeared as though she were caressing it. I called out to her, but my voice was lost in the storm. Curious, I made my way towards the pier. As I drew nearer, it became clear that she was not holding a stick, but a flute. An elegant instrument; sleek and black. She seemed to be playing a complicated tune. I watched wordlessly as her fingers danced along the shining metal, like thin white dragonflies over the surface of a dark pool. I was almost at the end of the beach, and was surprised that I could not hear the music. The wind had died down, and it was becoming possible to hear the screech of the gulls and the water beating against the wooden pier. But only silence came from the girl and her flute. I hadn’t been looking at where I was going, and as my foot left the sand and stepped onto the slippery wood of the dock, I lost my footing and fell. When I got back up, the girl was staring at me, and I was startled by the hostility in her deep grey eyes. There was no reason for me not to be on the beach, but I panicked, and quickly scurried off. Who was she? I didn’t remember seeing her on the beach before, or wandering the streets. I felt sure that if I had seen her, I would not have forgotten her. So she was new. She was something different. I didn’t look back, but I knew she was still staring at me, even as I reached the boardwalk and kept walking. It was still raining, but I forgot to hide my face again.

January 29, 2013 | TheBEACON | 9

Arts&Features Jessica Chastain Beats The Big Boys at the Box Office By d.m. smith

Something wonderful happened this past weekend. It was quietly acknowledged but likely overshadowed by the angst of the recent end of the Patriots football season. For the weekend box office, the two movies that took the number one and number two spot featured the same actor. This rarely happens. Making it even less likely – and far more notable - is that the same woman was the lead actor in both movies: Jessica Chastain. In the number two spot is Zero Dark Thirty where Chastain plays Maya, a CIA agent on the hunt for Osama bin Laden (UBL). This is based on the real-life Middle East operative (and supporting partners) who pursued the intelligence for years, culminating in the ‘kill operation’ of bin Laden in 2011. To be certain, the first third of the film may make viewers squeamish. It depicts torture at various CIA detention facilities and affiliated prisons. While we personally witness the sights and sounds of torture, it is through Maya’s reactions that we also react to smells and tactile experiences. Maya starts out learning about the facilities and working within the male-dominated hierarchy. As the film progresses, Maya masters navigating both the interrogation ethics as the country’s leadership changes and the testosterone-driven organization of which she has been

recruited for. Zero Dark Thirty aspires to be a dispassionate telling of the series of events leading up to the discovery of Osama bin Laden. Depending on your own views, it may be difficult to maintain the middle ground. I frame the movie in the storytelling and I found the story well-crafted. From the opening blackness peppered with recordings from 9/11, to the torture that made me cringe, to the relationships

Depending on your own views, it may be difficult to maintain the middle ground. I frame the movie in the storytelling and I found the story well-crafted. built within team members, to the final outcome, I was captivated. That is rather telling for a movie that clocks in at two hours and forty+ minutes. Chastain is supported by a great cast of actors that you may know from other ensemble roles: Jason Clarke (Brotherhood Public Enemies, and Chastain’s co-star in Lawless), Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights, Super 8), Jennifer Ehle (The King’s Speech, Pride & Prejudice), Mark Strong (Tinker Tailor, Sherlock Holmes, RocknRolla, Harold Perrineau (Lost, Matrix).

What’s Happening in the Music Scene? Compiled By Brittany Williams

Keane with Youngblood Hawke

Keane are known for using a piano (or a synth) as the lead instrument instead of

guitars, differentiating them from most other rock bands. The inclusion of a distorted piano effect in 2006 and various synthesisers were a common feature in their music that back then combined the piano rock sound used during their first album and the more electronic sound which developed on the second and third albums. Wednesday, January 30th– STATE THEATRE PORTLAND, doors 7pm/show 8pm, $30 adv/$35 day of show.

The Reverie Runni ng Club Machine with Sara Hallie Richardson Will resume workouts for the semester on Mondays,

Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 1:30-3:30pm.

Interested?

Mike Towle at miketowle25@gmail.com

Hailing from Portland Maine, the Reverie Machine creates a fusion of near ancient song writing and progressive instrumentation. Led by Meghan Yates’s powerful and angelic voice, the songs beg the listener to delve inward and experience the music through their mind, body, and heart. Friday, February 1st – THE OAK & THE AX (Biddeford), show 8pm, $7

10 | January 29, 2013 | TheBEACON

Topping the box office this past weekend was Mama, where Chastain plays Annabel – a punk-rock bassist who must make a huge life adjustment. Five years earlier, a distraught man (Jeffrey) kills his business partners and estranged wife. He abducts his young daughters, escapes to the snowy mountains and crashes their car off a ravine. The three survive and wander in the woods. He finds an abandoned cabin and it appears that he’s going to kill his daughters until a scary something comes at him. Jeffrey’s brother Lucas spends the next five years and all of his resources searching for his family. The country trackers are making their last search. His girlfriend (Annabel) admires his dedication but she’s also almost as relieved that they haven’t been found as she in finding out that she’s dogdged a pregnancy scare. Kids and rock’n’roll just don’t mix. On their last pass, the trackers find the abandoned car. Using their bloodhound to track the scents, they come across the abandoned cabin and near-feral girls. Great news for Lucas; concerning for Annabel. Lucas fights for custody, winning it with the stipulation that the psychologist that’s been observing the girls maintains contact. In fact, he wants to help so much that he provides a house. But what none of the adults know is that Mama has come

Rick Miller & his band

Three-piece Chicago style blues band consisting of lead vocals, guitar, bass, and drums. Once in a while other instruments will be thrown in, as Rick Miller jams the night away. Saturday, February 2nd – GINKO BLUE (Portland), show 9pm, no cover

home with the girls. While it has it’s suspenseful aspects, this is more of a psychological horror than the trailers lead you to believe. Chastain’s ‘Annabel’ doesn’t want kids but, with longer and more concentrated exposure to the girls, her attitude changes. She delivers a believable character adjustment, showing a caring side to the vulnerable girls while maintaining the tough exterior to any that threaten her new family. I’d recommend either film to fans of their respective genres. Mama can be a bit formulaic, but it gave me enough jumps and compelling twists to keep me interested. Zero Dark Thirty is simply a well-crafted telling of hunt for bin Laden. Yes, it’s controversial and you may carry your own opinions into the film, but I believe you may walk out with some different understanding. For a woman working her way into film, it’s exciting to see two such strong stories featuring compelling female characters with women in major production roles. Mama is helmed by first-time director, Andres Muschietti and co-written with his wife, Barbara Muschietti. Zero Dark Thirty is directed by Oscar-winner Kathryn Bigelow. Both movies are in wide distribution in area theaters.

PIRE DINE AND DANCE, show 9:30pm, $6, 21+

Seven Dust with Lacuna Coil

Sevendust is an American heavy metal band from Atlanta, Georgia. Formed in 1994 by bassist Vince Hornsby, drummer Morgan Rose and guitarist John Connolly. After their first demo, lead vocalist Lajon Witherspoon and guitarist Clint Lowery joined the group. Thursday, February 7th – ASYLUM, $29adv/$32 day of, 18+

Dreamship Community Open Mic Britches Featuring Lucia Tricky In an age of auto-tune and manufacmusic, Tricky Britches isn’t just Misch & James tured a throwback – they’re a look forward. Rossi When we tire of the digital and the Award winning slam poetry, and acoustic singer songwriter James Rossi. Worth a look! Saturday, February 2nd – DREAMSHIP. COMMUNITY, show 7pm, $5 (sugg. Donation)

Clash of the Titans: TOOL vs RUSH

Live music upstairs, clash between Tool and Rush vote for your favorites! Wednesday, February 6th EM-

plastic, we can comfort ourselves in the warm embrace of three-part harmonies, fire-breathing fiddle and mandolin licks, and the thump-thump to the gut of a stand-up bass. Not only do they reintroduce us to the delicious crudeness of early twentieth century tunes like “Greasy Coat,” but even their originals sound old as dirt. Saturday, February 9th – EMPIRE DINE AND DANCE, starts at 9pm, $Free!, 21+

Arts&Features State of the Patriots:The Passion of the Fan BY Gerry I will be honest, A Foster perhaps too honest.

If you are sensitive to grown man emotions you might want to stop reading now, and if you recorded the game onto a VHS and haven’t gotten around to watching it yet, please know there are a ton of spoilers in here. I will be so, so, so honest. I apologize ahead of time if I offend you or upset you, if I make you yourself lose faith in the greatest coach/quarterback combination of all time, and probably forever more. I am going to be honest. WHAT SAKGJA;LSKJGBASDKVBJ!!!!!!!?????!@?!?!?!?!?!?! This was the emotion running through my heart and soul about 3 minutes before kick-off. I was pretty laid back all week, didn’t really worry about the game, and honestly felt like we had a lock into the Superbowl. Something changed though, in those 3 minutes, and my stomach flip turned upside down and went into my throat, disabling me from normal breathing. As my lungs started to choke and gasp my heart proceeded to increase in beats per minute until it felt as though a humming bird with a head the size of a sledge hammer was inside of my chest trying to break out like a turtle from a shell. Then I realized something…I had just sat through a kickoff. In my moment of epic uber panic, I had allowed myself to see a kickoff. My heart rate increased even more, and I hung my head in shame, knowing I had just thrown a months’ worth of superstitious luck collecting right out the window. Oh how I had failed. Yea. I’m superstitious. I know…it’s silly, and nothing I do or don’t do

will or will not change the outcome of the game. I know that’s what they tell you in school, and at church, and that’s what “reasonable” people will say. I say this: fans are not reasonable people. There are many things I am not, but what I am, beyond a shadow of a doubt, beyond all reason and reasonability, beyond responsibility and shame and beyond pride and prejudice is a New England Patriots fan. I once told a job I couldn’t work on Sundays because of religious obligations; I was attending the church that Bill built and praising the one true Tom Brady. When they found out and asked me to start working Sundays, I put in my two week notice. I have stopped talking to more than one “friend” because of arguments about the Patriots. I am more superstitious than most. Examples of things that I did this year (this doesn’t include years past): I had been wearing the same T-shirt, button up, pants and socks since the 12th of December up until the loss to the Ravens this past Sunday. I hadn’t watched the kickoff to start a half all year. I sat in the same chair, at the same house, with the same people every Sunday. I had the same breakfast on Sundays all year, as well as the same type of coffee. I ate the same number of sunflower seeds while driving to said location to watch said football games, 224 of them, the number was arbitrary… but it was the same amount every time. I wouldn’t call certain people, or say certain words. I became a total droid serving one hyper-intelligent all-knowing motherboard. I was Kraid and Ridley falling to the all-powerful Samus. I was one of

FITNESS CLASSES Group fitness classes are held in the HUB Gym and are free for students, faculty and staff with valid SMCC identification. Classes begin this Tuesday, January 22th. Have a happy and healthy semester!

ATHLETIC BOOTCAMP Tuesdays and Thursdays 7:00PM - 8:00PM

This course is designed to develop your speed, strength, agility, endurance, and power. Each high energy 60 minute workout consists of a series of functional drills and exercises, sequenced to be both challenging and accessible for all fitness levels (students, athletes, and faculty). We will use a variety of different equipment: agility ladders and rings, nautical ropes, medicine balls, steelbells, kettlebells, superbands, sandbags, jump ropes and weights. There will be sweat.

YOGA

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 12:15pm-1:15pm

CORE FITNESS Monday, Wednesday and Friday 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

This course blends exercises from classical pilates, ashtanga yoga, and functional core work into a fullbody strength and endurance workout. Each exercise and movement will flow into the next, creating a seamless blend that will improve balance, energy, flexibility, concentration, and focus. This class welcomes students of all levels and abilities.

300 Spartans awaiting death from Xerxes and his huge Persian army. I was Gaius Julius Caesar, holding the whole senate at my beck and call. I was all powerful and yet, ultimately, nothing at all. I am a mere afterthought, if that. No games, or poems or plays were made in my honor; I am rather just a joke. I had worked so, so hard, and done so much so perfectly, that it broke my heart to know I had blown it before the game had actually even started.

I spent the next 4 hours of my life curled into a ball whimpering in a plushy green chair.

My friends asked me to stop making those noises, but they were beyond my control. They told me I wasn’t allowed to watch the Superbowl at their house this year because of how I behaved last year; I had screamed at people to stop talking, asked everyone if they even cared, and why they were there at all, and where they had been all season while I watched all the games alone with Jason (co-house owner). I told the other co-house owner’s sister I was going to hit her, and threatened her brother when he stuck up for her. I turned into a bad person. You see…I am not reasonable about all this. We all know they lost, but I knew they had lost in the end of the second quarter when TB12 failed to call a timeout and rushed the team back to the line after a botched play, only to

call said timeout with 5 seconds left on the clock, costing them a touchdown, and ultimately settling for 3 points. I knew they had lost when I saw that kickoff. I am so sorry Patriots nation…this game was my bad. The emotions of a loss like this are the same as the emotions after a breakup. How do I move on? I will never find someone as good as this. I am getting too old. It wasn’t you it was me. I sat and listened to “Unbreak” my heart by Toni Braxton for over an hour then “Careless Whisper,” and then “In Rainbows,” from cover to cover. I cried, sobbed, and punched my dashboard. I ignored phone calls from my Mother, Father, and Fiancée. I sat in the dark on the east end just thinking about next year. What happens next year? Will there even be a next year? Can I keep doing this to myself? Is it worth it? The short answer, in case you’re wondering is: Yes. Writers note: I have really enjoyed writing this every couple of weeks. Do you love a team or a sport yourself? Do you love a team or a sport so much you would like to write about it? Please contact me at gerryafoster@student.smccme.edu or contact the Editor at cott@smccme. edu. I need several writers to keep a sports page going, and I would love to hear your ideas. The State of the Patriots will most likely come to a close with the issue after the Superbowl unless there is a big response for more. Thanks for reading and I hope to hear from you soon.

Support Your Seawolves

Thursday, Feb. 7

The Seawolves of SMCC take on the rival Mustangs of Central Maine Community College

Women play at 6:00 PM Men Play at 8:00 PM Get there early! Students attending will receive free t-shirts and thunder sticks while supplies last. Can’t make it to the big game? Check out http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/smcc.portal for live streaming video of the games.

January 29, 2013 | TheBEACON | 11

Test your knowledge on issues as diverse as: Current Events • Geography • Afghanistan/Pakistan • U.S. Economic Competitiveness • US Education: Competing Globally • UN Millennium Goals: Environmental Sustainability The SMCC International Club is working towards enlightening the community on current international issues. We encourage you to join us in connecting cultures within the SMCC community. At each meeting, we are engaging students in discussions of world events.

Join us for the first meeting of 2013 Tuesday, January 29 Health Sciences 106 12:30 – 1:45

Contact: Dale Das at dalevdas@student.smccme.edu

r Choices WISH improve your note taking? Come to a WISH workshop... e e nlimited ar Uwould like to welcome Do you procrastinate, suffer test anxiety, or want to

Do you think you know the world…?

Join the International Club as we represent SMCC at Maine’s World Quest competition on February 6, 2013 at Greeley High School in Cumberland!

Tues 29 12:30-1:30 pm, HUB, Time Management & Avoiding Procrastination

all new and returning SMCC students to explore endless possibilities with us this semester.

Mon 4 12:00-1:00pm, HUB, Effective Reading & Note-Taking Mon 4 12:00-1:00pm, Matec, Study Skills & Test Taking Tues 5 12:30-1:30pm, HUB, Effective Reading & Note-Taking Mon 11 12:00-1:00pm, HUB, Study Skills & Test Taking Tues 12 12:30-1:30pm, HUB, Study Skills & Test Taking

If you are wondering,

would I fit in?

Here is a little help…

You know you should be a CCU member when:

You don’t have You’re a a clue what to Liberal major in Studies stu-

dent, with You want to find an identity a career that crisis doesn’t involve boredom and/or You want to low pay meet potential You would like to meet successful industry leaders who make $$$$

employers who aren’t tyrants with funny paper hats

You want to take field trips to Las Vegas (well somewhere off campus) You need help, for real… If you are interested and would like to be on our emailing list, please forward your name, email, and major to eryka11@hotmail.com. You will receive notices on upcoming meetings and events.

Workshops In Studying Here at SMCC, is a series of three 1-hour workshops on college study and success skills. These workshops are free to all SMCC students and no advance registration is required. On the South Portland Campus, workshops are held in the 1st floor classroom in the Hutchinson Union Building (HUB), and on the Mid-Coast campus, in room 246 Matec building. WISH drop-in tutoring Tues 10:00-11:00am Academic Achievement Center, SP Thurs 5:00-7:30pm Academic Achievement Center, SP

WISH

workshops are available as video tutorials on MySMCC, you may download them (student tab/resource page). There are also resources available for all WISH topics on MySMCC under the academic departments tab/academic student support/academic achievement resources. Contact: Anna Medina, 207-741-5695 amedina@smccme.edu

Visiting Colleges

There are quite a lot of colleges visiting in January and February. Some will offer 1-on-1 appointments in combination with a lunchtime information table and others will only do an information table in the Campus Center Lobby. The list indicates those with an option for appointments. Please call 741-5626 to set up an on-campus appointment.

Southern New Hampshire University n January 23 Husson University (appointments available) n January 29

University of Southern Maine (appointments available) n January 30 Husson University (appointments available) n February 6

One way or another, get to know these folks! After you wrap up at SMCC, there are a lot of places to go! Some Mid-Coast Campus visits coming up in March!