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THE BEAC N SOUTHERN MAINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE | For the students, by the students
April 28, 2015 Volume 12 Issue 14 mbeacon@smccme.edu
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Mountains & Movies An Interview with Filmmaker and SMCC Professor Huey Coleman By Garrick Hoffman Liberal Arts Major ith summer looming, plenty of us will be hitting the trails and sauntering about the serenity that is nature. More specifically, many of us will no doubt land on the revered Mount Katahdin, Maine’s highest point of elevation and the terminus of the Appalachian Trail. Thirteen years have passed since Huey Coleman, a Communications and New Media professor and independent filmmaker here at SMCC, released his highly acclaimed film, Wilderness and Spirit: A Mountain Called Katahdin. The film illustrates how Katahdin is more than just a topographic number and landmark; it’s also a spiritual sanctuary. Professor Coleman sat down to discuss Wilderness, how it came into fruition, and his affinity for Katahdin. Your film, Wilderness and Spirit what is it about? Originally it was going to be sort of a portrait of Katahdin. But what I found very quickly as I started making it - and I knew this sort of through the Penobscot people as well - it was a sacred place to be people. It represented a spiritual place and there were a lot of different ways of interpreting that, from Henry David Thoreau and the Penobscots and on up to all the contemporary people. At the same time, it was a
wilderness, so I wanted to raise that issue of nature and spirituality as well as a portrait of Katahdin and what it means to the people who go to it. What is your history with Katahdin? What drew you into it and what’s your background with it? The first time we went to Katahdin it was my wife and I, and I was in my thirties. The kids were just born. I grew up in New Hampshire and didn’t come to Maine until I went to Colby College. So I sort of knew of Katahdin but I hadn’t really been there until the 1980s. We just went up once and enjoyed it, and it turned out we went there for 25 years in a row. Our kids sort of grew up every summer knowing they’d be there for one or two weeks in Baxter State Park. At first we’d go for a few days, then we said we wanted to go for a week, then we ended up a good five to eight years where we’d go two full weeks staying right in the park, which was a real wilderness experience because there was no radio, no TV, no nothing. There weren’t cell phones and even if there were they didn’t work. We just felt that was one of the big important decisions as a family. We went with my wife’s sister and their family so it was a big group effort and they were just very memorable times. So I was sitting on the porch one day because we would try to get these cabins
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for part of the time at Kidney Pond and I said, “Gee, I’m a filmmaker and I’ve been coming here and I really like this place. I should make a film about it.”
Huey Coleman on Pamola Peak. Photo from FilmsByHuey.com
them how to make animated movies based on their stories. Of course they’re fantastic stories and lend to animation well. They did a really good job; they were award-winning, and it went very well. One day when I was at the school, Barry Dana, who you see in the film and was the culture teacher, asked me if I would document the Katahdin 100. That’s when I knew I could make the film because I was going to be able to film something that’s never been filmed before, done by the Penobscots. And also they wanted me to document that, so then I knew Barry would be interviewed, and John Bear Mitchell is also seen in the film, so then I knew I could make the film that I wanted to make. Then after that, it was just meeting all the people and coordinating with Baxter State Park and raising funds, which isn’t easy and takes a lot of time. But it all happened and I finished the film. It took about five years and it was in ‘97 that I really started filming, so it was from ‘97 to 2002. It wasn’t your first film, right? No, right off in college I had started making films. I made experimental films; they were short, and when you’re starting off it’s hard to make big feature films. So they were short films, they were in a tradition that was sort of art-world tra-
I don’t know if I’ve seen any other documentaries on Katahdin. There really wasn’t any. There were people that had been in films but no documentaries on it. And if you’re thinking about starting to make a film you have to think about the size and the scale and the money. [Laughs] And I also knew right off that I couldn’t make it without the help or the participation of the Penobscots, so in 1996 I was doing an artisan residency with an Indian Island school, which is in the Indian nation on Indian Island. As it turned out, I was doing a residency, which I’ve done many, many of where I go to a school, work with youth and get them to make movies. So I was at the Indian Island school with Penobscot children and I was teaching
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telling his story outside. I filmed him two different days and Donn was very helpful and I still see him periodically, although it’s been two or three years since I last saw him. Can you tell me about the process of making the movie? What was the most fun, what was the most challenging, what you learned? Well, if you’re not having fun, why are you doing it? [Laughs] Part of the enjoyment is that it’s rewarding when you finish it. It was something I always tell students: make something you have a passion for because in a film, you’re gonna be going back over and over and over and over, so if you don’t have a desire or passion to get this done you’re gonna get bored and drive yourself crazy. Making the film, like getting into Baxter State Park in the winter and up to Chimney Pond and filming the ice climbers with all your gear and all that stuff that’s physically and logistically challenging. But still it’s kind of exhilarating and enjoyable at the same time because you’re there in the winter, and climbing Katahdin - we climbed it at night to get the shots from the summit of Baxter Peak at dawn near the end of the film. We were up there before dawn so we hiked from Chimney Pond starting at about midnight. It took us about four hours and got up there just in time to set up the film. Normally it would take two, two and a half hours and it took us probably three and a half because we were hiking at night with all of our gear. We got lost at one point. Lost on a Mountain in Maine, Part 2 Right? Because you’re on the table land and it’s just flat and you have to find the trail and it’s dark out. But we picked
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dition of film as an art film. They weren’t really documentary. They were more like poems, although a lot of them had humor in them. I worked with actors and they were shown at different film festivals. I had a lot of screenings in Portland in the ‘70s and the early ‘80s, but in the early ‘80s I started making documentary films. That’s what I realized what I really wanted to do. My first film I made on my own that was a documentary - I had already made 20-plus short films - was in 1983, and then I made one on two Franco-American musicians, and then the next one was on a still photographer, Todd Webb, so this was my fourth feature-length documentary - Wilderness and Spirit. When did your interest in filmmaking spark? It was really when I was in Colby College, because when I went to college I was gonna be like a math major or something. I had no idea - no one in my family had been in the arts or anything. But it was at Colby that I met a filmmaker - Abbott Meader who was a painter and did film on the side. They didn’t have a film course. We just hit it off; we’re still friends and colleagues today. He worked quite a bit with me on Wilderness and Spirit. So he was sort of my mentor, colleague, and friend. So it was while it was in college I just started doing it. I was basically self-taught because there weren’t any courses you could take and grad school was out of the question for me financially and there wasn’t any in Maine and I wanted to stay in Maine. I just basically learned myself or on the job. I noticed that Lost on a Mountain in Maine author Donn Fendler was in the movie too. How did that come about? I wanted to be as comprehensive as possible, and of course Donn Fendler’s Lost on a Mountain in Maine is a big story, a lot of people knew it - obviously you did. I think all fourth graders in Maine read it. So I knew of Donn Fendler and his story. I can’t remember how I originally connected with him. It was probably through Buzz Caverly, who was the director of the park. He was very helpful, so he knew Donn Fendler quite well. So we filmed him twice: once he was seen holding up a rock sort of in the shape of Katahdin, and then we filmed him
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SECTION EDITORS Arts&Features Op&Ed Other World On Campus Sports
Alexander Brooks Cory Valentine Jennifer Lague Garrick Hoffman Nickolas Evan Acker Craig Stanley F.A. Coletti Garrick Hoffman Rebekah Marin Erik Squire The Beacon Staff
CONTRIBUTING Liam Broderick WRITERS Ashley Berry Patrick Doyle Nicole-Raye Ellis Dan Herley-Mathieu Najib Ismael Koren Sullivan Ian Ziller ADVISERS Chuck Ott Rachel Guthrie
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a night when there was a full moon, so that helped and we had flashlights, but we were off the trail and we probably lost 15 minutes getting off trail when we realized, “Oh, we’re going the wrong way.” We made it and filmed dawn. So there were those types of challenges, and then getting permission to film and all of that, and the biggest challenge is raising the funds. And we shot it on film so it was more expensive. People today think it isn’t very expensive to film except for crew, but when you’re shooting film, it’s like $120 for every ten minutes, roughly. That’s just raw stock, never mind the transfer so it isn’t like you can turn on a video camera and let it run for an hour. So there were a lot of expenses in making the film. And what I learned? With each film you get better at camera, and I always do a lot of filming in my films, but when I’m interviewing people I always work with a full crew. I learned how to work with a composer to score a film, and that was exciting. I’d sort of done that before but this was the first big scale with composition. I recorded with the Penobscots singing their traditional songs and I cut them a CD. Did you have an intended audience? With being an independent filmmaker coming from an art background that’s always been a problem. At first you don’t have a clue who your audience is gonna be, at least the way I learned filmmaking. I just wanted to make films, and then I would sort of figure out, “Gee, how do I show this?” I wouldn’t recommend that way but I learned that way. So with this, as the film started getting bigger, I started getting smarter and thinking, “Well I gotta think of the audience or else I’m not gonna be able to make the next one after this.” So with my film on Todd Webb, I just learned to find those niche audiences. When it came to Wilderness and Spirit I knew, there’s like 70,000 visitors each summer, so I knew to sell it in the park store. It actually did quite well. I sold lots of them. One thing I didn’t realize was that - the film was done and ready to be premiered in November. Turned out that I finished it in early September and I wanted to allow a month and a half or two months before I actually premiered it. I knew there was a great interest in Maine and Katahdin. They put me on the front page of the Press Herald and I was on two different news stations, so when I did the premiere, I had all this publicity and part of that was the subject. When you’re making documentary films, your subject really publicizes your film. People in Maine really love Katahdin, so it got a lot of press and I did a number of screenings in Maine and they either sold
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out or did really well. Then because I did it at Christmas, it was when people were beginning to switch from VHS to DVD and I just sold a whole bunch of DVDs and VHS for Christmas because it was near Christmas, and I didn’t even think about that when I finished the film! Everybody was saying, “Oh, I want this as a present,” and I still sell it today and I still have screenings for it 13 years later. Where can someone find Wilderness and Spirit? I sell all my DVDs on my website, FilmsByHuey.com, and the library has bought all my films so SMCC students can borrow any of my films from the library. [Baxter State Park] has a store and they sold it for ten years there, and L.L. Bean sold it. I sold a lot through L.L. Bean. What projects are you in pursuit of now? I’m doing a film on Henry David Thoreau. It’s called Henry David Thoreau: Surveyor of the Soul because he was a surveyor and a writer. I started that right after Wilderness and Spirit, in 2004. Then when I started making my film on Marian McPartland, the jazz musician, I sort of put it on hiatus. I’ve got footage from 2005 that I filmed, and then I restarted in 2011 and we’re gonna release in 2017. [Knocks on wood] Right now I’ve raised a good amount of money but I still have a big chunk to go. I’ve been writing a lot of grants, doing fundraising, and doing a lot of filming. Been filming pretty much nonstop since 2012. How can people help with fundraising efforts? I haven’t done a Kickstarter-type thing. Wilderness and Spirit - I raised a lot of money from individuals and I held fundraising parties because Kickstarter wasn’t invented yet. This was in 2000, 2001, that I raised the funds for that. I think there would be a lot of individuals interested in this but I’m not quite ready yet.You need to cut a trailer, which I do have now but I haven’t made it public yet. So I probably will very soon do a public fundraiser for individuals in the next few months. Right now I’ve just been going to institutional funding because I need a big chunk of money to make it. I was hoping to get one or two big grants under my belt and then seek individuals to wrap up the funding. So it’s a matter of timing.You don’t want to start too early. In a Kickstarter, you know within a year it’s gonna happen, and it’s still two years away. I still have to time it so people feel like they’re getting rewarded for their investment. Finally, what’s your favorite trail on Katahdin? I don’t know if I can hike it anymore but Helon Taylor is a bear of a trail, but boy it’s spectacular - crossing Knife’s Edge to Baxter Peak. But now if I go up again I’ll go up and down Saddle. [Laughs] There’s no easy trail up Katahdin; that’s just the easiest. But I also love going up Hamlin Ridge. I love that - you climb like you’re going to Chimney Pond and you take a right, and you go near the Basin Ponds and then up North Basin Pond and go up Hamlin Ridge, and you’re on that peak. And then you can actually come down and slightly up to Saddle and down. That’s a really nice hike. I’ve climbed all the mountains in Baxter State Park. That’s what I like about the other peaks - you get these great views of Katahdin and they’re all different.
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Business Club Volunteers for Habitat for Humanity By Nicole-Raye Ellis embers of the SMCC Business Club volunteered their time to help Habitat for Humanity of Greater Portland on Friday, April 17th. Nicole-Raye Ellis organized the event for the Business Club to help with the construction in a large neighborhood project located in Freeport, Maine. After a brief orientation about Habitat of Humanity (it was established in 1976 and has grown to be one of the largest home-building organizations in the US and the biggest in the world) and an overview of safety procedures, the students got to work. One group of students worked indoors on tasks that included moving appliances, switching over doors of appliances, clean-up and sweeping of a house that will be
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ready for occupancy within the week. The other two groups of students worked outside on another home in the earlier stages of construction doing tasks that included cutting, installing, nailing, and securing outside blue foam board insulation. All Habitat home owners are required to provide community service within their neighborhood and the houses themselves are built to be environmentally friendly and efficient. Participants were students: Sandra Bassett, Andrew Swett, Samantha Miller, Iman Ali, Nicole-Raye Ellis, Dominik Porobic, Lexes White, Adam Booker, and club adviser Steve Strand. It was a great day all around for the Business Club students and Habitat for Humanity!
The Business Club shows their enthusiasm for the Habitat for Humanity worksite. Photo by the Business Club.
Last Call; You Don’t Have to go Home… But You Can’t Stay Here By Erik Squire Education Major ello my fellow SMCCericans. As the semester train comes to a grinding halt, it may be the final destination for some of you. Some of you will be hopping onto the next connection, and the rest will be re-boarding the next semester train. Whatever your case may be, I hope you enjoy the stop in the meantime. For all of us re-boarding in the fall, we can expect some interesting things from our Student Senate, things like lessening the chance of receiving a parking ticket, upping the activities fee by a nominal $5 a semester, and “taking back the tap.” If you’re “all aboard” for these changes, then read below to find out a little more about the initiatives. The Student Senate recently wrote up its own initiative to mark spots outside of parking barriers with “No Parking” signs. The three major parking lots have little cement barriers outlining the parking rows and students frequently park their cars just on the outside of it (and somewhat understandably so). The space is very wide, and it gives students the false impression that it is appropriate to park there; however, parking there doesn’t leave enough space for fire trucks to pass around in an emergency. Ultimately, the knowing or unknowing students get a parking fine for being there. The number of parking tickets given out in the fall semester was around the 1500 range. At $25 a ticket, it can be a challenge for some students to pay, especially when already on such a tight budget. With all of this in mind, The Student Senate set out to draft a proposal to paint “No Parking” signs on the asphalt as a clear deterrent. The proposal was endorsed unanimously by the Senate and was brought before Jay Manhardt, Director of Public Safety & Contract Services here at SMCC. Manhardt told one of the student representatives that he would be happy to look at it over the summer, and consider enacting the proposal. In other news, the Student Senate also unanimously endorsed a proposal brought before the Senate that would increase the activity fee that all students pay, from $25 to $30; a manageable 5-dollar increase. There were a few reasons behind the Senate’s endorsement. First, money has decreased in value since the $25 activity fee was first enacted; if SMCC had kept up with inflation, the fee would now be roughly $33.00. The second reason is that we will be offering a new position in the CeSIL of-
fice, and the fee increase would better help to support the wages for the new position. As anyone who has had interactions with the folks in the CeSIL office would tell you, they work very hard and do so much for the student body; they deserve some extra help. The last reason is that the extra funds for the college and the things we would be able to do with the money would far outweigh the small increase on each student’s individual bill. Lastly, The Student Senate has enlisted an ad hoc committee to campaign for decreasing the use of mass produced plastic disposable water bottles. The campaign, which the committee has named “Taking Back the Tap”, will go into full force next semester, and encourage students to be
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responsible with the resources available to us. The idea was brought before the Senate by History Professor Alicia Harding. Harding spoke regarding all the plastic waste that is produced and all the water that is wasted during the bottling process. The much more economic and ecofriendly way of bringing water to campus, she said, would be to have a refillable water bottle (Nalgene or Mason jar) and fill up at the tap, or use the water fountains on campus. The Student Senate felt that the idea aligned with the Senate’s values and mission. Keep an eye out for this worthy campaign, a campaign that promotes personal responsibility and a
community goal. This will be the last edition of Campus Exposed for this semester; I hope you have enjoyed reading it, as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Peace out home slices!
The Phi Theta Kappa Alpha Chi Nu Honor Society
went to a three-day convention in San Antonio, Texas, attending workshops by esteemed academic institutions like George Washington University and Pearson Education, listening to invigorating speeches made by Malcolm Gladwell, Michio Pacu, and John Legend.You heard it right. We’re just ordinary people doing amazing stuff.
PTK officer team in San Antonio, Texas. Photo by Ben Bussiere. •
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An Awesome Program for Computer Techs By Najib Ismael henever I see an IT technician’s tool kit it is always large. That large tool kit contains a lot of discs and each disc contains at least one program. What if you need 30 programs that are all necessary for troubleshooting? Are you going to carry around 30 discs? Well that is what a lot of technicians do. Let me give you the good news: there is a program that enables you to have more than 100 programs/ISO’s on a single disc, Sardu. Sardu stands for Shardana Antivirus Rescue Disk Utility and was developed by Davide Costa. Sardu is only 11 MB and very easy to use; any average user can cre-
ate this disc without any prior knowledge. The most interesting part is that Sardu will give you the possibility of having a multibootable DVD/USB. This program is free and available for all on http://tinyurl. com/l2anncj and computer technicians are the ones who will benefit the most because they won’t carry around a heavy tool kit any more but a lighter one. With Sardu you can combine all your discs onto one multibootable disc and your job is made quite a bit more efficient.You can have a collection of Antivirus, Utilities, Windows and Linux live programs onto a single DVD/USB. Each category is a collection of its own. For example, you can have
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The Student Dilemma, Part 3
Aristippus thought that their theories had it all figured out. Aristippus believed that happiness came from physical pleasure, not pleasure stemming from the mind. He said that the more intense and immediate something was, the more pleasure it would bring someone. Aristippus wanted only to focus on the present, and not worry about the past or the future. His theory can essentially summed up by using the modern acronym “Y.O.L.O”, meaning you only live once, so make the most of everything while you can. On the other hand, the Epicureans believed focusing on long term peace of mind, and that rationality would lead to a long, stress-free and healthy life. Epicurus said that having only your basic needs fulfilled should be enough for someone to be happy; he was aiming more towards contentment. It is important to recognize
Happiness Through the Lens of Philosophers
By Rebekah Marin Liberal Studies - English Major the final segment of the Student Dilemma we’ll examine different philosopher’s viewpoints on where happiness comes from, how to attain happiness, and some of the few things that could be considered almost universal sources of happiness. Because the semester is coming to a close, it’s important to focus on positivity, and hopefully this insight into how philosophers view happiness will make you consider what you consider happiness to be, and where you derive it from. The essence of happiness does not have a dictionary definition. Having happiness, becoming happy, or feeling happy is subjective. However, philosophers such as
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multiple Antivirus and Windows programs such as XP/7/PE/Recovery disk all on a single disc. Just make sure you have enough space on your media and all your programs are in ISO format to create the disc.You can Google or watch YouTube videos on how to do the process. Once you have your multiboot disc created you can then remove viruses, malicious, test hardware, repair OS, recover data and install Windows Operating Systems. Since this eliminates the need to carry around heaps of different bootable CDs, technicians should take advantage of it.You can also create a multibootable USB instead of a DVD which is very handy
for when there is no optical drive available. Sardu is simply the best solution to combine all your bootable ISO’s into one. Najib Ismael is a member of the Computer Technology Senior Seminar course and is planning on a career in computer network.The link to the online version of this article is on his website: tinyurl.com/pmxssu9
that within these two viewpoints there are a number of variables that can change an individual’s mind about what it means to be happy. There are a number of key “things” that a majority of the world’s population could probably agree on that bring them happiness, such as relationships, health, success, and money. It is these things that people strive to attain because they ensure positive feelings like love and a sense of belonging. Individuals may argue that you can still be happy without any of the things listed above, because happiness is a state of mind. To some people happiness can come from simply thinking positive thoughts and carrying out a lifestyle that exemplifies that mindset. For example, a person who may not have a lot of money can still be happy with what they have. Someone who is happy regardless would probably just hope that their financial situation will improve in the future. Instead of focusing on relationships with other people a person would focus on doing the best things for themselves and learning how to enjoy being “alone.” To people like this, having things that are material also would seem unnecessary within the essence of happiness. Hedonism states that pleasure and happiness are the ultimate goals in life and that pleasure is the number one reason why humans take action. In other words,
happiness is an end goal and not a state of mind. Hedonists basically view humans as selfish beings who only do things to bring themselves happiness, so to say that someone who helps others out of charity is not reasonable or believable. An ethical hedonist believes that seeking pleasure is best, but it is not a law within the means of living a good life. Some people may follow an individualistic hedonism way of living where they believe that bringing happiness to anyone but themselves is not necessary because being happy on their own is enough of a task. A universalistic hedonist believes in doing things in such a way that would be best for an entire society. It is clear to see from the vastly different viewpoints outlined above that the essence of happiness is practically impossible to define. There are certain things that make different people, groups of people, or cultures happier than others. Certain beliefs, mindsets or material things have all been created to please different types of people, meaning that everyone has a different view on what makes them happy, and what happiness truly is. To me, happiness could mean having a positive outlook on life, having a few important relationships paired with a minimum amount of material things, but to another person my age happiness could mean gaining material objects, money, and power through self-serving actions.
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Your Ideas Are Worth Something By Dan Herley-Mathieu ave you ever thought about the power of your ideas? Do you know that nothing would ever exist without initial ideas? Do you know that ideas are what distinguish genius from normal people? Do you know that you can have an idea that is so fantastic that the world will honor it for decades? So now, tell me, why are you afraid of ideas that you have? I want you to take a minute to observe everything around you. I do not know where you are, but I know for sure that you see many things. Now, take a minute analyzing each of the things that you see, just a quick analysis.You realize that most of them are wonderful, right? I want you to keep that in the back of your head; every day we use lots of tools without being conscious of the fact that a long time ago did not exist. So one day someone, just like you, had the idea of creating those uninvented items. I cannot imagine the reactions of friends and family when those previously nonexistent ideas dawned on them. Some might encourage the dreamer (at that time) because they could envision the future of those ideas. However, some might think that they were ridiculous because they had no idea about those ideas. Cells are the fundamental unit of life; ideas are the fundamental unit of creation. Every realization or creation has been preceded by a thought, an idea. I want you to consider trees for example. They are well developed and produce good fruits. When trees grow up, they provide shadows and produce delicious fruits that we consume. I want you to remember that they were simply seeds that were planted in the ground at the beginning. I want you to think of your ideas as the seed of your tree, and the result of your ideas as the fruits of that tree. Remember that you cannot benefit from the fruits of the tree without planting the seed. It all begins with just the seed. Ideas were the seeds of inventions, incredible realizations. Do you think that Orville and Wilbur Wright would ever have invented the airplane without having the idea that it is possible to create something that can fly up in the sky? I want to stress further on the example of trees in the previous paragraph. It is the fact that the seed did not immediately become a big tree after it was planted in the ground. It takes a lot of time to develop and become a big tree. When you have an idea it will not work out quickly as you want it to. It will take time
to finally become something real - maybe it will take hours, days, weeks, months or even years. That does not mean you have to give up because it takes time. Just keep working on your ideas, and one day your hard work will pay off. Ideas need faith. No one would understand your ideas better than yourself. You are the one in control of your ability to think.You are the one who knows the ideas that you have.You are also the first one to believe in their potential for realization. Many have great ideas, but never work on them, or believe they can make them
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Get Off My Lawn! The Ravings of a Chick Who is so Over It
By Koren Sullivan Art Major felt so good to get my old-lady-style complaints off my chest in the last issue of The Beacon...You’d think I wouldn’t have anything else to rant about.Yet, somehow, there’s always more. So, this edition of GOML is geared toward summer, which is nearing quickly, if you can believe it. As we all know, summer is concert season. There are festivals up the wah-zoo happening all around the country. Right here in Maine there are all kinds of good shows to be had, too. But it’s come to my attention that the general public needs to get their collective act together before heading out for a night of music. This is what’s up: I was recently at the Shakey Graves show at the State Theatre. Shakey’s show was solid. That guy plays the kick drum like nobody’s business, plus he’s pretty adorable. (teehee) But the cantankerous ole woman inside me began to rear her scary head nearly as soon as he took the stage. Here’s why: 1.You have a smartphone...You, presumably, really dig the dude on the stage... You want to take a quick picture to Instagram/Snapchat/Tweet/whatever... Fine. Take the damned picture and then PUT THE PHONE IN YOUR POCKET. Nobody behind you dropped $20 to watch the show via your two-inch smartphone screen, which happens to be blocking the view. 2.You snagged tickets to a show with the love of your life. Or hopefully, it’s
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happen. They do not believe that they can have extraordinary ideas. They put the few ideas that they have in a corner and close them up. They stop believing in the power to realize a dream. I want to tell you that even the craziest ideas that you have is worth something. Most of the inventions come from crazy ideas; things that most people would not even think of. I want you to believe that your ideas are worth something. I want you to tell your family, friends and people you know that their ideas are worth something. I want you to start giving importance to
your ideas. I promise you that if you do not act based on your ideas, then some person like me, who is a natural thinker, will steal them and make them real before you do. I do not want to scare you. However, I want you to have faith in yourself and in your ideas. Have faith that you can begin something phenomenal with just your idea. Write down ideas that you have, plan them well, and work on them every day. “Everything begins with an idea.” -Earl Nightengale
at least someone whom you’re mildly interested. I’m elated for you-- truly, I am. I love young love! Or old love! Any love at all! But if you want to sit in front of me, massaging your hipster/cowboy (I can’t tell) boyfriend’s head-- running your fingers through his long, dark locks throughout the entire show-- then maybe you guys ought to just head home and watch the DVD from the comfort of your own bedroom. 3. There’s a bar in the concert venue...You’re 21+...You want to have some drinks... Fine! Just don’t forget that you’re at an actual concert and that it’s not just a bar with live music! There’s nothing more annoying than buying a ticket to a show, only to have the artist come back out on
stage for an encore-- a nice, acoustic ballad that he wrote-- only to have the dull roar of the crowd’s chit chat ruin the moment. I was both annoyed and embarrassed for us as an audience. I mean, this was not singing along to the music... This was the sound of being in a very loud bar where everyone’s trying to talk over the music. (I actually shushed someone during a show at the Bangor Waterfront last year for this exact same reason. Thankfully, it takes more than that to embarrass my husband, who was with me at the time.) That’s all. When you’re jamming at Firefly or Bonaroo this summer, just try to remember these few things, wouldja? But don’t forget to dance!
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OpEd
Page 6 • April 28, 2015
Tanning: Suicide on the Surface By Garrick Hoffman Liberal Arts Major you’re reading this, summer is either right around the corner or is already here. The advent of the summer invariably denotes that we’ll be stepping outside in the sun and watching as our skin either darkens or reddens. Will you look more like a brownie, or more like a lobster? However, summer isn’t the only time for doing what so many of us delight in to enhance our (ostensible) sexiness. Winter no doubt involves hitting the booths for an ever-productive hour of tanning, and some quite evidently enjoy this process and result more than others. But as many of us well know, yet irreverently continue to ignore, is that prolonged exposure to the sun and tanning booths can be incredibly perilous to our health. The CDC reports that skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States.Three types of skin cancer, according to the fifth edition of Biology of Humans, are: • Basal cell carcinoma (the most common form) • Squamous cell carcinoma (the second most common form) • Melanoma (the least common, yet most dangerous form) The sun radiates two wavelengths, UV-A and UV-B. The latter is the high-
er-energy portion, causing skin to burn, and the former is the lower portion, which recent research suggests can potentially weaken the body’s immune system, and thus atrophies its ability to fight melanoma. Tanning booths emit UV-A and the salons claim it’s safer, but with “the apparent link between UV-A and the increased risk of melanoma, the potential danger of these ‘safe’ wavelengths is now obvious,” Biology of Humans notes. Indoor tanning is principally how people tan in the winter, and according to the Skin Cancer Foundation, the annual revenue of the indoor tanning industry exceeds $5 billion, with females comprising 71% of indoor tanning patrons. All three skin cancers can be attained via tanning booths. Both the CDC and Biology of Humans firmly admonish that we avoid tanning salons. So why do people go tanning, if they
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• Each year there are more new cases of skin cancer than the combined incidence of cancers of the breast, prostate, lung and colon. • Treatment of nonmelanoma skin cancers increased by nearly 77 percent between 1992 and 2006. • Over the past three decades, more people have had skin cancer than all other cancers combined. • One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime. • Between 40 and 50 percent of Americans who live to age 65 will have either BCC or SCC at least once. • Just one indoor tanning session increases users’ chances of developing melanoma by 20 percent, and each additional session during the same year boosts the risk almost another two percent. • Individuals who have used tanning beds 10 or more times in their lives have a 34 percent increased risk of developing melanoma compared to those who have never used tanning beds. • 13 percent of high school students have indoor-tanned in the past year, including over 27 percent of 12th grade females and almost 31 percent of non-Hispanic white females.
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produced by our country’s abject obsession with what constitutes the quintessentially beautiful person. It’s in our best interest not to regard and practice in society’s expectations of us, not to subscribe to the beauty which the media odiously perpetuates, and not to obsess over beauty, but to esteem our health in the utmost fashion and recognize the beauty we already harbor from within. To protect yourself in the summer sun, it’s advised that we use a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15, allowing your skin to absorb it in case of perspiration; wear a hat and clothing to cover your skin; and wear sunglasses that block UV-A and UV-B rays. As for tanning indoors, well… Don’t turn a tanning booth into your coffin.
Skin Cancer Facts, as presented on the Skin Cancer Foundation website
The Gilded Age
By Ian Ziller Political Science Major hrough the 19th century and early 20th there was a period in U.S. political history known as the “Gilded Age,” which was a time marked by political corruption and where corporate interests dominated the political system. For example, patronage and the powerful political machine dominated the political system, and the way it worked was like this: the wealthy political machine world run candidates who supported them, then they would pay voters to vote a certain way on election way. Sometimes they would provide housing to the poor and expect votes, and then once their candidates got in power they would perform public building projects that cost money and they would pay money in exchange for the building. Contracts for these projects were given to the machine, and the contracts favored the political machines, often giving them a great deal with them being paid by the government (which was controlled by their supporters) many times what the projects were worth. That was one part of the corruption during this period. Another part of the system was the civil service or government jobs, in which after elections politicians would give these jobs to their political supporters. To address this corruption, the system had two reforms. One was the invention of the secret ballot, and the second reform was a change in the government jobs so that people got jobs based on qualifications and not based on knowing elected leaders. These reforms were good. We still have some problems today, but the reforms were for the best.
understand it’s so dangerous? “It’s something a lot of people sort of look for in the skin tone,” says YouTube vlogger Ashley Jackson. “And it makes me a feel a lot more confident. ...It makes me feel a whole lot better.” Maisarah Miskoon, a student at SMCC, lamented, “I feel kind of sad for girls who [tan], like they’re forced to - to fit in a social group. I don’t think it’s healthy at all, physically and emotionally.” Indeed, tanning - more specifically indoor tanning - is an unfortunate method to enhance one’s beauty. In fact, depending on who you ask, it does not enhance beauty at all because it rests not in an organic essence, but in a terribly unnatural and forced essence. By purposeful tanning, one is essentially risking a slow suicide and/or adverse health conditions to feel a superficial self-esteem and a false beauty, a habit that is
• Of melanoma cases among 18-to29-year-olds who had tanned indoors, 76 percent were attributable to tanning bed use. • People who first use a tanning bed before age 35 increase their risk for melanoma by 75 percent. • Nearly 30 million people tan indoors in the U.S. every year.31 Two to three million of them are teens. • The indoor tanning industry has annual estimated revenue of $5 billion. • People who use tanning beds are 2.5 times more likely to develop squamous cell carcinoma and 1.5 times more likely to develop basal cell carcinoma. • Seventy-one percent of tanning salon patrons are females. • On an average day, more than one million Americans use tanning salons. • Frequent tanners using new high-pressure sunlamps may receive as much as 12 times the annual UVA dose compared to the dose they receive from sun exposure. • More people develop skin cancer because of tanning than develop lung cancer because of smoking. • More than 419,000 cases of skin cancer in the US each year are linked to
indoor tanning, including about 245,000 basal cell carcinomas, 168,000 squamous cell carcinomas, and 6,200 melanomas. • Eleven states now prohibit indoor tanning for minors younger than age 18: California, Vermont, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Illinois, Washington, Minnesota, Louisiana, Hawaii, and Delaware. • An estimated 1,957 indoor tanners landed in US emergency rooms in 2012 after burning their skin or eyes, fainting or suffering other injuries. • The International Agency for Research on Cancer, an affiliate of the World Health Organization, includes ultraviolet (UV) tanning devices in its Group 1, a list of the most dangerous cancer-causing substances. Group 1 also includes agents such as plutonium, cigarettes, and solar UV radiation. • Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is a proven human carcinogen. • Indoor tanners have a 69 percent increased risk of early-onset basal cell carcinoma.
Letter to the Editor Dear Editor,
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he end of semester means many things: summer beaches, barbecues, and the election of new officers to the executive board of SMCC’S Student Senate. One candidate whom I would like to endorse is Erik Squire. His past experiences and vision of a better SMCC is exactly what the Student Senate needs as it begins to tackle the issues of the upcoming school year. Erik, the current Vice President on the executive board of the Student Senate, was sworn into the vice presidency about a month ago; before that he was a student representative to the senate. As an active member of the senate, he has been a driving force behind the committee, enacting a peer mentoring program in which students will be able to earn credits towards graduation. This initiative will have a lasting positive impact on the students of SMCC. Having a mentor program to help incoming students that may struggle will provide ex-
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tra support and could increase the number of students who make it to graduation. In addition to work with the peer mentoring program, Erik is a section editor for the On Campus section in The Beacon, where he makes sure to report on all the important information students ought to know. His involvement with the press demonstrates his beliefs in transparency, a trait that would carry that over to the presidency. Erik is also a member of Phi Theta Kappa, an international honor society, and serves as the Northern New England Region Vice President, as well as the President of the Alpha Chi Nu chapter. He also serves as the Chairman of the Student Welfare Committee. When Erik was asked what his mission would be if he was elected he said, “I will increase representation of the student body by recruiting new senators and searching out the needs of SMCC’s students. I will
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collaborate with the senate and other governing bodies at SMCC to create and enact initiatives, proposals, and policies that better the welfare of the student body. I will work with clubs to address their needs and promote their success (both in participation and financially). I believe if we are proactive and work together we can accomplish great things, and I will offer the leadership and vision to get us there.” Erik’s mission statement shows that he is very aware of some of the major problems on campus and that he will address those problems directly. His involvement in leadership roles on campus is extensive and demonstrates his passion for the students of SMCC and how hard he will work at bettering and maintaining the rich environment for learning on campus. Sincerely, Ashley Knight
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OpEd
April 28, 2015 • Page 7
Maine’s Gun Control Should Not be Lessened
By Ashley Berry Liberal Arts - Political Science andy Hook, Virginia Tech, Columbine, Aurora, and the list goes on. Everyone knows those names because they carry such immense weight. They are not just names of places or schools, they are symbols of tragedy and they are very much symbols of failure. Failure to enact gun control laws that are reasonable and safe. No one wants to tackle the challenge because it’s such a hot button issue. The hardcore second amendment freaks will not even entertain the idea of strict gun control, and here in Maine they’ve gone one step further in their ridiculous and unnecessary crusade to
abolish it. LD 652 is legislation sponsored by Senator Eric Brakey, who is a Republican from Auburn. The legislation will change the current law that requires someone to apply for a permit to carry a concealed weapon. The law currently states that someone who wants to carry a concealed weapon has to apply for a permit to their town or to the Maine State Police. In order to get the permit an applicant has to fill out a lengthy questionnaire that asks questions about criminal convictions, drug use, violent offenses, and violation of protection orders. The questionnaire also asks applicants about their mental health.
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We Are Not Failures By Ashley Berry Liberal Arts - Political Science overnor LePage, please hear us, the Maine Community College System is not a failure. If there is a failure it is your policy of flat funding the system, forcing out MCCS President Fitzsimmons who believed deeply in education and in his students. Placing blame solely on the MCCS for not enacting a transfer program with four-year institutions in Maine, specifically University of Maine-Orono, when there are plenty of programs with excellent transfer records with other schools, undermines and cheapens the quality education offered in the MCCS. Your response at last week’s Eggs and Issues to the question of flat funding the MCCS, and the reasons for the decrease in funding was not only off-putting, but baffling. When you asked this question by Ralph Carmona, a Southern Maine Community College instructor, you responded, “I have never been one that likes to reward failure,” then cited an example of a tenured professor at USM who is also an adjunct at SMCC, whose class had the same book and same curriculum but that the credits were not transferable. How can a system be deemed a failure by this one non-specific example? Why not find actual students and ask them about their transfer experiences? It is the students who determine the success of a school, not one example of one class’s transferability. Is it fair to determine the success of a system solely on the number of students that transfer to schools within Maine? Kate Sibole, the prior head of the Communications and New Media department at SMCC, does not agree, stating, “If a student wants to transfer to the UMaine system, then great. But it’s not for everyone. We can’t be dinged for helping students find their ideal match elsewhere.” What if there is a school in another state that better meets the student’s needs or dreams? Does that mean the system is targeted and labeled as ineffective or as a failure? That does not seem accurate and it certainly is not fair. In response to the critique of transferability to UMS system schools, Kate said, “So why exactly is it that our students have had seamless experiences transferring to Harvard, University of Southern California, Emerson, NESCOM, University of the Arts, The Art Institute of New England, The Art Institute of Florida, University of North Carolina, Montserrat, and University of Arizona? Is
there something so much ‘better’ at 4 year colleges in Maine that allows them this Holy Grail complex?” Institutions of higher learning are supposed to foster learning, help students make good career decisions, and most importantly, to make the decisions that the student will be the most happy with. Institutions of higher learning are not meant to be a pawn in the Governor’s politics. There are many alumni of SMCC that have moved on to achieve extraordinary accomplishments both in and out of Maine. These students, who one would think would be offended to know they are thought of as the product of a failed school system, had only good things to say about SMCC. We are not failures, we are champions for producing success in the face of a governor who wants nothing more than to condemn us for not conforming exactly to his policies, as though he is the only person who knows how to run an education system. We ask you to think, do some research, and find real evidence before making these failure claims. The success of students with experiences at MCCS, and students who have had negative experiences with UMaine schools, is not the fault of the MCCS. SMCC graduate, Rachel Fisk, was asked about her transfer experience between SMCC and USM and said, “I went to SMCC after I attended USM for some years
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In order to get the permit they must also prove that they have a knowledge of handgun safety. Concealed carry permits are one of the only forms of gun control that the state of Maine has. Taking away this one barrier will just lessen the distance between Maine citizens and violence. If this passes, Brakey will be doing harm that he obviously does not comprehend. Polling done in Maine by Goodwin Simon Strategic Research shows that the citizens of this state do not support repealing the current law. 84% of voters in Maine think a permit should be required to carry a concealed weapon. 87% believe that the
current law should stay. 87% is a very large majority, and in democracy the majority rules. Well in theory, not always in politics. This type of right-wing lunacy tends to come in groups and it gains momentum fast. One state passes and then another and it keeps gaining power and then it becomes an even bigger problem for this nation. It is completely backwards of where this state and where this country need to go.
and changed my major. After completing two years at SMCC, I transferred back to USM into the art department where they accepted all my credits but not as art. After two long months trying to get that taken care of I was able to finish up my education with a BFA. The art department at USM was great but the new media transfer was horrible and I was extremely disappointed. If I did not attend SMCC and take classes in CNMS I don’t know where I would be! Because of the education I received from SMCC I now have a job in marketing.” After finishing her degree at USM, Rachel came back to SMCC to work as the Unit Marketing Coordinator for Sodexo Food Services. When events are put on in the dining hall and in the Seawolves Café, it is Rachel that organizes them. SMCC was such a fantastic place to go to school and offered her such a superior education that she chose to come back here to work; that really shows what a first-rate institution this is and the lasting impact the school has on students. Victor Rios, who is also an alumnus of SMCC and USM, shared his thoughts: “...USM is a good school, but my experience at SMCC was better
than that at USM. I was able to apply more of what I learned to the goal I was trying to achieve. Plus, Randy Visser, a retired professor, referred someone for me to reach out to and talk about my business before I even started it. He believed in what I was doing and went out of his way to help me. Currently I own my own business as a designer and consultant, and I also offer my services through contract work. SMCC helped me achieve this. So thank you Kate Sibole and all of the SMCC faculty for all your hard work while I was attending SMCC. It has not, nor ever will be forgotten. ” SMCC is not just about credits transferring to other schools. SMCC is about the experience a student has going to a school where the faculty and staff care about the student’s goals and will go out of their way to help them achieve them. As Kate Sibole so beautifully illustrated, “It’s the experiential qualities that can’t be assessed and easily measured and squished into a credit box that satisfies other institutional policies. That, right there, is our SMCC zeitgeist.”
Illustration By Craig Stanley
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Fledgling Artists Flee the Nest By Koren Sullivan Art Major a graduating senior of the SMCC art program, I’ve got to say it’s been an awesome semester. (And not just because I’m graduating!) Spring 2015 started out very casual and low-key, but as we near commencement time, things are getting fast and furious. The most recent excitement has been for those of us taking ARTH-295 Portfolio Seminar with Instructor Jeff Badger. It’s like a crash course in everything you need to know in order to
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get out there and be an artist. We’ve learned how to write artist statements, bios and resumes. We’ve studied up on artist grants, residencies, etc. We interviewed established artists and we devised a plan to work with local elementary students in an after school art program. The course is culminating in a student art exhibit at an off-campus gallery. (The exhibit is currently underway at 3fish Gallery, 377 Cumberland Avenue, Portland, as this last issue of the 2014-2015 Beacon goes to press.)
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Photo by Koren Sullivan
The last few weeks of getting the show together have definitely been the most fun part of the semester. It’s not been stressfree, however, as we’ve all had to agree on the various details of the exhibition from soup to nuts. Which means we needed to figure out what the show’s press release should say, what the postcard announcements would look like, and what pieces should be hanging where in the gallery. Despite the plethora of decisions to be made, it’s been a blast. Students participating in the exhibit are: Joe Auclair, Mayra Azucena Bello, Kristen Burke, Veronica DeSanctis, Angela Gray, Lauren Kennedy, Miranda Newman, Gayle L Perry, and, yours truly, Koren Sullivan. I asked my classmates to give me their thoughts on both the show and their time spent in the art program and they had plenty of great stuff to say. Regarding our Portfolio class, Lauren said, “The small class size made conversations feel more intimate and meaningful, giving our time a laid-back vibe.” And Mayra said this, “My favorite thing about getting the show up was working as a team with my classmates. Seeing the final product and how we put it all together... it brought me great joy.” I agree with both statements, as this was a pretty chill class, but one in which we’ve all grown so much as we moved toward this exhibit. Plus, I really enjoyed watching some of my fellow classmates learn how to use a drill for what looked like the first time. (Don’t worry guys-- I’m not naming names!)
Jeff Badger had this to say about the exhibit: “This show is a great example of the diversity and strength of the art program here at SMCC. We have sculpture, photo, fibers, printmaking, video, jewelry, drawing, and painting all created by students of different ages and backgrounds. Each student brought their own interests and past experience to the program, and then used the faculty and facilities at SMCC to further develop their craft. Each of these students has a bright future and I’m excited to see where they go next!”
Photo by Koren Sullivan
Metal Up Yr Ass:The Final Edition By Garrick Hoffman Liberal Arts Major
enters our ears, and who then subsequently treats his steering wheel as if it’s a mobile drum set. I’d supply the head banging. Although I don’t typically like to compare, Metallica is leagues ahead of their predecessor, ...And Justice For All, which falls flat and has dropped off my radar almost entirely. I’lll even venture to say that this album is a masterpiece, even if there are a few weaker children in the Black Album family. Every single song is worth listening to. There are virtually no “skip tracks” - the entire album can be listened to without skipping a tune. It’s no wonder Metallica came to be their magnum opus, at least in terms of sales, since the same purists will dispute its sound changed for the worst, and because Metallica also has Master of Puppets under its belt. The standout gems, according to this Metallica nerd, are “Holier Than Thou”, “The God That Failed” (an outstanding song that receives little attention and virtually no live play), and “My Friend of Misery”. Have a good summer, folks! For those about to rock, The Beacon salutes you.
Album of the issue: Metallica, aka “The Black Album”
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ne of Metallica’s most controversial albums, Metallica exploded on the charts, and has now been certified sixteen times platinum - that’s over sixteen million copies sold. It’s been heavily criticized by ‘Tallica purists, saying they went “mainstream” and “sold out” with a new radio-friendly sound that they previously had not effused. Dismissing the Black Album opponents and curmudgeons, Metallica is a driving, galloping, kick ass album. Major singles include “Sad But True” (one of my least favorites), “The Unforgiven” (great tune, but my least favorite ballad of theirs), and of course, “Enter Sandman.” “Enter” has a resonanting significance for me because every time I listen to it I think of being in the car with my dad, who invariably turns the volume knob all the way to the right as soon as the opening riff
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Swallow This...I Guess?
and tender bits of brisket. On the other hand, my handsome husband ordered a buffalo chicken wrap that wasn’t available on the dinner menu. (Our bartender gains +1 service point for offering him something from the lunch menu, even though it was past lunch hours.) He requested it with no bleu cheese dressing and no ranch. Usually, this is where things get ugly... my darling has a weird thing about not liking condiments-- especially if they’re white. Don’t ask. This means NO mayo, NO sour cream, NO ranch, NO bleu cheese, etc. It’s totally weird, but he
A dining review of South Portland’s Easy Day By Koren Sullivan Art Major
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seems that I am quite possibly the last person in South Portland to set foot through the doors of Easy Day restaurant. It’s a 250-seat restaurant, bar and bowling alley...all wrapped up into one. Given Easy Day’s proximity to the Greenbelt and SMCC, it’s a, well...easy spot to meet up with some friends after class. I popped into Easy Day late on a Sunday afternoon, in an attempt to catch the tail end of a Red Sox-Orioles Game and grab a quick bite. Upon entering the restaurant, I was surprised to see how airy and modern it is inside. Looking at the building’s brick facade, you’d never know that inside are huge windows offering an excellent view of Portland and the Fore River. There are TVs everywhere-- at the bar, throughout the restaurant and at the ends of the bowling lanes. The bar area is large and roomy, with plenty of seating, and that’s where we bellied up so we’d have a good view of the game. (Although, there are so many TVs in there, I don’t know how you wouldn’t have a good view.) As it turned out, a couple of friends were sitting directly next to us, so we chatted with them for a moment and the bartender came by for our drink order. After a few minutes, our beverages appeared-- though she never did ask if we wanted to eat anything. Twenty minutes after our arrival, I finally asked to see a menu. (I’m taking a point off my imaginary service scale for the oversight... and minus -1 atmosphere point for the weird, rubber smell drifting from the bowling alley.) Easy Day’s menu is pretty typical American pub fare. Nothing gourmet here, though not for lack of trying. On the apps menu, you’ll find fresh, steamed mussels with chorizo ($12) and a crispy parmesan risotto cake ($8). There’s also the usual pub stuff: nachos ($11), wings (sm. $7/lg. $13), loaded potato skins ($9). There’s also a $12 hummus platter. Now, listen, I’m kind of a hippie, but I’m not spending $12 on hummus, dude. In the end, I chose the Easy Day Nachos. Ordering nachos at a restaurant is kind of my way of deciding how good the place is.You take the most basic, simple dish and see how they approach it. I guess nachos are the constant in my restaurant “science” experiments. So, these nachos: they were kinda weird. They arrived on a metal pizza pan... the cheese was a house-made sauce of “alfredo, cheddar & ale sauce”. I don’t know what I thought that would mean, but whatever I thought... this wasn’t it. My nachos were a goopy mess and totally reminded me of the ones you’d get if you ordered at the Happy Wheels skate center snack bar when you were a kid. ‘Cept with an ale aftertaste. There were also pepperoncinis (normally I love ‘em, but they just didn’t go with this ale-cheese sauce.) Ditto for the Italian sausage. There was supposedly bacon, too, but I don’t recall seeing any. Overall, these nachos were “meh.” And for eleven bucks, I expect more than “meh.” Especially since the nachos I reviewed at Elsmere two weeks ago were only $10, and those ones came with real shredded cheese SOUTHERN MAINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
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is completely serious about it. Somehow, though, servers never quite understand just how serious he is, so they forget to hit the “no white stuff ” button. Then when his food arrives, he has to send it back to have the offending white stuff removed. I’m happy to say that, in this case, though, we didn’t have to go through that whole scene. The wrap arrived exactly as he’d ordered. (Phew!) The final verdict: head here to hang out with friends and get in some bowling. Order the buffalo chicken wrap for six bucks. Or maybe try a chili dog for the
same price. TripAdvisor reviewers say that the pizza is great here. Just don’t bother with the nachos. Bowling by the game is available for $4/adult... Mon-Thursday, 11a-5p only. The rest of the time, you’ll have to pay for the lane at the hourly rate of $30. Adult shoe rentals will set you back $3.50 ea. They advertise live music every Wednesday night. Easy Day is located at 725 Broadway in SoPo. Winter hours (changing soon): Sun-Thurs, 11a-11p, and Fri/Sat from 11a-Midnight. Tel. (207) 200-2226/www. easydaysopo.com
Hoffman on Hollywood “Lost in Translation” By Garrick Hoffman Liberal Arts Major
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what are you doing here?” Charlotte asks. “Taking a break from my wife, forgetting my son’s birthday, and getting paid $2 million to endorse whiskey when I could be doing a play somewhere,” Bob responds. “But the good thing is the whiskey works.” Sofia Coppolla’s Lost in Translation, released in 2003, features Bill Murray as Bob Harris and Scarlett Johansson as Charlotte. Bob and Charlotte have something in common: they’re both in a foreign land and are unsure how they feel about it and unsure about their lives as a whole. They question their purpose and muse on whether they’re just wandering in life. Charlotte is seen crying on the phone with her friend, who seems indifferent to Charlotte’s despondence and uncertainty. Bob is seen on the phone with his wife, who seems largely indifferent to his existence altogether, while Bob yearns for her affection, misses his children who can be heard in the background, and feels he is not receiving from his wife what he’d like to receive. Charlotte is in Japan to accompany her boyfriend while Bob is in Japan to do whiskey commercials. Charlotte is young and beautiful; Bob is probably twice her age and, though a movie star, “ain’t no spring chicken.” They’re both adjusting to Tokyo life, and both of them have this somber cloud hovering over their heads at virtually all times, although they do an excellent job at masking this around strangers. Charlotte seems dissatisfied with her husband, and Bob is clearly not satisfied with how his wife reciprocates his affection. Perhaps because of these dynamics, when Bob and Charlotte meet, they realize that each other serves what they’ve been longing for from their significant others. The title of the film proves to be multi-dimensional: they’re lost in language as English speakers in a Japanese culture, but they’re also both lost in their lives. Furthermore, despite their affection for each other (Bob’s being more apparent and Charlotte’s being chiefly enigmatic), they’re also unable to translate their feelings into words. This is because they’re both tied down to their respective husband and wife, they both are conscious of the impermanence of their stay in Tokyo, and even the age-attraction gap might be a catalyst as well. They come so close to stepping over the threshold of adultery and/or the professing of feelings, but always resist.
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What Lost in Translation excels in is comic relief and generating sympathy for the characters. It’s tender and poignant, but the gravity of it all is alleviated by Murray’s character and the absurd moments that punctuate the film. It’s also sweet and fun, and it’s easy to smile fondly as we watch the two main characters get along so superbly and have fun in this strange environment. An intimacy is generated between them, and the relationship of Bob and Charlotte seems to be treading somewhere between friendship and romance. It almost immediately becomes clear that Bob harbors feelings for her, and when we see Charlotte react to a girl in Bob’s hotel room, there’s no longer any doubt that she shares the same feelings. Nonetheless, it’s never made verbally explicit, so Bob in particular is always left wondering.
Lost in Translation is a wonderful “dramedy” that tugs on our heartstrings while also painting a smile on our faces. Coppolla takes a consummate approach to maintaining tension and allowing problems to go unsolved between Bob and Charlotte that ultimately keep us engaged and keep us speculating. It never spills into the Land of Predictability, which no doubt would have hurt the film. Although the emotions are chiefly between our two main characters, we are choiceless in allowing ourselves to vicariously feel these same emotions. We want the characters to finally cross the line into the romance territory, because it’s what they want. But we do get what we want at the end, because Murray’s character is at least a little bit satisfied before he leaves Tokyo, and we cheer in celebration, but indubitably with an air of poignancy.
By Patrick Doyle Liberal Arts - English Major ast night I went on some sort of inspired writing spree. All of the poems here will remain nameless, like all of the nameless that wander the world; those we don’t know, don’t know yet or the ones unaccounted for. This is not all of them, but these are some. Just take them for what they are; bursts of thoughts without really thinking.
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1 Those things you can't explain that just happen and you know something is above and beyond yourself. Don't deny it, indulge it. Allow it to breathe, allow it to flow through the vein like elixirs.
2 I need a cave to divide what the world supplies Birth, death, temptation Require to build my own Nation. Separation, excluding Happiness and positivity, exuding Lost in the pleasure of a simple handshake and greeting Leave the old world behind for a new, meaningful meeting.
3 Interpersonal relationships keep us alive because everything else is covered in smog unless you give yrself completely over to self survival. I'm not good at this. I need and love people and I need the same. It can lead to unpleasant times, but we need those to live.
4 If you sit in silence for ten minutes a day you might be better to the world.
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Sports
April 28, 2015 • Page 11
SMCC Sweeps CMCC
Softball - Baseball (Continued from Page 12)
By Liam Broderick Liberal Arts Major ur beloved Sewolves dominated the CMCC Mustangs 5-1 on Thursday, April 16th. The Seawolves were lead by their incredible depth and an ace crew on the mound against conference rival the Mustangs. The Seawolves offense was lead by a sacrafice fly by Brandon Locke and RBI doubles from Jon Daniszewski, Kyle Reichert, and Joe Apon. The SMCC pitching staff was unflappable. Left hander Michael Mageles picked up the win, with 3 strikeouts in 4 innings, and no earned runs. Mageles was relieved by Anthony Campagnoli, Kyle Reichert, and Phillip Langely. Between the patient and successful bats, and crack pitching team, the Seawolves will move forward with the conference title in their sight.
across the plate as Seawolves starting pitcher Nate Boyle would last all 7 innings, striking out 7 and only giving up three hits. The Men Wolves would finally get on the scoreboard in the fourth inning when Kyle Reichert collected an RBU with a single that drove in Justin Ciszewski. The Wolves plated three more runs in the sixth inning as designated hitter Caleb Burpee drove in a run with a single. A wild pitch and an error by NHTI lead to two more runs and the Seawolves were on their way to splitting the double-header in a realm of “maybe a parallel universe does exist” afternoon. The Beacon wishes both squads the best of luck with their remaining games against the College of Saint Joseph’s of
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Against CMCC, the SMCC pitching staff combined for 9 strikeouts and 7 walks, while allowing 2 hits and facing 34 batters.
After a successful season, the Seawolves returned to action in the YSCC playoffs which will take place on the SMCC campus in South Portland.
Shaun Adams grabs a fly to center field as unidentified Mustang looks to advance. SMCC is batting .300 while their on base percentage is .396.
Making the Case for Marcus Mariota
By Liam Broderick Liberal Arts Major his year at the 2015 Rose Bowl, it was the college football quarterback matchup everybody had been waiting for. The Florida State Seminoles, led by quarterback Jameis Winston, faced Marcus Mariota and the de facto behemoth Oregon Ducks. The Ducks dominated the Seminoles 59-20. What stood out about the game was how the two seemingly equal quarterbacks looked almost entirely different on the field. Mariota was dominant, throwing for 338 yards with a 72% completion rating and even rushed for 62 yards with a touchdown. Winston only threw for 64% completion rate, and rushed for -15 yards on 8 attempts. Although they both threw an interception apiece, and their passing yardage was comparable, this represented something bigger. The 2015 Rose Bowl was a spectacle in its own for sure, but it was also a great introduction to the two quarterbacks to the masses that tend to watch the NFL more than college football. Soon enough, both Winston and Mariota will be household names in the NFL, as they’re slated on nearly every draft prediction sheet to be the first quarterbacks to go. The 2015 NFL draft is on April 30 and this year, the first pick in the NFL Draft goes to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buca have been struggling with locker room issues and missing puzzle piece lineups for years. This year, the team has put immense interest and focus on using their first round pick to draft a quarterback to help lead their borderline anemic offense. Between veteran wide receiver, 32 year old Vincent Jackson, and the explosive
2014 performance of the 21 year old Mike Evans, it’s tough to say a new quarterback wouldn’t have weapons. Not to mention the presence of a competent when healthy running back like Doug Martin eases the transition for both the team and the new quarterback. Draft predictions around the world have the Buccaneers slated to pick Winston in the first round. According to Newsweek’s Bob Glauber, they have “dropped strong hints throughout the pre-draft process that quarterback is their top priority and Winston is their top choice.” The question on my mind, and on many others around the country feels almost silly to ask: Why not Heisman winner Marcus Mariota? It seems silly because Mariota has been talked about as the number one draft pick since midway through the 2014 college football season. Mariota’s college career was astounding, passing for just under 11,000 yards in 41 games, and showing excellent command both in and out of the pocket. In fact, he rushed for a hair over 2200 yards in his three seasons at the University of Oregon. Mariota has proven athleticism, blowing every other quarterback out of the water with a mean 4.52 forty yard dash at the NFL scouting combine. Former NFL coach Tony Dungy has even likened him to a young Aaron Rodgers. Among other things, Mariota has been noted for his work ethic and academic success both in high school and at Oregon, proving his diligence. Winston is another great quarterback, playing two seasons at Florida State, but can he really compete for the first round pick? While playing in fewer games than Mariota,
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the two had similar college careers; similar completion rates, yards per attempt, and Winston even averaged more yards per season than Mariota. The key difference statistically seemed to a difference in the rushing game. Winston averages about 2 yards per rush, and he’s much more hesitant to run than Mariota. Given that the Buccaneers offensive line is far from successful, a mobile quarterback is necessary for their offensive productivity. Then there’s the elephant in the room. On April 16, Erica Kinsmen filed a lawsuit against Winston for sexual battery and assault, among other despicable crimes. There does seem to be very credible evidence, including text messages and Facebook statuses by teammates, that indicate Winston may have drugged and raped Kins-
men. For a team to sign a player like that is making a dangerous gamble, regardless of guilt. Harboring a criminal player without serious discipline could end as bad as Aaron Hernandez did for the Patriots. Signing a party-oriented quarterback with an alcohol problem didn’t work out so well for the Cleveland Browns signing of 2014 draft prospect Johnny Manziel, who since draft day last year has been involved in bar brawls and rehab more than playing football. Signing a player attached to a sexual battery and assault civil law suit is a serious red flag, whereas a player with a Heisman trophy and a good report card is a safe investment. As I see near-unanimous agreement on the issue of Jameis Winston going first in the draft, there had to be a case made for Marcus Mariota.
FINISH STRONG The race to May will be over before you know it – so take a minute now to make sure you’re planning for that home stretch: Make time to visit Tutoring and sharpen your skills before final exams. Drop-In to work with a Writing Tutor and make sure your essay structure is just right. Put in some time with a Librarian to access top-notch sources and cite them perfectly.
The Learning Commons is open 7 days a week, including evenings, to help you run every semester as your BEST semester!
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SMCC SPORTS Softball - Baseball Come on SMCC Strong
Post Combined 13-5 Record Last Two Weeks By The Beacon Sports Staff egardless of a spring that is reluctant to venture north of the Mason Dixon Line, the SMCC softball and baseball teams have turned up the heat over the last 2 weeks. While both teams have combined for an impressive 13-5 record overall, their combined conference record barely has slipped above .500% at 5-3. On the upside of the conference record, both teams have swept Central Maine Community College in their season series, taking 6 out of 6 and outscoring the Mustangs 75-13. For coverage of the latest SMCC/CMCC baseball games see page 12. On the not-so-well-done side of the softball and baseball conference record, the Wolves have posted a 1-3 record this spring against New Hampshire Technical Institute, and a 4-5 season series against the Concord crews while being bested 47-30 in runs scored. Since the last Beacon, the Lady Wolves have reversed their fortunes on the softball diamond, compiling a 7-2 record and pulling their conference record to within 2 games of .500% (4-6), while outscoring their opponents 84-45. The lady’s overall record now stands at 10-11 with 2 games remaining against conference foe St. Joseph’s of Vermont, which were played in Vermont on the 26th.
The Lady Wolves have won 4 games against Dean College (11-2, 15-3, 7-5 and 11-30), taken 2 against CMCC (8-0 and 8-4), and won handily against Northern Essex Community College 23-4. The only thorn in their side over the course of the last 9 games has been conference powerhouse NHTI (9-1 in YSCC play), who the Lady Wolves lost their April 12th double header to by the scores of 0-14 and 1-10. In the realm of maybe a parallel universe that has presented itself, the Men Wolves have posted a 5-4 since the last Beacon. SMCC grabbed wins over University-Maine Presque Isle (12-2 and 5-2), over CMCC (5-1 and 20-4), split a double header with NHTI (1-4 and 4-1 thus the parallel universe reference), were swept in a double header by Dean College (2-12 twice), and lost to Northern Essex Community College 5-7. The game of the last two weeks for the Lady Wolves has to be their April 23rd, 8-3 victory over CMCC in South Portland. After spotting the Mustangs a 2-run lead in the bottom of the first inning, the Lady Wolves started to chip away, plating 1 run in the bottom of the first. The Lady Wolves hit the mother load in the bottom of the second inning as 4 batters crossed home plate. The offensive outburst was started with a single by Erica Brochu, which was
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Unidentified Seawolves crossed the place patting one run to what would be a thrashing of Northern Essex Community College, 23-4.
lowed by a triple by pitcher Charlotte Lewis, driving Brochu home. Charlotte Lewis, Anna Allard and Kathryn Gilio touched home plate twice each, accounting for 6 of the 8 runs SMCC plated. Charlotte Lewis belted out two triples, earning her two RBI’s. Anna Allard found the bases four times, collecting two RBI’s, as did Kathryn Gilio who went 3-4 at the plate. On the men’s side of the diamonds, the game of the last two weeks has to be the realm of maybe another parallel universe that exists: a double-header against New Hampshire Technical Institute in which SMCC and NHTI both won one game with
the score of 4-1. In the first game, the Lynx grabbed a one-run lead in the top of the fourth inning after 3 innings of scoreless play. After the Seawolves were not able to respond in the bottom of the fourth inning, NHTI would pad their lead by plating 3 more runs in the top of the fifth inning. Michael Mageles would be the only SMCC batter to cross the plate in the bottom of the sixth inning, cutting the Lynx lead to 3. In the second game, NHTI grabbed a one-run lead in the top of the first inning but was never able to force another batter (Continued on Page 11)
Anthony Camphanoli places a perfect pick-off throw to first basemen Kyle Reichert against Northern Essex Community College. SMCC would drop the game 7-5.
ACTION ON THE DIAMONDS Baseball
Softball
4/27-28 - Bridgton Academy Callenge Cup 4/29 - Bridgton Academy 5/2 YSCC - Playoffs
5/2 - YSCC Playoffs
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