The SMCC Beacon 9-23-2014 by The Beacon

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SEPTEMBER 23, 2014

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VOLUME 12 ¤ ISSUE 2

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SMCC’s Sexual Awareness Week Sex-Ed; It’s Not Just About Abstinence

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hat started out as a ServiceLearning project for a Leadership Philosophy class became an annual Awareness Week for Rik Sawyer from the CeSIL office (Center for Student Involvement and Leadership). With the help of Shane Long, Director of Residence Life and Student Involvement, and Madelyn Holm, the AmeriCorps Vista Civic Engagement Coordinator, he planned a plethora of events that sheds light on issues surrounding sexual health, concerns, and healthy relationships. For the second year running, “Sexual Awareness Week” was made possible by the CeSIL office here in SMCC and student volunteers. The series of events held this year ranged from: “Speak about It,” an open discussion focused on healthy relationships and the importance of consent, “The Sexperts,” a forum-like panel of experts answering questions directed by students, “The Dating Game,” a game inspired by the famous television show staring Chuck Woolery, “Condom Casino,” an event held at the Campus Center where students get to enjoy games such as Texas holdem and Jeopardy using condoms as chips, and finally, the film screening of “Let’s Talk about Sex.” A comparative documentary on the different attitudes towards intercourse between American adolescents and their European counterparts, which ended the week of sexual awareness on a Friday night. One of the students who went to “Speak about it” described the event

Ins ide

Other World

Pages 2-3

Solar Power

Op & Ed Pages 4-5

Class, Race, and Poverty

Arts & Features Pages 6-7

Dining Out

Campus News Pages 8-10

SMCC White Water Rafting Trip

Sports

Pages 11-12 SMCC Baseball Updates

9/11 Remembrances

as “intense, yet funny” alluding to the energetic presentation that had real life examples that “reflect real relationships and real sexuality,” while Gina, one of the “Sexperts” from Nomia Erotic Boutique, claimed that it was one of the best forums she had ever attended stating that the crowd of 22 was sophisticated and had insightful questions. Carlin Whitehouse, a student here at SMCC, as well as the host of “The Dating Game,” also revealed that he had a ball of a time being “Tom Foolery” for SMCC’s version of the popular show.

Screwing around during the sex week seminar.

Photo by Kenneth Reddinger

Remembering Strength in Silence on the bugle as the flag was lowered by security officers to half-mast. The ceremony ended with Professor Dave MacLean playing “Amazing Grace” on the bagpipes.

cloudy Thursday morning in September did not daunt a crowd of 60 from uniting to remember 9/11 here on the SMCC South Portland campus. They were gathered in front of the Campus Center as Ms. Tiffanie Bentley, the Dean of Student Life, uttered a brief yet poignant soliloquy on the strength of the community in times of adversity before honoring the men and women in uniform who had defended and are still defending the United States against terrorism happening all around the world. Her speech was followed by a moment of silence. Bryan Noyes, a veteran and former SMCC student who currently is working at the Maine Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) then played taps

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An assembly of 40 students and faculty members attended a ceremony at the Mid-Coast campus, which is home to the Maine Fire Service Institute (MFSI). William Guidon, the Director of MFSI, addressed the gathering on the importance of remembering the heroic acts and sacrifices of servicemen and civilians on that day and on being thankful for the progress the nation has made thus far. Then a moment of silence was observed as the American flag was ¤

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lowered to half-mass by a staff member from the MFSI. People were also encouraged to visit the 9/11 Memorial they had on campus. Across the nation, people gathered in many different ways to remember the day. Ceremonies ranged from: the 3,000-named roll call at the 9/11 museum, the two beams of light projected into the sky above the World Trade Center site, wearing a light blue ribbon, writing a one woman play, having a pancake brunch, as well as the numerous moments worth of silence. In varying degrees of emotional intensity, all of them had one thing in common – remembering the people: the heroic servicemen and women, the fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, daughters, and sons who perished that faithful day. Surely, their deeds and strength live on in our moments of silence and in our hearts.

By Maisarah Miskoon

Photo by Clark Canfield

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Similar to the actual show, contestants were asked provocative questions, as well as some serious ones concerning sexual issues such as sexual abuse. The ones who were able to do so got the crowd’s approval and won themselves a date. This event attracted about 40 students from the residence halls. Mr. Whitehouse further observed that the participants were more reserved than expected, but alluded that to the beginning of the semester where students were still getting to know each other and hoped for participants to be more engaging in the future. The main agenda of the week was evident in every one of the events that are planned. During a brief interview with Shane Long, he mentioned that the week’s focus is on “healthy relationships” and “not about abstinence” after revealing that much of the sexual education taught in high school for the last 10 years were focused on the latter rather than educating adolescents on safer and consensual sex. The array of topics that included sexual assaults and counseling were presented in an entertaining and relatable yet educational way. He further emphasized that having a week of events such as this ensures a well-informed student body and hopefully, prevent any problems in the future. He added that SMCC has “a very good policy and the college is very conscientious when dealing with cases of sexual misconduct due to a very structured process (that we have) in place versus a lot of other schools”. This is imperative with the rise of sexual violence in many of the renowned colleges across the nation and their mishandling of such cases. In one such case, Emma Sulkowicz who is a student at Columbia University resorted to dragging her mattress around campus as a performance piece in protest of the college’s decision to allow her rapist to continue his studies. This action rallied more than a 100 fellow students to do the same to affect change within the school policies. Ultimately however, she had to carry the weight of the assault on her shoulder, a burden which never should had happen to begin with. With awareness and counseling services here in SMCC, Shane Long hopes that cases like this would be prevented due to education, support, and openness between student, teachers, and staff. If you do need someone to talk to, or know someone who does, please call 207-741-5629 or email counseling@ smccME.edu. Alternatively, you can call Family Crisis hotline at 1866-8344357 or check out their website at www.familycrisis.org.

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Science Watch Room: Your Brain on Exercise: Part Deux

ere is the second (and hopefully final) installment of my summer experience working in a neuroscience lab at the University of New England, under a Maine-INBRE Fellowship. I was awarded a National Institutes of Health sponsored fellowship geared towards biomedical research, and I chose to carry it out at UNE’s

Biddeford campus for 10 weeks over the summer. To catch up from part one, visit our Wordpress site at: http:// thesmccbeacon.wordpress.com Pain, or the perception thereof, is handled by an interconnected web of brain regions and nerves. This interconnected web is commonly referred to as the pain matrix. Pain is not really

inancial $ itness Fair $

September 25th 8:30 am and 10:00 am

Sign up for the Town & Country Federal Credit Union/SMCC Financial Fitness Fair. Learn essential financial skills that will help you be a savvy borrower and succeed after college.

Town & Country knows that it’s hard to get started in life.You have to juggle student loans, housing costs and trying to save. The workshop will provide a financial snapshot of the “real world.” Learn to build a spending plan that includes:

Clothing: Create a wardrobe spending plan that fits your life, career and income. Credit: Learn how to build, manage and use credit. Education: Student loans; how much you should borrow. Food: Create a food budget so you don’t have to eat Raman Noodles every day. Extras: Manage needs vs. wants when it comes to travel or a night on the town. Housing: Learn how to handle one of the biggest expenses you will face. Utilities and Furnishings: Having a place to sit and sleep can be expensive. Savings and Spending: How to manage your accounts and make a plan. Transportation: Find the wheels that are right for your life and budget. Town & Country financial coaches will be available throughout the morning to answer questions and discuss your budget and spending plans.

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Tammy Huisingh Alex Brooks, Jennifer Lague Alex Brooks Erik Squire Campus News Maisarah Miskoon The Other World Garrick Hoffman Op & Ed Patrick Doyle Arts & Features Sam Coombs Sports

Contributing Writers Teddy Burrage, Taylor Chretien Rebecca Cosgrove, Dierdree Glassford Jason Glynn, James Loomis, Rebekah Marin, Sineah McGrady, Larry Murphy Carlin Whitehouse, Ian Ziller Photography Editor Photographers

Jennifer Lague Kenneth Reddinger, Lauran Viola, Sam Coombs

Chuck Ott, Rachel Guthrie

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Visit the Beacon Blog at thesmccbeacon.wordpress.com

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a “thing,” but rather a perception and/ or response to a stimulus, and is designed to keep us safe, or remove that hand from the fire. We had to evolve different ways of perceiving and/or dealing with pain to survive. There are two-main parts of this pain pathway: the inhibition side, which deals with the incoming signals, or the descending inhibition side, which nulls the pain. The inhibition side has been well studied. This is where things like non-steroidal-anti-inflammatory (NSAIDS like Advil), local anesthesia, and opioids (e.g., Oxycontin) work; but the descending pathway – discovered recently – is relatively unknown. This pathway is believed to be regulated by an endogenous (internal) opioid system, through neurotransmitters such as: serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. My pilot study was an interesting one, not just topically, but because it was a collaboration of sorts due to my limited time there. So I used rats from other – but related – studies. The rats had already been given osteoarthritis, and most had been subjected to an exercise regimen. I looked into a group of OA-exercised rats, a group of OA-sedentary rats, and a group of non-OAnon-exercised rats as a control. We hypothesized that exercise was causing this descending inhibition side to be up-regulated, meaning it worked better, and this would be observable through increased levels of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) – a molecular precursor to dopamine and/or norepinephrine. This up-regulation would be quantifiable by immunohistochemical techniques. We initially wanted to look at three brain regions, but decided to hone in on the rostral anterior cingulate cortex – a prefrontal cortex region implicated in the emotional aspect in the perception of pain. So now that we had a hypothesis,

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it was time to get testing it!! I did this by using the well-known Rat Brain Atlas – yes, there really is an atlas dedicated to rat brains; rats are one of science’s most-used models after all. Once located, I used a cryostat to slice and plate numerous rat brains from different cohorts. Once sliced and plated on charged slides, I began staining for immunohistochemistry. This is a process that uses antibodies to adhere to specific antigens (proteins) if they are present; the antibodies are marked with fluorescent tags to be visible under a fluorescent microscope. We used antigens known to be associated with TH – our target molecule. After everything was stained, it was time to image them on a fluorescent scope, and analyze the intensity of the fluorescence using FIJI (or ImageJ) software. This software measures intensity through pixel values, and you can compare the values within sections, or bilaterally. What I found did support our hypothesis; there was a noticeable increase in TH expression in the cohort that was given arthritis and then exercised. What does this mean? Great question, and since this was a pilot study, I have provided other scientists with a new road to explore. Since TH is a precursor molecule, it could mean that dopamine is increased, or norepinephrine. More quantitative research, such as Western Blot Analysis, is currently underway to figure out what this means. Alas, that is science in the real world; sometimes you don’t find answers to questions, but rather more questions to answer. At the end of the day, it was a great experience; and a life-changing one at that – as I have swapped majors because real science is much more slow-paced and more boring than I had anticipated. But I digress, that’s for the next addition to this story!!!

By Jason Glynn

Liberal Studies Major

Looking for a place to study where support is available if you need it? Drop-in tutoring is available in the CAMPUS CENTER in South Portland, LEARNING COMMONS, 2ND FLOOR. Get help with: • ACCOUNTING • PHYSIOLOGY • MATH • PHYSICS • AND MORE!

Check out our fall semester schedule at:

http://smccme.libguides.com/drop-in-tutoring

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Solar Power in 2014: A New Milestone

a recent publication by news website Article 3, a heartening headline stole the featured spot under its Tech section: “Solar Now Powering Half A Million Homes and Businesses”. According to A3, “Every 40 minutes, the amount of solar energy that falls on the earth’s surface is equal to the total annual energy consumption of all human activities. In other words, 27 years’ worth of worldwide energy consumption equals only one day’s worth of solar energy hitting the earth.” With half a million homes and business generating solar power, the news marks a milestone for America and its solar power industry, which has begun to gain significant traction. That figure comprises a rate of 53% of generated energy that stems from solar power in America in the second quarter of 2014. The solar market is expected to vitalize with considerable growth in the upcoming years with the access to funding, reduction in pricing as a result of design and engineering enhancements and

innovations, and sales channels that are constantly in the process of diversifying. The A3 article mentions that, according to The Q2 2014 U.S. Solar Market Insight Report, “the U.S. installed 1,133 megawatts (MW) of solar photovoltaics (PV) in the second quarter of this year. The residential and commercial segments accounted for nearly half of all solar PV installations in the quarter.” It goes on to include that “Across the United States, cumulative PV and concentrating solar power (CSP) operating capacity has surpassed 15.9 gigawatts (GW), enough to power more than 3.2 million homes.” By the end of this year, it reports, the gigawatts of photovoltaic installment will be up by 36% from 2013. As the advent of widespread photovoltaic installation has come under way, the economy has since become subject to noteworthy improvement. As of today, the solar industry employs 143,000 Americans, and injects upwards of $15 billion into the economy.

My Euro-Trip: Germany

promised, here is trip number two in my four edition series, journaling my travels abroad. In this article I will thoroughly divulge my incredible adventures in: (drumroll please…) Mid-Eastern Germany! I took my early AM flight from beautiful Barcelona into the hustle and bustle of Frankfurt. When I walked into the Frankfurt airport I realized they had compartments INSIDE the airport for people to smoke. Within an hour my very good German friend Philipp Karl, who I stayed with for most of my time in Germany, picked me up. We shared some hardy laughs on the drive home, as we talked about the old times of making home videos where Philipp was a renegade soldier who tried to train an army of superior chickens. I digress. We arrived in Philipp’s unbelievable hometown of Seckenheim. The Gothic half-timber-framed buildings were what stuck out to me the most. I had only ever seen them in movies, and to see almost every house built like this made it seem as if I were on a set. Philipp took me to the city where he worked, which happened to be the world famous Heidelberg. It is in the top ten most beautiful cities I’ve ever been to. The river Neckar separates the city and a bridge of towers and arches that connected it. Up in the distance was the most extraordinary castle, Heidelberg Castle, I have ever seen. Philipp and I had coffee in the outside sitting area of a café and soaked in the surroundings. We walked through the city, which was almost entirely comprised of carefully constructed buildings of old. After Philipp went to work I took the ferry up the river and then made my way up to the castle. Heidelberg Castle sits high up in the city and once I arrived, I had a phenomenal view of the scenery below. I toured the castle, saw the sights, including an enormous keg that filled an entire room, and learned about a man who drank a bottle of wine every day

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and lived a very long time. One day when Philipp was working again, I decided to visit my other friend Roger, in Karlsruhe. I took a rideshare to get there and was seriously gypped by the driver. It’s okay though, I got to converse with a very attractive law student on the drive down, so it was worth it. When I arrived, Roger took me to his farm and let me drive his industrial sized tractor, and I even got a lift on the forks protruding from the bucket. Later, he toured me around the college city. He walked by beautiful structures, pleasant little parks, and perfectly planned squares. I took the train back to Heidelberg and got off at the wrong station. Apparently there are four stations for one city. My friends laughed at this, but only because they don’t understand how underdeveloped Maine is. That night Philipp picked me up at the station, and we drove to a bar in Heidelberg. I had my very first beer, -I’m 22, but I don’t drink- I had to; after all it is such a large part of the German culture. We decided to make our way to the top of the city and experience the views by night. It was mesmerizing. The whole city was lit up and sitting perfectly positioned along the river. The night air was magnificent, both warm and welcoming. There I stood with great people, absorbing every bit of the moment that I could take in. On our way home I asked Philipp to stop by the bridge that led into Seckenheim. Philipp had previously told about how his grandfather instructed him to crawl over the giant arch of the bridge when he was younger. His grandfather told him that in order to become an official citizen of the city, he had to cross over it. Let’s just say that, that night I became an honorary citizen of Seckenheim.

By Erik Squire

Early Childhood Education

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Residing in an epoch of new technology, clean alternatives to energy, and an abundance of evidence that attributes our fossil fuel consumption to a plethora of adverse byproducts, it is our duty to alter the landscape of energy sources. As made evident, the sun can and should serve as one of the pillars for our energy consumption. If we have the means to harness the mighty power of the sun, it is both irresponsible and asinine to continue to rely upon fossil fuels. They are slowly becoming a thing of the past. A century of its use has proven enough. They pushed us through the industrial revolution and beyond, but like fossils themselves, they should be buried - buried in the past of human society. It is no time to have a myopic, skewed, or selfish approach to energy. The evidence has made clear that the use of fossil fuels has levied a tremendously abysmal effect on the world and its inhabitants. They are volatile, non-renewable resources; if we continue

to use them, they will be extinct - but maybe not before we are. Of course, with entire industries slowly perishing, many a worker will see their job lost. But if we cling to this unfortunate fact, progress may never be seen. As quoted from the Fight Club film, “you wanna make an omelette, you gotta break some eggs.” Furthermore, The agenda of a proclean energy individual is not that of a “tree-hugging liberal,” but rather, it’s lodged in the order of good conscience and conscientiousness of human beings. This is the future of us humans and the many living things we co-exist with. If the sun is the engine of life, it should serve as the engine of our energy. If the sun can produce in a day what we globally produce in 27 years with fossil fuels - energy wise - that should be enough to jar and spur you. This article boasts that we are taking the steps into the right direction, but we still have much work to do.

by Garrick Hoffman

Simplicity to Complicity

or those of you who didn’t hear about a recent security issue, at the end of last semester an issue with the way web sites transmitted your passwords and security information was over an open line. Which meant that anyone with the right, or wrong knowledge could use this to get your passwords. There are two ways to make this harder on these people. 1) Is to make your password a COMPLEX one and I’m not talking just This_is_my_complex_password (note the underscore would not be there), but something more like this: 10rD0fTh3r!nG$. Obviously the password could be shorter, but can anyone who is not a geek, or good with letter swapping guess what it is? For those of you who don’t want to have to think about using a special character in place of letters or take the few seconds to make a complex password. There is a software program that I use to make complex passwords for myself, it’s called: https://lastpass.com/ This is a very secure service that was not affected by the 3year security issue. This serves will create your passwords with the complexity rules used above. The service also gives you the option for multi-layered authentication, which means you could use more than one password to access your password vault. One of the ways you could secure your data is to add a One Time Password (OTP). The purpose of an OTP is that it only works once. So when you add an OTP on top of your credentials, if you get hacked, the hacker can only get half way into your info. All that is, is an error that the password is wrong cause they are trying to use an OTP. That’s

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just what it says it is only good once. As well as your real password. I hope you don’t make it simple. The service I listed above gives you that option. One of the devices I recommend is called a yubikey, you can get one at https://store.yubico. com/lastpass The cost is a onetime fee ranging from $33.00-$70.00. The fee will include a twelve-month subscription to lastpass, and give you a yubikey for an OTP generator. The reason I would recommend this device is that it generates a 128-bit encrypted OTP at 128-bit encryption on top of another 128-bit encryption. They have recently released a key that will send a near field communication (NFC) signal. This will work with your mobile device. If you use your banks mobile banking application on your cell or tablet, then I would recommend this key for you as it encrypts your data securely. The last trick I can recommend to you is that when you are setting up an account on a new web site. Make the password about that site, or the reason you’re on that site. Don’t forget to through in a number or two, with a few special characters as well. The key to using this method is that you all ways put your numbers in the same part of the password every time as well as the special characters you use. Lastly, for those of you wondering what this 10rD0fTh3r!nG$ is, its lorD_of_The_rinGs. I hope this was helpful for those who needed seek securing their online information.

By James Loomis

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Pro-Active Advice ad•vice /ed’vis/

guidance or recommendations concerning prudent future action.

Coffee, Tea, or a Band-Aid for your knee? Let’ talk about stuff, baby. Let’s talk about you and me. Let’s talk about all the good things and the bad thing that may be. Let’s talk about YOU. Let’s talk about what you find troubling and what’s been bugging you. So without further ado (or at risk of over-alliteration or violating any copyright infringement)

I’m going to shut my trap and get down to solving some questions! Also, holler if you need me at maisarahmiskoon@smccme.edu. Dearest Maisarah, I’m bothered about what’s been going on in the news lately about violence and domestic abuse. How could victims of domestic abuse not want to leave their abusers or report these horrible things, which were happening to them? How could they stay in the relationship? More specifically, how

could Janay Rice not see that being Ray Rice’s punching bag is not okay?! It is not okay. Janay Rice is an unfortunate victim of abuse. I do not claim to have any insight to her life or what she is/ has been going through, but I know that violence is never right and my body is a temple (and in some temples, they burn incense). If you know of or know anyone who is being abused, whether it is sexual abuse, verbal abuse, or physical abuse, please lend her or him a helping hand. Direct them to an SMCC counselor at counseling@smccME.edu, or call 1-800-799-SAFE for the National Domestic Violence Hotline, be a supportive friend, and help them through this tough time. Dearest Maisarah, There’s hardly much to do around campus besides studying, taking tests, and more studying. Worse of all, I’m beginning to miss my friends and fam-

ily back at home. I’m missing home cooked meals, my own room, a clean and tidy bathroom, and my teddybear. Tell me, does it get any easier? My heart goes out to you, friend. I used to feel that way too until I went back home and started missing my independence, my freedom, and generally being the captain of my own ship. Being in college, I sleep, eat, drink, study, and work on my own terms. When I get a little nostalgic (worse when it’s that time of the month), I’d call up my Mom on Skype, who would nag me (as Asian mothers tend to do), and feel better. I got myself involve with the on-campus food pantry, joined the Honors society, and write for the Beacon. Before you make any commitments, always remember that schoolwork and studying comes first. Never bite off more than you can chew, my young Padawan.

By Maisarah Miskoon

SMCC’s Art Department Celebrates Tenth Year Art Faculty exhibits at Lewis Gallery, Portland Public Library

ould you imagine SMCC without its art department? To celebrate the SMCC Fine Arts Program’s 10th birthday, nearly 30 active faculty members are showcasing their work in the Lewis Gallery at the Portland Public Library. The Art department offers classes ranging from printmaking and painting, to metalworking, and woodworking. The pieces in the show were a delightful representation of the talent that the SMCC Fine Arts professors posses. As soon as I walked down the staircase into the gallery, a video called “Bulls Eye” caught my eye. The video, produced by Jeff Badger and Brett Plymale, showed a series of arrows stuck into bullseyes on a number of trees in the woods. As I stood watching the video transition from one tree to another, while birds peacefully chirped in the background, I found myself wondering what the ultimate purpose of the video would be. To my surprise, the end of the video showed an archer, played by Jeff Badger, shooting his arrow into a tree, then walking up to it and drawing a bullseye around the arrow. Although

my first reaction was to let out a chuckle, I quickly grasped the message. I saw it as an ode to success and deception, and how they often go hand in hand. I found Shannon Googins’ work to be particularly captivating. Four white wooden boxes with plexiglass fronts were fixed on a wall in a line. The first box had braided rope assembled, as it would look when it is ready to be used. Each box following had the rope unbraided a little bit more, until the last box held strands so small and pulled apart it looked like yellow strands of hair. I admired that Googins took an object not normally recognized as beautiful or unique and transformed it into such an aesthetically pleasing piece of artwork. The progression of the rope showed varying textures and the color of the rope seemed to brighten as it became more separated. I walked away from this piece with a new appreciation for the many underrepresented, useful and

complex items that are a part of everyday life. As a college student who is constantly wishing away this time in my life, I found Tyler Gulden’s “Serving Tray” particularly pleasing. His gorgeous piece of stoneware had me yearning for a kitchen of my own where the tray could be on display. The salt and soda fired tray was an array of blues, greens, and tan with a subtle sparkle that I was silently swooning over. Aside from wishing I could take the tray home with me to my imaginary kitchen, I found myself admiring the craftsmanship. Being an unskilled potter myself, I appreciated the sturdiness of the piece and the small details that made it unique like the curvature of the tray at each end. The exhibition will remain open free of charge to the public at the Portland Public Library through September 27th.

By Rebekah Marin

Liberal Arts Major with a concentration in English

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Photo by Dylan Verner

ere, Congress Street is closed to traffic for Portland’s First Friday Art Walk in June of this year. The monthly cultural event regularly attracts more than 3,000 people. The Beacon’s Wordpress is currently featuring a column by Beacon staffer Garrick Hoffman in which he discusses his experiences there as an artist and attendee.

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rts &Features

Flatbreads

72 Commercial St #5, Portland, ME 04101 (207) 772-8777

a rainy dark and cold night all you can think about when you are out in the cold is getting back to the warmth. No better way than to pay a visit to the warmest place in Portland, Flatbreads! A wood-fired clay oven that not only heats your finger tips as you walk into the lobby but also doubles as the heat that sizzles the cheese to your pizza. Coming into the warmth of the lobby and being greeted by the enigmatic smile of the hostess immediately put us at ease, and helped to keep us patient during the 25 minute wait for a seat. If you are interested in catching a meal on a rainy Saturday night, I suggest planning ahead and preparing for the wait, because everyone knows that Flatbreads is the place to fill their belly and their hearts. With a completely open kitchen and nothing to hide, the chefs at Flatbreads take pride in both their presentation and the flavors that they put out in every meal. This seems to be a great combination that draws in crowds of all ages. From an older couple that looked like they had been together since the dawn of time, to a group of

college friends going out for the night, to a mother with her two small children, Flatbreads was able to hold the attention of all. Being a very large establishment with a back patio that looks over the pier you would think that there are not too many places to have a nice and cozy first date, if you are thinking that, you would be mistaken! Although the area is large and on a Saturday night very packed, there are plenty of comfortable booths and secret corners with low lighting that offers a sense of privacy and plenty of room for talk. Large tables here and there offer a great place to bring family for a night out or a lunch. Since it’s a pizza place usually you would go there with the idea of sharing a large pie with friends, family, or your special someone. I brought my special someone out with me to help keep me warm and give me company, and we were very pleased with the meal we shared and the time we spent together. We decided to order a salad to share, and although I ended up with most of it on my plate, he enjoyed the fresh organic greens as well. With their homemade tangy ginger-tamari vinaigrette and sweet leafy greens, this allorganic salad added the freshness that my palette was craving and helped tame the growling of my stomach until

Fall, the Season of My Essence

abor Day happened and now it feels more like autumn. That’s okay to me, I always enjoy the recycling-type-feeling that this time of year represents… also B-horror movies, The Misfits ('77-'83, duh), Scorpio birthdays (Scorpio = autumnal, right, or is that just totes Scorpio of me to say?), harvest traditions, brisk day hikes in the woods…gee, all of these instances of fall’s beautiful reds and oranges of both color and mood, who cares about summer? Since I have a Scorpio birthday (Oct. 28th), which is also near Samhain (aka Halloween), I start to feel more like myself as we near this time period. Granted the solstice doesn’t happen until September 22nd but I can feel it pouring through me! These poems conjure up some feelings that appear to me to be associated with my perception of fall. Do you have a fall/autumn/B-horror poem you’d like to have in The Beacon? E-mail me at patrickddoyle@smccme.edu to submit something you think I’d like to have on over here. Kick Off The Mental Anguish And Give Me More Chips, It’s Almost Game Time! An Occult ceremony of the tough guy kind, instead of using candles they have pork rinds. Run into a thicket, you cut conditions with two eyes. [you broke tradition with new eyes.] Ordered in and out with a scamper, yelling to an Altar made of bones. Look at yr jowls, molten drool, they look like Dew on trees. The Grim Reaper Surfing

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The group will meet through October 14

Every Tuesday from 3pm - 4pm

He’s a ritual Aid He brings artifacts to replace new visions Hang ten with a skeleton Straight from a Straitjacket Death Surfer

Creating Now

Join the Anxiety Management Group in Howe Hall, hosted by the Counseling and Disability Services. These meetings are geared for students who may need help managing anxiety in order to achieve success. Learn to balance your academic needs with any problems, or concerns that are standing in the way as to success. Try out new anxiety-management ideas each week and discuss how it went with the group the following week. Participants are required to discuss their experiences with the group and do work outside the group.

When You Joined The Coyote Church

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our shared flatbread made it to the table. We decided to stick to our standard pizza that we go with at any place we visit, and we got a half pepperoni half cheese. Although you don’t just get a plain old half pep half cheese at Flatbreads, we went with the Jays Heart. The Jays Heart consists of a delicious base of their Photo courtesy pinkgranite.blogspot.com homemade wood-fired If you are keeping on a budget and cauldron organic tomato sauce, which want a nice night out with the famplays beautifully off of the mix of parmesan and mozzarella cheeses and ily, or need a new place to call your the organic dough with garlic oil and new favorite, Flatbreads is an affordorganic herbs topped it off nicely. The able and comfortable way to go. They pepperoni is homemade, nitrate free, welcome all sorts of crowds, but just adding some spice to our bite and was remember to tip your waiter/waitress a nice easy addition for very little extra at least 15 – 20% and budget for that cost. before you head out for the night. They work hard and most of their take Leaving was not an easy thing home pay comes from whether or not to do that night, our stomachs were they get tips. Be a good tipper and pleasantly stuffed and it was so cozy you will always be welcome back for and warm, the whole place feeling as another visit, in any foodie central in though it had been hugged by the emtown. bers of the wood-fired clay oven that Till our next bite, heats the place up and makes it feel like home. By Dining Dierdree

ART CLUB

Dining Out On A Students Budget:

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by Patrick Doyle

smcc

To sign up, or for more information, contact: Penny Remick SMCC’s Counseling & Disability Services Coordinator counseling@smccME.edu or 741-5629

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Let’s Rethink This Careless Tragedy at SMCC

arlier this month a vehicle struck a dog belonging to an SMCC student. The driver of the vehicle continued to drive away as the dog died before her. The incident happened right next to campus, across from 158 Pickett Street Cafe. An act so despicable must not go unnoticed. Surely the accident was simply that - an accident. But the accident - and the subsequent drive off - can be attributed to something else: apathy and selfishness. Here, a student is befallen by tragedy and the life of a treasured animal is lost. With no accountability following, with no apprehension made evident, what are we supposed to make of this? Does the perpetrator harbor any sort of remorse? Can we imagine him or her wallowing in guilt and shame? Has he or she ever experienced the loss of a family member, friend, or pet like their victim has? Was it fear that drove them away? Regardless of any of the above, there is no excuse. This column isn’t intended to demonize the perpetrator. It’s to herald an admonition: be safe out there, folks, and drive wisely and attentively. We’re all trying to get from A to B - often in a hastily fashion – but this lack of prudence is a testament to the chief importance of one’s regard for their surroundings as they drive, especially in such an area. When you run a stop sign or speed in these environments, you’re also running an enormous risk of setting off a string of events that demands responsibility, and ultimately, punishment. No one should be subjected to such grief as a product of another’s indifference, cowardice, or poor driving proclivities. On the flip side, you wouldn’t want to be the culprit of such an episode. The adversity that follows doesn’t coalesce into anything pleasant.

By Garrick Hoffman

SCIENCE SEMINARS

garrickchoffman@smccme.edu

Class, Race, and Poverty

Why the Michael Brown Case is About More Than Wrongful Death

ERGUSON, MO - On August 9, 2014, Michael Brown, 18, was shot and killed by a police officer in his hometown of Ferguson, Missouri. The black teenager was unarmed and taken down by a white officer. The incident sparked outrage throughout the local community and nation, much as the Trayvon Martin tragedy did back in 2012. Lead by Attorney General Eric Holder, the Department of Justice is currently investigating the incident, including the entire Ferguson Police Department. Though the details of the case have yet to be sorted out, the social upheavals in Ferguson continue to raise many questions about race, class, and power. A Brief History The United States has a long history of white supremacy starting with the North Atlantic slave trade which spanned from the 16th to the 19th century. Slavery as a practice was abolished when Abraham Lincoln made the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 which stated that all slaves were to be set free. While this was a major step in the battle for equality, it did not change the social status of blacks in any meaningful way. Often subject to similar working conditions as slavery, black people had no realistic channels for financial and social success after the emancipation. Their lack of opportunity and lowered social status were exacerbated by segregation. Moreover, the newly freed slaves were subject to heinous and inhumane harassment. Men and women were often lynched (hanged) for minor “offences” such as looking at a white person the wrong way or standing up for themselves. These crimes against humanity were often dismissed by law enforcement and tried in unfair, biased litigation. In 1870, the 15th Amendment gave black men the right to vote, yet another critical step in the fight for equality. But it was yet another step that came with much resistance and no meaningful change in the way that black people were treated socially and economically. Poll taxes were imposed and large efforts to keep black people from the ballot box became commonplace. This began a movement lead by people such as Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. Their work resulted in the end of segregation, and the restric-

Thursday, September 25th (3:30-6:30pm) Portland Country Club • 11 Foreside Road, Falmouth Jumpstart Your STEM Career with The Jackson Laboratory! Positions available in Reseaerch, Information Technology, and Animal Care. Paid internships in IT, Finance, and Marketing & Sales. For information, please contact Dawn Curtis in Human Resouces.The Jackson Laboratory, 207-288-6103, dawn.curtis@jax.org www.jax.org/careers

Thursday, October 2nd Jewett Auditorium 5:30-6:30pm

From Spore to Ice Cream: The Life and Times of Saccharina latissima (Sugar Kelp) Paul Dobbins, Ocean Approved

www.oceanapproved.com

tive voting laws that disenfranchised the black community. The history books in high schools around the country claim that the Civil Rights Movement ushered in full equality for black people in America, ending a gruesome and embarrassing time for our country. But when you look at statistics, you’ll get a different story. Power and Poverty Poverty in the United States is a growing problem, and who it affects reveals some shocking facts about racial disparities in class. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 13 percent of white Americans live in poverty, as opposed to 35 percent of blacks. And while 6.4 percent of white Americans are unemployed, the rate doubles for those with black skin (US Bureau of Labor Statistics). It is very possible that these variations in wealth and employment don’t indicate the cause of racism, but rather the effect. One could argue that the wealth and class disparities between blacks and whites are rooted in 200 years of slavery and segregation. It’s possible that blacks’ long history of 2nd class citizenship affect our current power structure. According to a study conducted by N2Growth, a leading corporate consulting firm, 94% of Fortune 100 CEOs are white, whereas their black counterparts only make up 4%. This imbalance is fairly consistent within national, state, and local government. Take Ferguson, Missouri for example: of six city council members, only one is black; this is within a community where blacks outnumber whites nearly 3 to 1.

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Teddy Burrage

The Roommate Agreement

ne of the biggest transitions I and many other students have to deal with when starting college, is living in a dorm with a roommate. This is the first time many people have to truly experience living with someone else. To prevent any conflict that might happen between them and yourself, it is important to have an agreement with them so that you have a template to refer back to when a problem does arise. Here are a few questions that might help you get started: 1. Get the basics out of the way. Do you like studying with music? Do you fall asleep with the television on, or music playing in the background? What type of music do you listen to? What time do you usually go to bed? 2. Are friends allowed over? 3. How long are guests allowed to stay? 4. Are boyfriends and girlfriends allowed over? Are they allowed to spend the night? 5. Set up a grocery list and a schedule that requires everyone to take turns getting the essential toilet paper If the roommate agreement fails, here are some Do’s and Don’ts that you might want to consider: 1. Talk to your roommate, preferably in person and alone. Don’t send a text message or ‘sub-tweet’ them. This conversation needs to be done face to face and be done courteously and sincerely. 2. Don’t badmouth your roommate, spread egregious remarks about them, or roommate-shame them on Instagram as this would aggravate the situation. 3. Do go to your RA if the situation worsens after you talk to your roommate. It is their job to help with situations like these. Living with someone new for the first time is tough and like everything else, there will be bumps in the road and hopefully, a Roommate Agreement will help avert some of them!

By Rebecca Cosgrove

For more information, please contact Elizabeth Ehrenfeld by emailing e.ehrenfeld@me.com

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Moreover, nearly 50 percent, or 1 million of the 2.3 million people currently incarcerated in the United States are black; this is despite blacks only making up about 13 percent of the entire population of the US. So what we can take away from these staggering statistics is that blacks are limited in opportunity, much more than caucasians. By virtue, if you are born black in the United States, you have a lesser chance at financial and social success, and are more likely to be put in jail. When we see riots on TV with citizens not following the prescribed law, it would be reasonable to assume that it’s because the law has failed them. To see an unarmed eighteen year old gunned down by an officer who belongs to a department, which has a history of harassing an already disadvantaged community, this should make everyone angry. I couldn’t imagine living somewhere like Ferguson where the citizens have little faith or trust in the police that are supposed to protect them from harm. The unfair way the law is applied in this country is a crime in and of itself. The racism that was once displayed on storefront signs and through the burning of a crosses made it easy to see. But today, racism hides in the shadows of a supposedly “colorblind” society.

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Major: Liberal Studies, Education concentration.

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How Politics Affect SMCC An Introduction To Politics of The World

my name is Ian Ziller. I am a student at SMCC and I am writing this column to the SMCC community. I intend to go over the politics of the SMCC community, the local greater Portland area, and the world, and also to voice things that affect SMCC. We live in a world where political participation is very low and the only way to change that is to have a more informed population. We also have to understand that most everything affects SMCC; global issues don’t just

s we ease into a new season - in which the leaves paint the landscapes with an autumn palette, a chill sweeps in with a cozy embrace, and we find ourselves beguiled by the elements - The Beacon eases into an era of some change and much excitement. The change lay in new locations, a new stable of writers and designers, and new approaches. The excitement, on the other hand, lay in the myriad accomplishments and upcoming, noteworthy events. To elaborate on the latter (the excitement), The Beacon’s ad sales team, Sineah McGrady and Larry Murphy have been excelling in generating revenue on behalf of the newspaper. This generated revenue is put forth toward various causes, one of said causes being The Beacon Scholarship, which is awarded to a member of the Beacon staff for their academic achievements and involvement with the paper. As of yet, the scholarship money has benefitted two Beacon contributors: Angelina Smith, (Art Director, fall semester 2012, Managing Editor, spring semester 2013), and Jason Glynn, an active Beacon writer and the second Managing Editor whose “Scientific Watch Room” column regularly appears in the paper. Currently only one Beacon scholarship is granted per year, but if more ad sale revenue is generated, one scholarship per year could transform into multiple. This is paramount for student benefit. Further, the ad sale money can be used for Beacon staff recreation, enabling the staff to, say, go bowling, or throw a Jackson 5-themed dance party. That aside, come October 1, as the governor’s race is looming towards its terminus, The Beacon will have a very special guest appearance on campus. southern maine community college

Page 7 ¤ September 23, 2014

affect the world beyond. The reason that I am writing this column is because I believe that everyone needs to know what is going on in the world and how government of all kinds affects them. We have many issues that I will discuss over the course of this semester at SMCC. One of the most important things that I will try to discuss that is focused on SMCC is education,

for as students we are all affected more than anything by the government’s education policy. Although many issues are affecting the student body - some more than others - it is all connected together, and we need to be informed about what is happening in the world. The best way to have a voice in the political process is to be an active participant in the democratic process, and the

best way to be an informed participant is to be informed about the issues affecting us. I strongly believe that we need to be informed of what is happening in the world - that is why I have chosen to write this column on things that are affecting SMCC. It is very important to have a voice in government, for then our concerns will be addressed. So I shall try to cover all area of concern during this semester at SMCC, and to choose things that affect at SMCC and that are of concern to the student body.

Similar to the Angus King discussion held earlier this month, Independent gubernatorial candidate Eliot Cutler will be joining members of the Beacon staff on campus in a formal interview. The interview will be featured in the October 7 issue and is slated to be videotaped, though this latter part is tentative. On the flip side of the same coin, Beacon staffer Erik Squire is currently pursuing an interview with Governor Paul LePage. More news regarding this matter will surface shortly. From the town of Bath to the city of South Portland, The Beacon newspaper finds itself on shelves of multitudes of establishments. But The Beacon staff seeks to expand its locational horizons, placing them in foreign

corners of Maine and beyond. If you, however, would like to be a Beacon delivery emissary, feel free to grab a handful of newspapers from campus and distribute them where you’d like! We recommend you drop off no more than fifteen papers per establishment. You can contact Chuck Ott, the Beacon adviser, to inquire. Spread the voice of the student newspaper! Finally, if you would like to be involved with The Beacon, do not hesitate. We are always looking for writers, illustrators, designers, and contributors of any sort. You do not have to commit to it long term; even if you’d like to submit just one column for just one issue, that is entirely feasible (and recommended!). After all, this is a newspaper for the students, by the students, and we urge you to be a part of that “by” cohort. Whether you want to

submit a movie or album review, or you want to channel your political/ social outlook, or you want to submit something that you wrote for a class, you are absolutely empowered to do such. But, as noted, writing for The Beacon is just the tip of the staff iceberg. You could integrate yourself in the layout process with other staffers; you could be a Beacon photographer; or, you could be an ad sales representative. The opportunities are bountiful, and the rewards are superb. Feel free to inquire about opportunities via email. One final note: Be sure to check out the Beacon’s online edition, where more student work is featured, and the pictures come in color!

FREADOM

Veterans

Banned Books Week

September 21-27, 2014

Liberate some literature! Banned Books Week is a celebration of our freedom to read what we want, when we want – even if it’s not always popular. Celebrate the first amendment and squash censorship by reading a banned book! According to the American Library Association, the availability of over 11,000 books in libraries, schools, and book shops has been challenged since 1982. You’ve probably read and loved more of these titles than you think. Some of the most frequently challenged titles include: The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins) The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald) The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Stephen Chboksy) The Bluest Eye (Toni Morrison) Bone (Jeff Smith) To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee) Gossip Girl (Cecily von Ziegesar) The Giver (Lois Lowry)

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Are you a veteran who wishes to become a member of the SMCC Veterans club? Join us for a discussion with a representative from the Portland Vet Center Questions regarding the GI Bill, VA Medical and other Veteran organizations will be addressed.

11am ~ 12pm

Banned Books Week official site: bannedbooksweek.org smcc

Club

We will be meeting from:

This year’s event is focused on comics and graphic novels, so break out your Watchmen, your Sandman, and your Fun Home, and read with pride or stop by the library to browse for your new favorite banned book!

Garrick Hoffman

garrickchoffman@smccme.edu

SMCC

Celebrate the right to read.

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By Ian Ziller

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We will also be discussing: • Elections of new officers • A Veterans upcoming social • The 3rd Annual Veterans Week at SMCC For more information please contact us at:

smccmevetclub@gmail.com

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Page 8 ¤ September 23, 2014

Past Events and Future Ventures

ello again SMCC, I hope you’ve settled nicely into your classes. No doubt by now you’ve exceeded your use of “I’m new, so I didn’t know” excuses for not doing your assignments correctly. Now it’s time to hunker down and let the serous studying begin. Hey, it’s not all bad; at least you have the student paper to look forward to! I mean right fellas? I will use this edition of Campus Exposed to share about an event held on campus for a worthy cause. I will also discuss about a trip abroad, open to all students, that sounds quite incredible. And so, with no further ado: A couple of weeks ago, if you read your student E-mail, you may have seen a public notice sent out on behalf of Adjunct English Professor, Paul Trahan. This announcement was of Trahan challenging ALL of SMCC’s students, faculty, staff, and administrators to participate in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Maybe you’ve herd of this challenge (I ask facetiously), after all, it seems to have taken the FB nation by whirlwind. In his E-mail announcement, Trahan shared a bit of why the issue of ALS hits close to home for him. He said that his mother-in-law, Lucia Moreno, who was (like the rest of us) a Community College attendee, and what sounds like, a fantastic public health and

school nurse, was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). In his own words: Lucia was diagnosed with ALS almost two years ago and, as many of you know, the disease has no defined cause and no known cure. It is a disease that is both physically and emotionally debilitating and always terminal. The event was held Thurs Sept 11th in the late afternoon, at the HUB gym. About 25 people showed up and 4 students as well as 4 faculty members got dowsed with icy water. You can catch the video of these wet participants on the Southern Maine Community College Facebook page. The other thing that students should know about, as previously mentioned in this article, is an academic trip to the ever beautiful Ireland. Or as SMCC’s adage puts it: Come enjoy a foreign cultural experience and earn credit at the same time during Spring Break with a trip to Ireland. You’ll stay in Killarney in County Kerry. There, you’ll meet the Irish people, immerse yourself in Irish culture and enjoy excursions to places such as Ross Castle, Dingle Peninsula and Blarney Castle, home of the famed Blarney Stone. Given what an amazing opportunity this sounded like, I decided to ask the organizer of the trip, SMCC’s Professor McClaran, to tell us a little about

ampus News

what to expect of the trip and about his previous experiences taking students. He stated that this will be his 22nd trip to Ireland with SMCC students. For many, he said, this will be their first time visiting a different country, and for others still, the first time being outside of Maine. Professor McClaran said that students will get to see a new culture, where the use of cell phones is much less, people talk to one another, and the music is different yet incredible. He also mentioned what a beautiful country it is and that the town where they’ll be staying is on the ocean. He talked about how the students will embark on trips such as taking a glass covered boat over the Lake of Calorny and go back in time to a different ere whilst visiting historic beehive huts. He spoke of how students who had gone in previous years meet people from all over the world. Bill states, “The students usually felt that it was one of the most outstanding things they have done in their life; a truly eye opening experience.”

Campus

Sex Week at Southern Maine Community College The Virgin Truth

his article is not intended to be controversial or an argumentative piece against consensual sexual relations amongst adults. I wrote this article firstly, because I felt that the activities planned on campus for sex week lacked addressing abstinence. Secondly and primarily, to let students who practice abstinence at SCMM know that: There is nothing “wrong,” or “not normal” about you and there are definitely some benefits to what you are doing. According to USA Today Online, students who are virgins should not feel alone, “Responses collected from 1,500 Duke University freshmen and seniors at the Durham, NC,

campus in 2007 found that about 53% of women, and 40% of the men said they were virgins.” This claim should lay to rest the feeling of being the only virgin on campus. There are also some great advantages to abstaining. Two of the more obvious ones are: not getting pregnant before you feel that you’re ready, and being far more protected from sexually transmitted diseases. There are also some other benefits that certain people affiliate with abstinence. Though relative to the circumstances of different people and situations, some consider the advantages of abstaining to be: knowing your partner’s character without being influenced by his/her sexual performance, sharing a deep

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intimacy with only your soul mate, and an emotional and mental health that comes with avoiding the (possible) drama of being sexually involved with one’s partner. Again, this article does not take a stance against premarital relations; rather, it represents an alternative that a number of students participate in.

By Erik Squire

Professor McClaran also explained that students attend the trip for credit; they can either go for Sociology, or Criminal Justice credit. Criminal Justice students take pre-trip classes at SMCC, as well as a few held in Ireland. They will also visit a local international police station The Garda. For the Sociology course, a research paper about the trip is required. The trip should cost roughly $1,780 - $1,899, and this includes everything (yes even airfare). Just bring extra money for spending and to cover your own lunches (okay, so almost everything). Mail Communications gives extra info below: The trip is open to students, faculty and staff. Participants leave Friday, March 6, 2015, and return on Sunday, March 15. Space is limited.To sign up, contact Bill McClaran at wmcclaran@ smccME.edu or 741-5552. Also look for Prof McClaran’s book in the campus bookstore: Sonny Days.

A student should never feel alienated because of his/ her virginity. Just remember: though you may think all your friends went to Condom Casino for the night, in reality, you weren’t the only one taking a cold shower last Thursday.

By Erik Squire

CUSTOMER APPRECIATION COUPON SMCC Bookstore

The in the Campus Center would like to thank you for your patience during our busiest time! Now come by and check out our new SMCC and Seawolves apparel, and some great sales!

25%

(lower priced item will be free)

(clothing and gift items only)

Sep. 27th – Oct. 3rd

Buy 1 Get 1 Free!

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OFF

SALE

BINDER

Sep. 27th – Oct. 3rd

25% off 1 Item!

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SMCC Business Club Graced With White Water Rafting Trip Let me tell you why I’m so delighted and fortunate to be a student here at SMCC.

enjoying the camaraderie of each others’ company, and doing yoga poses on a log in the river that resulted in the untimely death of my camera, we woke early for breakfast to begin the entrée of our trip: a day of white water rafting. First, at the resort center, we and the many other people rafting for the day were given a ten- or fifteenminute tutorial of what to expect, what to equip ourselves with, and how not to die on the river. When those formalities were over with, we were loaded up on a bus, oars in hand and dressed in our helmets and life jackets, and taken away to someplace magical, which actually didn’t end up being Hogwarts but rather the river, which is just as magical. One of the employees, whose name was Ryan and who later became the guide for

center of it for a few pictures that showcased our thrill of being part of the trip. And so we moved on, taking on more rapids with gusto and obeying our guides’ every command. At one point on the river, we were even permitted to hop out of the raft to do late June of this past summer, some swimming and some floating, I received a message from letting the river carry us with no efa fellow student who informed me fort. If you chose the latter, you could that there was a white water rafting feel like Superman soaring in the air trip just days away, that there was a but beneath the surface of the water. sudden berth in the original gang of We were admonished to keep our feet participants, and that I now had an up so as to not catch ourselves on any opportunity to go. My response? Verinsidious rocks, which could prove to batim: “I’m very down. …this sound be perilous. Eventually we were even killer!” I had never gone white water given the opportunity to guide our rafting before. own inflatable kayaks, which many The perks? SMCC Business Club of us didn’t cease to take. I know that would cover all the expenses, inwhen I took my opportunity, this cluding the cabin for two days and was of the utmost serenity for me, as two nights, the food, and the actual I emancipated myrafting itself. All that self from the group was required from the for a bit in favor of participating students solitude and reflecwas their insurance tion, which as an information. The trip introvert I need. was signed up with And of Northern Outdoors, course, the trip a company that not came to an end. I only harbors a resort, don’t think any of restaurant, and the us wanted it to. I cabins, but also hosts still felt like I was the trip itself with a just getting started. staff of well-trained Not to say that guides. the trip was short Here are just a lived; I think we few adjectives I could all got our filling. I employ to describe our think it was just the rafting trip: exhilaratpleasure of floating ing; wildly fun; intion the river and mate; unforgettable. the thrill of it all But even with the inthat left some of us dubitable exhilaration hungry for more. as one might expect But all good things from such a trip, there do indeed come to were nonetheless moPictured above are: Charlie Pearson, Carissa Gallant, Saman Baghestani, an end. ments of serenity Just because Sean Gillespie, Iman Ali, Tabitha McPheters, Sineah McGrady, Dmitry found throughout. we were off the Bond, Samuel Balentine, Garrick Hoffman, and Dominic Porobic, from If my memory river didn’t mean proves true, there were front to back. it was the complete eight of us students terminus to the enwho participated. Gomy raft, spoke from the front of the tire trip, however. We got to watch an ing into the trip, I knew but one perbus as we traveled to our destination. entertaining video that the Northern son, Saman Baghestani, the founder He not only kept the crowd busy with Outdoors folks hastily made that day of Sopo Books who not only acquired interesting information of the area of us. When that was done, the Busithe funding for and facilitated the that would be fitting on the bottoms ness Club played a game of volleyball trip, but proved to be a consummateof Snapple caps, but with an abunin the pool, having a blast and doing ly organized and helpful team player. dance of laughs, as well. our best not to disturb the pool-side So, knowing only one person, I had a We students were all divided patrons, which wasn’t really easy. At feeling I’d be cultivating new friendamong different rafts, so we all had night, we did some more cooking, ships with this group of strangers. different experiences with different some more hanging and chatting, After arriving to our accommodaguides. Collectively, however, we played some cards and gazed at the tions with shared feelings of ebultackled some beast-like rapids early stars, listened to the Into The Wild lience, we were further elated when on and throughout, stopping at one soundtrack (not for the first time that we went to the resort and brewery point on a little sandbar-like area for trip), and called it a day, leaving the center: outside there was a sizable hot a lunch with one’s choice of steak, following morning to return home. tub, a pool with a volleyball net, and chicken, or salmon, and plenty of On behalf of the group, I want to many tables for dining, and inside other provisions. Scattered here and thank Saman for his many successful there were a number of couches, an there on the side of the river were emefforts to make the trip happen, and arcade, a restaurant, and a bar, among ployees with video cameras, capturof course the SMCC Business Club other offerings. To this I had to reing the intensity of the moments, and for making the trip possible to begin mark to Business Club member and of course capturing all the child-like, with. We’re all incredibly grateful, Enactus president Sineah McGrady, exhilarated miens of the raftees as and I know that the trip was one of “God bless you for inviting me.” I they passed on by through some furithe best of my life. I’m sure the others guess I was feeling so ecstatic that I ous rapids. At another juncture, all the in our gang could say the same. forgot my secularity for a moment rafts pulled over for a gaze-worthy By Garrick Hoffman there. waterfall for the raftees to delight in. After a night of eating, chatting, The Business Club gathered in the

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Words of Wisdom from: Shane Long, Director of Student Involvement

A Kick Off Message for the Students This Semester:

onnections, hard work and commitment are the most important ingredients in a successful college career. Knowing who to go to for help and having a network to support you is so important, so make connections with the faculty, staff and your fellow students. Hard work is what learning is all about. Learning is about facing challenges, overcoming them and walking away having the knowledge, skills and abilities to do better next time you face a similar challenge, regardless if that is a math problem, and essay, building a staircase or dealing with a roommate. Finally, commitment. You need to be committed in order to be successful in any endeavor. Boston Celtic’s great Bill Russell once said, “Commitment separates those who live their dreams from those who live their lives regretting the opportunities they have squandered.” If you don’t want to squander this awesome opportunity you have to create the person that you desire to be, you need to be willing to stick with it through good times and bad.

By Erik Squire

WE WANT YOU... TO VOLUNTEER AT THE CAPTAIN’S CUPBOARD! Do you want to help others? Do you have free time between classes? If you do, come volunteer with us!

Email us at: captainscupboard@smccme.edu or hit us up on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/TheCaptainsCupboard

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Page 10 ¤ September 23, 2014

The SMCC Business Club Travels to NYC ourteen students from the ever-active SMCC Business Club traveled on April 24th to the finance capital of the world, New York City. On a sunny, warm Friday morning, the Club members started the day by visiting the 9/11 Memorial and the Freedom Towers. The commemorative site is breathtakingly beautiful as numerous deep waterfall fountains spill into giant square holes that seem to signify hope, rebirth and renewal. However, the many, many names listed on the outer perimeter of the fountains serve as a sobering reminder of the multitudes that lost their lives on that tragic day in September. After a short walk to Wall Street, Club members toured the famous financial area (known as “The Street”).

Highlights were the Wall Street Bull (symbolic of American finance might), the New York Stock Exchange, Finance Museum, Trump Building and many other world renowned sites. As usual, the area was electric and bustling with workers, New Yorkers, tourists and tour groups. After a group lunch at historic Fraunces Tavern, where General George Washington resigned his military commis-

The Business Club members then received a private tour of the United Nations. Our multi-lingual tour guide highlighted the missions, activities and challenges of this famed organiza-

sion, the Club members took a long walk through legendary areas such as Rockefeller Plaza, Madison Avenue, Times Square, and Broadway.

tion. Our international student group members were especially interested in the wide variety of national flags and current international missions. As a special treat, we said a quick “hello” to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon of South Korea, as he and his entourage passed by after a special Security Council meeting. Saturday was a personal touring day for Club members. Activities included: visiting the Brooklyn Zoo,

THE LEARNING COMMONS

Enactus Updates: Bodies, Souls, and Dirty Clothes

/ ONLINE 24 7

ampus News

Did you know you can use the Learning Commons without even coming to the Learning Commons? If you’re off-campus or working after hours, you can access reliable, high-quality resources through our website. To get started, access us via the MyLearning icon on MyMaineGuide or access our pages directly:

smccME.libguides.com/library

ot necessarily dirty clothes, actually clean clothes are preferred, but we’ll take them any way we can get them. If you’ve seen the giant cardboard boxes around campus you may be aware of Enactus’s newest initiative. All great feats and movements start with a baby step followed by a stroll, and eventually leaps and bounds. What we are focusing on here is the baby step. Put your unwanted clothes in the big cardboard

Statue of Liberty, Chinatown, lunch at a Serbian restaurant, viewing people at Times Square, watching a Broadway play, renting bikes, walking Central Park, visiting the Museum of Modern Art, and numerous other attractions that only New York City can offer. It was a wonderfully educational trip for SMCC Business Club members, and they were terrific representatives of SMCC. NYC trip participants (in alphabetical order) were: Iman Ali, Saman Baghestani, Sam Balentine, Dimitry Bondarenko, Ben Bussiere, Shawna Cohen, Carissa Gallant, Sean Gillespie, Justin Leighton, Sineah McGrady, Connor Olsen, Darcy Pope, Dominik Porobic, Sarah West. Chaperones included Charlie & Linda Pearson, Steve Strand.

By Sineah McGrady The Business Club meets on Thursdays from 12.30pm to 1.15pm in Hague in the Business Club Lounge. ALL are invited.

boxes and what comes out the other side may amaze you. There is power in numbers and numbers of bodies outweigh number of peanuts, so join us. Some of us are tired of the state of affairs today; it is for this reason we want your souls. We want to pull them back from the merciless and insatiable jaws that threaten to swallow a generation whole.

By Larry Murphy For more information check out our page at Facebook.com/smccenactus. Like us, follow us, join us, help us.

■■ Search the catalog for physical books ■■ Browse and read eBooks with eBrary ■■ Watch videos on everything from cooking to poetry with Films on Demand ■■ Download scholarly research articles from databases like ProQuest and EBSCO

smccME.libguides.com/tutoring

■■ Access SmarThinking online tutoring for on-the-spot help ■■ View the drop-in tutoring schedule to plan your visit ■■ Locate department tutoring options near your classes

smccME.libguides.com/writingcenter

■■ Submit a paper for review and writing tutoring via SmarThinking ■■ View schedules and guidelines to plan an in-person visit ■■ Navigate to videos and tutorials on grammar and the writing process

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ports

SMCC Baseball Updates: Playing to their Strengths

SMCC

baseball so far this season has played superb, posting a 7-3 record (as of 9-20-14). They have had strong play in every aspect of the game which is what you want to see as a coach and a fan. Though the first seven games they only lost once, to a UNH club team who scored two runs late in the 6th inning to take that one. One of the biggest strengths for them in this early season stretch has been their pitching. In the 10 games they have played this season they have only given up 23 runs which is just over two a game. That is a great place to be for a pitching staff and is leading this team in the right direction going forward. Nate Boyle has been one of the biggest strengths for the team coming back this second season stronger then ever. Boyle so far has put up great numbers on the season and has been hitting his spots. He has had a complete game one hitter, good out-

ings out of the bullpen and is striking out batters with reckless disregard. “I just need to continue to keep batters off balance, trust my talented defense and try to be unpredictable with my pitches,” said Boyle. The team so far is outscoring its opponents 44 to 23, and starting to get into their groove at the plate. Alex Brown and Phillip Langley are leading the Seawolves offensively. Brown is batting .400 with 2 home runs and 7 runs batted in while Langley is batting .458 with 11 hits and 4 runs batted in. Both are respectively putting up these impressive numbers. An adjustment the Seawolves made this season with Brown is batting him in the two spot. By having him in this position it allows him to see more strikes and balls around the plate then if he was batting in the three hole. This allowed him to raise his average and help the team offensively. When a team is playing relaxed and the pitching knows their fielders are backing them up, and the hitters are scoring runs, then everything will go smoothly. This appears to be happening right here at SMCC. So come out and support you fellow students as they go forward in there season and hope to continue to play great baseball for everyone watching. It is an exciting time to be an SMCC student athlete.

By Sam Coombs

PHOTO BY LAUREN VIOLA

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Faculty Interviews: Julia Howe

is the SMCC Women’s head Julia basketball coach. She is also the

Assistant Athletic Director and Sports Information Director. She takes care of the department’s entire sports information duties with specific emphasis on website development, social media platforms, maintaining statistical data, and assisting with the Athletics Program. On campus, she is in charge of recreation activities, such as bowling, dodgeball, ultimate frisbee, yoga, and boot camp classes. This is her first year and second season being on campus. Julia is from Brookton, Maine. She went to Maine Maritime College Academy and played basketball for five years. After graduation she took a position as the Executive Team Leader of Logistics at Target, and was an assistant coach at Wentworth Institute of Technology and Lasell College, both for a year. She then spent time in Florida working for Transportation Management Solutions as a freight manager, as well as Johnson & Wales in North Miami as an assistant basketball coach. She chose to take the job here, because she really wanted to work

Are You Ready For Some FOOTBALL?

tatistically speaking, you probably are. The NFL is an absolute juggernaut in the entertainment industry, drawing 200 million unique TV viewers each regular season and averaging 20,000 more fans per game than any other professional league on the planet. This doesn’t even account for the playoffs and Super Bowl. Even though it masquerades as a 501c(6) non-profit entity, “The Shield” and its member franchises hauled more than 9 billion dollars in 2013. On a global scale, that puts it somewhere between the GDP’s of Laos and Macedonia. The NFL got game. Bros and grannies alike find themselves lining up for the 24/7/365 feast of combine, draft, injury updates, preseason, regular season, post season, offseason, and back again. But fans rarely question why we keep going back for more helpings. Rather than whetting appetites, the mounting list of despicable behavior like hazing, extortion, racism, cover-ups, and violence should be making consumers sick. Right before the start of last year’s season, the NFL’s lawyers addressed the long, dark shadow that had been gathering over the sport: the long-term consequences of workplace head injuries. A total of 4,500 plaintiffs, former players and family members, joined in a class-action lawsuit that sought, not only compensation for severe brain trauma and illnesses, but to provide “discovery” for all the research and

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findings that the NFL had conducted. Long story short, the league got to sweep it all under the rug for the bargain “per-team cost” of a second-string linebacker’s salary. No more litigation, and no discovery – the case and the records were sealed – just in time for a triumphant kick-off to the 2013 season. Is anyone able to see the disturbing irony that with all the recent ice bucket challenges, the NFL has chosen to leave so many of their current and future players who suffer from ALS out in the cold? The National Football League has also become complicit in proliferating a racial slur that has been condemned by 85 or more Native American organizations and tribal governments - including our neighbors, the Penobscot Nation. Say what the surveys will about “average Americans” not caring if the Washington football team changes their name. Here are Chief Kirk Francis’ own words about what the Washington owner calls a term rooted in “tradition” and “pride”: “In 1755 the Penobscot started living under the Spencer Phipps proclamation, this… called for all ‘settlers’ to hunt Penobscot men, women and children… and be paid a handsome bounty when the scalps were brought in for payment. These scalps were referred to as ‘redskins’ when tallying up the bounty. For the Penobscot the use of this word continues to remind our people of this gruesome genocidal act under formal ¤

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policy. Hundreds of Penobscot were killed during this period of time. This term is all but eradicated in the State of Maine in recognition of this appalling history.” Enough said. We’ve seen an ongoing pattern of embarrassing episodes in the NFL: one after another drug arrests of players and owners, Richie Incognito’s bullying academy, the Vikings’ hostile and homophobic workplace, and Michael Sam’s relegation to a Dallas practice squad due to fears concerning the potential “distraction” of his sexuality. But, the real elephant in the stadium has to be the league’s negligence in cases of sexual and physical violence against women. As we all know by now, Baltimore running back Ray Rice beat his fiancé, Janay, unconscious. The crime was followed (many months later) by a Ravens press conference where Rice apologized to everybody but his victim and now-wife. Janay read a script that expressed her “deep regret” to fans everywhere for her “role in that night” – the one in which a 200 lb. professional athlete threw his fist in her face. And no one in the NFL head office so much as blinked. Soon after the anemic “disciplining” of Rice, and the cacophonous public outcry, Commissioner Roger Goodell wrote an almost repentant letter as he rolled out a domestic violence policy that imposes harsh penalties for even first-time offenders. In one public relations move, he tried to make the entire world forget about

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full time being involved with athletics and to be able to focus her time on coaching basketball. She loves working with the girls and helping them become, not only better studentathletes, but hopefully better people once they get through the program. Lastly the reason she chose SMCC Photo by Beacon Staff

over anywhere else is because she truly enjoys the small college setting and the communal atmosphere of SMCC. She was at a point in her life where she simply wanted to get back to Maine after being gone for six years. To find the monthly calendar of times and dates of the activities going on, you can go to www.gosmccseawolves.com and click on athletic information then fitness recreation.

By Tayler Chretien

the decades-long history of restraining orders, assaults and rapes… and his league’s repeated shrugs. Where was a new NFL policy in 2012, when Kansas City Chief (and former UMaine phenom) Jovan Belcher murdered his girlfriend, Kassandra Perkins, then shot himself in front of his head coach? That should have been a powerful wakeup call, but regularly scheduled games went off without a hitch that Sunday and nothing changed. The NFL has been asleep at the wheel when it comes to the treatment of women and it shouldn’t take video evidence and millions of petitioners to inspire them to do something - at least something more than throw a coat of pink on some gloves and cleats. Goodell speaks ad nauseam about the “higher standard” at which his league operates, but the growing body of evidence proves beyond a reasonable doubt to a jury of its fans – the very same ones who buy tickets and merchandise, and make the TV contracts lucrative – that words aren’t enough. Americans can continue to blissfully enjoy the National Football League’s thrilling product, but no longer can we pretend we don’t know the true cost. Consumers can coerce the NFL by any means necessary to use their great power to assume greater responsibility - or we can become complicit in their negligence.

By Carlin Whitehouse

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SMCC Soccer Updates: Lady Seawolves edged in 2OT Thriller

he SMCC girl’s soccer team showcased their talent on Saturday, September 13th in a home YSCC match against the Clippers of University of Maine Machias. This was a nail-biting thriller that unfortunately didn’t end in the Lady Seawolve’s favor as they dropped the game 3-2 in double overtime. This game took an early turn for the worse as UMM player Brooklynne Lewis scored the first goal of the game only at the 5:54 mark to start off her successful afternoon. The Clippers defensively were not making very many mistakes in the first half, which made it difficult for SMCC to have any scoring opportunities. At the 28 minute mark however, a beautiful free kick by SMCC’s Marina West was placed in front of the UMM goal to Danielle McCusker. Unfortunately, McCusker’s shot went wide and SMCC couldn’t

capitalize. The score remained 1-0 after the first half but wouldn’t stay that way for too long. As the second half started, you could tell SMCC had an energy and determination that wasn’t seen in the first half of play. They were quick to the 50/50 balls, making crisp passes and playing well as a team. Three minutes into the 2nd half, SMCC was on the board with a hard shot to the back of the net by Zyrah Giustra on an assist from McCusker. It didn’t take much time until UMM’s Lewis quickly matched SMCC with her second goal of the day off a strong through ball from her teammate Madeline Aromando to take a 2-1 lead. Towards the end of the second half, SMCC’s play again picked up as they were seeking the game-tying goal. SMCC goalie Aime Worcester made a few saves in the 2nd half to help keep the score where it was. At the 81st minute, SMCC’s Katy Cyr scored a big goal for her team tying the game at two goals apiece and eventually

Show Us Your Bobby Hull: SMCC Club Hockey is Lacing up the Skates

By Sam Coombs

SMCC Student

and an exciting game for fans to watch with back and forth action with strong play on both ends of the field. In other girl’s soccer action, SMCC played NHTI on Tuesday September 16th dropping the game 4-2 at home. Katie Cyr would follow up her last game with a goal and assist in this match leading the Seawolves on the day. Aime Worcester finished with four saves and Zyrah Giustra with her third goal of the season. The Lady Seawolves will play their next home match October 5th vs Central Maine Community College at 1:00 p.m.

By Sam Coombs

SMCC Student

SMCC Student Athlete Profile: Xavier Trask, Men’s Soccer Hometown: Richmond, ME (Richmond High School) Sports Played In High School: Baseball, Basketball and Soccer Major: Heating and Plumbing

avier Trask comes to SMCC for his second year, and second as an SMCC student athlete. Trask is one of two captains for SMCC and hopes to lead his team to many wins this season. While in high school at Richmond, he was a 4year varsity letterman and captain his senior season. Richmond made playoffs during every season Trask was on the team and also competed in two state championships. Trask hopes to use his success in high school to prevail this SMCC club. “As a captain, I hope to inspire the team to do great things on the field,” said Trask. During Trask’s high school career he always played on the defensive side of the ball and as since made the transition to midfield while in college which is not always easy.

Xavier says about the transition, “It was tough for a while to learn the position, but my coach is a good teacher and I caught on quickly.” Southern Maine Community College athletics has always been about tight relationships and becoming closer as a team. That is something Trask loves about playing athletics here. “My favorite thing about playing soccer for SMCC is the people. I’ve made strong relationships through playing soccer,” said Trask. A fun fact about Xavier is that he was born with Polydactyly, which means he was born with six toes on each foot making it difficult to squeeze in to soccer cleats sometimes. Trask looks at it more as an advantage having 12 toes. After playing soccer at SMCC, Trask plans to pursue his masters in HVAC and continue his love for soccer.

By Sam Coombs

EVENTS

UPCOMING

you didn’t already know, despite not having a rink on campus, SMCC has an active club hockey team that is seeking individuals to join. “Last year the team played a total of five games due to a late start in organizing of the team. The faster the word gets out now, the more opportunity to schedule games,” says SMCC Head Athletic Trainer and Club Hockey representative Kyle Roberts. An informational meeting will be held October 3rd in the HUB Gymnasium conference room. Further details regarding the team will be available at the meeting. All are welcome to attend. The season starts the third week of October, as games are scheduled up to winter break. If you are interested, or have questions and concerns please contact Kyle Roberts at kroberts@smccme.edu. If you cannot attend the meeting on October 3rd please contact Kyle.

Practices are held at the USM campus rink in Gorham and at Bridgton Academy. This season most of the practices are schedules before morning classes begin. All home games will be played at USM. Some of the teams that SMCC will face off against include: St. Joes, Husson University, and Bridgton. “We are also looking to play some of the junior teams in the area to get more games in,” stayed Kyle in regards to expanding the clubs schedule this year. Kyle also went on to reflect upon last year saying, “The team had a range of players and skill levels on it last season. Ranging from former high school standouts, or junior players, to people who love hockey and want to get out and play. Everyone is welcome, the more numbers the better. The goal is to participate in 8-10 games this season and have two practices a week. The club hockey team focuses on having fun while playing hockey but also being competitive enough to win games.”

sending the game into overtime. This was Cyr’s first collegiate goal and it was a big one. The back and forth action made for exciting play in regulation. In the first overtime, both teams looked tired and play on the field was very stagnant. Neither team had a shot on net in the overtime and so the game would remain tied at two goals. It wasn’t until the second overtime when Lewis scored again for the Clippers at the 102minute mark to win a wellfought game and finish with all three goals for Machias on the day. SMCC would drop to 1-2-1 on the season despite playing a great game

Baseball

9-23-14; Home vs Bridgton Academy at 4:00 p.m. 9-26-14; Home vs UNH - club at 4:30 p.m. 10-4-14; NECA Postseason TBA

Softball

9-26-14; Home vs UNH - club at 4:30 p.m. 10-4-14; NECA Postseason TBA

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Tales of The First Friday Art Walks I’m fortunate beyond words to live in a city with such a heavy emphasis on arts, culture, and individualism. Our First Friday Art Walk here in Portland, sponsored by Creative Portland, has been thriving for thirteen years now, and it takes place rain or shine. According to liveworkportland. org, every Art Walk regularly attracts over 3,000 people. At least 3,000+ of those people visit the Arts District on the First Friday to wander the streets, marvel at the splendid pandemonium that encompasses them, watch live performances, visit galleries and local businesses, and often times halt capriciously in their tracks to observe a local artist’s work. The Art Walk also commonly serves as a rendezvous point for family, friends, and lovers, and as a hub for familiar faces. One could easily roam for hours throughout the Walk exposed to constant rollout of amusement and unseen goods. “What do you wanna do tonight? It’s Friday and I wanna have fun.” “Let’s hit up the Art Walk.” Good idea. In the last few months, we’ve been considerably fortunate with good weather, although the weather for July’s Art Walk, which happened to fall on the Fourth of July, proved to be undesirable. I was a bit dismayed, as I had planned to set up my photography stand on Con-

gress Street (per usual), submerge myself into the scene, then, when I was to feel satisfied and when the street was to grow more scant of people, I would pack my gear back into my car and go watch the fireworks on the Eastern Prom. Sounded to me like the substance of a stellar evening. But, perhaps being a coward and staying home as a result of the foul conditions, I instead opted to post the link to my photography page on Facebook. It just wasn’t the same. That’s another component of the Art Walk that I appreciate enormously – the fact that I can just arrive freely. I don’t have to register for a spot to set up, and I don’t have to pay for a spot to set up. It’s a first-come-first-serve basis, the way I like it. Sort of like the colonists in the 17th and 18th centuries – just show up and claim your space. Only I don’t have to kick anyone out. (Aside: the very first time I set up at the Art Walk - in April of this year I believe - some young heckler insisted that I “need a license” to sell my work, and I repelled him instantly by telling him I wasn’t selling anything. Shoo, dude, shoo.) There’s a degree of risk with that, of course, but that’s why I put forth my best efforts to get out a decent hour, usually around 5, when the activity of the Art Walk is just beginning its ascent. My day doesn’t always allow me to do so, however. I absolutely admire the fact that Creative Portland (and the city itself) doesn’t try to monetarily capitalize off of the Art Walk, which it could easily choose to do, but CP, I imagine, must be fully aware of the state of the

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“starving artist.” There’s indubitably a bit of financial gain, however: the boat loads of people that make their pilgrimage to the city end up being a great economic boost, likely of titanic value. I know that, as an artist, after I’ve abandoned my spot, I typically end up sipping a beer or a margarita at one of my favorite bars. I reckon that’s economic gain for local Portland businesses, so multiply me by the X-amount of artists there typically are (not the mention the many, many street roamers), and boom: an injection of money into the heart of Portland’s businesses. This whole Art Walk thing makes the most amount of financial sense. -You can guarantee that when you’re out there, you’re going to see some characters. You’ll be entertained. You’ll be at peace amidst the chaos. You can also guarantee that you’ll see familiar faces. These elements of joy coalesce into delightful memories. Behind my beer-pong-turned-displaytable that I cover with Mexicali Blues tapestry and that I’m still technically borrowing from my friend, I play my guitar and observe the many jovial people that stroll by me, obviously with a conscious hope that my pictures will arrest them in their paths (which happens enough to keep me smiling) and that they’ll be in such awe that they’ll toss me some cash and walk away thinking, “Worth it.” I’ve only sold just one picture, and it was to a considerate friend. But the lack of sales doesn’t despair me. I’m no business man (although I wouldn’t be offended if someone wanted to pay me for my pictures, music, or writing), and I don’t recognize the lack of sales as a failure. The only species of failure, to me, would stem from not going out there to set up at all. It’d be to allow myself to doubt myself, to stay paralyzed at home, or to walk throughout the Art Walk just fantasizing of being an artist on the sidewalk instead of actually being an artist on the sidewalk. I’ve

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befriended neighbors who stood adjacent to either side of my stand and me. I’ve seen friends and acquaintances alike who stop to talk to me and support my efforts. I’ve encountered my peers from class who decide to stand with me behind my table, giving me and my patrons company. I’ve met affable strangers who stop to admire my work and inquire about it. I’ve even had little kids come and WOW! at my pictures (and slap them, in their amusingly inoffensive and innocently childish ways). Once, in fact, a small band of strangers around the vicinity of my age (24) approached me. I can’t remember if they were observing my work or if they were giving their attention to my guitar playing. Either way, I ended up playing a few random chords while one of the guys stood beside me and began singing quite audibly and unabashedly about his affinity for marijuana. Then he offered me some. Thoroughly amused, I laughed, said sorry, and eventually they were on their way. What a moment of intense pleasure with a bunch of random hoodlum-like (but nonetheless friendly) people. The passersby who stop will ask where this or that was taken. A few recognize the locations: “Is that Mt. Katahdin? Was this in Acadia? Oh, I’ve been there. Beautiful, beautiful (Continued on next page)

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place.” Invariably they’ll offer their compliments and be on their way, and although at thisspoint I’m susceptible to disheartenment as a result of the picture(s) not leaving my table, I never feel that way. In fact, quite the opposite: they walk away, and as I continue to strum the strings of my guitar, I can’t erase the smile from my face. I feel utterly elated, and it’s a persistent feeling for essentially the entire duration of my experience there as an Art Walk artist. But let’s not forget who else comprises the Walk. Along the street and throughout the whole Art Walk arena is quite the array of artists going out to promote themselves. From merchants selling t-shirts, paintings and drawings and jewelry, to circus entertainers, to break dancers, to small bands with plastic percussive buckets and guitars and saxophones and so on, the Art Walk offers quite the diverse stew of characters and their work. And everyone I’ve encountered is so down to earth, so delighted to just be there and/ or display what they’ve been working on, so humbled and exalted by the kind words from people they’ve never met. We all want an audience, and the First Friday Art Walk is the outlet for us. It’s the real-life version of our

That’s Awkward

olitics, weather it’s sociology, economics, or geographic, people still try to avoid the subject. You would think a topic with as much importance as this one wouldn’t be so “weird” to talk about with others. Much of the older generation will rise up and not only proudly, but strongly, voice their opinions and engage heated discussions about our nation’s government. Yet the younger generation can take a normal every day conversation and make it awkward simply by skimming the topic, whether it’s the president or gay marriage, it’s just plain weird. But at the same time we can discuss last night’s hook up or our abstinence vow without so much as a hesitation. Just as anyone could have a conversation about their day at work or school, should they not be able to have a simple conversation about our nation? I find myself holding back my own opinions from my peers just because I want to fit in or to avoid the controversy. I’m scared to say “I like Obama” or “I’m pro-choice.” What if the person I’m speaking to is completely against what I’m saying? Will we still be sociable or will things be awkward between us? Not only will I hold back my opinions but, knowing they are not my own, I’ll lie and say I agree with the opinions of my peers just so as not to be judged. That’s the thing about this generation: judgment is inevitable and social acceptance is everything. You are constantly getting judged about

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websites, and we can actually have a human, real-life interaction with those who stop to talk to us and bear witness to our work. Creative Portland and the city itself give us that opportunity, and for that I’m fervently grateful. By patronizing the First Friday Art Walk, you’re choosing to support artists – whether it be via observation, compliment, or money – and you’re also likely choosing to support the city. Ultimately, however, you’re choosing to entertain or promote yourself, depending on how you go about it. It caters to all demographics; there’s no exclusivity behind it. If you haven’t yet been part of the experience, go ahead and submerge yourself, whether you choose to be an artist promoting your work or simply a casual stroller sauntering throughout the streets. I promise you, it’s worth it. Postscript: in a celebration of the ten years since the Fine Arts Department formation here at SMCC, you can find the work of two dozen active SMCC faculty members in the Portland Public Library until September 27 in the Lewis Gallery, including the work of Beacon adviser Chuck Ott.

“I’ve always thought that a picture says a thousand words, and a photo tells it’s own story, but some photographs can’t only speak for themselves. As a project for my photography class last

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year, I took a photo of two of my really close friends. Thinking nothing of it as more than a photograph I really liked, it wasn’t until months later that I believed there could be so much more to it. I saw it in a new light, a new perspective, and what I found there was a poem. This poem is the result of a photograph of two wonderful people who search for more beyond the confines of everyday life.”

By Kelli Dolan

Discord and Din

Songs that evoke memories are always the sweetest, or most tragic sounding songs. The first chord plays, the first lyric is sung and instantly a thousand feelings rush your veins. Your heart matches the beat, and you want to be back in that place listening to this song… Or you skip the song because everything is too surreal to relive this one moment that changed Everything you ever knew about music, about yourself, and about what you want a moment to be. You let the melody elate or crush you, let it overcome Garrick Hoffman you garrickchoffman@smccme.edu in an epiphany of euphoria or poignancy. Either you choose to sing along with the joy written in imprinted smiles across your face, Or you remain silent, let the music do the talking for the things you are too afraid to remember. the simplest things. The shoes you wear, the car you drive, the neighMusic can heal the soul. Or music can tear you into borhood you grew up in, and of pieces course your political view. I strongly that fall away as the last note falls into silence. feel we should not be judged based on our opinions, political or not. I don’t judge people on their opinions; why should society? Instead I find them interesting. If you actually take the time to talk to people and know the different thoughts, views and experiences of each and every person, you would be surprised at how amusing many different opinions there are out there. Politics shouldn’t be a weird or awkward subject! So don’t let it be! Our veterans fight day in and day out for your right to voice your opinion. Don’t let that blood be shed in vain. Go get in a heated discussion regarding a container of Rocky Road ice cream’s ability to be better suited to run this country than Obama if that is what you believe. Or how much of a better job he is doing than our previous president if that is what you believe. Point of the matter is there are plenty of things that you will be inevitably judged for that are much more awkward than your political views. Might as well let your political views and opinions be the cherry on the top of that judgment sundae!

By Rachel Flowers

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ssm mc cc c

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Stars on the Horizon She has her sights on the stars, The universe reflected in her irises, she dreams of bigger places, more possibilities, and endless hope. It dances through her soul as strong and incandescent as the northern lights, emanating with the inspiration to escape the bonds that tie her to this world, to escape the throes of the future unknown. She blinks but once, the stars still remain, and thus she relents, releasing herself to the expanse of the never-ending, she has her sights on the stars. She has her eyes on the horizon, the sunset imprinted in her irises, she dreams of long distances, more opportunities and endless euphoria. It sings in her heart louder and more resilient than the songbirds melody, surging with the desire to set free the emotion that roots her in unforgiving monotony, to set free the potential that will transform her. She closes her eyes, yet the colors still remain, with that she succumbs, seduced by the timeless line that never stops, always just out of reach

sso ou ut th he er rn n m ma aiin ne e c co om mm mu un niit ty y c co olllle eg ge e

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ssm mc cc c

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sso ou ut th he er rn n m ma aiin ne e c co om mm mu un niit ty y c co olllle eg ge e

¤¤

ssm mc cc c

southern maine community college

smcc

southern maine community college

smcc

southern maine community college

smcc