Students recognized for leadership
Several dozen students received well-earned recognition for their leadership and accomplishments at SMCC.
The winners were announced during the Center for Student Involvement and Leadership’s awards ceremony on April 28.
- Leader of the Pack Awards: Dustin Michaud, Elisabeth Roscoe, Autumn Theriault, Brittney Lacourse, Cody Powers, Dierdree Glassford, Eliza Hopkins, Elena Kiyanitsa, Ellen Garnsey, Erik Squire, Justin Cochran, Kamen Scott, Mark Adam Booker, Max Salunek, Meaghan Martin, Nicholas Moll, Nick Mitchell, Olivia Bean, Oona Foley, Rebecca Cosgrove, Sarah Farrugia, Tabatha Copeland, Tracy Calder, Westleigh Monroe, Whitney Cole, Garrett Kelley, Evelyn Waugh, Illaria Dana, Dustin Michaud and Trevon Johnson.
- Resident Assistant of the Year: Sophia Cooper, Brittny Asper
- Rising Star Award: Brandi Adams, Phyllis Mazzaglia
- Student Organization Advisor of the Year: Kathryn Stannard, The Captain’s Cupboard and the Rainbow League
- Student Organization of the Year: Business Club
- Student Organization Program of the Year: TEDxSMCC
Students shine at Thinking Matters symposium
SMCC science students deserve a hand for impressive research they presented at the annual Thinking Matters science symposium held at the University of Southern Maine.
Students from SMCC, as well as USM and Kennebec Valley Community College, showcased their applied learning research in genetics and marine research during the daylong event on April 22. Thinking Matters allows students and faculty to share their work with each other, their colleagues and the general public.
SMCC students who took part in Thinking Matters were Molly Parks; Sarah Moore; Brett Allen-Nicolas; James Wrobel; Derek Theriault; Romeo Kimpwene; Deanna Faunce; Arnold Kampoto; Heather Roberts; Alexis Krech; Sandra Connors; Theodore Martin; Aimee Bussiere; Sakeena Rashid; Julie Moulton; Josh Clukey; Joe Cote; and Lauren Hayden.
Business Club tours biz capital of the world
Sixteen SMCC Business Club members got a first-hand look at the business capital of the world during a trip to New York City.
During the visit from April 21-24, students toured Wall Street, the N.Y. Finance Museum, Trump Towers, the 9/11 Memorial, Central Park and many other iconic NYC landmarks.
Business Club students raised money for the trip through bake sales, newsletter ads and other activities. The trip provided students an opportunity to visit the world’s most active center of business and to bond with each other.
The Business Club is a student-run organization dedicated to promoting student interaction and to discussing business-related topics while gaining valuable experience in leadership, collaboration and teamwork.
Photo caption: Shown in this picture by the Wall Street Bull are (left to right) Jeannie Trueman, Joey Mullins, Hannah Brimigion, Mosa Khalifa, Pamela Almodovar, Matthew Beckmann, Valerie Roy, Alysa Grindlinger, Bronson Kieltyka, Nathalie Mitchell, Nicole-Raye Ellis, Kellie Coulter, Garrett Ramos, Koma Ogak, Henry Nashed, Bryan Gelinas. Not pictured: Professor Steve Strand (Club Advisor)
Students’ artistic talents on exhibit
SMCC students are showcasing their talents at art shows on the South Portland and Midcoast campuses and at an art gallery in Portland.
The Midcoast Campus is hosting an end-of-year art show at the L.L.Bean Learning Commons featuring student work from drawing, painting and photography classes.
The show’s opening reception is Tuesday, May 3, from 4-6 p.m. The artwork will be on display through the summer from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
On the South Portland Campus, six students who experimented with alternative printing methods in Christian Farnsworth’s Photo II class are exhibiting 24 of their photos (including the above photo by Jennifer Gendron) in the Learning Commons. Come meet Michaela Venezio, Jessica Houser-Parrish, Elissa Chard, Zyrah Giustra, Jennifer Gendron and Kelcie Wood at an artists’ reception, from 5-6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 3.
Also on the South Portland Campus, nine students (Tianna Gagne, Emily Leblanc, Michaela Olsen, Vanessa Poirier, Rebecca Cosgrove, Cheyenne Roberts, Savannah Barnes, Beka Martin and Rose Dionne) who are enrolled in the Path to Graduation program are displaying their paintings, photos, sculpture and other work in the Learning Commons. An opening reception was held April 27, and the work will be on display through May 14.
Meanwhile, six students who are graduating this month from SMCC’s art program exhibited their work at the 3Fish art gallery in Portland and held an opening reception held on April 29. Students in that show were Colton Blake, Shandar Erebus, Delaney Fone, Night, and Torie Trynor.
Maine Mayhem Film Festival to showcase student films
Five student-produced films will be featured in this year’s Maine Mayhem Film Festival.
The sixth annual festival will showcase the work of seven students who have been working on their films this semester. They will show at three theaters around Maine in Mid-May.
This year’s lineup of films are:
- “Waters,” a coming-of-age film by Graceson Cyr and Jack Rohner
- “Bored Games,” a comedy by Andy Anzora
- “According to Know Plan,” a psychological drama by Ryan Marshall
- “Alone Together,” an end-of-world drama by Mackenzie Bartlett and Joey Hyland
- “White Skies,” a science fiction film by Kyle Gravel
This year’s films will show at 6:30 and 8 p.m. May 12 at Portland’s Nickelodeon Cinema, at 7 p.m. May 14 at the Central Gallery in Bangor, and at 7 p.m. May 18 at the Magic Lantern in Bridgton.
Tickets for the Portland show can be purchased at the Patriot Cinemas website.
Maine Development Foundation CEO to speak at commencement
The president and CEO of the Maine Development Foundation will be the keynote speaker at SMCC’s 69th commencement on May 22.
Yellow Light Breen has been an active volunteer in many education and economic development efforts, and he has a passion for promoting economic and educational opportunity for all Mainers. A sought-after public speaker with a diverse background in business, public policy and law, he has served as the head of the Maine Development Foundation since last summer.
SMCC’s graduation ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. May 22 at Cross Insurance Arena in Portland.
Climate change, water quality to be embedded into courses
SMCC has received a $4,500 Environmental Protection Agency grant to develop an academic initiative that addresses climate change and water quality in Casco Bay.
The Campus Compact Environmental Stewardship grant will be used to embed climate change and water quality service-learning projects into selected marine science, zoology, biology, marine botany and photography courses. Students will learn different techniques to collect data while working in collaboration with other groups and organizations in learning about what’s happening environmentally in Casco Bay.
Ericka Poppell, a Biology and Marine Science instructor and the principal investigator for the grant, said SMCC has the ideal location for students to research topics such as ocean acidification and water temperature rise in the Gulf of Maine.