Advising Month helps save time, money
There’s no better way for you to save time, save money and reach your academic goals than by using SMCC’s advising services.
SMCC faculty and staff are bolstering efforts to encourage students to take advantage of advising services during Advising Month, which kicks off November 1 and runs the entire month.
Students are encouraged to meet their faculty advisor or stop by the Advising Services Kiosk or the Advising Office to review their degree audit, figure out which courses they need to take, create a schedule and register for classes for next semester.
Advising sessions with faculty and staff advisors are scheduled during the month at both the South Portland and Midcoast Campuses.
Registration for the Spring Semester begins Monday, November 16, for students who have earned at least 30 credits, and Wednesday, November 18, for current students who have earned less than 30 credits.
New clubs focus on astronomy, teaching, community-building through art
Interested in art, collaborative teaching or star-gazing? Students have launched three new clubs this fall that cater to people with those interests.
- The Learning Community provides students interested in teaching with an environment that promotes collaboration and growth among future educators. The group meets on Thursdays from noon-1 p.m. in room 205 of Ross Technology Center. Anybody who’s an education major, is interested in becoming an education major or who just has passion for expanding their knowledge is welcome to join.
- ASTEP, or Artists Striving to End Poverty, focuses on expression and community-building through performing arts, photography, poetry, film and other art forms. For more information, contact Dierdree Glassford at dierdreecglassford@smccME.edu or Alexander Balzano at xander.balzano@gmail.com
- The SMCC Association of Cosmic Explorers (ACE) represents a rebirth of the former Astronomy Club. It meets every Wednesday at 3 p.m. in room 201 of Hildreth Hall. Besides looking into space through telescopes, the group plans to visit research to see how professionals conduct research and to get advice about telescopes. Everyone is welcome, whether you’re an avid astronomer or just curious about space.
Education major Sarah Farrugia says she was inspired to start The Learning Community after taking her first education class this summer, taught by Professor Mary Jo O’Connor.
“She inspires me to be the best student and person I can be,” Sarah says. “She creates a learning community within her classes that extends past the walls of the classroom. I wanted to bring that community together officially and continue to expand it.”
Classes raise funds for water project in Africa
Students in three Political Science courses are raising funds to build a water storage tank and water pipes in a small farming village in the central African nation of Cameroon.
Professors Julie Mueller and Ellen Moy have brought together students from Mueller’s Contemporary World Problems class and Moy’s two Introduction to International Relations classes for a project they’re calling Water as a Vital Resource. Students have chosen the name Hydrate Humanity for the fundraising portion of the project.
Together, the classes’ approximately 70 students are raising funds to build bring clean potable water to a village in Shisong, Cameroon. To help raise the $4,100 needed for the project, students have set up a fundraising page on the Internet. Bake and plant sales are planned from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. on November 3, 4 and 5 in the Campus Center, and students will also place collection jars around campus.
Through the project, students are learning how water is a vital resource for people worldwide. Mueller also arranged for author Colin Woodard to come to SMCC and speak as part of the student experience in learning about water resources around the world.
Woodard will focus on his book about the world’s endangered seas, “Ocean’s End,” at 12:30 p.m. Nov. 19 in the HUB Gymnasium.