From left, Celina Simmons, managing editor of The Beacon; Coner Hudson and Joshua Parks, vice-chair and chair of the Student Senate; and Liam Woodworth-Cook, chair of the Captain’s Cupboard.
Fair puts spotlight on student involvement
Learning isn’t just about academics. SMCC offers numerous ways for students to become involved and pursue their interests outside of the classroom.
Several student organizations, as well as on-campus employers and community organizations, set up tables at the January 22 Winter Involvement Fair in the Campus Center to tout their offerings.
Liam Woodworth-Cook, who is the chair of the student-run Captain’s Cupboard food bank, said getting involved in the Captain’s Cupboard has provided him leadership skills and taught him things such how to write an agenda and preside over meetings.
Moreover, it has given him a sense of gratitude and satisfaction that he is helping people and that his efforts are appreciated.
“It’s been incredibly rewarding,” he said at the Involvement Fair. “Food insecurity is a real thing. It’s very important to get food to people who need it.”
From The Beacon student newspaper and the Student Veterans Organization to the Business Club and Phi Theta Kappa honor society, students have many options to become involved in campus activities.
Studies show that students who get involved attain higher grades and are more likely to graduate, said Lizz Tharpe, Resident Director of Spring Point Hall who oversees student activities and the Student Senate. Students who are involved learn time management, life balance and self-advocacy, she added.
Clubs allow students to make new friends outside of the classroom, pursue their interests and even travel. The SMCC Business Club, for example, makes a trip to New York City every April.
For Coner Hudson, vice-chair of the Student Senate, involvement is all about community and enjoying a full college experience.
“Community is part of the name of our College,” he said. “It’s nice to know the neighbors you see every day. And it’s nice to get involved in events; getting involved adds to the enjoyment.”
For more information on how to join a student organization, students can email studentactivities@smccME.edu or stop by the Student Activities Office in the lobby of Spring Point Residence Hall or the Orion Residence Hall at the Midcoast Campus.
Additional information can be found on My Student Life on My Maine Guide or on the SMCC mobile app.
Student-athletes enjoy success in the classroom
SMCC student-athletes are excelling in the classroom as well as on the playing surface.
For the Fall Semester, SMCC’s 118 student-athletes had a GPA of 2.79, up from 2.66 the following fall. Forty-seven ― or 40 percent ― of them had a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
The fall-to-spring retention rate among student-athletes was 91.5 percent, meaning more than nine out of 10 student-athletes who were here in the fall have returned this spring.
Matt Richards, SMCC’s Athletic Director and Associate Dean of Student Life, impresses upon all student-athletes the importance of academics. Many of the athletic programs hold mandatory study halls for student-athletes and compile progress reports to ensure they are attending classes, turning in assignments and doing well on tests.
If students fall behind, athletic staff meet with those students to figure out a solution to improve their academic performance.
SMCC’s sports teams also had a superior showing during the Fall Semester. Both the men’s and women’s soccer teams were invited to the national United State Collegiate Athletic Association tournament.