Dining hall getting complete makeover
Oceanview Dining Hall will have a new look and feel when students return for the Fall Semester.
The Sodexo Dining Services dining hall is being renovated this summer with improvements that include:
- A new food island with four food stations (salad, pizza, deli, international)
- A new grill station open daily with hamburgers, fries, chicken fingers and other grill items
- A new “simple servings” food station with allergen-free offerings
- A new entry vestibule with two sets of double-entry doors
- A new outdoor patio with up to a dozen tables, surrounded by a knee-high rock wall
- Newly painted walls in the colors of green, blue and gray to reflect the colors of the ocean, sky and shoreline view through the dining hall’s expansive windows
- New tables and chairs
- A new location for the beverage station to the wall near the softball field
The renovations should make for a more appealing dining experience, Griset said. “It’s pretty much a complete makeover,” said Ashley Griset, general manager of the dining hall.
The dining hall building was constructed in the 1950s and originally served as the school’s gymnasium before later becoming the dining hall.
Read all about it! Exhibit features The Beacon through the years
The Beacon student newspaper has come a long way since the days when students sometimes spent entire weekends (even sleeping on the couch) in the old CeSIL office to put out the paper on a sporadic schedule.
Today, The Beacon is produced seven times a semester and is available both in print and online. The 1,000 copies that are printed each issue are distributed across SMCC campuses, at selected businesses and in public libraries from Bath to South Portland.
The Learning Commons is now hosting an exhibit that features about two dozen front pages from the Beacon over the past seven years. The pages have been mounted on particle boards and coated with resin — a process known as “plaquing” — and will be on display through the first week of the Fall Semester.
Beacon faculty advisers Chuck Ott and Rachel Guthrie put together the exhibit as a way to shine the spotlight on an important part of the SMCC experience. Through the years, hundreds of students have worked as writers, editors, page designers, photographers and illustrators for the paper.
Ott said The Beacon hasn’t missed a publication date in the seven years that he and Guthrie have served as faculty advisers.
“I think we’ve had an incredible run, and we’ve had an incredibly diverse range of students who have contributed to The Beacon,” said Ott. “It’s a great promotional device for the college because it supplements students’ college education and sets them up for future success. I’m proud of the students who have worked on it.”
SMCC has had various student newsletters in years past, but the current version of The Beacon was launched in 2003 by two students who wrote most of the articles, did all the editing and produced the paper pretty much on their own, said Shane Long, SMCC’s former director of Residence Life & Student Involvement. As the college grew, the paper grew with more students becoming involved, he said.
HUB gym shines like never before
A newly resurfaced gym floor has given the HUB gym a shine and luster like never before.
The HUB gym floor was resurfaced in May for the first time in 13 years, and the final result is enough to make you say “wow.” This time-lapse video shows how it was done.
The floor is a lighter color than before and doesn’t have any yellow lines or the yellow box at center court. The SMCC logos on the sides of the court have been replaced with USCAA (United States Collegiate Athletic Association) logos.
Gymnasium Floors Inc., based in Stoughton, Mass., performed the work by first sanding the floor, wiping clean the old floor design and bringing out the lighter wood color.
Workers then positioned the tape and stencils, before applying paint and many coats of an epoxy-like finisher. The floor is marked to include a regulation basketball court, two perpendicular basketball courts and two regulation volleyball courts.
The refurbished floor is the gym’s second major improvement in two years. In 2015, the HUB’s 47-year-old wooden bleachers were replaced with modern bleachers.
“With these improvements, our facility is now comparable with any other state or private college in Maine,” said Athletics Director Matt Richards. “We’re excited about bringing recruits onto this gym floor and seeing what we’re all about.”
Employees recognized for contributions to SMCC
SMCC staff and faculty were recognized at the annual Employee Day Recognition event for their many and varied contributions to the college.
Staff and faculty gathered June 8 at Bayside Bowl in Portland for bowling, food, relaxation and a ceremony to recognize the winners of this year’s Shining SeaWolf Awards.
The winners were:
- Exceptional Impact by a Faculty Member Award: Linda Misener
- Exceptional Impact by a Staff Member Award: Sandra Lynham
- Innovator of the Year Award: David Zahn
- Ripple Effect Award: Deborah Schofield
- Unsung Hero Award: David Balberchak
- Community Service Award: Amy Lainoff
- Exceeds Expectations Award: Dianne Berube
Additionally, the following employees appeared again and again on the lists of more than 180 nominees, earning Honorable Mention: Adrian Ayotte, Jeff Badger, Ann Boyce, Emily Gerardo, Val Green, Glenn Hussey, Maureen LaSalle, Wendy Laverdiere, Katharine Lualdi, Mary Jo O’Connor, Louise Ouellette, Michele Pavitt, Vicki Rose Porter, Steve Savarese, Kate Sibole, Teresa Swinborne, Brian Tarbox, Robert Vetesse and Becky Woods
Photo: Receiving awards at the June 8 Employee Appreciation Day were (from left) David Balberchak, Linda Misener and Amy Lainoff