Garrick Hoffman, garrickchoffman@smccme.edu

As 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. 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!