Emma Campbell

The SMCC Beacon • 14th December 2022

Op-ed: Community College is the Best Choice I’ve Made

Three years ago, I made the decision to not return to the private college I was attending. I was the unruly teenager who had made it my mission to attend school out of state. I worked hard in high school to be a well-rounded student, because I had been told that was my ticket to a prestigious university. College admissions proved to be incorrect in my case, and for plenty of my peers who also tried to be the perfect college applicant.

I believed there was no pathway to success that excluded an

The SMCC Beacon • 6th October 2022

SMCC Students Attend Gubernatorial Debate

This morning, myself and two other writers for The Beacon had the pleasure of attending a debate between Governor Janet Mills and former Governor Paul Lepage right here in Portland. Jesse Bifulco, Owen Parr, and I arrived at Holiday Inn by the Bay at 7 a.m. The event is called Eggs & Issues, and is a business forum put on by the Portland Community Chamber to discuss business issues each month. Today the topic was the 2022 Gubernational Debate, and moderator Quincy Hentzel, CEO of Portland Region

The SMCC Beacon • 8th May 2022

The Struggle to Find Affordable Housing in Southern Maine

Most young adult’s dream is to move out of their parents’ home and into their own. For most, that has begun with renting your first apartment. I first had the desire to do so after my 20th birthday. I had a job and a desire for further independence.

It quickly became apparent to me that it was not as easy as I thought. Friends of mine in the past were able to rent in neighboring towns for cheaper costs, but I was not met with the same luck. After tons of scammers, lack of replies, and adjustmen

The SMCC Beacon • 6th May 2022

SMCC Students Share Opinions On Free Community College

Last week I wrote an article about how free community college will be offered to those impacted by the pandemic. Students who graduated high school between 2020 and 2023 can receive two years of free community college, as long as they are enrolled full time at any of Maine’s seven community colleges.

As a 2018 high school graduate, I myself am not eligible, even though my academic experience has been impacted by the pandemic. I decided to ask my fellow SMCC students what their thoughts on this

The SMCC Beacon • 13th December 2022

How do SMCC Students Consume the News?

Consuming the news and keeping yourself up to date on current events is one of the most vital things anyone can do. Being an informed citizen helps you in making the best decisions possible, whether it be at the voting booth or what environmentally damaging products you can do without. 79% of young people, aged 16 to 40, say they get news daily, according to a study conducted by Media Insight Project.

There has been a shift in how different generations consume information. 91% of young people r

The SMCC Beacon • 4th November 2021

What Does the Covid-19 Vaccine Mandate Mean for EMS Workers?

Maine EMS workers react to the looming deadline to be vaccinated against Covid-19

PORTLAND – By October 29 all Maine healthcare workers must be fully vaccinated against

Covid-19 or face termination. The vaccine mandate comes after the early August decision

from the Mills Administration. And while many are in compliance, the mandate was met with immediate concern from Maine EMS workers, confused as to why they were included as healthcare workers. Since the mandate was announced, EMS workers ha

The SMCC Beacon • 11th May 2022

Opinion: It’s time for Susan Collins to Act on Women’s Rights

Maine’s very own Senator Susan Collins has found herself in the middle of the debate surrounding the state of Roe v. Wade in America. Collins called police on Saturday night after seeing “Susie, please, Mainers want WHPA. Vote yes, clean up your mess,” written outside of her Bangor home in chalk. The dot above “i” in Mainers was replaced with a drawing of a uterus and fallopian tubes.

The WHPA is the Women’s Health Protection Act, and would codify the right of abortion into federal law. Collins

The SMCC Beacon • 3rd February 2022

State Legislators Hold Public Hearing to Consider Legalizing Magic Mushrooms for Mental Health Disorders

On Tuesday Maine lawmakers considered a bill to legalize “magic mushrooms.” Oregon made waves in November 2020 when its citizens voted to decriminalize the drug, known formally as psilocybin, as well as legalizing it for therapeutic use. Maine would follow, allowing the use of psilocybin for mental health disorders.

The bill, “Maine Psilocybin Services Act,” states that an adult aged at least 21 would need to purchase, consume, and feel the effects of the product under the supervision of a psil

The SMCC Beacon • 8th March 2022

As Portland’s Population Grows, Its Public Transportation Should as Well

I went to a concert last week in Worcester, Massachusetts. The tickets were purchased several months ago, and had planned to grab some bus tickets to head down. My car is unreliable and the friend I am attending with doesn’t have a vehicle, so that made the most sense, right? Two weeks ago I decided to jump online to purchase the bus tickets and I was shocked to see no bus or train tickets available for the two hour route on the day of the concert.

It’s pretty apparent that the United States is

The SMCC Beacon • 23rd February 2022

Opinion: Mainers Deserve Student Loan Debt Relief

Each year high school seniors are encouraged by guidance counselors, teachers, and most adults in their lives to apply for college. Most 17-18 year olds are ecstatic about leaving their childhood homes and embarking into adult life, and fail to realize the financial implications their college experience will put on their young adult life.

Teenagers are expected to make a drastic decision about the course of their future that will most likely leave them indebted for the majority of their lives.