With student loan interest rates set to double in July, the issue of college affordability has taken the local and national spotlight.

The average college debt in New Hampshire is more than $31,400 per student, the highest in the nation. The Granite State also ranks second in the nation in the percentage of college students with debt—74 percent. And so the pending increase to student loan interest rates is of particular concern here in New Hampshire, where college is already prohibitively expensive for some. The national rate on subsidized Stafford loans for undergraduates is scheduled to double from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent on July 1.

George Marshall Store Gallery starts season with “Momentum X,” and more

Kim Bernard’s new sculptures meld science with its seeming opposites of art, spirituality and playfulness. She is fascinated with the basic laws of motion and kinesthetics, and her installation, “Quantum Revival,” combines a study of physics with a background in dance.

rated PG-13

There was a time when watching a Tim Burton film was a singular event, like drinking a Coke or eating Jell-O. But with Tim Burton’s revival of the classic gothic soap opera “Dark Shadows,” we’ve reached the point where A Tim Burton Film, once a distinct product that was guaranteed to have many interesting qualities, has become “a Tim Burton film,” a term that could describe any movie that features freaks and misfits trying to find a home and family in any time period.

Les Artistes Anonymes, 1992: Coming two years before Oliver Stone’s “Natural Born Killers” and 14 years before Showtime’s “Dexter,” you might say this mockumentary was a trendsetter—if serial killer comedies constitute a trend.

‘Wit,’ onstage at The Players’ Ring, looks at life and death through poetry and medicine.

Don’t worry—“Wit” does not delve too deeply into the academic intricacies of either field. The Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Margaret Edson is entertaining, thought-provoking and affecting, with doses of light humor in between doses of chemotherapy. The show’s remarkable cast at The Players’ Ring in Portsmouth makes it agreeable to watch even at its saddest and most excruciating moments.

Store Gallery at 3S Artspace will open with a reception on Friday, June 1, presenting a print show, “Seed & Pulp.”  The temporary gallery, located at 319 Vaughan St., offers a hint of what’s to come in the former Lollipop Tree location where the nonprofit continues to move forward with its capital campaign for renovations. The space will ultimately include a 2,000-square-foot art gallery, a 375-capacity flexible performance space, and a farm-to-table restaurant.

The Washington Street Mills will fill up with local artists, crafters, musicians, performers, writers, non-profits and other businesses that create their own local products on Saturday, June 9 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. for a Spring Gala. Also, the Women’s Fellowship of Kittery Point’s First Congregational Church is seeking vendors of hand-crafted goods for its annual outdoor Summer Craft Fair in July.

The Green Foundry, part of Sanctuary Arts in Eliot, Maine, will host a fundraising “Scratch Mold Iron Pour” on Saturday, June 2, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., to benefit artist Deborah Homer O’Leary of Greenland, who has cancer and is facing mounting expenses for treatment.

Participants are asked to arrive by 1 p.m. and donate $15 to make their scratch mold, watch the pour, and go home with their own iron tile bas-relief sculpture.

Engineers do it. City councilors do it. Even restaurant owners do it, so why not you? It's "Green Commute Week” all across New Hampshire, and Friday marks the Seacoast’s 10th annual Bike/Walk to Work Day. Here’s everything you need to participate, and some tips for making this the freshest summer ever.

The brand new Piscataqua gundalow offers a glimpse of history, a look at the present, and foresight for the future of the watershed.

Once used to transport cargo up and down the Piscataqua River, the traditional gundalow is taking on a new purpose this year as a floating classroom. The newly built gundalow Piscataqua, named for the river on which it floats, will make its first public launch on Memorial Day weekend. The boat is available for school groups, public tours and private charters, carrying people rather than cargo.

Made primarily of wood, setting foot on the Piscataqua is like stepping into the past. The replica gundalow has a wide, flat deck and a large sail, with places to sit for passengers who don’t want to stand or lean over the relatively thin rails. The steering mechanism is completely visible and, leaning over the front of the boat, it’s possible to see the rudder move as the wheel is turned. The cabin is small and can be reached only by going down a steep staircase, and though the wood still smells new, it’s clear that the gundalow was carefully built to reflect the long history of its structure and design.

Long-time Rockingham County Attorney Jim Reams will likely face a new opponent in November. Portsmouth attorney Joe Plaia plans to run for the office. Reams, a Republican of Hampton, was first elected county attorney in 1998.

For the first time in his presidency, Barack Obama has publicly come out in support of gay marriage. During a May 10 appearance on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” Obama said he believes same-sex couples should be legally allowed to marry.

Ray Buckley, chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party, praised Obama’s decision and noted that both Gov. John Lynch and U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen have been staunch supporters of gay marriage. He also noted that New Hampshire House Speaker Bill O’Brien (R-Mont Vernon) wants to repeal gay marriage, as do Republican gubernatorial candidates Ovide Lamontagne and Kevin Smith.

Tara Laurent was officially sworn in as Greenland’s new police chief on Wednesday, May 9, one month after a shootout claimed the life of former chief Michael Maloney and injured four other local police officers.

New Hampshire’s high graduation rate, low dropout rate and innovative approach to education have earned the state national acclaim. The Education Commission of States will present New Hampshire with the Frank Newman Award for State Innovation at the 2012 National Forum on Education Policy in Atlanta on July 10.

At a time when movie enthusiasts have become increasingly jaded by the stale contrivances of Hollywood, this summer might just prove invigorating. There are legitimate reasons to be excited about the summer film lineup, and not just because of superhero blockbusters like “The Avengers,” “The Amazing Spider-Man” and “The Dark Knight Rises.” Good or bad, Hollywood has at least given us reason to hope. So why not suspend our disbelief, indulge our imaginations and trust that the silver screen just might have some good stories to show us this summer. Here are some of the season’s highlights (and lowlights), compiled by The Wire film staff.