The Equinox 12.13.18

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THE EQUINOX The student voice of Keene State College

Vol. 71, Issue #14

Thursday, December 13, 2018

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Smoking age raised to 21 VINCENT MOORE

News editor After three months of discussion and debate, the Keene City Council has raised the age to purchase and possess nicotine and tobacco products from 18 to 21.

The Council voted during their Dec. 6 meeting to pass the ordinance 10-5, according to the Keene Sentinel.

The Sentinel reported that the ordinance was effective the moment it was passed and includes electronic cigarettes and liquid nicotine, along with traditional tobacco products.

Violations of the ordinance incur a $50 fine for first offenses and a $100 fine for each subsequent offense.

The Equinox reported in September that Program Manager for the Cheshire Coalition for Tobacco Free Communities Kate McNally

submitted first submitted the proposal to the Council in July of 2018. The proposal was forwarded to the Municipal Services, Facilities, and Infrastructure Committee for discussion and eventually drafting.

Despite being a state institute, Director of Campus Safety Jeff Maher said that students will have to abide by the new ordinance.

“The student code of conduct is the vehicle by which campus safety enforces the rules,

regulations and values of the institution, and the student code of conduct has a section which reflects that we expect our students to abide by all state, federal, local laws, rules and regulations, so that’s how we’ll enforce,” Maher said.

Vincent Moore can be contacted at vmoore@ kscequinox.com

10 YEARS ACCREDITATION

ALEX HARVEY

equiNox staff

Quality of the KSC nursing program won confidence of ten years’ worth of national accreditation VINCENT MOORE

News editor Despite facing many challenges over the past few years, the Keene State College Nursing Program has received ten full years of national accreditation.

Director of Nursing Patricia Shinn said that national accreditation: “Is a symbol that you have a quality program. If you have national accreditation… you have an external body of experts in nursing looking at your curriculum and looking at every aspect, the college, and how the program fits in the college, the students, how we service the students, not just as nursing students but college students.”

President Melinda Treadwell said that by

giving the college the full ten years of accreditation, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) is expressing its full confidence in KSC’s nursing program.

“The national CCNE accreditors have said, not that we get a five year review, but they are so confident that our program meets their professional criteria, the students are going to be well prepared, they like what they see, they give us a full ten years of accreditation acceptance. If our program showed any concerns for them, they would give us a shorter period of accreditation, so to get a full ten years is a statement that our program looks great from a nursing licensure prospective, and the state board of nursing checks us every year to make sure we’re meeting the requirements of the state and they’ve also said they’re very

pleased with where we stand and where we’re headed,” Treadwell said.

The progress, effort and resources put into the program by the college are some factors that Shinn said she thinks helped earn the ten year accreditation.

Shinn said that nursing graduates will benefit from the national accreditation when they apply for positions or graduate schools requiring that they come from institutions with national accreditation: “They could find programs that didn’t expect that national accreditation, but they’re becoming fewer and far between at this point.

Most nursing programs are accredited, so the graduate programs are looking that you have that assurance of that good, solid education before you

» SEE ACCREDITATION A2 Laura Romaniello / Art Director

KSC cabinet make calls for registration ADRIANA DANIEL

equiNox staff As the spring semester quickly approaches, it has come to the attention of administration that many students have not registered for classes.

In an effort to change this, the Keene State Cabinet (which is comprised of the president, vice presidents of the college, director of Human Resource, director Instualital Research and executive director of Advancement,) came together to call students who failed to register for the upcoming semester Thursday night.

President Melinda Treadwell, one of the callers at the phone-athon, said, “The call-in is to basically say, ‘Hey, we’re here, we cared about getting you registered. Can you help us know why you haven’t yet?’ and then to follow up. So we’ll learn as to why and what in our communication aren’t working very well. Also

if there are students who are like ‘Oh my god, I didn’t know I could or should, or what I needed to do,’ we can help them get there.”

Vice President of Marketing and Enrollment Jeff Holeman was a part of the team who recommended to the Cabinet to put on a phone-athon.

“Registration ended a few weeks ago, so there is a formal process, and at the end of that process we looked at how many students of those who are eligible to move on registered and about 15 percent had not,” Holman said.

With such a large bout of the student body not registered, the Cabinet began emailing students and reaching out to advisors as an attempt to complete the registration.

Believing there were communication gaps, Holeman said that the Cabinet is working on how to better let students know when the formal registration time is.

Along with informing students

HENRY HOBSON / EQUINOX STAFF

Vice President of Marketing and Enrollment Jeff Holeman (standing far right) observing calls.

that they had not signed up for dents back from registering. Only pick classes, those not eligible are classes, there will be a formal analy- students who are eligible to con- students who are on financial holds sis to find out what is holding stu- tinue on to next semester are able to

Top Headlines

Index Section A: News .................1-3 Opinions ...........4-5 A&E ..................6-8 Associated Collegiate Press

Section B: Student Life...1-4 CC....................5 Sports............6-8

A4: Family Festivities A8: Taking the lead B1: Winter Celebration B8: All American

Rumors of change in 2019 class government unfounded, says class president

There have been no changes in leadership for the Class of 2019. A rumor originated from Facebook that Briae Robillard was stepping down as president of the senior class. She has stated that this is not the case, she is simply taking a brief leave of absence. Instead, the core leadership of Student Government remains intact going into the new semester.

“In the end, I did not officially resign or went through the resignation process. I am taking a medical leave from government (not the school) for the next few weeks.

Vice President Allie Tolles will be taking over until after finals, but I will continue to do some smaller work where I can, and will be attending all meetings for the rest of the semester. I intend to come back next semester and pick up where I [left off],” Robillard wrote in an emailed statement.

Allie Tolles reiterated what Robillard wrote, writing in an emailed statement: “As of right now, Briae is still acting as the Class of 2019 President. I do not feel comfortable answering any further questions about this.”

The rumor originated in a Facebook post that Robillard made in the official Keene State College Class of 2019 Facebook group. The post, which has since been deleted, allegedly included Robillard stating that she would be stepping down as the president and that there were multiple positions open and available.

Advisor for Student Government Brandon Mathieu said that while the rumors about Robillard’s resignation are false, there are in fact positions open in Student Government.

“At this time, it’s my understanding that Student Government leadership has not received a formal resignation from Briae.

That said, as far as Student Government is concerned, Briae is still the Class of 2019 President. Also, to clarify, per Student Government records, the Class of 2019 currently has three Class Representative spots vacant; all other positions are filled,” Mathieu wrote in an emailed statement.

While the seniors might have positions filled in Student Government, the first-year class does not. According to an Equinox article published last month, as of Halloween, the Class of 2022 was in need of a President, a Vice President, a Treasurer, a secretary, and four representatives to

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News / A2

Thursday, December 13, 2018

A right fit for student gov

ANGELIQUE INCHIERCA / SENIOR STAFF

Sarah Dugas went from rep, to VP, to student body president AUSTIN COOK

Equinox Staff Many students do not know who the student body president is at Keene State College.

Of the twelve people surveyed for this article, not one could name the student body president.

Sarah Dugas is the current student body president and an English literature major with a management minor at Keene State. Dugas said she wants to go into a Human Resources and management field and has an HR internship, which helped her realize that HR/Management should be her career choice for the future.

Dugas said that she never heard of Keene until she began discussing schools with her mom and learned that her mom was an alumni.

“My mom went to Keene State. I didn’t even know what Keene State was until my mom had me take a look. So I toured the campus and fell in love with it. I did apply to other schools, but this one really caught my eye,” Durgres said.

Being involved in student government

was a new experience for Dugas.

“I wasn’t involved with any student government in high school. I did a lot of volunteer work. I was part of a program called Project Outreach, where we plan volunteer programs for other people at our school. So in some ways, I was involved with stuff like that in high school. I tried all types of things when I got to Keene, but student government was the right organization for me,” Dugas said.

Dugas added that she started as a representative and was encouraged by friends to assume more responsibility. She said she was honored to serve on the e-board her sophomore year, “I just worked my way from there.

I ran for vice president last year and got it, the logical route from there was to run for student body president. Part of my role as acting president is to facilitate the e-board assembly meetings every Tuesday and oversee it with the vice president. ” Dugas explained that the e-board sponsors various events throughout the school year and events for other organizations. The e-board also help other clubs raise, budget and allocate funds throughout the year. In the spring, they allocate budgets for all of the stu-

dent-run organizations and clubs on campus.

The e-board organizes a carnival every spring which involves many of the clubs. This is a tradition that Keene State has had for many years.

Brandon Mathieu, Coordinator of Fraternity, Sorority Life and Student Leadership, said he works with Dugas often.

“She knows the campus, our campus culture, and the student body. So she really is a crucial student leader for me to go to figure out what kind of initiatives and different activities the student government should focus on and be working with the administration on,” Mathieu said.

Dugas emphasized that she makes every effort to get input and feedback from the student body, “I hold office hours in case anyone needs any information from me. I oversee all of our committee chairs and facilitate our weekly student gov e-board meetings. I am co-chair of our events committee and I also sit on our senate executive committee as well as the student senate. I put in twenty-five to thirty hours a week of my time into this role. I have busy weeks, but twelve of those [hours] are office hours. I’m a very open person and

[if] anyone has any questions about student government or the e-board, they are welcome to talk to me.”

Mathieu praised Dugas’ dedication to the student government and explained that she invests a large amount of time.

“Sarah has excellent time management skills. She’s a go-getter. She doesn’t let anything hold her back or weigh things down. She tends to look at the glass half full and is proactive instead of reactive. She likes to make sure that the entire student voice is heard before anything is enacted or voted on. I really do appreciate that about her. I think she’s genuine and leads by example,” Mathieu said.

Durgas said she cares very much about being the voice of the student body, “I love being the student government president. It’s a busy job but I like to stay busy, and I definitely feel rewarded by putting events on for students and helping clubs become clubs or help them put on their own events, and most of all, be a voice for students.”

Austin Cook can be contacted at acook@kscequinox.com

CALLS cont. from A1 or have been placed on academic probation, Holeman explained.

In the beginning, there was 15 percent of the student body who did not register, but now the number has shrunk down to six percent.

“Through a lot of outreach personally, through the RA’s who went to their students, advisor and faculty who reached out to their students directly, now this is an opportunity to reach out to students who have not responded to date,” Holeman said.

Holeman broke down the six percent of the eligible students who have not registered for classes as 88 first years, 41 sophomores, 44 juniors, 34 seniors, and 11 graduate students.

KSC Junior Aidan Donovan said his reasoning for not registering is, “There’s no point in rushing to get it done, it always works out for me.”

The administration is reaching out to the student body to learn what improvement the administration should make. President Treadwell said, “This is no different than what we see every semester, the numbers are roughly the same as what we have seen in the past. We’re reaching out to find out, ‘Is it the way we are communicating during the cycle? Are we not getting to them early enough? Is there confusion

HENRY HOBSON / EQUINOX STAFF

Vice President of Student Affairs Kemal Atkins (left) and President Melinda Treadwell (right) were among the cabinet members present at the call-a-thon.

about how to [get] registered?’” been looking at the course sched- registered yet, so if we do see the President Treadwell also said ule and I have asked her to look at demand is there, we’re going to have that there is a chance with late gateway classes and other opportu- to look at opening those.” registration and how classes will nity classes that may open because be opening up: “Our provost has we have had students who haven’t

KSCEQUINOX.COM

RUMORS cont. from A1

sit on assembly. These positions are all open for election. Vitello interviewed Sarah Wilson, the Chair of the Student Government Elections Committee, who said that she is unsure of why the involvement of first-year students has gone down. In the past, the student involvement fair has garnered enough interest and support, but that was not the case this year. Despite a campaign to promote interest in student government that involved Facebook, Instagram, and email, these positions remain vacant. Wilson has been involved in Student Government since her first year at Keene, and she said she feels that it is a great opportunity for students to get involved with what is happening on campus.

Interest in Student Government amongst first year students is not completely absent, however.

First-year history and secondary education major Lydia Mardin is running as Secretary of the Class of 2022. She said that she has always had a vested interest in politics, and wants to help give her graduating class a voice. She feels that involvement from first year students is down because of the divisive political climate in America, as well as the fact that first year students are less likely to be truly comfortable in their surroundings. Mardin feels that the contemporary political climate in America discourages interest in politics and government amongst the youth. She believes that because these young adults are all new to Keene State College, and most are new to the Monadnock region, they are less interested in putting themselves out there.

Any students who are interested in joining student government can pick up a petition in the Student Government Office, on the second floor of the Student Center. Once the petition has been completed, the student may submit it to the Student Center Administration suite, on the third floor of the Student Center.

Alex Harvey can be contacted at: aharvey@kscequinox.com

ACCREDITATION cont. from A1

go on to the master’s.”

This comes as good news for the program, especially as it has been under probation due to low National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) test scores from previous years.

“We’re still on probation by the New Hampshire State Board of Nursing, and we will be for another year. The law says two years of above national pass rates, and we’re hoping the May ‘18 class made that benchmark. We don’t know yet until January when the final numbers for 2018 are in, and hopefully our group had an 88.24 percent pass rate, and usually national is not that high, it’s somewhere in the low to mid 80s. So I’m pretty sure we made it with last year’s graduates, if we make it with this 2019 group we’ll be off probation for the first time in the history of this program,” Shinn said.

The ten years of accreditation comes as good news for nursing students as well. Senior nursing major James Halkiotis said, “This is great news for us because our program is now recognized to be not on the rocks anymore, we’re good to go. They did a lot of changes, our professors are fantastic, our head of nursing means business, she’s great, she puts up with us freaking out all the time because we’re a stressful bunch.”

Shinn said that the nursing program is vital for the college: “There’s just no way we could lose this nursing program in Keene.

We need it, desperately, for the shortage of nursing that’s just going to get worse and worse as we go through the decade.”

Vincent Moore can be contacted at vmoore@kscequinox.com

Adriana Daniel can be contacted at adaniel@kscequinox.com

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News / A3

Thursday, December 13, 2018

Campus safety ready for fingerprinting

STAFF COMMENTARY

George Bush Sr.’s overlooked legacy ALEX HARVEY

Equinox Staff

HENRY HOBSON / EQUINOX STAFF

In order to streamline the fingerprinting process of the background check required by some education students, Campus Safety and the Education department teamed up to provide a fingerprint scanner for students to use on campus. According to Director of Campus Safety Jeff Maher, the scanner is completely digital and requires no ink.

College seeks reconciliation with local businesses AUSTIN COOK

Equinox Staff On Dec. 5, the President of Keene State College Melinda Treadwell held a closed session with 20 regional corporate leaders to introduce new Keene State College team members, strengthen corporate partnerships, and apologize for mismanaging donations.

Treadwell explained that a few weeks ago, the Fenton Family Dealership raised concerns about their recent donations to the college. The Fenton Family Dealership had not received any acknowledgement of their donation or visibility to how their donation was appropriated by the college. Dr. Treadwell apologized to them both privately and within this meeting for not honoring them for their generosity and continuous support, as this sort of oversight is unacceptable. Treadwell noted she personally invited the Fenton Family to attend this meeting with other

regional business regarding strengthening relationships with the college and to introduce the college business staff.

“I want the business community to know that Keene State is here to be a good partner...

If we have transgressions where we have not acknowledged peoples’ gifts or connected them with the student being supported, then I need to know about it so we can move forward as a better partner and a more thankful gracious community partner. Specifically, so this is a chance to bring some business partners in,” Treadwell said.

Treadwell explained that her team is stabilized and that she wanted to start the meeting by expressing gratitude toward all the business leaders and introducing her staff.

Dr Treadwell assured the committee that she wants to grow an open and active partnership.

Matthew Wheaton, Vice President of Business Development of DEW Construction

Corp, agreed that the meeting met his expectations, “ I think the school has undergone some leadership changes. They expressed concern for a lack of involvement and apologized for letting things fall to the wayside, but they are going to have a renewed commitment to make sure the students and the business community have the ability to showcase each other’s talent. Both the business talents and the students’ talents to allow them to make an informed decision.”

Wheaton said that DEW Construction Corp is a Vermont-based company. As DEW is struggling to find people within the Keene area to fill open positions, they will soon open an office in Manchester. Dew believes they will be able to draw more young people to the Manchester area to fill open positions.

“DEW will remain in Keene and we are focused on the community. We are not going anywhere… What DEW and MacMillin want to do is be able to showcase the different

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fields available in our profession and draw interest to an aging profession. We are asking to come on campus and talk with students directly and hopefully capture some internships with students,” Wheaton said.

Treadwell emphasised Keene State College’s commitment to the Keene community and expressed the desire for a more open and active partnership with regional businesses.

She expressed her desire for them to come to her with issues and ideas. Her door is always open.

Treadwell emphasised, “I’m insisting that whatever things we have done in the past that we stop doing that. We have to be good people and follow up on our promises.”

Austin Cook can be contacted at acook@kscequinox.com

Campus Safety Press Log 12/3 Destruction of ProPerty/vanDalism - maDison lot 12/4 theft-bicycles - siDewalks 12/4 motor vehicle collision - hit & run - elliot lot 12/5 theft from a builDing - mason li-

NEWS EDITOR VINCENT MOORE (603) 443-3877 KSCEQUINOX.COM

brary

12/8 theft from a builDing - launDromat 12/9 Dating violence - one butler court res hall

George H.W. Bush is dead. This is the first time since Gerald Ford’s death in 2006 that America has lost a president. Bush Senior was the longest-lived president in American history, and was one of only two father-son presidential duos in our nation’s history. (The other being John Adams and John Quincy Adams.) It may be easy for some people to overlook George H.W. Bush; it would be easy to look at the fact that he was a one term president between two very popular two term presidents, the fact that he served as Ronald Reagan’s VP, and that his son had a longer career in office, and say that Bush Sr. was the poor man’s Reagan. But that is not fair; the elder Bush occupied a special time and place in American political history.

The world was changing. The Cold War was ending (and finally ended under his administration), and the age of the Internet was about to dawn. He served as the Vice President under Ronald Reagan, one of the most impactful presidents ever, he was our commander in chief for the end of the Cold War, and he fathered George W. Bush. Reagan and Bush Jr. arguably changed the American political landscape more than any other presidents before 2016. Reagan introduced Reaganomics, greatly expanded the military, and changed Cold War foreign policy. Bush Sr’s legacy lies in government surveillance, seemingly endless war in the Middle East, and his iconic line “Read my lips: No new taxes.” (Which he famously reneged on while in office).

Professor Roger Martin [Equinox co-advisor] actually met Bush in 1980. Bush came to New Hampshire during the primary season to campaign while he ran against Reagan.

“Bush was actually the frontrunner at the time, but that same week they had the presidential debate in Nashua, where Reagan made that famous ‘I paid for this microphone’ statement when someone tried to cut him off, and that went viral.

After that, Reagan’s campaign took off, and George’s campaign slipped.

He was speaking at a rally in Jaffrey after which they offered sleigh rides.

I jumped into one of the sleighs, and it happened to be his,” Martin said.

Martin said he was impressed by what Bush was like in a more personal, non-scripted setting, “He was just talking about his family. He couldn’t wait to meet his grandchildren, Jeb’s children. He said ‘I can’t wait to meet my little grandchildren.’

It was so obvious, the love and sincerity he had for these grandchildren. I thought, ‘This is a man that’s real, the personality he puts forth as a gentleman is not phony.’ I knew it was genuine, and that changed how I saw him as a person and as a candidate after that. Ronald Reagan was an actor, so he portrayed characters very well. But George Bush was a gentleman, he always spoke his mind. That always impressed me.”

“Reagan was wildly popular, he had a folksy way, he knew how to make people at ease. I was just never convinced it was him. It was hard to tell where the actor began and the person ended. With George H.W. Bush there was no question that the person you saw on the stage was very much what you saw at home or on the street, and I really admired him for somehow managing to keep that, through all of those decades of public service.”

Martin also expressed his admiration for Bush’s respect for political opponents: “He put politics at arm’s length so that it never became personal. When it was over, that wasn’t held over whoever he was running against, he didn’t hold anything against those who said bad things about him. The fact that he invited the current president to his funeral says a lot about him.”

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OPINIONS

Opinions / A4 Thursday, December 13, 2018

EDITORIAL

KSCEQUINOX.COM

Family festivities Surviving with your crazy family this holiday season

LAURA ROMANIELLO / ART DIRECTOR

LETTER TO THE EDITOR RACISM MATTERS: WHAT CAN WE DO TO STOP IT

“WE’RE HANGING NOOSES TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT TIMES HAVEN’T CHANGED” a poster exclaims outside the Mississippi State Capitol.

The Mississippi Department of Public Safety is currently investigating this act of racial hatred. Unfortunately, racist acts, such as this one, are not the purview of radical extremists. CNN, The Washington Post, and other media platforms have reported that Cindy HydeSmith, Mississippi’s Republican runner for U.S. Senate, was caught saying that she would sit next to a supporter of public hangings. In 2017, the FBI, reported 7,175 hate crimes to Uniform Crime Reporting, up 17% from the previous year. While we hear about these shocking hate crimes through the media, there are numerous other racist acts and disparities present in our everyday lives.

Consider the following statistics: -According to a 2017 report published by the Kaiser Foundation, 8 % of whites are impoverished in our country, while 20% of blacks are impoverished.

- Christina Novoa and Jamila Taylor, researchers for

THE EQUINOX

the Center for American Progress, report that in 2018, 43.5 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births occur for African American mothers, compared to 14 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births for all U.S. mothers.

-The United Negro Fund states that in 2018, schools whose student body is 90% people of color spend $733 less per student per year than schools that are 90% white.

These statistics exemplify that institutional discrimination between black and white students persists. In 2016, Karolyn Tyson published an article titled. “Desegregation without Integration” in the edited book titled Race and Ethnicity in Society, which, documents racial inequities in American schools today. In 954, Brown v. the Topeka Board of Education Supreme Court decision declared separate schools for black and white students is unconstitutional and ordered schools to be integrated, but over five decades later, students still experience separate and unequal schooling. Racialized tracking within integrated schools places Black students in lower-level classes and White students in higher-level classes, resulting in an achievement gap and a strong message of inferior expectations to Black students. Moreover, Black students who excel in inte-

To contact the Equinox, e-mail smehegan@kscequinox.com

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MISSION: The Equinox exists to promote the free flow of information, to protect the First Amendment, to stimulate high standards in the practice of journalism and to foster excellence among student journalists.

grated schools often face ridicule for “acting white.”

Racially oppressive acts are not limited to hate crimes or institutional discrimination. They can occur each day, right in front of us, as racial micro-aggressions.

Some of our own firsthand accounts include swastikas drawn in residence halls, inappropriate racially motivated costumes, and racial slurs. Such incidents have become a commonplace experience for many people of color. Until White Americans understand the constant discrimination members of ethnic groups face, they will never be able to understand the true depth and effect of these seemingly small acts.

At the same time, there is a difference between feeling guilty and feeling responsible for racial injustice, which has historically become normalized in our society. Many white Americans believe that racial oppression is over. My friends, I am here to tell you, we have a lot of work to do. For us to grow into a person of character and good humanity, we must become a positive ally.

As a majority white campus, it is important for all of us to realize our privilege, which we can use to effect positive social change and provide support to those who experience racial oppression. Here are some ways in which you can do so:

With some students not having seen their extended families for over 6 years, this season can be a time for welcoming in old friends, as well as cousins, aunts, and uncles.

Tensions also rise with seeing family members, as growing up can affect the attitude that parents give to their children. While some might treat their child with respect, some parents might not approve of the decisions their newborn adult might make. This makes interactions awkward as well as difficult, especially with such a long break underway.

With becoming an adult, some students find a extreme similarity with their parents, as they now represent the same values as their parents. This can help the holidays become a relaxing time, enjoying each other’s company, and having fun playing games as well as having family traditions.

In all going home for break can be a rollercoaster of stress and excitement.

After this finals week students should try to go home and relax. Be thankful for the people that are sitting next to them in the car, and thankful for whatever is underneath the wrapping paper.

Getting through these hectic holidays means dealing with crazy family members, stressful situations and listening to the same three christmas songs on replay, but we know that KSC students are hard to break so don’t give in during this one!

● Respect the fact that racism is everywhere in society, and it affects all people. Take it seriously. ● Be observant and aware of racial injustice. ● Communicate your knowledge about racism and white privilege with others to build a support system and find likeminded people. ● Take a stand against injustice by taking risks to intervene when racism occurs. ● Be willing to listen empathically without judgement to people’s experiences with racism. ● Don’t be quick to be dismissive or defensive when people tell their experiences with racism.

According to an expert advocate of racial justice, Paul Kivel, being an ally is not an identity, it is a practice. The recognition of independence and mutuality of interests creates a healthy and caring society. In conclusion, if we practice understanding and construct a healthy environment for all, we can truly succeed as allies in the fight against racism.

EQUINOX NEWSROOM

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After getting a little taste of the holiday season during Thanksgiving break, students rush through finals to go back home. Holidays are hard times for our wallets, our families, and ourselves.

Stress levels go through the roof: Making sure each family member gets the right gift with personal meaning, but also staying on budget, making sure certain things aren’t brought up at family get-togethers and not getting carried away with new year’s resolutions that will probably be lost within a month.

Many students are ecstatic to go home and see their family. They might have a really close relationship with their siblings, or they might go home to see their pets, or maybe they just like the comfort of their home.

This season is full of cheer, holly, and awkwardness. Giving someone a gift they already got or one that they aren’t thrilled about can make a very uncomfortable situation. Then at the dinner table getting told that having a job, an internship, and taking classes isn’t enough to make them proud.

Many students are faced with families that do not understand what they are going through in their “school life” and it makes going home dreadful.

Holidays are also a time for appreciation for families, as sometimes the distance helps us remember the value of having loved ones to come back to.

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The Equinox serves as the voice of the students of Keene State College and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the faculty, the staff and/or the administration.

One copy of The Equinox is available free each week. Anyone removing papers in bulk will be prosecuted on theft charges to the fullest extent of the law. Inserting items into printed copies of The Equinox is considered theft of services and will result in prosecution.

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“Happy” holidays Thursday, December 13, 2018

STAFF COMMENTARY

STAFF COMMENTARY

Cuffing season LINDSAY GIBBONS

equinox Staff

LAURA ROMANIELLO / ART DIRECTOR

Lindsey Gibbons can be contacted at lgibbons@kscequinox.com

“The cold weather and prolonged indoor activity causes singles to become lonely and desperate to be cuffed.”

-Urban Dictionary

AUSTIN COOK

equinox Staff Christmas is a big deal in my family. We don’t give a lot of gifts, it’s more about spending time together. Trying to find the right gift and to buy things of equal value for everyone takes a lot of time, and it’s pretty stressful. Materialism takes away from the focus of what Christmas should be.

Christmas is a religious holiday, but that never was the focus for my family. My dad’s idea of celebrating Sunday was staying in bed.

He would tell my mom he was attending services at St. Mattress. When my dad was a kid, my grandmother used to drop my dad off to attend Sunday school with change to put in the collection plate, but that money never made it into the offering basket. He would sneak out of the service and use the money to buy tasty cakes at a corner store. Church was never my family’s focus. So Christmas has always just been a time for us to be with family, whether it was just with my brother and sister or with my the rest of the family in Pennsylvania.

Christmas means many things to different people. I understand why corporations capitalize on a holiday that is about giving. Although, they spin Christmas to be about buying, not so much giving. Still, something is very wrong about putting up a Christmas sales displays right after Halloween. I remember going to Shaw’s Supermarket looking for discounted Halloween candy on Nov. 1, and seeing the holiday aisle all decked out for Christmas. What happened to Thanksgiving and the discounted Halloween Candy? They skipped it all, including Thanksgiving. Now that is just wrong.

Retailers are pushing Christmas shopping earlier than ever. It has never been more obvious that the focus is on getting consumers to buy more sooner. It has gotten ridiculous. Black Friday has bled into Thanksgiving day, and it is total pandamonium. Every year you see something on the news about someone getting trampled or someone fighting over a sweater. Who camps out at a store to get a deal? I don’t care how amazing the discount is, that just seems

crazy to me. People are losing their civility over a sale. At this point, Christmas isn’t about giving, it is about buying.

Along with the shopping comes the corny romantic comedies.

There is always a new movie that cable channels advertise and push. It is a marathon of cliche movies all building up to this new, but very predictable film.

There is no cinematic value to these movies.

These really have nothing to do with the holiday really, except that it takes place near December 25. In all, they just exist to gain viewership.

Christmas parties now start in late November. We don’t even wait until December. I like parties, but the Christmas theme is overdone. It used to be great foods and drinks with Christmas music. Now there is a “theme.” There are ugly sweater parties, Christmas onesie parties, and every office seems to have an office Christmas party too. Each require me to either bring a gift, cookies, or a covered dish.

Somewhere along the line we forgot that Christmas is about giving and cherishing the people we love. It is about putting them first, and enjoying fellowship with others. It is not about giving the most gifts, finding the best buy, or attending/hosting the most parties. None of that matters. It is about being together and loving each other. Let’s not lose that this year.

LAURA ROMANIELLO / ART DIRECTOR

The days have gotten shorter and the nights have gotten chillier. Every year, as the winter jackets start coming out, we also need to face another ugly truth of the winter: Cuffing season. Those two words can drive a stake through the heart of any hopeless romantic. while it can even make those who scoff at romance wince and cringe.

According to Urban Dictionary, cuffing season is defined as, “During the Fall and Winter months people who would normally rather be single or promiscuous find themselves alone with the rest of the world desiring to be ‘Cuffed’ or tied-down by a serious relationship. The cold weather and prolonged indoor activity causes singles to become lonely and desperate to be cuffed.”

Sometimes those who desire to be “cuffed” are called desperate or are laughed at by their friends.

Otherwise, cuffing season is considered relatively harmless by most. But according to experts, it’s a very real thing. Although thoughts on the actual start date can vary, most people can agree that the season starts in early Novem-

ber and ends around mid-March. But why does everyone suddenly want to find a mate?

“We slow down in the fall,” says licensed psychologist Tristan Coopersmith. “Summer is a busy time. There’s a feeling of wanting to get all the fun and freedom in. So, by the time fall hits, we’re all pretty spent and just want to (Netflix and) chill. Serial dating takes too much effort we just don’t have post-summer.”

There is statistical evidence data to back up the phenomenon of cuffing season, too. A 2015 Hinge research study showed that men were 15 percent more likely to look for a relationship in the winter months and females were 5 percent more likely. Research also shows that heterosexual males tend to be more attracted to females in the winter months than in the summer. Think of it as a supply and demand type of thing — or, the illusion of supply and demand. In the summer, more people are out.

Therefore, the supply appears to be high. But when winter hits, there aren’t as many people out anymore. Then, the supply appears to be low. “Since we’re wired to mate, our primal instincts come out and lead us to be more open or serious about relationships,” says Coopersmith.

Cuffing season can be a great thing for some people, but for others, it can feel like they’re forcing something they don’t want or aren’t ready for. There’s nothing wrong with looking for a person or choosing to remain single.

But what is important is being in the right frame of mind while makingfor either choice.

Any time you want to date, you should always have an idea of what you want from the experience. It’s important to have a clear goal in mind so you can conduct yourself accordingly. Whether you’re looking for something casual or long-term, be upfront about it. This can prevent you from accidentally leading someone on.

These next few winter months can be draining, and for singles, can feel very lonely sometimes. And although cuffing season is upon us and it may be a solution for some, it may not be the best answer for everyone.

True meaning of Christmas stolen

Austin Cook can be contacted at acook@kscequinox.com

STAFF COMMENTARY

Pine needles or plastic?

ANGELIQUE INCHIERCA

Senior Staff Snow was falling, Christmas music was blasting through the car speakers, and my brother and I eagerly waited to reach our destination: The tree farm. Growing up, my mother and I had an annual tradition to go to the closest tree farm and pick out the prettiest six to seven foot evergreen.

My junior year of high school, my mother and her boyfriend decided they did not want to spend money on the “real deal.” My younger sister and I went to Walmart with my mother to buy a 6 foot polyvinyl tree. I was not the least bit happy while we set the tiers (levels of the tree) on top of each other... I felt like we had lost a huge part of our Christmas tradition. My mother and I seem to disagree with one another even to this day, nearly four years after the tradition ended.

To my mother, this option was both safer and cleaner than our past Christmas trees. My ferret loved climbing into the tree stand and spilling the water all over the presents and Christmas skirt. Once our puppy came into the situation, everything that fell onto the floor was eaten.

Without the constant watering and vacuuming up pine needles, it was easier for my mother too.

We are not the only ones with a

plastic tree in our living room. Last december, USA Today posted an article titled “Christmas Tree Shortage: More People Considering Fake Trees,” that stated: “Of the estimated 95 million American households with Christmas trees this year, 81 percent will display fake ones.” The article also gave some highlights to having this artificial plant instead of the once-living one. In the long run, it is more cost efficient. Instead of buying a tree that costs anywhere from 10$ 40$ every year, one 30$ -100$ artificial tree can last a few years - if taken care of properly.

While the first artificial trees started appearing in homes around the 1930s, there are many safety concerns still not thought of concerning these Christmas accessories. A Money Crashers article, “Real vs. Fake Artificial Christmas Tree Types (Facts & Comparison) – Which Should You Buy?” states that most of these trees are PVC trees, which are known to harbor toxic lead chemicals.

This also means that when a family decides to throw away their tree for a new one, no matter what disposal method is used, it will be harmful to the environment. The article adds that real trees have multiple recycling areas around the country, making it better for the environment. The Huffington Post wrote an article titled “Real Christmas Trees Or Fake Ones

— Which Are Better For The Planet?”

The article had in it a 2009 study claiming that a family would have to keep their tree 20 years for it to keep its eco-friendly title, but in my opinion, it’s all wasted if you improperly get rid of the tree after you’re done with it.

I will gladly acknowledge the positives and negatives of both real evergreen trees and artificial trees (they even come in an array of colors.) The biggest thing that these plastic pines can’t give me is that family tradition from my childhood. I have noticed a lack of holiday cheer these past few years, but I can hardly blame a holiday accessory for that. This tree that currently sits in my mother’s living room may have ended a beloved tradition, but it cannot take away all those Christmases I had; the memories of running through the maze of greenery sitting on top of pure white snow beneath my cute Barbie boots, the heavy inspections my brother, and eventually sister, gave to each potential tree. None of those can be taken away.

To anyone looking to bring a tree, real or artificial, into their home: My wish is that you keep the holiday spirit alive and your home safe.

FOR MORE ON THE STORY GO TO KSCEQUINOX.COM ANGELIQUE INCHIERCA / SENIOR STAFF

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Thursday, December 13, 2018

BRIEF

Singing through winter

Jacqueline's movie mania

ANGELIQUE INCHIERCA / SENIOR STAFF

The Crimes of Grindelwald JACQUELINE PANTANO

Equinox Staff

BENAJIL RAI / MULTIMEDIA DIRECTOR

On Saturday, December 8, Keene State College's only A Capella club, Chock Full O'Notes, performed in their annual winter concert in the Mabel Brown Room.

Chock Full O'Notes winter concert reflection ERIN MCNEMAR

artS & EntErtainmEnt Editor After rehearsing all semester long, Chock Full O’Notes showed Keene State College what they could do.

On Saturday, Dec. 8, Chock Full O’Notes held their annual winter concert. The group showcased some of their new members as soloists including Janis Gaudreau, Sam Ducharme, Alex Magee and a vocal guitar solo by Than Spence under a disco ball.

Chock Full O’Notes president Morgan

Sulham said, “The Chock Full O’ Notes Annual Winter Concert had a great turnout and CFON is very grateful for everyone that came. The group has spent the whole semester voting in arrangements, auditioning them, and rehearsing them.”

During the concert, the members of Chock Full O’Notes said goodbye to one of the group’s seniors Zach Howe. Howe was the treasurer of the A capella club, and has been in the club for multiple years. According to Sulham, it’s a Chock Full O’Notes tradition to send off seniors at their last concert with a pie to the face.

The group kept up this tradition and pied him during the concert. “He was an incredible member of CFON and he will be greatly missed,” Sulham said.

The concert was also able to be livestreamed on Facebook. According to Sulham, this was so fans of Chock Full O’Notes would be able to see the concert all over the world. Additionally, fans could watch it in real time.

While the group put in the countless hours of rehearsal in preparation for their winter concert, the group would like to thank all the people that helped make the

event itself possible. “CFON would like to thank Trinity Nay and the tech team in the student center for making our concert sound so incredible,” Sulham said.

Chock Full O’Notes will be coming back together next semester, and will begin creating plans and practicing for their spring concert.

Erin McNemar can be contacted at emcnemar@kscequinox.com

STAFF COMMENTARY

Honoring the performing arts ERIN MCNEMAR

artS & EntErtainmEnt Editor President John F. Kennedy once said, “I look forward to an America which will not be afraid of grace and beauty.” President Kennedy was a large supporter of the arts, believing the arts were a “contribution to the human spirit.” The groundwork for the Kennedy Center, originally named The National Cultural Center, began in 1958 during President Dwight Eisenhower's administration. Kennedy took the reigns during his presidency and continued funding the project. After his assassination in 1963, Congress designated The Center as a “living memorial” to Kennedy and provided $23 million to complete the The Center.

Today, the Kennedy Center holds performances, tours of the building and The Kennedy Center Honors awards.

On Sunday, Dec. 2, the 41st Annual Kennedy Center Honors were held. While The Kennedy Center Honors are an award show, they differ from other, better known ones. Rather than having a range of categories and handing out awards throughout the night, five honorees are selected each year and are celebrated during the event.

With no spective categories, how are you selected for an award?

Awards are given to people in the performing arts for lifetime contributions to American Culture. This year, recipients included Cher, Philip Glass, Reba McEntire and Wayne Shorter. Additionally, “Hamilton” co-creators Lin-Manuel Miranda, Thomas Kail, Andy Blankenbuehler and Alex Lacamoire won a first-of-its-kind award for “trailblazing creators of a transformative work that defies category.”

The award ceremony began in 1978 and since then, there have only been a handful of times a president declined to attend the event. According to The Washington Post, in 1979 Jimmy Carter skipped the event due to the Iran Hostage Crisis. In 1989 and 1994 George H.W.

Bush and Bill Clinton missed the event due to traveling.

“In each of those cases, the first lady served as the president’s surrogate,” The Washington Post wrote. However, in 2017, Donald and Melania Trump both declined to attend, making it the first time a president did not attend the event in 23 years. This year, the President and First Lady both declined to attend again.

Reflecting on the Trump’s decision to not attend the event, junior English literature and theater major Mariah Palmer said, “My standards for Donald Trump are so low that it’s not surprising in any way that he would ignore events like that. Cutting the funding for arts is always the first thing to go in a conservative climate. I feel like he does not value the arts, so I’m not surprised.”

Having similar view to Palmer, Senior Ainsley Walsh agreed it didn’t surprise her to hear the Trumps did not attend. “I’m not surprised. He doesn’t really honor anything, but when he does it’s the wrong thing. He doesn’t appreciate beauty or respectability,” Walsh said.

If people are not surprised by the Trumps’ decision to decline, what kind of standard are we holding the president to? And how does it differ from past presidents?

Again not being faced with shock when she heard the president and first lady did not attend the Kennedy Center Honors, first-year Nora Marcinuk said, “I don’t expect him to show up to that sort of stuff. He doesn’t seem like the type of person who would.”

Moving forward, how do we hold the president to certain standards instead of just shrugging off disappointment? Is there a way we can unite as a country?

Or will we just have to wait until the next election rolls around?

The Kennedy Center Honors will be broadcasted on Dec. 26, hosted by 2017 recipient Gloria Estefan.

LAURA ROMANIELLO / ARY DIRECTOR

Harry Potter, Dumbledore, Voldemort are renowned names. The “Harry Potter” series was an extraordinary international success. Attending the magical Hogwarts has been in the dreams and desires of millions of kids. The books have sold millions of copies. The films were adored by crowds and critics. The powerful, successful money-making streak the franchise was on was not to be stopped. Hollywood is an industry, and like any other, it is driven by money. A spin-off was made precisely for this purpose. “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” was released in 2016. Set 65 years before the events of the “Harry Potter” series, the film tells the story of wizard and zoologist for magical creatures, Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne). Directed by David Yates, the film was quite successful. With a 74 percent fresh certified rating on the site aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, and an $812 million box office earning on a $200 million budget, the film was definitely a quality product and an intelligent investment. This first successful attempt encouraged and pushed production to follow with another money making sequel. “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” was released worldwide Nov. 16, 2018.

The film starts right after the events of the first film. It presents a new dangerous villain: Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp). Grindelwald believes wizards must rule over muggles. His goal is a reign of terror, with him as its only unquestionable ruler.

Incredibly charismatic and powerful, he poses a huge threat. Credence (Ezra Miller), a character from the first installment of this series, is seen by Grindelwald as a powerful tool for his cause. Credence is in danger, and he must be found. Dumbledore (Jude Law) believes Newt is the right one for this task.

“Fantastic Beasts: the Crimes of Grindelwald,” despite having a promising plot, miserably flopped and the critics hated it. A famous, talented cast accompanied by spectacular CGI special effects is not enough to produce a quality film that is enjoyable for audiences worldwide and almost unanimously appreciated by critics. Hollywood films are often criticized for having no other purpose but to entertain their viewers. However, the ability to entertain successfully is not a common one. It should be appreciated and recognized.

“Fantastic Beasts: the Crimes of Grindelwald,” with its celebrity cast (Jude Law, Johnny Depp, Eddie Redmayne), huge budget and CGI wonders is undeniably a Hollywood film. However, sadly, it is not entertaining. A lack of character development, a frequent use of words as opposed to visual imagery and a nonexistent climax are the easily identifiable causes. Newt, the main character of the two films, is lost among the many characters in this second film. The relationship between Dumbledore and Grindelwald is barely treated with the depth it should have been. The history, the backstory, is explained in two long final monologues, hard to follow and to understand. The non-existing climax could merely be a consequence of this film being a prelude to the third and final installment of this series. The same can be said for the lack of depth in the characterization of Newt and in presenting the relationship between Dumbledore and Grindelwald. Furthemore, the confusing explanation at the end could also be easily fixed in the following film. If that were to be the case, there is hope for better character development and a more visual and clear explanation of the backstory in the third and final film. Nevertheless, the second installment would still remain a failure. Thankfully, despite the audience being displeased, it grossed $500 million on a budget of $200 million; a third film will definitely be made. For those curious and hopeful fans, “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” might have not been a success, but the series as a whole, with its first successful film, has still a chance to amaze and satisfy critics and crowds worldwide.

Jacqueline Pantano can be contacted at jpantano@kscequinox.com

Erin McNemar can be contacted at Above is shown an illustration of the Kennedy emcnemar@kscequinox.com Center Honors Award.

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Thursday, December 13, 2018

Fundraising for film

WKNH

Music madness

LAURA ROMANIELLO / ART DIRECTOR

Space Camp CORALINE SEKSINSKY

WKNH Music Director

MOLLY MCGINLEY / EQUINOX STAFF

Students search for project support JOSEPH GUZMAN

equiNox staff The Keene State College film seniors are currently wrapping up the first semester of a year-long class by starting fundraising for their individual capstone projects.

This semester-based course is called Production Capstone 1 and 2 and is a requirement for all film production majors. The first semester, or Production Capstone 1 is focused mainly on the preproduction and production portion.

The spring semester, the second half of the capstone, tackles the area of technical and conceptual points to filmmaking.

One of the professors teaching the course is Professor Jo Dery. Dery said, “The Capstone course has existed in a variety of forms since the Film Production track began in Film Studies. Students have always been responsible for the cost of their films.” Dery added, “My colleague Tom Cook teaches the other section of this same course. This year-long class asks students to synthesize their learning through the creation of a short film. Students can work independently or as a group, and they can use any approach to filmmaking: Narrative, documentary, experimental or animation. I instruct students on using our advanced level film equip-

ment, coach them through pre-production, production, and post-production, and organize the year-end screening at the Colonial Theater on Main Street.”

In terms of the fundraiser, everyone was asked whether or not they thought that their films should be a schoolfunded activity.

However, Dery and two students from the class, seniors Donovan Sweeney and Zachary Rioux were quite similar in their disagreement of school funding. Everyone agreed with Rioux when he said that it helps to gain experience with the “important skill to learn to sell one's projects to others to get backing.”

Professor Dery also wanted to add that she believes that after having the students fundraise, they have truly benefited from the experience, as opposed to them simply receiving funding.

Sweeney said, “The biggest expense we’re using the fundraising for will likely be travel or catering [and] food services. Initially, we thought a lot of our budget would go to special effects or something like that, but the more we plan the more we realize that travel and food will take up a lot of our budget.”

Rioux said, “The main reason I am fundraising is so I can have a budget going into the shoot.”

The two seniors have different approaches to their cap-

stones, and the projects themselves vary greatly. Rioux described his film as “a mockumentary that follows the lives of a vampire, invisible man, a college student and a vampire huntress as they try to live in a world where people have discovered monsters exist.”

Sweeney described the overall working process behind his capstone project, mentioning, “My friends and I have been planning out this project since last year, and we’ve put a ton of creative effort into it. To see it finally coming together is insane and I can’t imagine where we would be without this course.”

“I am really proud of my students when they complete the fundraising for their film,” Dery said,” I can see how proud they are of themselves, too. All of a sudden, the film project is ‘really happening.’ The other moment students feel this sense is when they begin the casting process. When a group matches an actor to a role, they begin to see the film coming to life. It moves from their imagination, onto the page, and then onto film. The fundraising is what makes that last leap possible.”

Joseph Guzman can be contacted at jguzman@kscequinox.com

Ornament Show

Space Camp is an experimental hardcore band from Massachusetts and Connecticut, and oh do they rip.

Their latest release, “INEVITABLE DEMISE,” put out Nov. 30 of this year, is a quick and brutal affair.

The opening notes to the record are devastatingly low and distorted. The song rockets into doomy hardcore goodness, the drums and keys providing epic thrust.

The song builds to a bursting noisey climax, at which point the horns run an epic line which builds up and up and twists melodical until the songs conclusionary feedback drones. The next song “Righteous Dollar Bill,” doesn’t contain the lumbering doom elements.

It is far more thrashy, though no less agile in its structure.

I find the velocity and force with which song parts and elements will switch to be one of the more brutal things about the record.

Each song contains its own flavour and a unique sense of production. Of note is that Space Camp does not use guitars, and so their palette contains instruments which might not be so common to the realm of heavier music and allows them to work certain frequencies in different ways.

On the track “Theft Under $1000,” a sharp acoustic piano sound forms the bedrock of the song. For me, “Theft Under $1000” was a record highlight.

The sloshed hi-hat rhythm pushed by the piano contrasts nicely with the charging beats and grinding distortion of the rest of the record.

The clean yet truly stabbing piano riffs are a pleasant change up from all of the synths and distortion, all the while not dialing down the intensity in anyway.

The lyrical themes of the record are as varied as the sonic palette.

They range from fairly overt statements to discussions on politics and gender, mirroring in many ways the phrase “the personal is political.”

For instance, when they end the song “Damn Right I support It” by gang vocals chanting “We are proud to not be boys” after having just sang the line “boys with nothing to be proud of.”

A statement of trans empowerment and identity, while also being a joke on the racist organization The Proud Boys.

Other lyrics feel more enigmatically personal.

One example of this is: “I want it/ Does she know I want it/ that infantilization”. Though, the personal is political and perhaps I just am not seeing something.

This release is a real quick one, with all songs clocking in under three minutes.

If you like really aggressive and weird music, give this record a listen. It is a twisting road through a high mountain pass and there is no guard rail. It’s only speed and danger, baby.

Coraline Seksinsky can be contacted at wknhmusic@gmail.com

EMMA MEHEGAN / EQUINOX STAFF

On Wednesday, December 5, The Carroll house Gallery held a gallery showcasing community made ornaments. The art gallery held the first annual Ornament Show last year. With many ornaments being created and entered in the show last year, the Carroll House held the exhibit again for a second year. Participants were able to enter their ornaments ahead of time from November 26 all the way up until the day before the show on December 4. Additionally, participants could bring their ornaments to the Carroll House the day of the show. Pictured is the winning ornament.

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Thursday, December 13, 2018

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Taking the lead Presenting two nights of dance KATHRYN SPADAFORA

Equinox Staff This year’s Choreography Showcase was the culmination of a semester’s work for the choreographers and dancers, and a night of modern dance for audience members. The performance featured pieces created by up and coming choreographers at Keene State College and students of various dances and majors.

On Dec. 6 and 7, 2018, Keene State Students gathered in the Mable Brown Room for the annual Choreography Showcase. The event drew both community members and students alike, and members of the Keene community arrived well before he dancing began at 7 p.m. for the best seats.

Some students, such as Valerie Mamish, found themselves at the showcase in support of friends and fellow Keene State students. When asked what brought her to the showcase on Thursday night, she stated, “My friend Ashley choreographed a dance. So, I’m coming to see her piece and watch her dance.” Mamish added, “I look forward to seeing what the students did over the course of the semester. I’ve never been to one of these before, so I’m excited to see that.”

For some of the students involved, the process of creating the pieces was an emotional one.

Senior Cassie O’Keefe, who choreographed the dance “Geraldine,” which was presented Friday night, was inspired by a topic very personal to her. “What inspired me about this piece was I am also a Women and Gender Studies major, and I feel very strongly women’s rights, women’s reproductive rights, and I think that’s an important story we need to tell and raise awareness for. I also love to dance — I’m a dance major, so I thought to combine them.” Mamish said, “I think this audience doesn’t necessarily get to see political pieces a lot, and I thought it was important for them to see… I wanted the audience to kind of look away, but also want to watch.”

Cassie O’Keefe also described the process of preparing for show night. “First, we casted the dancers. We held an audition — anyone could come, you didn’t have to be a dancer. We’d then meet twice a week, and we’d talk about crafting and movement, how to manipulate that movement, and the relationships. Basically there were rehearsals twice a week, and then we picked the costumes and the lighting and put it all together!”

The hard work seemed to impress audiences, who clapped and cheered after every piece. Much effort was also put in, however, by the dancers. Audiences were open to all dancers and non dancers alike and a “first come first serve” process in which the choreographers would select which dancers they liked. Students of all ages and experiences participated, one of them being first-year Lilly Chong.

“I’ve danced since I was three, so I came here, and my friend who is in the show as well dances here. She texted me and asked if I was going to showcase auditions.” Chong, at the time, had not heard of the showcase. She, however, thought it sounded fun, and decided to go. “I got there and I was totally intimidated because I did not know anyone, and the audition process was hard because they were all looking at you and deciding if they want you or not. But I’m so glad I did it, it was amazing.” When asked to describe her experience in one word, Chong said “challenging.” “It’s finding yourself,” she continued, “It’s getting out of your comfort zone.” She also recommended the experience to all, dance majors and non dance majors alike.

Kathryn Spadafora can be contacted at kspadafora@kscequinox.com

LUKE STERGIOU / PHOTO EDITFR

From December 6 through 7, KSC students performed in the annual end of the semester Choreography Showcase. The showcase featured not only dance majors, but a series of other majors as well.

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STUDENT LIFE

Student Life, B1

Thursday, December 13, 2018

KSCEQUINOX.COM

Winter Celebration

KIANA WRIGHT / OPINIONS EDITOR

Students and faculty gather in the Student Center to celebrate the holiday season HALEIGH PATCH

Equinox Staff The 14th annual Winter Celebration event was held Wednesday, Dec. 5, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Student Center which was filled with tables and students from different clubs and organizations. The event was put on by the Student Involvement Office.

Some of the atendees included Owl Nation, Greek Life, the Arts Department and the staff recognition committee where students could write thank you notes to any faculty member or student. Last year, 171 thank you cards were completed. Each organization had food, crafts, or items for sale at its table. The biology department in Gardens for Justice sold plants that were grown in its greenhouse to raise money for the greenhouse and its necessities. The arts department sold handmade ceramics. KSC Eco Reps from the Office of Sustainability taught students how they can be sustainable during the holidays. They allowed students or faculty to write their sustainability resolutions on a card to hang on a Christmas tree along with how to wrap gifts for the holiday in newspaper instead of wrapping paper.

There was a chocolate fountain, snow cones, and hot chocolate for students to enjoy as well as other food that different organizations provided.

The public health department gave students ingredients to make homemade trail mix, while Delta Phi Epsilon had a make your own sugar scrub at their table.

The Student Activities Council (SAC) provided stuffed animals that students could stuff themselves, along with t-shirts for the animals and certificates. A member of SAC, Janae Graham, said the Student Activities Council participates in Winter Celebration every year. She said it’s a fun event for students and it is a nice way to get free stuff, which is a bonus.

Director of Campus Life Jen Ferrell said the Student Involvement Office sets up the framework for the event, but other clubs and organizations are what makes it happen. She said the chocolate fountain and hot chocolate is provided by the Dining Commons, and the student involvement office always provides food as well. They also gave out reusable straws and clip-in holders for your phone. Ferrell said all the other food, crafts, contests, games and activities are from the other clubs and organizations who participate in the event.

“My favorite part is seeing what everyone comes up with,” Ferrell said.

She said the Winter Celebration is a good way for students to blow off steam during this stressful time, and to have fun. She said it is hosted every year during the last week of classes, in the middle of the week, right before finals, for students to enjoy. It encourages students to get through the rest of the week and into finals.

Junior Angela Haglund said she has gone to this event every year. She said it is great to have the Winter Celebration in the middle of the week and since the event occurs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., it allows students to go even if they have class.

“It’s a good way to relax before finals, and I really appreciate all the effort the college put into this event,” Haglund said.

“It’s a good way to relax before finals, and I really appreciate all the effort the college put into this event.”

-Angela Haglund

Haleigh Patch can be contacted at hpatch@kscequinox.com

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STUDENT LIFE / B2

Thursday, December 13, 2018

Culmination Celebration

Life in Morrocco

The day where Alex got very lost and very tired: Part Two ALEXANDRIA SAURMAN

Equinox Staff

SEBASTIEN MEHEGAN / EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Multicultural Office hosts a diverse celebration for students and staff SELENA LEGACY

Equinox Staff Thursday, Dec. 6, Keene State College’s Office of Multicultural Student Support and Success put on their first Culmination Celebration where students could come together.

Coordinator of the Multicultural Student Support and Success and Equity Education Kya Roumimper shares that she was also an alumni that graduated in 2016 and started working with the department during September of this year.

“This event is an end of the year celebration of love and life, giving an opportunity for both faculty and students to come together for decompressing. It’s a way to continue to build relationships with people as the semester is coming to an end,” Roumimper said.

With the weight of this semester overwhelming students, this was an event to let students: “Come together and hang out to be mellow and be themselves,” Roumimper said.

“The office tries to create spaces where students can be their authentic self, that’s the foundation of what we do,” Roumimper said.

“We have tried our hardest to make those spaces, create them and foster those relationships... It’s always an evolutionary journey, we are always doing the next thing.”

Next semester’s goal for the department as a whole to continue building relationships with the students.

“Looking to next semester, we would really like to create those spaces, and better and deeper relationships with students... some I don’t know well, next semester I want to know who they are and know that we are here,” Roumimper said.

On average, Roumimper said she sees five to eight people daily sitting in the office, some days there are more.

“This is a brave space for people to feel comfortable being vulnerable, to allow them to be authentic. We can challenge them to think bigger or reach a little farther,” Roumimper said.

Roumimper works closely with Hunter Kirschner, program support assitant for LGBTQ students.

“A lot of the work we do is about building relationships with the students we work with, and having them know we are a resource, we care, that there’s some shared experience as well,” Kirschner said.

Kirschner feels that carving out a space so the students have a sense of belonging is beneficial to the student population.

For next semester, Kirschner’s goals are to be more resilient, centered, caring, and values the students who he works with.

“To celebrate love and pride is something Kya and I are trying to do more of,” Kirschner said.

The Culmination Celebration is to provide a different kind of space.

“Let’s do something fun and different that really brings people together in a different way,” Kirschner said.

Kirschner stated that the celebration included thoughtfulness, creativity and thinking about these past months on campus.

Kirschner makes it clear that none of us are just one thing. He says he aims to create a place where:c “Centering different identities and providing folks [with a] space [to be] with who they are and what that means and what their place in the world is,” Kirshner said.

Cora Seksinsky, a transgender female whose pronouns are she/hers/her, hangs out a lot in the office and went to the Culmination Celebration.

She has been a fellow member to the depart-

ment and has been for up to two years, and has received guidance and help in the department.

“I think it’s really important going there every day to hang out, and if there is something I need to talk about I can talk about it,” Seksinsky said.

Seksinsky has made a lot of friends through the department.

“We’ve played a game of UNO and people have come and gone. It’s been a nice calming function,” Seksinsky said.

The people were her favorite part about the event, and she believes the department is necessary.

“As a trans student, it is crucial to have people to help access resources,” Seksinsky said.

Seksinsky states that her major in history, plays a role in the department in her classes.

“For a good chunk, I would sit in Hunter’s office and think out loud about this paper and [we] would have long back and forths about the ideas,” Seksinsky said.

“Hunter helped me get my name changed, and my identity,” Seksinsky said.

The Multicultural Department for Student Support and Success and Equity Education strives to help people explore their passions.

It’s a support system regardless of race, religion, socioeconomic status and sexuality.

Selena Legacy can be contacted at slegacy@kscequinox.com

The day where I ended up missing my train to Tangier did not end with a simple ride home. On the contrary, it got even more chaotic.

After Shrek, the friendly cat at the train station, had left us for a passing-by stranger (he was unloyal), we purchased our ticket for the train home and waited for its arrival. My friend Cheyanne and I stood on the platform waiting for our train. When it finally arrived, it looked a little different than the multiple trains I had ridden in the past. Instead of double-decker cars with spacious seats, these cars lacked seats all together, instead having small rooms and thin hallways where people stood. Nonetheless, the train’s arrival time matched that of our tickets, so we boarded.

The train was over-crowded, people packed into the thin hallways like sardines in a can. We asked the train worker who was shoving his way through the passengers if we were on the correct train. “La,” he responded, shaking his head. Cheyanne and I looked at each other. “No?” I asked her. We were on the right platform at the right time, how could this not be the right train? Still, we stayed on.

We stood in the hallway against the glass, a mother, her child and two men on our right and a group of men in their early 20s to our left. As the train sped along, I questioned why we were going so fast. The stops are rather short, the entire trip running about 20 minutes, and we had been moving non-stop for at least ten if not 15 minutes. That’s when I noticed something that would turn my mood completely upside down -- the blur of our home train station.

“That’s Skhirat,” I said with the flattest and most disappointing tone as we sped by home. Cheyanne and I turned to each other, our mouths dropped open, looks of defeat crossed our faces. As if the day wasn’t long enough -- missing one train, having to wait two hours for another -- it kept getting longer. Where were we going? Why didn’t it stop at our station? How much longer were we going to be on the train? All these questions crossed our minds and we had zero answers. We assumed the train was going to the main train station in Casablanca and the one we were most familiar with. The plan was to get off, get dinner and head on the next train home.

That didn’t happen. We later discovered the train was going to a different station in Casablanca, one we hadn’t been to before. Nonetheless, we decided to get off. We navigated through the bustling station — why was it so busy this late at night? — trying to find an exit. It was almost seven o’clock at night and we were both hungry since the last time we ate was before noon. A Big Mac sounded amazing to both of us, so we found ourselves at McDonald’s again.

With a Big Mac, M&M McFlurry, water and large fry in front of me, I sat, trying to decompress from the day. The atmosphere of McDonald’s — the sight of smiling shoppers, the smell of fresh french fries, the sound of cheerful children playing in the distance — was almost comforting.

We sat in a booth for about an hour, laughing and talking while trying to figure out what we were going to do for the night. Did the train run this late? Our past experiences had told us no, so we looked for other options, a Careem or Grand Taxi. Alas, it was going to cost more than $50 to get home, and a hotel room was only $30, meaning staying in Casablanca was more ideal, especially for two college students on a tight budget. We booked a hotel room, finished our food and made our way to the hotel. Unfortunately, this wasn’t a simple task either.

We called a Careem, a transportation service similar to Uber, to take us to our hotel. Backpacks on, cell phones in hand, Cheyanne and I waited for our driver. After 10 minutes of pure confusion, the ride got cancelled, leaving bus to catch a taxi. “L’hotel?” I asked some drivers in French, but they only responded with a shake of the head. Could this day get any longer?

With help, we finally caught a taxi. He had my phone, trying to follow the GPS as best he could but we still got lost. He parked on the side of a road, turned the red taxi off and got out. Now more confused than before, Cheyanne and I exited the vehicle.

For the next fifteen minutes, we followed our driver around, on foot, trying to locate the hotel. He would periodically point, asking us if “this” or “that” was our hotel.

None were. The city was dark, somewhat quiet but still overwhelming. Every corner was a new and unfamiliar site, whether it was a candy shop lined with colorful treats or a closed cafe. The day was unfruitful for my project, and I had unexpectedly spent more than I hoped to. I just wanted a hot shower and sleep.

I looked at the GPS, trying to calculate which direction the hotel was in. “Monsieur,” I said to our driver — now guide? — and pointed in the direction of the hotel.

We walked one more minute and found ourselves at the entrance of the hotel. We had made it. Finally.

Sometimes, you’ll find yourself in situations you didn’t expect to be in. Things aren’t always going to go the way you plan them and that’s okay. Be flexible when you’re travelling. Embrace the mistakes. They’ll turn into a good story.

Alexandria Saurman can be contacted at asaurman@kscequinox.com

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STUDENT LIFE / B3

Thursday, December 13, 2018

Coaching towards better health JULIA HAWKINS

Unwinding before finals HALEIGH PATCH

Equinox Staff

Equinox Staff Each year for the past five years, Keene State College has offered a nutrition coaching program for KSC staff and students.

Human Resources director Karyn Kaminski helps promote programming for Healthy KSC, which is available for faculty and staff. When describing the relation between the human resources and the intern program, Kaminski said, “Human resources does not do the coaching. They work with the dietetic intern program through our Healthy KSC program to coordinate nutrition coaching through the dietetic intern program. Dietetic interns are accepted into the KSC program, and then they work with the field coordinator Whitney Hightower to then promote these nutrition coaches.”

Human resources works with the dietetic intern program to coordinate nutrition coaching. Dietetic interns are students who have been accepted and are now working to be dieticians. The Head of the Nutrition Coaching Program Whitney Hightower said, “Nutrition coaching is a free service that is offered to all students, faculty and staff at Keene State.”

Sessions are one-on-one, and are about 30 to 45 minutes long, although some sessions may be shorter or longer, lasting up to about an hour.

Nutrition coaches are dietetic interns, which are nutrition students who have already gotten their degree. Some of these dietetic interns are from Keene State, but they may come from across the country as well. Students spend one year in this program working on completing their training to become registered dieticians. During their time here, they will look to complete their entire internship and move further in their process of becoming a dietetic intern.

When the dietetic interns graduate from their undergraduate schooling in nutrition, they must complete a dietetic internship.

After selecting which program they would like to be a part of, they apply there. If they are

“I accepted, they are s u b m it t e d into a matching program which pairs a dietetic intern with a client based on their schedule and availability. There are an average of 16 accepted interns in this post-graduate program.

Clients meet with their coaches generally about four times. Their first meeting is about getting to know their client, and asking why they want or need assistance in nutrition coaching. All of the follow up sessions are focused on strategizing and making goals.

Dietetic intern Lauren Williams chose the Keene State College dietetic intern program. Williams would set up weekly meetings with Hightower, and would plan what her coaching sessions would look like.

When describing her one on one meetings, Williams said,

would try to get a better idea of what things typically look like for that client to better understand them… then we can assist the clients in follow-up sessions on how to make changes happen and help them go from where they are to somewhere better.” Williams has completed eight sessions so far, and will soon be close to completing her internship here at Keene State.

Human resources has been around campus helping advertize the nutrition program here at Keene State College. Anyone is able to sign up for this program.

Julia Hawkins can be contacted at jhawkins@kscequinox.com

Owls of KSC

“What has been your most influential class this semester?”

Compiled by Angelique Inchierca

“I’m a freshman so I’m taking introductory to art… it’s probably my favorite class. It’s pretty long but it’s just like a studio where you can go and grind out some art.”

- Gavin

“My Spanish class because it gets me out of my comfort zone. We have to speak in front of the class so, yea.”

- Siobhan

“My criminology class, it’s actually the reason why I just changed my major to criminal justice. It’s like real life crime, it’s really cool.”

- Ecram

KSCEQUINOX.COM

The Relaxation Break on Reading Day event was the perfect way for students to unwind before finals and learn how to develop strategies for managing stress. The event was held on Monday, Dec. 10 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Student Center. It is supported by the Counseling Center, the Center for Health and Wellness, Active Minds, the Newman Center and Monadnock Therapy Pets. The KSC bookstore donated gift cards for raffle prizes.

There were multiple activities available to students along with soothing music playing throughout the Student Center. Students were given “passports” which are booklets that could get stamped at every table when they participated in an activity. Students had to collect at least three stamps to enter in the raffle.

There was an arts and crafts and a creativity table where students could build with legos, color and play with play-doh. The Active Minds Club had a “stick with it” table where students could color stickers and take home pins with positive messages. Students could make eye pillows, where they would fill socks up with rice and natural scents such as peppermint or lavender for aromatherapy purposes to relax or stay focused, depending on the scent. There were stress erasers and therapy dogs brought from the Monadnock Humane Society that students could pet. There were also healthy snacks provided by the Health and Wellness Center such as yogurt parfaits and orange cranberry infused water, and pamphlets on eating healthy and its benefits.

Assistant Director of Emotional Health Programming and Outreach Forrest Seymour said this event has occurred every semester during

reading day for the past eight years.

He said the purpose of this event is to provide students with a break in the middle of finals and to help them develop better strategies for managing stress. Seymour said some of the activities at the event help students learn sleep hygiene, which is how to get a better sleep, along with mindfulness and meditation related techniques.

The president of the Active Minds Club Jessica Caldwell said they have cosponsored this event with the Counseling Center every year and they often do many events together. Active Minds is a special interest group on campus that focuses on supporting mental health awareness and education for students.

She said the purpose of this event is to give students a day to relax and to take a minute for themselves. Caldwell said when it comes to managing stress, it is important to take time out of your day to relax.

“Take time to do your school work but also take the time to relax, it can be a way to reward yourself from all your hard work,” Caldwell said.

Junior Maddie Clement has attended Relaxation Break every year. She said she would recommend this event to someone experiencing stress from finals and that the college has great resources available for students.

“I think it’s a great way to forget about everything you need to do and to take a second for yourself,” Clement said.

Haleigh Patch can be contacted at hpatch@kscequinox.com

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STUDENT LIFE / B4

Thursday, December 13, 2018

Stay Connected: @keenedining

@keenestatedining

To write for Student Life contact:

Student Life Rachel Vitello

rvitello@kscequinox.com KSCEQUINOX.COM

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Creative Collections / B5 Thursday, December 13, 2018

KSCEQUINOX.COM

Holiday Calendar Dec. 9

Dec. 10

2nd Sunday of Advent

Chanukkah Ends

Dec. 16

Dec. 17

Dec. 11

Dec. 12

Dec. 13

POEM

My First Winter ANITA PANDEY

Equinox staff

Dec. 14

Dec. 15

Dec. 21

Dec. 22

Cold granite stone stairs, a first snowflake twirls, melts on my palm, what thrill.

Sankta Lucia (St. Lucy's Day)

Dec. 18

Dec. 19

Dec. 20

3rd Sunday of Advent

LAURA ROMANIELLO / ARTS DIRECTOR

Winter Solstice RECIPE

Longest Night (Blue Christmas)

Butterbeer Latte ANGELIQUE INCHIERCA

Dec. 23

Dec. 24

Dec. 25

Dec. 26

Dec. 27

4th Sunday of Advent

Christmas Eve

Christmas Day

Kwanzaa Starts St. John's Day Boxing Day

Dec. 30

Dec. 31 New Years Eve

Dec. 28

Dec. 29

LAURA ROMANIELLO / ARTS DIRECTOR

sEnior staff

Omisoka SHORT STORY

THE SNOWBALL EFFECT SEBASTIEN MEHEGAN

ExEcutivE Editor Finally the last stone had been placed in the crevice, crudely shaped as an eye. One was darker than the other, adding an almost ominous feeling to the creation.

The boy was dressed as his mother had taught him; hat on top, jacket zipped up with a heavy striped scarf wrapped around his face, snow pants with the overall straps that, against his best efforts, were just a little uneven, and boots that had seen a few too many winters.

He looked at the carrot nose and chuckled to RO M A N LAU R A

IR EC TO A RT S D IE LLO /

R

himself, having not been able to resist a mid-work snack.

His only worry was that his mother would discover whose gloves, hat, and scarf he had used for the snowman... they were hers.

“I’m going to call you Watcher,” he said to the still figure standing against the starry sky just a head above his own height. The boy would have told anyone who would hear him that he was an impressive 4 feet 9 inches; pretty tall for a 10 year old boy. He was in fact 4 foot 5 inches, and was just now able to reach the kitchen sink by himself.

The boy heard the front door fly open and the lights from inside the house lighting up most of the front yard in the darkness.

“ANTHONY PRIDWELL YOU GET IN HERE THIS INSTANT!” said a distinctly displeased sounding voice.

“Great,” mumbled Anthony. “Now you’ve gotten me in trouble, Watcher.” He turned and trudged through the snow towards the lighted opening where certain doom awaited him. “She’s never gonna let me be out this late again.”

From behind him, Anthony thought he heard movement and spun around.

Nothing. Just his snowman and his mismatched eyes, one with a reddish hue and the other pitch black, looking back at the house.

Anthony turned back around and ran inside. The door slammed behind him.

“In trouble you say?” An icy voice floated by on the breeze.

“I’ll show you trouble.”

Anthony woke up the next morning to a cloudy sky outside his window. His mother used to tell him stories about Jack Frost visiting in the night, leaving his paintings of ice crystals in the corners of the windows.

Anthony was grown up now so he knew better. Ice had gathered on his window in the night and was peeking through the slightly open window shade.

Anthony stretched and rose from his bed. He pulled down on the shade with a

slight jerk and released, expecting to see his front yard covered in snow with Watcher standing where Anthony had left him.

He jumped back and yelled,“MOOOMM!” She came running, “What is it?”

“LOOK AT MY W-WINDOW!” She looked out and scoffed, “After taking my winter clothes you had to put icing on the cake with this? I’ll admit the writing is pretty clever, but I’m still mad and you are still grounded.”

“BUT MOM-” “NO!” said his mom, “I don’t want to hear you again until your chores are done and you’ve done your homework!”

Anthony responded in a quiet voice, “But I didn’t take your stuff, I just found it outside.”

“I’ll have no more lies, Anthony,” she responded as she shut the door to his bedroom.

Anthony looked back out his window. Watcher’s unsettling eyes looked back at him through the window with the writing in frost, “I’m always watching.”

17 years later, Anthony stood at his mother’s grave, fresh earth being slowly covered in snow.

He was shaking but not from the cold.

“If she hadn’t grabbed the wheel this wouldn’t have happened,” he thought spitefully to himself. “I’ve been driving for years. On my phone and off. Never a problem.” He turned and slowly walked back to his car. As he reached for the ignition he paused and glanced in the rearview mirror. “I could have sworn... Ah it’s been a long day.” He plugged his phone into the radio and pulled out of the graveyard. Even through his gloves, his hands were still cold. He let out a sigh, appearing as steam in the air. He turned the heat up.

RING! His phone went off. He answered.

“Hello?” Anthony said. “Yah I just got on the highway, I’ll be home in a f-” As he merged onto the interstate he looked in his rearview and there was the writing. 'I’m always watching.' He looked back at the road and then again at the mirror. No writing.

“Hello?” Anthony heard in his ear.“Hey sorry, I thought I saw-” In front of him he saw a glint of red and a leering smile.

“OH GOD!” He swerved. His car slid and spun out, crashing into the guardrail and over the edge of the road, connecting hard with a great oak. Smoke rose from the car.

“Hello?” Anthony’s phone said but with no reply.

Behind the wreckage there came a cold voice. “You blamed me and never learned. I have watched. I have waited. 17 years and you have never learned.”

Anthony’s eyes closed for the last time.

Sebastien Mehegan can be contacted at smehegan@kscequinox.com

INGREDIENTS 2 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 cups milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon Powder A pinch of Nutmeg Drizzle of butterscotch (or caramel) 1 shot Espresso (or 1 tablespoon Instant Coffee Powder) DIRECTIONS 1. Heat sugar and butter in a pan, stirring occasionally (Don't burn the sugar!)

2. With light bubbling, add milk and stir until sugar dissolves and everything is mixed well. Add vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg and bring it to a boil.

3. Simmer for a minute and add the espresso or instant coffee powder and mix well.

4. Add any desired topings (My favorite is whipped cream) and drizzle the butterscotch on top. enjoy!

Did You Know?

"62% of shoppers tweet about the holiday purchases they make."

INFORMATION BY MEDIABISTRO.COM GRAPHIC BY LAURA ROMANIELLO / ARTS DIRECTOR

CREATIVE COLLECTION'S POLICY Creative Collections is a compilation of Keene State College Students' in multiple art forms (fiction writings, photography, graphic arts, ETC.) Any enrolled KSC student can submit to this section by contacting Angelique Inchierca at ainchierca@kscequinox.com

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Sports / B6

Thursday, December 13, 2018

Like mother, like daughter

CAROLINE PERRY / EQUINOX STAFF

Forward and starter since her sophomore year, Kenzie Bennett, number 23, playing in a game against UMass Dartmouth where the Owls lost by a landslide in the third quarter with a final score of 70-43.

Bennett follows her mother and aunt playing for KSC women’s basketball CAILLA PRISCO

SportS Editor Junior and basketball forward Kenzie Bennett is no stranger to the sport. In fact, both her mother and her aunt attended Keene State College and played all four of their years.

Laura Bennett, Kenzie Bennett’s aunt, is the all time leading scorer at KSC with a total of 1662 points in four years.

Michelle Zeigler, Bennett’s mom, was a defensive rebound player that broke into the top ten free throw percentages.

Being a legacy of Keene State women’s basketball was never intimidating according to Bennett.

“They never pushed me towards Keene, I visited the University of Dallas. I mean, I was all over the place, but then Coach called and I’ve known Coach my

whole life,” Bennett said.

Senior and Captain Emily McPadden said she has been watching her teammate grow the last few seasons.

“She’s been doing really well, I am really proud of where she’s at, especially coming back from an ankle injury. She has taken up a lot and we’ve needed it,” McPadden said.

McPadden said there is no added pressure on Bennett to perform well because of her Aunt Laura and mom’s success.

“They have been a great support system for her throughout the last three years, her aunt comes to every game that she can, and same with her parents. There’s no ‘let me beat my mom or my aunt’ attitude in her,” McPadden said.

Bennett expressed that she was a little nervous starting at Keene because of her family’s athletic record.

“It was also really exciting because I get to add my piece to that family basketball puzzle, which makes me happy that I chose to come here,” Bennett said.

Going to a family member’s “alma mater” is always exciting, but playing the same sport with the same coach is a new level.

“My aunt was so excited, and my mom was too.

They were both, the whole time, telling me that there was no pressure choosing Keene, but I think they get really excited coming to my games and seeing their old teammates,” Bennett said.

The Keene State women’s basketball relationships have even reached Bennett’s fellow teammates as well.

“My teammate Tamra Gonyea’s aunt also played with my mom, and they were best friends in college. They both love coming to games to see us play and to see Coach and his wife, and we love it to because this

team is just one big family,” Bennett said.

The Owls have not played as well as they would have liked in the beginning of this season, but this happens with injuries and a small roster.

Having a small roster this year could be difficult according to Bennett, “We have started off to a bit of a rough start with our record, in conference play the games we have lost have been close so we are getting better each game.”

After the holidays, the Owls will be back on campus practicing by Dec. 26, with their next game at Middlebury College on Dec. 29 and tip off at 2 p.m.

Cailla Prisco can be contacted at cprisco@kscequinox.com

RECAP

Owls fall in close game to UMass Boston 80-71 CAILLA PRISCO

SportS Editor The Keene State Men’s Basketball team was narrowly defeated by the UMass Boston Beacons in last week’s game.

The Owls held their own until the third quarter where the Beacons raced ahead with eleven points.

The home team could find a lead for only a brief few minutes through the first half, and the Beacons took the lead for the rest of the game after four minutes in.

Sophomore Owl Miguel Prieto showed his talent on the course by scoring a total of 23 points, seven rebounds and three assists with Ty Nichols following closely behind with 17 points, five assists and four rebounds.

After winning National Team of the Week, Nichols only put up a fraction of the points that he has in the past.

The Owls threatened UMass Boston in the second half but never took the lead again, creeping up on them at the 44-41 in the beginning of the second half.

The Beacons had and capitalized on shining star player Jake Ashworth, who put up 21 points, five rebounds and five assists.

According to Keeneowls.com, the Beacons had not won a game in the Spaulding gym since 2011.

According to Keene Owls, Keene State now has three weeks off before they travel to Lancaster, Pa. for the Sponaugle New Year’s Tournament on the campus of Franklin & Marshall College. They first take on Rowan University on Saturday, Dec. 29 at 1:00 pm. The other game features the host Diplomats and Delaware Valley University.

Cailla Prisco can be contacted at cprisco@kscequinox.com

SOREN FRANTZ /EQUINOX STAFF

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Luke’s Kickin’ Column

Thursday, December 13, 2018

New and improved

Parks awarded KSC athlete of the week after RIC Invitational MATTHEW BARRIGA

Equinox Staff Shannon Parks is a first-year student at Keene State and was recently awarded with the Little East Conference (LEC) Rookie of the Week award. Parks, who competes in shot put, recently threw 10.53 meters at a meet at Smith College.

Parks said she began doing track and field her first year of high school. After an upperclassman friend recommended the sport to her, she said she found that she enjoyed it and had fit right in. She said that she also throws discus in the spring, and has recently begun practicing hammer throw and increasing weight training. Parks said she attributes most of her success to her training and conditioning.

“We have practice every day besides Sunday, and lift around four days a week,” she said. “It’s mostly about building up strength, and we have two technical practices a week where we just go through our event and fine tune things.”

Parks said she did track all four years in high school. She competed for Reading Memorial High School in Reading, Massachusetts and was the team captain in the spring of her senior year. She also broke her school’s previous record of forty feet by throwing forty-two feet the same year.

Parks said she plans to continue doing track and field at Keene State, and that this year’s season has been going well for both her and the team. She said she’s excited to learn more as the season goes on. “Personally, I’ve never worked on rotational before, so I’m really happy to be doing that,” she said.

Head coach Tom Pickering said that Parks

Atlanta United Win MLS Cup 2018 LUKE STERGIOU

Photo Editor On December 8, 2018, in front of a league and club record crowd of 73,019 people, Atlanta United beat the Portland Timbers 2-0 at home to win the the 2018 MLS Cup. After a convincing Eastern Conference Final win, beating the New York Red Bulls 3-1, Atlanta United went into this game with plenty of confidence.

With the added perks of 73,000+ fans attending the game at the illustrious Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, the team looked to be on a very smooth path to MLS Cup Glory.

The Portland Timbers came into this game knowing very well that this was going to be no easy match. Despite being on the best performing teams in away games in the league this season, the Timbers knew playing Atlanta United at home in front of 73,000+ fans was not going to an easy feat. Even though the Timbers pulled off an incredible comeback against Sporting Kansas City in the second leg of the Western Conference Final, the players knew all too well that the pressure was going to be immense going into this match.

The match started off slow, with Atlanta applying pressure early on, although unable to string any good chances together. The Timbers absorbed most of the pressure through the defense, but it was never going to last too long with Atlanta’s high pressing playing style. MLS Cup MVP and top goal scorer in MLS Josef Martinez scored in the 39th minute, after defender and MLS veteran Michael Parkhurst dispossessed Timbers forward Jeremy Ebobisse, setting up the Venezuelan striker to go around and slot the ball past Timbers goalkeeper Jeff Attinella. The first half ended 1-0 to Atlanta with the team’s confidence riding high.

Although Portland came out in the second half playing better than the first half, the Portland side still could not contain Atlanta. Trying to spark a comeback, Portland were instantly shut down as the side went 2-0 after left wing back Franco Escobar scored on a well executed set piece by Atlanta.

This resulted in the Timbers manager Giovanni Savarese to make three attack-minded substitutions, hoping to ignite a comeback for the Timbers.

Unfortunately for the Timbers, Atlanta’s defense was too strong as goalkeeper Brad Guzan and defender Michael Parkhurst kept their side’s backline secure.

This was a historic night for Atlanta United as the team won the MLS Cup in the second year of existence, which is a rare feat for any MLS team. Atlanta United once again broke another franchise and league record, breaking the all time attendance total for an MLS Cup Final Match. This was also manager Tata Martino’s last game with Atlanta United, with the Argentine manager rumored to be set to take over as the manager of the Mexico National team.

Despite Portland’s loss, one thing that’s certain is Timbers fans will be delighted with manager Giovanni Savarese’s performance in his first ever season with the club. Coming into a historic side and bringing them to the MLS Cup Final in your first season is no easy feat, and Savarese deserves all the credit he’s been given.

Overall, both teams had fantastic seasons and it will be very interesting to see how these two sides fair in 2019.

Luke Stergiou can be contacted at lstergiou@kscequinox.com

LUKE STERGIOU / PHOTO EDITOR

is succeeding on account of her commitment to the sport. “Shannon is a very dedicated thrower,” he said. “She is committed every day to working toward her goals. She loves the sport and it shows in her level of investment into the training process.” He also said that Parks adds a lot to the team, especially being a well-rounded thrower.

“Shannon is a great addition to our track and field team. She was a strong high school thrower and a very good recruit for us. She fits in very well with the women’s throws group on our track and field team at Keene State. Not just Shannon, but that group is committed to always being on time and never missing a practice. I have been fortunate to be able to work directly with the throws group last year and again this year on a daily basis.”

“Shannon brings an intensity to her throwing that is required to reach her top level one day,” said Pickering. “She brought that immediately in her first season and it is very good for the group and the team. Shannon has a great opportunity to develop into a strong 4-event thrower during here collegiate career. I suspect that she will develop into a strong thrower not only in shot put but also in weight throw, discus, and hammer.”

Grace Zangrilli is a sophomore and is good friends with Parks. Zangrilli also had many positive things to say about Parks, having spent a lot of time with her over the past few months. “She’s very dedicated,” she said. “She’s always positive and happy.” Zangrilli also said that she feels confident for the team this season and has seen a lot of improvement over previous years both for the team and for herself.

Matthew Barriga can be contacted at mbarriga@kscequinox.com

First Year awarded LEC title

Ezedonmwen receives first Rookie of the Week award halfway through the season ADRIANA SANCHEZ

Social MEdia dirEctor Keene State’s Men’s basketball team has been put on the map once again, but this time, it’s for a freshman player receiving Rookie of the Week.

According to Keeneowls.com, student-athletes from the Keene State College men’s basketball, swimming and diving and indoor track and field team were recipients of the weekly honor from the Little East Conference.

This is Edwin Ezedonmwen’s first Rookie of the Week award. Despite receiving this award for the first time and being injured early into the season, he’s very humble.

“It’s just rookie of the week, yeah, we beat a ranked team, but it’s all about our next game. That’s how our mentality is,” Ezedonmwen said.

Despite the award saying he received Rookie of the Week because of his points and his assists in both games, he believes his attitude and energy were also a big contribution.

Ezedonmwen was recruited by Head Coach Ryan Cain. Although Ezedonmwen had different offers from other schools, he knew Keene was the place for him.

On top of this, him and his teammate Miguel Prieto had previously won a championship at their prep school ,and they wanted to build on that success here.

Ezedonmwen went to a prep school in Bath, Maine called Hyde School.

Head Coach Ryan Cain said, “It’s great to see individual recognition for him, he played well enough to deserve this.”

Cain knew about Ezedonmwen for a while, “I knew that was a guy we were interested in, so we built a relationship with him and [were] lucky to go through the recruiting process with him to get him here.”

Ezedonmwen had no expectations coming into the team, but just did his best.

When it comes to having bad games or bad practices, Ezedonmwen doesn’t dwell on it, he would rather leave it in the past and focus on the future, he explained.

Cain said he has already seen growth from Ezedonmwen this season.

“He has played more confidently and made better decisions and definitely can guard all different types of positions,” he said.

Cain believes Ezedonmwen is a player who will have a prominent role in the basketball team for the four next years of his career.

“He seems to be a bit more advanced than some guys at this stage in their careers, which is a testament to his family and high school,” Cain said.

When it comes to transitioning to college level academics and athletics there’s a process. “There’s always an adjustment no matter how good you are or how well coached you are in high school,” said Cain.

Since Ezedonmwen came from a prep school, he thinks his transition has been easier than expected.

“The transition has been easy. College is faster pace,” he said.

Cain said his height is important when playing on the court.

“He’s very versatile, he can do different things on the court on both ends, on offense obviously he’s a capable shooter but with his length and athleticism he’s a great athlete so he’s more than just a shooter, he’s pretty talented with the ball so as he gets more experienced. On our level, I’ll think he’ll become more and more confident with the basketball,” Cain said.

Ezedonmwen agrees with the coach when it comes to his confidence.

“Just keep my confidence up during the season, I’m going to have bad games but I just have to keep myself ready all the time,” he said.

Teammate Miguel Prieto did not answer before deadline.

Adriana Sanchez can be contacted at asanchez@kscequinox.com SOREN FRANTZ / EQUINOX STAFF

Ezedonmwen playing in a game against rival UMass Dartmouth where the owls narrowly lost 80-71.

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Thursday, December 13, 2018

SPORTS

All American

KSCEQUINOX.COM

“I only want to improve from here” - Nina Bruno

Bruno is the second Owl to be named an All American after two seasons CAILLA PRISCO

SPORTS EDITOR

Sophomore and forward Nina Bruno was named as a National Field Hockey Coaches Association Second Team All-American, and a Third Team AllAmerican by Synapse Sports.

Bruno is the 16th field hockey Owl to be named an All-American, following previous Owl alumni Sami Smith in 2015 and 2016 and Marita Brothers in 2016. Bruno is only the second Owl in history to be named an All-American as a sophomore, the other Owl being Erin Dallas in 2002.

According to Keene State Athletics, Bruno racked up 32 goals and 10 assists for 74 points, the second highest single season point total in school history.

Being one of the youngest All-Americans named in Keene State history, Bruno still has two seasons to compete with the Owls, which will only bring her name higher in the Keene State record books.

Bruno is currently number five on the list of the top scorers in Keene State history, as well as number seven for total points.

“I am very honored, and only having completed half of my collegiate career so far, it’s truly humbling and I only want to improve from here,” Bruno said.

“My team is why I was able to be named an AllAmerican, they feed me the ball, they support me, they always have my back and I can always count on them to be there with the ball,” Bruno said.

Senior and captain Julia Babbitt said she was “happily surprised” because it is something to be expected as an upperclassman.

“As a sophomore, it is exciting to see what she will be able to accomplish by the time she is a senior. I am very proud her because of the standards she set for herself at the beginning of the season,” Babbitt said.

“Being named an All-American is an honor in itself, but to accomplish such a tremendous goal at such a young age is truly inspiring” Babbitt said.

After being named Little East Conference (LEC) Offensive Player of the year and making first team All-New England West recipient, an All-American honor seemed very likely.

Coach Amy Watson did not comment before the deadline.

Cailla Prisco can be contacted at cprisco@kscequinox.com

SOREN FRANTZ / EQUINOX STAFF

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