The Equinox 2.14.19

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THE EQUINOX The student voice of Keene State College

Vol. 71 , Issue #16

Thursday, February 14, 2019

KSCEQUINOX.COM

Remembering Rebecca Dixon

Keene student recovering from car crash ALEX HARVEY EQUINOX STAFF

First-year student Samuel LaChance is recovering from a fiery car wreck that he survived on Route 101 a couple of weeks ago. On Jan. 22, LaChance was driving west down Route 101 in Dublin to begin his second semester at KSC as a graphic design student, when he crossed the center line and collided with a tractor trailer truck. The impact of the crash ruptured the fuel tank of the tractor trailer, sparking a large fire.

LaChance was saved from the fiery wreck by eyewitnesses and other drivers at the scene of the crash.

Video footage of the collision has been shared by several major media outlets.

“Sam drifted into the other lane and hit a tractor trailer head-on,” Daniel LaChance, Sam’s father said. “We’re in recovery right now, so I can’t ask for anything better.”

Daniel LaChance said. “My son is alive and he’s doing well.”

LaChance, who is now in physical therapy, is reportedly recovering astonishingly well from the crash, his father says. According to the Sentinel, despite suffering from burns in multiple locations, including his hands and face, and a wounded windpipe, LaChance was relatively unscathed. He will possibly need to have a skin graft on his hand, but his face won’t scar.

» SEE CRASH ON A2

Treadwell presents state of the college RACHEL VITELLO

News editor

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Colleagues and friends reflect on Dixon’s life RACHEL VITELLO

News editor Coordinator of College Ceremonies and Events Rebecca Dixon died last week after complications related to pancreatic cancer. Dixon started working for Keene State College in January of 2015. Those who worked closely with Dixon remember her as being a kind, warm individual to be around.

President Melinda Treadwell, who worked closely with Dixon, said she was not only a reliable employee, but simply a pleasant person to know as well.

“She was creative and incredibly professional and always calm. I just never worried about the logistics and about a ceremony being extremely well done with her, because she was so good,” Treadwell said. “Beyond that, I’ve never met a more bright spirit.”

Executive Assistant to the President Barbara Preston was on the search committee for Dixon’s position in 2014. Preston had known Dixon for her entire career at KSC. “I was involved from day one with getting to know her.

She was charming. She was a real collaborator and she was pleasant,” Preston said. “In a very short period of time she built a wide web of friends on campus.”

Dixon also worked in the alumni center for some of her time at KSC. In that time, she worked with Director of Strategic Communications and Community Relations Kelly

Ricaurte, who remembers Dixon as being a positive and a kind person.

“She was very much a team player. She loved to work with people across campus and collaborate with people,” Ricaurte said. “She had great energy and positivity that she brought to work every day. Just this feeling of true comradery.”

Aside from her work at KSC, Dixon was also a talented trumpet player. She was the founder and director of Monument Square Brass, a quintet of musicians from the Merrimack Valley. She played the trumpet for the group. Rick Bolling, another trumpet player in the quintet, said he will miss Rebecca and that she will be missed by all others who knew her.

“She was a really beautiful musician,” Bolling said. “Any musician who has known her will miss her. Just beautiful music that she produced.”

Dixon also played trumpet in the Hollis town band, and even played for one of Keene State’s commencement ceremonies prior to working here. Even when Dixon received her initial diagnosis, she stayed true to who she was.

She never really became known by [her diagnosis]. She was just the constant, same person all the way through this.

There aren’t many people like her,” Treadwell said.

As for how Dixon will be honored by the KSC community, she did not wish to have a public memorial. According to Treadwell, the College is working with Dixon’s children and

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: Where is the love?

A8: Fighting Hunger B1: Enforcing Ordinance B8: That Makes 13

family to find the best way to honor them during this time.

“These are the harder moments. We’ve lost a light as a campus. I think it’s a testament to the resilience of the community that we continue to have a positive outlook and send a lot of love,” Treadwell said. “I miss her a lot, she was fun to see coming up the stairs everyday.”

Rachel Vitello can be contacted at rvitello@kscequinox.com.

“She had great energy and positivity that she brought to work every day.”

-Kelly Ricaurte Follow Us

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On Friday, Feb. 8, President Melinda Treadwell gave a presentation on the state of the college to the Keene State College community. Treadwell covered a variety of topics and issues pertaining to how the College will be operating not only this semester, but in upcoming fiscal years.

One issue discussed within the presentation was the importance of creating a sense of community for students within Keene. Treadwell is working alongside city officials to facilitate ways to make students feel more invited and included in their city. Along with this, the issue of discrimination against marginalized groups in Keene was also something Treadwell stressed.

“When they [marginalized students] left our campus, they were victimized on the streets of Keene in individual instances or group instances,” Treadwell said. “As a public liberal arts institution, we need to stand up and respect diversity in all its forms. The world is changing around us and we need to be ready to confront our own bias that is sometimes hidden.”

Treadwell also addressed that many of these instances of discrimi-

» SEE TREADWELL ON A2

Contact Us Newsroom: 358-2413 Executive Editor: 358-2414 Advertising/Business: 358-2401 Newsroom: Questions? Contact smehegan@kscequinox.com or emcnemar@kscequinox.com

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News / A2

Thursday, February 14, 2019

State Police visit campus

ANGELIQUE INCHIERCA / SENIOR STAFF

On Monday Feb. 11 New Hampshire State Police used 83/85 Blake St. for training purposes. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. the Young Student Center commuter parking lot was closed for part of the day for this purpose. Students were able to utilize overflow parking in the Winchester lot. Troopers could be seen around that area during the day.

CRASH cont. from A1

Despite having a wounded trachea, LaChance has already been taken off of the ventilator and has even been able to stand on his own despite still having a broken bone in his left foot.

There are still uncertainties surrounding the recovery, such as if LaChance’s eyesight has been damaged and how long exactly it will take for him to make a full recovery, but doctors and LaChance’s family are relieved at how far he has already come.

Doctors were particularly impressed that LaChance was aware of what year it is and the name of his girlfriend, despite the fact that he may or may not remember the crash.

President Treadwell expressed her support for LaChance and her wishes for his speedy recovery. “I still remember meeting him and his parents when they came for admitted students day. He was one of the students I had the privilege for him to come aside and shake my hand, and he was so excited that he was coming here.”

Daniel LaChance talked about his son, his interests, and his experiences at Keene State College. He said that LaChance

is an avid bowler, who grew up in Manchester. His son works for Hannaford, is an honors student, and enjoys playing video games with his friends, spending time with his family, and drawing. “He’s a very articulate young man for an 18 year old... He’s a genuinely nice kid, very polite, pleasant, he’s a great kid... I’m not saying that because he’s my son, I’m saying that because he’s a great kid.”

Daniel LaChance said..

Daniel LaChance said that he is grateful for the good samaritans who helped Samuel out at the scene of the crash.

Daniel LaChance said that he feels the outcome would have been “very different” if these strangers did not help his son.

Representatives from the student government for the Class of 2022 did not respond to request for interview.

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

TREADWELL cont. from A1

nation reportedly occur at the Walmart in Keene. She is working with the Keene Police Department and campus safety to try and resolve the problem.

The College’s six learning outcomes and their importance were discussed. The six college-wide learning outcomes include critical thinking, creative inquiry, intercultural competence, civic engagement, commitment to well-being and sustainability. There is concern that these outcomes are not always being met and that

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more importance should be placed on them.

“These define Keene State. This is what we say we value,” Treadwell said. “How can we point to our students and say they develop experiences that fill these learning outcomes during their time here?”

It was also stressed that while KSC will be making progressive changes in coming years, the institution will not be changing holistically. ‘Honoring our identity’ was an important point made, but that areas of the school that are not thriving or could be improved will see those changes. This may include investing in interdisciplinary faculty positions, investing in market research to know what students are interested in and working with community colleges to help make educa-

tion more accessible.

A large problem KSC is facing at the moment is student retention. The school is currently at a ten-year low at retaining students from first year to graduation, with retention rates in the low seventies.

Other topics covered included the success of the Steinway initiative and the 100 percent employment rate of KSC’s music students upon graduation, admission being up by 21 percent and working on updating faculty and staff job descriptions. Renovating Monadnock Hall in the future to create a business hub for KSC was also discussed. Treadwell is hopeful that KSC will be able to work with other USNH institutions to collaborate effectively, without creating redundant pro-

grams that result in the colleges competing for students.

Treadwell also explored the idea of doing annual or biannual reviews of how programs are doing and how they are meeting demands.

These state of the college presentations will be given monthly in the Redfern’s main theatre. There is also a Q&A session after Treadwell’s presentation. Anyone is welcome to attend.

Rachel Vitello can be contacted at rvitello@kscequinox.com.

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News / A3

Thursday, February 14, 2019

NECHE accreditation in the works

SOREN FRANTZ / SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

The steering committee met in the Science Center to receive feedback from the community and from staff and faculty on the 2020 100 page NECHE self-study that is currently being written.

Self-study process for Keene State is currently underway MATT GOSELIN

Equinox Staff On Thursday, Feb. 7, an open forum was held in the Science Center to gain feedback for the current preliminary draft of the New England Commission of Higher Education [NECHE] self study that is being written.

In an email sent by the committee co-chairs Diane Duffy and Patrick Dolenc, the self study is described as follows: “The document must be no longer than 100 pages of narrative that tells the ‘story’ of Keene State College and asks that we make ‘projections’ for our future... The goal of the Self-Study process is to generate continuous improvement while being accurate, transparent and inclusive.”

The self study document happens every ten years to “basically give the college a grade on how we’re doing,” Duffy said.

Once the document is written, NECHE will send

a site team that has read the document on campus to spend two and a half days talking to people and gathering more information so that they can relay recommendations back to NECHE. Since the last survey written in 2010, NECHE told Keene State that there were four things that they were particularly interested in seeing in the 2020 self survey.

According to Dolenc, 1) is how the nursing program is doing after getting off to a rough start. 2) They want to know what’s going on with strategic planning, specifically where is the institution headed in specific concrete ways and why? 3) How well is the college assessing the college wide learning outcomes created in 2015? 4)The last thing NECHE is interested in is student retention.

According to NECHE Campus Liaison Officer Kimberly Schmidl-Gagne, “Across the board in New England, NECHE is asking for more information about college’s financial statuses. They want more ‘weeds’ from everybody’s financials.”

Inside the 100 page self-survey are nine different standards that have to be met. During Thursday’s open forum, the group went over standards one, two, and seven.

Standard one includes the mission and purposes of the college. “The mission is a collective goal for what we strive for,” Duffy said. The mission is the centerpiece for all nine standards, with every standard following the mission and showing how each standard relates to the mission.

The second standard is evaluation and planning.

The 2020 NECHE self study said, “Keene State College’s planning and evaluation processes are tied to the college’s mission, values, and strategic planning priorities.”

The last standard discussed in the forum on Thursday was the seventh. This standard concerns institutional resources and it requires that the college takes account for all of its resources in three categories: Human resources, financial resources and information/

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physical/technological resources.

The 2020 NECHE self study is still in draft form and is still making improvements and corrections. The NECHE steering committee is looking for community feedback on the current draft. The current draft is up for all students, faculty, and staff to see and feedback can be given using their online feedback form or by attending one of the next open forum meetings. The next open forum meeting will be held Feb. 14 from 2-4 p.m in room 101 in the Science Center.

Matt Goselin can be contacted at mgoselin@kscequinox.com

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OPINI NS

Opinions / A4

Thursday, February 14, 2019

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STAFF COMMENTARY

EDITORIAL

A beloved holiday

Two hearts to give TESSA DESMARAIS

Copy Editor

KIANA WRIGHT / OPINIONS EDITOR

Valentine’s day means love for everyone What part of February is filled with chocolate, flowers, cards and love? The one and only Valentine’s day. Joy and affection is shared by many on this Thursday, but there are still some who feel like this is a “Hallmark holiday”.

As any holiday, stress takes a little of the fun out of the experience. Expectations, time, planning and money just makes it ten times harder to relax and have a good time. Some believe that having a specific day to care and be thankful for the people that are special to you doesn’t really make sense - if you love them and care for these people you should be showing it everyday.

People with significant others who love this holiday can make it more difficult for people that are single. Going on social media is a perfect example; scrolling down Instagram feeds and seeing people experiencing love - sometimes for years. But whoever feels like this, especially on this day, don’t be down on what you might not have, focusing on what you do can change everything. Sometimes couples aren’t as happy as they seem. Some couples are extremely toxic but still turn to social media to post about how

THE EQUINOX

much they love their girlfriend or boyfriend.

Then some will go out of there way to break up with their sweetheart because buying flowers is too closely paired with commitment. Or maybe a couple will get through the day, then break up days later.

Valentine’s Day is a time that one can show love for all the people that their thankful for.

Taking the time to tell friends, family and whoever else who impacts their life should be shown on this day by telling them how important they are. Sometimes our busy lives make it hard to push aside time for everyone you care about.

Valentine’s Day reminds us to take a moment and do a little extra to appreciate all the people that make our lives wonderful.

However, many people don’t realize it’s not only a day to celebrate with people you know personally, but it’s also an opportunity to send letters, cards, and gifts to people in hospitals, in armed forces or even charities. For inspiration or ideas on where to give this valentines day go to https://www.travelfordifference.com/charities-donate-valentines-day/ for a world wide

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

Sebastien Mehegan Administrative Executive Editor Erin McNemar Managing Executive Editor

way to give back or for something more local see the youths music funds at https://www. cheshiremen.org/singing-valentines/ for singing valentines.

If you are in a relationship, Valentine’s Day gives those to opportunity to show how “stupidly in love” you are with your significant other. Couples celebrate with colors of red and pink and fun heart-shaped boxes of chocolate.

While the holiday may be seen as cheesy, it’s a day to recognize how far you and your significant other have come as a couple. To remember all the good times and the bad, and to look forward to what’s to come. And for singles on this occasion just remember that valentines day isn’t just for lovers, look past having to have a significant other and go to those that care for you friends, family, teachers, pets and really anyone else that’s gone that extra mile for you.

Whether you like Valentine’s Day or not, single or in a relationship, there is one thing everyone can get excited about. The discount chocolates in the days following and the love that carries on throughout the rest of the year.

EDITORIAL POLICY

Faculty Advisor

The Equinox is a designated public forum. Student editors have full editorial control over the entire content of the paper.

All articles and opinion pieces are assigned, written and edited by students without censor by administrators, faculty or staff.

The Equinox is published Thursdays during the academic year with dates immediately preceding and following holidays omitted. The advertising deadline is 5 p.m. on the Friday prior to publication. The Equinox reserves the right to refuse advertising for any reason. Advertising is not accepted until it appears in the paper.

Letters to the editor must be written exclusively to The Equinox and are due by noon on the Friday prior to publishing.

All letters must include name and phone number for verification. The Equinox reserves the right to edit for style and length, and refuse any letters to the editor. For clarification and additional information on any above policies call 3582414. The Equinox business office is open Monday-Friday from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Rodger Martin, Journalism faculty (rmartin@kscequinox.com ) Julio Del Sesto, Journalism faculty (jdelsesto@keene.edu)

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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.

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EQUINOX NEWSROOM

News Editor Rachel Vitello

For many bisexuals, love becomes a matter of politics and conflict. If we’re with someone of the opposite sex, we’re just “straight but attention-hungry.” If we’re trying to marry someone of the same sex, we don’t deserve to, because it’s a sin. If we’re in any relationship at all, we’re cheaters, and “never satisfied.”

Anybody who thinks that has never known how deeply I love— how deeply I was in love with my girlfriend. I was content to just stare at her for hours, to write crappy poems and love letters to hide in her notebooks, to do anything to get to spend even a minute more with her. I didn’t want to be in the public spotlight, to try and make some sort of statement with our love, I just wanted to lay with her on the couch and watch “Great British Bake-Off” and laugh.

Even now that things are over, I still feel the kind of deep and abiding adoration that doesn’t fade. You can’t know someone that deeply and completely without them leaving an impression on your soul. I knew her faults intimately, but I also knew the way she looked, asleep on my pillow with the moonlight on her face. It was a genuine and gentle love, and had absolutely nothing to do with sex drive or the fetishes that bi people are always lumped together with.

Immediately after coming out, I’ve been asked who I’ve had sex with. After telling someone I was deeply in love with my girlfriend, they asked if we’d “tried anything” yet. Utterly unacceptable questions to ask strangers were asked of me, purely because of my sexual identity. It’s an invasion of my privacy, and quite frankly, disgusting. Nothing is more uncomfortable than dodging that question, especially if it’s from someone who’s trying to hit on me.

Sometimes it feels like I have two hearts: One full of anger and disgust for the way I’ve been treated, and for how people have treated others, and one that keeps on loving no matter what. If the second heart wins, when I hear something that hurts me, I just nod and ask them “why?” Why do they think that way?

Why do they think it’s appropriate to ask me that? Why do they believe

that I’m evil, just for my sexuality?

I’m never angry, never accusatory— and my gentle ways usually show them a different path. People are always angry because of their own love. I’m called a cheater because they love their friend, I’m told I can’t marry because people love the church and don’t want its sanctity to be lost. These are all attempts to protect love they have for what matters to them. I don’t seek to make my life political; I’d get tired and die in days.

But I do seek to spread the love, and asking someone what they’re protecting usually brings the conversation down to a gentle respect in moments.

Obviously, this doesn’t always work. There have been people who still think I’m disgusting, or who have insisted that my crushes and affection are indicative that I’m a cheater. Some people think I’m always going to “move on too fast,” or that I’m incapable of being loyal.

Yet, for all the stereotypes and the pain, I find myself falling back into love every day. I can’t help it; nothing lights up my life more than love does. Even if I’m still heartbroken, I find myself crushing on somebody new. I keep becoming enamored with the littlest pieces of people; the way her eyes flicker when she does art, the way he smiles like a dork when you compliment him out of the blue. Her style, so much like her.

His singing, no matter how off-key. I love the pieces of them that nobody else appreciates, and I love them for all their potential. I see how they grew, and how they laugh, and I see them for all the wonderful things about them—and how can I not have feelings for them, after all that?

Seeing the good in people reminds me of what’s good in the world, and it keeps me from collapsing in on myself.

Love is so much more than just romance. Love is seeing the nuances in humanity, accepting their flaws, and then moving past it. You love your family, you love your friends, you love your lovers, all at once; and sometimes, there’s just so much love that you wish you had two hearts.

Love is in everybody, and the capacity to love everybody is in you; you just need to be open to it.

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Opinions / A5

Thursday, February 14, 2019

Where is the love?

In countries as varied as the United States, China, India, and Japan, the #MeToo movement jump-started an international conversation about harassment and sexual assault, and began the important process of holding accountable powerful men who had been abusing their power for decades. (Vox.com)

There were 70 tropical cyclones or hurricanes in the Northern Hemisphere in 2018, compared with the long-term average of 53. (National geographic)

The CDC estimated that flu sickened 49 million people, hospitalized 960,000 and killed about 80,000 people last year.

12% of the people in the world could read and write in 1820, but today the share has reversed: only 17% of the world population remains illiterate, according to ourworldindata.org

The National Geographic explains that there are annually on average over 100,000 forest fires each year. They go on to report that, “In recent years, wildfires have burned up to 9 million acres (3.6 million hectares) of land.

In the 2018 midterm elections, California voters approved a law that requires larger cages for pigs and chickens. Nearly 400 companies became committed to making better conditions for their animals.

According to the organization, World Vision, since 2010, 12.5 million people around the globe have gained access to safe drinking water. By 2020, the organization is aiming to bring clean drinking water to 20 million people in 36 different countries.

The Nature Conservany helped to protect more than 119 million acres (about 48 million hectares) of land, to conserve thousands of river miles & to develop more than 100 marine projects.

“The January 2017 Point-in-Time count, the most recent national estimate of homelessness in the United States, identified 553,742 people experiencing homelessness,” according to endhomelessness.org.

The top four hottest years have been among the last four, 2015-2018, driven by increased emissions of heat-trapping carbon dioxide (CO2)—which have also reached record levels, according to the World Meteorological Organization. (National geographic) OLIVIA CATTABRIGA / ART DIRECTOR

STAFF COMMENTARY

STAFF COMMENTARY

All around us Far, far away LINDSAY GIBBONS

equinox sTaff We’re officially one month into the new year.

Reflecting back on 2018, many would say it was quite a year! In past years, the media has tended to focus on all the negative issues going on in the world, but in this past year especially, there were a lot of really great things that happened, too.

For starters, we accomplished some great things for women’s rights around the globe. According to Global Fund for Women, in May of 2018, Uruguay saw the first conviction for femicide—the murder of women because of their gender—since it officially became a crime in October 2017. In June, Spain also made history by appointing a cabinet that had females as a majority—11 of 17, or almost two thirds.

Here in our own backyard, women—particularly women of color—broke records in the United States Midterm elections. According to a report from the Brookings Institution, more women in powerful, lawmaking decisions means more legislations that affects women and families in a positive way.

In this day and age, just about anyone can scrounge up thousands of followers on social media -But only certain people manage to use their social media voice to help bring attention to marginalized voices and help organize on-the-ground movements.

Among them is Ady Barkan, who suffers from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, an incurable and degenerative disease better known as ALS. Barkan is known for his work in protecting the Affordable Care Act and his related Be A Hero campaign. Accord-

ing to CNN, Barkan has joined forces with Kamala Harris of California and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts as part of a 22-state Be A Hero tour. This tour mobilized voters and raised awareness about healthcare. Although it’s becoming more difficult as the disease progresses, Barkan says he will continue giving speeches until he is no longer able to.

Education also made some great strides during 2018. Technology is sweeping through the classrooms, becoming more and more prevalent each passing day.

While some may view this as a bad thing, technology in the classroom can have many benefits to students.

New technologies like AI, machine learning, and educational software are doing more than just changing the field for students. They’re beginning to alter the role of the educators. This creates new ways for teachers to remodel their classrooms. With the influx of technology flooding in on an almost daily basis, educational methods are bound to change soon, which can mean good things for students and teachers.

Clean water also made improvements in 2018.

According to the organization, World Vision, since 2010, 12.5 million people around the globe have gained access to safe drinking water. By 2020, the organization is aiming to bring clean drinking water to 20 million people in 36 different countries. This organization is a true blessing to people around the world without clean water, as it estimates it reaches one new person

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KIANA WRIGHT

opinions ediTor Some would say that we are the most united we have ever been as a human race, but they’re wrong. If we have grown so much as a country or universally then we shouldn’t still be facing every day with impiety.

Statistics concerning our health, the environment, and our individual safety have been devastating within the past couple of years.

Health is very important, but according to PBS, “About 44 million people in this country have no health insurance, and another 38 million have inadequate health insurance.” Our nation needs to provide the care that its citizens need, because the CDC estimated that the /,flu sickened 49 million people, hospitalized 960,000 and killed about 80,000 people last year. Those numbers are unforgiving. The number of people suffering from heart disease has been cut in half since 1980, according to the Center for Disease Control, yet it is still the number one cause of death. Where is our health care?

People cannot care for themselves if they don’t have a place to do so. “The January 2017 Point-in-Time count, the most recent national estimate of homelessness in the United States, identified 553,742 people experiencing homelessness,” according to endhomelessness.org.

Even people who do have homes can’t always afford meals. Dosomething.org posted, “1 in 6 people in America face hunger. The USDA defines ‘food insecurity’ as the lack of access, at times, to enough food for all household members.” In all, home or not, feedingamer-

ica.com writes, “40 million people struggle with hunger in the United States, including more than 12 million children.” Where is our livelihood?

Being a child in today’s society is a real nightmare.

In 2017, 8,759 cases of human trafficking were reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, representing over 10,000 individual victims, almost 5,000 potential traffickers, and more than 1,500 businesses involved in human trafficking. Woman and girls are most commonly taken into this illegal trade, with the average start age being 19 years old. If not taken from one of these tainted businesses, the government themselves might separate a child from their family. According to Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (HCLU), “The government has since provided the court with data that indicates at least 2,654 immigrant children were separated from their parents or caregivers as a result of Trump administration policies.” Where are our happy families?

Sometimes we need to look aside from what is affecting us and look at what we could be affecting—our environment. The National Geographic explains that there are annually on average over 100,000 forest fires each year. They go on to report that, “In recent years, wildfires have burned up to 9 million acres (3.6 million hectares) of land. According to the Smithsonian Magazine, a study shows that 84 percent of wildfires in the United States are started intentionally by humans or by human activity. Animals that live on same planet as us, coexisting, are at risk. Weather.com reports, “While last year in particular didn’t see much wildlife extinction,

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Idolizing and dedicated to hopeless crushes KATIE JENSEN

The equinox Valentine’s Day marks the annual celebration of love that we spread to our partners, family members and friends. It is a day to admire and cherish our loved ones by sending gifts, love letters and heart-shaped candies.

Throughout the rest of the year, our attention seems to be diverted to those who are not close to us. Often times, young people direct their attention to celebrities and other public figures that are not capable of returning the same kind of love and affection.

The proliferation of social media has made it possible for people to stay in contact with friends and family members across vast distances through instant messaging or “likes” on shared pictures and posts. However, a recent study by Statistica revealed that 72 percent of internet users between the ages of 16 and 24 use social media networks to follow celebrities. Now that celebrities and other public figures can use various forms of social media such as Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, their fans can spend more time looking at their stories, scrolling through their pictures or sharing their tweets. This gives fans the opportunity to interact with their favorite celebrities, who they view as superior because of their talent, wealth or persona.

If we were to think critically about the money and time we devote to celebrities compared to people that are close to us, it would seem that are loved ones are at a deficit. The Metro News reported that Kanye West fans spend roughly 2,025 dollars on average for merchandise, concert-going, and attending his other appearances.

Even the products that celebrities are paid to endorse

have fans reaching into their wallets for extra cash. The Guided Selling Organization explains the psychological effects of celebrity branding and why it is so successful. In the article they stated, “Subconsciously, people believe that purchasing a product that’s promoted by a celebrity they admire will allow them to emulate the celebrity’s desired traits or attract similar people into their lives. They will associate the celebrities’ success, beauty, athletic skill etc. with a particular product.”

Likewise, millennials spend a significant proportion of their money on celebrity brand products, such as Kylie Jenner’s cosmetics or Lauryn Hill’s fashion line. The Financial Post published an article earlier this year boasting about the boom in the cosmetic industry due to millennials’ lust for celebrity brand makeup. In the article they state, “Kylie Cosmetics, the online retailer where 20-year-old Kylie Jenner sells $27 lip kits and $42 ‘kyshadow’ palettes, racked up more than $420 million in sales in just 18 months.”

That being said, everyone is entitled to a little selfindulgence. It is understandable that younger people are more apt to spend money on themselves, since they do not have to provide for anyone. However, recent studies show that millennials have irresponsible spending habits compared to earlier generations. A finance research company, LendEDU, conducted a survey amongst 1000 college students and graduate students to study their financial habits. It revealed that on average millennials spend 49 dollars a month on concerts and sporting events, 82 dollars a month on clothing, and 75 dollars a month on alcohol. Coincidentally, these products and

e ve nt s that take up most of our income are commonly endorsed by celebrities.

As Keene State College students start to approach their adult years, they should consider how their time and money are being spent. This Valentine’s Day, show your love and appreciation to the people who care for you -- the people who pay your tuition, help you through late night study sessions or share breakfast with you in the Dining Commons.

Katie Jensen can be contacted at kjensen@kscequinox.com

LAURA ROMANIELLO / EQUINOX STAFF

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Thursday, February 14, 2019

Welcoming a Boston ensemble

Jacqueline's movie mania

ANGELIQUE INCHIERCA / SENIOR STAFF

Them! Review JACQUELINE PANTANO

Equinox Staff

CONTRIBUTED BY THE REDFERN ARTS CENTER

'Castle of Our Skin' performs at the Redfern CRISTIAN VALENTIN

Equinox Staff On Friday night, the ensemble group Castle Of Our Skins performed a concert, “Hot, Cool,And The Boogie Woogie” at the Keene State Redfern Arts Center.

The show featured five women: Gabriela Diaz and Mina Lavcheva on violins, Ashleigh Gordon on viola, Francesca McNeely on cello and Dr. Christina Wright-Ivanova on piano. They played works from David Baker, Florence Price, George Walker and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor.

The performance ran for around two hours, from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. with a 15 minute intermission. After the show, the performers answered questions from fans in a Talkback and hosted a reception in the lobby of the Alumni Recital Hall.

During the Talkback, Dr. Christina Wright-Ivanova said that she loves doing shows like these because she enjoys being able to “foster diversity through music.” She also loves these shows because the Castle Of Our Skins group is never the same, with different people every time.

She said she enjoys this because she is able to discover her fellow artists as they play, even if they hadn’t done shows together before.

Gabriela Diaz also said that it is amazing to learn the music, calling it “eye-opening” and saying that it led her to do continued research and delve more into the artists’ works. She also said that she hopes the audience will do the same and look into the music. Francesca McNeely said that due to the music being old and not having many digital recordings, they were able to really discover things and choose to play parts the way that they wanted.

Keene State Students, along with students from other local schools, filled tha Redfern Alumni Recital Hall. The audience enjoyed the show very much, giving lots of applause and causing the group to take bows on several occasions.

Audience member Paul Fagly called the show “wonderful” and said that he enjoyed the each group member’s variety in styles. Another audience member, Delene White, said that she “enjoyed the atmosphere” and called the quartets and quintets “beautiful.” She also said that she came because she had heard the group, enjoyed their message, and wanted to be able to hear them live.

According to the Redfern website, Castle of Our Skins is a “Boston based ensemble dedicated to celebrating Black artistry through music.” The group was created to try to spread cultural curiosity, which they do through their

“inventive range of programming and exploration into Black Heritage.”

The women that played have plenty of experience and perform in various places around the globe. Gabriela Diaz’s musical experience goes back to the age of 5, and since then, she has received praise from critics, calling her “a young violin master” and “one of Boston’s most valuable players.” Mina Lavcheva is from Sofia, Bulgaria and is a highly sought after artist by many ensembles in New England.

Ashleigh Gordon has performed in North America, Europe, and Hong Kong and performs regularly with Grammy Award Winner, the Boston Modern Orchestra Project. Francesca McNeely is a Haitian-American Cellist who has learned from great chamber musicians such as Lucy Chapman and the Brentano Quartet. Dr. Christina Wright Ivanova is Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Piano at Keene State and has been described as “a brilliant pianist” and “an ideal partner” by critics.

Cristian Valentin can be contacted at cvalentin@kscequinox.com

STAFF COMMENTARY

Going back to spinning vinyl records ERIN MCNEMAR

Managing ExEcutivE Editor Music is something that has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.

It seemed like almost every time I went out shopping with my family, I would get a new CD. I loved nothing more than coming home from school, putting a CD in my sticker-covered CD player and dancing around my room until I could barely breathe. As I got older, my CD collection began to pile up and and vary in several different genes.

My junior year of high school, as some of the retro fashions began to come back in style, I decided I really wanted a record player. That year for Christmas, it was the only thing I asked for. Once the morning of December 25 finally arrived, it was like I was five again, experiencing the magic and excitement of ripping into gifts. And there it was; my very own record player accompanied with vinyl versions of my favorite CDs. After that day, I found myself listening to more and more records, and just like my CD pile grew, so did my records.

I’ve heard time and time again that people believe that listening to music on a record is much better than listening on CD. But why is that? After listening to some of my favorite albums on both vinyls and CDs, I think I have come to prefer the sound if them on vinyl. When listening to a record, there is this certain sound to it, a kind of sound that I can only hear on vinyl.

It’s so unique to that way of listening to it, that whenever I hear it, it fills me with happiness. Additionally, I have come to prefer vinyl because it’s not just buying a CD; it’s

a full blown experience. Finding the perfect little record store is already exciting enough, but then finding that Fleetwood Mac album you have been dying to listen to the way it was supposed to be heard is almost magical.

While many believe vinyl sounds better, an article by Vox makes the argument that there is no reason it should. Records cannot use modern editing the way that CDs can. “There are built-in problems with using vinyl as a data encoding mechanisms that have no CD equivalent. Vinyl is physically limited by the fact that records have to be capable of being played without skipping or causing distortion. That both limits the dynamic range—the difference between the loudest and softest note—and the range of pitches (or "frequencies") you can hear,” Vox said.

Yes, the article does have a point. While CDs possess the technology to virtually make the singer and instruments sounds perfect, it’s unauthentic. With records, you are able to really hear what the music sounds like to a point that it’s almost like a history lesson. Vinyls give us this little window into the past which may not seem like much, but I find it absolutely incredible.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m still always down to put on one of my old CDs and jam out, but there’s something about listening to a vinyl that is almost indescribable.

“Them!” is a 1954 science fiction low budget black and white film.

The consequences of radioactivity are its focus. The 1950s was a period of widespread nuclear anxiety in the United States, and this film was the first film to address the problem.

It does so in an amusing, almost guiltypleasure like format. Nuclear anxiety, which seemed a worry of the past, has recently gotten closer.

The repetitive nature of human history has hit again. “Them!” has just become so much more relevant than it used to be.

With its entertaining format, it hides its frightening theme under a pleasant, distracting watch, which is very much needed whenever troubling times seem ahead.

The plot is simple. Ants are genetically modified by radioactivity; they become gigantic threatening creatures that must be destroyed.

The straightforward plot is then accompanied by very likable characters; Police Sgt. Ben Peterson (James Whitmore), FBI agent Robert Graham (James Arness), and Dr. Harold Medford (Edmund Gwenn) and his daughter Dr. Pat Medford (Joan Weldon).

They embark on the seemingly impossible mission of defeating the great threat these terrifying creatures represent.

To the eyes of a twenty-first century person, the threat they must fight seems absolutely bogus. The audience today laughs at the rudimental special effects of the time.

The goal of the film, paradoxically, is achieved more efficiently now than it was before. The lack of a realistic imagery and a believable scientific explanation makes for a more pleasurable and distracting viewing experience.

However, if attentively observed, it is easy to perceive its alarming message. Perhaps giant ants are not a real possibility, but not knowing what radioactivity might signify for our future is a definite reality.

It was a fact in the 1950s, and keeps being one in the twenty-first century. The only terrifying certainty we have is that it inevitably will not have positive results.

The film addresses the imminent likelihood of a biblical apocalypse various times.

Many films after “Them!” have treated the same topic more profoundly and realistically.

“Them!”, despite not approaching it with the same intensity, still manages to linger in the viewers’ minds.

By conveying its distressing message secretly, obscurely and subconsciously, it successfully reaches its audience, maintaining the entertaining experience that watching a film many believe must entail.

For anyone that seeks an enjoyable ride, but feels the necessity of reflecting on the condition of our time, the repetitive puzzling quality of human history, “Them!” is a perfect motion picture.

The enormous ants will make you laugh.

The special effects will make you cringe.

You will happily root for the main characters to succeed.

The film will end, and you will have a smile on your face.

However, just a couple of minutes later, your mind will start processing. The ants are just an allegory for the trouble ahead.

The noble characters of the film have good chances of winning, but does flawed, egoistical humanity stand a chance of surviving the real threat?

That question will crawl under your skin.

Jacqueline Pantano can be contacted at jpantano@kscequinox.com

Erin McNemar can be contacted at emcnemar@kscequinox.com LAURA ROMANIELLO / EQUINOX STAFF

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT / A7

In the mind of an artist

Thursday, February 14, 2019

WKNH

Music madness

LAURA ROMANIELLO / EQUINOX STAFF

Better Oblivion Community Center CORALINE SEKSINSKY

WKNH Music Director

SOREN FRANZ / SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

On Friday, February 8, Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery opened a new exhibit to the public. The opening reception began at 5 p.m. and concluded at 7 p.m.

The Thorne showcases a new exhibit JOSEPH GUZMAN

equiNox staff On Feb. 8, the Thorne-Sagenendorph Art Gallery held an exhibit highlighting an array of new artists such as Jayson Musson, Daniel Heyman, Daniel Bejar, Jane Irish, Melanie Baker, and John Willis. There were also more new pieces by Mark Hogancamp, and some of the same pieces by Hogancamp and the late Andy Warhol. Each piece of art is demonstrating how creativity flows and is shown in the artist's minds. The exhibit also featured a hate crime survivor Mark Hogancamp, who reenacts war stories as a way to deal with his psychological trauma and tells them through dolls and photography, and artist Daniel Heyman, who carved his art into small wood tiles then painted them.

Brian Wallace, the art director of the Thorne, explained how the artists were found for the show “Two artists have been known to me for 10-12 years (Bejar and Heyman); a couple of the newer ones had (along with the two Daniels) produced artwork that helped inspire the theme of the show (Musson and Willis); the remaining two were (among a bunch) brought to my attention by colleagues with whom I’d debated the theme (Irish and Baker). If by new you mean young, I’ve known Bejar

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for over ten years (he’s the first guy I ever saw with an iPhone as a matter of fact – at his MFA show opening party in 2007) but he’s still pretty young. Musson’s also pretty young: his “Hennessey Youngman” YouTube videos hit about five years ago when he was still very young.”

When first walking into the art gallery, one of the first things that caught many viewer's eyes was Jayson Musson's piece called “World 1-1,” which uses mercerized cotton stretched over cotton, combining a mix of vibrant colored cotton pieces. Junior Maddie Clement, who was working at the event, claimed that this piece was her favorite of the night.

Towards the other side of the room was the formerly mentioned wood carving piece

by Daniel Heyman named “Winter: Artist Engages.” Photographer John Willis said this piece was polarizing and eye-catching, “Dan Heyman’s [piece, ‘Winter: Artist Engages’ specifically] the middle, of the two figures where there are all these different extra body parts. There are so much detail and expressiveness, but I don't know. I just find it very interesting.” Willis added, “[...

Picking] a favorite is a hard one, there are different works I like for different reasons. I think [...] I like these collage pieces [‘World 1-1’ and ‘777’] that are abstract paintings of fabric. I like them as formal stuff, but it

really gets interesting to read [Jayson Musson’s] inspiration, how it’s a response to Bill Cosby's character being Dr. Huxtable, this ‘all American father figure’ sorta deconstructing it, because he wasn’t the figure we always thought he was.”

Straight down the middle of the room was a painting done in charcoal and pastels of the back of Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Neil Gorsuch. This was done by Melanie Baker and titled, “Untitled (can I be him) a.k.a.

Neil Gorsuch.”

Willis took and collected photos of controversial or pivotal moments in people's lives; capturing them standing up for themselves, and fighting back, and only named the photos after the event where they conspired, with names such as “Leading Women’s Daily Morning Water Prayer Ceremony” and “Watching Turtle Island Standoff, Thanksgiving.”

Clement described another piece that catches attention as visitors enter the gallery, “The posters, the ‘These are not ordinary times, The time is now,’ and ‘Give the presidency to the people.’” Those posters hang from the ceiling to be showcased to the room, slowly grabbing each person’s attention one by one with each of the messages.

This was created by Daniel Bejar who actually provided courtesy prints (take home

posters) for the public.

Willis said, “It’s amazing to me to watch what other people create, what comes out of people's mind or their willingness to just work[...] Each one takes a lot of attention and detail. People have this practice where they just go inward into their studio and just go at something and just keep working at it and working at it.” Willis went on to say, “You say I’m an artist, but for most of the time I’ve done photography, which is a lot of years[...] if somebody asked, I’d say I'm a photographer, not an artist, because when I was learning there were so many people that thought photography wasn’t an art form cause it’s too mechanical. So I call myself a photographer, so then I wouldn’t have to worry about it.” Willis described how politics and art intertwine, “I don’t think every artist has to be politically driven, but to me, it’s a language. I do think all art is political in some way because even if you have the choice to do nothing but abstract and minimalist art that's not about social-political stuff, that's a political statement. It’s like deciding I’m not gonna vote because ‘I don’t wanna get involved with politics,’ that's a political move. You’re affecting elections by choosing not to vote.”

Conor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers are both well-defined and articulate songwriters in their own right.

Oberst already cemented himself as a certified legend as the emo iconoclast Bright Eyes back in the late nineties.

He has also been in American underground songwriting supergroup The Monsters of Folk with My Morning Jacket with frontman Jim James, as well as politically charged rock band Desaparecidos.

Suffice to say, Oberst has had a long career.

Bridgers, on the other hand, is a greener luminary on the national music stage, though no less bright.

Her debut record, “Stranger in The Alps” came out last year and has been making waves ever since, with a stellar NPR Tiny Desk Concert and making it onto many best of the year lists, both published and personal.

The two songwriters, whose relationship as artists started in 2016 when Bridgers opened up for Oberst on the road, have teamed up and released a record together: “Better Oblivion Community Center” by Better Oblivion Community Center.

And what a stellar record it is. I find its greatest strength is how each song flows into one another, pulling you along the entire runtime of the record without struggle.

The singers balance well against each other, neither taking over the other.

Their lyrical identities balance together as well. The lyrics are smart and loose, creating familiar and well worn images to feel so many feelings about.

Though I am more familiar with Bridgers than I am Oberst’s more recent output, I can attest to the fact that this record is a wholly different experience than “Stranger in the Alps.”

It is familiar still, but a separate experience.

The record hits a lot of textural areas and a variety of styles, from the jazzy to the harsh and aggressive.

It is this quality which helps to make the record such an easy end-to-end listen.

It opens with Bridgers singing sweetly in cryptic and vivid lyrics over ambling acoustic guitars, swells of something swelling underneath.

The next track ramps things up considerably with a loping rock tune lead by Oberst.

There is something for everyone here.

A song like “Chesapeake” has our singer harmonizing over gentle guitars and organs.

Each song is exceptional in its own way for its own reason, and yet they still all fit together in their sequence.

It’s very much worth a listen.

Check it out on your music platform of preference.

Coraline Seksinsky can be contacted at wknhmusic@gmail.com

Joseph Guzman can be contacted at jguzman@kscequinox.com

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ARTS ENTERTAINMENT

A&E / A8

Thursday, February 14, 2019

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Fighting hunger Local musicians perform in benefit concert PETER DUBOIS

EQUINOX STAFF

Students gathered in the Mabel Brown Room Friday night for a benefit concert sponsored by the Hungry Owl Food Pantry and Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity. The show featured Keene bands Jailbait, Omoo Omoo, and Afterimage. Admittance was free for students who brought at least one non-perishable food item to donate to the Hungry Owl. Max Foisey, a student coordinator for the Hungry Owl, says it takes plenty of effort to put on a show like this.

“A lot of coordination, a lot of teamwork, a lot of figuring things out with school admins, renting rooms and equipment. But everybody has been a great team, we’ve all been helping each other out, throwing ideas around and it’s been really beneficial to the cause and made everything come together,” Foisey said.

Alpha Sigma Phi brother Dylan McCall says his fraternity did their best to get the word out about the event,“We just wanted to partner up with the Hungry Owl to try to get some more people to come out and donate food.”

The bands that came to play all had some connection to Keene State College. Members of bands Jailbait and Afterimage are students at KSC. Also, some members of Omoo Omoo are Keene State alum.

“We wanted to keep it in the family, keep it around Keene,” Foisey said.

Organizers of the event hoped that hosting local bands would get students excited to come watch them perform. KSC Freshman Shawn Beldin was one of those students.

“I came out to see Omoo Omoo and Afterimage. I’ve heard Omoo Omoo earlier in the year at the NOC and I’ve heard of Afterimage cause of the hype around the band,” Beldin said.

Beldin added that having a concert is a great way to get people interested in something like the Hungry Owl, “It gets people out because people like music and it really helps a great cause. Plus it’s a good time to spend with your friends on a Friday night, maybe you’ll hear a couple bands you’ve never heard of.”

Alyssa Taylor sings lead vocals for the band Jailbait. She said she was happy to have the opportunity to play.

“It was really cool to play on an actual stage. Our first show was actually in our friend’s garage with one lamp,” Taylor said.

Casey Daron, bassist for Afterimage, said, “We were very excited to be apart of it.”

“It’s always fun to get to play a show, especially when it’s on campus.

When it’s for a good cause it’s that much more rewarding,” Daron added.

If you want more information or are interested in donating to the Hungry Owl Food Pantry, you can contact the Hungry Owl at thehungryowlksc@ gmail.com.

Peter Dubois can contacted at pdubois@kscequinox.com

SOREN FRANTZ/ SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

On Friday, February 8, Keene bands, Omoo Omoo, Afterimage and Jailbait performed in a benefit show for The Hungry Owl. The concert was sponsored by The Hungry Owl and Alpha Sigma Phi.

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STUDENT LIFE

Student Life, B1

Thursday, February 14, 2019

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ENFORCING ORDINANCE Residential Assistants required to implement under 21 smoking ban JACK HANSON

EQUINOX STAFF

A new law from the city of Keene means a policy change for Keene State College students and new responsibilities for Residential Life employees.

The new city ordinance was put into place in December while students were on winter break. It prohibits anyone under the age of 21 from buying any type of tobacco product, liquid nicotine, or electronic cigarettes in the city of Keene.

This required the college to change its current tobacco policy in order to follow the city’s laws and regulations. It’s an RA’s job to enforce the college’s policies to its residents, regardless of when that policy changes.

RAs told their students during their floor meetings this semester that if your RA recognizes you as under 21 on campus and you are using any type of tobacco product, including vape products, they are obligated to write you up and are allowed to confiscate it.

First-year student Kristina Clay thought that the policy violates student’s rights and gives RAs too much responsibility. “What’s the point of us being 18 if we can go over to the next town and do it legally? They tell us we are at college and we are adults now and then they try and control us in ways like this. It’s not fair to us. It’s not like we’re going to stop what we are doing,” Clay said. “It feels like RAs are looking at us even more now and are trying to get us in trouble. It feels like we have no privacy anymore. We have to watch out for something we are doing when we could do it legally literally two months ago. Everyone just wants the policy to go back to the way it was.”

Sophomore and new Resident

Assistant Emily Emery said her residents have been reacting different since they found out about the policy change. “They’re hiding more stuff from us,” Emery said.

“And they don’t want people telling them what not to do. You want to be liked as an RA, you don’t want to be disliked.”

Although she understands why students are upset, Emery wants everyone to know that people at the college are only following the law. “We just have to keep reminding students that it’s not the college doing this, it’s the city, and we are just doing our jobs,” Emery said.

Any student who violates this policy will go through the Office of Student Conduct.

Jack Hanson can be contacted at jhanson@kscequinox.com.

“We just have to keep reminding students that it’s not the college doing this, it’s the city, and we are just doing our jobs.”

-Emily Emery SEBASTIEN MEHEGAN / ADMINISTRATIVE EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Keeping up with the snow

Grounds crew do their best to keep students in mind WILLIAM PATTI

Equinox Staff In the harsh winters of Keene New Hampshire, the commute to class can be both dangerous and challenging. As anyone who parks on campus at Keene State knows, parking on a normal day is scarce.

In the weeks after heavy snowfall, the number of spots shrink as snow is piled in parking spaces due to a lack of open areas to pile the snow that’s been plowed. With days being warmer and nights being below freezing lately, layers of ice build as the snow melts and refreezes, making it harder to maintain, and even more dangerous for students on the way to class.

A student who parks in Winchester lot who asked to remain Anonymous said, “When it snows, getting to class is so much

harder. The lot fills up fast so it’s first-come-first-serve and if you have to park all the way in the far lot getting across without slipping is so hard.”

Anonymous added, “I think if they just salted and plowed more extensively it would be safer for students to get to class.”

Student Caitlin Perry, who walks to class every day said, “In the winters, the fluctuating temperature, causes them to have to maintain more frequently, I slipped and when I did it was on a patch of ice 4 inches thick…”

The problem for students is more about the ice that forms from refreezing and less about the snow itself.

These students seemed to feel that ice removal needs to be frequent this time of year as ice builds up every night.

» SEE SNOW B3

SOREN FRANZ / SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

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STUDENT LIFE / B2

Science with Selena

Thursday, February 14, 2019

Spreading awareness Time Capsule for The Hungry Owl

Focus on the world more than ourselves

The Underlying Story of the Owl’s Nest Laundromat: THERESA DERRY

Equinox Staff

SELENA LEGACY

Equinox Staff As the snow begins to melt and more animals come out to play, the trash peeks through the snow like flowers do. Campus is full of debris, wrappers, Juul pods and cigarette butts from fall semester. It is more prominent now that snow is melting and students can see the mess left behind. We worry a lot about ourselves and keeping ourselves stable and healthy, but we have seemed to have forgotten about the world, keeping the world healthy. All the plastic pollution is a drastic issue and keeps becoming greater as the years progress. Students can walk down the streets in Keene and see plastic on the roads everywhere. This has been an issue for years, but could start damaging closer to home. In New Hampshire alone, “State’s businesses and households still pitch 6.5 million tons of garbage every year—enough to fill up Fenway Park 74 times. And compostable organics make up more than 30 percent of all that trash,” said Soil and Mulch Producer News. They also say New Hampshire “puts 13 percent of its food scraps in the waste stream.”

The most recent calculation of tonnage of waste in the U.S. was in 2015 with 262.4 million tons. That’s a lot of trash. Trash even on campus is trying to be controlled, but this can be hard if the students aren’t contributing. KSC has tried to make an impact to our waste production: We have taken away styrofoam all together, which is one of the worst forms of plastic pollution, because it never fully degrades. KSC has also been cutting down on paper usage. On top of that, we have implemented composting on campus.

The graduation gowns are even made from recycled plastic. This is all great, but we can do more. Hoot N Scoot and Lloyds uses all plastic to-go ware and plastic bags. Students are still carrying around and purchasing plastic water bottles. The biggest problem is that these products are getting tossed outside, or getting thrown away in the trash. This builds up, and no one is really picking it up, but we need to start.

Recycling in Keene, however, isn’t as green as we would like to think. WMUR did a segment called Many Items Tossed in Recycling Bins End Up in Landfills, where they focus on Keene and how it’s recycling process works. They stated, “Waste management officials said some items that should be recyclable don’t get recycled because they’re not in the proper condition. And the United States recently lost its biggest customer for recyclable material, raising problems for the industry.” What they mean by this is that the water bottles that students think they are recycling are more likely than not thrown straight into landfills. This is because if the cap is still on and or there is liquid still present in the container, the workers aren’t allowed to touch it. Recycling in New Hampshire is still factory work and sorting is mostly done by hand.

The metals get picked up by magnets then the rest falls into the landfill pile. All things recyclable are picked and sorted by the employees. WMUR says, “It’s different this year because recyclers lost their biggest customer, China. The country used to take it all, no matter how contaminated. But now, it will only accept recycling with a two or three percent contamination rate, which is unachievable because U.S. plants were never designed to get that level of purity.” The recycling facilities have had to be more conscientious about what they’re keeping and such.

To help cut down on plastic waste on campus, there are many things students can do. Some include returning plastic bags to stores in Keene or on campus; WMUR stated that Keene wants locals to return bags.

Students can also pick up trash on campus when they see it (safely) or if it’s yours do the right thing and throw it away or recycle. Students can be more aware of the plastic they are buying that is not reusable. Instead of grabbing a plastic straw at the Hoot N Scoot, replace them with metal straws, which are very inexpensive. Students should resist buying plastic bottles of water and alternatively, carry around reusable water bottles. There is so much you can do, and it doesn’t take too much time or money. Focusing on the world and our waste production one step at a time can save us in the long run. Keep yourself healthy, but the world healthier.

Selena Legacy can be contacted at selena.legacy@ksc.keene.edu

SOREN FRANZ / SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

Student groups band together to help The Hungry Owl get it’s name out SEBASTIEN MEHEGAN

adminiStrativE ExEcutivE Editor The Hungry Owl fought back against the stigma behind food pantries by holding a non-profit concert on Friday, Feb. 8, in the Mabel Brown Room.

The Owls Against Hunger event was a public relations (PR) project originally thought up by Keene State College journalism students Kyle Heslin, John Budenas and Rachel Marquis.

Assistant Professor in the journalism department Marianne Salcetti gave these students an assignment to come up with hypothetical PR projects for an organization of their choice.

Budenas said, “We’ve been working with The Hungry Owl for our PR class since last semester… We got so into it that we continued it into this semester, and so we started to kind of think of a big event to kick off things, so we came up with the benefit drive.”

Heslin said the biggest problem facing The Hungry Owl was awareness and stigma; these were the focus of the event.

“One of the biggest issues they were facing was getting their name and what they do known,” Heslin said.

KSC senior and one of the coordinators for The Hungry Owl Max Foisey agreed that the biggest issue is the stigma behind a food pantry service. “Nobody in college, especially the college student, wants to be the kid who needs help,” Foisey said. He added that, for him, this was the biggest reason for the Owls Against Hunger event. “That’s why we’ve turned it into a platform, as a sort of all-inclusive idea, and that’s what we try to do at The Hungry Owl,” Foisey said.

Foisey said part of The Hungry Owl’s mission is to demonstrate that this service is not to seperate those who need help and those who don’t. He said the pursuit of the organization is simply to protect the students of KSC from food insecurity, “I understand, having been a student who’s had food insecurity issues himself, what it’s like to be in that position and sort of having the opportunity and having that platform to work

alongside other students who feel the same way and want to do the same thing.” Foisey said having that support from other students and organizations such as fraternity Alpha Sigma Phi paves the way for success in organizations such as The Hungry Owl. Budenas is a member of Alpha Sigma Phi and said he involved his organization just to help the cause. “We personally believed in what they were doing. We wanted to emphasize that this is The Hungry Owl, and this is what they are doing, and we are simply there to help out and represent,” Budenas said. He also said that, to him, this was a project he enjoyed working on, as he headed up much of the organization of the event including recruiting the different bands to play that night.

Heslin said his personal ties to the event and to The Hungry Owl itself lies in the realization that hunger among college students is a real problem. Heslin explained, “Food insecurity is a real problem. It’s a serious matter that I’m glad they are addressing. The other important thing is that The Hungry Owl isn’t just for food-insecure students. If you want to cut down on your grocery [bill] you’re welcome to do that, they’ve got plenty of options.”

The Hungry Owl has vegan and vegetarian options, nonperishables, and canned goods.

They are open behind Randall Hall 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Friday.

Sebastien Mehegan can be contacted at smehegan@kscequinox.com

As Keene State students and staff stroll down Butler Court to their residential halls and offices, they cannot help but notice the laundromat adjacent to Carle Hall. Located at 61 Butler Court, this building has been used as a laundry facility since 1988. However, 61 Butler Court has not always been occupied by Residential Life. It was once home to my great grandparents, Giovanni and Annina (Dintino) DiGiulio.

To me, this laundromat is not just a building on this campus. It is a reminder of the intersection of genealogy and place. At the age of eighteen, Giovanni left Abruzzi, Italy bound for America. After arriving to Keene in 1911, he purchased his first home at 82 Butler Court. Giovanni and Annina lived at 82 Butler Court until Giovanni decided to take on a challenge.

My great grandparents received the news that their daughter (my grandmother) Ann had gotten engaged. Knowing their daughter did not want to leave her childhood neighborhood, my great grandfather purchased land across the street from their property. The neighborhood children’s “Baseball Field” would become the site of their new residence. Giovanni and his brother-inlaw, Clemente DiBernardo, applied their Abruzzi brick making skills to lay the foundation of 61 Butler Court. After laying the foundation, Giovanni hired construction workers to complete the house. Upon the house’s completion in the fall of 1964, my great grandparents moved into their new homestead. Two weeks later, after marrying, my grandparents Francis and Ann (DiGiulio) Eastman moved into 82 Butler Court.

Eleven months later, my mother Ann (Eastman) Derry was born at Elliot Community Hospital (now Elliot Center). My grandmother’s dream had come true. She was living in her childhood home, she had started her family, and her parents were right across the street. However, this dream only lasted a short time.

In the fall of 1967, the college demolished 82 Butler Court to build residential halls. The loss of this home was heartbreaking, and my grandparents and mother relocated to 298 Water Street.

Even though my mother only lived across the street from her grandparents her first two years of life, she has fond memories of visiting them.

As an undergraduate at Keene State, my mother would stop by between classes. Her “Nona” would always have homemade bread for her when she arrived. In 1973, the college purchased 61 Butler Court, and a life tenancy agreement was put into place allowing my great grandparents to live there until they died. After Annina’s death in October 1987, the college received full ownership of 61 Butler Court.

There is not a day when I step foot on this campus that I forget my heritage. When I walk down Butler Court with peers, I see a reminder of my ancestors’ existence on this land. As I work on the Time Capsule column, I look forward to using the knowledge that I have of local history to educate the campus community.

Theresa Derry can be contacted at tderry@kscequinox.com

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STUDENT LIFE / B3

Thursday, February 14, 2019

REVIEW

SNOW cont. from B1

Assistant Director of Physical Plant/ Grounds at Keene State College, Bud Winsor said, “If it’s appropriate we use a rotary broom, to get any puddles or slush off the sidewalks, if necessary we will retreat, but we try to clean it all the way down to the bare pavement.” he also said, they use a solution of magnesium chloride and an alcohol distillation byproduct on the concrete when a big storm is expected, called ‘Magic -0’, which prevents the ice from binding to the concrete.

According to mag ic s a ltp it t s burgh.

com this allows the snow and ice to melt and run off rather than forming thick sheets of ice, making for easier removal. In response to whether there was anywhere to pile snow besides parking spots, or if putting it there is a last resort. Mr. Winsor stated that this problem has recently been taken care of and there should no longer be snow in any of the parking spots around campus. So if students are driving to class today they won’t have to worry about unusable parking spots making them late. Although some students feel not enough is done to take care of snow and ice, the Keene State Physical Plant/ Grounds crew works tirelessly to improve these conditions and maintain them the best they can.

William Patti can be contacted at wpatti@kscequinox.com

“If it’s appropriate we use a rotary broom, to get any puddles or slush off the sidewalks, if necessary we will retreat, but we try to clean it all the way down to the bare pavement.”

- Bud Winsor

SOREN FRANZ / SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

Alumn of KSC SEBASTIEN MEHEGAN / ADMINISTRATIVE EXECUTIVE EDITOR

An inside look at what it’s like to work at your alma ma der.

Cook’s culinary comments AUSTIN COOK

Equinox Staff Jim Eddie’s - As I drove on Winchester Street looking for a place to go for lunch, I saw Jim Eddie’s Diner, with giant grills set up at the front of the restaurant. The parking lot was packed, and barbeque sounded like a good idea.

I hadn’t had a good pulled pork sandwich in months. This looked like the right place. When it comes to pulled pork, I have high expectations, since I was raised just outside of Charlotte N.C. The pulled pork at Jim Eddie’s was good, but not truly great.

I was surprised about how clean the pork was. Rarely can I eat pulled pork and not have to sort through it and pull out gristle. There was not a single bad piece of meat in this sandwich. The sandwich came topped with the house coleslaw was served in an onion roll. It’s not the best in tasting pork I’ve ever had, but it’s better than most of the places I’ve gotten pulled pork from in New Hampshire.

The texture was good, and the pork was moist. The only thing lacking in flavor was the sauce served on the sandwich. I found it masked the taste of the pork with something that tasted like bottled barbecue sauce. I would have enjoyed the sandwich a lot more if the sauce had some kick and boldness to its taste. It didn’t add anything to the flavor the sandwich. Jim Eddie’s sauce needed some heat, or it should have been a vinegar based BBQ sauce. Either

flavor would complement the pulled pork sandwich greatly. The quality of the pork was great, but the sauce took away from the sandwich.

Still, this place made me feel like I was home. I didn’t sit with anyone or talk to anyone, but just sitting in the booth brought back memories of family reunions and get-togethers. I felt welcome. That was the feel of the room. The decor was comfortable and simple.

The staff knew a lot of the customers by name. I came in when I thought the lunch rush would be over, but they were packed. My order was taken quickly and I was in and out in around 40 minutes. The staff was friendly and the service was fast. Most of the customers looked over 50, and the staff seemed a little surprised to see a young guy coming in alone.

My sandwich came with french fries and cost just under $10. Most menu items run around $9-$15. It is a good value, considering a value meal at McDonald’s will cost you around the same amount. The drink at Jim Eddie’s is sold separately. So for $12, you can get a really good meal.

Overall the restaurant brought a good experience. It is a comfortable and friendly place to eat. It is reasonably priced and the food is good. I will go back to Jim Eddie’s again.

Austin Cook can be contacted at acook@kscequinox.com

T h i s W e e k

Abraham Osheyack

Assistant AD for Sports Information Compliance and Operations “It’s very rewarding. There are a lot of people here in the athletic department who I knew when I was a student which is going on 13 to 15 years ago now. I was kind of here at a formative point in athletics, Keene State was less than ten years into its transition into division three. I didn’t know that at the time but a lot of stuff I know in hindsight was still being figured out and so it’s been fun to come back and kind of be on the other side of that after experiencing so much as a student,” Osheyack said.

Osheyack said the biggest changes he perceived when coming back after eight years were people who had retired and moved on to other things. He also mentions that when he came

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back, the Zorn Dining Commons and the Science Center had just been built. However, the TDS Building, Butler Court, Pondside 3 and the LLC did not exist yet.

Osheyack said that he didn’t notice the change from being a student to working at Keene State, mainly because he had been away for so long that it just felt like a regular job. “I had eight years of living in other places and working at other jobs.

My answer would be different if I had graduated one day and started working the next.”

Osheyack said he came back for many reasons but mainly because Keene State offered more for his career pursuit and financial welfare at a time when he was starting a family.

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STUDENT LIFE / B4

Thursday, February 14, 2019

Monday, September 24 | Zorn Dining Commons

To write for Student Life contact:

Student Life Sebastien Mehegan

smehegan@kscequinox.com KSCEQUINOX.COM

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CREATIVE C LLECTIONS

Creative Collections / B5 Thursday, February 14, 2019

KSCEQUINOX.COM

STAFF COMMENTARY

SHORT STORY

So this is Love...

EMMA MEHEGAN

Contributing Writer

It had been a long time. Years had gone by, too many years, before she could stop them. One day she had been applying to schools and worrying with him about getting accepted, and the next she had been walking down the quad with the heat of the summer sun beating on her cap and gown, moving towards the raised podium to receive her diploma as he watched proudly in the audience. She had spent so much out of those precious years focused only on her work and her man, dedicating little time to her family at home. Then one day, he was all she had, and sometimes, during rare moments of weakness, she wondered if he was enough.

Meredith sighed and looked up from the work she had been forced to bring home for the fifth time this week. She gazed at his sleeping figure on the couch, mouth hanging open, drool making its slow way towards a wet puddle on the cushion where his head lay. His usually handsome face was shadowed by the stubble of an unkempt beard, proof that he had not bothered to leave his place on the couch—except of course to grab the beers which lay scattered on the floor. One of his hands was draped over the armrest of the couch, and the other clutched a beer bottle which held the last swallow of what Meredith was sure would be a terrible headache.

She sighed again, closing her eyes and picturing what she had always wanted. No hardships, no pain, everything easy. The man she had imagined herself with would have been clever, but not too smart for her. He’d be tall and dark, mature and emotionally stable. He would take part in every one of her crazy schemes.

They would have travelled the world, laughed at authority, and each have scars to remember every risk they’d taken while rock climbing or skydiving. Meredith laughed at these thoughts, knowing now that this perfect life she had once imagined, this

adventuring with a roguish knight she had pictured for herself, could never exist, at least not for her.

Still, she was not often discontent, and she had been with him long enough to know that the way he was acting now was not normal for him. They were going through so much recently, of course it wasn’t perfect. She did not expect this drunken mess on the couch to act any differently after what he had just lost. The funeral was tomorrow, and once they got through that, everything would gradually get better, she knew. He was a good man, he was strong. And every person, no matter how strong, needs help sometimes. She needed to be his rock now, as he had once been hers.

He groaned and she opened her eyes, glancing over at him in concern. Meredith put down her work, and instead of finishing it, dedicated the rest of the night to making sure he did not choke on his own vomit. She helped him to the restroom and rubbed his back, whispering words of comfort for hours, then took him to their bedroom. She left some antacids, Advil, and two bottles of water on his side table, then grabbed one of their extra blankets and pillows, cleaned off the couch, and went to sleep.

She woke to the smell of bacon, eggs, and fresh coffee.

She kept her eyes closed, her lips lifting at the corners as she savored the scent, the warmth of her blanket, and the thought that her husband was up and cooking again. She heard his footsteps, softened by the thick carpet, enter the living room, but still she kept her eyes shut. The warmth of his body let her know that he was standing over her, and she could feel the strength of his stare. His fingers gently brushed wisps of her blond hair off of her forehead, moving from her temple, down her cheek, and to the corner of her mouth in a tender caress. He pressed his lips to her face, and she felt the warmth of his breath between her brows as he whispered against her skin.

“Thank you.”

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

Head over heels ADRIANA DANIEL

equinox Staff Shoes are powerful: They make a statement without even trying. A shop-a-holic would say, ‘you need as many shoes as you do outfits,’ but on a college student's budget, that is nearly impossible. The idea of having a million shoes while living in a shoe box is dizzying. It’s not about how many shoes are owned; rather, the quality. How many outfits can you make out of one pair? How comfortable are they to walk in? How long will they last? Are all important questions to ask before investing in a new pair of footwear. Especially in these cold winter months, it is important to purchase the right set to bare the outside weather. From heels to sneakers, here are the five basic shoes every woman should have in her closet.

Black Sock Booties are the best shoes to wear with jeans. With the ability to dress up any casual outfit, these heels will bring you from day to night in an instant.

Sock booties come up higher on the ankle, providing a much more elegant look than that of basic booties. The taller material will elongate the leg, giving the illusion of the most beautiful model strut down Appian Way. Paired with medium-washed ripped jeans and a slouchy white sweater, these heels will enhance any closet from average to stunning!

Athleisure or “American sportswear” has been a trend for the active women since the 1950s. The up and coming “modern” women decided they needed a closet filled with clothes that would keep up with their new and powerful lifestyle. Sneakers will forever be a staple, used in more instances than the gym sneakers, and they have a cute and playful accent that brighten any look. The versatility of sneakers will bring anyone from their morning workout to the end of their classes feeling comfortable and stylish.

Riding boots, most often seen on Pinterest in the fall, are much more than a one-season hit. The beautiful below-theknee boot works great all year. Investing in a good pair of riding boots will last any buyer years! Riding boots can be found with and without a heel, so comfort isn't something anyone would have to give up.

For the most bang out of your buck, look into a taupe or light brown pair of boots to be able to match every outfit from light to dark.

Nude, nude, nude heels are the definition of classic. The number one most flexible shoe in every closet. A great heel to look into for college students as they start to enter the workforce. With the perfect nude heel you’ll rock any internship in the day and look dazzling at any formal in the evening!

Lastly, Chuck Berry’s, the beloved shoe of the late 19th century, have never gone out of style amongst young adults regardless of gender. Known better by their company name Converse, Chuck Berry’s can be acquired in every color and design imaginable. In a high or a low top, these shoes will show off everyone’s creative side and add a touch of personality.

Adriana can be contacted at adaniel@kscequinox.com

Wordsearch Theme: Valentine's Day » CROSS OFF THE WORDS AS YOU FIND THEM!

ADMIRER BOYFRIEND CHOCOLATE CUPID FEBRUARY

FLOWERS GIRLFRIEND KISS LOVE POEM

ROMANTIC ROSE SMITTEN SWEETHEART VALENTINE

SHORT STORY

Hitting the Dance Floor: Part Two ANGELIQUE INCHIERCA

Senior Staff Bai waited by the mini island.

She rested her head in her arms. I pulled the strands of squash onto her plate, adding leftover fish from the night before. “Head up,” I slid the plate to her. “Will you do my hair tonight?”

“Mn-yea,” She chewed, “You’ll rock an updo.” I sat beside her.

Dinner was a silent one, she must have been upset with the decision still. Her lazy stance was her way of showing she didn’t want to engage in conversation. Bai has always been like that. Her mother ran a strict household. I got use to her cues for “Don’t talk to me right now,” and I couldn’t help but feel a little responsible. “Wanna get it done now?” she asked me. I shoved the last bit of food in my mouth.

“Yes please,” I responded. I watched her in the mirror. A simple tight bun took longer than the average messy bun. Her tongue slowly slipped out as her concentrated deepend. My thick brown hair was slowly tamed.

While she worked her magic, I decorated the imperfections of my features with concealer, blush, gloss, eye shadow and mascara.

“Alright Barbie, it’s all set,” Bai took a step back to admire her work.

It really is like painting on a doll.

I examined the makeup-powder

shine and used the mirror to search for imperfections at separate angles.

I glanced to Bai’s reflection. Her eyes sulked but not her stature. She was trying to hide her unsettled emotions.

“Thank you Bai.” I turned to give her a gentle hug. Don’t be mad, please. A car horn caught our attention. Bai made her way to the window and peeked through the blinds.

“Uh, Ariel?” she looked at me through the mirror’s reflection. “I think it’s your ride.” I strode to the door. A white sedan limo was waiting in front of the gate. I turned back to Bai who was leaning against the door frame, “They sure know how to make a statement.” I waved to her. As I approached the shining vehicle, the door opened. Sirina greeted me inside.

“I knew it would look good on you!” I presumed she meant the dress. “Are you excited?” she asked.

“A bit nervous,” I laughed while taking a seat beside her. The interior was lined with purple LEDs that reflected well off the white silk seats and metallic mini furniture.

A woman sat in a long luxurious gown. The silver sequins made each movement exaggerate glows to keep your attention from traveling.

Her long straight hair was free of any whisps and imperfections. It frightened me how angular her face seemed.

“A friend,” Sirina said, catching my attention once more. I nodded to the woman politely, her brow raised. Sirina offered her glass to me, I waved it down. The last thing I need is to not remember where I am. I focused on her as she spoke to her friend. Her hair was smooth and braided, leaving it to hang by her waist. It led to the dresses open midriff, where bits of her tattoo poked out. Tiny diamonds interwoven into a larger diamond.

I followed her figure, back up the seams. She looked as elegant as ever sporting a black semi-dress that lead to one shoulder. “And that is how I got Ariel to finally join me tonight.” She flashed me a smile.

“Tell me about yourself,” the other’s voice stated blandly. I looked to the woman, the neutrality in her expression sent chills down my spine.

“Well,” I cleared my throat. “I just transferred to the university. I study engineering.” Her brow raised again. Sirina laughed, placing her hand on my bouncing knee.

“Ariel has always been so smart!

We met in high school and when she told me she was having trouble with students at her other college, I told her about our programs and she was hooked!” My nerves began to settle, I hadn’t known I was holding my breath. “But believe me when I say,she is a musical protege. Trained classically for, how long?”

“Since I was four.”

“She has the most remarkable talent,” Sirina began speaking about my past recitals and times I played for her parties at home.

The woman looked to me again,“You’ll have to play at a gathering of mine some time then.”

I nodded as the topic changed to some gossip about people I didn’t know about. I presumed they were other Night Dwellers. I focused my gaze out the window. We drove deeper and deeper into the city. I lost track of which street we were on. Turning into a dimly lit alley, the limo stopped the entrance of Brielle’s Cage, presumably our destination. A well dressed man opened the door beside me, I scooted out. The girls went ahead of me, speaking to others waiting for their dates. The woman’s dress was opened backed. Seated right between the dimples in her back was a tattoo matching Sirina’s. She must be the friend I’ve heard about.

Her “partner in crime.”

I took a deep breath, holding it in the core of my chest before walking through the deep velvet curtains.

Angelique Inchierca can be contacted at ainchierca@kscequinox.com

» READ PART ONE AT WWW.KSCEQUINOX.COM

Did You Know?

"February 14th is the second largest card giving day of the year, just after Christmas. This year, it’s expected that 1 billion cards will be exchanged around the world." » INFO FROM 1800FLOWERS.COM

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Sports / B6

Thursday, February 14, 2019

Step up to the plate KSC baseball prepares for first game of the season and a trip to Florida AUSTIN SMITH

Equinox Staff The baseball team, one of Keene State’s most closely knit squads, is ready to make a push for the LEC championship this year.

Baseball practice has started back up as the semester moves along. The baseball team has not won the LEC championship since 2010 and has not made the NCAA tournament since 2012. The Owls will try to improve on the 15-19 season they had last year, and make a push for the LEC championship.

With baseball being an outdoor sport, every year the team goes down to Florida to play the first quarter of their season. Going to Florida means that the players can get away from the cold and snow of New Hampshire.

Coach Ken Howe said, “Down there everybody feels great, they feel loose.” With temperatures in Florida staying at about 75 degrees year-round, the team is able to get back on the diamond.

Howe has noticed that this is a close team, saying, “I think this team is very close-knit,

they’re taking care of each other” said Howe. The chemistry of a team can be crucial in making a playoff run. Johnson used the word “brotherhood” when describing the team.

Senior reliever Connor Johnson explained why the team is so close,“Well, a lot of it has to due with the fact that we are always around each other.”

Johnson is starting his fourth and final season at Keene State. The team has struggled in recent years, partly due to playing in a very difficult conference.

However, “The LEC championship is not out of reach” Johnson said. “I think it’s anybody’s game honestly, it all just depends on who puts the work in.”

You can see the Owls play their first home game on Mar, 24 against Johnson & Wales.

The team will play their first game in Florida on Mar. 8 in Kissimmee, Florida. They will play against Coe College for a double-header first game starting at 4:30 p.m., the second at 7:30 p.m.

Baseball’s startup does not only affect the coaches and players, but also the administration as well.

Assistant Athletic Director Abe Osheyack is the man that oversees sports information, compliance and operations. When talking about what that means, Osheyack said, “Eligibility certifications is something I am working on now, supervising my staff who write press releases.” These responsibilities are paramount to a smooth-running sports team. It is very important for the team to make the Florida trip, and this helps them get more games in when New Hampshire weather is not as cooperative.

“It’s really important that they are able to get to a warm weather location to play ten, eleven, twelve games” said Osheyack. The trip to Florida is a necessary part of the season, as about a quarter of the games are played there. However, this does not mean that it is not a costly trip.

“There is some money from the athletic department, they do have to pay a significant portion out of pocket, and there are some fundraising opportunities available” said Osheyack. While expensive, going down to Florida is a necessary and fun experience for the players.

Austin Smith can be contacted at asmith@kscequinox.com

SEBASTIEN MEHEGAN / ADMINISTRATIVE EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Wherever the team needs him Anozie sets career high points while helping the team ADRIANA SANCHEZ

Social MEdia dirEctor Sophomore and Center for the Men’s Basketball team James Anozie is the person to look out for in the next couple years.

Since his first year, he’s been running the court with awards he received such as being named All-LEC Second team, All-LEC Rookie team and being named Rookie of the week five times. According to Keeneowls.com, Anozie averaged 12.6 points, and had a career high while playing in a semi-final game against UMASS Boston of 22 points that same year.

But now, he has a new career high of 23 points while playing against Castleton University.

Anozie started playing basketball when he was in kindergarten. He saw that he was tall, and decided to give it a shot.

The Anzoie family has been there for him since he started playing. Even when they can’t make it to the games here at Keene, they stream them online. James Anozie looks up to his dad, and his dad always pushes Anozie to do better.

Anozie knew a player on the team from high school, Kyle Santoro, who was already going to Keene. On top of this Anozie, decided to come to Keene State because of the atmosphere Keene. “The chemistry here between the team and everyone had made me have a warm welcoming,” Anozie said.

He has no personal goals, but just wants to help the team win games. Anozie has been putting in some extra time in the gym when he can, and its helped him with his free throws from last year. Anozie does want to host the NCAA tournament here at home.

Head coach Ryan Cain said, “He’s probably the most physical player in the conference and maybe the most physical player in New England, very difficult to guard one-on-one because of his size.”

Although Anozie is of larger stature, it doesn’t stop him from going up and down the court. “He has a nice combination of size with skill and pretty quick, despite being as big as he is,” said Cain.

On game day, Anozie visualizes plays he’s going to

do, such as how he’s going to guard somebody or how he’ll shoot.

Anozie brings a lot of laughter to the team and is very well liked, even off the court. “I think his biggest strength is off the court, he has such a great connection with people on campus, he’s very liked on our team, great student and great person,” said Cain.

Anzoie loves the rush he gets when the crowd gets hyped up during the game and, of course, winning.

Cain sees some high potential for Anozie future in the basketball program. Cain said Anozie can be one of their leading scorers. “If he works at it, he can be one of the better players in the conference, he’s already in the top ten group based on the awards he’s received last year as a freshman,” said Cain.

Although Anzoie recently got a new career high, he believes he’ll be breaking that personal best soon.

Adriana Sanchez can be contacted at asanchez@kscequinox.com

SOREN FRANTZ / SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

Anozie playing against Western Connecticut State where the Owls won 78-77

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Luke’s Kickin’ Column

Thursday, February 14, 2019

First year, first win Deppert places first in event after running it for the first time IZZY HARRIS

Equinox Staff

Emiliano Sala Dies In Plane Crash LUKE STERGIOU

Photo Editor On Jan. 21st, Argentine player Emiliano Sala was on a plane from Nantes, France to Cardiff, Wales to officially sign for Welsh club Cardiff City FC. Unfortunately, the plane went down off the coast of Guernsey, and Sala and the pilot David Ibbotson were announced missing.

Emiliano Sala was born in Cululú, Santa Fe, Argentina and rose through the ranks of Argentinian football, eventually paving a way to a move to Europe. French club Bordeaux eventually signed the forward, but the club would not give the forward much playing time. Sala was loaned out several times over his five year spell at the french club.

His first loan spell came in the 2012-2013 season, playing for third-tier French side US Orléans. Determined to prove Bordeaux wrong, Sala went on to score 19 goals in 37 appearances. That wasn’t good enough for Bordeaux, as the club loaned out Sala the following season to Ligue 2 side Chamois Niortais. There the forward scored 18 goals in 37 appearances. It looked as if Sala had done enough to convince Bordeaux that he could play in the top flight of France, however he was loaned for the third consecutive season to Ligue 2 side SM Caen, scoring 5 goals in 15 appearances. Despite having exceptional form on his loan spells, scoring a total 42 goals for his respective loan clubs, Bordeaux would never give him the sufficient amount of first team football he worked so hard for.

In 2015, after 5 years with Bordeaux, French club Nantes paid €1 million for the Argentine’s services. It was at Nantes were Sala really made a name for himself.

During the four years at Nantes, Sala scored 42 goals in 120 appearances. This prompted Welsh club to splash the cash for the Argentine forward, paying £15 million for his services.

Unfortunately, Sala would never fully make it to Cardiff City, after his flight returning to Nantes from Cardiff went down. Emiliano Sala was officially declared dead on Feb. 8.

The footballing world was devastated.

Fans all around the world, but specifically in the Premier League, were looking forward to seeing the Argentine light up the league with his lethal goal scoring ability.

Several tributes have been made for Sala, with many players and fans all around the world paying their respects and condolences. Sala’s fomer club Nantes would pay tribute in a special way for him, making all the tickets for a fixture against Nimes just €9, as Sala wore the number 9 for Nantes. The official twitter account of Nantes posted a tweet when translated said: The following tweet is translated as: “So that a maximum of supporters can, with the players, make a final homage to Emiliano Sala for #FCNNO, the whole stadium is now at €9 Sunday.”

The Premier league also announced that all the clubs will wear black armbands as a tribute to Sala during all the fixtures that weekend. The Argentine’s death would hit hard with Cardiff City fans, who paid an emotional tribute to Sala before the side’s fixture against Bournemouth, with a minute of silence to honor him before the game. Cardiff City manager Neil Warnock was very emotional after the game. In a post match interview with the BBC, Warnock said, “I was surprised I shed a tear. But things catch up with your after tragedies, there’s nothing wrong with that really…”

It’s a very sad time for the global football community, and it’s a shame that we as fans were never able to see Sala play in the Premier League. Rest in peace Emiliano Sala.

Winning an event in track and field is an accomplishment in and of itself, but to win it while running it for the very first time as a firstyear is even more special.

On Saturday, Feb. 2, Amanda Deppert (right) won her very first individual award by running her first 400 meter dash with a speedy time of 1:02.14.

LEC [Little East Conference] also named Deppert with the Women’s Rookie Track Athlete of the Week.

“It felt like a new feeling. I kind of got lifted out of body in a way…

It kind of felt like a high. It was the longest run that I’ve had to run before,” said Deppert.

Deppert said that this accomplishment means a lot to her, especially being a first-year, “I didn’t expect it to be my first year. I thought it’d be something that I’d work towards, but I guess I’m already there.”

While this is a big achievement for Deppert, she has her goals set high for the future, “[I’m going to] keep working hard even though I’m here, I still want to beat my times and be better. I’m not going to stop here, and I want to become the best I can be.”

Assistant Coach Nick Athanasopoulos works with Deppert daily.

“It’s a good step in terms of moving forward, so hopefully she’ll be able to give us more efforts like that in future,” Athanasopoulos said.

“Hopefully on Friday we’re going down to BU to run the open 200, she’s about a tenth of a second off from the school record and I think she has a good chance of doing

that,” Athanasopoulos said.

Athanasopoulos also said he is hoping to embrace Deppert in the longer sprinting events, “At this level, she’s good and can be [in the New England] qualifier, but we think she could potentially be national qualifier in the 400.”

Senior and teammate Taylor Bisaillon said that Deppert has admirable work ethic. “She’s really eager to learn everything about the track team and how to get better.

She’s doesn’t put up any negative attitude if someone asks her to do something. She’s just ready to do it,” Bisaillon said.

“She’s really fast. She asks a lot of questions, which is good because asking questions means that she wants to do better for her teammates,” Bisaillon said.

Bisaillon said she was excited when she saw Deppert win the event. “[I’m] excited for her future because she definitely could be faster than what she ran that day.

She looked like [she] was tired but still had little bit more in her. That’s exciting, that she can be faster and improve,” Bisaillon said.

As a piece of senior advice, Bisaillion said, “Stick with [the sport] even when it gets really hard mentally. The first year is always a lot of fun, and once you start getting to outdoor and it’s really cold outside, it’s hard mentally, but you just have to stick with it.”

By the end of her college career, Deppert said she wants to, “Just to get a name for myself for here.

[I want] people know that I was a runner here and that I was good at it.”

Izzy Harris can be contacted at iharris@kscequinox.com SOREN FRANTZ / SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

Owl Nation: Games LOOKING TO SUPPORT KSC ATHLETES?

SuPPort thEm at homE gamES!

Women’s basketball Vs. EastConn, Saturday Feb. 16 @ 1:00 p.m.

Men’s Basketball Vs. EastConn, Saturday Feb.16 @ 3 p.m.

Cailla Prisco cprisco@kscequinox.com

Luke Stergiou can be contacted at lstergiou@kscequinox.com

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SPORTS

Sports / B8

Thursday, February 14, 2019

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That makes 13

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO FROM UMASS DARTMOUTHN

Keene State Women’s Swim and Dive team receiving their thirteenth consecutive LEC championship trophy and sixteenth overall after competing in Saturday’s qualifying meet.

KSC Women’s Swim/Dive team wins their thirteenth consecutive LEC championship CAILLA PRISCO

SportS Editor The Keene State Women’s Swim season is coming to a close, as they competed in their first qualifying meet of the season on Saturday, Feb. 9, at UMass Dartmouth.

Keene State placed first at the Little East Conference Championship, making it their thirteenth consecutive win and sixteenth overall.

Before competing in Saturday’s meet, senior and captain Katie Brandeberry said she was “looking forward to the meet and to start competing again.”

“I think it’s going to be a great way to finish out the season. It is sort of like the beginning of the end for some of us that are graduating and leaving Keene State,” said Brandeberry.

Brandeberry competed in the 200 meter backstroke on Saturday’s meet.

Head Coach Chris Woolridge said he was “feeling excited and sad” about the end of this season.

Woolridge started his Keene State career in 2015, so losing his first graduating class is “bittersweet,” said

Woolridge.

“The good thing about this meet is that it brings the best out of the women’s team. I expect to see a lot of season best and lifetime bests over the course of the meet on Saturday,” Woolridge said.

Comparing each season is not something Coach Woolridge likes to do, being that swim seasons are so long.

“Each season is kind of its own journey. It’s long, starting in September and ending in February or March sometimes,” said Woolridge.

Brandeberry said having the same coach for all four years was great, and that they were all able to grow as a team together.

“It is so crazy, because when he first started he was so different, and I think as we grew up, his coaching style changed, and we all just became one big family,” said Brandeberry.

Brandeberry is a star swimmer on the team, and won multiple LEC athlete of the week titles and accolades.

“I am excited to move on from swimming, it’s going to be really weird to have all the extra free time, but

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I am looking forward to just [having] to worry about class and that’s it,” Brandeberry said.

When asked if she felt like she accomplished everything she wanted to during these four years, she said “absolutely.”

“I really just wanted to keep dropping time, I didn’t have any specific goal in mind,” said Brandeberry.

Brandeberry placed second in the 200 meter backstroke with a time of 2:11.65 and placed first in the 200 meter freestyle with a time of 1:57.97.

Keene State placed first in the conference championships, winning a total of eight events and 535 points.

Coach Woolridge said one of his biggest challenges this season was having swimmers fulfill some event roles that he had lost due to graduating seniors.

“In swimming, you have a lot of events to fill and you don’t always have a star for every event, so you have to be able to adapt and fit in where the team needs you. It has been a big challenge, but they have stepped it up,” said Woolridge.

Having a lot of LEC honors and first place finishes, picking a most improved swimmer and diver was a

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challenge. Coach Woolridge said the girls that stood out the most to him this season were first-year Brianna Feldman, Junior Erin Morley and Junior Madison Pechulis.

“Brianna Feldman started as a freshman this year and has already received Rookie DIver of the Week multiple times and other LEC awards, despite having never dove from a 3-meter board” said Woolridge.

According to Keene State Athletics, “Keene State swept the relays. The 200 medley relay of Dickinson, Pechulis, Hayes and Simoneau won with a time of 1:51:55 to open the meet, while the 400 freestyle relay of junior Erin Morley, senior Lauren Arsenault, O’Connor and Brandeberry won in 3:49.74 to close out the 2019 LEC Championships.”

Those who qualified for the NEISDA Championships will travel to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T) on Thursday, February 21.

Cailla prisco can be contacted at cprisco@kscequinox.com

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