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THE EQUINOX The student voice of Keene State College
Vol. 72 , Issue #18
Thursday, March 7, 2019
KSCEQUINOX.COM
Sodexo Sues KSC
SEBASTIEN MEHEGAN / ADMINISTRATIVE EXECUTIVE EDITOR
LUKE STERGIOU / PHOTO EDITOR
Sodexo filed a lawsuit against KSC for breach of contract upon losing a contract bid TEDDY TAUSCHER
Equinox Staff Sodexo’s lawsuit against Keene State College College has Keene State and The University System of New Hampshire (USNH) employees mum on the subject. According to a Keene Sentinel article by Meg McIntyre, Sodexo is suing Keene State College, Plymouth State University and the USNH.
Last July both Keene State and Plymouth switched dining contractors from Sodexo to Chartwells Schools Dining Services. Sodexo alleges that people in management positions were rehired by Keene State despite there being a clause prohibiting it. The clause specifically prohibits management from being rehired from within one year of any termination of employment with Sodexo. According to the same arti-
cle, the decision to switch food contractors was made because it would save the university four million dollars over the ten year contract. Sodexo is asking for one million dollars for damages caused by the rehiring of employees at both Plymouth and Keene State. This number was derived from doubling the annual salary of each manager being kept on. Both the Director of Strategic Communications at Keene State
Kelly Ricaurte and the Director of Strategic Sourcing at USNH Linda St. Cyr responded to request for comment with the following: “The University System of New Hampshire (USNH) fully met its contractual obligations and is disappointed that Sodexo, having lost the contract through a public bid process, has chosen to file suit in federal district court. USNH is confident in its position and will vigorously defend the lawsuit.”
Director of Campus Life at Keene State Jennifer Ferrell said she was unable to speak on the matter and advised that members of the dining team at Keene State would give similar responses. Both the lawyer for Sodexo Michael R. Perry and Sodexo’s Public Relations team did not respond to a request for interview. Teddy Tauscher can be contacted at ttauscher@kscequinox.com.
Honoring Outstanding Women of New Hampshire RACHEL VITELLO
nEwS Editor Each year, four women are honored at Keene State College’s President’s Outstanding Women of New Hampshire Awards ceremony during Women’s History Month. This year’s theme is Visionary Women: Champions of Peace and Nonviolence. On Monday, March 4 Briae Robillard, Therese Seibert, Sandra Wallace and Eva Castillo were honored at the 29th annual Outstanding Women of New Hampshire Awards. The categories for the event’s honorees include KSC student, KSC faculty/staff, a Monadnock region honoree and a State honoree. KSC senior Briae Robillard is this year’s student honoree because of her work with young women who are trapped in domestic violence situations. Robillard works with the nonprofit organization InspireHer. This nonprofit helps teenage girls who are in violent relationships or unhealthy environments by helping them start their own online business. After choosing an online business of interest, they are paired with a mentor who is volunteering with the program who works in a similar field. Robillard said she was not expecting to receive the award and that it is surreal to be honored for this work. As for what it means
to her to be an “outstanding woman,” she said it simply means being yourself, unapologetically. “To really make a difference and to be impactful in whatever field you are in, you need to be willing to stand apart from everyone else,” Robillard said. “There are so many people that are going to say all the reasons why something won’t work out and you just have to go full force and believe in yourself.” This year’s faculty/staff honoree Therese Seibert is being recognized due to her work around genocide and access to healthcare. Seibert is currently in Rwanda on sabbatical working alongside Never Again Rwanda (NAR). She is compiling numerous reports and documents from the “Societal Healing and Participatory Governance for Sustainable Peace in Rwanda” (which is a program designed to promote sustainable peace, development, and social justice as Rwanda continues to heal from its 1994 Genocide) into a book draft. She is also helping create a workshop for adolescents in Rwanda that helps deal with past trauma and promotes reconciliation. While Seibert could not attend the event PUJA THAPA / BUSINESS MANAGER in person, she made a video that was broadMelinda Treadwell (right) and Dottie Morris (center) with three of the four honorees. casted of her accepting her award. “I pretty much thought by the time I turned 60, I would the next generation. This young generation fighting violence against girls and women. sit back and relax and just impart wisdom to is demonstrating a level of courage en masse, They demonstrate a level of courage that I
Remembering Don Carle ALEX HARVEY
Equinox Staff On Thursday, Feb. 21, a Keene State College alum and former faculty member Don Carle passed away at the age of 92. Carle was born at Keene State College in Elliot Hospital, which is now known as the Elliot Center. He grew up in one of the first residences on Appian Way. After serving in World War II, Carle returned to Keene as a student and graduated with a degree in Education. While he was a student at KSC, Carle also played on the Owls Ice Hockey team. Carle taught and served as an administrator at schools throughout New England until he became KSC’s Alumni Director in 1977. He served in this role until 1988. After retiring from the college, Carle remained an active supporter of Owl Athletics. He instituted the Nim Grandin 1000 Points Club, and he also co-founded the Keene State College Alumni Athletic Hall of Fame with men’s soccer coach Ron Butcher. Every year an academic team award named after Carle is presented to the athletic team with the highest GPA. KSC President Melinda Treadwell said that the College is currently working to find a way to honor Carle. “We’re going to try to find a way to celebrate him, given his long history with us and the tremendous support he offered the college and our students through scholarships and all sorts of things,” Treadwell said. Director of Alumni Relations Steve Fortier said, “Don’s legacy will be part of Keene State College’s DNA forever. Every time we have a Hall of Fame ceremony, we can thank Don. Every time a student receives a scholarship from one of the many endowed scholarship funds he supported, we can thank Don. Each time we walk into one of the buildings he supported with his charitable giving, we can thank Don. His contributions to Keene State College are significant and everlasting.” Fortier is working with Carle’s sons to plan a memorial service at Keene State College this spring. Athletic Marketing Coordinator at Keene State College Ron Butcher said, “He certainly was a historian and knew many facts and figures about the City of Keene as well as Keene Normal School, Keene Teachers College and now Keene State College. He was truly the Owls’ number one fan, as he attended most events.” According to those who knew him, in his later years, Carle attended KSC athletic events on his little red scooter and would fist bump players as they came out of the locker room for each period. Athletic Director at KSC Dr. Denisha Hendricks said, “If we had a number one fan, he would be our number one fan.” According to Hendricks, Carle was a big believer in higher education and was proud of the fact that Carle Hall is named after his father. Both of Carle’s parents were the Dorm Parents of the Women’s Dorm in the late 1920s. “He was a veteran and when he returned from the war, he had an opportunity to come to Keene State
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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: Celebrating Women A8: Artistic Expression B1: What Were You Wearing? B8: Hell of a season
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