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THE EQUINOX The student voice of Keene State College
Vol. 73, Issue #4
Thursday, September 26, 2019
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Strike for climate change
Radically Rural on campus MATT WHITE
Equinox Staff Keene State College hosted Radically Rural on Thursday, September 19, in the Mabel Brown Room. This event is an opportunity for local businesses to make connections with one another. Radically Rural is an annual event that brings together hundreds of people who are passionate about creating a lively rural community. It gives companies the opportunity to get their name out to other companies that attended the event. It featured an authentic downtown as a conference center, utilizing various venues for productive and inspirational discussions. The event builds upon last fall’s first Radically Rural. Approximately 500 locally focused attendees from 21 states gathered and shared the advantages and opportunities of rural living according to radicallyrural.com. The slogan for this event is “Small Town, Big Ideas” and that is what this event is founded upon. This event is given assistance by companies such as Bank of America, Eversource and New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR) representative George Carney was in attendance. “The event was MATT WHITE / EQUINOX STAFF
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KSC students and Keene community members gathered on the Student Center lawn to strike for climate change as part of a series of climate strikes occurring around the world.
Learning Keene students and locals join the Global Climate Strike the dangers of vaping KELLY REGAN
Equinox Staff
Keene State College took part in the national Climate Strike on Friday, September 20. Keene State students Lauren Perkowski and Macie Flammia and alumna Katelyn Fournier organized the Climate Strike on campus. The Climate Strike at Keene State College was part of the international movement of school climate strikes. This movement was inspired by environmental activist Greta Thunberg and the #FridaysForFuture movement. According to GlobalClimateStrike.net, over 150 countries are participating in these climate strikes and these strikes are organized by students through the #FridaysForFuture platform. Macie Flammia is a junior biology major at Keene State College. Flammia advertised for the Climate Strike and coordinated with surrounding towns. “I did this more as a way to calm my anxieties about climate change,” Flammia said. “Climate change makes me very anxious and a way to deal with that is to feel like I’m doing something.” Fellow strike organizer Lauren Perkowski said that the turnout was greater than antici-
pated.
Joining Keene State students at the strike were Keene State faculty and staff, Keene community members and students from surrounding towns. “I’m here because I think it’s important to stand up for what you believe is right,” ConVal Regional High School student Ella Wicker said. “Keene State is a very ecologically-minded campus and I feel like events like this help to cultivate that,” Keene State student Ecram Tedrose said. “For the new students this is so early in the year, this is a perfect time to show what Keene is all about.” Lauren Perkowski is a member of the New Hampshire Youth Movement, which is an organization that creates hubs across New Hampshire for the advancement of the organization’s political platform. “Seeing people out here is really inspiring, because it’s so easy to get so mad and concerned about this. It’s really cool to see everyone come together,” Perkowski said. “We are a network of young people across NH, working collectively to further a united political platform,” The NH Youth Movement website states. Part of the NH Youth Movement’s political platform is support-
ing the transition from fossil fuel to sustainable energy and passing the Green New Deal. “The biggest issue is the politics of this—who’s in charge and who makes the rules, like the fossil fuel companies and the big corporations,” Perkowski said. Katelyn Fournier is a member of the Sunrise Movement. The Sunrise Movement, which started in 2017, is an organization that seeks to combat climate change through political activism. “Sunrise is a movement to stop climate change and create millions of good jobs in the process,” The Sunrise Movement website states. The Sunrise Movement hopes to stop climate change by convincing politicians to support the Green New Deal. “The Green New Deal is our best plan,” Fournier said. Keene State students, alumni and Keene community members plan to meet with Senator Jeanne Shaheen representative in order to vocalize their concerns. “Our main question for her (Senator Shaheen) is ‘Why haven’t you supported the Green New Deal?’ Which is really the only climate policy out there,” Fournier said.
Section A: News .................1-3 Opinions ...........4-5 A&E ..................6-8 Associated Collegiate Press
Section B: Student Life...1-4 TC....................5 Sports............6-8
Equinox Staff On Wednesday, September 18, Keene State College President Melinda Treadwell appeared as a guest speaker in a pharmacology class. The class had eight students, most of whom were seniors studying to become athletic trainers. The students in the class were preparing for their first exam of the semester. During the class Treadwell talked about addictions, poisons and how our bodies will react. “All substances are poisons, there is none which is not a poison. The right dose differentiates a poison and a remedy,” Treadwell said, quoting Swiss physician Paracelsus. “After a while you will build a tolerance to nicotine, marijuana, and alcohol. We use these products to relax or have fun. But after the buzz or high is over, it is still affecting your body,” Treadwell said. “The compounds in vaping, we don’t fully understand what the compound mixture is. In some cases it could be nicotine, others could be THC. We never had these
Kelly Regan can be contacted at kregan@kscequinox.com.
Top Headlines
Index
GRACE BROWN
A4: Change starts at the top A8: Exploring the music of Spain and Cuba B1: Too much, too little, too late? B8: I did it my way
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News / A2
Thursday, September 26, 2019
BRIEF
School of Arts, Education and Culture changes their name
, s E t r d A u f c o a l t i o o o n h & c S Culture s e i t i n a m Hu GRACE BROWN
OLIVIA CATTABRIGA / ART DIRECTOR
Equinox Staff Recently the School of Arts, Education, and Culture at Keene State College changed its name to the “School of Arts, Education, and Humanities. Dean of the School of Arts, Education, and Humanities Kirsti Sandy said, “Two years ago, humanity was not in the name. Both the Arts and Education was named but Humanities was just called Culture. Some of my faculty members from the humanities department, including the departments of history, English[and] philosophy, came to me and asked, ‘Why are we not named here? Can we change it to Arts, Education, and Humanities to reflect us?’ Provost Johnson looked into it and it was an easy change, so we decided to do it.” Sandy said this is a good change for the school. “This will
highlight our identity better as a school and well aligns with our mission as a public liberal arts college. Our humanities department has really good numbers,” Sandy said. KSC philosophy professor Sander Lee had his own opinion about the change. “I personally believe this is a good name change. Keene State prides itself on being a liberal arts school,” Lee said. “We do teach and value the humanities. This name will properly label and correctly advertise what we do.” KSC first-year Lilly Hetzel is taking a Holocaust and Genocide Studies class, which is part of the Humanities school. “I think Humanities is an appropriate category for Holocaust and Genocide Studies because [genocide] is historically inhumane. We learn about some of the most horrific genocides in history and about how many lives these events have [taken]; and how it is still affecting humanity today and
how we are destroying it. We deserve to learn what these genocides have done to people of different cultures, and how we are now affected by it, and how it could affect us in the near future,” Hetzel said. Now the question is, will culture go away? “Humanities studies human culture and the human experience…we are not getting rid of anything, we are just more accurately naming what we are,” Sandy said. Grace Brown can be contacted at gbrown@kscequinox.com.
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super helpful and gave small businesses an opportunity to reach out in their communities,” Carney said. According to the most recent United States census the population of Keene, New Hampshire is 23,056 people. This event is in place to showcase each individual business and what they have to offer. This year Radically Rural increased their program track to six programs. These give the community the chance to learn about arts and culture, community journalism, entrepreneurship, Main Street, renewable energy and
working lands through a rural lens. Another opportunity offered at Radically Rural is the PitchFork Challenge. This is a business pitch competition that awards one entrepreneur a $10,000 cash prize for the winning pitch along with a $1,000 cash prize for the winning business idea. Radically Rural attendee Scott Bradford said that he appreciates the benefit of this competition to local people and companies.“It’s really nice to see that the community is able to give back to its local businesses and to help them financially,’’ Bradford
said. This summit, along with its programs and challenges, is an opportunity for sharing ideas about rural living. This event draws speakers from all over the country to talk about their experiences and successes in business. More information about Radically Rural can be found at radicallyrural.org. Matt White can be contacted at mwhite@kscequinox.com
SAM REINKE / EQUINOX STAFF
The annual Radically Rural event took place in the Mabel Brown Room on Thursday, September 19. It included music, food and a networking opportunity for local businesses and professionals.
BRIEF
Black bear sighted near Owl Stadium RACHEL VITELLO
Hampshire is illegal. Earlier this semester, on September 4 a bobcat sighting was also reported in the vicinity of the walking/ At 5:04 pm on Tuesday, September 17 a Keene State bike path as well. Campus safety asks students to not Alert was sent out via text and email regarding a black approach, harass, feed or otherwise do anything to bear sighting near Owl Stadium. wildlife besides enjoying them from a distance. “A black bear was reported a short time ago in the Campus safety urges anyone who encounters the vicinity of the Owl Stadium. Officials are investigating animal or needs assistance to contact Campus Safety this report. Please use caution and be alert for wildlife Dispatch at 603-358-2228. on campus. Please do not harass wildlife,” the email read. “Black bears are large and powerful animals. Rachel Vitello can be contacted at Black bears do not typically exhibit aggressive behavior. rvitello@kscequinox.com. Their first response is to flee, but if cut off from escape routes they can become unpredictable and dangerous.” According to New Hampshire Fish and Game, black bears should normally hear someone coming and know to leave the area, but if you do see a bear, keep your distance. Make it aware of your presence by clapping, talking or making other sounds. Stand your ground and slowly back away. Intentionally feeding bears in New
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OLIVIA CATTABRIGA / ART DIRECTOR
nEwS Editor
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News / A3
Thursday, September 26, 2019
BRIEF
Former KSC president finalist for SUNY presidency RACHEL VITELLO
News editor Keene State College former President Anne Huot is a finalist for the position of president at State University of New York (SUNY) Plattsburg in upstate New York. Huot served as KSC president from July 2013 to July 2017. Huot resigned as president at KSC for what she described as personal and professional reasons in a press release from the University System of New Hampshire in June 2017. Huot’s presidency at KSC included multiple altercations with a number of departments and faculty members during her years here. Huot was criticized consistently for her student media policy on campus. Student media organizations like The Equinox and WKNH experienced difficulty scheduling and conducting interviews and putting together news stories. Huot pushed for prior notice to be sent to the communications office when giving interviews, hindering the first amendment right of student journalists on campus. Administration members also often sat in on interviews, affecting the way in which they were conducted. The Equinox at the time responded with a strongly worded editorial (which can be found on kscequinox.com)
about the lack of access to adequate news reporting without the support of those at the college. Huot was also involved in what were considered severe budget cuts to multiple student organizations and clubs on campus in 2017. According to an article published by The Equinox at the time, some clubs were cut by more than half, or almost half, of the budget they requested. “The organizations and clubs suffering the biggest cut to their budget compared to FY17 were The Equinox, which was cut by $48,400 (45 percent), Social Activities Council (SAC), which was cut by $41,600 (19 percent), WKNH, which was cut by $17,685 (63 percent), and The Kronicle Yearbook, which was cut by $16,700 (24 percent). The amount for these four organizations exceeds the $100,000 cut to the available funding for all student clubs and organizations,” the article states. Huot was set to return to KSC in the fall of 2018 as a biology professor. Instead, Huot accepted $44,000 as a voluntary separation payment through a college-wide buyout program. Huot also received $327,225 in severance pay after her resignation, according to the Sentinel. Local newspaper in Plattsburgh, the Press-Republican, reported that Huot claimed she left Keene because
she felt she had taken the college as far as she could. “There was a change in emphasis on the part of the board about where they thought the future of the college ought to be, and I didn’t think I was the right person to help move in that direction,” Huot said to the Press-Republican. Huot is one of three candidates left for the SUNY Plattsburgh presidency. Current KSC President Melinda Treadwell had a simple statement regarding Huot’s potential at another college presidency. “My focus is on the future for Keene State, not the past,” Treadwell said. Rachel Vitello can be contacted at rvitello@kscequinox.com.
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VAPING
OLIVIA CATTABRIGA / ART DIRECTOR
cont. from A1
mixtures in contact with our lungs. As humans we are like guinea pigs,” Treadwell said. Treadwell ended the class by talking about the recent deaths in the news that were traced to vaping. She expressed her own concerns. “I’m pretty stressed about this. It’s the first time I’ve seen anything like this. Hopefully it won’t take anyone here at Keene State, but I’m worried,” Treadwell said. Coordinator of Alcohol and Other Drug Use Prevention and Education at the Wellness Center Melissa Langill said the college is working on a support system for this issue on campus. “We are looking at smoking sensation options for students. We used to have a good collaboration with Cheshire Medical. They helped us with classes and patches, but they have changed their program,” Langill said. “‘Students can come to Elliot Center and talk to me or talk to health services and we can help you get connected. We are trying to start a new program to get students these opportunities again with good intentions.” Langill also expressed her input on the recent deaths and lung diseases. “The scary thing about lung disease is that it is relatively new. We know it’s related to e-cigarettes and vaping, but we don’t know why,” Langill said. “We
Campus Safety Press Log 9/16 Motor vehicle disabled 9/16 Medical emergency 9/17 Parking violation- chronic violator/revoked 9/17 Skateboard/hoverboard/rollerblade violations 9/17 Animal complaint 9/17 Drug paraphernalia possession 9/19 Weapon possession 9/19 911/Blue light activation 9/19 Suspicious person 9/19 Odor of drugs 9/20 Fire alarm- No fire 9/20 Check the welfare 9/21 Alcohol violation- KSC policy 9/21 Theft- From motor vehicle 9/21 Health and safety concern 9/21 Theft from a building 9/22 Intoxicated/incapacitated subject 9/22 Assault- simple 9/22 Medical- non-emergency 9/22 Animal complaint 9/22 Crime prevention/fire safety
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shouldn’t be fear based, and don’t need to blow this out of proportion, but it is a problem. If I was vaping, I would try to be cautious about what is in the product. Also, if you are vaping in the dorms you shouldn’t do that. That’s not a smart choice; and not just because it constantly sets off the fire alarm.” It’s not just faculty that are worried about this issue. A student who requested to remain anonymous also express concern. “It’s scary that we don’t know what we are putting into our bodies. I understand that adults use these products to stop smoking, but the flavored pods are so appealing to teenagers. People are in denial but we are literally killing ourselves. I have a close friend that was personally affected by these products. I am worried for my generation,” the student said.
Interested in writing for news?
Grace Brown can be contacted at gbrown@kscequinox.com.
NEWS EDITOR RACHEL VITELLO (781)812-7461
STUDENT ASSEMBLY JACK HANSON
BusiNess MaNager
A social media post circulating around campus was brought up by Vice President of the class of 2021 Celia Rodgers and discussed by the rest of student assembly. According to Student Body President Davis Berstein, further action will be taken upon the issue. Director of Information Technology Michele Wood gave a presentation on new changes to MyKSC. Wood introduced student assembly to an app launcher that will be available on the MyKSC page. The app launcher will be customizable to each student’s personal choice and preference. The changes will go live on Thursday morning. Treasurer of Student Assembly Maria Tenore discussed budget appeals made by three budgeted organizations last week: WKNH, Film Society and Ultimate Frisbee. All appeals were approved according to Tenore. Berstein informed assembly that six out of eight positions for the Class of 2023 were elected, leaving two representative positions open. The class of 2021 will be holding a grilled cheese fundraiser on Friday, October 4 at 10:30 p.m. on the student center lawn. According to Tenore, the finance committee changed their meeting time from 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays to 6:45 p.m. on Wednesdays. Student Assembly was called into session at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 24, 2019. Jack Hanson can be contacted at jhanson@kscequinox.com
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Opinions / A4
Thursday, September 26, 2019
EDITORIAL
OPINIONS
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Change Starts At The Top Throughout our lives, there have been many issues to surface in the world but one of the most concerning issues is climate change. The Equinox recently considered the question; Do politicians do enough to combat climate change? We say no. One major red flag is the recent climate strike, an event where people all around the Keene area gathered to walk to New Hampshire Senator Jeanne Shaheen’s office in an attempt to get our government to take more action against climate change. The Equinox believes that if politicians were doing enough, this climate strike wouldn’t have been necessary. The unfortunate truth is that capitalist interests are getting in the way and certain people seem to be valuing money over protecting our Earth. There are obviously politicians that truly care and are trying to fight this issue but they cannot do much due to certain roadblocks being put up in our government by people trying to pretend this is not an issue. Due to these roadblocks in our government, it seems that celebrities are doing more than our actual politicians. This includes people like Leonardo Dicaprio who has used his platform over the years to raise awareness for climate change as well as even starting his own foundations to combat the issue. As presidential candidates continuously bring up climate change in their speeches, it seems that citizens are not doing enough on their end to combat climate change. In America, most individuals own their own cars instead of carpooling. This immediately increases every American’s carbon footprint and directly contributes to climate change. However, many efforts have been made by citizens and politicians to save the environment. Earlier this year in San Francisco, plastic straws were banned to be used and distributed in the city. Also, it has become a trend now to “ditch the plastic straw” and use the more eco-friendly option of a reusable metal straw. This shows, however, that there is only so much that citizens can do and that if real change is going to begin happening, it needs to start from the top. That is due to the fact that while citizens cause about 30 percent of the air pollution, big corporations are responsible for 70 percent. If these corporations begin making monetary sacrifices to become greener then we will truly begin to see real change. As citizens, we need to continue our efforts to help the environment because even though we do not make the biggest difference, some change is better than no change.
MATT WHITE/ EQUINOX STAFF
STAFF COMMENTARY
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Wellness Center is there for you FORREST SEYMOUR
AssistAnt Director for emotionAl HeAltH ProgrAmming & outreAcH Thank you for your article, “All is well at Elliot,” in the September 12th edition of the Equinox. The Wellness Center staff are very excited about all the improvements and growth in how we support our students’ physical and emotional health. Here are a few important updates and clarifications to your article: As a single department, The Wellness Center provides students support in the following three areas: 1) Health Services, 2) Counseling Services, and 3) Wellness Promotion The Wellness Center’s Health & Counseling staff includes counselors, medical professionals, and administrative staff. The Wellness Center’s Health Services is an acute care medical clinic that includes services for students such as acute illness/acute injury care, sexual and reproductive health care, transgender care, laboratory testing, prescription services, mental health medication evaluation, and physician and psychiatric provider consultations. New this fall, students can self-schedule their Health Services appointments through the Patient Portal at www.keene. edu/chw. If you are unsure if you need an appointment or have medical questions or concerns, call to speak directly to a nurse 603-358-2450 option 1. Appointments with Counseling Services can be made by calling 603-358-2437 or stopping by The Wellness Center on the 3rd floor of Elliot. Appointments with Health Services or Counseling Services cannot be made via email as it is not a secure medium and confidentiality cannot be guaranteed.
Risk it for a quick hit: the vaping gamble ANDREW CHASE
equinox stAff Before I delve into the meat of this article, I would like to ask the reader a question: If you vape, what is your reason as to why you do it? On September 11, 2019, President Donald J. Trump announced that the best course of action to fight the e-cigarette epidemic is a ban on nearly all flavored e-cigarette products. The only flavored products that would be exempt from this ban are tobacco flavored vapes. I believe that the Trump administration is dealing with this whole situation the wrong way. I believe that instead of just banning most flavored vaping products all at once, they should crack down on the stores illegally selling these products to underage buyers. I feel that JUUL Labs is doing a better job at trying to not promote their products to minors than the majority of other manufacturers. JUUL has
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strict marketing and social media guidelines that they follow. One of their guidelines that stands out to me is that they state that their product is not intended for people who have never smoked and former smokers. This stands out to me because the Altria Group owns a 35 percent stake in JUUL Labs. The Altria Group owns Philip Morris USA and they are the owners of Marlboro Cigarettes. Since the company that owns Marlboro has a large stake in JUUL Labs, I would assume that they would try and hide this statement better, but it is the third guideline that they follow. I believe that if someone wants to legally purchase any product that contains nicotine in it, then they should have to be over the age of 25. My reasoning behind this idea is the fact that the average human brain doesn’t fully develop until age 25. So someone who is looking to start vaping or smoking should have to wait until their brain is fully developed before they begin. Nicotine is a highly addictive substance due to the fact that when nicotine is consumed, dopamine is sent to the brain. Dopamine tells
Opinions Editor
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the brain to repeat that behavior/action over and over again. The big difference between receiving dopamine from scoring the game-winning goal and taking a rip from a vape is that you only get hit with dopamine once but when you take a fat rip from your Suorin you receive a hit every single time you inhale the aerosol. Now I am going to go back and address the question that I asked the reader at the beginning of this article. If you do vape but you don’t have any reasoning behind why you do it, then why are you even doing it in the first place? It may make you feel good now but it will eventually catch up to you.
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Thursday, September 26, 2019
Experiencing food on campus
STAFF COMMENTARY
PUJA THAPA
adminiStrativE Editor I still remember my first day walking in the Zorn Dining Commons (DC) and thinking I will never get bored of the DC food. I don’t know if I still think the same way. The DC has about half a dozen food stations. The vegan station is my favorite since I get a never-ending supply of rice there. Another section I adore is stir fry, also because of the rice. I grew up eating rice twice a day, so it keeps me alive. A disappointing factor is that during the weekends, the DC has no vegan or stir-fry options. It is really hard for people with dietary restrictions and food allergies to find something good to eat during the weekends. The salad bar would be the only universal option, and not everyone enjoys salad. Previously run by Sodexo, the DC is currently run by Chartwells. I see Campus Executive Chef Troy Bellot running all over the place and interacting with students. The hospitality of the DC staff really makes me happy. I also enjoy the new feature in the DC where they have television screens above every station that informs you about the menu. It also displays if the food is vegan or vegetarian, however, one of the complaints I have heard about it is how it does not mention other allergies such as gluten, dairy, peanuts, soy and so on. However, I recently found out that the DC has a “Don’t be Shy” tool under its Food Allergy Management. If you are a current student with a meal plan and have a food allergy, you can alert the management staff to your dietary needs. All you have to do is log in to the website of the DC and enter your information. According to the Keene State College Dine on Campus website, “A Don’t Be Shy card will be available for your mobile phone, or print one out to keep on hand. When you come into one of our dining halls, show an associate your card for personalized service.” I think the opinions towards the DC and its food differs between people. For some students, the DC offers you the opportunity to not have to think about what to eat every night, while for others, they are forced to eat there because of the meal plans they bought. It serves different people differently. If you ask me, the DC is a part of the culture of KSC. My friends and I all have pretty busy schedules and sometimes the DC is the only place where we hang out; a place to release your stress, talk about your classes, just goof around, come up with brilliant ideas or make plans to diet and get tempted by the desert section. “DC and Chill” is always one of the best experiences KSC students have on campus. Puja Thapa can be contacted at pthapa@kscequinox.com PULLED FROM EQUINOX ARCHIVE
STAFF COMMENTARY
An alarming issue in The Commons WILLIAM PRUETT
Equinox Staff The new Commons dormitory provides first-years with a chance to live with others who share the same majors as them, while also having a brand new building and facilities to take advantage of. It is a fantastic place to live and I am sure most people who live there feel the same way. But there is one annoying aspect of living there and it affects everyone the same. People who live in The Commons probably already know what I am talking about: the fire alarms. Whether it’s two in the morning or in the middle of the day, the fire alarms seem to go off every other day. It is something that people here have, unfortunately, had to get used to. The problem is never fixed and the Keene firefighters constantly have to drive all the way here just to turn them off and find out that some harmless student was hitting a vape in his room. Now, of course, students should not be vaping indoors anyway and it is against the rules; but many of the students who set it off were allowed to buy vape products and use them back in their hometowns and now it’s suddenly illegal for them due to Keene’s laws. The students are simply vaping in their rooms because they are used to always doing it, but then it just ends up affecting everyone because they set off the fire alarms. It is an issue that has many sides to it, yet it has no way to resolve it. Vaping indoors will always not be allowed, but students seem to keep breaking that rule
because it is what they have done back home. The fire alarms will keep being set off due to this and the firefighters will have to keep hauling their truck all the way down here and wasting their time. There are a couple suggestions that I have that could solve it for the time being. Although it may seem inconvenient, students could start to hit their vape outdoors so they don’t cause all of that commotion. What is even more inconvenient is everyone having to go outside and wait for the firefighters to come and clear the entire building at two in the morning just because someone wanted to hit their vape once. A second suggestion is to fix the fire alarms, if that is even possible. If there is any way of making them less sensitive or not react to water vapor from a vape in the air, I think they should definitely do this. Sure, students may get away with vaping in their room more easily but the entire building won’t have to leave and the fire department will not have to rush over here when they do. Students will never stop vaping in their rooms completely, so something might as well be done to help save the rest of us from having to be woken up by a fire alarm every other day. William Pruett can be contacted at wpruett@kscequinox.com
WILLIAM PRUETT / EQUINOX STAFF
STAFF COMMENTARY
How students can make a difference in the world CRISTIAN VALENTIN
opinionS Editor Over the last few years, I’ve noticed many people my age begin to question whether or not they can actually make a difference in the world when crises or issues come up. I believe that we can. The first big way to begin making a difference is to spread awareness for whatever it is you are passionate about. This can be as simple as saying something to your friends, or you can go deeper by protesting, sharing your thoughts in media, etc. Raising awareness is not all you have to do; however, you also need to be able to get people truly invested in the issue. This can be challenging because people often mean well but get caught up in life,
which leads to them forgetting. In order to make people not forget, they need to know why the issue affects themselves and others. Once people are invested in the issue, taking action is the next step. One very common way of taking action is donating to charities that work with the issue you care about. There are many times when donating to a cause is extremely helpful. This can be for major illnesses such as cancer or, you can also donate when major events happen like the recent Amazon Rainforest fire. Overall, donating is great because you can help a cause even if you can’t truly be there to assist. Another way of taking action is protesting. People often protest when they are truly displeased with a situation and want it to change.
Protesting is most important when citizens demand change or action from their city, state, country, etc. An example of a recent protest on campus was the climate strike, which demanded that action be taken on climate change. Protesting is incredibly valuable because citizens are able to say directly what they want. Volunteer work is also a big way to take action. Doing volunteer work is consequential because you get the opportunity to personally make a difference and know that it is being done how you would like. There are volunteering opportunities to be found everywhere. This includes going to animal shelters, helping build houses for homeless people, serving food at soup kitchens and anything else. Something that stu-
dents can also do is go on alternative breaks, which are trips in which a group of people go to do volunteer work for around a week. In conclusion, there are three steps to making a difference. First you must raise awareness, then you must make people care and finally you take action. Students should never question if they can make a difference because there are always opportunities to make the world a better place. You just need to be the change you want to see. Cristian Valentin can be contacted at cvalentin@kscequinox.com
“There are many times when donating to a cause is extremely helpful. This can be for major illnesses such as cancer or, you can also donate when major events happen like the recent Amazon Rainforest fire.” -Cristian Valentin @KSCEQUINOX Template 022308 JJP
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Thursday, September 26, 2019
STAFF COMMENTARY
Uno begins enforcing the real rules 2
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"No, you can't stack cards." -Uno
OLIVIA CATTABRIGA / ART DIRECTOR
Writer Anna Sheppard notices the new rules and has her game night group play by them ANNA SHEPPARD
Equinox stAff Uno: a popular household-owned game the average American probably stores hidden behind their Monopoly box on the shelf or uses as a coaster on their kitchen counter. Either way, it’s a popular game to own. According to the official Uno website, the game consists of players taking turns matching a card in their current hand to the one of the table. Special action cards (such as draw two, draw four, or the infamous wild card) give players the opportunity to liven up a basic game, and many players can become passionate about their ability to call out the game’s vital slogan, “Uno!” Taking it to Twitter, the Uno team sent out a series of tweets announcing the official rules of their game. On May 4 of this year, they said, “You cannot
stack draw 2 and draw 4 cards.” Countless amounts of fans of the game flooded their opinions in the replies below. Twitter user @escamillaa said, “Wait, what about +2 on a +2? Is this allowed?” to which Uno responded, “No, you can’t stack cards,” causing even more outrage. Many players argued that if the game is played within their own homes, they call the shots of how their guests play. To further understand how the game is correctly played true to the creators themselves, a group of seven of Keene State’s very own students sat down the test out the true rules. The game concluded in trust issues, some friends even turning on friends, and lasted about three hours with only two rounds. After dealing each player their seven cards, the game began. Nathan Demers, a second year matched the first card, a yellow six with a yellow zero.With this constant pass-
ing of players, tension built up for an excitement-filled game. Players turned on players and revenge occured in seconds flat. After player Mateo Hastie, a second year placed a draw two card atop Angel Ramirez’s wild card, player Catherine O’Leary, a second year was expected to draw two cards and end her turn there according to the correct way to play the game. “Write that in the article, say ‘Claire hated the rules,’” said Claire Neily, a second year and the next in line to play. O’Leary then said, “You can say I loved it because it gave her payback,” suggesting the game is an opportunity to practice revenge on your fellow opponents. Once player Alexa Beck, a third year, was down to her final card, the air grew thicker. After she announced to the group “Uno!” players focused on making it more difficult for her to win the game. “Uno really ruins relationships,” Neily said as she relin-
quished the responsibility of preventing Beck’s victory over to O’Leary. As the turns kept being played, it came down to Demers and his decision to place the card that could allow Beck to win. He took a moment to think, then placed the yellow eight that would lead to Beck’s triumph. Players slapped their hands on the table as Beck basked in her glory. After nearly two hours of gameplay, the group was energized from the game. They still all came to the conclusion that without stacking, there was little to enjoy in the game and more to fight with your other counterparts about. Anna Sheppard can be contacted at asheppard@kscequinox.com
STAFF COMMENTARY
A review of Borderlands 3 One fan's thoughts on the famous series' third installation JOSEPH GUZMAN
Arts And EntErtAinmEnt Editor We asked. We waited. We received. Borderlands 3 was welcomed to the public by Gearbox Software on September 13, and many of those gamers who have played the three previous games in the franchise have shown excitement nonetheless. With constant Youtube ads, this seems to be the most advertised Borderlands yet. (This made me more excited for the game because that means they have a larger budget for it.) Borderlands 2 was the first first-person shooter I truly got into because of its comic book style of art and animation, easy gameplay and colorful array of language that was used to grant this game its Mature rating. I’m sure if that didn't give Gearbox Software the incentive to make the game mature, the nonchalant Quentin Tarantino-esque amount of blood and gore was more than enough to have parents steer their kids away from the game. Like every other Borderlands game, Gearbox gives you the option to pick from four different protagonists that each have their own skill set that changes the gameplay. The four protagonists this time around are Amara the Siren, FL4K the beastmaster, Moze the gunner and Zane the operative. Amara can control energy around her and can use that energy to fight various things in the game. FL4K’s appeal is that since he’s “The Beastmaster” he can control various doglike beasts to fight for you. Moze is interesting because she can control a giant gundam style robot machine that she can shoot from. Zane is probably the most straightforward character; he is an assassin who likes to specialize in combat weapons like Sentinels, fake Digi-Clones to fool enemies and Barriers to protect oneself. Already having the game pre-ordered, I started the software and was welcomed to the same “Mad Max” meets “Deadpool” aesthetic. With a new cleaner and fresher polish over the graphics of the characters, each character pops a bit more with exuberant color. I thought it was a nice touch that they gave the gameplayer the chance to customize whatever character they picked with some clothes or new colors. The overall gameplay controls are basically the same as the previous installments and I think it's easy for people to get the hang of.
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(If you play any of the traditional first-person shooters like the Call of Duty series you’ll pick it up extremely quick.) One of the things I did was bring this game to different people (four friends) and had them play the campaign I had already started. Every one for the most part needed very little explanation and by the end of the night, one of them was playing better than me! The biggest thing I realized that was different about this game is that Gearbox Software remodeled all of the teleport stations and viewings of your guns. To a newcomer, I think that it will be easy to understand how to choose everything. But, from what I was used to, it caught me off guard and took a longer time to get it. Something that was kind of a nice difference was that they added a slide feature for each of the characters if you’re running. The last feature is that each character has three different action skills instead of one, allowing for more chaos! One of the only downsides to Borderlands 3 is that everytime I have booted this game on my Xbox One its loading time takes a couple of minutes to finally start up and begin playing. The only other bad thing I have to say about this game is sometimes it’s unclear whether or not you’re playing a side mission or the actual campaign of the game. Other than those things, I still think this game has a lot to offer and I'm excited to play through more of the campaign and enjoy the story that it sets up! 8/10. Joseph Guzman can be contacted at jguzman@kscequinox.com
OLIVIA CATTABRIGA / ART DIRECTOR
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT / A7
Thursday, September 26, 2019
STAFF COMMENTARY
The rise of Mickey's empire
D+ N
OLIVIA CATTABRIGA / ART DIRECTOR
After purchasing major companies, Disney is releasing its own streaming service KATHRYN SPADAFORA
and out—felt the purchase was unethical, and allowed the Disney company to have a monopoly over one of the Movies, magic and more. This is what, for over 75 most profitable industries in the world. years, the Walt Disney Company has stood for. From Previous to their acquisition of Fox, the Disney theme parks which represent the pinnacle of resort Company acquired Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm—all vacationing to films which have captured the hearts under the guidance of CEO Bob Iger. This gave Disney of viewers since 1939’s “Snow White and the Seven the ownership of three of the most profitable film franDwarfs,” the Disney logo is stitched within the fabric chises of all time: Pixar Animation, the Marvel Cineof modern day entertainment. However, has the magic matic Universe, and Star Wars. The purchase of Fox is kingdom of Disney become an empire? merely another feather in Iger’s cap, allowing president On March 20, 2019, the Disney Company acquired of Marvel Studios Kevin Feige access to the incredibly Fox Studios. This purchase has already been regarded popular X-Men. In fact, the last X-Men film released by as one of the most monumental and controversial in Fox before the Disney acquisition—“Dark Phoenix”— film history. After months of legal debate, the Federal crashed and burned brighter than its protagonist Jean Court decided to allow Disney the purchase of the Grey (played by Sophie Turner of “Game of Thrones”) at dying studio. However, many—both in the industry the box office, while fans began to speculate who would
Equinox Staff
be cast as Wolverine and Mystique—two of X-Men’s most popular characters. Labeled “The Disney Empire,” this new Disney Studios has multiple verticals: their animated musicals, live action remakes, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars, has already proven nearly impossible for other studios to compete against. All five of these verticals consistently produce $1 billion pictures at the box office. One of Disney’s greatest competitors,Warner Brothers, sat out the summer of 2019 in fear of competing against Disney’s films. The highly anticipated sequel to Wonder Woman was pushed back to 2020, only to find a new Disney competitor in Marvel’s solo Black Widow movie. Already the monopoly the Disney Empire holds has taken effect over Hollywood—with Disney taking 35 percent of the 2019 box office so far and getting a record-
Keene International Festival
PUJA THAPA/ ADMINISTRATIVE EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Women from Keene India Association celebrating diversity in Keene International Festival.
breaking five films into the billion dollar club. And with predicted animation juggernaut “Frozen II” coming out this November, a lineup of three Marvel films a year through 2021 and highly anticipated streaming service Disney+ launching this Thanksgiving, it does not appear Disney’s hold will slacken anytime soon. Mickey Mouse has put on his boxing gloves, and is prepared to take on all of Hollywood. Who will step into the ring? Kathryn Spadafora can be contacted at kspadafora@ kscequinox.com
Want to write for the
Arts and Entertainment Editor Joseph Guzman
BRIEF
High stakes winning ERIN MCNEMAR
Managing ExEcutivE Editor Anticipation filled the air of the Mabel Brown Room on Saturday night. On Saturday, September 21, The Social Activities Council hosted a Bingo event as part of Alumni Weekend. The night began at 7:30 with attendees playing three rounds of five games. The final game in each of the rounds was a “Black Out” or cover all round. The first round of Bingo was called out by Keene State College President Melinda Treadwell. After the first round, the event was taken over by Event Coordinator for SAC Selena Legacy. “We decided to partner with alumni weekend because they haven’t had a big event as far as I know. We chose bingo because who doesn’t love bingo as it's such a big thing at KSC. They [alum] seemed to love the bingo idea and shared memories from when they were in our positions,” Legacy said. During typical Thursday night Bingo in the Night Owl Cafe, students have the ability to win prizes such as gift cards and occasionally Keene State College apparel. During this event however, students and
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alumni could win prizes such as Bruins tickets, a Roku Smart TV and the big ticket item, an Apple Watch. At the end of the night, sophomore Aurora Caraballo won the Apple Watch during the final Black Out round. “The Apple Watch was one of the main reasons why I went to Bingo so winning it totally made my day, especially with the number of people who played. I didn’t think I had a chance of winning with the number of people who needed one number, but I guess I was just lucky,” Caraballo said. During the semester, SAC normally holds one or two of these high stakes Bingo games. To find out about future events, Legacy said, “Students can follow SAC at ksc_sac on Instagram and Twitter. And Social Activities Council on Facebook. We have meetings every Thursday at 6 pm in the Madison Street Lounge. There is no commitment, just come and give your opinion and vote on what you would like to see on campus.”
Equinox Music Choices I was sad last night i'm OK now - Tobi lou
Erin McNemar can still be contacted at emcnemar@kscequinox.com
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ARTS ENTERTAINMENT
A&E / A8
Thursday, September 26, 2019
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Exploring the music of Spain and Cuba The Redfern Arts Center showcases faculty in a recital JOE GUZMAN
Arts And EntErtAinmEnt Editor The sounds of music from Cuba and Spain have emerged this Sunday at the Redfern Arts Center. The event was originally a paid event for outside people and free for Keene State College students, but they ran out of cash to make change, so after that the event became free for all. This music event was advertised as a “Faculty Recital: Jose Lezcano and friends” exploring the music of Spain and Cuba, featuring works from artists throughout the centuries such as Narváez, Milán, Scarlatti, Brouwer, Martin and Lezcano himself, as well as many other artists. Alumna from last year Eva Medvidofsky who was standing looking at the performance said, “I’m one of the front house managers at the Redfern, I’m really excited to see the piece with Patricia Pedroza Gonzalez. She was one of my professors at Keene State and she is doing a two dance pieces, the one with Jose playing guitar.” She mentioned she knew Professor Lezcano when she went to school here. “I know of Jose—I’ve worked with him before through the Redfern and he’s a very talented guitarist and a great professor and [it’s] always a real treat to work with him,” said Medvidofsky. Paulryan Chipman and Nathan Dinwoodie were sophomore attendees of the event. Chipman said,“Well, I know Dr. Lezcano personally I take a class with him.
I'm also a music composition major here at Keene State and this music is seldom heard at least to the modern ear right now and I relish in the chance to be able to come here and listen to this beautiful music.” Dinwoodie said, “This is a part of the grading system in one of my classes we have to write two reports during the semester. So I chose this one.” Both Chipman and Dinwoodie agreed their favorite instrument was the guitar. “I like the classical guitar. There are periods of the history of the instrument... it was very regimented and it was very strict structure and form music was played in. But, as the years and centuries go on, the music really evolves and adds a lot more life and flavor to it. So I absolutely love the sound, tamber, and the music played by the classical guitar,” said Chipman. Dinwooodie said “I guess guitar (is my favorite), I feel like with piano you will get a piano vibe but with guitar you can do a whole range of stuff.” Medvidofsky had a different opinion. “I love piano, I think piano is really beautiful. The first piano piece [En Jerez de la frontera (The Miller’s Wife) by Joaquín Rodrigo performed by Virginia Eskin] was stunning! It was so good,” Medvidofsky said. Medvidofsky also said she preferred Cuban music. “So I really like both. Given the choice I’d pick Cuban music, it’s just a really beautiful sound.” Chipman said, “I like the sound of Cuba. It has a little more spice.” After that he went into the history
about how it has evolved from over time.“So I'm really excited for what Cuba has to offer and I'm going to love it every second.” said Chipmen. Lastly, Chipman and Dinwoodie both mentioned how they enjoyed the intermission closer piece with Virginia Eskin on piano, Jose Manuel Lezcano on guitar and Patricia Pedroza Gonzalez accompanying them with a Spanish dance. “You bet I did [like the performance],” said Chipman. “I am really excited and happy that the Redfern Arts Center not only had music but also has a dancing portion to this recital. I've never seen that before, but it is a welcome addition to have multiple arts in the same room, being performed at the same time, in the way it was supposed to be played.” Dinwoodie said, “Oh yeah I thought that [the dance] was pretty cool. I find that this is the first time I've been to one of these events so [there are] a lot of new things. It is a bit weird when it’s just one person performing cause all of the lights are on them and it’s completely dark and no movement. So having a visual thing paired with the auditory section made the entire thing pretty sweet.” Joe Guzman can be contacted at jguzman@kscequinox.com
BENAJIL RAI / MULTIMEDIA DIRECTOR
Professor Patricia Pedroza Gonzalez performs a traditional Spanish dance to the music played by professors Jose Lezcano on guitar and Virginia Eskin on piano at the Redfern this past Sunday.
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STUDENT LIFE
Student Life, B1
Thursday, September 26, 2019
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Too much,too little,too late?
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“It’s become more about money and less about the thirst for knowledge.” - Emma Atlee
BILL TOTAL OLIVIA CATTABRIGA / ART DIRECTOR
Students discuss how finances impact their collegiate careers BRITTNEY WIGDORSKI
Equinox Staff The question of whether college has become too expensive has been relevant to this generation, and is frequently covered in the media. The cost of education has increasingly gone up for many years now, and college students are starting to have strong opinions on the matter. Recently a group of education students here at Keene State College were surveyed on their opinions on the cost of college education. Out of 17 students, 94 percent of the students thought that college was in fact, too expensive. With the upcoming election, some politicians are constantly sharing their ideas to lower the price of edu-
cation. Students at Keene State also have ideas to provide more affordable education. Elementary education student Ashley Furusa suggested, “Providing a select few free classes to those who cannot afford the school.” Other students suggested remedies such as making more textbooks available online, fundraising, better financial aid systems, more scholarships, or cutting down on sports. Many students suggested bringing the in and out-of-state tuitions closer together, but how to achieve that is still inconclusive. Many of the ideas involve the school putting out more money, with less coming in. That brings with it a whole new set of problems, such as if the college can actually be sustainable with the drop in its largest income. Furusa also said, “Colleges that are more expensive
should have more to offer, and meet their expectations with the value they require from families and students.” It is not always about wanting to lower the price, some students just want the schools to use that money to meet their expectations and provide great resources. It is possible that many students are choosing the school that they go to based on the price, and less about the academic programs, location, or resources the school provides. Through interviewing students, it has also become clear that the cost of school affects where they want to, or can afford to go. 100 percent of the 17 students surveyed said that the price of college directly influenced where they choose to go, or whether or not they could stay for the duration of their degree. Some students are having to drop out before they
finish because they simply cannot stay for the duration. Education student Emma Atlee said, “It’s become more about money and less about the thirst for knowledge.” As far as the cost of education here at Keene State, out of the 16 students that said college was too expensive, 59 percent said that they felt the resources and quality of education at this school was matched with the price of attendance. Although many think the cost of college is high, most would agree that Keene is up to par with its price. Atlee also said that “I feel supported by my teachers, and I have all the resources I need here at Keene State College.” It seems that Keene is meeting the expectations for at least some students here at the college. Brittney Wigdorski can be contacted at bwigdorski@kscequinox.com
Keene State’s important student voice
ADVICE COLUMN
Georgie’s school survival guide GEORGIE GENTILE
Equinox Staff
PUJA THAPA / ADMINISTRATIVE EXECUTIVE EDITOR
The Student Government gathered at their weekly meeting to discuss important issues and topics that affect the student body.
A look into the role of the Student Government of Keene State College HARRISON PALETTA
Equinox Staff The student government body met in the Student Center at Keene State College on Tuesday, September 17, to discuss budgeting for clubs on campus. The meeting lasted about 15 minutes and voting took place to finalize budgets for a few clubs. Class of 2022 representative and the new secretary of student government Alana Lehouillier explained the importance of student government and why students should get involved. Lehouillier said, “We’re really the voice of the students to the rest of the school. We get to make a lot of decisions on what happens at the school. I know next week myKSC is having some changes done so we get to discuss that and actually make decisions on what happens. We also do a lot of events, like the carnival and Pumpkin Lobotomy, for the school, so we do a lot for the school and that’s what’s important about
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student government.” Lehouillier also talked about how much influence the student government actually has at Keene State College. She said, “At assembly we have a lot of faculty members come and present topics, for instance, if a change wants to be made to something like the shuttles, they actually come to us to discuss that change and then we get to vote on what happens. We do have a very big say as to what happens on campus, obviously, not everything comes through us but there are a lot of things that we get to decide on.” Fourth-year student and senior class representative Sarah Willson went into greater depth about what student government really is. Willson said, “We are the link I’d say between the administration and the students. We are an advocate for students and aim to link the faculty, staff, administration and students.” Willson also talked about some of the issues that student government takes on. “What we did today was we voted on different clubs budgets. We’ll have presentations
about fees and other things for students that we vote on,” Willson said. Willson touched on the topic of how younger students at Keene State can get involved. She said, “So we’re actually having elections tomorrow for the freshman class in the Student Center from 9 a.m. to 7:30 pm. We’ll have elections once a year, however if there are vacancies in the student government students can just fill out a petition. In addition, assembly is always open for anybody that wants to come to sit and listen to what we’re talking about.” Efforts were made to get in contact with the student government advisor Jennifer Ferrell. Harrison Paletta can be contacted at hpaletta@kscequinox.com
Hello and welcome to the first printing of this advice column! My name is Georgie and I am a sophomore here at Keene State College. I am double majoring in Film Production and English writing, with a minor in German (Will I accomplish this? I have no idea, but for now I will overwhelm myself with classes until something happens.) I decided to create this column because I know I struggle to listen to advice I tell myself—I suspect this is an issue for many others as well, so I am going to try to answer questions for people, since I know I enjoy hearing advice from a variety of sources. If you have a question you want answered, send it to ggentile@kscequinox.com. Now that all this is settled, let’s get to the questions! This week’s questions will revolve around new students and how to survive your first semester here in Keene. Q: How do I not fail a class? A: One of the easiest ways to pass a class is to attend the class. That may sound obvious, but most classes have an attendance policy; if you miss a certain number of classes, it is seven overall or more than three in the first half, you will automatically fail the class. This can get tricky with certain professors, though; some have course-specific policies where you can fail if you do not attend even fewer classes. If attendance is not your issue, don’t worry. Writing and sourcing troubles can be relieved at the Writing Center in the library. If
» SEE ADVICE B2
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STUDENT LIFE / B2
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Do students feel safe around campus?
Students weigh in about Campus Safety’s presence on campus TOM BENOIT
equinox Staff Campus Safety is an integral part of every college campus. Even if you have personally never needed to call Campus Safety you definitely have seen the blue light system, Campus Safety cars along Appian Way and even Campus Safety cars driving around during the day. However, some students feel that Campus Safety could do just a little more to improve on-campus safety. “I feel like they should make the blue light system more well-known and the exact locations of them on campus should be made more available on maybe a map. I only ever see them as I walk by them,” said Colette Rinker, a sophmore here at Keene State. “Maybe have a few officers on foot on Appian Way and other secondary routes, just chilling walking around,” said Aran Testa, a first-year student. “I would say more light and more patrol around campus. Also on the borders of campus that way strangers can’t get in,” said Cody Hyldburg, a first-year student. In light of the growing number of sexual assaults occurring on many college campuses across the country, many students have elected to walk in groups and refrain from walking alone to their dorms alone at night. “Based on the location of my dorm, I’d say I feel safe about ninety percent of the time. The other ten percent is because I don’t feel one-hundred percent safe walking alone at night on a weekend night, like Friday or Saturday night, because there’s just more people out,” explained Rinker. “Ever since there was that notice of a sexual assault occuring on campus the day before classes started I’ve just felt uncomfrotable walking alone at night on weekends. I live in Pondside One, so it’s farther from campus and usually the pathway I take isn’t very well-lit at all, plus there’s no blue light system along the main path to Ponside One, and if there is, I don’t know about it because it isn’t easily identifiable at all.” “I feel like the campus is well-lit enough that I can see all the walking paths. I feel safe because I’m always seeing Campus Safety around and there are always blue lights around; also the campus is small,” said Hyldburg. Some male students feel almost the opposite regarding walking back to their dorms at night. “I imagine it would be more stressful for a woman, considering they’re the most common victims of predatory behavior,” said Testa. “I do feel very safe and comfortable coming back to Huntress at night. I imagine my safety is based on the advantage that I’m a
straight white guy.” Despite feeling somewhat uneasy about walking back to her dorm at night, Rinker said she feels that Campus Safety does their part to keep its students safe. “We have a very safe-feeling campus for sure. Campus Safety does a great job in enforcing that, but being a female on campus, and ever since that event occured, it has impacted my own feelings of safety during that time,” Rinker said. “It feels that campus safety does enough to protect us at night. I usually see at least one campus car ever night” said Testa. Tom Benoit can be contacted at tbenoit@kscequinox.com
“Based on the location of my dorm, I’d say I feel safe about ninety percent of the time. The other ten percent is because I don’t feel one-hundred percent safe walking alone at night on a weekend night, like Friday or Saturday night, because there’s just more people out,” - Collette Rinker
LIAM FREY / EQUINOX STAFF
CONNOR CRAWFORD
Student Life editor
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
kind of creates a unique connection in these spaces. I’ve presented many poems over the past few years. The first time I had to read mine in front of an audience, I was convinced that I was going to pass out. Thankfully, I didn’t. Now, I love sharing my
math is a problem in your life, the Math Center holds weekly study sessions. If you want more personal help, the TRIO Center in Elliot can schedule you a tutor in any subject. It is easy to feel overwhelmed in a new class, but a quick way to help this is to talk to your professor. It may seem terrifying, but a quick talk or email can put the two of you on even ground and hopefully make the class less stressful for you.
Q: Can I get food that is not from the Dining Commons? A: Yep! Depending on your meal plan, you are given a certain amount of “Owl Cash” that can be used at Lloyd’s Marketplace and the Starbucks right next to it in the Student Center. There you can buy a variety of food and drinks, including Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, that is not served in the Dining Commons. The Cash resets every semester so try not to use it all up in a month. For a quick snack, you can head over to the convenience store right across from One Butler Court or take a short walk to Cumberland Farms on Main Street. For something a bit more special, there’s a few pizzerias in Keene that will deliver to your dorm building, notably Domino’s. There’s also a bunch of Chinese food restaurants that deliver, as well, including King’s Garden, Marco Polo, and China Wok.
Four Keene State students presented original poetry in front of poets from around the country
racking experience, especially for a college student. “Presenting poetry is always very nerve-racking and very exciting. A lot of times poetry can be very personal, so sharing that with strangers can seem pretty daunting,” Rollend stated. “But, it
cont. from B1
Q: How do I make friends? A: One word: socialize. That’s pretty easy to suggest to someone, but actually doing it? Nearly impossible. I get it—you don’t want to create an awkward situation or intrude on a conversation or force yourself into a friend group. But simple saying “hi” to whoever you sit next to in class can actually kickstart a relationship. Whoever you are sitting next to is probably just as nervous as you, so a quick acknowledgement can make a difference. You can also attend a club that interests you; you’d be guaranteed to be in a room full of people who have at least one thing in common with you.
Students present poetry at annual poetry festival On Saturday, September 14, four Keene State College students had the great honor to present their poetry in front of poets from all around the country at the New Hampshire Poetry Festival. The festival takes place every year and was held in Henniker, New Hampshire at New England College and is run by the New Hampshire Poetry Society. Chair of the English Department Brinda Charry was also present at the festival. “The poetry festival is run by the New Hampshire Poetry Society, which encourages and supports poetry,” Charry said. “They have this annual event and there were poets from all over the country who came to present and read.” Ashley Rollend, a student who presented her poetry at the festival, went onto explain what inspired her to get involved with the Poetry Festival. “I was really excited to get involved because I have never presented on a panel before. Most of my readings have been solo, so I was eager to see how the presentation process would be. It was a great time!” Rollend said. “Plus, I knew the experience would be great resume-building. I am starting to apply for MFA programs in poetry and I hope this experience will help me get a fellowship.” Senior Eva Quill also presented her poetry at the Festival. “I always like going to [readings] to read my poetry or short stories because it always helps a lot to hear you read your stories out loud,” Quill explained. “I like having an audience to listen while I read my poems.” Presenting poetry can be a nerve-
ADVICE
poetry.” Charry believes the New Hampshire Poetry Festival was important for students at Keene State. “It makes [students] aware that there is a larger culture of poetry in New Hampshire and as a state, we value
poetry, art and literature,” Charry said. “I think the festival also gave our students, in particular, the opportunity to participate and to be part of this larger community that is writing. They become part of a larger community of poets in the state.” The Poetry Festival also impacted students through their college careers. “It looks great on my resume, it will hopefully help me get into graduate school and allow me to meet other poets from all over New Hampshire,” Rollend said about the impact the Poetry Festival has had on her college experience. Quill also explained how other students can get involved in next year’s festival if they are interested. “Talk to Professor Friedman or Charry, they know everything about all of the writing events that are going on around campus,” Quill stated. Charry went onto explain the impact the students left on the judging panel. “They all really did outstanding work. In fact, people were talking about their panel. They were a very exceptionally talented group of students,” Charry explained. The New Hampshire Poetry Festival was a great opportunity for Keene State students to present their own works. The New Hampshire Poetry Festival is an annual event, so make sure you mark your calendar to not miss the next one.
Q: Is it normal to be freaking out? A: A bit, yes. You’re in a new place with new people and suddenly you plan on doing all this for the next four years or so, so it’s reasonable to be nervous and stressed about your situation. However, if this continues for a while, you should try to talk to someone about how you are feeling. It doesn’t need to be anyone serious; a friend, roommate, or even a parent can be an easy way to calm your nerves and relax. If you feel you need to talk to someone with more experience, the Counseling Center in Elliot offers free counseling to students. Q: What are some activities I can do during my free time? A: There is a lot you can do. I suggest you complete your homework or studying during your free time, but I can’t guarantee you would have much fun. You can join a club that interests you that doesn’t conflict with any classes. For instance, the Film Society meets Tuesdays at 7 pm. I personally like to spend time crocheting (I have been working on dice bags lately), painting, collecting Pokémon cards, and napping. You can also rent a Green Bike from the library and ride on bike trails around Keene. A popular free time activity for many students is walking to Walmart and even trekking to a shopping plaza in Keene that contains an Ulta, Price Chopper, Target, Hannahford, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and GameStop. I hope you enjoyed my advice. See you next week! Georgie Gentile can be contacted ggentile@kscequinox.com
Connor Crawford can be contacted at ccrawford@kscequinox.com
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STUDENT LIFE / B3
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Alumni brunch
SOREN FRANTZ / PHOTO EDITOR
On Sunday, September 22, an alumni brunch was held to celebrate alumni returning to campus. Keene State President Melinda Treadwell made an appearance at the event to greet and meet Alumni.
Prioritizing your time
How students deal with balancing a social and academic life MEEGHAN SOMERSET
Equinox Staff One of the most tasking parts of college for many students is finding the appropriate balance between schoolwork and social life. With so many clubs and organizations to join as well as other students to spend time with, it can be difficult for many people to find time for academics. For some students, it is as easy as making friends in their classes so that studying becomes a major piece of their social life, but for others, it involves supreme time-management skills. Lindsey Rolling, a first-year and member of the Honors Program, said, “I schedule time for myself and stick to it. I will say I’m going to do my homework until 9 o’clock and then hang out. It keeps me on track, especially when there is a lot of stuff going on in my hallway.” Prioritizing is key when there are so many things to be a part of and assignments to be completed before deadlines. This is why calendars and daily planners are so useful. Writing down the work that needs to get done (and maybe scheduling in two or three hours to kick back and hang out with friends) will keep you on track with everything that comes with the busy college lifestyle. Often times it is also important to step back and examine why it is you chose to come to college: a purely academic experience or a rich social life? “This year, I have really stepped back and decided to make more time for my work. If I don’t have as much time to socialize, it just means the time I do have is even more valuable,” said Grace Lonergan, a junior. “My freshman and sophomore year, I put aside my academic load in order to socialize, which didn’t work as well as I wanted it to. Now, if I am eating breakfast at the same time as my roommates, I feel lucky to be able to spend that time with them.” It can, however, be helpful to complete work ahead of time. Doing an extra chapter of reading, starting a paper the day it’s assigned, or skipping a nap for a few more hours in the library will leave more time for catching up with friends. Maggie Cahoon, a sophomore and a member of the Women’s Field Hockey team, reminds herself to get things done on her free days. “We typically have games on Wednesdays and Saturdays so I don’t have a lot of time to get work done on those days. I know I have to plan everything around that ahead of time. I really try to prioritize my Sundays as a day dedicated to getting work done for the week,” Cahoon said. It is entirely possible to succeed in all areas of life in college, but time management and a strong sense of priority are crucial to doing this. The experience should be a balanced and enjoyable one. “When you aren’t in class or doing homework, surround yourself with people that make you happy,” Cahoon added. “It will motivate you to be just as productive in everything you do.”
T h i s
W e “My freshman and sophomore year, I put aside my academic load in order to socialize, which didn’t work as well as I wanted it to. Now, if I am eating breakfast at the same time as my roommates, I feel lucky to be able to spend that time with them.” - Grace Lonegran
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Meeghan Somerset can be contacted at msomerset@kscequinox.com
C CAROLINE WARE / EQUINOX STAFF
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STUDENT LIFE / B4
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Stay Connected: @keenedining
@keenestatedining
Like to write? Interested in life on campus?
Contact Connor Crawford
Student Life Editor ccrawford@kscequinox.com (603)-554-2781 KSCEQUINOX.COM
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Time Capsule, B5
Thursday, September 26, 2019
TIME
CAPSULE
A Jaffrey pioneer and box maker THERESA DERRY
Time Capsule ediTor Pioneer woman Hannah Davis was born in Rindge, New Hampshire in 1784. At just two years old, Davis and her parents made the move from Rindge to Jaffrey, New Hampshire. Davis was an artistic and determined woman. These qualities helped Davis as she had to find a way to support herself financially at a young age. At 34, Davis unfortunately lost both of her parents. Following in the footsteps of her father, a wooden clock maker, Davis established a cottage industry in 1818. This in-home manufacturing industry became known for the assembling of wooden boxes for storage purposes. Davis started her business on a smaller scale by bartering goods and services. After barterting, Davis would then sell her boxes to local merchants. These boxes were sculpted out of spruce and pine and were famously known for their unique patterns. These unique patterns consisted of flowers, ribbons, wild animals, historical figures and outdoor landscapes. Despite her artistic abilities and zeal, Davis could not fashion these boxes alone. She hired local handymen to help with the chopping and delivering of the spruce and pine trees. The bolted screws that were used to assemble the individual pieces together were made by the slicing of a machine before the formal construction of the boxes began. Once the trees were cut and assembled, Davis used pine disks that were cut into a desired shape to piece together the bottom and top of the box. Strips of green wood were then bent to form the sides. The bodies, also known as “scabboards,” were constructed out of shaved spruce wood. Once all of the pieces were put together, the boxes were lined with newspaper and decorated with wallpaper. Upon completion, the boxes were as big as the large suitcases of today’s world. Even though Davis had been successful upon the founding of her business, she eventually learned that to make the greatest profits she had to increase her market. Davis took on this challenge through selling her boxes to the young factory girls in various mill towns throughout New England. With her aspirations to make the
KSCEQUINOX.COM
A leading cause behind an eight hour work day THERESA DERRY
Time Capsule ediTor
PHOTO COURTESY OF SMITHOSONIAN DESIGN MUSUEM,COOPER HEWITT COLLECTION
Bandbox fashioned by pioneer woman Hannah Davis, circa 1855.
largest amount of profit as possible, Davis journeyed along the Merrimack River in her rickety covered wagon. When travelling, Davis sold her larger boxes for 50 cents, and her smaller boxes for 12 cents. Throughout her time of travel in New England, Davis became the most well-known in the mill towns of Manchester, New Hampshire and Lowell, Massachusetts. The mill workers were impressed with the labels that Davis used to identify her boxes. These labels were located at the center of the box’s cover and read: “Warranted Nail Band
Boxes. Manufactured by Hannah Davis. East Jaffrey, New Hampshire.” Eventually, this pioneer woman from Jaffrey had made a lasting legacy in other northeastern states. Years later, an advertisement appeared in a Philadelphia newspaper that requested the return of a Hannah Davis box that was embezzled from a particular antiques compilation in that city. Not only that, but a historical collection in New York City has documented that a box made by Davis is a part of their collection. To the Jaffrey community, Hannah
Davis became known as “Aunt Hannah.” This nickname was bestowed upon Hannah due to her kind nature. On November 29, 1863 the historic box maker died, leaving behind the community that had appreciated her kind disposition, and profited from her artistic talent. Since her passing, the Village Improvement Society of Jaffrey has documented facts and narratives about this pioneer woman’s work. Theresa Derry can be contacted at tderry@kscequinox.com
Inequalities led to Orphan Train Movement THERESA DERRY
Time Capsule ediTor Nineteenth century America. This period marked an extreme shift in American citizenship, as well as economic inequalities. It was these two forces that lead to the founding of the Children’s Aid Society in 1853. Founded by a former Yale student, Charles Loring Bruce, the Children’s Aid Society was a child welfare organization located in the Big Apple. Bruce, the originator of this society, would continue to fight for social welfare equality as he and other partnering welfare institutions later established the Orphan Train Movement. In 1853, the United States began to advertise to Europe and the rest of the world that this country ensured “free land” to it citizens. These advertisements, in addition to the mapping of railroad lines to the Pacific ocean, resulted in America receiving the largest number of immigrants than any other reported country in history. Between 1841 to 1860, America received 4,311,465 new arrivals. Many of these immigrants left their homeland due to famine and political controversy. They were told that the United States was not only the “land of opportunity.” Unfortunately, these immigrants would soon learn the hard way that American life would not be easy. The overabundance in laborers for factories and tenants needing to be housed soon resulted in chaos for younger families due to limited housing available in New York City. This was not the only disparity for new immigrants, as on August 3, 1882 Congress passed its first public immigration law. Known as the Immigration Act, this law restricted the number of immigrants that could obtain American citizenship due to a strict set of exclusionary benchmarks. The United States commissioners and officers had the role of examining these new immigrants upon their arrival. Passengers categorized as “idiots,” “lunatics,” or not capable of acquiring the means to take care of themselves could not enter this “land of opportunity.” Upon arriving to this country, these new immigrants also faced insufficient living conditions. America’s port cities were overcrowded due to this influx of new immigrants, resulting in many new arrivals not having access to temporary housing. The tenements where many of the new comes resided housed ten or more people, leading to crowded and uncomfortable living quarters. This influx of new immigrants not only resulted in a lack of housing, but jobs soon became scarce due to this increase in population. Job safety was also not a priority for these new laborers, and many men were killed in work-related accidents at their occupations or overseas. Due to the loss of spouses, women with children were now forced to financially support their families. Due to unsanitary living environments, as well as the new responsibility of being the “breadwinner” of the family, a majority of these mothers died prematurely. The deaths of these mothers lead to the founding of American orphanages. The largest American orphanages typically housed between two hundred to two thousand children. To escape the crowded and harsh living environments of America’s orphanages, orphans would travel on the “orphan trains,” hoping for a better life in the western part of the United States. Leaving familiar New York City, thirty to forty children would travel on these trains with two or three adults as their caretakers. Upon arriving to the “good old west,” these caretakers would well groom the orphans to prepare them for their inspection. Once passing inspection, orphans would be put on stage in a local vicinity. This action was known as “being put up for adoption.” These orphans were fortunate if they had people inquire to be their new caregivers. In order to be an orphan’s new caregivers, basic paperwork was completed and
As American citizens, when adults enter the workforce they become familiar with the eight hour workday notion. However, people who make up the paid labor force most likely do not think twice about the establishment of the eight hour work day policy. This policy was in part due to a labor organization that dates back to 1869. This particular labor organization, known as the Knights of Labor, began as an unknown society of garment makers in Philadelphia in 1869. Founded by an American labor leader, Uriah Stephens, it was an inclusive group that had the intention of uniting all of the American “producers.” The American producers during this time were known as any particular person that made a physical product at some point during their workday. In fact, people who were not considered to be “producers” were not allowed to enter this organization. The “nonproducers” were the members of the workforce such as bankers and lawyers. The organization was a unique one during this point in time because it allowed women and African Americans to be involved. Terence Powderly, one of the fundamental advocates for equal working conditions in the late nineteenth century, brought an end to the group’s secret happenings. In 1879, Powderly took full control over the organization. Powderly was known as the “grand master workman” of the Knights of Labor. As the leader of this organization, Powderly aspired to bring to fruition the organization’s goals through boycotts and peaceful negotiations. Powderly looked for the virtue of morality in his members, and the organization also supported the well-known temperance movement of the United States. The organization had the primary goals of implementing an eight hour workday, fighting for an end to child labor and better wages and to improve the working conditions of laborers in general. Several strikes during the mid 1880s led people to join the Knights of Labor due to this organization’s peaceful approach to economic change. However, Powderly, due to the fact that he opposed strikes, often received backlash from the members of his organization. Powderly held the firm belief that strikes led to bloodshed and increased tension between the American people. In fact, some members of the Knights of Labor went against Powderly’s orders and participated in the general strike that started in Chicago, Illinois on May 1, 1886. Throughout the late 1880s and early 1890s, the union’s opposition to strikes resulted in a decrease in membership. The members who were frustrated with the union’s policy of nonviolent resistance founded the American Federation of Labor, a new labor organization founded in Columbus, Ohio in 1886. In 1893, Powderly resigned from his executive role in the Knights of Labor, but he did not stop there in regards to advocating for economic and political reform. Powderly later went on to serve as the United States Commissioner General of Immigration from 1897 to 1902, as well as fulfilling the role as Chief Division of Information in the United States Bureau of Immigration from 1907 to 1921. Theresa Derry can be contacted at tderry@kscequinox.com
PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Children being transported on to the west coast of the United States from New York City on an orphan train. The Orphan Train Movement existed in America for 75 years: from 1854-1929.
a local committee decided if these particular people were “fit” enough. During this process, siblings were often separated from one another as people could only afford to adopt one child. Despite the hardships that these children faced when establishing their new homes on the west coast, their lives were much more prosperous there. If these children stayed in their prior unfit living conditions, many would have died and not been able to continue their legacies. It has been recorded that over two million descendants have come from the children saved due to the Orphan Train Movement. The Orphan Train Movement not only saved lives, but it laid the groundwork for establishing children’s rights. Children’s protection laws, school lunch programs, child medical treatments and the beginnings of the welfare system were results of the Orphan Train Movement. Theresa Derry can be contacted at tderry@kscequinox.com
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA'S ARCHIVES
An illustration of the leaders of the Knights of Labor organization. Terence Powderly, known as "grand master workman" of the union is in the center.
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Sports / B6
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Joining the hall
Inside intramurals MATT HOLDERMAN
Equinox staff
SOREN FRANTZ / PHOTO EDITOR
Former Keene State College goalie and recent Hall of Fame inductee Matt Johnson gives his speech after he was inducted into the KSC hall of fame.
Four athletes enshrined in KSC athletic hall of fame CLAIRE BOUGHTON
sEnior sports rEportEr On September 20, generations young and old gathered in the Mabel Brown Room with one goal in mind: Honoring those who quite literally poured athletic blood, sweat, and tears into their passion. The 2019 Keene State College Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony acted as the kickoff to the 2019 Alumni Reunion Weekend. Four individuals and one team were officially inducted into the KSC Hall of Fame and two other individuals were inducted into the Little East Conference Hall of Fame. Michelle Mason, inducted for women’s soccer and women’s lacrosse, and Joe Branciforte, inducted for men’s lacrosse, both already hold spots in the KSC Hall of Fame. However their entrance into the LEC Hall of Fame make them the 70th and 71st athletes to be inducted in the history of the conference. The first inductee, or inductees, of the night to join Mason and Branciforte in the KSC Hall of Fame was the 1983 men’s soccer team. The 1983 men’s soccer team was the first soccer team to qualify for the NCAA tournament in the history of Keene State College. Although they did not win, they ended the season with an impressive 14-2-3 record, scoring a total of 58 goals throughout. The team was introduced by their coach at the time, Dr. Ron Butcher, then made their way up on the stage to receive their awards. Eleven members of the 1983 team stood with Butcher in the center of them as the audience clapped and cheered. The second inductee of the night was Matt Johnson. Johnson graduated from Keene in 2008 after an incredibly successful career as the goalie for the men’s lacrosse team. During his time at Keene, Johnson managed to
break the school record for saves, save percentage, goals against average, and wins by a goalie. As well as those records he was named the Little East Conference Rookie of the Year his first year and was then honored with the LEC Defensive Player of the Year his remaining three years at the college. He was also a four-time All-LEC First Team selection and received an Honorable Mention All-American honors. “I came to [the Hall of Fame] when I was a student athlete representing the lacrosse team,” Johnson said after the ceremony. “I never even thought that I would be up on that stage, it is a tremendous honor… I am so appreciative for everything Keene has done for me.” Matt Johnson’s advice for the men’s lacrosse team? “Show up every day, practice like you are going to play in a game, and good things will come if you practice hard.” The next inductee of the night was Bryan Kolacz. Kolacz, a thrower for the track and field team who graduated in 2011, shows his success through the legacy he has left at the school. Three school records, weight, discus, and hammer, remain unchallenged in his name. As well as that Kolacz was a national champion, three-time AllAmerican, LEC Rookie Field Athlete of the Year in 2008, LEC Field Athlete of the Year in 2009, 2010, and 2011, and the list of achievements just go on. “[When I got inducted] I was curious on who inducted me,” Kolacz laughed after the night was done. “I was always kind of wondering if the time would come for me, just because I definitely didn’t have as much of an example for… throwing events behind me when I started at college here.” Bryan Kolacz advice for throwers on the track and field team? “Get used to that nervous feeling, it’s going to always be there… you’re going to have to live in the moment no matter how good or bad it is at the time
you’re dealing with it and understand that it’s not going to go away… you just have to perform under that.” The final inductee of the night was Brittany O’Bryant. O’Bryant, inducted for her impressive volleyball career, had an emotional induction when her coach, Bob Weiner, gave an emotional speech about her. O’Bryant holds the school records in kills and attacks and was named Second Team All-LEC her sophomore year and First Team All-Conference honors her junior and senior years. O’Bryant also lead her team to a two-year LEC championship run. “I feel like I just left [Keene State] and it’s been ten years,” O’Bryant spoke with tears in her eyes. “It’s crazy… it feels so surreal.” Brittany O’Bryant’s advice for the women’s volleyball team? “Hold these memories, have fun, play hard… in the end I still am best friends with all my teammates and that’s the best part about it… it goes by so fast.” Jennifer Adams, a decorated distance runner, was also inducted into the KSC Hall of Fame, however she was not able to attend the event because of a family emergency. Claire Boughton can be contacted at cboughton@kscequinox.com
Each year when fall rolls around, there are plenty of seasonal traditions to get excited about. Whether it’s apple picking, going on hayrides, carving pumpkins, or taking in the sight of the leaves, this time of year has something nostalgic and enjoyable to offer everyone. But the one to look forward to the most? The return of football. Although Keene State doesn’t have an official NCAA Football team, there is still an opportunity for Keene State students to get their football fix by playing intramural flag football. As it is, the first up-and-running intramural sport of the new school year, flag football, has a lot of students interested and getting involved. There’s a grand total of ten teams this year, all vying for the chance to win it all and get those one-of-a-kind, coveted championship t-shirts at the end of the season. The flag football season kicked off on Monday, September 9, with one game on the turf field at the Owl Athletic Complex. It was the Dream Team taking on the Mukin Barn, to see which team could start the season on a high note. Unfortunately for the Dream Team, this one was anything but a dream, as the Mukin Barn shut them out, with a final score of 37-0. The Mukin Barn started their season perfect, while the Dream Team would have to wait another week to try and pick up their first win of the season. Later that week, on Tuesday and Wednesday night, there were four more games between the other eight teams. On September 10, the Mud Puppies started the season on a high note, serving the Baker’s Dozen a 35-7 loss. Later that day, TDs out for the Boys caught the Mud Dogs rolling in the mud. They picked up a victory over the Mud Dogs by way of forfeit. Then, on September 11, the Show us your TD’s got the win over Team Purple, with a final score of 21-2. Lastly, week one concluded with an electrifying game between the Electric Factory and Hoss State ‘20. Electric Factory would pick up the win, 24-13. The second week of action occurred from September 15 to September 18, with a handful of teams showing they are the early season favorites to win it all. On Sunday, Show us your TDs improved to a perfect 2-0 record, by defeating TDs out for the Boys by default. Just like they did in week one, Mukin Barn put up 37 points to defeat Team Purple, 37-13. Mukin Barn improved to 2-0, while Team Purple fell to 0-2, still seeking their first win. There were two games on Tuesday, Sept. 17th, including a close one between the Mud Puppies and the Electric Factory. The Mud Puppies won by a slim margin of 27-20, improving their record to 2-0 as well. That same day, the Dream Team avenged its week one loss to Mukin Barn, as they beat Hoss State ‘20 18-6. Hoss State ‘20 left week two still looking for their first win. Then, finally on September 18, Baker’s Dozen got their first win of the season over the Mud Dogs, 37-6. So, after a wild first two weeks of intramural flag football action, there’s a lot to discuss and debate. Three teams boast a perfect 2-0 record as of September 22. Those teams are the Mukin Barn, the Mud Puppies, and Show us your TD’s. Of those three undefeated teams, Mukin Barn scored the most points through the first two weeks of play. They scored 37 points in each of their first two games, outscoring their opponents by a combined score of 74-13. As for the other two still-perfect teams, the Mud Puppies have won two very different games. They easily beat Baker’s Dozen 35-7 in week one, but then could just barely scoot past Electric Factory in week two, with a final score of 27-20. On the other hand, Show us your TD’s might be the biggest question mark of the still-undefeated teams. They convincingly defeated Team Purple in week one, with a final score of 21-2. But, they won their second game over TDs out for the Boys by virtue of default, so no game was officially played. Therefore, there’s still a lot to discover about Show us your TD’s, making them one of the top teams to watch in the coming weeks. On the flipside, there are also three teams who exited the first two weeks of play winless. Those three teams are the Mud Dogs, Team Purple and Hoss State ‘20. The Mud Dogs have scored the least out of the three, forfeiting to TDs out for the Boys in week one and getting stomped by Baker’s Dozen in week two, 37-6. Team Purple has had a rough schedule to start the season, as they had to play arguably the two best teams in the league their first two weeks. They got beat by Show us your TD’s 21-2 in week one, and then beat by the Mukin Barn 37-13 in week two. So, Team Purple could potentially be much better than their winless record shows. Then, Hoss State ‘20 took two L’s against Electric Factory, 24-13, and against Dream Team, 18-6. Both Electric Factory and Dream Team got their first wins of the season by beating Hoss State ‘20. So, as we head into weeks three and four, there are plenty more great flag football matches slated to happen. On Sunday, September 29, two of the 2-0 teams will play each other. It will be Show us your TD’s versus the Mud Puppies. That game will happen at 8 p.m. on the turf field at the Owl Athletic Complex, and could be a crowd-drawer. Other than that, we’ll keep an eye on the flag football teams, and see which ones are looking strong as the weeks roll on. Matt Holderman can be contacted at mholderman@kscequinox.com
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Sports / B7
Thursday, September 26, 2019
From West Africa to Keene State
SOREN FRANTZ / PHOTO EDITOR
Emmanuel Smith was named Keene State College athlete of the week again, after the Owls beat Rhode Island College three to one. Smith scored one goal on four shots in the game against RIC.
Smith leads the Owls in goals, assists and points MATT HOLDERMAN
Equinox staff There are very few college students in America who can say they’re originally from Guinea, West Africa. However, Emmanuel Smith has a story that is far different from that of your average, everyday college student. Moving to America when he was only 18 years old, Smith made an extreme change to his life. He went to Concord High School in Concord, New Hampshire to finish his final years of high school. He quickly found a place on Concord High’s Men’s Soccer Team, playing the sport that he loved. Around that same time, Rick Scott, the Head Coach of Keene State College’s Men’s Soccer Team, took a trip to Concord High School to scout their men’s soccer team for potential recruits. He already knew about a handful of players on Concord High’s team going into his scouting excursion, so he knew which players to watch. However, Coach Scott recalls there being one player, whom he did not yet know, who clearly outperformed the rest and quickly caught his eye. That player was Emmanuel Smith. “I saw him play when he was 18,” said Coach Scott.
“He had just arrived in the country and was playing left back for Concord High. I remember seeing him play and I thought, wow. This kid is a special player.” Coach Scott knew immediately that he had to make a connection with Smith. “It was an interesting recruiting experience. He didn’t speak English at the time,” Coach Scott said. Despite that issue, Smith began to learn the language, and he and Coach Scott began to form a solid relationship soon after they met. However, after graduating high school, the path Smith was on didn’t lead to Keene State right away. “I went to New England College for a semester,” Smith said. “I didn’t like it there, and so then I went to community college in Concord.” But college in Concord didn’t feel right for Smith either. He began rethinking his college decision once again. Luckily for Smith, Coach Scott was able to help point him in the right direction. “Coach was talking to me for a while,” Smith said. “He said that I should come play for him, so I finally came here.” Now, in his second year at Keene State, Smith couldn’t be happier with his decision.
“I really like Keene. I like the school, I like the people,” said Smith. “There are really good people here; they are always there for me and always help me.” Furthermore, Smith is now in his second year with the Keene State Men’s Soccer Team and he seemingly can’t get any better. Through five games this season, Smith leads the team in all statistical categories. He’s scored a team-leading five goals, along with three assists, 19 shots on goal and 13 points contributed to, which all lead the team as well. “I really like the men’s soccer team,” Smith said. “I like my teammates. We are all very close. We work together and whether we win or not, we take it as a team. We go down as a team and share everything as a team.” One of those teammates already has a long history with Smith. Yusufu Juma, a junior on the team, used to play soccer against Smith back in high school. “We actually met five years ago,” Juma said. “We always played against each other. Playing against him is hard. He’s a very good player, he’s very competitive. But it makes me better, so I like playing against him.” Since becoming teammates, Juma and Smith
have formed an inseparable bond, even though they weren’t close friends the first four years they knew each other. “We’ve never been as close as when we met here,” Juma said. “We live together, we have like three classes together. On away games we sit on the bus together, we eat together. We literally spend most of our time together.” “We’re like brothers,” Smith said. “We share everything.” After years of switching colleges, moving from place to place and searching for happiness, Smith can finally say he is now in the perfect situation studying at Keene State College and playing as one of the top stars on the men’s soccer team. But Smith still has a few goals left on his mind. “This year I can see we have a good team,” Smith said. “I know and I hope that we can win the championship this year.” Matt Holderman can be contacted at mholderman@kscequinox.com
The curious case of Antonio Brown JACK DEY
Equinox staff Antonio Brown sent shockwaves throughout the world of sports two weeks ago after joining the New England Patriots, the same day he was released by the Oakland Raiders. Brown was making headlines before his departure from Oakland and his signing with New England, as he is arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL. Brown has had an illustrious wideout career thus far, tacking on over 10,000 receiving yards, over 850 receptions, and 75 touchdowns. Brown started his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers where he blossomed into an elite wide receiver, a guy who defensive coordinators for the opposing team had to take note of. Brown finished his rookie campaign with 16 receptions for 167 yards in ten games, including a deep playoff run where they ultimately lost to the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XLV. Fast-forward to the 2018 season, Brown started to have locker room problems with Ben Roethlisberger after allegedly getting into an argument with the Steelers quarterback. Brown would also frequently skip practices late in the season; as a result, the Steelers benched their superstar wide receiver. AB would request a trade the following season. Brown ended up in the Bay Area after being traded to the Oakland Raiders for a fifth and third round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Raiders fans were ecstatic, and rightfully so; Oakland’s quarterback Derek Carr had been struggling in the 2018-2019 season and Brown could’ve been the boost that Carr needed to get himself going in the upcoming 2019-2020 season. Brown’s time with the Raiders was a rollercoaster ride. He first posted a picture on his Instagram account in August showcasing his blistered feet due to wearing improper footwear during a cryotherapy session. It was later revealed that Brown had developed frostbite on his feet, forcing him to miss the first ten training camp practices with his newly-acquainted team. In august, Brown learned that the NFL had banned his “Schutt Air Advantage” Helmet. Brown disagreed and filed a grievance to continue to wear his preferred headgear, even threatening to retire if he was not granted permission to wear it. This prompted Brown to skip practices and that prompted Raiders general manager Mike Mayock to fine Brown $54,000 for the missed practices. AB fired back by uploading the letter of his fines to social media. Brown reportedly confronted Mayock the following day, where they allegedly had a verbal confrontation. Brown was fined $215,000
for the incident. On September 7, Brown demanded the raiders release him after they voided the guaranteed money he had on his contract; the Raiders complied. On the same day as his release, Brown would make a power move after joining six-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady and the New England Patriots with a one-year contract worth up to $15 million and a nine-million dollar signing bonus. The town of Keene was buzzing after Brown joined the Patriots, as most football fans in town are Patriots fans. New England’s confidence of a Lombardi Trophy being hoisted this season grew when Brown joined their squad. Keene State First-year Mason Macdonald, adamant Patriots fan, said, “Well, my first thought is that we are going to win the Super Bowl. There’s a chance we might even go undefeated.” The buzz Brown created throughout Keene was second to none, Macdonald said. “I would just be walking down Appian Way and every other conversation I heard, or was a part of, was about Antonio Brown and the Patriots,” said Macdonald. Macdonald doesn’t foresee any chemistry problems between Brown and the Patriots elite quarterback Tom Brady. “I can’t see those two having problems. they’ve already connected in the endzone; seems like they’ve already got it going,” said Macdonald. Other fans couldn’t believe the news, Keene State First-year Pat Cohen said. “At first I thought it was a joke, thought someone was just trying to get a reaction out of me, but I kept reading and it was real alright,” said Cohen. Cohen is excited to see Brown in Patriots threads. “It’s special when you have such a dynamic wide receiver come to your favorite team and even better when you have the best quarterback in the league throwing passes to him,” Cohen said. Cohen hopes the fact that Brown is on such a respected team will help Brown take notice of the decisions he makes off the field, noting, “Belichick is a coach that won’t deal with skipping practices and stuff like that. I think it’ll be good for him.” In the 2007-2008 season, the Patriots nearly pulled off an undefeated season before succumbing to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII. After Brown signed with the Pats, fans’ confidence in an undefeated season increased tenfold. Keene State Junior Matt Donnelly believes if AB stays sharp, they can do some damage. He said, “I think the Pats got a big advantage to go undefeated after signing AB. If the Pats stay focused, we can do extremely well this year.” Brown threw away the opportunity to complete a perfect season, as the Pats realeased Brown on September 20 amid multiple sexual assault alle-
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gations. It was later discovered that Brown sent threatening messages to one of the alleged victims, making his situation worse than it already was. Brown is set to make just $158,333 for 2019 after flirting with a 30 million dollar guaranteed contract back in March. Jack Dey can be contacted at wdey@kscequinox.com
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I did it my way Thursday, September 26, 2019
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Dr. Ron Butcher gives a speech after Keene State renamed the soccer field after the long-time Owls coach. Butcher coached the Owls for 43 years and coached them to numerous championship victories.
KSC soccer field renamed after longtime coach Dr. Ron Butcher CLAIRE BOUGHTON
SEnior SportS rEportEr What does a man who coached men’s soccer at Keene State College for 43 years have in common with Frank Sinatra? He did it his way. On September 21, directly after the Owls’ 3-1 victory over Rhode Island College, Keene State’s soccer stadium was renamed after the now-retired coach, Dr. Ron Butcher. Butcher coached at Keene from 1970 to 2013 and holds an impressive final record of 596-263-72. Alongside his remarkable win-lose-tie numbers, Butcher also received many honorary titles such as two-time NAIA Coach of the Year, NEISL Division II New England Coach of the Year, and four-time LEC Coach of the Year. However, those titles and numbers only scrape the surface of the man Ron Butcher is and the coach he was. In Butcher’s 43 years at Keene State he not only changed the campus, but also the student-athletes that looked up to him. Mark Babineau, a former player of Butcher’s and member of the 1983 men’s soccer team that was recently inducted into the Keene State Hall of Fame, spoke highly of the man he once called coach. “Words cannot describe what this guy has done for all of us young men,” Babineau said. “[Butcher] is the single greatest motivator that I’ve ever met.” Babineau was one of the seven members of Butcher’s 1983 team who stood beside him at the field dedication
ceremony. “When he was yelling at me the very first time, and I mean yelling… he said ‘Babineau if I ain’t yelling at you, you ain’t playing,’” Babineau recalled after the ceremony with a smile on his face. “Every freshman that walked in after that point I [would say] ‘guys, if he’s yelling at you, you’re doing well, if he isn’t you’re in trouble… so you better get him yelling at you.’” Dr. Melinda Treadwell, President of Keene State College and an alumna herself, also attended the ceremony and spoke about her own encounters with Butcher when she was an Owl. “I [have an] incredible memory of him… honestly… yelling at me to run faster and in games yelling at me to shoot the ball,” Treadwell, who played on Keene State’s women’s basketball team, recalled. “What I [knew] in him then is what I have the privilege [of] knowing in him today… he expects people to step up when he knows you can.” Current men’s soccer coach, Rick Scott, not only played for Butcher from 1973 to 1976, he also coached alongside Butcher for 22 years before taking over the program when Butcher stepped down. “He did pay his dues,” Scott said when remembering the many years of standing on the sidelines of games with his friend, clipboard in hand and hat on the ground. “His heart and soul went into Keene State College… he spearheaded the whole effort for this field and he just wanted it to be perfect and it is,” Scott said. What few know is that Butcher was the driving force
behind the development of the stadium that now bears his name. The men’s soccer team’s first field was where the tennis courts now stand. From there they moved to the Sumner Joyce Fields, then to the turf that is currently used by sports like field hockey and lacrosse. Butcher demanded, dealt, and soon developed the all-grass soccer stadium Keene has today. “He made [coaching] real easy for me,” Scott smiled when recalling what it was like working alongside his ex-coach. “He gave me a lot of responsibility, he trusted me, he showed me that he was going to trust me, and he was awesome.” The dedication ceremony hosted various speakers such as Phil Racicot, Athletic Director, and Kemal Atkins, Vice President of Student Affairs, recalling their memories and stories they had heard about Butcher. However, the most important speaker to take the stage was Dr. Ron Butcher himself, who captured the attention of everyone in the crowd the moment he took the microphone. “It was overwhelming,” Butcher said after his emotional speech. “But, being a coach, you’re used to being overwhelmed and underwhelmed… when you look out and see all the people in the stands and all your players… from each decade… and these guys are bringing up stories and stories and stories… that’s 43 years of memories.” But where does Frank Sinatra play into all of this? “[I think of] the song, ‘I Did it My Way,’ [because] I did it my way,” Butcher said with a subtle smile on his
face. “I always felt that I knew how to win, I always felt that I could get the best out of my players, and some of them didn’t realize it at the time, but now 5, 10, 15, 20, years later they understand what it was all about, and that’s the most important thing to me.” Butcher, who retired as a coach in 2013, can still be found on the Keene State campus working part-time in marketing for the Keene State athletic department. He still commits his time to making Keene State athletics the best it can be from planning and working at events to even running Keene State’s very own golf tournament. Ron Butcher left a mark on the college and on the hearts of everyone who attended from 1970 and on, and now finally the college has gotten a chance to repay him. And with the words of the late, great, Frank Sinatra, Ron Butcher leaves us with this: “Yes, there were times, I’m sure you knew / When I bit off more than I could chew / But through it all, when there was doubt / I ate it up and spit it out / I faced it all and I stood tall / And did it my way.” Claire Boughton can be contacted at cboughton@kscequinox.com
Nothing lasts forever AUSTIN SMITH
SportS Editor Nothing lasts forever, especially in sports. Head coach of both the cross-country and track and field teams, Tom Pickering is resigning after this semester. With his resignation coming at the end of the Fall semester, he will not be here to coach the track and field team in the Spring. Pickering declined to comment on his resignation. Keene State Athletic director Phil Racicot said a little over a week ago he met with me, “First and foremost I wanted to make sure that he was okay. When someone comes in and says ‘Hey I’ve decided to resign my position’ my first thought is, is everything okay.” Pickering has been the head coach at Keene State since 2016, in that time he has been named LEC coach of the year three times. Pickering was also
formerly the head coach of Monadnock Regional High School, where he coached both cross country and track as well. At Monadnock, Pickering won Multiple state championships in track and field as well as coaching athletes to 36 state champion event wins. With All of his success both as a high school and collegiate coach Racicot said, he’s been as invested as all of our coaches since I’ve been here. “I hate to see that happen from that standpoint, but you have to respect the decision and the thought that he put forth, coming to that conclusion.” Former Monadnock and current KSC athlete Chloe Page said, “It was sad, but I’m excited to see what’s to come, I like where the program is now with him running it.” After making his decision Pickering told the athletes on the cross country team about his impending resignation. The news of Pickering’s resignation did come as a surprise for many athletes he coaches. Page said, “After he said it, we all really didn’t say much, but then we chat-
ted as a team, and it was ‘I couldn’t believe he finally decided to resign’.” Although his resignation did come as a surprise to some Racicot said, “I mean being in college athletics, nothing really surprises me, having been doing this for a long time.” While he wasn’t surprised by the resignation, Racicot said, “He had some personal stuff that he wanted to be able to work on, so it’s not really not a disgruntled or an ‘I’m not happy with how things are’.” While it seems Pickering’s time at KSC is coming to an end, Page is excited for his future. “He’s been my coach for, I would say six-seven years of my track and field career, I’m excited for him and whatever he ventures to, wherever he goes he’ll do really well.” Page said. Austin Smith can be contacted at asmith@kscequinox.com
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