Cyan Magenta Yellow Black OPINIONS Reaction to Venezuelan uprising
A&E A story well told, “How I Learned to Drive” SPORTS Winter sends students to the slopes
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NICK SONSINI / EQUINOX STAFF
The student voice of Keene State College
Vol. 66, Issue #19
Thursday, March 6, 2014
[ Keene-Equinox.com ]
Damages surpassing the $1,500 range
Cheshire Medical Center begins ER renovations ZACH WINN
SportS editor
The Cheshire Medical Center is planning a tenmonth emergency room renovation that is set to begin in early May. “The changes will allow for more comfort, more privacy, a better ability to monitor patients and more staff space, with everything located in a more logical manner,” Emergency Care Center Director, Amy Matthews, said. According to Matthews, the city planning board approved renovations in January, which will involve changing the layout of the existing emergency room, while adding 2,400 square feet to the department. Matthews said currently, curtains are the only things separating half of the ER’s 24 treatment spaces. Matthews expanded on why this separation was a problem. “There’s no privacy, there’s minimal infection control, there’s not very much space—which makes it loud and not very comforting to patients and family,” Matthews said. Matthews added the new model will feature identical single-bedrooms that are designed to increase
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO / THOMAS LEDBURY
Above shows recently defaced Carle Hall property. There was a broken toilet, as well as damage to microwaves, shower heads and walls.
Theft and vandalism inside Carle Hall quickly adding up for residents NICOLE DANISH
[damage] to a smashed toilet on 4B, eggs
equinox Staff hall at Keene State College that houses over 300 students distributed among four sides; A, B, C and D. The KSC community expressed concerns after multiple instances of vandalism and theft occurred. According to Campus Safety Director, Amanda Guthorn, and Associate Dean of Student Life, Kent Drake-Deese, it is not unusual for there to be broken exit signs, along with posters and RA boards torn Residence Hall Director, Jen Napiorski said, “On the A [and] B side, the damage moved beyond the usual
out toilet damage included. According to Wayfair.com, automatic the walls—and two microwaves broken. toilets can cost up to $600 to replace, without including labor; therefore, with shower heads stolen from the entire A an addition of labor fees, possible costs [and] B side.” could reach total of $2,300 in damages. Napiorski expressed that the incimen’s bathroom or a women’s bathroom. dents took place well after residential Cassandra Carlow, who is housed on the 4B side of Carle Hall, said the damage is which ended at 2 a.m. Napiorski indian inconvenience, as students who live cated the toilet was smashed around 5 a.m. Guthorn said, “No one reported it damaged shower in their gender’s bath- [the damage] to Campus Safety until 1:15 room to shower with. p.m. later that day.” Carlow said, “I went to take a shower, Because the walls in Carle Hall are but something was wrong—I realized the thin, and the building is generally loud, shower head was missing and had to find students, including Carlow, expressed a new shower.” Napiorski estimated the they assumed it was their neighbors cost of damages is roughly $1,500 with- making noise.
Carlow stated, “I thought my neighbors were hammering. It was early in the morning.” Napiorski said she thought some of the damage was done intentionally. To combat the damage, Napiorski sent letters home to the parents of the students who live on the AB side. She said she scheduled a damage incentive cuss the issue. In additional response, students on hall council began making a public service announcement video. Bobbi Hinsman, Carle Hall residence control. Hinsman said students recently had damages that cost the entire residen-
» DAMAGE, A2
New Hampshire marijuana legalization bill still up for debate, voting in progress BETHANY RICCIARDI
aCting neWS editor Some interest has been expressed in New Hampshire House Bill 492, which would pass the legalization of marijuana in the state of N.H. Colorado and Washington legalized marijuana through a referendum, or statewide vote. New Hampshire does not allow statewide referendums. According to the Live Free or Die Alliance, “Opponents believe that since N.H. has one of the largest leg-
islatures in the world, citizens have ample access to their elected representatives and do not need the power of a referendum.” A marijuana legalization advocacy group, Marijuana Policy Project, wrote the bill. Representative Steve Vaillancourt sponsored the legalization bill and stated any bill that has taxes included in it has to go through The House Committee on Ways and Means after passing through the house. Then, the bill will remain there until it moves to the senate. After
Index >> Section A: News....1-3 Opinions ............4-5 Student Life......6-10
Section B: A&E..................1-4 Nation/World..5-6 Sports.............7-10
passing the senate, the bill will go to the governor. If the governor does not veto it, the bill will becomes a law, Vaillancourt explained. According to Vaillancourt, the Ways and Means committee will look at the bill and approve or disapprove it sometime in mid-March. However, he said, no matter what the Ways and Means committee decides, the bill goes to vote again in the house. Vaillancourt said the
» LAWS, A3
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-It’s time to fess up and pay up : A4 -Students actors stun audience: B1 -KSC programs prove Forbes wrong : A10 -Students hit the slopes : B10
ERIC JEDD / EQUINOX STAFF
Vice President of Clinical and Support Services, Paul Pezone, also said the increase in mental health patients being treated in the ER was a reason for the change. “We don’t have the most ideal layout to take good care of [mental health patients] and keep them segregated but in close proximity to the rest of the emergency department,” Pezone said. Matthews said America’s growing dependence on computer work stations were other reasons a more spacious department was necessary. “We looked at national guidelines and realized that our square footage was not going to meet our needs, so we are doing a minor expansion in terms of space,” Matthews said. Matthews reasoned that there have been, “growing pains and concerns” about the ER for several years, but said the hospital has made only minor tions. “You can only make so many temporary changes before you’re out of options, so we’ve really maximized the space we have,” Matthews said. Although
» ER, A2
BRIEF
Rwanda Ambassador Skypes with Keene State College KAITLIN CONLON
Contributing Writer On March 3, 2014, Keene State College Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Dr. James Waller, introduced several hundred students and community members to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Rwanda to the United States of America, Mathilde Mukantabana. The audience viewed a public conversation between Waller and Mukantabana via Skype in the Mabel Brown Room. Mukantabana shared her experience during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, which according to Waller, claimed nearly one million lives in 100 days. Mukantabana explained her loss and said she lost her parents to the genocide, as well
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as four brothers and sisters and more than 70 other family members. “I was one of the lucky ones,” Mukantabana said. Mukantabana explained what is ultimately important to remember is she and others are all still Rwandans, and that though forgiveness may seem like a luxury, it is key. In the conversation, Mukantabana also added no government in the world has as much female representation as Rwanda. She concluded, “It’s forgiving ourselves, you really have to suffer to move forward,” Mukantabana said. “We have a story to tell,” Mukantabana concluded, “The truth will set you free.” Kaitlin Conlon can be contacted at kaitlin.conlon@ksc.keene. edu
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