Pumpkin Fest Pullout

Keene brings

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Included Highlights: -Clean-Up Derby -Off-Campus Parites -Live Entertainment -HGTV -And much more!

BRIAN CANTORE / PHOTO EDITOR

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THURSDAY, OCT. 24, 2013

Day partying takes over Winchester Court SABRINA LAPOINTE

Equinox Staff Beer throwing, balcony bumping, yard hopping and hanging out on rooftops-the city of Keene only experiences this much hype and commotion once a year.

Because of this, many Keene State College students make sure to take advantage of such an exciting time and show off their Pumpkin Fest spirit.

Recent incidents at Winchester Court house parties where KSC students live have caused some concern as police intervened..

Lieutenant Steven Tenney of the Keene Police Department explained the process the KPD underwent to regulate a party of this size. “There was a large party at the end of the street on the left side that was pretty well contained just to their back yard, so we didn’t take any action with that, although it was very large and very loud, they were contained amongst their back yard and none of the neighbors were complaining,” Tenney said.

According to Tenney, a complaint was made later that day by the landlord of the house who asked the police for their assistance in breaking up the party.

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“My friend came to me and said that one of the police

-JACK ANDERSON KSC JUNIOR

began to leave the property.

“My friend came to me and said that one of the police

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see the roof because there were so many people on it, and the deck looked like it was ready to collapse. It was almost the same thing,” Latham said. had this party because it kept drunk kids out of town,” According to the Latham's, although the parties are Anderson said. what attracts the most attention due to all the blaring According to Anderson, the KSC men’s hockey team music and huge congregation of drunken students, what made a great contribution to helping clean up the mess many don’t realize is what the college students contribthe following morning. ute to Pumpkin Fest behind the scenes.

Caylyn Bowser, a KSC sophomore, believed that the “I think you guys do a lot of volunteering in carving partying KSC students partake in is under control for the the pumpkins and doing the clean up afterwards and most part. However, one aspect that could be regulated most people really don’t see that, but we know it happens,” Latham said. place, she said.According to Bowser, many of the men on campus had gotten rowdy this past weekend and let their agreed. From past to present KSC students, they both we made announcements. We kind of just herded people aggressive side get the best of them. “I’ve just seen a lot of seem to think that the partying is inevitable and really from the owner’s property,” Tenney said. cautiously aware of your surroundings.

He also added that this year, the arrest and incident “I think it’s a great thing and I don’t think the partying report numbers were very comparable if not higher than partying had not yet reached a level too extreme.

“I think it’s all in good fun. To me, it’s all in the good has gone too far at all. People are going to party at every previous years. school. But I think a big part of it is just knowing when to One of the tenants of a house on Winchester Court, spirit,” Bowser said.

She continued, “I don’t think it’s too much. I think walk away as student," he said.

KSC junior Jack Anderson, hosted one of the outdoor "You can go have fun, you can go to these parties and parties on the street. Despite the injuries resulting from the cops intervene too soon for the day parties. What are glass beer bottles that were thrown, Anderson believed they really going to do? It’s like two cops versus so many partake in everything else but there’s a time to walk away and you have to be able to time that. If you don’t walk the party went extremely well. “I think it was absolutely Keene State students.”

Two KSC alumni shared their perception of Pumpkin perfect in every single way possible, except for the bottle Fest and how similar the students act now, in comparison Latham said. throwing,” Anderson said.

As soon as the party seemed to be getting out of hand, to when they attended KSC. Rick and Debby Latham are both KSC alumni from Sabrina Lapointe can be contacted at outside of Concord. It didn’t take long for the married slapointe@keene-equinox.com themselves.

“We actually called them [KPD] to break everything couple to look at each other and realize how familiar the partying all seemed. up by the end of the afternoon,” Anderson said.

“We drove past the parties on Winchester Court and As soon as the police came into the yard, party-goers it’s pretty much like when we were here. You couldn’t

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KSC's fall teams stay busy on Pumpkin Fest ZACH WINN

SportS Editor For some Keene State College students, Pumpkin Fest may be a day of celebration, with few concerns and even fewer responsibilities. For student-athletes in season, however, the day is joined by an opportunity to show a commitment to their team. It only takes a quick look at their schedules to nosoccer teams all played Saturday, October 19. All teams aside from the volleyball team faced Little Eastern Conference foes.

“We have a meet every year on Pumpkin Fest,” cross country coach Peter Thomas said. You could chalk it up to chance, but some coaches admit the scheduling is a bit more deliberate.

“Abso-freaking-lutely we have a game on Pumpkin Fest,” volleyball coach Bob Weiner exclaimed. “I planned it to be an away game this year.”

Weiner’s zealous response makes more sense with context.

On last year’s Pumpkin Fest, his team entered a conference match expecting to win comfortably, only to squeak a win out later learned that some players had broken the 24-hour alcohol rule that prohibits the team from drinking the day before the game. “Girls were arrested, they had spent the previous night in jail,” Weiner said, still showing signs of disbelief. “They basically left the drunk tank, put on a uniform and played.”

Needless to say, suspensions followed, and it was certainly a

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roster spots with freshmen. Thomas, who has seen his fair share of unruly behavior in his 29 seasons at KSC, was also a bit concerned in the time leading up to Pumpkin Fest.

“I’m sure we’ve had problems [on Pumpkin Fest] in the past, although nothing’s immediately coming to mind,” Thomas said. “I’m a little worried about our team on Saturday night.

Field hockey coach Amy Watson doesn’t consider Pumpkin Fest any more of a problem than other times of year.

“You just hope that they make the right decisions all of the time. It’s no different for Pumpkin Fest than any other weekANGUS FISHER / CONTRIBUTED PHOTO plement any special curfew rules for their teams, the coaches made their expectations clear. “We’ll try to press the leaders Rugby player Gavin Taylor performs music for Friday's Pumpkin Lobotomy on campus. of the team to make sure that everybody makes wise choices, we always want them to stay out of trouble during Pumpkin Fest,” Thomas said. “Over the last few years it’s evolved from a really good activity to college students creating more of a ruckus and taking away from a nice event.”

Weiner, perhaps still scarred from last year, was more blunt. “If we have any sense that stuff happened, not only will we suspend them, but we’ll suspend them for so long that their children won’t be able to play here,” Weiner said.

Players without games on Saturday found other ways to put their team’s footprint on Pumpkin Fest. Rugby player Gavin Taylor provided music for Friday’s Pumpkin Lobotomy Both teams put on impressive perforThe women's team lost a close home on campus, and the hockey team once again helped clean up mances on Pumpkin Fest. The men game to U-Mass Boston 3-2 while the the town on Sunday, starting bright and early at 8 a.m. Head won the Connecticut College Invitamen beat out the same opponent 3-1 on Hockey Coach Bobby Rodrigue started the mandatory antional while the women placed fourth the road. nual clean up, and Alternate Captain Taylor Adolphson said the team understands his motives. “It’s important because in the meet.

[Keene] is our hometown and it makes our team look good,” Adolphson said. “We want to show we support the community and respect the community.”Watson only sees the positives

Recapping the sporting events of Saturday

“I think it’s actually nice because they love to play and they love Pumpkin Fest,” Watson said. “It’s like they get two things they really like in the same weekend.” Weiner similarly hopes his team enjoys what he considers a holiday.

“I want them to have fun, with legal and safety issues taken into consideration,” Weiner said. “Pumpkin Fest is great, we get New Year’s Eve in October, what could be better?”

Zach Winn can be contacted at zwinn@keene-equinox.com

Connecticut State, winning 2-0 to improve their conference record to 8-0

record to 14-12.

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C4 / PUMPKIN FESTIVAL BRIAN CANTORE/ PHOTO EDITOR

BRIAN CANTORE / PHOTO EDITOR

THURSDAY, OCT. 24, 2013

THURSDAY, OCT. 24, 2013

and Railroad Square. The derby started at 8:45 p.m. Last year she said they had 19,000 pumpkins removed by 9:15 p.m. “The derby has a lot of potential,” she said.

Casey stated that she thinks she would participate again. “I’m planning on staying on the e-board and bringing it up again. Our team had a lot of fun, we hung out after with friends and it was nice to do something for the community. A couple of kids were having fun helping me out.

At one point we thought of a way to maybe go faster, so we made a big line and kept handing pumpkins off to each other,” she said.

KSC is hoping to take the top prize this year against local community teams. Every zone is estimated to have 3,000 pumpkins that need to be cleaned up. Each team can have up to 30 teammates. Each team can also use tools if they wish, wheelbarrows, carts, wagons, just no motorized vehicles or electronics, Gagne Cloutier added.

“Use your hands or use a few tools.

We just need the compost in the dumpsters as fast and safe as possible,” she said.

Waste management brought the containers Friday morning, positioning all the dumpsters in the territories Gagne Cloutier said. The territories

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BRIAN CANTORE / PHOTO EDITOR

Bethany Ricciardi can be contacted at bricciardi@keene-equinox.com

campus.”

She said the referees are the men’s basketball team from KSC. She also said the community service staff and basketball coaches are there to supervise and announce who wins.

Gagne Cloutier also said that, “Fortunately, there is a lot of planning that goes into the festival. There are announcements made by police telling people to stay back so they don’t get hit by pumpkins. There’s a ton of people that help to make it possible.

It’s super fun. If you know you want to join next year, get in touch with me

Gagne Cloutier said she remembers once the derby started it was so loud, “but in a cool productive way,” she said. She mentioned, “It was the one time you can smash pumpkins and not get yelled at. You know that exciting feeling you people get when they smash a plate? I got that little energy boost when I threw a pumpkin knowing it was okay. I loved it and police [were] watching. Once the speakers say you can start, everyone starts running, laughing, throwing pumpkins through the air. It really is doing something really good to ben-

Maintenance staff prepares for the Pumpkin Fest Dump Derby.

rings Pumpkin Dump Derby b things back to normal

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It's clean-up tim

KARINA BARRIGA ALBRING/ NEWS EDITOR

While cleaning up the town, the Pumpkin Dump Derby gives KSC students the opportunity to fundraise for an organization of their choice.

BETHANY RICCIARDI tacted its fraternity to inform them Equinox Staff there was one spot left for the derby contest. “We said we wanted to take Every year, families, college stu- it,” Laford said. “It’s nice to be out in the community interacting with Street to celebrate Pumpkin Fest with people; we met a lot of parents and one another. This year, 30,581 pump- kids that loved helping us. The money kins were carved, lit and placed along we got is going to St. Jude Research the center of town, according to event Hospital so we’re really looking fororganizers. But what happens to these ward to that,” he added.

Gagne Cloutier said the event is Street back to its original status that pretty new and was a brainstormed community members recognize?

This is where Pumpkin Dump Derby mally it takes them until Sunday comes into play. morning to get everything cleaned up.

“The faster we can return down- If we made it a race and got to earn town Keene to its normal look, the money for their cause, it might get better,” Jessica Gagne Cloutier, Coor- things done faster,” she said. dinator for Community Services at KSC, said. serve policy. It can be a commuThere are two reasons for this. nity team or KSC team. For example, One: the longer the pumpkins are Gagne Cloutier lists UPS as a team, there, the more likely they are to be of Psi Sigma Phi and Honors Program as vandalism interest. some of the teams that participate. She Two: as long as the festival isn’t also said they get to choose whichever cleaned up, Let It Shine Inc. must pay cause they want to raise money for. thousands of dollars an hour to keep “It’s nice to put the money back into law enforcement downtown, Gagne the communities’ organizations that Cloutier explained. everyone has fun and enjoys,” Gagne “And, of course, people love a clean Cloutier stated. downtown and not left over pumpkins Lauren Casey, a KSC student, said everywhere,” Gagne Cloutier stated.

Rachael Dignitti, a Keene resident, said she noticed how fast the clean-up was this year.

Foundation which is organized to “I had no idea how they got every- restore music programs in local public thing cleaned so fast. The transforma- schools. tion was so quick," she said.

“We were super excited. It was so The derby is a big fundraiser much fun, and we helped other teams opportunity for KSC, Gagne Cloutier stated. our area in thirty-nine minutes and Local bars donate thousands of dollars so this festival can happen rest of the time helping other teams annually. out.”

Some of the money that is collected Laford added that they were actuis set aside for prize money. ally doing trash detail all day, getting During the event, there are 13 trash off the streets while trying to teams, 13 referees and 13 territories to help the city manage the waste.

“Over the course of the day we had teen at the derby. [The event] started becoming about the city getting clean instead of competing against each other,” he said.

Gagne Cloutier said she thinks

cleaning their territory receives $100 to their cause, and the winner receives $1,000 for their cause.

Jay Laford, Director of Public Relations for Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity, said that Gagne Cloutier had con-

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BRIAN CANTORE / PHOTO EDITOR

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THURSDAY, OCT. 24, 2013

Live Entertainment HALEY ERDBRINK / EQUINOX STAFF

Live, local bands perform throughout the day at the 2013 Pumpkin Festival on Oct. 19.

Main Street brings more than pumpkins to fill the eyes and ears of festival-goers REBECCA MARSH

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Equinox Staff Pumpkin spice and everything -

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2013 Pumpkin Fest in Keene, N.H.

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HALEY ERDBRINK / EQUINOX STAFF

The KSC acapella group, "Chock Full Of Notes," performs every year at Pumpkin Fest.

"When all words fail... Music Speaks," is displayed on the back of a member's CFON shirt.

Rebecca Marsh can be contacted at rmarsh@ keene-equinox.com

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Home & Garden Television makes their 'Pfest' mark

DANIELLE MULLIGAN

She said it was important for the group to make memories and have fun. On their menu, the Colwen Hotel Management had Pumpkins and parties weren’t the only fare such as cheesecake from the Cheeseexcitement happening during this year’s cake Factory and coffee from Starbucks.

Keene Pumpkin Festival. Surrounding Kristen Zaleski, a student at Keene Gilbo Avenue and Emerald Street in downtown Keene were food vendors who set up Fest, and bought one of the loaded baked stands from 11:30 a.m. until 8:30 p.m.. The smell of french fries, fried pickles, donuts with only a short wait in line. Her potato had fresh vegetables, real cheese and real air and into the chaotic crowd of hungry bacon. people.

“Nothing processed. It’s nice to have One stand, the Hooper Hill Hoppers that,” Zaleski said. “I guess in a way it’s Snowmobilers Club, came from Walpole, healthier,” she said, when comparing it to New Hampshire for their fourth Pump- other types of foods at the festival. Zaleskin Fest. They were selling baked pota- ki, like many, said it is a tradition for her toes containing anything from just butter, to come to Pumpkin Fest every year. She for $4, to fully loaded for $6. Mike Powers, really appreciated how there are so many one club member, said it was important for fundraisers, and a lot of the money earned the club to be there because it is a major is through donations. fundraiser for them.

Paige Jedziniak, a Pumpkin Fest-visi“We need this to survive,” Powers said. tor from Massachusetts, came to Keene for The money the club earns at Pumpkin Fest her third festival. She bought fried dough is put toward helping the club, such as from another vendor and was very imkeeping the snowmobiling trails clean and pressed. She continues to come to Pumpneat. Besides that, Pumpkin Fest is also al- kin Fest because “There [are] awesome ways a “fun outing” for the club, Powers pumpkins everywhere and lots of good said. food. It’s a lot of fun,” Jedziniak said.

“Pumpkin Cheesecake! Five dollars!”

The food was a big part of Pumpkin was shouted from the Colwen Hotel Man- Fest for some. Around every corner was agement stand at the beginning of Gilbo someone indulging in a meal and saying Ave. ‘Mmm!’ Many of the vendors said PumpThe management from Keene is associ- kin Fest is something they love doing and ated with the Lane Hotel, the Holiday Inn, would like to continue participating in for and the Marriott. “We’re part of the com- years to come. munity,” worker Shendel Christian said when asked why it was important for her Danielle Mulligan can be contacted at to be at Pumpkin Festival this year. dmulligan@keene-equinox.com

Copy Editor

JENNICA MARTIN

Copy Editor vendors, advertisers and musicians. Nestled towards the back, though, was a tent labeled ‘HGTV’. The television network’s magazine had come to Keene with one of HGTV’s well-known Design Stars, Meg Caswell.

A long line stood in front of Caswell as she took the time to stand with each and every fan that wanted their picture taken with her.

Caswell is known as the television show Design Star’s sixth season winHGTV conducted a meet-and-greet with Caswell where one could have the October 2013 issue of HGTV Magazine signed by Caswell and have their photo taken together.

When asked why she agreed to accompany HGTV Magazine to the event, Caswell explained that she couldn’t think of anything more American to be a part of. She also stated that pumpkin festivals are the kinds of things that

time at the Keene Pumpkin Festival. Cicero explained that she came to Keene to visit her friend, Keene State College student, Mackenzie Muto and see what Pumpkin Fest was all about. When asked if she was excited that HGTV was going to be here, she replied that she absolutely was.

“I have never been to Pumpkin Fest before so I’m not sure who will beat the record, but I hope Keene does.” KSC sophomore, Sean Malone, visited Pumpkin Fest this year. He said it was his second year attending the Pumpkin Fest. “I’m super excited that HGTV is here and at the possibly of being on television,” Malone said.

Malone was asked about whether or not he thought Keene would beat the record this year, “Well, Keene is the greatest town in the world and I don’t see how there isn’t any way possible way we won’t break the record.”

Jennica Martin can be contacted at jmartin13@keene-equinox.com

HALEY ERDBRINK / EQUINOX STAFF

Local businesses, church groups, non-profit organizations, high school sports teams and many more set up their vendor tents at Pumpkin Fest.

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HGTV Magazine brings 'Design Star' to Keene to help with crafts of the season

Foods of the fall season feed Pumpkin Fest

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Until next year...

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Cyan Magenta Yellow Black BRIAN CANTORE / PHOTO EDITOR