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THE EQUINOX The student voice of Keene State College
Vol. 70, Issue #7 Thursday, October 19, 2017
KSCEQUINOX.COM
Civic Engagement Award goes to KSC JESSICA RICARD
SENIOR REPORTER/COPY EDITOR/TIME CAPSULE EDITOR As defined by The New York Times, civic engagement means working towards making a difference in our communities and “developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make that difference.” Keene State College has been nationally recognized for doing just that. For its leadership and revolution in civic engagement, KSC has been awarded the 2017 Higher Education Civic Engagement Award from The Washington Center in Washington, D.C.. Out of 100 nominations, KSC was one of five colleges and universities to receive the award. The theme for the award this year was partnerships, and KSC’s partnership with the Keene Housing Kids Collaborative (KHKC) was the reason for the award. KHKC is a non-profit organization that helps build a foundation for children to prepare them for a successful adulthood. This is done “by giving kids access to opportunities and experiences in the community that will help them gain confidence, have fun, learn, get ready for kindergarten, do well in elementary school, and exit high school with the tools that will help them become economically independent adults,” according to the KHKC website. KSC’s partnership with KHKC has involved many people and ideas. Program Manager for Diversity and Multiculturalism Initiatives and Campus Coordinator for the American Democracy Project Kim Schmidl-Gagne said the collaborative’s purpose is to acknowledge and recognize that there is generational poverty occurring. “Kids that are born in poverty have a 48 percent chance of remaining in poverty and not having any social mobility whatsoever, and an additional 24 or so percent of them will move up just from poverty to lower class,” Schmidl-Gagne said. The idea behind the partnership with KHKC has been thinking about what can be done with children in order to break this cycle. Schmidl-Gagne and Professor of Economics Dr. Patrick Dolenc have been working on a longitudinal study with the KHKC to track students and see how different activities the collaborative provides gives them the skills and competencies to increase their school achievement. Dolenc, who was on the original board of directors for KHKC, said the longitudinal study has allowed them to track what is and isn’t working at the collaborative, but with data to support the details. Additionally, Executive Director of KHKC Liz Chipman said KSC faculty members and students have been an integral part in maintaining the partnership they have with one another. Sociology students have come to the collaborative and completed focus groups with both parents and students by asking questions to discover the impact the collaborative is having on kids and their families. KSC graphic design students designed and developed the KHKC website, and volunteer organizations, such as the KSC Reads program, helped develop a reading nook at one of the centers to encourage early reading and literacy development. Last year, Chipman said KSC students helped to fill over 1,000 Easter eggs for families as well. Dolenc said not only children in local housing at KHKC benefit, but KSC students do as well. “Our programs become, I think, richer when we can do real world stuff that connects the classroom learning to experience, so that’s fantastic. Getting national recognition is really kind of a nice bonus; it’s like icing on the cake so to speak,” Dolenc said.
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ANGELIQUE INCHIERCA / EQUINOX STAFF
BRIEF
Treadwell seeks help from KSC for Pumpkin Festival EMMA HAMILTON
NEWS EDITOR Downtown Keene has gone three years without Pumpkin Festival, and it is making it’s debut back to town very soon. With the arrival coming quickly, Keene State College has been taking precautionary measures to ensure this year’s festival goes smoothly. Last week, Interim President Dr. Melinda Treadwell sent an email to staff and faculty members seeking their help. Treadwell stated in the email, “I am reaching out to ask if you would be willing to serve as a KSC volunteer. If you plan to be on campus or in
town on October 28 or 29 and can volunteer to represent our community on campus and in surrounding neighborhoods, I have two requests: first, please contact Rebecca.Dixon@keene.edu by October 25 to get some tips and training on how to recognize and report situations of concern that you encounter. Second, wear Keene State colors, so that you can be more easily recognized as the College’s staff or faculty. Having you in our community demonstrates our engagement, and provides an opportunity to encourage our students to participate in healthy activities, including the many volunteer opportunities that we have arranged during both festivals.” Treadwell said the college has been in close communication with other sources of help with the festival such as event organizers, the City of Keene,
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Section B: Section A: News .....................1-3 A&E .......................1-4
A4: Narcan overuse A8: Leaving a legacy B1: Becoming a triathlete B8: 5K fun run/walk
Opinions ................4-5 Time Capsule............5 Student Life ...........6-8 Sports.....................6-8 Associated Collegiate Press
Keene Police and Keene Fire Departments. Treadwell also suggested that if campus community members aren’t volunteering, they should become trained on how to be a responsible bystander to gain heightened awareness of how to handle difficult situations. Step Up training is available on Oct. 13 by registering online. Treadwell anticipates this year’s events will be successful and will not result in recurrences of past issues.
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