The Equinox 2.1.18

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Vol. 70, Issue #16 Thursday, February 1, 2018

THE EQUINOX The student voice of Keene State College

Winner of a 2017 Pacemaker Award

A pledge, a promise

Free tuition for eligible New Hampshire residents in fall 2018 JESSICA RICARD

News editor College affordability: most students cringe at the term.

In reality, affordability is one of the most significant barriers students encounter when deciding where to attend college after high school, or whether to attend at all.

In New Hampshire – ranked as the seventh most expensive state or district to attend college – the average in-state tuition totaled $17,675 during the 2016-17 academic year, which is $4,089 more expensive than the country’s average, according to collegecalc. org.

However, the financial burden just got a little easier for Granite Staters.

Keene State College has introduced the Granite Guarantee, which is a pledge to incoming first-year students from the Granite State to cover the cost of tuition for four years.

Those who qualify must be New If a student gets [the Granite Hampshire residents entering their first Guarantee] at UNH, but they’d rather year of college in fall of 2018 and eligible for the federal Pell Grant. As long as be at Keene State, we don’t want that incoming students remain enrolled full to be a barrier. We want them to be time, 12 credits minimum, maintain a 2.0 able to choose Keene State because GPA and remain Pell-eligible, the pledge will remain in place. it’s a better fit for them.

In other words, if between federal, state and college scholarship funds, the Susan Howard cost of tuition is not met, KSC will add Interim Director of Financial Aid additional funds to the student’s financial aid package, Interim Director of Financial Aid Susan LAURA ROMANIELLO / ART DIRECTOR Howard explained. The funds do not apply to room and board, however.

Vice President for Student Affairs best fit school for an incoming student, Howard said and Enrollment Management Dr. Kemal the Granite Guarantee is a way to make sure they can Atkins said conversations surrounding the Granite Guarantee have been occurring not only at the get here.

“The purpose of it is to make Keene State possible institutional level, but the system level as well. The residential institutions within the University System for the neediest New Hampshire students, and in of New Hampshire (USNH) have all made this looking at our university system, if a student gets [the Granite Guarantee] at UNH but they’d rather be commitment to their incoming students.

“It’s not only an institutional commitment, it’s a at Keene State, we don’t want that to be a barrier. We system commitment, a commitment by the USNH want them to be able to choose Keene State because system through our institutions to try and make it’s a better fit for them.”

When Interim President of KSC Dr. Melinda college education more accessible and affordable for New Hampshire residents in particular,” Atkins said. Treadwell first arrived on campus this past summer, The University of New Hampshire rolled out the Howard said she started a scholarship challenge fund, Granite Guarantee this past year, Howard said, and which would be used to cover the costs associated the enrollment numbers for their New Hampshire with the Granite Guarantee.

Based on data from this year’s first-year class, the residents increased by twice as many. Howard said KSC is anticipating about 20-40 additional students estimated cost for first year of the Granite Guarantee for next year’s incoming class is about $100,000. next fall.

“I think we’re hoping that there will be interest on Plymouth State University plans to roll out their the part of donors to make this happen and think it’s Granite Guarantee in fall of 2018, Atkins said.

In a conversation with the New Hampshire important enough that they’re going to help us with Center for College Planning, Howard said she was that,” Howard said.

In terms of marketing this information to current informed that KSC wasn’t serving the neediest Granite Staters as well as it could be. If Keene is the New Hampshire high school students, Director of

“

Admissions Peg Richmond said her team has been sending emails to high school guidance counselors, high school students, calling high schools and sending posters to be hung at schools as well.

“We are really trying to get the word out because I believe it could really make a significant difference for these students in terms of affordability. Access and affordability are really important at Keene State,” Richmond said.

Likewise, Atkins said the benefit of the Granite Guarantee is increasing affordability for New Hampshire students in need.

“In public higher education, Keene State in particular, we are committed to making education accessible and affordable, so that’s doing what we can to remove as many barriers to higher education for students across populations, and so this is one way we address more students who have more financial need. That’s the benefit,” Atkins said.

In terms of scholarships for current students, Atkins said this year, KSC will be marketing the endowed scholarships better by simplifying and streamlining the process. In an email sent to KSC students on Jan. 16, Atkins stated there will be more funds available to current students through the President’s Challenge Scholarships, and the application period to apply for aid will open in February.

While some current KSC students like the concept of the Granite Guarantee, some find it frustrating that they weren’t able to benefit from it.

KSC senior Bethany Cashman said, “I think it’s awesome for the incoming students that are able to have it, but it’s not really fair to those of us who are graduating.

I had to work nearly full time during school on top of taking out a lot of loans just to afford it.”

Additionally she said the Expected Family Contribution on the FAFSA isn’t always accurate.

“The FAFSA has an “expected family contribution,” which is really not realistic for many students, as the parents aren’t able to provide much financial help.”

Overall, the Granite Guarantee may give New Hampshire students an opportunity they never thought they’d have, allowing them to attend a liberal arts, four-year college and receive a degree in fall of 2018.

“We’re hoping that by making this effort, more people will take a closer look at Keene State,” Atkins said.

“We know that once they take a closer look and get on campus and engage with our talented faculty and our students in particular, it could be a game-changer for them with regard to them saying, ‘This is where I want to be for the next four years,’” Atkins said.

Interim President of KSC Dr. Melinda Treadwell was unavailable for comment.

Jessica Ricard can be contacted at jricard@kscequinox.com

GREEN LIFE: STAFF COMMENTARY

Concerns arise over Keene’s air quality KATHERINE GLOSSER

equiNox staff The air we breathe is important to having a healthy life.

Yet, many people who live in areas of low air pollution tend to take their clean air for granted.

The Trump administration recently repealed the Clean Air Act, which regulates the amount of toxins that are released in the air from fossil fuel companies. While people who backed the repeal said the Clean Air Act was based on false information of the anti-pollution law, environmental groups argued it will only contribute to the increase in pollution.

More than ever, the city of Keene needs to take action against air pollution.

Chair of Keene State College Environmental Studies Department Dr. Nora Traviss recently raised concerns about the quality of air in Keene. According to Traviss, in 2013, the air pollution exceeded the EPA’s health standards for about four days. Traviss said the air pollution is not equally dispersed in Keene. The pollution is in different patches in the city.

Since 2013 and 2014, her undergraduate students closely monitored the air quality. In 2013, her students explored about 500 points in Keene in order to determine why the particulate matter in the air was in certain areas of Keene.

In that study, they found suburban neighborhoods were more heavily polluted than other areas, while places like KSC had little air pollution.

In 2015, Traviss explored the health effects of air pollution on children’s health. While the study she conducted did not find a correlation between asthma and smoke levels, that doesn’t mean there are no health risks involved.

The main culprit of air pollution in Keene is the burning of wood in non-EPA certified wood stoves. Traviss said when wood is combusted, it creates carbon dioxide and water and combustion by-products.

One of the combustion by-products is particulate matter, which contains all the soot that doesn’t get combusted.

Traviss said Keene is a valley, and because of that, there is little wind that can blow away the harmful particulate matter that can be absorbed into our bodies. Because of this, air inversion occurs when heat rises and then sinks to the cold ground, which settles and doesn’t disperse. Particulate matter then remains close to the ground with little to no wind to carry it away.

Traviss said she and a select few of her students are leading a new study that started last semester. The study has expanded on more qualities of monitoring air pollution, such as being able to predict when air inversion is happening.

KSC environmental studies and geography major Aimee Krafft is one of the students who is intimately studying air quality and installing monitors that help determine whether or not the air is safe. Beginning last semester, Krafft, along with Traviss and her peers, drove around Keene to collect air quality data with air monitors.

The air monitors that were installed in Keene can interact and warn locals about the air quality of Keene online.

SEE AIR QUALITY, A2

Abnormal flooding in Winchester Lot VINCENT MOORE

equiNox staff KSC students with cars parked in the Winchester lot were advised last week to move their cars to higher ground or face the risk of water damage.

On Monday, Jan. 22, KSC Campus Safety sent an email to students parked in the Winchester lot, warning about the forecasted inch of rain and high water levels of the Ashuelot River.

The Winchester lot has flooded in the past, but this month’s flooding was especially abnormal, according to Assistant Director of Physical Plant Bud Winsor.

“When the Winchester lot does flood or has flooded, there’s usually been a heavy rain event in the spring or fall, but not like this. This has never happened in my history here,” Winsor said.

He explained due to a flash freeze earlier this January, ice dams formed and choked the river less than one

mile away from campus. The chokepoint causes water to come up through the drains and flood the lot.

“I have worked here for 24 years, and I have never seen ice dams cause that in the Winchester lot during the winter time,” Winsor said.

Despite the unprecedented conditions, to the best of his knowledge, Winsor knows of no vehicles that were totaled.

“There was no water above the floorboards, it was just around the tires. There were a couple of people we helped chisel around the tires to get the cars out,” Winsor said.

While it was the Grounds Crew’s job to monitor the flooding situation, Campus Safety’s job was to alert students about it.

“We’re out there to make sure that everything is okay and to try and notify students if there’s impending or active flooding out there,” Associate Director of Campus Safety Stuart Mitchell said.

SEE FLOODING, A3

Index

Top Headlines

Section B: Section A: News .....................1-3 Student Life............1-4

A4: Granite guarantee A8: ‘The Black Pirate’ B1: 100 nights to go B8: Leading the youth

Opinions ................4-5 Time Capsule.............5 A&E............ ...........6-8 Sports.....................6-8 Associated Collegiate Press

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BRANDON MOULTON / EQUINOX STAFF

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Thursday, February 1, 2018

Cutting edge: x-ray crystallography

AIR QUALITY Cont. from A1

GARRETT MCNAMEE / EQUINOX STAFF

Dr. Manpreet Kaur uses the x-ray diffractometer in her research, which focuses on creating variations of the anti-alzheimer drug, Galantamine.

State-of-the-art crystal diffractometer leads to vast research opportunities GARRETT MCNAMEE

Equinox Staff Crystals contain vast amounts of information. The structure alone tells a chemist almost everything about the compound. how it interacts with others, the number of total electrons, etc.

X-ray crystallography is a technique used to analyze and understand the structure of crystals, and Keene State College is one of the pioneers in this field. Dr. Jerry P. Jasinski has been a chemistry professor and researcher at KSC for 40 years, making contributions to over 700 publications around the world.

In 1990, Dr. Jasinski applied for a grant to receive an X-ray diffractometer which was approved that same year. A diffractometer is the heart of X-ray crystallography, which aims X-rays at the crystal to determine how and where X-rays are diffracted.

The diffractometer was upgraded back in 2012 with a new, state of the art machine, something uncommon for undergraduate schools such as KSC. “Probably only a handful of undergraduate schools in the United States have such an instrument,” Dr. Jasinski said.

The word “crystal” typically generates images of quartz or amethyst in our minds, yet many types of substances can be crystallized, including complex compounds, like proteins, found in our bodies. One industry heavily reliant on X-ray crystallography is the pharmaceutical industry.

“Without a doubt, organic chemistry research uses X-ray diffractometry all the time,” Associate Professor Dr. Brian Anderson of KSC’s chemistry department said. “It’s the single best way to determine what structure you have. Every pharmaceutical company in the world uses X-ray diffractometry.”

A college with a powerful and uncommon instrument such as an X-ray diffractometer gets many requests from researchers and scientists to analyze their samples. Handfuls of samples per week from around the world are sent to Keene State College so Dr. Jasinski and other researchers can analyze their samples in the diffractometer.

One researcher, who works with Dr. Jasinski and on her own research, is Dr. Manpreet Kaur. Dr. Kaur’s background differs from most professors at Keene, and has lived in various parts of India throughout her life.

“My father was in the profession where you kind of move every 4 years,” Dr. Kaur said. “We kept moving between different states in southern India.”

Dr. Kaur has three majors, which are physics, chemistry and math, all completed within three years of university. This is not unusual for university students in India.

Dr. Kaur is here on a work visa and performs her own research using X-ray crystallography. Her work involves analyzing samples that are sent to KSC, while her personal research focuses on creating variations of the anti-alzheimer drug Galantamine.

In exchange for the use of KSC’s diffractometer, Dr. Jasinski’s compensation is for him and those involved to be featured in the researcher’s publication.

KSC does not charge for the analyzation of crystals, but uses Dr. Jasinski’s innovative method which has earned his name in hundreds of publications.

This gives faculty and students a rare opportunity to be featured in publications, something uncommon for undergraduate schools.

Many students and doctors working with Dr. Jasinski have earned their name in a variety of publications with his help. A diffractometer is incredibly precise. So far, it is the most accurate technique used for understanding the structure and properties of a compound.

“You can always doubt the characterization of a compound from other techniques,” Dr. Kaur said, “but once you have a crystal, that’s it. You can’t question it.” Many are unaware of KSC diffractometer, which could be a selling point for chemistry students looking for research opportunities in college.

As the evolution of science and technology progresses, diffractometers are only expected to become faster and more efficient. “Even in the last five years”, Dr. Jasinski said, “everything is changing.”

Garrett McNamee can be contacted at gmcnamee@kscequinox.com

GEO offers free passports to first-time travelers RACHEL VITELLO

Equinox Staff Have you ever thought about studying abroad, but lacked the accessibility to a passport to allow you to? The Global Education Office (GEO) at Keene State College is giving away free passports for eligible students. KSC students have the opportunity to apply for a free passport by Feb. 9 through GEO. Associate Director of the Global Education Office, Steven Spiegel, said, “This is a wonderful opportunity for many qualified KSC students to receive a free passport.”

Director of GEO Dr. Skye Stephenson said, “It’s something that we’ve always wanted to do in the Global Education Office.” This was made possible through partnering with the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE). “We have an agreement with CIEE, one of the largest and most historic study away programs…they’ve been really trying to target study away so more people have a chance to do that,” Stephenson said.

According to their website, CIEE is a non-profit organization promoting inter-

national education and exchange. Coordinator of Institutional Relations at CIEE, Diana Lo, said, “The initiative seeks to double the number of U.S. students studying abroad by 2020 by breaking down the main barriers: cost, curriculum, and culture. CIEE’s Passport Caravan will sponsor a total of 10,000 passports for students around the country as part of its participation in the national Generation Study Abroad initiative.”

KSC was selected, along with a 15 other institutions across the country, for this opportunity. “Keene State College applied to be considered as a partner for the program. We were impressed with their commitment to increasing access and diversity in study abroad that the administration demonstrated in their application,” Lo said.

CIEE is covering the cost of 50 student passports. “When we got the idea, I was nervous there might not be much student interest…but we’ve been having non-stop people filling it out. It’s great to know there’s so much interest,” Stephenson said.

“We thought it would be good to just wait and see how many applications we have

to be fair to everyone and then screen port can be found at the website for the them and see if there’s more than 50, some U.S. Department of State- Bureau of Conpeople might fall on the waiting list.” sular Affairs.

Some items that are required for students who are chosen to receive a free passport include an unsigned passport Rachel Vitello application form DS-11, proof of U.S. citican be contacted at zenship, proof of identity, a passport photo rvitello@kscequinox.com and photocopies of both proof of citizenship and identity. While the Global Education Office is not providing passport photo services for selected students, Stephenson said, “It has to be a headshot with a certain kind of background. CVS does it for around $10. The cost of a first-time passport is around $120 usually, so to get it from there isn’t too bad.”

For students to be eligible for the free passports, they must be a United States citizen and a full-time KSC student who has never had a passport before. This opportunity is not for passport renewal. The Passport Caravan will be taking place March 28 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the L.P. Young Student Center. Students must sign up through Skye Stephenson by Feb. 9, however. For selected students, a list of all required materials and steps for a pass-

PASSPORT

Krafft said one of those monitors happened to be on Water Street, and that she had an overall positive experience working on this study. “I feel like it was the first time that I actually got to go out into the field,” Krafft said. “We set up the monitors and we’ve just started to get data back in so… we’re just trying to process what we’re looking at, so it’s been a good experience.”

Traviss stressed using this data to make a local connection with air pollution would help motivate people to lead a less polluted life. “That’s one of the reasons why we did it, we were happy to show a local connection and that might motivate people,” Travis said.

Environmental Studies Professor Dr. Thomas Webler said the solution is to motivate as many people as possible to use either an EPA-approved wood stove to decrease the amount of wood stove burning or to stop altogether.

However, he said establishing a law that prohibits wood stove burning is not the best solution. For people whose only source of heat is wood stove burning, he advised to only burn the dryest wood to decrease the particles in the air and to not damp down the stove.

Another alternative is to burn fire in a place where there is a lot of moving air surrounding it to prevent air inversion.

Webler, Traviss and her students involved in her study are already making efforts to engage and educate the public about air pollution.

Webler is calling for a grant that will add more public interactive air quality monitors and help students continue their efforts in studying air pollution. The status of the grant will be revealed in the near future.

Webler and Traviss have also established a Facebook group that advocates for the reduction in wood stove burning and to improve Keene’s air.

The group is called Keene Clean Air, and will be creating events that will help motivate people to reduce their use of wood stoves. The group is open to the public.

The repeal of the EPA’s Clean Air Act should not be seen as a death sentence or as a reason to panic. We shouldn’t have to fully rely on our government to help us keep the environment clean so we can have good health.

Webler stressed the need of having every individual person in the community make changes that can better improve our environment and the air we breathe.

“I think the most important message I like to get across here is that we can’t and shouldn’t expect the government to just tell us what we can and can’t do,” Webler said.

“We can learn together by gathering our own data and making our own choices collectively as a community and coordinate our behavior ourselves.”

Katherine Glosser can be reached at kglosser@kscequinox.com.

LAURA ROMANIELLO / ART DIRECTOR

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Thursday, February 1, 2018

Delta Phi Epsilon conquers substance abuse MOLLY SPOONER

Equinox Staff On Wednesday, Jan. 24, the sisters of Delta Phi Epsilon hosted their annual Substance Abuse Awareness Panel. The panel is the sorority’s way of bringing awareness and knowledge to the students of Keene State College on the subject of substance abuse.

President of Delta Phi Epsilon and senior Briannah Bellot said, “We feel it is so important to educate and spread awareness of the impacts of substance abuse to ourselves and the community.” Bellot also said, “These types of hard conservations are exactly what we need to have to change the stigma around substance abuse and to know what to do to help ourselves and those around us.”

Sophomore and sister of Delta Phi Epsilon Elizabeth Jeffery said, “I think in hosting this panel, we hope that students will at least think about their actions.

A common theme in the panelists stories is that things can take a turn for the worse very quickly.”

The Substance Abuse Panel consisted of Keene Fire Chief Mark Howard, Recovery Coach Jackie Mitchell, Stacey Turgeon of the Phoenix House, Polly Morris of Cheshire Medical Center and Continuum of Care Facilitator Natalie Neison. Each speaker had something different to bring to the table when talking about the issue of substance abuse that they have faced in their life and the substance abuse issue in Keene.

Each panelist got up and spoke to KSC students about the dangers of substance abuse and their personal experiences dealing with this very pressing issue in not just the local community, but the nation as well. The panelPUJA THAPA / BUSINESS MANAGER ists told of their personal stories KSC students and Keene community members gathered for Delta Phi Epsilon’s annual Substance Abuse Awareness Panel on Wednesday, Jan. 24, to bring knowledge and and experiences.

Cheshire Medical Center awareness to the topic of substance abuse.

Director for Controlled Substance as smoking marijuana.

Morris said, “We address what’s community.”

“Be advocates for people who need people have the opportunity to sucManagement Network Polly Morris Morris, who is in long-term from the neck down, not from the Morris sees that the substance help. If you don’t help them, they ceed and feel like a human, like they said, “We have a lot of marijuana recovery herself, and many other neck up; we don’t really take care of most abused on KSC’s campus is the might not get the help they need.” belong and can get the help they use, lots of vaping. Tobacco and panelists, including Fire Chief that in our community.” binge drinking of alcohol. “Students The Substance Abuse panelists need.” alcohol are the number one and two, Mark Howard, said that if you had According to Morris, in the City are away from home for the first portrayed a common theme: if there Morris wants people to know we have a lot of binge drinking that any other medical conditions, you of Keene, New Hampshire, the most time,” Morris said. Peer pressure is is someone in your life struggling that, “If somebody is struggling in happens in your age group, young would get time off or you would significant problems with substance something that every new student with substance abuse issues, there is life, you could be that prick of light.” adults 18-25 years old.” Morris said get sent to the hospital or a retreat abuse that the city has is with pre- deals with but Morris explained that always a way you can help. that nicotine vaping is the most or whatever you need for your con- scription drugs, cocaine, carphenti- with substances it’s more than peer Sophomore Nicole Azzarito, an Molly Spooner can be contacted at popular among youth right now dition to go into remission. But nol, tobacco and the abuse of alcohol. pressure its a “lets go hard, let’s do attendee of the presentation, said, mspooner@kscequinox.com because they are able to get away because it’s a substance abuse prob- Morris said, “I think the legal drugs, this without regard to what the con- “We need to come together as a with it because vaping doesn’t smell lem or a mental health problem, it alcohol, tobacco and prescription sequences might be.’” whole and deal with mental health as potent as other substances, such does not work that way. drugs are the worst offenders in our Fire Chief Mark Howard said, as it should be dealt with so that

STUDENT ASSEMBLY

FLOODING Cont. from A1

“It’s up to the student to move their car or decide not to.”

While students aren’t required to move their vehicles, Mitchell gave a reason on why they ought to.

“A vehicle that’s flooded can be totaled. It can get into the engine, get into the passenger compartment, damage electrical components and mechanical components,” Mitchell said.

In the event of a flood risk in the lot, Mitchell recommended that students sign up for the Keene Emergency Notification System, check their campus email and, should their vehicle be at risk, to move it to higher ground.

Campus Safety has advised its officers to not ticket students who moved their cars during the event.

Mitchell stressed the importance of students being prepared for future flooding situations. “Make sure the vehicle is registered, make sure the contact information is good, monitor your campus email and sign up for the alert system,” Mitchell said.

Sophomore and psychology major Emily Sweet, who has been parking in the Winchester lot for the past two years, checked on her car the night she received the email.

“It was completely frozen over. There were sheets of ice, layers upon layers,” Sweet said.

After some effort, she was able to get her car out of the lot. “I think because my tires are pretty good I was able to get out with just one person pushing,” Sweet said.

Others parked in the lot didn’t find themselves as lucky.

“The guy who was parked next to me could not get out…the three of us pushed his car to help him and he could not get out,” Sweet said.

When asked what preparations could have been done to prevent the situation, Sweet suggested adding more salt out onto the lot.

Aside from a major civil engineering project, there isn’t much the college can do to prevent these floods, Mitchell said.

PUJA THAPA

BuSinESS managEr

SEBASTIEN MEHEGAN

adminiStrativE ExEcutivE Editor Keene State College Student Assembly came to order in Jan. 30 to discuss open positions for student Senate. The student government voted in two new members.

Jennifer Mejia was voted in to have a position on the Standards Subcommittee.

Bailey St Laurent was voted in to take a position on the Curriculum Subcommittee.

Other positions open include one representative position for the class of 2018, two for the class of 2019, and one for the class of 2020.

Student Government Treasurer Casey Matthews announced that the budget for the fiscal year of 2019 is in process to commence.

Puja Thapa can be contacted at pthapa@kscequinox.com Sebastien Mehegan can be contacted at smehegan@kscequinox.com

Correction “Alternative Break” published Jan. 25, 2018 – the article stated KSC senior Monica Doorley was one of the leaders for the Nicaragua trip. She was a participant for this trip, not a leader, but will be a leader for the sustainability trip in the spring.

The leaders for the Nicaragua trip were KSC junior Lauren O’Brien & KSC senior Marissa Benjamin.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO BY KSC GROUNDS

Vehicles parked in Winchester Lot (above) were covered in sheets of ice and unable to be moved during the flood.

Vincent Moore can be contacted at vmoore@kscequinox.com

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OPINIONS

Opinions / A4 Thursday, February 1, 2018

EDITORIAL

KSCEQUINOX.COM

Granite guarantee is not substantial for all The first thing you see when you go to Keene State College’s official website is a photograph with the caption, “Granite Guarantee at KSC– Making College More Affordable Four Years of Tuition Fully Covered for Qualified In-State Students.”

By clicking on the “get complete details” section of this photo, you are directed to a page titled, “Our Four-Year Pledge to NH Students.” This pledge is referring to the Granite Grant, which is defined on the KSC’s website as “a financial aid program that makes college possible for qualified first-year New Hampshire students by covering the cost of tuition for four years.”

In order to qualify for the Granite Guarantee, you must be a New Hampshire resident, be entering your first year of college in Fall 2018 as full time student (enrolled in 12 credits), maintain a 2.0 grade point average and be eligible for the federal Pell Grant.

The Pell Grant is “a federal grant program designed to assist students in the continuation of their training and education after high school; it provides eligible students with a “foundation of financial aid to help defray the costs of college attendance,” according to the KSC Federal Grants and State Aid Programs description. If students who enroll in the fall meet this criteria, they will automatically receive the grant.

According to collegecalc.org, New Hampshire is the seventh most expensive state or district to attend college in. The Granite Guarantee seems like a good idea in theory since the cost of attending college in this state is so high, but it will not be beneficial to all students.

Unfortunately if you are already enrolled at KSC, the Granite Guarantee will not affect you because it is only for incoming students. Even if you meet all the criteria needed in order to qual-

ify for the grant, your current financial status will remain as is.

This comes as upsetting news to current students who are New Hampshire residents who hit all the marks the Granite Guarantee requires. KSC is paying the “full tuition for New Hampshire students who are Pell Grant eligible and are first-year students, for all four years of their Keene State education”, according to their website. Free tuition sounds amazing to those who live in New Hampshire and could otherwise not pay for a college education. The promise of an education for virtually no cost sounds too good to be true, and for current KSC students, it is.

Although this is frustrating news to current students, it will be beneficial to those who will come in the future. No matter when the Granite Guarantee is implemented, someone is bound to get upset. Just think, if this grant was offered the year before you enrolled at KSC how would you feel?

Students who were there before you would not be affected by it just how future students would not be affected by it today. That is the current situation for those entering the college in the fall. Just because it does not affect you directly does not mean it does not affect someone else.

As amazing as the Granite Guarantee is for future KSC Owls, it is important to remember all of the students who are here today. The campus has plenty of students who currently qualify for this grant and would receive it if they were enrolling in the fall.

KSC needs to think not only about how to benefit their future students, but how to help their current students who are graduating with thousands of dollars in debt because they did not have this opportunity.

LAURA ROMANIELLO / ART DIRECTOR

STAFF COMMENTARY

What it means to march for women everywhere IZZY MANZO

Equinox Staff On Jan. 21, 2017, the Women’s March on Keene saw over 300 participants protest against Trump’s inauguration. It was described as being in solidarity with the turnout in Washington, D.C., and Shay Riley, who created the event, said the march “...will send a bold message to our new administration on their first day in office, and to the world, that women’s rights are human rights.”

The 2017 marches were held internationally; upwards of 5 million attended various marches in the U.S. alone, which is pretty insane. There was even a march in Antarctica, which thrills me and I have no idea why. It’s probably because of the absolutely adorable “Penguins March for Peace” sign that I just saw.

A series of Women’s Marches were held this past week, but this time they came under a little more fire, with some saying that they were cis-centric rather than inclusive. People said that the Women’s March focused on cis-white women (women who identify as the gender they were assigned at birth) rather than women has a whole.

NBC reported that marchers in Pensacola, Fla., were asked to leave their pink, “pussy” hats at home this year for two reasons: It reinforces the notion that you must have a vagina to be a woman, and that all vaginas are pink, making it a white, Eurocentric idea.

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That request didn’t exactly go over well once it was posted on Facebook; one women commented, “It was a symbol that brought us all together. Mine is blue and says Michigan….Things like this will destroy the movement.”

The Pussy Hat Project has stated that pink was only chosen for being associated with women and femininity, and the reference to pussy is a response to the president’s infamous “grab them by the p----” comment in regards to how he, a man with daughters, who has been married multiple times, likes to treat women.

In a broader sense, people said that women were only marching because they don’t like Trump and not because of bigger issues, such as how transgender women (especially of color) are being treated like second-class citizens and sometimes murdered just for existing; Fast Company reported that out of the 102 transgender people killed in the United States in the last five years, 75 were black or African-American. Some of the women who have been photographed marching also seem to hold less than flattering views, carrying signs saying stuff like, “Transwomen are men; don’t believe the hype! Trans ideology is misogyny and homophobia.”

I’m about 99 percent sure she just strung a few big words together in a sentence in the hopes that it would make sense, but I digress.

The general consensus seems to be that the Wom-

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en’s March has taken a stance on marching for equality for cisgender white women only. It’s kind of like Free the Nipple 2.0, where it started out as something awesome and cool until it became white-centered and failed to focus on the larger, more pressing issues that other women face, like the fact that Native American women are ten times more likely to be a victim of sexual assault or domestic violence than other women in the U.S., according to the Indian Law Resource Center. Or the fact that 28 trans people were murdered in 2017 – and those are just the incidents that the Human Rights Watch has recorded. That was also from November, so there’s always the sad likelihood that the number went up.

Women have always felt that the Women’s March wasn’t inclusive, and it’s obvious that this sentiment has only grown within the past year – USA Today pointed out that over half of white women voted for Trump in the 2016 presidential elections (and let’s get real, you probably know a white woman who did) while over 90 percent of black women voted for Clinton. So, in an amazing move, it’s entirely possible that a white woman voted for Trump and then turned around and knitted a pink, pussy hat so she could participate in the march.

Now, I’m not saying that we should start a collective boycott – you better believe that, at this time last year, I was absolutely fuming because

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I wasn’t able to attend a Women’s March. I’m not saying that every single women who attended a march isn’t inclusive and cares only about white women. That being said, the Women’s March is in its infancy, and there’s a lot of room to grow and representation that needs to be included in future efforts.

I feel like the problem is that 2017 marches were in response to Trump specifically and how upset people were that he was inaugurated. Trump’s presidency won’t be known as a beacon for the women’s rights movement, and marching in opposition of him is fine.

But if these marches are to continue and become a yearly occurrence, there needs to come a divide where people start marching because women are treated unequally every day in every aspect of life. Trump’s presidency certainly won’t do that much to curb the problem, but it’s also not like he started inequality. His presidency is bound to end at some point, but inequality is something that will repeat itself forever unless people make themselves heard on platforms such as this. For equality to become successful, becoming inclusive undeniably has to happen to appeal to women as a whole rather than just white women.

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STAFF COMMENTARY

The effects of partying on academics KIANA WRIGHT

EquinOx staff Almost everyone you talk to will say college was the best years of their lives.

I doubt they were talking about studying for their calculus exam.

Partying is fun. Some students go out on the weekends, go to bars, and a some of students do not. I don’t think partying is for everyone, but I’m not saying it is wrong either.

It is definitely part of the college experience whether campus safety and Keene Police Department like it or not.

And in the end, I do think it is a great way to get a break from school, meet new people, and create memories (if you can remember them).

Going out can interfere with academics though.

I know kids who come here for all the wrong reasons and blow their chance at staying at Keene State College. I think it is especially hard for freshmen.

This huge wave of freedom slaps them all in the face right as their parents leave them on drop-off day. We have all been there, the feeling is so new.

No one is watching us, setting a time to be home, telling us where you should be, it’s up to each student individually.

I think that is what makes the transition a little hard is that, they’re are the ones in charges of their lives.

Even if they’re tired because of staying out late, no one is going to tell them to get up for that eight o’clock class or to do their homework.

I do know people that stay out late have fun, have a job, do their homework, and therefore have a 4.0 grade point average.

Each person handles it differently. Although, I really do think a majority of students that party have a harder time keeping up with their academics.

I have seen it first hand, thanking god that my first semester classes weren’t that hard… but as you take more classes and get a little older you really start to understand how college works.

It gets easier to balance, and it becomes less of a priority and more of a reward to go out with your friends on the weekend.

As I talk to upperclassmen, I find that party becomes less of a big deal. I think as you get older you understand that just because it is a Thursday you don’t have to go out.

I feel like the social norms of going out every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday break away a little.

Maybe they get burnt out of the hangovers or they just find better things to do, I’m not completely sure.

But I do know that my idea of partying has definitely changed since last year when I was a freshman.

But you know, college is not for everyone, and sometimes people have to try it out before coming to the realization.

ANGELIQUE INCHIERCA / PHOTO EDITOR

Sometimes students can let partying distract them from their studies. Often times this leads to poor grades and serious consequences.

According to Keene State College’s Academic Probation and Suspension policy, “Any matriculated student who has a cumulative GPA greater than or equal to 1.00 and less than 2.00 will be placed on academic probation for the ensuing semester.

A student who fails to improve his or her cumulative GPA to a minimum of 2.00 at the conclusion of the first semester of probation will be continued one additional semester of probation. A student who fails to achieve the required cumulative GPA of 2.00 at the conclusion

of the second successive semester on probation will be I think partying can definitely have an effect on stususpended.” dents academics depending on their values and time I have lost friends to academic probation and it is management. sad because a lot of times, but not all, it was due to them putting partying ahead of their classes and work.

Kiana Wright can be contacted at Balance is key. Making sure you have enough time kwright@kscequinox.com to do the work you need to do so you have a little extra time to have fun on the weekends.

Making time for other activities, such as extracurriculars, is important too.

STAFF COMMENTARY

STAFF COMMENTARY

The seriousness of various majors

Hobby shaming needs to stop

ZOEANN DAY

EquinOx staff

Zoeann Day can be contacted at zday@kscequinox.com

LUKE SWEENEY / EQUINOX STAFF

Stigma surrounds our world today, appearing in all shapes and sizes.

One of the most common examples of this revolves around specific college majors.

For years, certain majors have carried disappointing labels, such as “hobby,” and are taken less seriously than other majors.

Liberal arts majors have been treated as less than other majors for years, and in this technological age, it’s quickly becoming an outdated opinion.

In the past, majors such as art, music, performing arts and others have been treated as a joke or as a hopeless career path in comparison to majors pertaining to things such as science or math.

This common misconception that creative career paths are impractical compared to aspirations such as medical field work or financial careers is an outmoded and unrealistic state of mind.

In our world today, the amount of technological advancements our society has made allows creative career paths to not only become a real possibility, but also much more common than in past years.

Jobs such as animation, creative web designers and video game designers are all jobs that have not been available in the past, but thanks to the technological advancements constantly being made in our society, these new creative careers are in high demand in our world today.

Technology allows artistic students to have much more freedom with their career of choice, as well as making it much easier for them to find work after college.

Despite this plethora of creative jobs available to liberal arts students, people still believe that artistic career paths are not the best choice.

The effects of this stereotype may seem to be small, but this stigma can actually deter students from pursuing their passions as a career.

Treating a person’s passion as a “hobby” can cause kids to drop their dreams and passions and move onto something more “realistic” and not “idealistic.”

Keene State College fully embraces the artistic side of education, and works hard to accommodate it’s programs for the students who choose to follow their imaginative passions.

KSC has dozens of artistic and creative majors allowing students to follow their passions directly while receiving an exceptional education in the process, preparing them for their careers.

Majors like film, art, theater, music and so many more that are available thoroughly educate our students on their field of choice, making artistic careers a realistic possibility.

Colleges such as KSC adapting their school to be more educational regarding their creative programs makes the stigma surrounding liberal arts irrelevant and obsolete.

Artistic students choosing any path other than their passion would be a disservice to society, as there are so many creative career paths that greatly benefit our world today that need students with creative abilities including fashion designers, filmmakers, animators and so many more.

Liberal arts majors excel in these areas and make the world a better place using their passions.

Careers that require creative abilities are increasing in commonality, and necessity, and the world needs students who have the ability to excel in those areas.

You don’t need to feel guilty about what brings you happiness CHLOE GIARRAPUTO

OpiniOns EditOr No two people are exactly alike, so it is only natural that not everyone will agree on everything. Whether it is a television series, music genre or pastime, people have varying opinions on what they do and do not enjoy.

That is just part of being human, everyone has likes and dislikes that are unique to them and their own thoughts.

It is expected that you will have disagreements with people throughout life, but you do not need to poke fun at someone over something that they enjoy.

A blogger by the name of Jessie Atkinson, the voice behind thewolfinthecity.com, said she is a “big champion” of hobby fluidity in her “We Need To Stop Hobby Shaming” article.

Atkinson defines hobby fluidity as, “A state of freedom to like whatever they are drawn to, unrestricted by the need to decide between one extreme or another.”

Hobby fluidity seems like an odd term at first, but once it is explained properly, it makes

total sense. Of course people are allowed to express their opinions about the things that make them happy.

And of course people are going to disagree with them, but just because someone critiques your hobby or pass time does not mean that you cannot enjoy it anymore.

As long as no one is getting hurt, you should be able to partake in whatever activity brings you joy. Everybody has a “guilty pleasure,” but you should not have to feel guilty about it at all.

You should not be embarrassed to say that you enjoy a certain type of music, love a specific movie, or partake in a particular activity if it makes you happy.

Nor should you have to explain yourself for liking something.

Just because you perceive someone to act a certain way does not mean that he/ she has to live up to that stereotype that you created in your head.

If you surround yourself with people who are understanding of your likes and dislikes, you will find that life seems much easier when your thoughts are not constantly being cri-

tiqued or questioned.

Keene State College offers so many different outlets for students with all types of interests, whether they are academic organizations, club sports, special interest groups, Greek life, honor societies or media-based organizations.

There is something for everyone.

A complete list of all student involvement opportunities that are offered at KSC can be found on the official website by simply searching “student organizations.”

This search also gives you contact information for the club’s president, treasurer and advisor so you have someone to reach out to, in order to learn more about that organization if you are interested in.

If there is not already an organization established at Keene State College that is of particular interest to you, you can create your own organization.

Chloe Giarraputo can be contacted at cgiarraputo@kscequinox.com

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TH O R N E-SAG E N D O R P H ART G ALLE RY

February 3 – April 1, 2018 2018

KSC Puzzles

A R T F A C U LT Y BIENNIAL EXHIBITION

Public opening reception: Friday, February 2, 5-7 p.m.

Also on view: February 3 – April 1 Unboxing Bob: A study of artist Robert S. Neuman through objects, images, and ideas Public programs: Friday, February 9, 3:30 – 5:30 p.m.

Faculty members Jonathan Gitelson, Zachary P. Stephens, and Miles Warner discuss their work; Randall Hoyt plays his new board game “Road Hog” with visitors Tuesday, March 27, 11 a.m. – noon Faculty member Peter Roos discusses the large gallery installation charting the evolution of his figure drawing over nearly 30 years of teaching Ongoing: The Thorne’s museum education program is currently scheduling spring, summer, and fall 2018 tours for school and other campus and community groups. Customizable tours: days, nights, weekends; curriculum-driven or just for fun.

LAST WEEKS SOLUTION

THORNE-SAGENDORPH ART GALLERY keene.edu/tsag/

Poems by Isabel

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Thursday, February 1, 2018

Christopher Swist performs in recital ERIN MCNEMAR

Arts & EntErtAinmEnt Editor On Sunday Jan. 28, interested students, faculty and community members piled into the Alumni Recital Hall to see Resident Artist Christopher Swist celebrate his fifteenth year at Keene State College. Although he is better known for his music created on the marimba, Swist decided to showcase his talent on the vibraphone to commemorate the event. The recital was Swist’s first vibraphone-exclusive concert.

With a concert of this importance, Swist explained the large amount of practice and planning that went into the performance.

“I spent my whole winter break here,” Swist joked.

Swist then acknowledged the contributions of all those involved and their willingness to help. “I knew that if I asked my friends to write pieces that they were going to write something, and that’s always exciting,” Swist expressed.

Unique to many of the performances at KSC, the entire program was written by professors and faculty at the college. First-year Kacie Palmacci expressed that that was one of the factors which made her decide to attend the recital.

“I knew that a lot of the pieces were faculty composed, so I thought that was really cool. I have or have had all of the professors that are listed [in the program],” Palmacci stated. In addition, after each song, the lights were turned on in order to give Swist the opportunity to acknowledge the composer sitting in the audience.

During the performance, three new pieces were debuted. Featured composer, Andrew Smith’s piece “Solder,” was well received amongst audience members.

“It [Solder] had a lot of dissonance and a lot of contrast with long held out notes; not a lot of rhythmic stuff but definitely more haunting and eerie,” Junior Corinne Colgrove expressed.

Also declaring “Solder” as the piece that stood out to her was Palmacci. “I really liked Solder by Andrew Smith. I thought that one was really cool, and I like his style.”

While having to learn new music is challenging, Swist expressed he believes the most difficult part of playing any sort of percussion is the choreography of it. Swist explained the importance of using a specific mallet to obtain the correct sound the composer is looking for.

“You literally have to organize where you set your mallets; whether on the left or right, and give yourself

BENAJIL RAI / MULTIMEDIA DIRECTOR

Christopher Swist performing the vibraphone during his faculty recital on Sunday Jan. 28 in the Alumni Recital Hall in the Redfern Arts Center.

enough time [to change mallets],” Swist said.

All the music showcased in the recital was modern, with the oldest piece being from 1998. This made for a performance that was not typical for the Redfern Arts Center Palmacci explained.

“This is definitely one of a kind for Keene State. Most of the performances here are straight forward, very

classical pieces, but this is definitely breaking those that is completely unknown and original. I think most boundaries.” of the pieces in this program are.”

Swist’s goal for this recital was to create unique and original music, which is something he has loved doing Erin McNemar can be contacted at since he was an undergraduate. emcnemar@kscequinox.com “Some people like to listen to what’s comfortable and they know, but a lot of people like to listen to something

FILM REVIEW

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri: a mother’s search for justice ERIN MCNEMAR

Arts & EntErtAinmEnt Editor On Jan. 21, Kirsten Bell hosted the 24th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards. The show honored the outstanding achievements in film and television during the year of 2017.

While many awards were handed out to deserving actors and actresses, one movie that stood out in particular was Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri.

The film won in every category it was nominated for, including Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role (Frances McDormand) and Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role (Sam Rockwell).

Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri stars Frances McDormand as Mildred Hayes. Mildred is a divorced mother of two, who is searching for justice after her daughter, Angela, was sexually assaulted and killed.

The movie opens with Mildred driving into Ebbing, and seeing three abandoned

billboards. Within the first 5 minutes of the film, she gets the idea to rent the billboards and use them to call out the town police department, specifically chief Bill Willoughby, for the lack of progress made in her daughter case.

Bill, who is portrayed by Woody Harrelson, is a well-liked police officer who is dying of pancreatic cancer.

Through the beginning portion of the film, Mildred and Bill don’t see eye to eye.

While Bill claims he’s doing everything he can to catch the guy who harmed her daughter, Mildred believes he’s not doing enough.

The people in the town begin to turn on Mildred because of her bold actions, particularly Jason Dixon. Jason, who is a violent and corrupt police officer, is willing to do anything to get the billboards down.

Perhaps the best example in the film of Jason’s unstable behavior is when he throws local advisorisor, Red Welby, out a two story window and beats him in the street.

However, Jason undergoes extensive character development. After being fired and facing a near-death experience, Jason

begins to have a change of heart.

Later in the film, Jason overhears a conversation between two men. One of the men is bragging about sexually assaulting a women in graphic detail. Convinced it’s the same guy how harmed Angela, Jason attacks him in an attempt to get some of his DNA. The attack builds the foundation of the friendship between Jason and Mildred that is only seen at the end of the film.

Similar to many other movies that have been releases this past year, Three Billboards showcases a strong female lead.

While the reason Mildred rents out the billboards is due to tragedy, the movie is about resilience.

It’s impossible to understand how heartbreaking it is to lose a child, let alone have them murdered. Instead of focusing on the mother’s struggle to carry on after tragedy strikes, the movie instead looks at her bravery and desire for justice.

The film has received seven Oscar nominations including Best Motion picture, and Best Actress for Frances McDormand performance as Mildred Hayes.

Erin McNemar can be contacted at emcnemar@kscequinox.com

LAURA ROMANIELLO / ART DIRECTOR

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Thursday, February 1, 2018

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The Redfern presents ‘The Black Pirate’

ANGELIQUE INCHIERCA / PHOTO EDITOR

Audience members gathered in the Main Theater of the Redfern Arts Center to watch the silent film “The Black Pirate” accompanied by the Alloy Orchestra. The event also included a costume contest.

The 1926 silent film makes its debut at Keene State College EMMA MEHEGAN

Equinox Staff As part of their 2017-2018 season, the Redfern Arts Center saw the return of Alloy Orchestra on Thursday, Jan. 25.

According to the program, Alloy Orchestra, a threeman musical ensemble, writes and performs “live accompaniment to classic silent films.”

Their latest performance at the Redfern accompanied The Black Pirate, a 1926 film written by and starring Douglas Fairbanks, and directed by Albert Parker.

Deciding to have fun with the theme of the film, the Redfern got its employees in the spirit of things, having them dress up in full pirate attire.

The event also had a photo-costume contest, a touch

which audience member Mary Anne Culinen said she thought was a lot of fun, “It sort of went all in on the theme that added a lot too.”

However, for orchestra member Roger C. Miller, keyboard player in Alloy Orchestra, the most fun was to be had performing. Miller has played in LA Orchestra, and has a background in writing music.

“I’ve written music that’s been in New England Conservatory in which I’ve been a member of the Chamber Ensemble,” he said.

Miller said performing for a silent film is all about precision, “We start when the title shows up, we go through all the battles and when the ship is in the distance we play the final theme, that’s my perspective on it. Once you get going, you’re just hanging on for dear life. You know the scenes are gonna come up, you’re

watching the cues… we’re always listening to each other,” he said. “And sometimes we’re playing a little fast and I look up — I’m the keyboard player so I control the harmony more — If we’re a little ahead of the cues I put in a little cadence to let those guys know that I’m gonna wait a little bit before we end it, and then I end it, and then one of them says, ‘okay now we’re here.’ We start a beat and then we follow it perpetually.”

Even with the seemingly daunting task of keeping in perfect time with the film, Miller said, “we’ve done it for twenty-five years so it’s not hard really… but some films are harder than others.”

Even when struggling, or throughout the hassles of travel and the monotony of staying in one place for too long, “The minute you start playing you go, ‘Ah, that’s why I do this,’” he said.

The three members of the Alloy Orchestra all have equal say in leadership, dividing the writing of their music equally and working together to create a score that matches the film, he said.

Members of the audience appreciate the end result of Alloy’s hard work, audience member Stanley Hutchings said, “they perfectly fit all of the tempo of the scenes, so it really was quite good.”

Culinen also appreciated the experience of a live orchestra that suited the movie so well, “I enjoyed all the different instruments and how they worked together, it really added a lot to the feeling of the movie… I will come back,” she said.

Emma Mehegan can be contacted at emehegan@kscequinox.com

KCS students intern at the Sundance Film Festival RACHEL BLUMBERG

Equinox Staff Two Keene State College film students have been exploring the streets of Park City, Utah, immersed in the glitz and glamour that is the critically acclaimed Sundance Film Festival.

Kevin Aruilio and Megan Lummus applied for this experience through “The Creative Mind Group,” an organization that sends students around the world to big-name festivals.

Once accepted, the choice between choosing an internship or making a short film with other aspiring filmmakers is presented.

Lummus spent her time interning for the Creative Arts Agency, picking up and delivering tickets for screenings to clients.

Aruilio was part of a filmmaking program, in which he worked on the sound and editing of a short 10-minute film.

“We were put into two groups, given a role, and told to make a film in the span of one week,” Aruilio said. “I didn’t learn anything I didn’t already know about filmmaking, but I did learn the power of working with people you truly respect.”

Both students claimed their past week consisted of some of the most stressful, yet most enjoyable days they’ve experienced anywhere thus far.

“It was incredible. Not only did I see and meet some celebrities, I also made friends that I know I will have for a lifetime through this program,” Lummus said.

In their down-time, the students were able to see films, choosing from the 110 features and 69 shorts the festival has to offer.

Summer of ’84 (2018) seemed to be a favorite of Lummus.

This mystery thriller directed by Francois Simard and Anouk Whissel tells the tale of a group of teenagers who spend their summer spying on the serial killer next door.

“It was a thrill ride that had an ending that made all questionable moments of the film ten times better,” said Lummus.

In his time, Aruilio had the chance to attend two film screenings, his personal favorite being Eighth Grade (2018).

This awkward comedy, written and directed by comedian Bo Burnham, follows an eighth grader as she embarks on her last classes before high school.

“I connected with it on a personal level and considered it a perfect film for the millennial generation,” Aruilio explained.

Senior film student Keelan Brown was the first KSC student to explore what “The Creative Mind Group” has to offer back in 2016.

“Being at Sundance was an amazing experience because it was my first time as a student I felt that having a job in the film industry wasn’t a far fetched dream. It’s an industry full of hard working people, all with a common goal of telling a story,” said Brown.

“All I want to say is every film undergrad should definitely consider being a participant of “The Creative Mind Group,” said Aruilio. “No matter what program you choose, no matter what festival you go to, it’s still an incredible experience.”

Rachel Blumberg can be contacted at rblumberg@kscequinox.com RACHEL BLUMBERG / EQUINOX STAFF

Students were met with a sign to indicate the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.

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STUDENT LIFE

Student Life / B1

100 nights to go Thursday, February 1, 2018

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ALL PHOTOS BY COLTON MCCRACKEN / SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

Seniors were given the opportunity to go out and enjoy themselves with classmates and close friends for their last semester together at Keene State College in downtown keene on Thursday, Jan. 25

KSC seniors celebrate having 100 nights left until graduation at Scores Sports Bar and Grille ASHLEY ARNOLD

Equinox Staff As the days wind down until graduation, the class of 2018 collectively commemorated their journey throughout the past years. Keene State College’s senior class celebrated the “100 Nights Until Graduation” event on Jan. 25 at Scores Sports Bar and Grille in downtown Keene.

This year’s event was organized by the senior class President Alayna LaBaire, who did not respond to an interview request. Attendees bought wristbands prior to the evening which were required for entree into Scores.

Even though Scores was only welcoming a limited amount of senior students, that did not stop Paul Beling, senior physical education major, from celebrating.

“I know that there are only a certain amount of people allowed into Scores for the 100 nights celebration, but regardless, I’m looking forward to going out this weekend with my classmates,” he said.

It is essential to recognize and reflect on experiences because sometimes people are unaware of the moments they are creating, explained Leah

Powell, a graduating safety major. “My favorite memories are things that I didn’t realize in the moment,” she added.

Powell also emphasized the importance of appreciating the experiences that have passed and the memories that are to be made in the next 100 days.

“College has flown by and with only 100 nights left it’s crunch time to... live in the moment. Life goes by so fast and you realize that as a senior in college,” she explained.

The event unites the senior class, allowing individuals to reflect on memories with their fellow classmates and celebrate together.

“Our class isn’t close as a whole so to celebrate together is amazing because we are all going through this together,” Powell said.

Jason Smith, an occupational health and safety major, reflected on his past moments as a KSC student as well.

“My favorite experience has definitely been playing on the soccer team here and I will certainly miss that the most,” he said.

Smith is excited to begin a new chapter in his life, but leaving KSC also makes him emotional.

“Knowing I’m graduating soon is definitely a bittersweet feeling … it’s hard to saying goodbye to friends but it’s nice having some really good memories to look back on,” he added.

Since graduation is seemingly sneaking up on the class of 2018, some seniors are surprised by it’s speedy approach.

It is exciting, but nerve-racking, for them to acknowledge the limited time they have left on campus.

“Having 100 nights left is definitely a weird feeling. I think I speak for most people when I say that having only 100 nights is kind of a scary thought. However, all good things come to an end,” Beling said.

As the year comes to a close and the seniors wave goodbye to the college lifestyle, they are simultaneously preparing for their lives after graduation.

“I’m going to eventually start a career in the education field, and hopefully coach sports.

Directly after school I plan on enjoying some time to pursue some jobs where I could be outdoors primarily,” Beling said.

Powell is also starting off with a job that will help her gain experience and knowledge in

her desired career field.

“I plan to go for my masters in industrial hygiene and become a CSP [Certified Safety Professional]. My job lined up for after school is with the union and it is teaching construction workers safety.

My first class is CPR and First Aid. Baby steps,” she said.

This year’s graduation ceremony will be taking place Saturday, May 5 on the Fiske Quad.

Ashley Arnold can be contacted at aarnold@kscequinox. com

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STUDENT LIFE / B2

Thursday, February 1, 2018

Water contamination bill

LAURA ROMANIELLO / ART DIRECTOR

KSC students work with NH legislators on water contamination bill LYLE BELLAMY

equinox Staff What began as a project for a senior seminar course turned into a legislative bill that pushes for harsher limits on perfluorinated compounds, or PFCs, allowed by the state in drinking water.

Classmates Allen Chague and Ethan Carr have worked with their professor Nora Traviss and state legislators James McConnell and Mindi Messmer to lower the allowed amounts of PFC’s in drinkable water.

“The amount allowed by the state of New Hampshire currently is 70 parts per trillion. Which doesn’t sound like a huge number, except for the fact that the chemicals are bio-accumulated. They remain in your body and build up,” Chague said. “For example, Vermont only allows for 13 parts per trillion. Lowering the allowed levels is what we are passionate about,” Chague continued.

A vast amount of the state has under-tested sites, as Chague explained on Thursday, “There’s 4,200 sites in

New Hampshire that need to be tested more for PFCs.” What is most impressive about the bill is that it is bipartisan; sponsored by Democrat Mindi Messmer and co-sponsored by Republican James McConnell.

Along with PFCs, Representative McConnell was at Keene State College Friday morning going over House Bill 1610.

In the proposed bill, it states that, “The seller shall provide analytical testing results for samples collected from the well for water tests for MTBE and perfluorinated chemicals if a source of such chemicals is identified within one mile of the property. The seller shall also provide notice if the property is located within ¼ mile of an underground storage tank.”

He is calling on an environmental science class to work closely with him to iron-out details of the bill. In the bill, he lays out stricter guidelines on water safety disclosure when selling a house. Currently, New Hampshire disclosure guidelines don’t require testing for water contamination. As Rep. McConnell exemplified by the cancer cluster of West Swanzey

caused by MTBE, many people get stuck with problems that they are unaware of prior to buying the house. The only current requirements of disclosure when selling a house in the state are whether the house contains lead, had or has an underground tank, asbestos, and Radon.

McConnell is pushing towards making it a requirement to test water before selling a house. He estimated on Friday morning that this bill could affect 80 percent of the houses in Southern New Hampshire alone that go up for sale.

He pointed out that many other states have stricter guidelines on such a thing, and piling exact details of the other state’s laws would improve his case in getting this bill passed.

The opponents of House Bill 1610 reportedly claim that such a law would just create another added expense and undue burden on to the seller of the house. McConnell claimed that what he believes is most important is that the buyer knows of all issues pertaining to the water supply. Other opponents, McConnell speculated, would be the real estate industry,

as a failed water test could easily become a headache for agents trying to sell houses.

What he continued to stress when speaking with the class was he is looking forward to working out the details of the bill with even more students passionate about the subject. He was open to any suggestions and/or clarifications about the bill and was eager to be pressed on it.

Additionally, McConnell explained that the bill will be heard on Feb. 13. He pushed for the students to make the trip to Concord, NH for the hearing, and maybe even testify in support of the bill itself. The students will now begin research into supporting the bill in class, which will allow McConnell to gather an in-depth understanding of the fine points of the issue. By doing this, he hopes he’ll be equipped with an abundant amount of information needed to pass the bill.

Lyle Bellamy can be reached at lbellamy@kscequinox.com

Relay for Life returns to Keene State COLBY DUDAL

Student Life editor This spring Relay for Life will return to Keene State College in an effort to help fight against cancer. The event raises money to help support research, patient care, education and prevention activities.

On Thursday, Jan. 25 in the Mountain View Room of the Lloyd P. Young Student Center, the first meeting of the semester took place.

Coordinator of Community Services at KSC Jessica Gagne Cloutier said that this year while some things regarding Relay for Life will be different, she hopes that a lot of it will be the same and it will feel the same way that Relay for Life feels like every year.

A main difference from previous relays is that while most years a committee has been selected to run Relay for Life and the process begins in the fall, this year preparation hasn’t begun until now and there is not currently a committee in place, Gagne Cloutier said.

“A lot of people have shown interest in participating but it hasn’t shown when it comes to applicants,” Gagne Cloutier said.

The other thing that Gagne Cloutier said has changed this year is that the Greater Keene Community is not hosting a Relay for Life this year.

Gagne Cloutier said she hopes this can turn into an opportunity to have more people from the community who would’ve participated in the Greater Keene Community event to participate at the one at KSC. Things that are staying the same when it comes to Relay for Life includes the events that will be taking place during the event, the goal for donation amount and the predicted number of people participating.

Gagne Cloutier said, “The goal really is still to raise $17,000. What I love about the event at KSC is that even with enrollment down we still have consistent funds...We usually see 350-500 people but we are closer to 350 with the dwindling population so we need to keep the participants entertained.”

One major part of Relay for Life according to Gagne Cloutier is the donation aspect and she said the American Cancer Society has an app that will now allow people to donate via credit or debit card.

Gagne Cloutier said she hopes that the app will help with donating and will make it easier for participants.

Relay for Life will take place on Saturday, April 7 in the Spaulding Gymnasium from noon to midnight.

Colby Dudal can be contacted at cdudal@kscequinox.com

ANNA HEINDL / EQUINOX STAFF

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STUDENT LIFE / B3

Thursday, February 1, 2018

KSC biology students conduct research on harmful toxins COLBY DUDAL

Student Life editor Keene State College biology students are currently working on biomedical research regarding harmful toxins in the environment which impact living creatures.

Juniors Anna McFarlin and Adam Harris said that they have been looking at tadpoles to find out similarities between how toxins in the environment known as PAH’s impact development in both frogs and humans. McFarlin said that the toxins are in fact affecting humans and tadpoles in both cardiovascular and behavioral ways and studying tadpoles can tell us about children and unborn babies.

Biology Professor Susan Whittemore said that the idea for the research came about when one of her students, McFarlin approached her about wanting to study tadpoles because they are a vertebrate species. Whittemore said that they then started to keep tadpoles and the research showed that when exposed to the PAH’s chemicals, the tadpoles have abnormally slow heart rates.

McFarlin said that as well as the cardiovascular reason, PAH’s are

impacting behavior in a big way as well. “For behavior it causes them to swim, swim and swim without taking any breaks but their speed isn’t changing. Has so many negative effects for the larval at different stages. We’re breathing in these particles all day long,” said McFarlin.

Whittemore said that the PAH’s are a result of combustion of organic materials such as cigarettes, gasoline, furnaces, food being cooked on the grill and oil spill for water animals. Whittemore said that the relation between the PAH’s in tadpoles and humans came about when they partnered with NH-INBRE which is where the research is funded from which is a biomedical research program that is focused on human health.

Whittemore said, “My tadpoles serve as a good model so I see them as serving as a model system for understanding what might be happening with human fetuses and children.”

Harris said he gathered information on frog embryos that had been exposed to two toxins and said the data shows just how much the toxins were affecting the embryos. Harris said that this isn’t the first biology research that

he has been a part of. “The PAH’s affect the heart similarly in the two different kinds of treatment that I did. Previous research that I did about a year before was on single PAH exposure and then over the summer we switched to kind of a more real world exposure protocol where we exposed this larvae to diesel particles so they were particles collected from a forklift at the National Institute of Science and Technology.”

McFarlin said that the research is important because PAH’s are something that are impacting us on a daily basis and while people care about it, they may not know it is happening. One of the ways that McFarlin said they let people know about her research is by visiting other colleges and institutions and getting the chance to be with other people who study science. Some of the places McFarlin and Harris said they have spoken include Dartmouth College, Quinnipiac University and Mount Washington College.

Colby Dudal can be contacted at cdudal@kscequinox.com EQU INOX STA FF GER ALD ALF IER I /

Pets of KSC

KSC students talk about their pets.

NAME: SHILO

AGE (in human years): 2 years BREED: Shiba Inu “I just love hanging out with my dad and friends.

My favorite thing to do is go on adventures outside. I’ve been to a few concerts, one of them being Twiddle, and I’ve even seen Bernie Sanders speak! All in all I love my people, they always tell me I’m the cutest.”

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Shilo

T H I S W E E K

NAME: KUNA

AGE (In human years): 2.5 years BREED: Mixed “I do lots of fun things with my human, but my favorite memory was being a part of a puppy kissing booth for her sorority, Delta Xi Phi! I got so many treats and made a ton of new friends - everybody loved me! I can’t wait to do it again this spring!!”

Kuna

A T NAME: BLACKY

AGE (in human years): 7 months BREED: Bumblebee Platy “Once I discovered there was another fish who looked just like me trapped inside the glass of my aquarium. I stared him for 98 minutes trying to figure out how to save him.”

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Blacky

K S C

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STUDENT LIFE / B4

Thursday, February 1, 2018

Two students take interest in glass blowing SEBASTIEN MEHEGAN

AdministrAtive executive editor There are moments in most people’s lives in which they must decide whether they will spend the rest of their lives doing what they love or working in a cubicle the rest of their life.

For Keene State College junior Kyle Wilson and KSC alumnus Brendan Reid, glass blowing is more than just a hobby.

Wilson said, “Honestly, I’ve always been into glass and I hate spending thousands of dollars on pieces. I want to make them…

January 18, 2017 was the day I lit my first torch,” Wilson said.

Reid started collecting glass pieces before he came to college.

“We both have been into the glass collecting scene, so that helped as the biggest influence I’d say,” Reid said. “I’ve invested a lot of time and money into different pieces and I’ve met different artists.”

Wilson and Reid have been roommates and good friends for about three years.

Together they have collaborated on pieces, whether it was giving advice on certain pieces, constructive criticism or assisting each other with jobs that take more than two hands.

“It’s a lot of heat and a lot of patience,” Wilson said. “I’m doing this for the rest of my life.”

Wilson said he wants to incorporate glass blowing into his graphic design course.

There are styles of glass blowing that incorporate smaller 3-dimensional images inside the glass making a design come to life, and still others that use photoshop and the shape of the glass piece to make one unique shape.

Reid graduated with a BA in Sustainable Product Design and Innovation (SPDI); Knowledge from which Reid said he uses for some of his personal work.

“They definitely go hand in hand. A lot of the production design is about different materials. I mean you spend a whole year learning about different types of materials,” Reid said.

Wilson said, “I bought all the equipment before I had a place to [blow glass] so I just said ‘The day I do have a place to do it I won’t have to buy all the equipment. I’ll have it already.’”

Reid said, “SPDI is a lot of innovation – The I at the end of SPDI. It’s a lot of just putting yourself out there and presenting your own stuff… we’ve done a couple of little festivals, nothing too big, I mean, we’ve sold our pieces at a couple little stores around town too.”

Glass blowing takes focus, planning creativity and care – virtues Wilson said he tries to apply to himself as a person on a day to day basis.

“I feel like being at the torch brings that out in me,” Wilson said.

Wilson said professional glass blower Mike Gong is Wilson’s biggest inspiration for his work. “Something about his work makes me feel like he’s my favorite artist…

He’s got such a unique style.”

Reid said, “When it comes to the art side of [glass blowing], there are people who do the really psychedelic style pieces and then there are people who make more of a sculpture styles.”

Gong did not respond in time to make a comment.

Reid said glass blowing is generally thought of as an unprofessional art.

“But you have to look at it in a professional manner,” Reid said. “Just knowing that I have this ability just here now I need to just do it. If I don’t do it I’ll end up kicking myself.”

Sebastian Mehegan can be contacted at smehegan@kscequinox.com

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1 Bonus DC Meal Swipe Swipe through convenience 2 seating options The option to purchase the plan again when you run out of meals!

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$81.00 Contact the Owl Card Office for Details

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Time Capsule / B5

TIME CAPSULE

KSCEQUINOX.COM

1959: The day the music died ABBYGAIL VASAS

Copy Editor/timE CapsulE Editor Just about everyone knows the song “American Pie” by Don McLean which frequently refers to, “The day the music died.”

That day was Feb. 3, 1959 when the chartered aircraft containing Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson, also known as “Big Bopper” on the radio, crashed in Iowa, killing all three musicians.

They were performing in the Winter Dance Party Tour of the Midwest, grew tired of riding in the tour bus, and decided to charter a plane from Clear Lake, Iowa, to their next gig in Moorhead, Minnesota, according to Rolling Stone.

Unfortunately, their Beechcraft crashed a few minutes after taking off, killing everyone on board.

Rolling Stone referred to Buddy Holly as, “a rock & roll pioneer, as well as one of the genre’s first great singer-songwriters.”

Holly, born Charles Hardin Holley, had his first hit, “That’ll Be the Day,” after two years of recording, although he had been performing music since the age of five, according to Rolling Stone.

His blossoming music career was cut short at the age of 22.

Ritchie Valens was known for “Donna,” a single which rose to number two on the Billboard’s singles chart, and that single’s B-side, “La Bamba,” which struck number 22 on the chart. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame said in their biography on Valens, “This double-sided smash is one Keane, the owner of the Del-Fi label, and Some might know J.P. Richardson of the greatest rock and roll singles of the subsequently began recording sessions. His as “The Big Bopper,” his radio persona at Fifties.” Born Richard Steven Valenzuela in second session resulted in the production of KTRM, according to Legacy.com.

Pacoima, a suburb in Los Angeles, he joined “Donna” and “La Bamba.” When the plane At the age of 25, he married Adrianne Joy a dance band in his hometown at the age went down in 1959, Valens was only 17 years Fryou and together they started a family. of 16, according to the Rock & Roll Hall of old.

When Richardson left for the Winter Fame. One year later, he auditioned for Bob

THE CIVIL AERONAUTICS BOARD

Dance Party Tour at the age of 28, they had records, he would achieve three numberone daughter, Debbie, and his wife was one hits posthumously. pregnant with another child.

According to Legacy.com, although he Abbygail Vasas can be contacted at had less than $100 to his name and would avasas@kscequinox.com never get the chance to pick up his gold

1967: Tragedies in space adventure ABBYGAIL VASAS

Copy Editor/timE CapsulE Editor The end of January and beginning of February marks the anniversary of a number of tragedies involved in NASA’s space shuttle program.

On Jan. 27, 1967, the astronauts of Apollo 1 died during a routine ground test of the capsule when an electrical spark caused a fire which suffocated them in their highly pressurized cabin. Although this accident cost astronauts Virgil Grissom,

Edward White and Roger Chaffee their lives, it led to improvements in the design of the Apollo capsules to make space travel safer for future astronauts; such as adjustments to the hatch to make escape easier, the wiring was altered to prevent future sparks, flammable materials in the cabin were replaced with flame-retardant counterparts and the pressure in the cabins was decreased, according to Space.com.

Despite the modifications made after the Apollo 1 disaster, two more accidents

with deadly consequences would follow over the course of the NASA space shuttle missions.

On Jan. 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff, a horrific event which was observed by many across the nation, including schoolchildren and teachers who had known crew-member Christa McAuliffe, a high school teacher and the first private citizen to fly aboard a space shuttle.

According to Space.com, a faulty O-ring in one of the booster rockets failed and caused the explosion which would claim the Teacher-in-Space and payload specialist Christa McAuliffe, who was on board to observe and run experiments for her class, payload specialist Gregory Jarvis, mission specialists Judith Resnik, Ellison Onizuka and Ronald McNair, mission commander Francis Scobee and pilot Mike Smith.

According to the official transcript released

by NASA of the minutes leading up to the launch and subsequent explosion, the last message received by ground control before communications were lost came from Smith, who simply said, “Uhoh.”

17 years later, another cataclysm shook NASA and the nation. On Feb. 1, 2003, the space shuttle Columbia broke apart upon re-entry to Earth’s atmosphere after a 17-day mission. All seven crew members – Rick Husband, William McCool, David Brown, Laurel Blair Salton Clark, Michael Anderson, Kalpana Chawla and Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon – lost their lives when damage sustained during the launch caused foam to fall from the external tank and strike the left wing, according to NASA’s incident report.

Although many astronauts have lost their lives in the name of space exploration, their sacrifice will not be forgotten and their contributions to science have helped strengthen our knowledge and understanding of what lies beyond our planet.

PH IC AL L G RA

N AS A S FRO M

Abbygail Vasas can be contacted at avasas@kscequinox.com.

World leaders meet in Crimea Groundhog Day ABBYGAIL VASAS

Copy Editor/timE CapsulE Editor The Yalta conference was held in the Russian resort town of Crimea from Feb. 4 to 11, 1945.

At this conference was President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin.

According to the Office of the Historian, a branch of the Department of State, Roosevelt and Churchill allied with Stalin to achieve control in the Pacific.

In exchange for Soviet assistance, Stalin was promised a domain of power over the lands it had lost in the Russo-Japanese war, from 1904-05, after the defeat of Japan.

Not only did the three leaders tackle the war in the Pacific, but they also discussed what to do with Germany and Eastern

Europe at the close of the second world war.

Part of those plans included Germany’s partial responsibility for reparations and the addition of communism to the national

Germany. The decision was come to, and agreed upon by all three world leaders, to establish an interim government which could host free elections to guide the rebuilding of eastern Europe based on what the people wanted.

According to Britannica, the decisions of the Yalta Conference were viewed with disapproval by people in the United States.

Why? Because Stalin didn’t keep his promise of allowing free, democratic elections to establish new governments.

Instead, communist governments were established and any inkling of democracy was crushed in PHOTO PULLED FROM FLICKR Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, government. The main issue Romania and Bulgaria. discussed at the conference, Abbygail Vasas according to Britannica, was can be contacted at what to do with recently defeated avasas@kscequinox.com or liberated parts of Europe, specifically Nazi-occupied

ABBYGAIL VASAS

Copy Editor/timE CapsulE Editor Feb. 2 celebrates an age-old tradition of looking towards a groundhog to determine the remaining length of winter. For some of us, the movie Groundhog Day, with Bill Murray, comes to mind.

The movie features the groundhog Punxsutawney Phil, who is actually famous nationwide as being the one true weather-predicting groundhog since 1887, but the tradition of celebrating on Feb. 2 goes back centuries.

According to the Mother Nature Network, the holiday can be traced back all the way to the ancient Celts and their celebration of Imbolc. It was celebrated on Feb. 1, half way between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox, and represented the welcoming of spring.

Although the tradition of Imbolc explains the reason behind the date, it still begs the question: why the groundhog?

The groundhog may be explained by the migration of Germans to Pennsylvania in the 1800s. Many Germans brought with them the tradition of using the hibernation of animals to predict upcoming weather patterns. Groundhog day became a centerpiece of PennsylvaniaDutch culture, according to BerksMont News. Even today, there are dozens of “grundsau” lodges, or groundhog lodges, whose members speak the traditional Pennsylvania “Dietsch” dialect and are dedicated to preserving the legends of the groundhog.

Abbygail Vasas can be contacted at avasas@kscequinox.com

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Sports / B6

Patriots Column

SportS Editor With yet another week having gone by, four new Owls received LEC weekly awards for their outstanding performances in their sport.

Senior Hope Walsh (women’s swim and dive), first-year Jessica Masotta (women’s swim and dive), first-year Brandon Castor (men’s track and field) and junior Ty Nichols (men’s basketball) all received LEC weekly awards this week, showing the remarkability of KSC athletes.

Hope Walsh received LEC Swimmer of the Week in women’s swim and dive for the third time this season after performing at a toplevel at the Owls’ Senior Day meet.

Walsh was able to win three events, which led Keene State College to a victory over Bridgewater State University

(150-870) and Brandeis University (178-47).

In Walsh’s last home meet of the season, she touched the wall first in the 1,000 free with a time of 11:03.55.

She also touched the wall first in the 200 back with a time of 2:15.59 and the 500 back 5:25.36. Walsh has 12 more meets before the end of her senior season as an Keene State Owl. Fellow teammate of Walsh, Jessica Masotta, earned the LEC Rookie of the Week in women’s swim and dive for the second time this season in two consecutive weeks.

Masotta pulled away both of her wins on the boards while competing against Bridgewater State University and Brandeis University.

She was able to finish first on the one meter board, with a score of 170. Masotta also finished first on the three meter board, with a score of

168.55.

Brandon Castor was named the LEC Rookie of the Week in men’s track in field after performing extremely well at the Bates Invitational.

Castor won the 400 meter dash with a time of 53.36 seconds.

He also placed fifth in the 200 meter dash, his finishing time being 23.76 seconds.

The final KSC athlete to receive an LEC weekly award was Ty Nichols. Nichols earned his second straight LEC Player of the Week honor after averaging 23 points per game with a 42.4 shooting percentage from the field.

Nichols also averaged ten rebounds, three assists and two steals per game in a 1-1 week for men’s basketball. While competing against Eastern Connecticut State University, Nichols scored 16 points, had 12 rebounds, five assists and five steals. He also

led the Owls to an 82-76 victory over UMass Boston, scoring 30 individual points.

Caroline Perry can be contacted at cperry@kscequinox. com

F X S TA F

Caroline Perry can be contacted at cperry@kscequinox.com

CAROLINE PERRY

IN O / EQ U

The 2018 Super Bowl will be played at the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2018. The Big Game will feature the AFC Champions and the NFC Champions, the New England Patriots versus the Philadelphia Eagles. The Patriots are headed to the Super Bowl for the second year in a row, the third time in the last four years, the eighth time in the Brady-Belichick era and the tenth time overall.

Patriots fans are more than excited for their 2017 Super Bowl champions to be returning in the 2018 season, and expect nothing less than greatness. But what can we really expect for the upcoming Super Bowl?

After a slow start, the Patriots figured it out, finding their momentum. The Patriots are now sitting at an outstanding 2/1 odds, going into the Super Bowl with a 13-3 record, and no one seems to want to bet against them. With good reason, though. Few teams have been in the favorite position as consistently as the Patriots have. With the AFC East all but locked up, the Patriots seem poised to make a deep playoff run.

The last time the Philadelphia Eagles were in the Super Bowl was in 2005 and they lost a heartbreaker to the New England Patriots. In two week’s time, the franchise – if not the same players – will get its chance for revenge, but Pats Nation is more than confident that the same results will play out. The Patriots opened at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook as 5.5 point favorites over the Eagles, and the game’s over/under was listed at 47.5 points. With so much confidence in the Patriots already, it’s hard to think they could ever be torn down.

The Patriots earned their way into the Super Bowl after an amazing 24-20 comeback against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Tom Brady played remarkably, throwing 290 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions against the best pass defense in the NFL. Rob Gronkowski faced an early injury when colliding helmet to helmet with Barry Church, gaining a concussion. Due to this setback the Patriots are optimistic that Gronk will be cleared from the concussion protocol before the Super Bowl this Sunday. However, with constant comebacks and successful performances from the Patriots, Pats fans seem just as confident of winning.

The Patriots also have the experience over the Eagles, who are very much the underdogs going into the Super Bowl. Not to mention the Patriots biggest weapon, Tom Brady.

Brady can advance the game for the Patriots easily and has more than enough experience in high stress and high performance situations.

The Patriots opened up as sixpoint favorites over the Eagles when the Super Bowl matchup was set on Sunday night. It was the biggest opening spread since the 2009 game, when a 9-7 Cardinals team took on a 12-4 Steelers team. However in order to take the victory away from the Eagles, the Patriots need to watch out for Philadelphia’s offensive line and the fact that the Eagles defense is focusing on shutting Tom Brady down. Brady is the heart of the offense, so making sure he can do his job is vital for the Patriots.

Although some people may think the Patriots will finally fall this year, I can assure you they will fight before giving up the 2018 Super Bowl LII title.

More and more LEC weekly awards

H E IN D L

SportS Editor

BRIEF

KSC OWLS

RECAP

Dominating Plymouth State CAROLINE PERRY

SportS Editor The Keene State College men’s basketball went up against their rivals, Plymouth State University, on Wednesday Jan. 24. The Owls took a 95-81 victory over the Panthers, as well as had five players in double-figures. With a record of 13-5, the men’s basketball record for the Little East Conference (LEC) moves up to 7-1. Junior Ty Nichols made 7 out of 15 shots from the field and led the team with 25 points for KSC. He added nine rebounds, five assists and a steal. First-year DeVon Beasley scored a career-high of 21 points on 8 out of 10 shooting.

First-year James Anozie had 14 points and a career-best of 16 rebounds total for his fourth double-double in the last five games. First-year Miguel Prieto had 12 points, three rebounds, two assists and a steal off the bench. Senior Dizel Wright added to the list, rounding out the double-figure scorers with 10 points. He added

eight rebounds, three assists and two steals. With the score tied at five in the early minutes of the game, the Owls scored 13 consecutive points to build a double-digit lead. A layup from Wright and a three from Nichols made it 13-5 at the 15:39 mark. Nichols continued to lead, as he drained another three moments later and then made two free throws to make it 18-5 with 13:20 to go in the first half. The Owls continued to extend their advantage after a short surge from the Panthers, getting a layup and a trey from Beasley to lead 38-15 with 6:56 left until halftime. Another Beasley bucket made it a 44-22 game and, later, a layup from Prieto gave Keene State their largest lead of the half with 4:10 to go. The Panthers trailed at half and ultimately could not close up the gap. KSC men’s basketball closed out the game with a 95-81 lead. The Owls will play Rhode Island College this Saturday, Feb. 3, at 3 p.m..

Caroline Perry can be contacted at cperry@kscequinox.com PRIYA GAUTAMCHHETRI / EQUINOX STAFF

Sophomore Ben Olsen dominates in the paint, getting a layup against Plymouth State in last Wednesdays game.

MONDAY - FRIDAY

City Express runs 8:00am-5:00pm Campus/Community Shuttle runs 7:30am-7:30pm

Stops at 7 on campus locations:

Keddy/Campus Safety • Library • Student Center Winchester Lot • Butler Court • Art Center • Fiske Lot

Off campus stops:

Target • Starbucks Market Basket • WalMart Olympia Sports and more!

All City Express vehicles are ADA accessible and are equipped with easy to use bike racks. For more information or a complete schedule, visit cityexpress.org or call 352-8494. TTY use 711.

Eagles Column

ANNA

CAROLINE PERRY

Thursday, February 1, 2018

ALEXANDRIA SAURMAN

Managing ExEcutivE Editor Here we are again, only 13 years later.

The Philadelphia Eagles have conquered the National Football Conference (NFC) and the New England Patriots the American Football Conference (AFC).

In three days, these champion teams will relive the 2004 XXXIX Super Bowl, but the result might be a little different.

Why? The Eagles are considered the “underdogs” (some players even donned dog masks after the NFC game) and they truly are, for many reasons. But this is their strength.

Having never won a SuperBowl, the Eagles will play for a Vince Lombardi Trophy for only the third time in their existence.

“We’re going to the Super Bowl,” Eagles head coach Doug Pederson said.

“We’re going to the stinkin’ Super Bowl.”

The first Super Bowl the Eagles played in was in 1981 against the Oakland Raiders. They lost 27-10, and wouldn’t have another chance at a Vince Lombardi Trophy until 2005, when they played against the Patriots. They lost 24-21.

But that doesn’t stop the Eagles.

“For what they did to us in 2004, to get payback, there would be nothing sweeter than that,” Eagles’ Right Tackle Lane Johnson said. “I remember watching that game when I was 14 years old. I was hoping the Eagles would win. Just coming up short, you could feel the pain, and you could also feel the passion of what this city wants. And we’re here, so it’s right at our fingertips.”

Some, like Johnson, are ready for the game--for the fight--but a few others will have to watch from the sideline. The Eagles suffered great losses this season when a few of their best were injured.

Tackle Jason Peters tore his medial collateral ligament (MCL) and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in October against the Washington Redskins; running back Darren Sproles broke his right forearm and tore his ACL in September against the New York Giants; and, arguably one of the hardest loses, starting quarterback Carson Wentz tore his ACL in December against the Los Angeles Rams.

The Eagles still won every single one of these games.

Losing your top players is hard, but the Eagles have not just survived, but prevailed.

Carson’s injury meant that backup quarterback Nick Foles would have to step up--and that’s what he did. In the postseason, Foles threw 598 yards, which may not compare to Patriots starting QB Tom Brady’s 627, but for someone who’s only been in the National Football League (NFL) for six years (compared to Brady’s 18 years), it’s impressive.

Foles isn’t the only young player on the team. Twenty-three Eagles players have been in the NFL three years or less, compared to the Patriots 20 players. It isn’t a large margin, but when you consider the amount of Patriots players who played in last year’s Super Bowl LI (almost 50 percent), the Eagles can’t compare. But that doesn’t always guarantee a loss.

In Super Bowl IX (1975), the Pittsburgh Steelers conquered the Minnesota Vikings 16-6. From starting with a rookie-heavy roster (because of a strike) to alternating starting QBs, it was “a mess,” described Steelers safety at the time, Mike Wagner, but they still won.

In Super Bowl XVI (1982), the San Francisco 49ers beat the Cincinnati Bengals 26-21. Almost 75 percent of their team was drafted in 1981.

In Super Bowl XLII (2008), the Patriots lost to the New York Giants 17-14.

That was the season where the Patriots went 18-0, setting a new record. The Giants went 10-6 before the playoffs, where they went undefeated.

Going up against an incredible team, even when you’ve won previous Super Bowls (like the Giants), is daunting. But winning is possible.

And it just might be possible for the Eagles.

Alexandria Saurman can be contacted at asaurman@kscequinox.com

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Sports / B7

Thursday, February 1, 2018

Facing adversities on the court Ski &

Slopes

KSC women’s basketball works to make improvements before the season ends JULIA EICHMAN

Equinox Staff The Keene State College 2017-2018 women’s basketball team has faced a lot of adversity this year as a young team, but is working on trying to win more games before the season ends.

The women’s basketball team is currently 3-15 overall and 1-7 in the Little East Conference.

However, senior guard and captain Sandi Purcell has high hopes for the rest of the season.

“All but a couple of games we have been right there, so I have high hopes considering all the adversity we have had to face. We lost a lot of people due to injuries right at the beginning of the season. This lowered our numbers, and then I broke my ankle and was out for six weeks. Regardless of all that our team has really pushed through,” Purcell said.

Currently, the women’s basketball team has one senior, one junior, five sophomores, and four first-years.

This is a significant spread in age compared to the primarily team last year.

Kenzie Bennett, a sophomore and forward for the team, had thoughts on last season compared to now.

“We were a completely different team last year. We were older, had played together for a while, and won a lot of games. This year the chemistry is different, but not in a bad way.

We have different strengths and weaknesses than we did last year. We had to adjust and put last year behind us because it is a new year, it is a new team, and we need to treat it as such,” Bennett said.

Being an upperclassmen this year, junior Emily McPadden and point guard, has helped show underclassmen the ropes.

“We have such a small team that it has been easy to bond with everyone,” McPadden said.

She added, “I think we work well as a team and the veteran players have really shown the freshman how college basketball works.”

Moving forward, the team recently won a game against Plymouth State on Wednesday, Jan. 24.

The final score being 62-49 with the Owls coming out on top.

In preparation for the game, Purcell says, “At the practice leading up to the Plymouth game, we made it our mission to have very competitive, hard working practices to prepare for the game. We all agreed that somehow, we had to find a way to win, and the only way we knew how to do that was through our hard work.

Of course, after that win, we were all ecstatic, and I think it really helped our confidence to get a win under our belt in the conference,” said Purcell.

In their future plans to make improvements and changes for playoffs the team will focus on individual skills, teamwork, and overall determination.

More specifically, “Some changes that need to be made before playoffs are just tightening up, play calling, and looking for the extra pass will be very valuable to us. Also crashing the boards and playing solid defense, not allowing the best players in the league to have great games,”McPadden said.

Julia Eichman can be contacted at jeichman@kscequinox.com

LAURA ROMANIELLO / ART DIRECTOR

KEENE STATE

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

LUKE SWEENEY / EQUINOX STAFF

TRIPLE THREAT Behind the scenes of track and field

Effort and work pushes track team athletes to become better and faster ADRIANA SANCHEZ

Equinox Staff Despite not having their own track, dual athletes, the Track and Field team are killing it.

Sophomore Nicole De Alemeida, who plays for the women’s soccer team and on the women’s track and field team said with no set time for practices the team still makes it work.

“I think the biggest obstacle with track is not having a facility, so it’s always hard to try to find practice times, not a set schedule every day but we make it work, we make the best of it.” De Alemedia said. Having a team that motivates one another is a big factor when it comes to frustration.

“Our coaches are really good at motivating us if we have a bad meet or practice, and our teammates – we’re all pretty supportive of one another,” De Almeida said.

Teammate Jared Hannon recently qualified for the New England Division 3 Championship. He says it’s just an ordinary meet of the season.

“I don’t really look at it as some crazy important meet, that’s how you psych yourself out. It’s just another meet in the season,” Hannon said.

Hannon started running Track and Field when he was in fifth grade, with his family being his biggest supporters. He competes in long jump, 200 meter, 400 meter and

4x400 meter relay, but his favorite is the long jump. or some, not having a track is a setback, Hannon said sickness is his. “ou lose so much when you aren’t able to practice,” Hannon said Other dual athletes include first year Brandon Castor and junior Taylor Bisaillon. Both play for KSC’s soccer teams as well. But that doesn’t stop them from doing their best. Castor said coming to KSCto no track was something he had to get used to. “Back at home, I have a track, and here we don’t, so that’s the biggest controversy here…. The floor is definitely a new aspect that I’ve never really done before that’s probably the biggest challenge here.” Castor said.

Even though he’s only a first-year student, Castor has big goals he plans on achieving.

This past weekend, he placed first in the 400. “I never ran a 400 in indoors, I’ve only done it once outdoors and that was when I was a freshman in high school but I usually stay in 200 meter or under. And he (coach) really was pushing me for the 400 and I tried it for the first time and I ended up winning basically the whole meet,” Castor said.

He wants to make it to the New England’s just like his teammateHannon.

“The rest of the season I do want to push myself to get to New England’s because that’s the biggest goal I have and I feel like that would be a good starting point for my freshman year so if I could at least go to the track and get

a feel of the atmosphere and see what it’s like running with some top competitors.”

Bisaillon, who transferred to KSCher sophomore year said coming into this sport after a year of not practicing for it made her nervous.

“I was really nervous coming into both sports. I was more nervous for track because I didn’t do track at my last school, it wasn’t offered. I went a full year without doing any sort of track workouts at all so that made me really nervous and my senior year I wasn’t a runner, I was strictly a thrower,” Bisaillon said.

Being busy all the time actually has helped her here at Keene.

“I like knowing I have practices at this time, lift at this time, so that means I only have this much time to do homework, so it makes my days more structured and I can actually tell myself when I have to do things.”

Sheand Nicole De Alemeida feel the same way about not having a track. “The biggest obstacle is not having a place to run, especially since you need a track to do stuff.

We don’t have any jumping facilities, we don’t have anything and the only rooms that we do have usually end up getting used by other programs,” said Bisaillon.

Adriana Sanchez can be contacted at asanchez@kscequinox.com

ADRIONA AUSTIN / EQUINOX STAFF

The KSC track and field team gives insight to the work that goes into every practice, as well as the importance of finding set training/practice times.

LAST SEASON Cont. from B8

“It’s bittersweet. Definitely ready to graduate, but there is something in the air that is distasteful. I feel like it's the beginning of the end… or the end of the beginning,” Pascoal said.

Coping with the chaos can be difficult, but Pascoal said you have to ask yourself how bad you want this, because it's not only a commitment to yourself, it's a commitment to your entire team, your coach, your fans, everyone.

Pascoal added, “Most importantly, be able to find the fun in whatever you do. Because if you can't, you shouldn't be doing it.”

Hope Walsh, senior on the women’s swim and dive

team,described facing senior year as difficult and often having two sides.

“Honestly, it doesn't feel real.

I am either in denial, or it just hasn't hit me yet. Maybe I will realize it’s actually happening when the summer is ending and I figure out I am not coming back to Keene. But I am one of those seniors [who] isn't ready for it to end. I have found you either want it to end and are ready for it, or are sad and not ready. It's nerve wracking, really. Exciting but intimidating,” Walsh said.

She said that the hardest part is that she is just not ready for it to end. Walsh added that swimming has been her identity for so long and she doesn't know what she will do without it.

“When I meet new people that know my family, I say yes, I am the swimmer. But now, what will

I say? I won't be ‘the swimmer’ in the family for much longer. And I know it doesn't sound that important or meaningful, but after you have heard and been asked the same question for years, it means something. I know I will miss it.

It's like part of my identity is just not gonna be there anymore, and I will struggle with that,” Walsh said. Alexandra McCafferty said that being a senior is scary and that it is a host of emotions because she doesn’t know exactly what the future holds after KSC. Juggling academics and sports is a never-ending cycle that takes focus the desire to succeed, McCafferty said, but everything is manageable if you truly want it.

Caroline Perry can be contacted at cperry@kscequinox.com

Are you interested in writing for Sports or The Equinox?

Caroline Perry

(802) 522-4738

CAROLINE PERRY

SportS Editor

The Art of Taking Care of you Skis The most important and essential part of skiing is of course your skis.

There is no getting down the mountain without them, so it is vital to have them in hand and in good condition.

There are many things that go into the maintenance of skis, and doing all of them will ensure a safe and fun trip down the slopes.

1. Tuning your skis is vital. If you want the best performance from your skis you should consider doing it regularly. Tuning your skis will provide you with skis that will consistently glide and grip well. When professionals tune your skis, they grind the base, polish the edges and will strategically place and pattern little nicks in the base structure so the skis remove water more efficiently and break surface tension better. Keep in mind, the tuning of your skis should always be done professionally or at a ski shop. Also, always communicate your skill level abilities and where you plan on skiing so they know how to tune your skis so that they are perfect for you. You should tune your skis roughly every 20 ski days 2. Waxing your skis will help prolong the time between tune ups.

You can wax your skis at home, but usually if you take them ski shop they can do it much quicker. When choosing your wax, be aware of where the wax performs best. Some might be ideal for Midwest skiing versus mountain skiing or backcountry versus groomers. Wax is generally chosen by snow temperature so it really depends on what ski resorts you are going to or plan to go to. Waxing generally lasts only 7-10 ski days on the hill, so be sure to get it done regularly for the best performance.

3. Edge maintenance to your skis is required for several reasons.

Racers need different edge angles than regular skiers, contacted with a tree root or rock can damage the edge minorly, and some people even like to dull the tips and tails for a personal skiing preference (park skiing, pipe skiing, racing). This can also be done at a local ski shop. Usually file guides and gummy stones are ideal for edge maintenance, as well as swix diamond guides, which are an excellent tool for basic maintenance or shaping to get bigger damages out.

You can get a good 80-100 ski days out of skis before they really start to lose their luster. Unfortunately skis don’t last forever, and just like every piece of equipment, the materials in skis do have a shelf life. When skis are losing their stuff the wood inside will begin to lose its snap, fiberglass will break down, and the edge hold will suffer.

The benefit to ski maintenance is it will ensure that your skis are performing at their best and if your skis are performing at their best, you will too. Tuning and maintaining your skis will provide you with a better feel and a better edge so you have a smoother ride with the ability to really carve up the hard pack snow. Also, by taking care of your skis, you save more money in the end because they will stay in good condition for a longer period of time.

Caroline Perry can be contacted at cperry@kscequinox.com

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Leading the youth to an active future

SAAC pairs with Keene Parks and Recreation to work with the youth CAROLINE PERRY

SportS Editor The Keene State College Student Athlete Advisory Committee, otherwise known as SAAC, has paired with the Keene Parks and Recreation Department in hopes to lead youth athletes, K-1, in a six-week basketball program. The program first took-off near the beginning of January. Now, in its third week of meeting, the program aims to focus on teaching children basketball through drills and leading stations. These drills help the children improve on their footwork, dribbling, defense and shooting skills. They also aim to start building each and every athlete’s confidence on and off the court.

KSC softball coach Carrah Fisk Hennessey was the SAAC advisor, advising

drills and leading the student athletes who participate at the practices. Hennessey believes that the partnership between SAAC and Keene Parks and Recreation is really important for youth sports, as well as offers many opportunities. The first session was produced with lots of help from all of the KSC coaches, Athletic Director Kristine Kelly, as well as some athletes from the track and field team. Among the first group of student athlete helpers were junior Taylor Bisaillon, junior Jared Hannon, sophomore Nicole De Almeida, junior Anthony Jennings and sophomore Quinn Dorogi.

Bisaillon, a member of the KSC women’s soccer team and women’s track and field team, believes the program opens up a lot of opportunities. “The clinic was a great experience. All the kids were super

enthusiastic and excited to be there, which made our jobs really easy,” Bisaillon said.

Bisaillon said that she thinks it’s important for college athletes to get involved with events like this because it encourages kids to get active. They will also want to continue competing in sports which are not only fun, but help build character. All in all, the event was a lot of fun for both the kids and the volunteers, Bisaillon added.

Juniors Hannon and Jennings both think that participating in the program was a great experience and found working with the youth easy and fun. Both track and field athletes believe the program is a good foundation for the building blocks of the future athletes.

Dorogi said the best part about being able to help out in the program is that “we get to share our passion for sports with

the kids, and really pass that onto them.”

The kids are not only getting physical exercise through the program, but emotional/mental benefits through socialization, added Dorogi.

“I think this program will benefit Keene in the sense where it will bring the community closer. Student athletes get to know the other athletes on different teams, and by working with the kids of Keene, we get to know them and their families,” said Dorogi.

The program (Keene State SAAC) is also sponsoring a Keene State Parks and Recreation Youth Basketball Night that will take place Tuesday, Jan. 30 during the women’s and men’s basketball games in Spaulding Gymnasium. As a part of the event, kids can wear their jerseys to get in free with a parent and come onto the court

to be recognized at half-time.

The overall mission the Keene State SAAC program would like to intensify is the total student-athlete experience by promoting athletic, academic, and social opportunities for all studentathletes,protecting student-athlete welfare, fostering a positive student-athlete image and providing a forum for studentathletes throughout the campus, conference, and NCAA. SAAC posted this on the KSC athletic page. SAAC hopes to encourage the spirit of camaraderie and sportsmanship, while still enabling the tenants of the NCAA Division III philosophy to discover, develop and dedicate.

Caroline Perry can be contacted at cperry@kscequinox.com

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY THE KSC ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT

The Keene State College Student Athlete Advisory Committee paired with Keene Parks and Recreation in order to lead a youth basketball program, grades K-1. The program began in early January.

Going through the last season as an Owl

Seniors talk about how it feels to be in the midst of their last year CAROLINE PERRY

SportS Editor The winter season is in full swing as each and every athlete focuses in on his/ her craft.

However, for seniors, it will be their last time practicing, last time competing and last time representing the Keene State College Owls. As each game goes by, the reality of their season coming to a close becomes more apparent and the importance of ending their career on a good note is evident.

Margaret Dean, a senior on the women’s swim and dive team, said that it hasn’t really hit her yet that this is her last year at KSC. Dean said so far, it feels very stressful and that there is a ton of pressure to be on her A-game, as well as setting a good example once she steps in and out of the pool.

“I feel like I have a little extra pride in

everything I do,” Dean said.

She said that over the years she has gotten stronger and faster, and that among setbacks she found that looking at the small series of accomplishments always revived her faith in the sport she loves.

“Balancing the fear and joy of this being my last year of college is one of the bigger struggles I face,” Dean said.

However, these four years have taught Dean a valuable lesson. “Freshman year I would say my success was defined by my times, but now I would say my success is in knowing I gave one hundred percent effort in all aspects of personal well being,” Dean help lead the team. said.

As a captain of the swim team, MacKinSenior Rachel MacKinnon, also a non said seeing the growth in the team that member of the women’s swim and dive she leads is something she always cherishes. team, said that the feeling is bittersweet. “I “I get to the lead the team and the fact can’t believe it sometimes. I feel like I just that it’s my last go-around is hard. After this started here,” MacKinnon said. MacKinnon season is over, my swim career, which I’ve said being a senior is a perk because she can had since eight, will be ending. It’s a thing

S

that I love and it’s soon time to let it go,” MacKinnon said.

Although coming to the end of something can be challenging, MacKinnon said that when it gets tough and you think about quitting, don’t. “These are your last years so enjoy them and just push through whatever obstacle you have, it will be worth it in the

EMILY PERRY / EQUINOX STAFF

end.”

Dominique Pascoal, a senior on the women’s track and field, described the feeling of being a senior the same way Mackinnon did.

SEE LAST SEASON, B7

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