The Equinox 2.23.17

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THE EQU NOX

The student voice of Keene State College

Vol. 69, Issue #20 Thursday, February 23, 2017

KSCEQUINOX.COM

Keeping the state green with cash

Keene residents protest Dakota Access Pipeline

New NH bill looks to add financial incentive to keep graduates JACOB BARRETT

SEnior rEportEr

DOROTHY ENGLAND

nEwS Editor New Hampshire State Senator and former Keene State College Vice President for Finance and Planning Jay Kahn proposed a bill to help New Hampshire students who stay and work in the state. The bill, which Kahn proposed earlier this month, will create a partnership with employers around the state and the government known as the New Hampshire Graduate Incentive Program (NH GRIP). According to the bill, businesses who agree to participate also agree to pay a minimum of $1,000 per year to a New Hampshire graduate and employee for the first four years that the employee works there. This sum is paid either directly to employees who graduated from New Hampshire colleges or to their lenders to help pay off student loans. In exchange, businesses who take part in this will be listed for other New Hampshire employers and college students to view, according to the bill. In a Washington Post article dated from 2015, a little over 55 percent of graduates stay in New Hampshire compared to nearly 90 percent of graduates staying in states such as California, Texas and Arizona. In a Union Leader article dated from December of 2016, it was reported that graduates don’t find enough opportunities to keep them in the Granite State. The article brought up ideas on funding entrepreneurial efforts made by students using BizGen a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to motivate students to be creative. KSC junior and Rhode Island native Louis Graeve said that he would be more likely to work in the state for an employer with that kind of incentive. “One hundred percent, that would encourage me [to stay in NH]… That’s something that I would totally look into,” Graeve said. As reported earlier this year, New Hampshire has the highest average of accumulated student debt in the country with $33,410 per student in 2015, according to The Institute of College Access and Success. KSC Professor of Economics Dr. William McColloch said that kind of debt can have a negative impact on the economy. “Debt, particularly student debt, is a drag on consumption,” McCol-

“Debt, particularly student debt, is a drag on consumption.” WILLIAM MCCOLLOCH KSC ECONOMICS PROFESSOR

loch said. Furthermore, he said that many New Hampshire students go out of state for school to save money on tuition. He added that New Hampshire does not allocate much money to help students with continuing education. It is not known how many employers would be participating in the program. However, McColloch said that the program could potentially improve local and state economies by putting more money in the pockets of recent graduates and improving the work force of businesses as well. “I think that if you’re keeping recent graduates in state and you’re keeping them in state with a relatively lowered debt burden post-graduation, you’re going to have young professionals that have money to spend and that are living in the region, ” McColloch said. He said that this may be important given the aging workforce in western New Hampshire. According to Suburbanstats. org, the median age in New Hampshire pulled from population demographics of both men and women is 41. Men and women between the ages of 45 and 49 make up the largest number of residents with men at 55,428 and women at 57,302 according to the same report. McColloch said that while Kahn’s proposed bill may help with paying off the high cost of tuition for New Hampshire students and perhaps keep them, if the state wishes to have more students in its schools and stay after graduation, more needs to be done about the cost of attending colleges. Kahn said that the bill is set to be voted on sometime this week. An update will be given online and more information can be found at http://www.nhliberty.org/bills/ view/2017/SB228.

KATHERINE GLOSSER / EQUINOX STAFF

Protestors tell bystanders why they are protesting against TD Bank North, which is one of 10 banks investing in the Dakota Access Pipeline. President Trump approved the motion for the pipeline to be built, which would be built beneath the Missouri River. This river acts as the main drinking source for the Sioux Tribe and many people have protested the project, starting in April of 2016.

Protestors target TD Bank for investing in the pipeline KATHERINE GLOSSER

Equinox Staff Since April of 2016, people started protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline. This pipeline passes under the Missouri River, which is on the eastern border of two Native American reservations. Seven months later, people continued to show their resistance to the pipeline by

organizing a protest at TD Bank North, in downtown Keene. Rindge resident Pat Martin helped organize the protest. According to commondreams.org, TD Bank is one of 10 banks investing in the Dakota Access Pipeline. Martin said their goal was to get people to switch banks that are investing in the Dakota Access Pipeline. Martin, who has been involved in energy issues since the 1970s,

said she has been protesting at the bank on Saturdays since the beginning of December to support Standing Rock in their fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline. Martin said that the protests have gotten a lot of positive responses and that 65 million dollars have been moved from the banks that are invested in the Dakota Access Pipeline. “People have been joining us in

Jacob Barrett can be contacted at jbarrett@kscequinox.com Dorothy England can be contacted at denland@kscequinox.com

KATHERINE GLOSSER / EQUINOX STAFF

SAMANTHA MOORE / ART DIRECTOR

Protestors stand in front of Keene’s TD Bank North, protesting its investment in the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). Supporters of the DAPL say it is the safest and most envionmentally sound option. Critics say it could gravely effect the Sioux Tribe’s culture and drinking sources.

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Index Section A: News .................1-3

Section B: A&E ..................1-4

Opinions ...........4-5

Nation/World...5-6

Student Life ......6-10

Sports................7-10

Associated Collegiate Press

A4: In defense of Journalism A10: Secondhand smoke on campus B1: Beauty and the Beast at The Colonial B10: Religious and on the court

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greater numbers every week and we’re just hoping that people will take it seriously,” said Martin. “I know that it’s a lot of trouble to move your account from one bank to another. I realize it’s not an easy thing to do, but it is so effective.” Keene resident Diana Damato, who held a “Water is Life” sign, said she decided to get involved after seeing a live video feed of police using dogs to attack peaceful protestors at Standing Rock. “I was just horrified that that kind of thing was going on and then I began to follow it and learned more and more that the government out there was not only allowing, but encouraging this kind of hostility and torture, really, of peaceful protestors,” said Damato. “This land is rightfully the Native American’s by treaty rights, but as always, the treaties have been broken and they can’t even rely on the court systems because those are crooked too.” Participant David Blair, who held a sign that read “Divest Now From Genocide #NODAPL,” said that pipelines are not a good investment to anyone because of the negative environmental effects that they have. “We need to turn our energy needs away from oil if we’re to prevent climate disaster. Some oil needs to be left in the ground now and the kind of oil that’s being pumped through the existing pipeline is fracked oil, much of which is particularly damaging to the areas where it’s mined and to the water supply,” said Blair. “So all of those things are reasons why in general

» DAKOTA ACCESS, A2

Contact Us Newsroom: 358-2413 Executive Editor: 358-2414 Advertising/Business: 358-2401 Newsroom: Questions? Contact obelanger@kscequinox.com or cmesser@kscequinox.com

Administrative Executive Editor: Olivia Belanger | obelanger@kscequinox.com Managing Executive Editor: Crae Messer | cmesser@kscequinox.com

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