The Equinox 2.9.17

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THE EQUINOX The student voice of Keene State College

Vol. 69, Issue #18 Thursday, February 9, 2017

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Open forum being held for students to use their voice DOROTHY ENGLAND

News editor

students, an open forum for their input will be held on Friday, Feb. 10, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the Atrium Conference Room of the student center. All students are welcome to attend to ask questions and give suggestions.

Professor Greg Knouff is the head of the committee. In an e-mail, he stated that this forum is important for students to attend so that the committee can have a better grasp of what it is they should be leaning toward as possible models.

“This is an important opportunity for students to articulate their concerns with how the academic structure of the college facilitates their educations. It is important for students to tell us what they value about their education,

Some big changes might be heading towards Keene State College, and if so, it will definitely affect students.

These potential changes will be made in regard to the academic system at KSC. The college’s current system has three schools, one of Arts and Humanities, another of Sciences and Social Sciences and one for the Professional and Graduate studies, with over 40 academic programs within all three schools.

A committee has been looking at ways to make Keene State as effective as possible for students to prosper and learn. They are tasked with coming up with potentially three different academic models for the college and its students to adapt to. » Because this concerns

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The first step towards awareness

CRAE MESSER / MANAGING EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Students decorate shoes for the Walk-A-Mile Kick Off. The Walk-A-Mile events raise awareness for the community of Keene State College about sexual assault awareness. This event was hosted by the committee Sexual Assault and Violence Education (SAVE) in order to raise awareness for the Walk-AMile event on April 22, 2017. According to KSC counselor Forrest Seymour, the event typically raises around $30,000. Funds go to the Monadnock Center for Violence Prevention. People interested in the event can sign up at www.KSCWalkAMile.com. They can either participate individually or in a team. High heels and flats are provided at the event for men and women. For the full story, check out A8 in the Student Life section.

Keene State College speaks on Muslim ban The concept of a liberal GRACE KELLY

equiNox staff Donald Trump issued an executive order on Friday, Jan. 27 to ban citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries to travel to and from the United States.

President Trump signed the 90-day ban that suspends travel from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Yemen and Somalia. However, the order was halted by the Department of Homeland Security over the weekend of Feb. 4.

Still, Trump’s words concerned some, including individuals on Keene State College’s campus.

Keene State junior Hassan Dayo is originally from Somalia and said he is reluctant to travel the U.S. airlines under these unsure conditions.

“I do have family back in Kenya and Somalia still. I’ve been trying to visit my family over the summer, but after hearing what I just heard, I don’t think it’d be possible for me to go,” he said.

Others have taken this as an opportunity to speak out. Dozens of protests occurred all over the country in states such as New York, California, Washington D.C. and others.

Keene State Professor of Women and Gender Studies Taneem Husain said she believes in using the community’s voice to stop this legislation.

“I think what we can do now is try to be as vocal as we can in terms

of protesting. Having bodies in the streets demonstrates that people in the nation are

tions or concerns on immigration can report to the Global Education Office

ANDREA CUZZUPE / EQUINOX STAFF

concerned about the cause.

So, write to your representative and join protests. Being vocal against the ban is probably the most that we can do now, particularly for representatives,” she said.

As for Keene State College, President Dr. Anne E. Huot sent out an e-mail to all students at the college on Monday, Jan. 30.

Her e-mail stated that our faculty supports all members of the community and anyone with ques-

and/or The Office of Multicultural Student Support.

“This is clearly an evolving situation where more specifics are needed.

College administrators are participating in conversations at the state and national levels and will continue to track and share information as it develops. Most importantly, we will stand with each other as we move through this time of

uncertainty,” she stated in the email.

As of last weekend, the Washington Post claims a federal judge in Washington state blocked the ban nationwide temporarily last Friday.

Trump again took to Twitter stating, “The opinion of this so-called judge, which essentially takes law-enforcement away from our country, is ridiculous and will be overturned!” On Saturday, the Trump Administration filed for an appeal on the decision.

The Washington Post also states, directly after the appeal on Sunday, a federal appeals court ruled that the ban would remain suspended for the time being. More information is expected to come Monday and Tuesday.

Chief Officer of Diversity and Multiculturalism Dr. Dottie Morris said diversity is what makes our school systems whole. Morris said, “For the work that I do and what I know to be true, the power of having a diverse community with people from multiple cultures involved in their community, I think of it as the mother of innovation. It adds a certain richness with all different backgrounds. If people are concerned about coming to the United States, as a culture, we lose a lot of innovative thoughts, innovative ideas, as well as good connections with other people.”

Grace Kelly can be contacted at gkelly@kscequinox.com

Top Headlines

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: Black history is American history A10: Black History Month B1: Ice and snow festival B10: Swim and dive champions

arts education at KSC JACOB BARRETT

seNior reporter

Keene State College is designated as the public liberal arts college of the University System of New Hampshire.

However, some of the most popular majors that the college offers do not fall under the traditional liberal arts category, such as professional studies majors like Education and Safety and Occupational Health Applied Sciences.

However, a large number of students who attend the college have not declared majors in these areas. According to the KSC 20162017 factbook, out of the 4,068 matriculated undergraduate students at the college in the fall of 2016, 1,696 have declared majors that fall under professional and graduate studies.

Furthermore, there are other majors KSC offers that are not considered to be a liberal arts major.

However, Associate Provost Dr. Glenn Geiser-Getz said Keene State is a liberal arts college in the sense that it offers a liberal arts education, even in its professional studies courses.

“I think we strive to be a liberal arts college in everything that we do,” Geiser-Getz said.

He said the college tries to incorporate aspects focused on in traditional liberal arts courses into

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traditionally non-liberal arts, more technical areas that students might not get outside of general education courses. These skills include writing and communication skills, historical context, ethics and critical thinking.

“Hopefully woven throughout every course we teach at Keene State is this sense of a broader view of our education,” Geiser-Getz said. He said that these skills and other interests students pick up while attending college is intended to not just land them a job, but to enhance their lives outside of work as well through creating interest in other areas such as the arts.

“I think college is an opportunity for you to prepare yourself for that life. Certainly a job is part of that life, but it’s only part of that life,” he said.

Dean of Professional and Graduate Studies Dr. Karrie Kalich said this approach can be seen in nearly all of the courses offered by the school. “Those liberal arts learning outcomes are heavily embedded in really almost all courses that we deliver,” Kalich said.

KSC senior and safety studies major Mason Robbins said that during his time at the college, he has benefited from this type of education. “I’ve taken advantage of having I[ntegrative] S[tudies] P[rogram courses] being a require-

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Thursday, February 9, 2017

Staying prepared at Keene State College

Rape Agression Defense (R.A.D) classes have been teaching individuals forms of self-defense and awareness since 1989. They are spread across the world in such places as the United States, Egypt, Switzerland and Japan. Keene State College offers classes free to the college community.

Free women’s self-defense class offered on campus DOROTHY ENGLAND

News editor In movies, the bad guys usually lose.

In real life though, nothing’s ever that predictable. However, here at Keene State College, efforts are being made to help individuals stay mindful and prepared in case a bad guy were to show up.

One program in particular is Rape Aggression Defense, or R.A.D., as it’s commonly known. R.A.D. offers classes set on providing individuals with options to stay safe, using skills such as self-defense, being aware and planning ahead.

While there are classes for women, men, kids and seniors, KSC is preparing to offer one for women in February and March. It is a 12 hour course that will meet on Sunday evenings beginning Feb. 19.

Administrative Assistant at the Technology Design and Safety Center (TDS) Deb Williams is one of the instructors for the course and has been for roughly 15 years. For Williams, her interest in the class came from wanting to be a strong role model for her two daughters.

She explained how she attended a class and fell in love with it. “I decided I need to teach it and my supervisor at the time was very adamant about supporting the staff, so I was able to go and become a certifiable instructor,” she said.

Williams said what makes this class meaningful for her is when she sees a timid and shy person gain confidence. “It’s inspiring for me to watch them. It’s only 16 hours, but they transform. Each student will transform in their own way and it’s just awesome,” she said.

Williams said the reason why this program is so important particularly at a college is because it adheres to the statistics.

“If you look at statistics, this is the age group. From a senior in high school through sophomore and junior year in college, that’s one of the biggest age groups that’s affected,” she said. She said this is true for both men and women.

According to Rape Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), “Women ages 18-24 who are college students are three times more likely than women in general to experience sexual violence. Females of the same age who are not enrolled in college are four times more likely.” For men, “Males ages 18 to 24 who are college students are approximately five times more likely than non-students to be a victim of rape or sexual assault,” according to RAINN. She said with these statistics in mind, the environment where the classes take place is meant to be a safe and welcoming place for anyone interested. “I’m not a counseling expert, but we’re definitely pretty comfortable with the difficult conversations…” she said.

“People think of rape as sex and rape isn’t sex; rape is control and taking power away from somebody, so it’s teaching someone how to be successful even when physically you may be at a disadvantage [with] strength, size, whatever. There are definitely ways you can be successful in protecting yourself.”

Williams continued, “Some part of being a successful participant is knowing when it’s okay to comply [and] knowing when it’s okay to fight.

I mean, your biggest goal is to get out alive,” she said.

KSC Campus Safety Officer Michael Gomez is another instructor for the program and said from his understanding, the class’ purpose is to provide students with information on being aware of their surroundings so they can plan out a strategy.

He also mentioned how trusting your gut is vital. “That’s your body telling you something is wrong and you need to do something about

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“People think of rape as sex and rape isn’t sex; rape is control and taking power away from somebody, so it’s teaching someone how to be successful even when physically you may be at a disadvantage [with] strength, size, whatever. There are definitely ways you can be successful in protecting yourself.”

really great opportunity and so important. It’s good to know how you can protect yourself,” he said.

R.A.D. classes are free for participants. There’s also a lifetime warranty, according to their website, meaning once a R.A.D. member, always a R.A.D. member. The classes are taught all over the world, including such places as Egypt, Switzerland and Japan.

Here at Keene State, students can request programs from Campus Safety to run in case they can’t make them at the scheduled times otherwise, according to Assistant Director of Campus Safety Len Crossman.

Crossman said, “Whatever topic they want, we will find a way to accommodate this project and cover that for them.”

Dorothy England can be contacted at dengland@kscequinox.com

Tips for keeping safe on campus

DEB WILLIAMS ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT AT THE TECHNOLOGY DESIGN AND SAFETY CENTER

it,” he said.

Gomez said that’s what the first night is about, talking about situations and figuring out solutions while getting to know each other. “The next two nights are all hands-on and then it comes to the fourth night where they actually get to use all the different moves we’ve taught them against an aggressor or multiple aggressors,” he said.

He said having this opportunity allows participants to practice what they’ve learned. He also emphasized that people don’t have to feel intimidated by other participants, that this is a learning opportunity for everyone involved.

“There’s no competition, everyone’s going at their own pace,” he said.

The classes coming up are intended for women, but the school does offer classes for men as well.

Gomez said there are differences between the two. “[The men’s class is] more geared toward the law and keeping yourself out of situations,” he said. He explained these situations as guys wanting to act tough and “puff out their chest,” thus getting into fights.

He used movies as an example. “When police come, only the bad guy is taken away and a lot of times, you need to know the real law, not televison law or movie law, and that you can get yourself into situations where you’re going to jail along with the person [you’re fighting],” he said.

Gomez continued to say that the men are also given techniques on being an active bystander. “A lot of times, [men] sit back because they don’t know what to do,” he said, noting that this class gives a guide on how to help.

KSC sophomore Derek Hall said being an active bystander is crucial on a college campus. “Oh it’s definitely important,” he said, “you never know how you can help, even just by calling the cops.”

Hall said he doesn’t typically feel unsafe on KSC’s campus. “It’s pretty well-lit and I feel good here, but sometimes off campus it can be a little weird,” he said.

He said he’s experienced it before where drunk people can get really rowdy. “I’ve had times where I feel the need to be cautious,” he said.

Hall said he had heard about the R.A.D. classes from an e-mail and thought it was a great incentive to keep people mindful and safe. “It’s a

Here are some tips according to the Safewise Report: 1. Familiarize yourself with your school’s Campus Safety office.

2. Take extra precaution at night.

Nearly 820,000 people are infected every year in the U.S. 5. Be careful when getting into your car.

Gonorrhea is the 6. Know where you’re 2ndgoing. most commonly reported disease.

7. Have safety and security For supplies the time being there readily accessible. is only one treatment

available.

More KSC’slock Center doescan STI 3. Always up. for Health and Wellness information testing and free condoms available for students. be found at www.

4. Maintain privacy on social Hours: Mon. thru Fri, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m safewise.com media.

Location: 3rd floor, Elliot Center

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Thursday, February 9, 2017

CAMPUS SAFETY report log

Week of: Jan. 30 Monday, January 30 10:07 p.m Winchester Lot: Theft - From Motor Vehicle 11:55 p.m. Carle Hall: Alcohol - Criminal Violation // Controlled Drug Act Violation // - Drug Paraphernalia Possession // - Odor of Drugs Tuesday, January 31 10:42 a.m. LLC: Drug Paraphernalia Possession 2:36 p.m. One Butler Court: Noise Complaint 10:05 p.m. Carle Hall: Odor of Drugs Friday, February 3 1:59 p.m. All campus: Timely Warning / Emergency Notification SAMANTHA MOORE / ART DIRECTOR

Night Owl Café offers new opportunities for popcorn ADRIANA SANCHEZ

Equinox staff Have you ever wondered what’s in your popcorn? Well in the student center at the Night Owl Café (NOC), the popcorn now contains canola oil.

Before this, the NOC popcorn had used Phase Oil. The team members at the NOC noticed that the oil was making the popcorn machine hard to clean. Coordinator of Student Activities and Organizations Britany Gallagher said, “We were finding that it was really difficult to keep the popcorn machine clean and it’s really thick, dense and heavy and it leaves a really oily gross, almost wet sometimes texture on the popcorn.”

People would mistake the oil as butter when it would be left out next to the machine, and, at times, would put more on their popcorn. The popcorn also did not have the crunchy texture with it before, but now, with the canola oil, it’s much better to keep the popcorn machine working well and healthier for people,” explained Gallagher.

There has been positive feedback about this change from the workers, students and other people who stop by.

While figuring out the change, Gallagher

TIM SMITH / PHOTO EDITOR

Students get popcorn at the Night Owl Cafe (NOC) which offers complimentary beverages and popcorn. The NOC is open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m

said she wanted to help her team members.

One of the beneficial parts of this change was the way it helped out the cleaning process for the team members at the NOC. Team member Hannah Melanson said, “When we clean the machine every night at closing, you still clean the machine the same way, but before with the old oil we previously used, it was more work for us because you had to scrub extra when cleaning, but now since we

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ISP classes [and] majors. If there are elements of the current structure that they value, this would be the ideal forum to make this clear as we consider possible changes,” he stated.

Others on campus were asked for input as well, including each academic department and faculty members on campus. Knouff stated that while every perspective on campus is important, the student one will be taken with high value. “We will discuss and analyze student input and look for patterns in the students’ perspectives. We will use this feedback in the formulation of any new models and integrate it into our report meeting of the committee’s charge of evaluating the current structure of academic affairs,” he stated.

Dean of the Mason Library and committee member Celia Rabinowitz stated in an e-mail she hopes students will come to the forum and speak up since she believes students should be included in the conversation on what the future of their college looks like.

“Some students might not think that what schools we have, or whether we have any, or how many deans we have are things which really affect them, but changes in organization can lead to new opportunities for other kinds of changes and so I would encourage students to learn about how the college and their own particular programs are organized and about the conversations we are having about ways the organizational structure could change,” she stated.

She stated whatever possible changes do occur, it could absolutely have an impact on students. “Even though changing the structure of the schools might leave all the departments the same, there might be new ways that faculty in departments could work together, or it might be easier for some faculty or departments to work together.

Changing the way the deans work could open up their time so that they can put more energy into looking for funding for projects or making connections with the community and those things could present new opportunities for students,” she stated.

She continued, “We might also be able to streamline some

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made the switch to the new oil, it takes less time to clean it because there’s less scrubbing to do.”

With this oil change, there also has been an addition to the way someone can flavor the popcorn. Last semester, some of the team members in the NOC had considered flavor toppings for the popcorn. Gallagher had asked the staff to pick their top five flavors out of twenty options. She then picked the

work that is done, which might reduce the workload on some staff or some faculty and that might give them more time to work with students. We are still talking about possibilities, so it’s a little hard to be specific.”

KSC sophomore Cece Miceli said she agrees with the committee’s position on getting a student perspective. “Whatever happens will of course affect students,” she said, “and I personally wouldn’t be able to support something I didn’t think had my voice in it.”

Miceli said for herself, she likes the idea of a more interdisciplinary approach in regards to academics. “You can’t pigeonhole someone in and say, ‘Well you’re an art major, so you can’t be interested in politics,’” she said. She said that’s why as a transfer student from taking online classes at the Southern New Hampshire University, she enjoys KSC’s educational outlook.

“I’m taking a women’s and gender studies course, as well as an ethics one and there’s a lot of overlap, and I really like that because it makes things interesting,” she said. Miceli said education is what one makes of it for themselves. She said, “You have to try to acquire as much knowledge about yourself as you can and your education should be an opening to that self-awareness.”

Dorothy England can be contacted at dengland@kscequinox.com

“You have to try to acquire as much knowledge about yourself as you can and your education should be an opening to that self-awareness.”

CECE MICELI KSC SOPHOMORE

ones that are out right now- ranch, bacon and cheese, sour cream, chives and white cheddar.

There has been a mix of reactions from this. “Some say they hate it and some say they love it,” Melanson said.

KSC student Ian Stewart said he gets popcorn every day with a sizzler and said, “I’m not a big fan of the flavors they have.”

Melanson said it’s more work for her now with the flavors. “Before, we used to just scoop up the popcorn and hand it out, but now after you scoop the popcorn, you need to add the flavor to the bag before you give it to the person,” Melanson said.

The flavor that has been most popular is the white cheddar. “We went out of white cheddar super fast and we already have had to reorder some of it,” Gallagher said.

From these changes at the NOC, some team members can say it has made their job a lot easier when it comes to cleaning. However, regarding the new toppings, the NOC’s consumers either love the flavors or hate them.

Adriana Sanchez can be contacted at asanchez@kscequinox.com

What students need to know: Even though there are no definites, any change to the academic system at Keene State could affect students.

These changes could include, but are not limited to: 1. Faculty or staff jobs being created or lost.

2. Tuition prices increasing or decreasing.

3. More or less related classes being required in a major or minor.

4. More involvement with the outside community of Keene.

If a student is interested in voicing their opinion or learning more, they can attend the open forum on Friday, Feb. 10 from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the Atruim Conference Room of the student center.

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ment,” Robbins said.

Robbins added that he has taken a number of chemistry courses, as well as computer science courses which he has used as the webmaster for a region of the American Society of Safety Engineers. In addition, he said that other “soft skills” like communication and writing will be something he thinks will come in handy as he moves on from the school.

Robbins also said that he has been applying for graduate schools and, while researching, has noticed differences in teaching methods, specifically those that other schools were more focused on such as technical, hands-on work as opposed to case studies and reading.

Safety Studies Department Chair Dr. Larry McDonald oversees the most popular individual major with 373 students declared in the fall of 2016, according to the factbook. He said that although he does prefer the type of education that KSC provides, he thinks that the college’s label of being a liberal arts college is a mistake and does not represent all of the college’s opportunities.

“If you get into the true sense of the term of ‘liberal arts,’ we’re not just a liberal arts college, we have more to offer. I would prefer the label of ‘liberal education’ and I’m a fan of that. I like liberal education.

I’m not a person that thinks that I don’t want our program to be a technical only program.

I want it to have a very broad range of educational opportunities within it and I think that makes us strong, but I think that Keene State College sometimes hides the fact that they’ve got other things to offer that don’t necessarily fit into that liberal arts label, ” McDonald said.

Dr. Kalich said that she also prefers the term of liberal education as a more accurate term that is more inclusive of professional studies to describe the college and if the label were to change, it should be a campus-wide discussion.

However, according to KSC’s website, the Association for American Colleges and Universities, an organization which helps to support and promote liberal arts schools around the country, has changed their wording from “liberal arts” to “liberal education” when describing colleges in an effort to help families know what to expect from the experience.

Jacob Barrett can be contacted at jbarrett@kscequinox.com

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OPINIONS

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Thursday, February 9, 2017

EDITORIAL

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Black history is American History

TIM SMITH / PHOTO EDITOR

Black History Month or National African American History Month occurs annually every February to highlight, acknowledge and embrace the triumphs and successes of African Americans. However, education and the recognition of the central role African Americans have played in our history should not be condensed and only taken into account one out of 12 months of the year.

Instead, we at The Equinox would like to see a shift in our education system as we move forward, so as to integrate and include more historic African American figures into the curriculum. Many textbooks highlight significant white male figures and their role in history, but what about African Americans?

More knowledge of significant African Americans should be included in our schools’ textbooks.

We at The Equinox would like to see more education brought forward in schools, as well as an equal focus on different cultures other than the majority.

Students shouldn’t just be spoon-fed names, dates and brief descriptions like typical history textbooks tend to do. Instead, the culture and history should be embraced in the same ways other more common traditional U.S. history concepts are embedded within our school systems. To cram an entire culture’s history into one month brings up the question of whether or not the other 11 months of the year are to be focused on solely white history?

Also, as it is, Black History Month has only even been celebrated throughout the duration of a month for 41 years. According to history.com, “President Gerald R. Ford officially recognized Black History Month in 1976, calling upon the public to ‘seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.’” Before 1976, Black History Month was nothing more than a national Negro History week. That’s just seven days to reflect on an entire culture’s hardships and accomplishments over time.

Whether a week or a month, the point The Equinox is trying to make is that a time restraint should

“Learning about those different than us is an important aspect in coming together and achieving equality.”

EQUINOX STAFF

not be placed upon the opportunity to embrace and indulge in the historic knowledge of African Americans.

A possible idea going forward would be to introduce courses in higher education that focus specifically on African American culture. Lesson plans could also be put together in secondary education settings so that young adults are exposed to it before graduating high school. Learning about those different than us is an important aspect in coming together and achieving equality.

Through understanding, we are better able to connect with those around us that may be different, and so to be expected to gain a solid understanding by only focusing on this important piece of history for one month out of the year is not enough. Some feel as though labeling February as Black History Month separates us.

According to NBC News, “Morgan Freeman debated the need for Black History Month some years ago, saying he did not want a month long recognition because ‘Black history is American history,’ he said.”

That same article went on to state, “Last year, Stacey Dash called for an end to BET and Black History Month, arguing that in order to end segregation, such entities needed to be abolished.” Since Black History shares equal importance as any other section of U.S. history, it should be taught and treated as such.

TIM SMITH / PHOTO EDITOR

NH may allow business owners the option to permit smoking inside ALYSSA SALERNO

Equinox Staff Businesses might be getting the option to decide whether or not to allow smoking in their establishments. Both sides of the issue have valid and strong cases. Ultimately, businesses should be able to make the decision for themselves, however, I don’t think that many will decide that this new bill will change how they run their establishments. Allowing private businesses to make their own decisions for themselves is the essence of what New Hampshire stands for as a state.

Representative Robert Hull has proposed House Bill 279, which would overturn a decade-long ban on smoking in privately owned, but still public places. If passed, this bill would give places like restaurants, grocery stores, small businesses and even busses the right to allow people to smoke inside.

To be clear, the bill would not force any establishment to allow smoking on the premises. It would only allow for the business owners to decide if they wanted to allow smoking or not.

Hull said the goal is to make the state a “smoking tourist destination,” which could help New Hampshire bring in a lot of money. According to nh.gov, for every pack of 25 cigarettes, the state collects $2.23 in taxes.

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Per New Hampshire state law, a person must be over the age of 18 to buy any tobacco products or lighters. The Keene Sentinel reported just a few weeks ago that Keene vendors have been complying with the laws and not allowing the sale of tobacco to minors.

Critics of Bill 279 include the American Cancer Society and some New Hampshire residents. Their arguments stand on the grounds of public safety and health. Nearly 9,000 New Hampshire residents were diagnosed with cancer last year, and while some say people can choose not to go into the establishments, others say the workers are being forced to ingest the second hand smoke.

On the other hand, people in favor of the bill say they would love to be able to light up over dinner again. Hull said, “It’s always been my pet peeve that we are in the Live Free or Die state and we are not allowed to light up in a restaurant.” Restaurants have only had a ban for about a decade. Many patrons probably remember the days they could smoke in businesses that allowed it.

This bill comes on the heels of both Maine and Massachusetts, legalizing recreational marijuana. While Vermont and Montreal have both previously legalized medical marijuana, New Hampshire is now surrounded by states that have legislation about marijuana, while it does not have any.

Making the state a “smoking tourist destination” could help to bridge the

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gap in how much money it is bringing in through taxes in comparison to the other states that surround it.

Ultimately, the bill is just giving the option for establishments to decide whether or not they allow smoking inside. Since these places are private, the owner has every right to make that decision for their own business. If they have a problem with it, citizens concerned about secondhand smoke can simply go to a venue that does not allow smoking.

If the bill were to pass, the majority of restaurants would probably not change their stance on smoking, but for the few that do, they could appeal to more clientele and bring in more customers from out of state. This bill is for the benefit of businesses, and whether or not you or I like it, the decision is up to each individual establishment.

Alyssa Salerno can be contacted at asalerno@kscequinox.com

ADAM URQUHART / OPINIONS EDITOR TIM SMITH / PHOTO EDITOR

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Opinions / A5

Thursday, February 9, 2017

An immigration ban won’t fix the issues at hand “If the main reason these refugees are being banned from America is because the countries they came from are predominantly Muslim, then we are doomed to repeat history.”

KATHERINE GLOSSER

Equinox Staff The fear of terrorism has gripped America since the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. In the wake of 9/11, the U.S. sent out soldiers to Iraq to shut down Al-Qaeda training camp Salman Pak, as well as eliminate the terrorists and other security threats in America.

Sixteen years later, when ISIS started making threats towards the U.S. and claimed to be responsible for terror attacks around the world, that fear of terrorism stayed. Donald Trump is now amplifying that fear by calling a ban on refugees coming from predominantly Muslim countries Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. He stated by letting in refugees from Muslim countries, potential terrorists would be let in. His stance and ban is not only untrue, but harmful Putting focus on blocking Muslim countries detracts and distracts from the real issue.

There are many ways one can effectively prevent a terror attack, and blocking someone from starting a new life in a safe country is not one of them. If there is a terrorist organization threatening to come to America, get a group of people to investigate the people making threats and tighten security. Do a background check for anyone wanting to become a U.S. citizen.

The process of becoming a refugee is a thorough and long process. According to an article

by Newsweek, the first step to being accepted as a refugee in the U.S. is to register with the U.N. refugee agency or the UNHCR. The types of people they seek to settle in the U.S. are generally the most vulnerable people such as people with injuries, medical conditions, trauma or those from female-headed households. Then, an assessment is performed to make sure they are actual refugees and collects their biometric data, which includes iris scans from Middle-Eastern countries such as Syria, as well as their biographical information. Because of this long process, very few refugees get let into the U.S. Since the Syrian Civil War in 2011, out of the 23,000 Syrian refugees that the U.N referred to the U.S., only 2,281 have been admitted.

As one can imagine, because the process of becoming a refugee is strict and mainly focuses on the vulnerable, the chances of refugees committing terror attacks on U.S. soil is very slim.

According to the Cato Institute, between 1975 and 2015, zero Americans were killed by foreigners from those seven countries. The chance of an American dying from a terrorist attack carried out by a refugee is one in 3.6 billion.

If the main reason these refugees are being banned from America is because the countries they come from are predominantly Muslim, then we are doomed to repeat history. According to the Smithsonian, during the Holocaust, President Franklin D. Roosevelt expressed his concern in letting in Jewish refugees. Like Trump, Roosevelt compared letting in refugees to letting in the “trojan horse.” Immigrants and refugees built the foundation of America. Why ban refugees from Muslim countries in fear of a terrorist attack when they have a potential to make America stronger?

KATHERINE GLOSSER EQUINOX STAFF

Katherine Glosser can be contacted at kglosser@kscequinox.com

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Questions continue to stack over Trump’s plan for the wall ELLIOT WELD

Equinox Staff We all know that walls are made to divide, and further division is the last thing that the country, and the world, needs. President Donald Trump’s biggest campaign promise was one that seemed so far-fetched that even his most fervent supporters believed it to be a pipe dream. Yes, “the wall” and the great promise that it would be built along the entire U.S. and Mexico border was one of Trump’s early campaign staples, but now that Trump has actually passed some executive orders moving us closer to some of his other campaign promises, how far away are we from this wall?

It’s hard to know where to begin with the criticisms of the wall. First of all, it begs the question of who is going to pay for it. Estimates on the price of the wall have ranged greatly, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell estimated the cost between $12 and $15 billion, while other estimates have been as much as $20 billion. The last thing that Trump’s base wants is for him to raise taxes to pay for this wall, so President Trump decided to add on that Mexico is going to conveniently pay for the wall and has been searching for a way to get them to do so since.

The Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto, of course, insists that Mexico will pay for no such wall, and why would they? According to the Pew Research Center, more Mexicans have left the U.S. than have come in since 2010. Most of the immigrants, legal and illegal, coming across the Mexican border are now from other Central American countries Then, there’s the question being what would the wall accomplish? Most areas of significant population along the border already have a large fence of some sort, not to mention border patrol. In 2009, the Department of Homeland Security’s Secretary, which was Michael Chertoff at the time, said that 580 miles of the Mexican border had fencing along it. The total area of the border covers about 2000 miles, mostly desert.

One glaring question is how would the wall be maintained?

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As decay is inevitable in the desert, would there be border security officers constantly driving up and down the wall looking for wear and tear to be fixed?

Add the price of maintenance to the wall’s construction price and the whole thing begins to sound like a big dent in the nation’s annual budget.

What was it that brought people to love the wall in the first place? One of Trump’s more well-known campaign speeches came in 2015 when he said, “When do we beat Mexico at the border? They’re laughing at us, at our stupidity, and now they’re beating us economically, they’re not our friend, believe me, but they’re kill-

ing us economically. The U.S. has become a dumping ground for everybody else’s problems and these aren’t the best and the finest. When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best, they’re not sending you.

They’re sending people who have lots of problems, and their bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime, they’re rapists, and I assume some are good people.” The Trump crowd loved it. The idea of antagonizing Mexico and blaming them for the United States’ problems was fascinating to them, and Trump rode the wave of xenophobia straight to the White House.

SAMANTHA MOORE / ART DIRECTOR

Trump went on later in his campaign to point out how many manufacturing jobs moved to Mexico, and how he would bring these lost jobs back and to make sure they stayed. The working class of rural America, which had lost their jobs to outsourcing, heard this and believed, or hoped, that making Trump president would give them work again.

The wall became more than just a physical barrier.

It became a symbol to keep all our jobs here, and all the “bad hombres” out. Trump gave himself the image of an economics guru who could bring employment to all, bring our jobs back from Mexico and build a wall between us for good measure. Trump has never addressed the fact that technology may be taking more jobs than outsourcing. A study by Ball State University showed that U.S manufacturing grew by 17.6 percent from 2006 to 2013, and that 88 percent of lost U.S. factory jobs were taken by robots and other technology.

But I’ll humor the President and look at another example of an infamous wall. The most well-known and modern example would be the Berlin Wall. In light of Trump’s recent executive order, the mayor of Berlin, Michael Muller, asked Trump to reconsider.

“We cannot simply accept that all our historic experiences are being thrown into disarray by the ones we have to thank most for our freedom: the Americans. I call on the U.S. President to not go down this wrong track of isolation and exclusion.” Said Muller, according to a translation by the Washington Post.

We live in a time in which Democrats and Republicans can hardly engage in a political discussion without it digressing into petty insults. Trump’s “Time” magazine cover referred to him as the “President of the Divided States of America.” We were founded by a group of immigrants fleeing religious persecution and have always prided ourselves as the saviors of those who seek the same. How can we keep that reputation if we build such a wall? It would act as a massive symbol of exclusion.

Elliot Weld can be contacted at eweld@kscequinox.com

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STUDENT LIFE / A6

Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017

Two KSC students attend Women in Mathmematics conference

TIM SMITH / PHOTO EDITOR

KSC senior mathematics majors Brooke Hatanaka and Katie Marinoff try and figure out the math equations together.

Both mathematics majors present their presentations at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln EMMA HAMILTON

StudEnt LifE Editor Senior mathematics major and minor in statistics and computer science Brooke Hatanaka is one of two KSC students who attended The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Conference for Undergraduate Women in Mathematics (NCUWM) this past weekend.

The conference was Friday, Feb. 3 through Sunday, Feb. 4 and Hatanaka presented her poster presentation on Saturday.

“My poster is called ‘Characterization of Pythagorean Triples in the Root 2 Field Extension of the Rational Numbers.’ Essentially, it is about characterizing pythagorean triples in the root 2 field extension of the rational numbers by comparing them with pythagorean triples in the integers,” Hatanaka said.

She continued, “Since all pythagorean triples in the integers can be generated and characterized by one formula, we hope to generate and characterize all pythagorean triples in the root 2 field extension of the rational numbers. I have discovered some results so far, but I have not yet characterized all of the triples in the field. I will continue to work on this research this spring and my next step will involve applications of the three formulas for generating pythagorean triples (found on my poster) in matrix form.”

Senior mathematics major and physics minor Katie Marinoff also attended the conference with Hatanaka.

Marinoff said the purpose of the conference is to encourage undergraduate woman to share their work and show them the different options available after graduation.

“I originally submitted my presentation as an oral presentation, but they received a lot of submissions for that, so I resubmitted it for the poster section, which they accepted,” Marinoff said Hatanaka and Marinoff’s professor Dr. Caitlyn Parmelee invited them to the conference.

Recently, Dr. Caitlyn Parmelee graduated with her PhD from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) and has worked both and presented at the conference. Parmelee has been attending almost every year she attended UNL, according to Hatanaka.

“I have been doing research with my professor, Dr. [Vincent] Ferlini, since my sophomore year at Keene. However, I have only presented my research at the Academic Excellence Conference here at Keene State for the

past two years. So, Dr. Parmelee spoke with Dr. Ferlini, asking him to recommend students for her to invite and he suggested that she invite me,” Hatanaka said.

Hatanaka said she hopes to gain more experience and presentation skills from attending the conference.

“Since I’m presenting a poster, I could get asked a question by anyone at any time, so it’ll keep me on my toes for sure and force me to think further into my research,” Hatanaka said.

The conference also has workshops every year, and Hatanaka said this year’s workshop is focused on graduate school.

Hatanaka said, “When applying for the conference, I got to pick and choose which workshops about graduate school that I wanted to attend that would benefit me the most.

I think that these workshops will give me clarity about graduate school and answer any questions that I may have about applying and preparing.”

Dr. Caitlyn Parmelee, Assistant Professor of Mathematics here at Keene State attended NCUWM as an undergraduate student and presented in the conference while attending.

Parmelee said the conference played a large role in her decision to go to graduate school.

“Seeing other undergraduate women in mathematics presenting their own research was really inspiring and I learned a lot about what kinds of careers used mathematics. I applied to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for graduate school because of my experience at the conference. During my time as a graduate student at UNL, I continued to be involved in the conference as a volunteer. It is exciting to be going to the conference now as a faculty member,” Parmelee said.

Though Parmelee participated as a student in the conference at one time, this time her role will be being a mentor.

Parmelee said, “I hosted a table during the networking dinner and met many aspiring female mathematicians who wanted to hear about my research in mathematical neuroscience, or why I decided to go to graduate school, or how to get into a R[esearch] E[xperience for] U[ndergraduates.] I have had a lot of wonderful mentors throughout my career and it is really amazing to give back and mentor the next generation. The conference also allows me to reconnect with the faculty and graduate students from my time at UNL.”

Hatanaka plans to take a gap year after graduating from Keene and then attend graduate school. She is planning to take her Graduate Record Examination (GRE) in the spring to further herself in the application process.

“I hope to attend a school that will allow me to get my PhD in Advanced/ Applied Abstract Algebra. In addition to searching for graduate schools, I will also be searching and applying for jobs in the mathematical field around New England. Mathematics has kept me so positive because it is such a big field; I know I will find myself doing something I love,” Hatanaka said.

From the conference, Hatanaka hopes to learn more about herself, graduate schools and other mathematicians across the nation.

She hopes to gain new connections and friendships with others who are also passionate about math and aspire to attend graduate school one day.

Hatanaka said she would like to thank her professors Dr. Vincent Ferlini and Dr. Caitlyn Parmelee.

“This conference wouldn’t have been possible without them. I am truly grateful for all they have done for me in preparing me, as well as pushing and encouraging me to take advantage and make the most out of this opportunity,” Hatanaka said.

Marinoff said, “It’s interesting to talk to other people who are studying math to hear what the program is like at their school and what they plan to do with their degree. I enjoy seeing what research other people are doing.

I’m also looking forward to seeing [the] University of Nebraska. I’m currently applying to grad[uate] schools, including UNL, so it it will be nice to see the campus. I’m a little nervous about actually giving my presentation since I’ve never given a poster presentation before, but once I’m actually there, I’m sure I’ll feel better.”

Marinoff wants to get her doctorate in mathematics.

She said she is unsure what field specifically, but is leaning towards number theory, algebra or geometry.

“I think this conference will benefit me by getting to talk to other people who are in the same place I am, that is, graduating soon with a bachelor’s in math and applying to grad[uate] schools. Plus, of course, it’s a pretty good resume booster,” Marinoff said.

Emma Hamilton can be contacted at ehamilton@kscequinox.com

Eating with the Equinox: Chocolate chip cookie balls D’s Deli possibly accepting a meal swipe in the future JURIEN GARRISON

KATE FAULKNER

Equinox Staff

Equinox Staff Need a simple snack to grab on the go when you’re late for class? These quick, no-bake chocolate chip cookie balls are delicious and vegan. They can easily be made in a dorm room and will satisfy your sweet tooth. Try adding dates into the recipe to increase the fiber in your diet.

EWTE is supported by the Student Nutrition Association at Keene State club (SNAKS).

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes for “chilling” Total Time: 45 minutes Servings: 30 cookies Ingredients: 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter 2 ripe bananas, mashed* 2 1/2 cups dry oats 1/2 cup chocolate chips 3 tsp vanilla extract

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY KATE FAULKNER

Directions: 1. In a medium bowl, combine peanut butter, bananas and vanilla extract until well-mixed.

2. Mix in oats and chocolate chips.

3. Make into small bowls, put into the fridge and wait until they are chilled. http://spoonuniversity.com/recipe/3-ingredient-cookie-recipe

KSCEQUINOX.COM

What if? That’s the question surfacing the Keene State College rumor mill. With a town so closely connected to its college, there’s got to be a better and easier way to make business happen, right? With it’s new location across the street from campus on Winchester Street, owner of D’s Café Darren Humphrey is trying to make a push for Owl Cash or some form of a meal swipe to be implemented for students to use.

Multiple accredited colleges do it, such as the University of New England and UMass Amherst. Students are allowed to use their meal plan dollars at local restaurants. This system allows students to go out into the community and add variety to their diet. “It would definitely be good to have a variety of meals to choose from instead of constantly having to choose from Lloyds or Hoot [n’ Scoot] if we get sick of the D[ining] C[ommons.] Some places that I would love to be able to use a meal swipe at are places like Subway, Brewbakers and Fritz,” said Keene State College senior Mike Devaney.

Eating from the same spot for nine months starts to get boring after a while for most students. This

system also allows for businesses on Main Street to have better business and a stronger relationship and respect for students, as they show support for the community they go to school in.

“I would like to see a whole list of local businesses that allow students to use a meal swipe at their restaurants and not just mine. I’ve been talking with the school for a while now about it and they seem interested. With my business being so close to the school, I think I can really form a great relationship with the students. My prices are already affordable enough, but I think adding a meal swipe option would be even better for students to come to the café and relax while getting a quality meal,” said Humphrey.

Owner of D’s Deli and D’s Café, Humphrey said, “Students wouldn’t be able to purchase alcohol from me on a meal swipe; it would just be food and your basic soft drink. I think that adding a meal swipe for local businesses would really attract more students to the college and would add another level of uniqueness to the dining options at the school.”

“I definitely would use a meal swipe at a local business,” KSC senior Joe Bar-

besco said. “I’ve been here for almost four years in May and I can tell you, I wish they had set something like this up a while ago. My other friends’ schools have off-campus meal swipes, so I think it’s time Keene did too. With our community and college being so close, why wouldn’t they have done it already?...I think giving students meal swipes to off campus locations just gives them another reason to get out of the door and go out into the community. It’s always nice to have a new variety and quality meal and a place to go that is different and where you can just relax for a little bit.”

Jurien Garrison can be contacted at jgarrison@kscequinox.com

TIM SMITH / PHOTO EDITOR

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STUDENT LIFE / A7

Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017

Gaining confidence while studying abroad in Spain MARY D’ORVILLIERS

Study AwAy

My name is Mary D’Orvilliers, and I am a secondary education and Spanish double major who has the absolute pleasure of studying abroad in Alicante, Spain this semester.

The simple action of coming to Spain and leaving behind my family, friends and boyfriend was not easy, but I know that this is an incredibly special opportunity for me to engage with the Spanish language, culture and people.

I have been here for less than a month, but I have already been exposed to so many new elements of life, elements that have exposed me to so many opportunities.

I am extremely fortunate to be living on the street adjacent to the beach and the Mediterranean Sea with a wonderful single host mother.

She doesn’t speak any English, so at first, it was difficult to communicate with the absence of words that I had forgotten or never learned, but she is very sweet and her kindness has created an atmosphere where I feel at ease, even if I make a mistake.

My language and communication skills have already improved tremendously, which has given me a newfound level of confidence in my ability to communicate.

I am no longer constantly translating sentences in my head before I speak; I now have a sense of poise and composure that comes from my determination to perfect my oral skills.

Leaving the states was difficult for me because I am a Zumba instructor; without a visa, I knew I wouldn’t be able to teach in Spain.

However, I found a gym that offers many different types of classes (Zumba included), so I bought a membership.

From the beginning, I introduced myself as a Zumba instructor from the states and offered my services to the gym.

Although I cannot teach my own class without a visa, the Zumba instructor lets me demonstrate some of my routines during his classes.

At first, the class was a little hesitant to try another instructor’s routines (because my style is very different from the current instructor’s and the class has all of his routines memorized), but from my second week in class, I began to introduce some songs from my routine.

This proved to be a challenge because I had no idea how to cue my routine in Spanish, but I took a deep breath, smiled wide and taught my routine with nonverbal cues.

The class went wild. With being here almost a month, the class is beginning to memorize portions of my routines as well.

As my time in Spain lengthens, I will continue to introduce more songs.

The instructor even said that I might be able to teach

“My mantra is: entienda más, viaja más, sonrie más, y disfruta la vida más. (Learn more, travel more, smile more and enjoy life more.)”

MARY D’ORVILLIERS KSC JUNIOR

an entire class of my routines before I leave.

Spain has provided me with so much more, in addition to this new newfound sense of confidence, so I knew that I wanted to give back to the community in some way.

Teaching Zumba was a step in the right direction, however, I knew that I wanted to do more. I applied to become a tutor for children who want to learn how to speak English.

Once a week, I meet with children who are very dedicated and passionate about their studies.

I meet with two boys, Sergio (11), Marc (6) and a girl named Maria (11).

This is a great opportunity because I learn from them as much as they learn from me.

Also, I am able to use my education major while abroad. I create mini lesson plans weekly.

For example, last week, I taught Sergio all about adjectives and nouns through the written word and the story “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle.

He read the story aloud to his brother, Marc, who Mary D’Orvilliers looks over Alicante after roaming the city streets. followed along with a coloring page.

This experience is heartwarming because I can see the effect that I am having on these children already and I can’t wait to see how much they develop over these next four months.

I know that this is a once in a lifetime experience and I can’t wait to continue on with my exposure to this phenomenal culture and lifestyle.

My mantra is: entienda más, viaja más, sonrie más, y disfruta la vida más (Learn more; travel more; smile more; and enjoy life more.) See you next fall, Keene State!

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO BY MARY D’ORVILLIERS

Mary D’Orvilliers can be contacted at mary.dorvilliers@ksc.keene.edu

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO BY MARY D’ORVILLIERS

Mary D’Orvilliers was able to hike and explore with fellow exchange students

Humans of KSC If you could choose your favorite place in Rhode Island, where or what would it be?

In Rhode Island, by far my favorite place is on the water, which of course isn’t hard when most of the state is covered in coastline.

There are a number of reasons that on the water I am my happiest, whether or not I am on a boat, stand-up paddling,surfing or swimming, I can honestly say I haven’t had a bad day on the water yet.

It helps that I’m always with my friends and family and a good time is rest assured. I have taken advantage of the awesome town of Middletown that my parents picked to raise my sister and I. HUMANS OF KSC IS PRESENTED BY JACOB PAQUIN

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STUDENT LIFE / A8

Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017

Walk-a-Mile fundraising kick off

CRAE MESSER / MANAGING EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Students decorate high heels for men to raise awarness for violence prevention. The participants will be walking in the annual Walk-a-Mile event this April.

Mentors in Violence Prevention begin hosting events to bring awareness of sexual violence EMMA HAMILTON

StudEnt LifE Editor As words of violence prevention echo from the Mabel Brown Room a message was relayed that men will display themselves in a fresh pair of stilettos.

On Tuesday Feb. 7, the Monadnock Violence Prevention (MCVP) group teamed up with Keene State College’s Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) to host their annual kick-off event in the Mabel Brown Room filled with shoe decorating and information about the upcoming walk this spring.

KSC senior Sophia Olsen has a part of the committee this year to organize the event.

“Initially, I was only a part of Mentors in Violence Prevention, which I am on our e-board for, and our advisor Forrest Seymour said, ‘Sophia you’re a part of this [committee for Walk-A-Mile] now.’” Olsen said.

According to Olsen, the committee sits down to talk about the event itself and what they can do to promote it, such as the kick-off.

Olsen said the kick-off gets people thinking about the event that is coming in the spring and primarily gets people to remember violence prevention is a legitimate issue that people need to get involved in.

“Decorating shoes has been an annual part of the kick-off along with the shoe contest,” Olsen said.

Olsen has been apart of the Walk-a-Mile event every year she has been at KSC. Though the committee is new for her, she has enjoyed being apart of the event the past three years.

“Walk-a-Mile in general is a national organization which is to get men to be more involved in violence prevention. Statistically speaking one in four women will experience sexual assault during their time in college,” Olsen said.

She continued,“this is a fun event where men get to wear heels and walk a mile for awareness. A lot of the men come back with blisters or broken heels but it’s like any other kind of marathon and they raise money beforehand so the proceeds can go to a crisis center.”

Olsen said the organizations on campus participate in this event annually.

The Greek Life organizations all participate and have their own teams.

She also said anyone on campus is able to make a team or do the event individually. “Even if you can’t make it to the event, you can still sign up and raise money for the cause,” Olsen said.

Olsen believes violence prevention has been stereo-

typed as a women’s issue, which is why informative events like this are so important to her.

“I think this is a really great invitation to men,” Olsen said. “It lets them know this is an everyone issue. I think solidarity from either gender is really important.

We need men to be involved in this kind of fight.”

Coordinator of Sexual Violence Prevention Forrest Seymour has been advising the event for the 11 years it has been at KSC. “Walk-a-Mile is always in April and the past three years we have held the kick off in February,” Seymour said.

This year Walk-a-Mile will be held on Saturday.

April. 22 at 10 a.m.

“It [Walk-a-Mile] functions as a fundraiser for them [MCVP] and typically we raise around $30,000. MCVP is in close connection with KSC and a great resource for not only us but the community,” Seymour said.

Seymour said how the event usually has 300-500 people attend in April.

“Walk-a-Mile is a great way for people who may not be able to donate much of their time to violence prevention but they’re willing to go on a walk on a Saturday morning. I consider it an entry-level activist thing to do.

It something fun that draws people in,” Seymour said.

The kick-off event acts as a start to the fundraising

season as well, according to Seymour. He said people are able to register for the walk, form a team with their friends and able to start fundraising. It gets people thinking about the event coming up in the spring.

KSC junior Tim Peterson has participated in Walk-aMile in the past to help with traffic control.

“It is rewarding and good to know that we are not just doing this for fun, good will come out of this and people will benefit from this. It will help people who don’t necessarily have the power to help themselves,” Peterson said.

Peterson said he believes one of the largest problems violence prevention faces is a lack of awareness. “Walka-Mile not only raises awareness but it also raises funds to help fight these problems and both of those are two of the biggest steps forward that we can take towards these problems. Regardless of my gender I think this is fighting problems from two of the hardest sides. This is a big success every year,” Peterson said.

Emma Hamilton can be contacted at ehamilton@kscequinox.com

The struggle of spending too much money on textbooks JILL GIAMBRUNO

Equinox Staff

College students are no strangers to budgeting. When it comes to balancing grocery shopping, weekends out socializing and, in some cases, rent, there’s usually not any room to spend money on anything else. However, more and more college students are finding themselves having to cut into certain aspects of their budgets just to afford textbooks.

The cost of college textbooks has risen 1,041 percent since 1977, according to an NBC News article published in 2015. A single textbook can cost anywhere between $20$300, and when most students find themselves enrolled in three to five classes a semester, it all begins to add up.

Keene State College junior Megan Weltler is no stranger to this struggle.

“There have definitely been times where I’ve had to choose buying my textbooks or buying groceries for that week,” Weltler said. “As an independent student who does not receive any financial help from my parents, this creates a very stressful situation and I’ve found that I have

to buy my books at different times so I can ration my money out properly to be able to afford both.”

At the end of the semester, Weltler said she can’t even count on returning her textbooks.

“I’ve definitely experienced troubles every single semester when it comes to book buy-back time. I’ll get denied because either the school has too many copies and won’t buy anymore, or I will get such a small fraction of what I paid for that it’s not even worth it to sell them back.”

Alternatives to buying textbooks are no help, according to Weltler, who said, “The price to even rent textbooks is sickening.”

KSC senior Danielle Croteau said that a decent number of her professors at KSC have been sympathetic to the overwhelmingly high cost of textbooks required for their class.

“Textbooks have never been optional for any of my classes, but professors will [opt not to] have one if they feel it’s too expensive and just scan materials to give through Canvas,” Croteau said.

Croteau said she used to get her textbooks from Barnes & Noble because the price was a little more manageable.

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“Recently, I’ve kind of given up and just buy from the [KSC] Bookstore,” Croteau said. “I haven’t attempted to sell them back yet, but what I’ve heard is that you don’t even get half your money back. It’s unfortunate.”

KSC junior Chris Oblon spent nearly $300 on textbooks this semester alone. “[$300] is rather expensive for a thing I spend more time using to prop up my slightly off-level armchair than actually reading,” Oblon said.

Upon buying textbooks, Oblon said, “I can’t help but think of all the things that money could have gone to, like a new armchair or 10 new legs for the armchair I already have.”

Oblon said more often than not, he buys his textbooks from the oncampus bookstore because the purchase is quick and easy, but selling them back at the end of the semester? Not so much.

“Buying and selling textbooks is the biggest rip-off since hotel minibars; never before have I seen something charge so much for so little in return,” Oblon said, adding that at the end of the semester, he can really only count on getting about $5 back from the initial $300 he spent.

“The price to even rent textbooks is sickening.”

MEGAN WELTLER KSC JUNIOR

When it comes to the inflation of textbook prices, Oblon can’t wrap his head around it.

“I just don’t understand how we can live in this technological wonderland where all the information you could ever want is just a Google search away and still need to buy expensive textbooks,” Oblon said.

“Books of any kind have no business being $100 or more, and if they must be, at least let people sell it back for a similar price.”

Jill Giambruno can be contacted at jgiambruno@kscequinox.com

ANDREA CUZZUPE / EQUINOX STAFF

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STUDENT LIFE / A9

Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017

Greek Life moves to having only one recruitment period a year ADAM URQUHART

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LUKE STERGIOU / SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

As the spring Fraternity and Sorority Life recruitment period kicks off, a new model for recruitment periods will go into effect moving forward.

Spring recruitment will now be the only formal recruitment period, whereas before, this period occurred in the fall as well. This semester’s recruitment period runs from Jan. 30 to Feb. 10.

Coordinator of Fraternity and Sorority Life and Student Leadership Brandon Mathieu works with the Interfraternity and Panhellenic Councils, which are the governing bodies for the fraternities and sororities on campus.

Mathieu said, “Historically, we have always done a fall and spring recruitment, but we are moving to a model where fall will be an informal recruitment period. So, anyone who wants to recruit a new member class in the fall will do so individually on their own as a chapter versus getting resources and support from the Interfraternity Council or the Panhellenic Council.”

Mathieu explained that spring will be the full blown formal recruitment period, where the governing bodies will support the chapters.

He said, “That is pretty typical at many colleges and universities across the U.S..

This alignment is starting as of this spring and will continue going forward.

Mathieu said, “We have set it now, where this is our formal recruitment period this year and then moving forward there will be no more formal fall recruitment period.”

Mathieu explained that logistically, this model made more sense to kind of phase out the fall and make spring the primary recruitment period.

Mathieu said, “This is because that’s really when first-years can go through and that’s the most targeted recruitment class that our chapters go for.”

First-year students typically don’t have credits or a GPA yet until spring semester starts.

Mathieu added, “We require all Keene State students to have at least 12 credits and a 2.5 GPA to join a sorority or fraternity.”

Mathieu also explained that the sororities in particular are hopefully looking to grow their community in the next couple of years and welcome a fourth or fifth sorority on campus.

Mathieu said, “In order for us to get to a level where that would happen, we need to start adjusting some of our practices to be a little bit more in line with national trends so that we can get to that place and have a successful expansion period if we wanted to welcome another group here.”

This new recruitment period alignment has some feeling optimistic.

LUKE STERGIOU / SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

“Historically, we have always done a fall and spring recruitment, but we are moving to a model where fall will be an informal recruitment period.

So, anyone who wants to recruit a new member class in the fall will do so individually on their own as a chapter versus getting resources and support from the Interfraternity Council or the Panhellenic Council.”

BRANDON MATHIEU COORDINATOR OF FRATERNITY AND SORORITY LIFE AND STUDENT LEADERSHIP

LUKE STERGIOU / SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

LUKE STERGIOU / SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

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Senior majoring in Safety and Occupational Health and Vice President of Recruitment for the Panhellenic Council Rachel Powers said, “I think it’s going to help because we’re trying to expand by adding a new sorority potentially in the coming years.

Powers continued, “So, with us not having the fall recruitment, we can even out our numbers because there’s a big range in one sorority over the other.”

“We’re trying to even out to an even playing field.” Powers explained that as Vice President of Recruitment, she oversees and plans it out by booking all the rooms and making sure everyone knows all the rules they have to follow.

In terms of how Greek Life has benefited her, Powers said, “I’ve become more confident, I’ve gained leadership skills from having different positions and I know I have a support system here...It’s a home away from home.”

Junior majoring in Women and Gender Studies and Vice President of Recruitment for the Interfraternity Council (IFC) Jp Colasacco feels similarly in terms of that support system. Colasacco joined a fraternity when he was a first-year student.

He said, “I wanted to do something different in college.

As a f[irst-year], I went to Meet the Greeks and I went to the involvement fairs and I just wanted to do something that was going to benefit me later on in life and with fraternities and sororities, you’re a part of those organizations for the rest of your life.”

He explained that one of the biggest aspects of it is the amount of networking, friendship and bonds you make.

Colasacco said, “It’s just all about that bond and the networking you’ll have for the rest of your life.”

When asked his thoughts on the new system of having just a formal recruitment period in the spring, Colasacco said, “I think that it’s going to lead for better numbers and more opportunities for people to come and join and meet the brothers and sisters for whatever organization you’re going to recruitment for.”

He continued, “I think it’ll be an interesting outtake on maybe the kind of people that go to recruitment just because you’d think that it’s like the cookie cutter kind of student that would come to recruitment, but it really isn’t with this campus.

So, I think having it just in the spring allows for more communities of students on campus to want to attend recruitment because it allows for one set period.”

He further explained that in the fall, it’s more of a growing period and a time for students to be thinking about wanting to join.

Colasacco said, “To join a Greek organization, you’re going to want to do it. If you don’t want to do it, then it’s maybe not the best fit for you because there are so many different things you can do on a college campus.

But if you have the urge to do it, then I strongly encourage people to do it.”

He continued, “If you have the interest, going to recruitment is the best time to meet the brothers and the sisters and learn about something that can benefit you for the rest of your life.”

Adam Urquhart can be contacted at aurquhart@kscequinox.com

LUKE STERGIOU / SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

LUKE STERGIOU / SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

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STUDENT LIFE

Student Life, A10 Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017

The importance of Black History Month MARY CURTIN

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February is Black History Month, and has long been recognized to celebrate the triumphs of people of color in the United States (U.S.) and their importance in U.S. History.

2017 has been marked a historic year in American History since the inauguration of President Trump.

In a recent address, he noted February as “National African American History Month” and observed and named few important people of color that are important to the progression of the U.S. According to Mother Jones, he praised Frederick Douglass, an abolitionist who died in 1895, as someone whose work is being “recognized more and more.”

This lack of historical comprehension from the President, creates real consequences.

For example, According to Southern Poverty Law Center, within 10 days of the election, there had been an increase in hate crimes throughout the U.S., 23 percent with 180 incidents recorded of these crimes being anti-black.

“Black History Month is a reminder that we are Americans and our history is important. Black history month is to remind people we matter,” stated Keene State College student Lynne Carrion.

Carrion who is currently studying abroad in the United Kingdom, which provides her with the opportunity to see what has been happening in the U.S. from the outside.

“As much as I want to be there fighting right along with all my friends, my place is here right now. I know that when I come home, I will hit the

ground running and probably never stop,” “Black History Month is so important for not just black people, but the United States as a whole. For example, colleges like Keene don’t even have a class a student can take that specifically teaches black history. American history is not just George Washington and Abe Lincoln. American history includes the government killing Martin Luther King Jr. and the amazing things the Black Panthers did for the black community,” Carrion stated.

For other underrepresented students such as people of color, Black History Month is seen as an important part of teaching and educating people and while some students agree, there is also another aspect of Black History Month. Dottie Morris was contacted an unavailable for comment.

“I believe in equality and I feel as though it just separates our society by the color of our skin. I just think everyone should be recognized for their accomplishments or achievements as far as changing the way our society thinks and works, “ said KSC student Darren DeSena.

“I don’t think Black History Month is necessarily a bad thing because it recognizes a lot of good people and causes regarding the black community,” DeSena said.

February was chosen by Carter G. Woodson for Black History Month because of two important figures in history, Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass according to blackpast. org.

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“American history is not just George Washington and Abe Lincoln. American history includes the government killing Martin Luther King Jr. and the amazing things the Black Panthers did for the black community.”

LYNNE CARRION KSC JUNIOR

Mary Curtin can be contacted at mcurtin@kscequinox.com

Faculty and staff host learning sessions for students based on their concerns GRACE PECCI

Copy Editor On Wednesday, Feb. 1, Keene State held its first Teach In, which consisted of sessions taught by KSC faculty and staff addressing current issues including immigration, transgender rights, environmental issues, fake news and much more. Those interested gathered in the Mabel Brown Room at 9:30 a.m. for the opening ceremony to listen to various speakers, including President Anne Huot and Provost William Seigh.

“What we’re doing today comes out of your concerns,” Huot began. She went on to discuss the importance of reflecting on values, listening to multiple perspectives and unifying the campus. She said that the point of the teach-in was to “renew what we believe- we value all of our community.”

KSC’s provost spoke along similar lines as Huot.

“We are here to deepen our knowledge...we are here to support our community,” Seigh said.

At 10:00 a.m., the sessions began. One of the first sessions dealt with issues surrounding immigration.

Karen Balnis, Jessica Gagne Cloutier and Kim SchmidlGagne presented their session titled, “Immigration in America: How Do We Fix a System in Crisis?” From the beginning, each presenter pointed out that they were not experts on the situation, but they were open to discussion.

After breaking up students, staff and other faculty members who were able to attend into three groups, Cloutier explained how they wanted the session to run.

“Because this can be a pretty difficult conversation, we want to set up ground rules. We are going to set up into groups,” Cloutier said. “Everyone has a space at the table and everyone can speak…[and] we’re going to be open and maintain a respective atmosphere.”

Each group discussed the pros and cons of different issues that come with immigration, including protecting the borders, promoting economic prosperity in the U.S. and greeting new immigrants arriving.

Sophomore Alexis Stoner was one among many students who attended the session. Though she originally came to the session as a requirement for one of her classes, she expressed interest in the issue. Before the session, she discussed her thoughts on President Trump’s recent immigration ban.

“I don’t think I necessarily agree with it,” Stoner began. “I think there are a lot of good people in bad areas and we should let them in… there are bad people too, but I don’t think he needs to keep everyone out.”

After the session, Stoner said that she was glad she attended.

“I think that was very helpful to me in understand-

SAMANTHA MOORE / ART DIRECTOR

ing what’s going on. I mean, I wasn’t very educated when I first came into this, so it definitely helped me see the pros and cons of everything. It was helpful how they went over every issue.”

Senior communication major Lauren Taddei was another KSC student who attended the teach-in. She attended “Kick-Ass Journalists: Speaking Truth to Power,” taught by Dr. Marianne Salcetti and Dr. Rose Kundanis, as a class requirement.

During this teach-in, Salcetti and Kundanis took turns discussing different influential journalists and their importance to the subject itself.

“When you’re called a ‘kick-ass journalist,’ it is a very good compliment,” Salcetti said to begin the session.

Taddei said she enjoyed hearing about the different journalists whom Salcetti and Kundanis presented the works off.

“Sometimes when you go to events like this, they

aren’t interesting and don’t hold your attention, but this had my attention the whole time and left me wanting to know more and more about each topic. I think that this was a really good event to be held, especially with everything going on in our country right now,” Taddei said.

Taddei found this session to be rewarding and said she was glad she went. She said, “I 100 percent think that there should be a teach-in held once a semester. It was extremely informative, and even though I had to go for a class, it wasn’t something that I was dreading.”

The teach-in allowed the KSC community to come together and discuss important issues that are relevant to what is currently going on in the world.

Grace Pecci can be contacted at gpecci@kscequinox.com

“Sometimes when you go to events like this, they aren’t interesting and don’t hold your attention, but this had my attention the whole time and left me wanting to know more and more about each topic.”

LAUREN TADDEI KSC SENIOR

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

A&E / B1

Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017

Keene Ice and Snow Festival Keene hosts annual familyfriendly festival ALEXANDRIA SAURMAN

Arts And EntErtAinmEnt Editor It was 9:00 a.m. and The Works was beginning to fill up quickly. At around 10:30 a.m., a majority of the chairs at Prime Roast were filled. Although it is normal for many businesses to see an influx of customers as the day goes on, Feb. 4 was an exception.

This past Saturday, Keene held its 15th annual Ice and Snow Festival, where locals and visitors came together to experience the event.

Events were planned throughout the day, with a schedule posted in front of Local Burger for all to see.

» ICE AND SNOW, B2

TIM SMITH/ PHOTO EDITOR

Experienced ice sculptor competetor Dennis Hickey, who’s been participating in Keene’s Ice and Snow Festival for almost 15 years, works on the sculpture of his dragon, which ended up winning first place at the competition.

‘Almost Elton John’ comes to the Colonial ALYSSA SALERNO

Equinox stAff Last Saturday, the Colonial Theater hosted a show that was as close to the real thing as it gets, without being the real thing. Almost Elton John rocked the night away with his band on his “Remember When Rock was Young: Elton John Tribute” tour.

Almost Elton John, Craig A. Meyers, played piano, danced around the stage and had a few tricks up his sleeve. He had three different costume changes, each outfit made of sequin, velvet and mesh. To top it all off, he wore matching top hats and platform boots that matched all his outfits. Even the platform heels did not stop him from doing a half handstand on his piano in the second half of the show. According to gigmasters, he is the third best Elton John impersonator in the states.

Meyers started out the show by saying, “If you know the lyrics to the songs, sing loud. If you don’t know them, sing louder.” Most of the

people in the crowd knew the words though, and belted out some of Elton John’s top hits like “Tiny Dancer,” “Rocket Man,” “Your Song,” “Bennie and the Jets” and “Don’t go Breaking my Heart.”

He even took a moment to crack a few jokes about the most common misheard lyrics in Elton John’s songs. Like “Hold me closer, Tony Danza” instead of “tiny dancer.”

For many of the songs, most of the crowd was on their feet. Meyers said the dry air was making his throat sore and asked for everyone to sing along to every song.

Julie Moulten, who had been singing and dancing for most of the show, said, “His voice sounded a little tired, but he has all the same inflections in his voice.” At the end of the show, Almost Elton John and the band left the stage as the crowd cheered for an encore.

Moulten was cheering, “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me,” and when the band came out to play their final

encore, they played Moulten and her husband’s favorite song,” stated Moulten.

At the end of the night, Arlene Edes, a Keene resident who attended the show, said that Almost Elton John was “second best.” She also said she was excited to come back to see more shows at the Colonial. Ticket prices start around $40, and the theater is open for patrons of all ages. The Colonial is a popular spot for residents of Keene and surrounding towns.

Donna Hilow, another Keene resident, and her husband Mark said Meyer was “not quite Elton John, but he d[id] a really great job.”

In this section:

Gray Haven, B2

Sudoku, B3

Alyssa Salerno can be contacted at asalerno@kscequinox.com

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT / B2

Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017

Gray Haven makes things colorful MARY CURTIN

adS dirEctor While Gray Haven did not set out to become a quartet, they quickly formed a bond and the group has not looked back since.

Four Keene State College (KSC) students have been making other students rock out with their pop punk and rock sound, whether it be at Solar Fest, Rocktober Fest or in their basement that has been dubbed as “The Oasis.”

The band is comprised of four KSC students, who all happen to know

each other from their fraternity Tau Kappa Epsilon; Ricky Pelchar is on lead guitar and vocals, Joe Sansone is on bass, Nick St Amour is on rhythm guitar and Mike Holahan is on drums.

“It started out my f[irst] year with me and Joe and some other dudes who still play music and they needed a singer. They were playing in Holloway and I told them I could do it even though I had never sung before. Joe and I met that way and kept playing together and then were roommates in Huntress and the old performances were just me and him without a drummer and it was really bad, so we wanted to find a drummer and found this guy (Holahan) and got into it and first took the name Gray Haven,” said Pelchar.

“It started off cringe-worthy,” said Sansone.

“We work really well together and spent so much time together, so we can be honest and helpful to each other,” Holahan said.

Together, the four write their songs by having Sansone and Pelchar write the structure and the basis of the song and then turn it over to the entire group and they all “jam out” to the lyrics that half

of them compiled.

“Sometimes we all want to go in different directions with it,” said Holahan.

However, the group agreed that this is the best way to write the song because it has more of a natural flow and it is not just built by one person, which gives them all a say in what gets played and recorded.

Gray Haven has many influences, forming a diverse impact for the sound and allowing each style to play out.

These influences include The Beatles, Green Day, The Cure, Foo Fighters and Arctic Monkeys, as well as several other 90s alternative and bands.

“What’s cool is that we all have different skill sets too in our instruments.

[Sansone] has this crazy bass pedal that creates these funky esthetic noises and [Pelchar] has a muff pedal, so it's real f---ing grungy. I let (Holahan] have some cymbals, so he has some cool cymbals now and I just play guitar, but I have some production gear in my room too,” St Amour said.

The group usually practices two to three times each week, as their schedule allows, however each member agreed that they put their music first a lot of times.

On Sunday, Feb. 5, the group was able to record their first recording for their new extended play (EP) “Tripping at the Petting Zoo” that they hope to debut soon. “[The EP] is five songs, pretty simple stuff and hopefully it comes out good and [we] can release it on Bandcamp [and] iTunes. We’ve already done a bunch of research on how to get our music distributed and then we’re going to make CDs and get them out to people,” Sansone said.

While the shows that are played in their home are generally sporadic, they have found that using Facebook events has drawn larger groups of people by sending invites.

One concert attendee and friend, KSC student Melissa Fraser, said, “What I like about watching them perform is just how much passion they have and they always put on such a great and fun show.”

The four agreed that the best part of playing and creating music is the shows where they can rock out with their fellow KSC students and entertain people who enjoy watching and hearing music.

“The fact that we create a positive space so these kids can just come enjoy some awesome tunes and possibly meet friends there... [is] just a fun time altogether,” said St Amour, and the rest of the group agreed.

“Keep an eye out for our mixtape; it's gonna be the most fire mixtape in Keene, but we are going to post it online on our Facebook page. We are going to get it on TouchTunes so you can use your TouchTunes credits to blast that while [Sansone] is bartending,” Pelchar said.

The group’s next show will be on Feb. 17 for a fundraiser with Beautiful Girls Club and Headwear and Romvnce, benefitting the organization Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN).

Mary Curtin can be contacted at mcurtin@kscequinox.com

PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED BY LAUREN HOLAHAN

ICE AND SNOW Continued from B1

The day began at 10:00 a.m. with the four ice sculptors unloading their tools. They spent a majority of the day carving, melting and shaping blocks of ice into other forms.

This year, the carvers, Eric Knoll, Dennis Hickey, David Soha and Mike Rondeau carved a giraffe, a sign advertising the festival, a dragon and a fish, respectively.

Knoll, originally from York, Pennsylvania, began carving about five to six years ago while at culinary school. Saturday marked his third year of competing in Keene’s Ice and Snow Festival.

Knoll’s girlfriend, Lacasse Evaline of Nashua, New Hampshire, said, “I think it’s...really cool. I haven’t gotten a chance to walk around yet, but I know that there’s...a lot of people competing today…”

While some of the competitors have only been involved in Keene’s Ice and Snow Festival for a few years, such as Knoll, others are reaching double digits.

“We’ve been competing here at

least 14 years,” said Hickey, shout- Knoll were both awarded $100 for Alexandria Saurman ing to Soha, his business partner, their sign and giraffe, respectively. can be contacted at for confirmation. asaurman@kscequinox.com Hickey and Soha own their own ice carving limited liability company (LLC) called Ice Breakers.

According to their website, the two “have been carving together since 1997” and serve “New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts and Southern Maine.”

While the sculpting occurred, individuals were able to participate in other activities such as making s’mores, taking pictures with an airport snowblower, watching some live entertainment and meeting the Ice Princess.

This year, the Ice Princess was played by Heather Harada, The Keene Sentinel’s Classified Sales Representative in the Advertising and Marketing Department. “...It’s just my first year...but for four years I’ve been wanting to do this…I’m like four years in the making; I’m so proud,” she said. As Ice Princess, she “grant[ed people] cold toes” and let younger children hold her snowflake wand.

At the end of the festival, around 3:00 p.m., the winner of the ice carving competition was announced.

Hickey had taken first place, and received a $500 cash reward.

TIM SMITH / PHOTO EDITOR Second place was awarded to Soha, who took home $300. Rondeau and Mike Rondeau carved an ice scultpure resembling a diner sign.

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BRIEF

Music department faculty recital MATT DROPPA

Equinox Staff Faculty from the Keene Music Department performed in a recital on Friday, Feb. 3. They played in the Alumni Recital Hall, located in the Redfern Arts Center. The faculty members included: Stephanie Jenkins on the, clarinet, Vladimir Odinokikh on the, piano, Marcia Lehninger on the, violin, Robin Matathias on the, flute and Jose Lezcano on the, guitar. Odinokikh and Matathias played two songs together: “Hypnosis” by the modern British composer Ian Clarke and “Moments” by another modern composer named Robert Muczynski.

Odinokikh played two more songs on piano. He collaborated with Jenkins on Johannes Brahms’ “Sonata No. 1, Op. 20” and with Lehninger on Brahms’ “Violin sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 100.” Lehninger spoke highly of Odinokikh, saying that he was excellent and that playing with him was a big part of the

fun. Jose Lezcano played J.S. Bach’s “Chaconne” on the guitar.

All of the pieces were played exquisitely and showed why the teachers are qualified to teach music in higher education. Lehninger revealed that even experienced musicians such as herself get nervous. She said, “So there’s the anticipation of being on stage, and once I’m on stage, there’s always that fraction of a second, should I just run away? Once the music starts, you just think about music, and all the sudden, those feelings they don’t matter anymore.” All of the performers certainly immersed themselves on Friday night, and put on a great show. The next faculty music recital will be the Faculty Jazz Recital, which is taking place on Feb. 17.

Matt Droppa can be contacted at mdroppa@kscequinox.com

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT / B3

Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017

Hoots ‘N Hollers

Excessive dabbers face new issues with venturing from the college

DISCLAIMER: THE “HOOTS N’ HOLLERS” SECTION OF THE EQUINOX IS ENTIRELY SATIRICAL AND NOT AT ALL BASED IN FACT. EVERY STORY, PHOTO AND NAME USED HERE IS FICTITIOUS SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF COMEDY AND DOES NOT REPRESENT THE EQUINOX’S OR THE COLLEGE’S BELIEFS AS A WHOLE. NICK TOCCO

Equinox Staff As a result of trending student behavior, Keene State College is implementing a travel restriction of sorts. For what you ask? Nothing other than dabbing.

The popular dance move, “the dab”, has been sweeping the nation for the past year or two, but as of late, the trend has slowed down. With the move starting to become more out of style, there are still some who are trying to keep it alive, while others wish for the move to die a quick death.

The move originated from sports and was used mostly when an athlete scored a basket in basketball or a touchdown in football. The move involves a person slamming their head into the inside of their elbow with their opposite arm often pointed straight up.

But after the move started to spread, people, many of them college students, began dabbing for things like making a kind-of funny joke, making a shot in beer pong or when you find out something is buy one, get

one free. These casual uses of the dab have caused concern for all affected by these “dabbers,” which caused other students to act.

The new travel rule restricts KSC students who continue to dab from traveling to other college campuses in fear of spreading the trend again and making it what social media analysts and professionals call it “a thing.”President of the student-run group People Who Know What’s Cool (PWKWC) Richard Slick said the trend needs to be handled.

“It’s like a disease,” Slick said. “These kids keep dabbing on me out of nowhere for no reason at all and it’s driving me crazy! Like any disease, it needs to be contained and that’s the point of the travel rule.”

Slick also added that he didn’t even know people were still dabbing until he said something lame and someone responded by saying, “said no one ever,” and dabbed on him so hard he fell over on Appian Way. His alleged dabber is still at large.

While Slick speaks out against the dance move, others continue to fight.

TIM SMITH / PHOTO EDITOR

A Keene State College student peforms the dab, a popular dance move that has swept the nation.

“Bro I’m going to dab until I can’t dab anymore,” KSC student Lenny Lameson said. “It just feels so good when you do something cool like take a long drag of a vape or kick flip on your longboard,” Lameson said.

“You just have to let that energy out and the dab just lets me do that. I should be able to share that on other college campuses.”

So far, it doesn’t look like the rule will be overturned, but who knows what the future holds with this heated debate, showing no signs of cooling down.

KSC student Susie Smith weighed in on the issue in riveting fashion.

“I really don’t care,” Smith said. “I’m just trying to get to class.”

In other news, the “pretending to eat a bowl of cereal because I’m such a beast,” move is also in discussions of being banned as well.

Nick Tocco can be contacted at ntocco@kscequinox.com

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT / B4

WRITER: MATT BILODEAU POSITION: EQUINOX STAFF REVIEW: Not only does “La La Land” sing a delightful love song to classic Hollywood through alluring visuals, but it sets a new bar for the modern musical.

Welcome to Los Angeles, where aspiring actresses like Mia [Emma Stone] and persevering musicians like Sebastian [Ryan Gosling] throw themselves at the mercy of the “City of Angels” in hopes that one day, they’ll thrive among the industry’s finest. Through their passions, the two cross paths and become smitten with one another; they admire the ambition each has for their respective career path.

For a while, the sun shines bright on their relationship, that is, until both are saddled with an impossible task – accept true love or the warm embrace of Hollywood.

Musicals take advantage of our need to sing.

Literally or metaphorically, we all sing; it’s all a matter of how we express it.

A great song can bring a tear to your eye or compel you to get up and dance the night away.

I believe that words can have an enormous impact on us because, for the most part, they come from a place of honesty.

This is the singer’s moment to shine and tell their story, however desolate or hopeful the lyrics may be.

Utilizing the structure of a conventional Hollywood musical, Damien Chazelle passionately sings about the relevance to aspire to new heights.

In this review, I intend to sing my own tender love tune about Chazelle’s masterful beauty that is “La La Land.”

The previews finish, the lights dimmer, the “Summit” logo appears and then, I see it: “PRESENTED IN CINEMASCOPE!” This little easter egg put me in the right state of mind. I knew that from this moment on, something magical was going to unfold before my eyes and sure enough, it did, transitioning almost instantly into an extravagant musical number,“Another Day of Sun,” taking place along a packed Los Angeles highway.

Beneath the majestic lighting and dance choreography of a bygone era, Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling radiate as ‘the’ screen couple of the year.

Chazelle’s swift direction allows their captivating chemistry to blossom through a wide variety of song and dance numbers.

One sequence in particular unfolds with Stone and Gosling emulating the same spirit of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers (with a little bit of Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds thrown in for good measure).

Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017

The beauty of the central performances lie within the internal struggle both of them face as impassioned artists in the modern world.

We empathize with Mia’s plight to put her tremendous acting abilities to use in front of a camera.

Sebastian, on the other hand, strives to put his own stamp on jazz, to make a name for himself by way of playing a mean piano (“City of Stars”).

In telling their story, Chazelle elegantly rides the line between Hollywood fantasy and hardhitting reality, never letting one fully dominate the other.

“La La Land” is a cinephile’s playground to say the least. Upon the introduction to Mia’s apartment, her devotion to cinema is more than noticeable.

The walls are lined with one classic film poster after the other including, but not limited to, “The Dove” (1927), “The Black Cat” (1941),”Saboteur” (1942), etc.

To put the cherry on the sundae, one side of her bedroom wall is decorated from top to bottom with an enlarged portrait of the lovely Ingrid Bergman.

For any film hound, “La La Land” contains more than enough easter eggs to gratify your inner film geek, one of which heavily foreshadows the incredibly moving finale.

While the references made me grin from ear to ear, the true testament to “La La Land’s” omnipotence was its persistence to grab ahold of me and never let go, all the way up until the final frame.

Much like Mia and Sebastian, I’ve reached the destination in my lifetime where I’m being forced to make decisions that will forever change who I am as a person.

The message of following your dream, despite the obstacles thrown your way, is a tale as old as time; we’ve heard it all before.

What elevates “La La Land” to an entirely different level is the little aster-

COURTNEY BETHEL / EQUINOX STAFF

isk that accompanies the theme of the film.

“La La Land” is less about following your dreams, but rather, the acceptance of failure.

Failure is an essential part of life; it’s all about how we choose to look at it. Do we accept it and move on, or do we allow it to keep our passions hostage?

Failure molds us in more ways than we imagine.

Some take it as a sign that they should quit and move on. “La La Land” makes the argument that we

should embrace failure, but be cautious in letting it consume everything in our path.

Failure gives us the amazing opportunity to pick ourselves back up and learn from our mistakes; only then, can we truly succeed and become one with “La La Land.” And if not, hey, at least we can say we tried.

Matt Bilodeau can be contacted at mbilodeau@kscequinox.com

RATING: A

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Nation & World / B5 Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017

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Suspect convicted for Florida mosque fire

Trump says media ‘doesn’t want to report’ extremist attacks DARLENE SUPERVILLE

AssociAted Press

WILFREDO LEE / ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

In a Thursday, Sept. 15, 2016, file photo, Farhad Khan, who has attended the Islamic Center of Fort Pierce for more than seven years, shows members of the media its charred remains, in Fort Pierce, Fla. Joseph Schneider, an ex-convict who investigators say confessed to setting fire to the mosque tied to the Orlando nightclub shooter, pleaded no contest to those charges, Monday, Feb. 6, 2017.

Joseph Schreiber sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading no contest TERRY SPENCER

AssociAted Press An ex-convict who posted anti-Islamic rants online pleaded no contest and was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Monday for setting fire to a mosque that the Orlando nightclub shooter attended occasionally.

Joseph Schreiber, dressed in a burnt orange jumpsuit, his wrists and ankles shackled, pleaded no contest during Monday’s hearing before Circuit Judge Steven Levin. A no contest plea is treated the same as a guilty plea. Schreiber answered Levin’s questions in a clear, unwavering voice before sentencing. He was also ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution although damages exceeded $100,000. Because he was declared a habitual offender, he could have received a life sentence.

He had confessed to detectives that he set fire to the Islamic Center of Fort Pierce last Sept. 11, the 15th anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks. The damage to the mosque was so extensive that the leaders recently announced that it will move.

Omar Mateen was killed by police after opening fire at the Pulse nightclub on June 12 in a rampage that left 49 victims dead and 53 wounded, making it the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history. Mateen professed allegiance to the Islamic State group. His father is among roughly 100 people who regularly attend the mosque.

Schreiber, who is Jewish, posted on Facebook last July that “All Islam is radical” and that all Muslims should be treated as terrorists and criminals.

Prosecutor Steve Gosnell said Schreiber, 32, confessed to

detectives that he set the fire, saying he believed Muslims “are trying to infiltrate our government” and that “the teaching of Islam should be completely, completely illegal.”

Before he was sentenced, Schreiber read a written statement entitled “From the Mountaintops, Stop the Killings” where he said the fire was not caused by hate but by his anxiety. He feared that Florida could be the site of another 9-11, Boston Marathon bombing or Pulse nightclub shooting, he said.

“My message is this to all the Muslim communities on the face of the Earth — make peace with America and make peace with Israel and stop the killings, stop the attacks,” he said.

Schreiber then turned to a man he thought was the mosque’s imam and apologized. Mosque member Mohammad Malik whispered “thank you” in return.

“In the Islamic faith and in all faiths, we believe that God is merciful and just as we want to be forgiven by him we should also forgive,” Malik said after the hearing. “I believe he was misled. Misled by fear mongering, misled by false information” about Islam. He said the “bright spot” of the fire is that the local Jewish and Islamic communities are now communicating.

Rabbi Bruce Benson, who leads a local Reform synagogue, said he has been meeting with Schreiber regularly since his arrest and believes he is remorseful. Benson said he believes Schreiber subconsciously set the fire just before midnight because no one would be there.

“From the first day I spoke to him, he was thankful no one was hurt,” Benson said. “He didn’t do this on a Friday afternoon when Mr. Malik and the parishioners were there. He

wasn’t trying to do this to hurt people. For some reason, he was trying to make a statement.”

Schreiber was previously sentenced twice to state prison for theft, according to records from the Florida Department of Corrections. The records show he served his first sentence from March 2008 to July 2009 and his second from June 2010 to August 2014.

Last September, a former inmate who served time with Schreiber at the faith-based Lawtey Correctional Institution, described Schreiber as being a “couple cans short of a sixpack.”

Ralph Alfonso said Schreiber joined a Messianic Jewish group he led because he was looking for a place to fit in. Messianic Jews follow Jewish law and the Torah but also believe that Jesus Christ is the Messiah. He said Schreiber sometimes would say something negative about Muslims, but “we would tell him that’s not what we believe, that it is not godly.”

A surveillance video from the mosque showed Schreiber driving up to the mosque on a motorcycle and approaching the building, possibly talking on a cellphone. Gosnell said Monday that investigators now doubt he was talking on his phone and, if he was, they were never able to determine with whom.

He carried a bottle of liquid and some papers and left when there was a flash. The first 911 calls were made about 45 minutes later, after the fire had spread to the attic. It took about four-and-a-half hours for firefighters to extinguish the blaze.

Fox draws audience of 111.3M for Super Bowl, down slightly from the past two years DAVID BAUDER

AssociAted Press

ERIC GAY / ASSOCIATED PRESS

Atlanta Falcons’ Devonta Freeman runs against New England Patriots’ Dont’a Hightower during the second half of the NFL Super Bowl 51 football game Sunday, Feb. 5, 2017, in Houston.

Fox drew an audience of 111.3 million viewers for the first Super Bowl to go into overtime, a smaller audience than the game has had in the last two years but still ranking among the biggest for a television program in the United States.

The top Super Bowl audience — and the biggest for any American TV show — was the 114.4 million viewers who saw the New England Patriots beat the Seattle Seahawks in 2015, according to the Nielsen company.

Viewership for the Patriots’ come-frombehind 34-28 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday had a relatively modest start, perhaps because the Falcons don’t have much of a national profile. The game also looked like a

rout in the third quarter, and some 4 million viewers slipped away around the time the Falcons took at 28-3 lead, Nielsen said.

People returned as the Patriots came alive.

During overtime, the game had its biggest audience of 117.7 million, Nielsen said Monday.

The overall audience figure of 111.3 million is an average of how many people were watching during a typical minute, taking into account the game’s peaks and valleys.

The audience was 117.5 million for Lady Gaga’s halftime performance, Nielsen said.

Earlier in the day, Nielsen said 12.2 million watched President Donald Trump’s interview with Bill O’Reilly of Fox News Channel.

Last year’s Denver-Carolina game reached an audience of 111.9 million.

President Donald Trump is accusing the media of deliberately minimizing coverage of the threat posed by the Islamic State group, saying news outlets “have their reasons” for not reporting what he described as a “genocide” underway at the hands of the group.

The president did not immediately offer evidence to support his claim, made during the new commander in chief’s visit Monday to the headquarters for U.S. Central Command.

Later, the White House released a list of 78 attacks it described as “executed or inspired by” the Islamic State group since September 2014.

The White House said “most” on the list did not get sufficient media attention, although it did not explain how it defined the term. Some of the incidents on the list received widespread attention and deep reporting.

“You’ve seen what happened in Paris and Nice. All over Europe it’s happening. It’s gotten to a point where it’s not even being reported,” Trump told a group of military leaders and troops during the visit. “And in many cases, the very, very dishonest press doesn’t want to report it. They have their reasons and you understand that.”

Trump, who has made relentless criticism of the media a hallmark of his presidency, did not explain why he thinks news outlets minimize attention on such attacks.

Later, White House spokesman Sean Spicer tried to tone down the president’s remarks, saying it was a question of balance: “Like a protest gets blown out of the water, and yet an attack or a foiled attack doesn’t necessarily get the same coverage.”

The list released late Monday included incidents like a truck massacre in Nice, France, that killed dozens and received widespread attention, as well as less high-profile incidents in which nobody was killed.

The AP could not verify that each of the incidents had connections to the Islamic State group. The list appeared to be hastily assembled, including several misspellings of the word “attacker.”

Trump also used the visit to CENTCOM to defend his immigration and refugee restrictions and reaffirm his support for NATO. He laced his speech with references to homeland security amid a court battle over his travel ban on people from seven majority-Muslim countries. He did not directly mention the case now before a federal appeals court after a lower court temporarily suspended the ban.

“We need strong programs” so that “people that love us and want to love our country and will end up loving our country are allowed in” and those who “want to destroy us and destroy our country” are kept out, Trump said.

“Freedom, security and justice will prevail,” Trump added. “We will defeat radical Islamic terrorism and we will not allow it to take root in our country. We’re not going to allow it.”

SUSAN WALSH / ASSOCIATED PRESS

President Donald Trump speaks to troops while visiting U.S. Central Command and U.S. Special Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla., Monday, Feb. 6, 2017.

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Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017

Suicide bomber strikes Afghan Supreme Court, killing 19 RAHIM FAIEZ

AssociAted Press A suicide bomber struck an entrance to Afghanistan’s Supreme Court on Tuesday, killing at least 19 people in the latest in a series of attacks on the country’s judiciary.

The attacker was on foot, and targeted a side door as court employees and other people were exiting the building in downtown Kabul, the Interior Ministry said.

Public Health Minister Ferozuddin Feroz said 41 people were wounded, including 10 in critical condition.

No one immediately claimed the attack, which bore the hallmarks of the Taliban. The insurgents have been at war with the U.S.backed government for 15 years and have increasingly targeted the judiciary since the execution of six convicted insurgents last May. Shortly after the executions, a suicide bomber targeted a minibus carrying court employees in Kabul during the morning rush hour, killing 11 people in an attack claimed by the Taliban, which called it an act of revenge.

In June, three Taliban fighters stormed a court building in the eastern Logar province, killing seven people, including a newly appointed chief prosecutor, before being shot dead by police.

MASSOUD HOSSAINI / ASSOCIATED PRESS Afghan President Ashraf Ghani conSecurity forces stand guard at the site of a a suicide attack on the Supreme Court in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2017. An official says a suicide bomber has demned the Supreme Court attack, which he struck near the Supreme Court building in Kabul, killing several people. blamed on the “enemies of our people.” The U.S. Embassy in Kabul called it “an attack on the very foundation of Afghan democracy and rule of law.”

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also condemned the suicide attack.

“Those behind today’s bombing and other such despicable acts must face justice,” spokesman Stephane Dujarric said at U.N. headquarters in New York.

“Indiscriminate attacks against civilians, including employees of the judicial institutions, are violations of human rights and international humanitarian law and cannot be justified.”

RAHMAT GUL / ASSOCIATED PRESS Elsewhere in Afghanistan, a roadside Left: A security officer works the scene of a suicide attack at the bomb killed a top district official in the westSupreme Court in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2017. A suicide ern Farah province as he returned home from bomber on Tuesday targeted the Supreme Court building in the Afghan a mosque, local police spokesman Iqbal Baher capital, Kabul, killing more than a dozen people, officials said. said.

Above: Police officers inspect the site of suicide attack at the Supreme The Taliban claimed the attack.

Court in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2017

Amnesty: Up to 13,000 hanged in Syria’s ‘slaughterhouse’ SARAH EL DEEB

AssociAted Press The Syrian prison was known to detainees as “the slaughterhouse.” Behind its closed doors, the military police hanged as many of 13,000 people over the course of four years before carting out their bodies by the truckload for burial in mass graves, according to a new report issued by Amnesty International.

The report, issued on Tuesday, said that 20-50 people were hanged each week, sometimes twice a week, at the Saydnaya prison in what the organization called a “calculated campaign of extrajudicial execution.”

The report covers the period from the start of the March 2011 uprising to December 2015, when Amnesty says between 5,000 and 13,000 people were hanged.

Lynn Maalouf, deputy director for research at Amnesty’s regional office in Beirut, said there is no reason to believe the practice has stopped since then, with thousands more probably killed.

Amnesty said the killings were authorized by senior Syrian officials, including deputies of President Bashar Assad.

“The horrors depicted in this report reveal a hidden, monstrous campaign, authorized at the highest levels of the Syrian government, aimed at crushing any form of dissent within the Syrian population,” Maalouf said.

“These executions take place after a sham trial that lasts over a minute or two minutes, but they are authorized by the highest levels of authority,” including the Grand Mufti, a top religious authority in Syria, and the defense minister.

There was no immediate comment from the Syrian government on Tuesday, and Amnesty said Damascus didn’t respond to its own letter seeking comment. Syrian government officials rarely comment on allegations of torture and mass killings.

In the past, they have denied reports of massacres documented by international human rights groups, describing them as propaganda.

Amnesty had recorded at least 35 different methods of torture in Syria since the late 1980s, practices that only increased since 2011, Maalouf said.

Other rights groups have found evidence of widespread torture leading to death in Syrian detention facilities. In a report last year, Amnesty found that more than 17,000 people have died of torture and ill-treatment in custody across Syria since 2011, an average rate of more than 300 a month.

Those figures are comparable to bat-

Alshogre, 21, who spent nine months in Saydnaya and now lives in Sweden, said he would hear detainees being tortured. “Then the sound would stop,” he said.

He described how at times he was forced to keep his eyes closed and his back to the guards while they abused or suffocated a cellmate. The body often would be left behind, or there would be a pool of blood in the cell for other prisoners to clean up.

The Amnesty report contains similar accounts of abuse.

“We already know they will die anyway, so we do whatever we want with them,” Amnesty quoted a former guard as saying.

The detainees were transported to trials in vans known as “meat fridges,” and would not be informed of their fate until just before they were hanged, officials who witnessed the executions told Amnesty.

Medics would usually list the cause of death as “heart stopped,” or “breathing stopped,” before the bodies were taken to mass graves near Damascus.

Alshogre, who was arrested at the age of 17, spent time in several detention centers before being taken to Saydnaya.

Two cousins detained with him in western Syria didn’t survive, dying a year apart in a military intelligence detention facility. The younger one died in Alshogre’s arms, deprived of food and so weak he was unable to walk to the HANDOUT BY OMAR ALSHOGRE VIA ASSOCIATED PRESS bathroom on his own.

In this combination of two photos of Omar Alshogre, a 21-year Syrian former Still, Alshogre said nothing could detainee, now living in Stockholm, Sweden. The left picture is of Alshogre taken have prepared him for Saydnaya. on January 2017 in Stockholm, Sweden. The right picture is of Alshogre in July At one point, he was summoned by 2015 in Antakya, Turkey, a month after he got out of Syria’s Saydnaya prison, near guards “for execution,” he said. He was Damascus. While in detention, Alshogre said he heard men escorted to be hanged brought before a military tribunal and and had himself been called for “execution” but was spared after a brief trial. told not to raise his eyes to the judge, Amnesty published a new report on Tuesday revealing that as many as 13,000 who asked him how many soldiers he men were hanged in secret in a Syrian prison between 2011 and 2015, as part of had killed.

When he said none, the judge a government campaign of extrajudicial executions. The group says for five years, spared him. once or twice weekly, groups of up to 50 people were taken out of their prison Alshogre survived nine months in cells and hanged to death.

Saydnaya before eventually paying his tlefield deaths in Aleppo, one of the fiercDetainees were told they would be way out in 2015 — a common practice. He est war zones in Syria, where 21,000 were transferred to civilian detention centers suffered from tuberculosis and his weight killed across the province since 2011. but were taken instead to another building fell to 35 kilograms (77 pounds).

Saydnaya has become the main politi- in the facility and hanged.

Death in Saydnaya was always present, cal prison in Syria since 2011, according to “They walked in the ‘train,’ so they had “like the air,” he said. a former official interviewed by Amnesty. their heads down and were trying to catch Once when he was deprived of food for A former guard said it held “the detainees the shirt of the person in front of them. The two days, a cellmate handed him his food of the revolution,” and a former judge said first time I saw them, I was horrified. They ration — and died days later. Another cellthey were seen as “posing a real risk to the were being taken to the slaughterhouse,” mate died of diarrhea, also common in the regime.”

Hamid, a former detainee, told Amnesty. prison.

The chilling accounts in Tuesday’s Another former detainee, Omar “Death is the simplest thing. It was the report came from interviews with 31 Alshogre, told The Associated Press the most hoped for because it would have former detainees and over 50 other officials guards would come to his cell, sometimes spared us a lot: hunger, thirst, fear, pain, and experts, including former guards and three times a week, and call out detainees cold, thinking,” he said. “Thinking was so judges. by name. hard. It could also kill.”

KSCEQUINOX.COM

Woman captive for decade hopes new TV role helps the missing ASSOCIATED PRESS

A woman who escaped a home where she and two others were held captive for a decade is joining a Cleveland television station to bring attention to other missing-persons cases in a daily segment.

As the new host of the segment on WJW-TV (http://bit.ly/2kF65UT ), Amanda Berry said she wants to help locate missing people and support their families.

“When I was missing, the people who were looking for me never gave up,” she said. “My wish is that this segment will not only help find those who are missing but offer hope for the loved ones who are looking for them.”

The segment will air on news broadcasts throughout the day. Berry, 30, will discuss details of a different northeastern Ohio missing-person case each day and talk about how viewers can help the families of the missing and the investigators searching for them.

Berry, who disappeared a day before her 17th birthday in 2003, has become an advocate for the missing since she escaped her captor’s shuttered home in May 2013 and made a dramatic call to authorities: “Help me! I’m Amanda Berry. I’ve been kidnapped, and I’ve been missing for 10 years, and I’m here. I’m free now.”

Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight had been abused and held by Ariel Castro for years. Berry also had given birth to Castro’s daughter in 2006.

Berry and DeJesus wrote a book together about their ordeals. Knight, who legally changed her name to Lily Rose Lee, wrote a separate book about her experience.

Castro, who kidnapped the victims between 2002 to 2004, hanged himself in his cell after he pleaded guilty to a long list of charges and was sentenced to life plus 1,000 years in prison.

Berry said her life now is full of normal activities like grocery shopping, dealing with her daughter’s school and appointments, and

“My wish is that this segment will not only help find those who are missing but offer hope for the loved ones who are looking for them.”

AMANDA BERRY KIDNAP VICTIM

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Sports / B7

Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017

Women’s Basketball

Men’s Basketball Overall

Home

Away

Neutral

14-7

9-1

4-6

1-0

@ Middlebury Co.

@ Southern Maine

Team

Points

Team

Keene State

77

Middlebury Co.

89

Overall

Home

14-7

4-4

@ Middlebury Co.

Keene State

Points 71

Southern Maine

90

Team

Home

Away

3-8

0-1

3-7

Team Keene State Bridgewater

117

@ Southern Maine Team

Keene State

Keene State

62

Middlebury Co.

37

Southern Maine

43

Points

0-0

Overall

Home

Away

1-8

0-1

1-7

vs. Brandeis

vs. Brandeis

Points 170

2-2

8-1

Women’s Swim & Dive Neutral

@ Bridgewater

Neutral

Points 59

Men’s Swim & Dive Overall

Away

Points

Team

Team

Keene State

137

Keene State

Brandeis

141

Brandeis

Neutral

0-0 vs. LEC

Points

Team

Points

195 97

Keene State LEC

557 -

Indoor Track & Field Dartmouth Indoor Classic Katelyn Terry

400 Meter Run 59.27

Jared Hannon

Lindsey Terry

400 Meter Run 1:00.58

James Stergis Cox

Women’s Basketball Saturday, Feb. 11 vs. Western Conn.

1:00 p.m.

Men’s Basketball Saturday, Feb. 11 vs. Western Conn.

3:00 p.m.

Upcoming Games Women’s Basketball Saturday, Feb. 15 @ Eastern Conn.

5:30 p.m.

400 Meter Run 53.25 400 Meter Run 53.48 Men’s Basketball Saturday, Feb. 15 @ Eastern Conn.

7:30 p.m.

Time for a Taste of Global Chef!

Join us in the Student Center Atrium Monday, February 13th Meet the Chefs ● Enjoy a Taste of their Cuisine 11am to 2pm

Palatschinken Austrian Pancakes These versatile Pancakes are served in a variety of ways, filled with sweet or savory fillings or chopped up and added to soup. In Chef Stephan’s version, tender crepe-like pancakes are filled with Apricot Jam, Raspberry Preserves or Nutella and topped with Whipped Cream.

Chef Stephan returns for Global Chef Week March 3rd through March 10th. Watch for details!

Pan Fried Arctic Char with Buerre Blanc Chef Sébastien presents Arctic Char that is gently pan fried and served with a smooth and creamy Orange Buerre Blanc and a Wild Rice Blend on the side.

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Sports / B8

Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017

Lady Owls outshoot the competition SHELBY IAVA

SportS Editor

Middlebury College The Keene State women’s basketball team matched up against non-conference Middlebury College on Jan. 3. Emily McPadden scored her second consecutive game with double-digits. McPadden scored 18 points, while her fellow teammate Stephanie D’Annolfo scored 12 with seven rebounds. Amanda Petrow also received double-digits, scoring 11.

The Owls came out fired up in the first quarter, shooting 10-for-16. The Owls earned an early 12-9 lead with a layup from Petrow and back-to-back threes from Rachel Bonnanzio and Lydia Vital, bringing the lead up 18-9.

D’Annolfo added in another layup to widen the lead even more, but the Panthers shot a three and sank it in with 1:16 left on the clock. McPadden sank the final basket with a jump shot from the top of the key to make the score 22-12, Keene State.

The Owls opened the second quarter with a 12-2 run and maintained a 20 point lead with just 5:32 left on the clock. Keene State kept the offensive drive as Petrow scored another two baskets before time ran out. The Panthers achieved the final points of the quarter as they hit a three with just 24 seconds left, sending both teams into the half, 38-17, Keene State.

Late in the third quarter, Sandi Purcell gave the Owls their greatest lead. A three-point shot put the Owls up by 25 points with 4:47 to go. The Panthers shot a free throw and a three, achieving the next four points and pulling them within 21 points.

With 1:11 left on the clock, McPadden received the next five points, keeping Keene State on top 49-25 at the end of the third.

In the fourth, the Panthers would only come as close as 18 points. The Owls sealed the deal 59-37.

The Owls came out of the second quarter with a 9-0 run to stay in front of the Huskies. The Owls then brought the score to 31-5 in just the beginning of the quarter. The Huskies found some momentum with back-to-back layups.

The Huskies have now added nine points with 4:57 to go. Keene State followed right back with seven unanswered points for a 38-9 margin in favor of the Owls.

The Huskies didn’t throw in the towel just yet, they grabbed three more points, but a final basket from Amerson put Keene State up 40-12 at the half.

D’Annolfo with a layup and a three from Kenzie Bennett opened up the third quarter. The Owls stayed strong, shooting in the first half and maintaining the double-digit lead. The Huskies would only come as close as 19 points in the last remaining minutes.

Keene State didn’t give up the double-digit lead and finished on top at the buzzer, 62-43.

The Keene State lady Owls will play home on Wednesday against Plymouth State University. Tip-off will be at 5:30 p.m.

Shelby Iava can be contacted at Siava@kscequinox.com

University of Southern Maine The Owls soared past the University of Southern Maine (USM) 62-43, Saturday Feb. 4 at Firfield Court.

Four of the Owls scored double-digits to keep their lead over USM. Sandi Purcell led with 13 points, Stephanie D’Annolfo was one assist shy of a triple double with 10 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.

Both Lydia Vital and Amanda Petrow scored 10 points each. Josie Amerson also pulled down a career and game-high of 12 rebounds with six points.

The Owls came out strong offensively in the first minutes, maintaining a 15-0 lead that was capped by the three from Purcell with 6:19 left in the first quarter. Southern Maine finally got on the board with two converted free throws.

Keene quickly reacted with five points from Vital and Purcell in the final minute of the quarter. The Owls extended the lead to 17 points, 22-5 at the end of the first.

JACOB PAQUIN/ EQUINOX STAFF

Above: Stephanie D’Annolfo brings the ball to the net for a layup in a previous game against ECSU. The Owls fell short by just one point 63-62.

Left: Stephanie D’Annolfo and Emily McPadden celebrate before the start of the Eastern game on Jan. 25.

Men’s basketball suffers consecutive losses while on the road SHELBY IAVA

SportS Editor

Middlebury College The men’s basketball team suffered their first loss in four games Tuesday, Jan. 31 away at Middlebury College.

Ty Nichols led KSC with 22 points and 10 rebounds for his second double-double of the year. Jaquel Edwards also tallied up doubledigits with 16 points, while Matthew Ozzella had 12 and Lucas Hammel with 11.

Edwards and Nichols both sank early three-pointers for a 6-3 lead in the beginning of the half.

The Panthers went on a 12-4 run and capped it with a layup for a 15-10 advantage.

Demonte Turner sank a pair of free throws, while Jeffrey Lunn added a layup which got the Owls within two (18-20). With 8:33 left in the first half, the Panthers scored 17 of the next 19 points, going up 37-22. The Panthers also scored the next seven points, giving them a 44-27 lead over the Owls at the half.

The Owls started the second half strong, maintaining a 12-2 run over the first five minutes of the half. Hammel made a layup, which brought the Owls within seven. The Panthers scored a double-digit lead on a three-point play, but the Owls didn’t give up. Nichols found Lunn for a layup at just less than 10 minutes left in the game, bringing the score to 65-52, Middlebury. Ozzella scored six points in just 26 seconds, finishing a three-point play.

Then, Lunn stole the ball from Middlebury and passed it off to Ozzella. Ozzella hit a three to bring the score up 65-58, Middlebury, with 7:38 left on the clock.

Nichols hit his third three-pointer of the game with 2:26 left, as the Owls stayed behind the Panthers. The Owls could not get in reach of them.

points and 10 rebounds, fellow senior Lunn also added 16 points and nine rebounds while Nichols had 14 points and three assists.

The Owls went to the position of the jump ball, and ran it to the basket. Lunn was able to get the Owls on the board first with a layup for two points. That was the only lead the Owls had over the Huskies for the entire game. The Huskies answered back with a three. They were leading by a bucket, 12-10. After the first five minutes of the game, University of Southern Maine (USM) went on a 10-2 run to have an early 10-point lead, 22-12 USM. The Huskies held a steady lead for most of the first half and led by 12. With just 4:20 remaining in the first half, USM added a layup while the Owls only hit two baskets.

Ozzella and Lunn went back-to-back and brought the score 39-34, USM. The Huskies quickly regained possession and sank a jumper, bringing it to 14-37 at the half.

The Owls were unable to get on top of the Huskies trailing behind the entire time. A three from Jaquel Edwards brought the Owls within five. With 9:16 left on the clock, the Huskies outscored the Owls 11-4 over the next few minutes, giving the Huskies a greater lead, 73-6. USM outscored the Owls 17-10 in the last remaining minutes of the half. The Owls fell short 90-71.

The Owls will host a another LEC matchup against Plymouth State University, Wednesday Feb. 8, at 7:30 p.m.

Shelby Iava can be contacted at Siava@kscequinox.com

University of Southern Maine

JACOB PAQUIN/ EQUINOX STAFF

The Keene State Owls fell short to an LEC matchup against Southern Maine.

Ozzella was one of the leading scorers for the afternoon with 24

Ty Nichols shoots a three in a game earlier in the season against ECSU. The Owls defeated the No. 1 seed 99-92 on Jan. 25.

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Sports / B9

Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017

STAFF COMMENTARY

And one for the thumb: Patriots win No. 5 MARY CURTIN

Ads director It didn’t seem possible.

Then, the New England Patriots did the most “Patriots” thing ever.

This is the game my grandkids will ask about, and I will be able to tell them of the time that Tom Brady served a four-game suspension and won a Lombardi Trophy in the same season.

It wasn’t just a normal Super Bowl win either; it was the most dramatic and drastic comeback in Super Bowl history.

It all started when Julian Edelman made an unreal catch late in the fourth quarter and turned the entire game around.

I watched every single replay just waiting to see the ball touch the ground and have the catch be overturned, but every angle proved that Edelman pulled off one of the most clutch catches, maybe ever.

This historic Super Bowl LI brought me to tears, first because I saw the team crumbling through the first three quarters of the game, then because I saw the Pats do what the Pats do and turn a 19-point deficit into a 34-28 win.

The Atlanta Falcons looked tired, timid and collapsed under the pressure of the veteran New England team late in the third quarter.

Within four plays, the Pats were able to tie the game up and force overtime, while forcing my nerves and heart rate far beyond normal.

I swear it is like this franchise wants me to agonize every single Super Bowl and the Pats just don’t make it easy on their fans.

This game was one for us, proving to everyone that we are the NFL powerhouse and no matter what the commissioner, other franchises or other fan bases do or say, New England comes up when it matters.

Without Rob Gronkowski for an important portion of the season, several players stepped up for the remainder of the season and into the Super Bowl.

Running back James White came up strong in this game with a total of 14 receptions and the game-winning touchdown.

Brady also now holds the record for Super Bowl yardage with a whopping 466 yards.

It all came down to the clutchness of this team and the way they make playsfind the passing lanes and crash through like a bat out of hell.

After a clutch performance like Brady showed in the last quarter and overtime, there is not a single person who can put up a legitimate argument saying that Brady is not the greatest quarterback of all time, and us New England fans don’t call him the GOAT for nothing.

And those people who would try to make an argument against it probably

were also part of the Deflategate conspiracy and are mad because their team hasn’t won five Super Bowls in the past 15 years and their quarterback isn’t the winningest quarterback in Super Bowl wins.

There are some numbers that prove that this game was not one the Pats were supposed to win after halfway through the third quarter.

According to ESPN, the Falcons’ win probability was 99.6 percent after kicker Stephen Gostkowski hit a 33-yard field goal with less than 10 minutes left in regulation.

The number one rule in journalism is speaking truth to power, and one thing that we know is that the Patriots and Tom Brady overcome all odds.

What a time to be alive as a New England sports fan.

At 21 years old, I have witnessed five Super Bowl wins, three World Series Championship wins, one Stanley Cup and one NBA title.

My dad and grandparents tell me all the time how privileged I am to have been born when I was and witness all the greatness these franchises have put forth in the past 21 years, and they’re right. I still can’t believe it and have been reeling since Edelman’s catch.

While the game was obviously unbelieveable, the trophy presentations were the best, most comfortable and awesome thing I have witnessed in a while.

When NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell had to hand Patriots owner Robert Kraft the Lombardi Trophy, the body language from Kraft said it all.

On top of that, the presentation of the MVP trophy from Goodell to Brady said it too, for the body language alone was enough to get me fired up. This may be the single greatest moment between a player and the commissioner of a sport.

There is just something incredible about sports and how a win or a loss can literally make or break an entire fan base.

The entire vibe in Keene, New Hampshire, on Sunday night after the win was something so unreal to witness.

Sports bring people together and people forget about what else is going on in the world as they get behind a team and a game.

This game is one that I will never forget and will live on in infamy in the minds of all sports fans.

I think Tom Brady Sr. summed it up best when he said, “We don’t need anybody’s approval to validate everything that he’s done,” according to Sports Illustrated.

Mary Curtin can be contacted at Mcurtin@kscequinox.comm

ELISE AMENDOLA/ AP PHOTO

New England Patriots’ Tom Brady celebrates with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after the NFL Super Bowl 51 football game against the Atlanta Falcons in Houston. Federal Judge Richard M. Berman, who ruled against the National Football League in “Deflategate,” says the Patriots, with their Super Bowl victory, have showed “us all never to quit, everything is possible and the importance of teamwork.”

BRIEF

Chamique Holdsclaw coming to Keene

Interested in writing for The Equinox?

SHELBY IAVA

sports editor Women’s National Basketball Association star Chamique Holdsclaw was named the “female Michael Jordan.”

Holdsclaw, like many athletes, struggled with mental illness. In her documentary “Mind/Game: The journey of Chamique Holdsclaw,” she proves that even with a mental illness, she can trump any opponent she would ever face on the court.

In the documentary, she explains how basketball was once her “coping mechanism,” and she has replaced it with a strict routine of eating healthy, exercising, quiet time and meditation. Now, she travels the country to advocate for mental health awareness. Friday, Feb. 10 at 7:00 p.m., Holdsclaw will be speaking in the Mabel Brown Room.

Shelby Iava can be contacted at Siava@kscequinox.com

Chamique Shaunta Holdsclaw is a former professional basketball player in the Women’s National Basketball Association most recently under a contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars

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Check out the scoreboard on B7!

Sports / B10 Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017

SPORTS

The trek to 20

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TIM SMITH/ PHOTO EDITOR

Captains Rachel MacKinnon, Gabrielle Brzozowski and Hope Walsh led the Owls to their 11th consecutive LEC championship. The Owls will next compete in the New England Intercollegiate Swimming & Diving Association championship (NEISDA’s) from Feb. 17-19.

Women’s swim and dive team wins 11th consecutive Little East Championship title CRAE MESSER

Managing ExEcutivE Editor If you thought ten was the end for the Keene State College women’s swim and dive team, guess again.

For the eleventh year in a row, the Owls took home the Little East Conference (LEC) championship on Saturday, February 4.

The team racked up 557 points, the sixth highest total by a champion in the history of the LEC championship meet. The Owls were led by dominant performances all around and a record-breaking day from junior captain Hope Walsh.

Walsh said that the eleventh straight championship was just as exciting as any of the others.

“It’s a huge accomplishment. Really it’s kind of ridiculous that we’ve held this for eleven years straight,” Walsh said.

When asked how it felt to finish her senior year as a winner, senior captain Gabrielle Brzozowski said, “I started on the top, I wanted to go out on top.“ Brzozowski was spreading the praise all around, giving credit to her teammates for their work ethic and energy going into the meet.

“The girls really stepped up their game and proved to the other teams that we’re number one,” Brzozowski said.

Head Coach Chris Woolridge said he wasn’t surprised his team came away with the victory.

“I think the way the program’s been built, that we’re always going to have a good chance to win that meet,” Woolridge said. Woolridge also added that the entire team put in the effort required, including first-year’s.

“We had a couple of [first-year’s] step up and win events, which was huge. They had a fair amount of pressure on them, they weren’t seeded first and for them to come through and take those events is really good,” Woolridge said. Among the first-years who won events were Olivia Pechulis and Sydney McGough.

Walsh had a record-breaking performance at the championship meet, shattering three LEC

records as well as one KSC record.

“I wasn’t that nervous, surprisingly, I’ve been to LEC’s before so I knew what to expect.” Walsh said. “My whole team was there supporting me and the coaches were freaking out...I felt on top of the world.”

Brzozowski expressed her amazement of Walsh’s performance, saying “she’s a monster.

That’s what she is.”

Woolridge added how essential it was for Walsh to perform the way she did.

“Hope did unbelievable and she’s been killing it and working her butt off, so I wasn’t surprised to see it, but I was very happy to see it come together like that, because that doesn’t always happen,” Woolridge said.

When asked about the team’s future, Brzozowski expressed her confidence in the program.

“Everybody’s individual preference for how they stay in shape in the offseason is different,” Brzozowski said, “but once you get back in that pool in August, my expectations are you get in there, you work hard and you swim like Keene State does.”

Walsh also added that, with one year left, she’s anticipating another successful year for her team.

“I know that the twelfth is going to go just as well,” Walsh said, adding that she has no doubt in her mind that the Owls will get the twelfth championship.

Both Walsh and Brzozowski agreed that the

“...we’re now paving the way to create another decade of this dominance over the LEC because we don’t plan on stopping.”

GABRIELLE BRZOZOWSKI SENIOR CAPTAIN OF KSC WOMEN’S SWIM AND DIVE TEAM

incoming swimmers will play a big role in the team’s future success. Walsh said that the incoming swimmers are, “going to learn quickly what this team does and how we work and that we expect to be the best.”

Woolridge also said that it’s a little early to tell, but that he thinks the team has, “definite potential to pull in a very good class this year.”

Brzozowski said that the pressure will be growing as the years go on.

“Next year, there will be pressure. I think as you get higher up (winning more consecutive championships), the pressure’s actually going to build, because people are going to be like, ‘When do you fall?’ Hopefully never,” Brzozowski said.

Brzozowski said that this year starts a whole new trend for the team and that, moving forward, she’s hopeful that the dominance will continue.

“Coming into the eleventh year, we’re starting the trek to 20...and we had to go in with that mindset that we’re now paving the way to create another decade of this dominance over the LEC because we don’t plan on stopping,” Brzozowski said.

Crae Messer can be contacted at cmesser@kscequinox.com ADAM SOPRIS/ LEC CONTRIBUTING PHOTO

Keene State Owls Swim and Dive hold up their 11th consecutive win plaque and poster after the conference championship Saturday, Feb. 4th at UMass Dartmouth

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