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THE EQUINOX
WORD OF THE WEEK IN ONE OF OUR STORIES, WE HAVE HIDDEN THIS WORD: FLABBERGASTED
The student voice of Keene State College
Vol. 70, Issue #20
THE EFFECTS OF INJURIES SEE B6
RELATIONSHIPS IN REAL TIME SEE A5
Winner of a 2017 Pacemaker Award
Thursday, March 1, 2018
Vandalism hits KSC
Swastika and transgender bias apparent in residential halls JESSICA RICARD
News editor SEBASTIEN MEHEGAN
AdmiNistrAtive executive editor During the month of February, vandalism has been widespread on the Keene State College campus. On Feb. 8, a swastika scratched into the surface of a wall in Owls Nest 6 was reported to Campus Safety. Additionally, a series of incidents regarding a transgender-related bias have been reported in the Living and Learning Commons (LLC) throughout the month. The exact date in which the incidents began is unknown. Swastika Director of Campus Safety Jeff Maher said Campus Safety first responded to the incident in early February, and the symbol in Owls Nest 6 measured about 2 inches by 2 inches. He described it as “faint,” and it not being the first thing people would see if they were to walk into the building. “Because of that,” he said, “it was difficult to find out how long it had been there.” Maher said Campus Safety officers took a report and spoke with a number of people in the building. The swastika was ultimately covered up and painted over. In response, Interim President of Keene State College Dr. Melinda Treadwell sent out a campus-wide email on Monday, Feb. 19 with notice of holding what she called a Town Hall meeting to “discuss and re-commit to [KSC’s] values, mission and goals to create a community rooted in civility, respect and equity.” The meeting was held on Thursday, Feb. 22.
Maher said the meeting was really a presidential response, which speaks volumes in terms of how campus individuals choose to respond to such incidents when they do happen on our campus. “When you have what might be perceived as bias-related incidents that impact members of our community or, at times, marginalize members of our community, it’s important that there be dialogue and discussion about that. It’s important that there’s an awareness about how these type of acts affect members of our community, affect their feelings of acceptance here, and so [the Town Hall meeting] is but one response,” Maher said. This is not the first time KSC has seen a campus-wide meeting on such a topic, however. In December of 2016, Associate Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion Dr. Dottie Morris said the first meeting occurred, in which the idea for the KSC Teach-In was formed. The goal of the Town Hall meeting, Morris said, was to talk about behavioral expectations, among other things. “It’s also just a time to come together within community and support each other and to be there for each other and just to show that we care… For me, that’s the main goal, is that we come together, we show support, we show care and then we think about ways that we can be even a more respectful community and show compassion for each other,” Morris said. “It’s time to recommit to the values of this institution and recommit to co-creating a welcoming environment for everybody.” Transgender bias Additionally, Maher said the LLC has seen a series of incidents that “seem to be suggestive of some bias towards members of our transgender community.” After a number of educational programs were put on by resident assistants (RA’s) in the LLC related to identity terminology, specifically an event called “Lingo Bingo,” Maher said some displays have been ripped down or removed from walls, which may indiSEE BIAS-RELATED VANDALISM, A2
PHOTO BY ALYSSA BOERENKO / EQUINOX STAFF
GRAPHIC BY LUKE SWEENEY / EQUINOX STAFF
Student model destroyed in Rhodes Hall KSC Nursing Program to JESSICA RICARD
News editor On Wednesday, Feb. 14, a collaborative student-made model was vandalized in Rhodes Hall. The model portrayed The Thomson Center for Sustainable Work and Scholarship, which was meant to “promote the general goal of sustainable, local development.” The model acted as a more sustainable campus model to promote sustainable practices and potentially “have a positive long-term impact on our college, our students, our community, and our natural environment,” according to the project description. The sustainable campus vision was assembled in a display table, containing different models of buildings, trees and resources, such
as solar panels and green houses. It was on display on the second floor of Rhodes Hall until a couple weeks ago, when it was destroyed. Professor of Sociology Dr. Brian Green said he walked by the model every day on the way to his office, but it was different last time. When he walked by, all parts of the model were either damaged or missing, he said. Additionally, someone folded over a piece of cardboard, wrote “REMOVE” in large letters and placed it on what was left of it. Although the representation wasn’t enclosed in glass, “everyone seemed to respect it,” he said. A few years ago, the model was created by students in both the sociology and architecture departments. They presented it at the Academic Excellence Conference, it became the center of mul-
tiple senior student projects and the model was the focus of an innovative video, presenting the new sustainable campus idea. The Thomson Center for Sustainable Work and Scholarship was ultimately Green’s idea for a new sustainable campus. He said it would allow for more integrated and interdisciplinary learning at the college with effort to integrate all programs on campus and build a greater focus on sustainability. “I wanted to build the model as a way of physically showing anybody who would be interested, other professors, administrators, etc., what we could do if we decided to [implement it], and the students got into it big time. I have to tell you, it’s probably the most enthusiastic I’ve ever seen students about a project,” Green said. SEE RHODES MODEL, A2
Correction Omission: “Probation for TKE” published Feb. 22, 2018. The article published in the Time Capsule section of the Equinox omitted the year of the event and probation. The Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE) probation occured in 1971 and not the present day.
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A4: Post-graduation planning A8: Safety on campus B1: Facing the music B8: Breaking records
Opinions ................4-5 Time Capsule.............5 A&E............ ...........6-8 Sports.....................6-8 Associated Collegiate Press
be re-evaluated in April JESSICA RICARD
News editor The Keene State College Nursing Program is preparing for a national site visit in mid-April. From April 11-13, three visitors from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) will be at KSC, Director of Nursing Dr. Patricia Shinn said. They will be from the University of Southern Indiana, Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital in Kentucky and Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan. Additionally, two individuals from the New Hampshire Board of Nursing will be present for the site visit as well. Over the course of the visit, the individuals from the CCNE and the New Hampshire Board of Nursing will meet with students, faculty, the dean, the provost and the college pres-
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ident. They’ll have the opportunity to observe student clinicals and classes, and on the last day, they’ll conduct an exit interview to share their findings with Shinn. In preparation for the visit, Shinn said she and the nursing faculty have been writing a comprehensive self study over the course of the year that describes the nursing program and how KSC students are meeting the learning outcomes. It’s been a “group project,” with faculty meeting each week to work collaboratively on the report. In August of 2018, Shinn will officially find out whether KSC’s nursing program has been granted national accreditation. If achieved, the next reaccreditation visit would not occur until 2028. Jessica Ricard can be contacted at jricard@kscequinox.com
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News / A2
Thursday, March 1, 2018
KSC to partner with Tufts
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two banners displaying community values and support. Another event titled Levels of Pride is being planned by Morris, Kirschner and the LLC’s Hall Council for late March. “Since so much of trans or queer identity is invisibilized in our greater culture, [the students] all say, ‘No, this is who I am,’ and so having that erased effectively is erasing their identity and that’s really harmful,” Kirshner said. “And so if you’re feeling that you’re constantly erased, not seen, not understood, you don’t feel a part of this community, you don’t feel like people care about you and that’s a terrible thing to feel. It’s terrible to feel unsafe where you live. These students are trying to learn, they’re trying to go to school, not necessarily trying to advocate for themselves for their right to just exist.” When responding to incidents such as this, Morris said it’s important to make it a teachable moment, where everyone’s involved. To some, these actions may seem so small and insignificant, but to those they have an impact on, it is major for them, Morris said. “We do want to make this a community where people feel as though they can enjoy themselves, they can be proud of who they are and that they can grow and develop, and so we want to pay attention to it.” It’s not just an LLC problem, however. Programming will be occurring through both Morris and Kirschner across campus in all residential halls in order to spread acceptance and support to all KSC students. Anyone with additional information on either incidents can submit it as a silent witness on the KSC website or contact Morris or Campus Safety directly.
Cont. from A1
GERALD ALFIERI / EQUINOX STAFF
Civic engagement research to boost engagement MOLLY SPOONER
Equinox Staff Keene State College has recently gotten involved in a partnership with Tufts University and the American Democracy Project (ADP), a program of the American Association of State College and Universities (AASCU). According to the AASCU, this partnership is one that will help KSC to “educate, inspire and prepare college students for a life of active civic engagement in order to cultivate a more vibrant democracy.” Kim Schmidl-Gagne, ADP campus coordinator said, “Tufts began to work with the American Democracy Project in D.C., and they did a very small-scale piece of research, and now they are trying to scale up to more diverse institutions.” KSC is a college that enjoys being involved in many different partnerships and organizations to help boost engagement on campus. Mark Gempler, senior manager of scheduling and event services and KSC ADP steering committee, said, “For KSC to be asked to be part of this initiative, it recognizes the work we have already done in civic engagement within our peer group of
AASCU schools.” KSC was one of 12 institutions to be part of this study, Schmidl-Gagne said. “The National Director, Jennifer Domagal-Goldman, recommended KSC and it worked because we fit the parameters.” Service Learning and Internship Coordinator Karen Balnis said, “Choices and policies set forth now will impact the lives of the current generations of college students in the future, and this partnership will help us to learn how best to set a campus climate that encourages political engagement.” This project is broken up into two phases that will be going on around campus. The first phase, which is already in effect, is getting a benchmark for what the climate is for political engagement on KSC’s campus. The next phase will be centered around outreach and getting the students involved. Schmidl-Gagne said, “We will obviously want to reach out to certain groups, like the student republicans and the student democrats, the student leaders, maybe some students in different majors, to try and get a real cross section.” Over the past two elections, KSC has hosted events for not only students, but
RHODES MODEL Cont. from A1
On the architecture side of things, Associate Professor of Architecture Bart Sapeta worked with his students to come up with the physical representation, while the sociology students worked with the big idea. The students involved with project understood from the get-go that there was no guarantee that model would be brought to life, but the idea that they would play a role if it ever did happen was exciting for them, Green said. Green said he reported the incident to Campus Safety, but hasn’t heard anything regarding the investigation. In terms of why something like this could happen, Green said he thought it could be one of two things:
that were made available to the ADP institutes across the country. Schmidl-Gagne said, “We try to share the excitement that we experience around getting the first look at these candidates.” This partnership is expected to change the political climate at KSC in a positive way. Balnis said, “I hope that as a result of this project, we learn how to better engage a broader range of students, that civic learning and engagement is clearly part of every student’s college experience.” Gempler said, “Perhaps we can better identify some of our strengths and weaknesses and address programming and resources in those areas for KSC, or to contribute to the dialogue with our fellow ADP institutions.” When looking at the partnership between ADP and Keene State College, Schmidl-Gagne said she hopes that “we actually find that we have done an okay job, that students feel safe and that they can talk about things and become politically engaged, and maybe they don’t know how yet and that’s okay.”
cate a bias towards that programming or toward those members of that community. In addition, there have been several incidents where students expressing their identity on their personal whiteboards placed on their doors has been erased. At the Town Hall meeting held on Feb. 22, first year LLC resident Jay Pereira put a face to some of the incidences KSC has seen over the past month. The whiteboard incidents? They happened to her, she said. “We try to put a symbol of our identity, a symbol of solidarity with our community, up there,” she said, “and it gets erased. We try to spread awareness, it gets erased. We want to show people, ‘Hey, we exist,’ and it gets erased, and that s--- hurts a lot.” Campus Safety officers have responded and are trying to learn more about the incident, Maher said. “It’s important to recognize, while it’s unfortunate that these types of events happen in our community, I think it’s a measure of our institution and our community about how we respond to this,” he added. The response to the incident in the LLC involved engaging Residential Life with floor members to talk about what happened, discussing why it happened and why it shouldn’t happen again and additional outreach and educational programming through Morris and Program Support Assistant for LGBTQ+ Students Hunter Kirschner to get into the residential halls and have furSilent Witness: https:// ther conversations. “It’s easy to dismiss the impact of what cm.maxient.com/reportingform. erasing a whiteboard does,” Kirschner said, php?KeeneStateCollege&layout_id=8 Campus Safety: 603-358-222 “but what those students were trying to Dottie Morris: dmorris@keene.edu express on that whiteboard was their identity, it was who they are. They wanted to Jessica Ricard can be contacted at make sure that they were seen.” jricard@kscequinox.com Kirschner said the main event in response to the series of bias-related inciSebastien Mehegan can be contacted at dents was called Pride in the LLC. There were different stations set up with ways to smehegan@kscequinox.com engage, as well as the opportunity to create
“
We try to put a symbol of our identity, a symbol of solidarity with our community, up there...and it gets erased. We try to spread awareness, it gets erased. We want to show people, ‘Hey, we exist,’ and it gets erased, and that s--- hurts, a lot. Jay Pereira KSC first-year
Molly Spooner can be contacted at mspooner@kscequinox.com
either someone spontaneously wanted to trash it or, because the word “REMOVE” was written on it, it could have been something politically related. “We created this model, it’s like a new vision for learning and organization of the college around sustainability, integrative studies, the college has identified that as a key theme, and now somebody’s vandalized our model. So what is that telling us? Does that mean maybe people don’t think that’s a good idea? I mean, who knows,” Green said. KSC alumnus of the class of 2015, management major and key player in the development of the Thomson Center model Ryan Cathcart said the project meant a number of things to him, including an opportunity to turn a passion for sustainability into something much larger. Additionally, he saw it as a way to benefit KSC and make it better than when he had first arrived.
Considering the model was built on the best intentions, Cathcart said, he said hearing it was vandalized was disappointing. “In hearing about the model being vandalized, I was first disappointed that someone would disrespect something that took so many hours to make, something that was built on the best intentions. Afterwards, however, I came to focus more on the silver lining, that there could be benefit in the renewed attention to this project, and hopefully some student could take interest and pick it up where we left off.” Sapeta said he was unsure of the reason for the vandalism, but it’s sad someone would destroy the work of students. “I hope that this incident has nothing to do with the broader number of incidents of vandalism on campus, that it has nothing to do with attacking the students or the people involved in the project or even the idea of the project, and I don’t want to marginalize that, but I hope
it’s just somebody maybe got frustrated and that was their way of relieving their frustration, but even that is wrong.” However, he said he hopes the project can still be utilized with ways of implementing some parts of it. Another key player in the development of the model, Jacob Pastor, an architecture major and alumnus of the class of 2015, agreed with Sapeta. “I hope that other students continue with our project. I would love to see what the next stage of the project is,” Pastor said. He also said this project was important to KSC. Not only did it spearhead the efforts to make sustainability a minor, he said, but it brought light to the importance of sustainability as a whole. Jessica Ricard can be contacted at jricard@kscequinox.com
PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED BY ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF SOCIOLOGY DR. BRIAN GREEN
Before (left) and after (right) photos of a student-made model in Rhodes Hall that was vandalized on Wednesday, Feb. 14. The model was removed the following day.
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Thursday, March 1, 2018
GREEN LIFE: STAFF COLUMN
Recycled caps and gowns
BRANDON MOULTON / EQUINOX STAFF
Commencement gowns to eliminate millions of plastic bottles from landfills KATHERINE GLOSSER
equinox staff Pollution has been an issue many people are all too familiar with. According to Columbia University Earth Institute’s website, 8.8 million tons of plastic bottles end up in the ocean every year. In landfills, plastic bottles can take up to 500 years to decompose. Plastic in landfills can also leak contaminants in the soil and water, which are often eaten by animals that mistake it for food. A study conducted by Newcastle University found plastic in the stomachs of deep sea animals in the trenches of the Pacific Ocean, which were most likely from plastic water bottles. Keene State College, in effort to be sustainable and reduce the carbon footprint, uses graduation caps and
gowns that are made out of recycled plastic. KSC Recycling Coordinator Matthew Bacon said KSC has been using these gowns since before he arrived. Bacon said he feels using them is a good use of resources because they are using a material that can be recycled over and over again. “The majority of caps and gowns being made at this point, I’m pretty sure at least, are being made out of some sort of recycled plastics just because gowns themselves are a traditionally one-use product, so there’s no point in using brand new cottons or textile materials for it,” Bacon said. Head of Sales and Marketing at Oak Hall Caps and Gowns, the company that supplies KSC’s graduation caps and gowns, Lee Beekman said it takes 23 plastic bottles to make one gown. GreenWeaver, a line of graduation gowns and caps made of recycled plastics, was created nine years ago, with the purpose of reducing plastic in landfills.
Beekman said 500 schools use GreenWeaver’s gowns, which means they eliminated about 97 million plastic bottles from landfills. “Any time you have the opportunity to take something that normally was going to be waste, just sitting in a landfill and basically not only not doing something positive but actually negatively affecting the environment, obviously it’s a bad thing,” Beekman said. “So when you’re given an opportunity to just correct something like that in the business or workplace, the question really becomes, ‘Why wouldn’t you?’” The process of turning recycled plastic into soft usable fabric is a long process. Bottles are collected in landfills and are shredded. The shredded plastic chunks are heated into liquid to get rid of impurities. The plastic is then put into machines that stretch it into long fine fibers. The fibers are then made into fabric. Because they are made out of plastic, Beekman said, they can be
recycled, melted and remade into new gowns. KSC Eco Rep Lindsey Ljungberg said when she graduates in the future, she hopes the college will continue to supply students with them. “I’m a freshman, so it doesn’t really affect me right now, but I hope they continue to do that because it’ll feel good when I graduate knowing that the caps and gowns are made from recycled goods,” Ljungberg said. Bacon said students who don’t plan on keeping their graduation caps and gowns can recycle them at the college. Students can put the gown in a gown recycling container that is typically found at the commencement ceremony on the side of the stage. Katherine Glosser can be contacted at kglosser@kscequinox.com
‘The overdosing of America’ United States reflects 10-year low in opioid prescribing rate VINCENT MOORE
equinox staff Opioid use has become so prevalent in this country that, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the year 2016 marked a ten-year low in the prescribing rate of opioid medications with just 66.5 prescriptions per 100 people, which makes more than 214 million prescriptions in total. “The Overdosing of America: Addressing the Current Opioid Crisis,” was presented on Wednesday, Feb. 21 by Associate Professor of Health Science John Finneran, who said he was asked to speak because of the importance the issue. “I think they wanted to have somebody to step up and speak at Open College and maybe help present on the topic that has a lot of relevance not just on campus, but in the community,” Finneran said. During the presentation, Finneran explained the science behind opioid addiction and how opioid medications interact with the brain. He also went into detail about the history of opioid use in medicine, beginning with opiums introduction to Europe in the 1400s to the 19th century when opioid-based products were sold without requiring a prescription and marketed to children. He also went over the first opioid regulations and the subsequent creation of its black market with the Harrison Narcotic Tax Act in 1914 and “Porter and Jick,” the nickname for a letter that Finneran described as the most commonly cited herald of today’s opioid crisis. Later in the presentation, Finneran
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went into detail on the opioid medication industry, going over the way its products are marketed and the massive amount of profit it rakes in every year. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2016 saw the lowest opioid prescription rate in ten years, with opioid prescriptions reaching their peak in 2012 at a rate of 81.3 prescriptions per 100 people. Finneran said that even though, to best of his knowledge, Keene State College itself isn’t experiencing problems with opioid use among students, that doesn’t necessarily mean the effects of the crisis aren’t being felt by students. “In my experience, many people are affected by the opioid crisis and you don’t have to have the problem yourself to be affected by it. A number of students that I have spoken to have talked about how opioid problems might be in their family, some have talked about how they have lost friends to the opioid epidemic,” Finneran said. First-year and communication major Dylan Donoghue said he came to the event to fulfill a requirement for his management class, and also to learn more about opioid addiction, which is affecting people close to him. “Out of my cousins and my siblings, everyone in my generation in my family, I’m the only person who has never been hospitalized, near death, or had to go to rehab for their addiction to opioids and it’s frankly concerning to me,” Donoghue said. When Finneran was taking questions after the main presentation,
Donoghue asked if genetics play a role in opioid addiction. Finneran answered yes, adding that it was only one part of the complex story. “The opposite of addiction is connection” became a recurring phrase during the post-presentation discussion. During the Q&A session, several community members shared their perspective and thoughts on the crisis, with the idea of community being the solution to the crisis also recurring. Bradford Hutchinson, a Keene resident, said he found out about the event through the Keene Sentinel and wanted to hear what Finneran had to say. “Just because you don’t know anyone who does drugs personally, are you going to live the rest of your life and not be in the position to help
Vincent Moore can be contacted at vmoore@kscequinox.com
STUDENT ASSEMBLY
Keene State College senior Tim Peterson was elected as Representative of Class 2018. In the meeting, Treasurer of Student Assembly SEBASTIEN MEHEGAN Casey Matthews reported an email was sent out on adMinistrative executive editor Feb. 26 to all registered presidents and treasurers of all student organizations. On Feb. 27, at 6:30 p.m., the Student Assembly was The email lists the specifications for Fiscal Year 2019. called to order. The email also states that March 23 is the due date for
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anybody? It’s about the more each one of us learns the more each one of us can be in the community, because the opposite of addiction isn’t abstinence, the opposite of addiction is connection,” Hutchinson said. At the end of the presentation, Finneran recommended the audience go see the Addiction Performance Project, a dramatic reading and town hall discussion meant to raise awareness of addiction as a disease, in the Redfern Arts Center on March 8. The event was hosted by The Keene State Presents: Open College program.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ANGELIQUE INCHIERCA / PHOTO
all clubs’ budget submissions. Between March 24 and at the Dining Commons. April 5, the student assembly will review budgets and hear appeals. Final allocations will be sent to the KSC business office on April 6. Puja Thapa can be contacted at Aubree Williams of the Student Dining Committee pthapa@kscequinox.com reported the Dining Commons is hosting an event called “Just Ask” on Friday, Feb. 30, where the students Sebastien Mehegan can be contacted at can ask any questions they have to the chefs and staff smehegan@kscequinox.com
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OPINIONS
Opinions / A4 Thursday, March 1, 2018
EDITORIAL
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Post-graduation planning
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Why graduating students should not worry about their future after college It’s almost time for spring break, and for graduating students, it is also time to apply for jobs. This time of year can be stressful for those seeking employment opportunities for after graduation. Those who feel nervous are not alone. According to The Equinox’s Staff writer Ashley Arnold’s Student Life article titled, Student’s worries about making money after college, “Seventy percent of Keene State College students stress about money and their future incomes…” It seems like there is so much to worry about after graduation, such as finding a place to live, finding a job and paying your own bills. But KSC students can sleep well at night knowing their school provides them with the resources they need to succeed. The Academic and Career Advising (ACA) office is a resource all students should take advantage of during their time at KSC. According to the ACA’s official website, “Our career advisors assist KSC students and alumni in exploring career options, developing resumes and cover letters, conducting job and internship searches,
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perfecting interview skills and navigating the graduate school process.” KSC provides its students with the resources and tools they need to ensure they graduate with a plan for their future. By using these assets, students can put together a professional resume, cover letter and prepare for interviews to land them their dream job. Even though it may take some time to get where you ultimately want to be in your career, do not be discouraged. When you are first starting out, it is normal to start at the bottom and work your way to your ideal job or title. The reason you come to school is to learn a specific set of skills and study a particular area or subject. Everything you do during your time at KSC will benefit you in the future in one way or another, whether that be getting involved in a student organization or taking a summer class to earn some extra credits, that experience will be beneficial to you. Something soonto-be graduating students need to keep in mind is that
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no one got to where they are now without hard work. Once you graduate, there is no shame in starting low in a company or working small jobs to save money. It is less likely to land an extremely high-paying job fresh out of college, so start off at an entry level position. It is also important not to stand in the way of your own opportunities. You never know where your next job will be located, so keep an open mind. Don’t lock yourself to one specific location when that might not be the most realistic option for your career. Keeping an open mind about your career and where it will take you is vital. Sometimes you have to start off at a small position in a no-name town in order to end up at your dream job in a big city, and there is no shame in that. Apply to a job if it sounds like it would be of interest to you, no matter the location. Students, whether they are graduating or not, should always be saving money. If an opportunity comes along where you need to move out and fend for yourself, it is a smart idea to have some extra money
EQUINOX NEWSROOM Faculty Advisor Rodger Martin, Journalism faculty (rmartin@kscequinox.com ) Julio Del Sesto, Journalism faculty (jdelsesto@keene.edu)
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tucked away so you are not living paycheck to paycheck. It is also important to always be open to meeting new people. You never know how the connections you make now could benefit you in the future; networking is crucial. It is extremely normal to feel overwhelmed while thinking about graduating and your future. As long as you make sure to put in the time and effort , you will be successful. KSC offers solutions to stressful situations, such as planning for your future, that students should take advantage of. Whether you land your dream job right out of college or years later, you will find happiness in your career eventually. Being nervous for this next phase in your life is only human. While it is important to take time to accept those nerves, it is more important that you overcome them and realize that you will end up where you are meant to be.
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Thursday, March 1, 2018
Real time relationships STAFF COMMENTARY
LINDSAY GIBBONS
Equinox Staff
Let’s face it: in today’s society, there are times when being single can really suck, especially if you don’t want to be. But fear not! Dating sites, such as Tinder and Match.com, are making it easier and easier to find a partner in our fast-paced world. Technology and smart phones have transformed many aspects of our lives, including the dating scene. With the popularity of sites such as Tinder, Match. com and eHarmony, the stigma associated with online dating has decreased considerably in the last decade. Online dating, which was once a highly-scrutinized activity, has developed into a $2 million market. More and more of us are insisting on outsourcing our love lives to spreadsheets and algorithms instead of face-toface interactions. The popularity of online dating sites seems to be driven by time. Browsing profiles isn’t nearly as timeconsuming (or daunting) as meeting up for a face-toface interaction. Online dating services are now the second most popular way to meet a partner, and it’s estimated that by 2040, nearly 70 percent of couples will have met online. With all these dating sites popping up, it’s easy to wonder: are they good for us? The answer to tends to be mixed. Online dating provides individuals with more readily-available access to more partners than they would meet in their day-to-day lives. This is especially true for individuals looking for a certain lifestyle, or those who live in isolated areas. Many sites now offer personality tests, as well. This can help guide individuals towards those whom they may be better suited for. Additionally, it offers a way to communicate with a potential date before meeting them face-to-face. Computer-mediated communication can allow for a safe interaction without too much commitment or time consumption. However, online dating does have its downfalls. For many individuals, the choices of potential partners can become overwhelming. Daters may get stuck “shopping” for the perfect partner rather than staying in a satisfying relationship. Personality testing is also a difficult process and
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY GARRETT MCNAMEE / EQUINOX STAFF
cannot always be accurate, so individuals may be dismissing potentially good partners in the process. Communication through computers is also nowhere near as personable as face-to-face interactions. This can make it harder to evaluate matches online than in person. Therefore, computer-based interactions may seem artificial and lack emotions. Overall, online dating can be a great way to meet someone for future in-person meetings. Some of the
most common dating apps among college students are Tinder, Bumble, OKCupid, JSwipe, Hinge and Happn. Experts say that dating apps are a great way to meet people, but always be safe and trust your gut. Safety measures include not disclosing addresses with anyone online, checking to see if a user’s photos are stolen from another site or person’s profile, and blocking and reporting any suspicious behavior or harassment.
STAFF COMMENTARY
Lindsay Gibbons can be contacted at lgibbons@kscequinox.com
STAFF COMMENTARY
Trump’s informal acknowledgement IZZY MANZO
Equinox Staff I wonder how many people are still genuinely flabbergasted to find out that Trump did something wrong again; how many people turn on the TV and clutch their pearl necklaces and faint when the news dares to call him out for something? I understand that some of his appeal was originally him acting like a tough guy who’s not afraid to speak his mind and tell it like it is, but sometimes he says things that are quite questionable. And by sometimes, I mean all the time. Take, for example, one of the tweets that was sent out after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting in Parkland, Florida. After sending out the usual rounds of thoughts and prayers, Trump tweeted, “Very sad that the FBI missed all of the many signals sent out by the Florida school shooter. This is not acceptable. They are spending too much time trying to prove Russian collusion with the Trump campaign - there is no collusion. Get back to the basics and make us all proud!” Those are two polar opposite trains of thought. I can’t think of anything that would drive a sane person to link a school shooting that killed seventeen people to collusion with Russia. I don’t even know where to begin with this. There are a few things I’m positive about: Trump is physically incapable of going five minutes without making something about himself. Trump totally doesn’t understand the gravity of the situation. Hey, speaking of gun reform, Democrats are focusing too much on Russia meddling with the election. A few days after we were graced with such a well-thought-out message from the President, he spoke with survivors and relatives of those who died in the Parkland, Sandy Hook and Columbine shootings. He had a cute, little notecard with him with some talking points written down, like super morbid icebreakers at the world’s worst party. The fifth bullet point is really the only one that matters: “I hear you.” Trump needed to remind himself to empa-
With the help of these new dating sites, the tides may be beginning to turn for many singles in the world, but it is more important than ever to stay safe while doing it!
GERALD ALFIERI / EQUINOX STAFF
thize with people who lost loved ones due to ers with military or special training expegun violence. rience’ - only the best. 20% of teachers, a lot, The media sure had fun with that one. would now be able to...immediately fire back Those who attended the meeting sug- if a savage sicko came to a school with bad gested raising the age minimum for buying intentions. Highly trained teachers would assault weapons or banning them all together, also serve as a deterrent to the cowards that and Trump used the listening session to pitch do this. Far more assets at much less cost than his own ideas. He polled the group, asking guards. A ‘gun free’ school is a magnet for for a raise of hands to see how many people bad people. ATTACKS WOULD END!” agreed or disagreed with arming teachers. I have questions. “[Aaron Feis] was very brave, saved a lot How would adding more guns to the gun of lives, I suspect,” Trump said, according to problem fix anything? CBS reported that the the New York Times, referring to a coach at armed security guard did nothing to stop Stoneman Douglas High School who report- Nikolas Cruz, so what would a geography edly died using his body as a shield to protect teacher with a handgun and 30 scared stustudents. “But if he had a firearm, he wouldn’t dents do against a school shooter with an have had to run, he would have shot and that AR-15? What if a student got a hold of the gun? would have been the end of it.” Where would it even be kept? What kind of If I asked anyone with half a working training would the teachers receive? brain cell what Trump meant by that, I’m Remember, Trump is a guy who received pretty sure they would say that he wants to $30 million from the NRA and needs to arm teachers. be reminded to be empathetic. It’s futile to Apparently there’s some kind of sub- think that anything will happen on a legislatext that the nation failed to see, because in tive level. We the people have to decide that a series of Tweets sent out on Feb. 23, Trump enough is enough and we need to act on it argued, “I never said ‘give teachers guns’ like ourselves. was stated on Fake News @CNN & @NBC. What I said was to look at the possibility of Izzy Manzo can be contacted at giving ‘concealed guns to gun adept teachimanzo@kscequinox.com
False perceptions of mental illness ZOEANN DAY
Equinox Staff “You can’t have PTSD, you’ve never been in a combat zone.” “Calm down.” “You’re just stressed.” “We all get a little nervous sometimes.” “Everyone has anxiety.” “You’re really gonna start crying now?” “You can’t have depression, I’ve seen you smile and laugh.” “Chill out.” These are all quotes from Twitter users who have had to deal with demeaning comments regarding their mental illnesses, and they took to the internet to express their frustration. Diagnoses like depression, extreme anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder and so many others are often treated with a certain trivial undertone; however, mental illness is a real issue that millions of Americans deal with, and shouldn’t be taken lightly. These types of issues are not the same as physical disabilities, however, they can be just as serious. Illnesses like depression and anxiety can range from highly manageable to debilitating. Medication can be prescribed to those who need it, but the problem doesn’t always go away with pills. People who suffer from clinical depression experience symptoms like loss of appetite (which can lead to weight loss), mood swings, inability to fall or stay asleep and many others. Symptoms can appear to be small, but have the capability to be very serious. In fact, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), 350 million people worldwide suffer from depression alone, discluding other mental illnesses like severe anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, and so many others. One common misconception is the belief that sicknesses like clinical depression are “all in your head” and they can be solved with simple things like going for a walk or exercising. Although physical exercise is known to minimize symptoms, mental illness is not a temporary emotion but rather a serious illness requiring a diagnosis and medical attention. Things can be done to improve symptoms, but there is no known cure. In our world today, the best thing we can do for those who struggle with these issues is pro-
vide them with enough resources to make these conditions manageable. Treating these illnesses seriously and providing mental health care to those who need it are two steps to helping people who struggle with these problems. These illnesses are serious and should be treated as such, however it’s important to keep in mind that it was only recently that these issues came to light. Mental illnesses have always been around, but it seems like they’ve only recently become a topic of discussion. This means there is still a large amount of people who don’t understand them or how they work. Although these illnesses should be treated seriously, it’s important not to punish those who still don’t understand them. The only way we will move forward as a society is to educate the population of people who struggle to comprehend these issues, being sensitive and attacking those who are confused is not the way to move forward on this issue. Serious illnesses like these are hard to deal with, and many people struggle with them. Fortunately, Keene State College has several resources available to those who need them. Counselors are available in the health center to talk to those who struggle and the staff and students are kind and accommodating. In the Elliot Center on the third floor, there are resources available to all students who need them; counselors and staff in the health care center work around the clock to provide the best care to the students of KSC. If any student is suffering with symptoms of any mental illness, I strongly recommend seeking the resources available with the counselors in the health center. Overall, mental illness is a serious issue in our society, and there are lots of misconceptions about the struggles individuals deal with when they are diagnosed with these illnesses. They are just as serious as physical disabilities and resources should be made available to all who struggle.
Zoeann Day can be contacted at zday@kscequinox.com
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Thursday, March 1, 2018
Recycling and music Rachel’s Johnny Fireseed and the Junkyard Dogs play their own way at the Redfern Arts Center
Reviews
ERIN MCNEMAR
artS & EntErtainmEnt Editor On Saturday, Feb. 24, the band Johnny Fireseed and the Junkyard Dogs taught an audience full of children the importance of recycling through the power of music. The group was formed by vocals, guitar and cajon player Patiño Vazquez, who has been playing music for 40 years. “It’s my whole life. I grew up in a musical family. My mother is a classical tried pianist for Cuba and my sister played piano too,” Vazquez explained. When he got older, Vazquez’s mother signed him up for piano lessons, but Vazquez said he wanted to march to the beat of his own drum. “[My mom] signed me up for piano lessons, and I had to rebel cause I couldn’t play the same instrument as my sister or my mom, so I went searching for my own instrument,” Vazquez said. “The first one was a clarinet, the second was the saxophone and then I saw a guitar for sale at a yard sale for forty bucks. I was working a paper route so I could buy it with my own money, and that’s what I did.” After the purchase of his guitar, Vazquez continued with the creation of his music career. “I played loud and joined a punk band at fourteen, and I toured North America four times with that band. I got a great experience, and it has been snowballing ever since.” One of the unique things about Johnny Fireseed and the Junkyard Dogs is that every single one of their instruments is made out of recycled material. As the show progressed, every time Vazquez introduced a new instrument, he would explain to the audience what that instrument was made out of. The idea to make instruments out of recycled material came to Vazquez when he found some wood in a dumpster. “I was always ticking with instruments too and fixing my guitars and I realized that when I got that piece of wood out of the dumpster I was like, ‘I’m going to make a guitar out of this,’” Vazquez explained. Attending the performance was Jessica Gelter and her daughter Evelyn Gelter. Jessica had not heard of Johnny Fireseed and the Junkyard Dogs prior to the performance, but decided it would be a good show to bring her daughter to. “It looked really cool with the whole recycled instruments thing,” Jessica said. When Evelyn was asked what her favorite instrument was, she said, “That one,” and pointed to the theremin, which is controlled by relative position of your hand around the antenna. Although the show had to end with two songs remaining due to a time constraint, both Jessica and Evelyn expresses they enjoyed the concert. “I thought it was great, I was sad it had to end. It was just really groovy and really fun,” Jessica explained. Evelyn then added,“It’s interesting and inspires people to try new things.” After the performance, audience members were invited to a reception to create their own instruments out of recycled material. The reception also included cookies and lemonade.
Erin McNemar can be contacted at emcnemar@kscequinox.com ANGELIQUE INCHIERCA / PHOTO EDITOR
Johnny Fireseed and the Junkyard Dogs came to the Redfern to teach children about the importance of recycling through music.
Carroll House Season Opening
ANGELIQUE INCHIERCA / PHOTO EDITOR
Altered Carbon RACHEL BLUMBERG
Equinox Staff Netflix is searching for the next success story like HBO’s Game of Thrones and it may have just found it. Sci-fi epic Altered Carbon is a mental trip which questions the idea of death and grabs you for a 10 episode, pulse-quickening, experience that will leave you needing more. Based on the Richard K. Morgan “Takeshi Kovacs” series of books, Altered Carbon paints a world where humans are only their soul and can interchange bodies, known as sleeves. Takeshi Kovacs, played by Joel Kinnaman (RoboCop, The Killing) has just been awakened after spending 250 years in prison. He has been put in a different sleeve to assist in solving the murder of the wealthy aristocrat Laurens Bancroft, played by James Purefoy (The Following), who claims he has no recollection of what happened and lets his arrogance get in the way of what could have truly occurred. From the first battle of the envoys, to the futuristic workers of the UN Protectorate, you’re immediately drawn into the mindblowing visuals and vibrant color scheme that paints the picture for the year 2384. It seemingly takes inspiration from Blade Runner, presenting a world which features everything anyone could ever desire, even including AI hotels to fulfil the greatest sexual fantasies one could desire. The characters of Altered Carbon all have a unique aspect to them which help in moving the plot along. Because of the complex idea that challenges gender roles and what we know as life today, the first few episodes could feel a bit tedious, as the world is being set up and we, as viewers, are getting to know the setting. Yet, Kinnaman’s performance
picks up the slow beginning, as one moment he can be the action hero, while the next we see a depth of regret and longing for what has been taken from him. Along with the introduction of Kovacs as our main anti-hero, we are also introduced to the AI owner of the hotel Raven, Edgar Allan Poe. Poe is easily the most memorable and loved character of the entire series, adding witty humour and sarcastic remarks to the mind boggling sci-fi noir. What makes him different than any AI’s in other films is his love and fascination for the human animal. His character adds a layer of depth to the idea of one’s consciousness being a digitized medium controlled by the government. The addition of Poe’s character was also fun not only for Chris Conner (American Crime Story) to play, but for production designer Carey Meyer to design. Poe is anything but his physical body; he is the AI of the entire Raven. Conner told The Hollywood Reporter about the first day of shooting. “We walked in and [Meyer] said: ‘Here you are. This is you.’ It just clicked. I’m everything in this hotel,” Conner said. Meyer dressed the set with easter eggs throughout the Raven, including choosing the floor design to throwback to one of Poe’s different personas, M.C. Escher. “Everyone got to have their own little easter eggs in the Raven. When you go back on a second or third viewing, you can definitely pick them out,” Conner said. Netflix truly builds a believable world that begs to be explored, especially for those interested in the corrupted aspects of the human mind. Altered Carbon may be a little rough on the beginning plot, but has all the visually appealing action sequences that make it an easy add to your watch list. Rachel Blumberg can be contacted at rblumberg@kscequinox.com
Poems by Isabel im sick of society sucking the soul from me because i feel tired after watching the news and even more exhausted logging onto social media platforms and seeing strangers debate about the value of children’s lives. i scroll through twitter and see the way they argue about my rights like what movie to watchit feels like a movie on fast forward and i cant find the remote. im screaming at the top of my lungs because im scared of the ending. let us use our voices to sing and raise our hands in fists and march to the beat of the drums of the men and women in chains who paved the roads of freedom for us to walk on.
ALYSSA BOERENKO / EQUINOX STAFF
On Thursday, Feb. 20, the Carroll House Art Gallery held its opening reception to celebrate the 2018 season. At the reception, the gallery was showing its latest exhibit, “Shifting Shapes.” The Carroll House Art Gallery will be open from Feb. 14 - March 9. The gallery featured a number of paintings, drawings and sculptures.
Isabel Tisdale is a sociology major who found her love of writing after a fourth grade poetry project. Since then, she spends her time writing poems and creative non-fiction as a way of self- expression.
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Thursday, March 1, 2018
Concert band performs in ensemble recital ANGELIQUE INCHIERCA
Photo Editor During the snow-filled night on Thursday, Feb. 22, Keene State College’s concert band honored the dead of the recent Florida school shooting to begin its presentation titled, To Name the Unnameable and Communicate the Unknowable. In honor of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the ensemble performed Ava Maria composed by Franz Bliebl. In his opening, KSC band director and professor James Chesebrough said the arrangement was unrehearsed. KSC senior music major Molly McCoy said, “I was incredibly moved. In the middle of it, I started crying.” She said the piece was already impactful on its own but the band performed in a way that allowed the audience to feel the emotion fill the air of the room. “It was also very incredible for me to be able to see one of my teachers [Chesebrough] feel the emotion before he even lifted the baton,” she said. “We go through these performances and majors wanting to make the world a better place through art, so any time anyone does a performance like that in view of something horrific happening, it really impacts everybody watching it.” Chesebrough started the ensemble series opening night by informing the audience that, because of the inclimate weather, their featured guests, The Quabbin Regional High School Symphonic Winds, were unable to come to the college to perform. Afterwards, he said some words on the recent tragedies in Florida and asked the audience to hold the applause of their first performance. The following musical arrangements were conducted by Chesebrough, student and assistant conductor Eric Dill and guest conductor Peter Lewis. Before the start of the piece, Stardance, composed by Michael Sweeney, Dill turned to the audience and performers walked off stage and stood in the isles between audience members where they stayed until the end of the composition. McCoy said she believes Dill conducted very well and applauded him for working with such a difficult piece. “I thought it was so cool that all the instruments were around with [the audience],” she said. “It was incredible.”
ANGELIQUE INCHIERCA / PHOTO EDITOR
Members of the concert band at Keene State College performed on Feb. 22. The concert honored those who passed in the Parkland shooting.
KSC sophomore and the concert band’s part-time pianist Jason Coburn said he loves performing and learning music because it teaches you to be a leader and connects people together. Coburn thought the recital went extremely well. “[Tonight’s concert has] been great,” he said. “The blend of instruments are definitely great. It sounds like they have strengths in all areas.” KSC senior Katrina Cloutier works at the Redfern Arts Center as an usher and said she has seen KSC’s concert band perform a handful of times over the past two
years. “They are very well rehearsed and they sound beautiful,” she said. “I enjoyed listening to them, and I think [the audience] did too.” McCoy said the KSC concert band’s performance was very dynamic with the different varieties of songs, moods and styles. Coburn said, “I am grateful to have been apart of [tonight’s recital]. I’m more like an addition to [band] so it’s definitely a privilege that they asked me to be apart of their ensemble.” Coburn said he is excited for future recitals. “I’m
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definitely looking forward to the next concert because, for me, I’m on more pieces,” he said. “I think the band, as most ensembles, as the year goes on the sound constantly improves as you practice with the same people.” Student and Faculty recitals will occur all throughout the months of March and April; upcoming events can be found on the Redfern Arts Center’s website. Angelique Inchierca can be contacted at ainchierca@kscequinox.com
KSC Puzzles
Stops at 7 on campus locations:
Keddy/Campus Safety Library Student Center Winchester Lot Butler Court Art Center Fiske Lot
Off campus stops:
Target Starbucks Dick’s Sporting Goods Walmart Market Basket & more!
MONDAY - FRIDAY
City Express runs 8:00am-5:00pm Campus/Community Shuttle runs 7:30am-7:30pm
KSC students and staff ride free with I.D. All City Express vehicles are ADA accessible and are equipped with easy to use bike racks. For more information or a complete schedule, visit cityexpress.org or call 352-8494. TTY use 711
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION
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Thursday, March 1, 2018
ENTERTAINMENT
KSCEQUINOX.COM
Communication through dance
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SEBASTIEN MEHEGAN / ADMINISTRATIVE EXECUTIVE EDITOR
KSC dancers explain how the art brings people together ERIN MCNEMAR
Arts & EntErtAinmEnt Editor Dance is more than just movement, it’s a universal language. On Wednesday, Feb. 14, seventeen people lost their lives in a school shooting in Parkland, Florida. Among the killed was 14-year-old Jamie Guttenberg. At a candlelight vigil on Feb. 15 honoring all who were killed in the tragedy, Guttenberg’s father, Fred Guttenberg described her as “the life of the party, the energy in the room, she made people laugh, and she was always known.” Included in all her qualities that have been shared with the world by her family and friends, Guttenberg was a talented dancer. On Feb. 17 and 18, those competing in dance competitions all around the country were asked to wear orange ribbons, Guttenberg’s favorite color, in honor
of the late 14 year old. However, the outreach of the orange ribbons are now exceeding the platform of dance competitions. Videos of people dancing all over the world wearing the orange ribbons are now surfacing on the internet. The videos are seen to reach as far as Paris. In the wake of the tragedy in Parkland, dance has served as a coping mechanism to bring people together. When talking to Keene State College dancers about how they feel dance brings people together, they all expressed a similar idea; dance is a universal concept. Senior Amanda Untracht said, “Dance is a language. Whether or not you understand it, there’s still this feeling that anyone who observes it, and or does it, leaves with. So it’s not so much a spoken language, but there’s this overarching theme of connection with it because it’s not spoken.” While there is a theme of connection as Untracht explained, junior Faith Pudlo pointed out you don’t
have to have a similar background or interests as someone to be able to dance with them. “You don’t have to have anything in common with someone and you can create any sort of dance. You can have a relationship through movement without knowing anything about them, or even being able to speak the same language,” Pudlo continued. “I think the universal aspects of dance are incredible and I think globally that has always been a constant with movement.” The dancers were also asked what being a dancer means to them. Sophomore Chelsea Hance said, “To me, it’s about expression. I could say what I want through my movement without actually talking. It’s very free and it’s a form of letting go.” What makes dancers unique is that they can all have a different reason for why they dance and what it means to them. Pudlo talked about what being a dancer means to her, personally. “Being a dancer, for me, mainly means having an understanding of my
own body and space and awareness, but also being able to tune into the energy and movement of others. And incorporating that into my everyday life,” Pudlo said. Untracht summarized what dance means to most dancers by saying, “It means the world to me.” Whether you’re dancing in room or dancing in a famous company, there is a unity that can be found across all spectrums. Dance does not see race, gender or wealth. It’s a form of communication that can be used to bring all different kinds of people together. When dancers can unite over a common heartbreak or common movement, that unity can be powerful. Erin McNemar can be contacted at emcnemar@kscequinox.com
‘Hidden: Behind the Curtain’ set to premier EMMA MEHEGAN
Equinox stAff After just over a year of hard work and preparation, a student-led film project is about to make its debut in the Putnam Theatre. Keene State College senior, theatre and dance and management major Amanda Untracht, and sophomore film production and theatre directing major Megan Lummus, have created a documentary which discusses what makes a dancer, Untracht said. “This is a topic that sits near and dear to my heart. Since I define myself as a dancer, I
have grown up seeing how dance has had a positive effect on everyone,” Untracht said. By asking people of all backgrounds about what defines a dancer, the film is meant to blur the definition of a “dancer” and bring the audience to the conclusion that dance can be something anyone is capable of. Untracht said, “This is a project that I wanted to use to expand my education here at Keene. I have no idea what I am doing when it comes to editing a film so I wanted to work with someone with the passion for film making,” a passion she found in her project partner, Lummus. Lummus said, “I think the topic is some-
thing that isn’t discussed a lot, especially as a non-dancer myself. But the topic should be discussed more, at least from the nondancer perspective. To separate ourselves is to ignore the things that make us all connected… This film is definitely something new for me,” she said. “I’ve never made a documentary or a dance film, so going in this was completely new territory. But I think making something that I’ve never made has taught me a lot, and I now want to explore more in this territory.” By interviewing so many different subjects of all backgrounds, Untracht hopes to help the viewers learn more about what it
is that makes a dancer grab your attention on the stage, and how it can be seen in daily life as well, she said. To first-year dance major Samantha Witham, the topic’s importance is unquestionable. “I loved being a part of this film… Dance is such a big part of many people’s lives. Whether we are dancers or not, dance touches the lives of everyone in some way,” Witham said. “I hope this film impacts the way people see and feel about dance… Each dancer has a different style and technique which I think helped to make one of the movie’s points clear which is that dance is different for everyone.” Witham said being
a part of this film was an amazing and fun opportunity to get to show people what dance means to everyone, not just dancers. Untracht and Lummus are excited to see the project come to its conclusion as the finishing touches are put on the film. “I truly enjoyed working on such an in-depth project,” Untracht said. The film, Hidden: Behind the Curtain will be shown in the Putnam Theatre in the Redfern Arts Center on March 7 at 8:30 p.m..
Emma Mehegan can be contacted at emehegan@kscequinox.com
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STUDENT LIFE SE Feeling safe on campus
Student Life / B1 Thursday, March , 1 2018
KSCEQUINOX.COM
KSC’s safety concerns after Florida shooting
LUCAS THORS
equinox Staff With recent school shootings, some students and faculty at Keene State College are concerned about the presence and availability of guns on campus. Maurice Regan is a psychology professor at Keene State College. Regan said, “Students and faculty feel less safe after school shootings because it makes the danger more salient.” Regan used to be a part-time police officer and Vice President of the National Rifle Association (NRA). According to Regan, the reason he left the NRA was largely because of NRA President Wayne LaPierre and his idea that “the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun, is a good guy with a gun.” Regan said he has had a conceal and carry permit for about 30 years, but he said, “The entire time I have had a conceal and carry permit, I have maybe used it about 4 times.” According to Regan, the safest place to have a gun is locked up at home where it cannot fall into the wrong hands. “Sooner or later, someone drops a gun and then there is trouble,” Regan said. Alternatively, Regan said he has seven different firearms including rifles and handguns, and his daughter even owns a Ruger pistol. Even still, he believes that people who want to get certain types of firearms should have a legitimate reason for wanting them, whether it is target practice or hunting. Regan said that the solution to gun violence is not at all clear, and probably never will be. “There will always be Dylan Roofs, there will always be Nikolas Cruzs, there will always be people who want to hurt others,” Regan said. Additionally, English major Sam Whitaker, a Keene State College senior, said he is concerned about his own safety and the safety of his peers. “Sometimes I don’t feel entirely safe,” Whitaker said. “I am gay and I often hold events regarding social justice or my identity,” Whitaker said. Whitaker is the president of KSC Pride, which is “the College’s gay/straight alliance that provides support and resources for its members,” according to the KSC’s
website. Whitaker said he is worried about people targeting groups based on their identity. Race, religion and sexual orientation have all been motives in many incidents of gun violence in the past. Whitaker said he hopes at some point people won’t have to worry about being targeted for who they are. Similarly, Whitaker said he wants parents to be aware of their children’s beliefs and try to steer them away from hate and radicalization. “People should focus on education and bettering their children’s lives,” Whitaker said. In contrast, senior Joey Lendaro, a psychology and English major said he feels safe because he thinks colleges are oriented in a different way. “In an elementary school or high school, someone could walk down the hallway
with a gun and pass every classroom in the school,” said Lendaro. “Colleges are more spread out and so it is more difficult for a shooter to get around.” Lendaro said he is not entirely against gun ownership, but thinks there should be strict sanctions on who is allowed to own a gun and what type of gun they are allowed to possess. In regards to large capacity magazines and automatic weapons, he said, “There is only one reason for them existing and that is to end human lives.” Lucas Thors can be contacted at lthors@kscequinox.com
COLBY DUDAL / STUDENT LIFE EDITOR
COLBY DUDAL
Student Life editor Keene State College first-year students will soon find out where they will live for the next academic year through a randomly generated housing lottery. Assistant Director of Residential Life for Housing Debra Barrett said, to be eligible for the lottery, students must be planning to live on campus during the 2018-2019 academic year and have 51 or fewer credits completed by the end of the spring 2018 semester. In order to participate, Barrett said sophomores need to fill out a sophomore roommate selection application. This will allow students to go online to select roommates and create groups between people that they want to live with Barrett said. She added this process allows students to make changes for who they want to live
with and where they want to live. Barrett said students can make changes all the way up to selection day during the first week of March. Barrett said the randomness of the lottery works well because it is fair for everybody. “It is not by grade point average or anything like that,” Barrett said. First-year Morgan Gilman said she likes the housing lottery process. “I like how it takes place later in the year because it gives us time to pick our roommates and meet people. We get used to the campus and that Pondside looks one way and Butler looks another,” Gilman said. Gilman said she feels prepared for the housing lottery, the process has been organized and it is not confusing. The Residential Life Office gives students a set day and time to enter the lottery. Barrett said the reason KSC
waits until March to complete the housing lottery is to give students time to make connections with their peers and get a feel for what KSC is like. “The second semester is past the initial drop off for when students don’t remain at KSC so that is why we don’t want to have it earlier in the school year. It also gives them more time to build relationships,” Barrett said. First year Bianca Assenza said she has a disability and could’ve had priority housing if she chose to. “The priority housing is a good thing because it would allow me to live in a place that is accomadible to my disability,” Assenza said. Despite having the opportunity for priority housing, Assenza said she decided not to take the priority housing and instead take part in the housing lottery because if she had chosen priority housing, they would’ve put her in either Owls Nest or Holloway and
she doesn’t want to live in either of those places. Assenza said if she had chosen to live in a priority housing spot she would’ve also been able to choose friends to live in that spot as well and secure that spot. According to the KSC Residential Life Office webpage, after the online housing selection, there is a $300 non-refundable security deposit for each student who will be living on campus. Then, students sign an online housing agreement contract as well as one for meal plans. After that, students have secured their housing according to the webpage. Colby Dudal can be contacted at cdudal@kscequinox.com
LAURA ROMANIELLO / ART DIRECTOR
Housing lottery for on-campus first-year students
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STUDENT LIFE / B2
Thursday, March, 1, 2018
Post-graduation plans
Building a resume and interview skills
Students worry about future finances
COLBY DUDAL
ASHLEY ARNOLD
StudEnt LifE Editor For all Keene State College students, an important part of the experience is figuring out what to do after graduation. There are many opportunities in college for students to prepare for the post-graduation life of finding a career. Director of Corporate Partnerships and Strategic Initiatives at KSC Daniel Henderson said it is important to start thinking about post-college during a student’s first year of college. Henderson said freshman year is an important time to lay the foundation for careers by doing things such as creating a resume and attending career fairs. “The first thing students should do is go to the Academic and Career advising Center. They have resources on how to set up a resume, how to set up a LinkedIn,” Henderson said. The Academic and Career Advising (ACA) Center on the third floor of the Elliot Center allows all students to help students feel more comfortable and prepared for life after college. Academic and Career Advisor Beverly Behrmann said the main goal of the ACA is to help students develop skills that they need in order to be successful in future endeavors. Behrmann said JobWISE.com is an important resource for students as it gives students the opportunity to look at resumes and cover letters from KSC alumni as well as help students connect with job opportunities. Behrmann said JobWISE is a job and internship posting board in which many employers that are geographically close to KSC look for students who are about to graduate. Having a LinkedIn profile is something that is also important to the career process, Behrmann said, as it helps as a tool for students and employers to connect with each other. “Recruiters are using LinkedIn more and more to recruit. If they see students graduating in certain geographic areas with skills and experiences that meet their criteria they will recruit you and ask to apply for job,” Behrmann said. Senior James Schaefer said he had some strong resume building in the past year and had some help to get it more professional. “Every position you apply for you need to fit your resume for that position...resumes change over time,” Schaefer said. Schaefer said he recently took part in the Mock Interviews with C&S which took place on Tuesday, Feb. 20, and said the event helped him feel more prepared for what the interview process is like. Behrmann said finding internships during college is an important way to prepare for after college and some majors’ classes that include an internship. Two of the majors that allow internship classes include communication and health science. Behrmann said the other important part of preparing for jobs after college is learning how to negotiate a salary after a job has been given. “We talk about salary range in the career advising center. Even if the salary isn’t negotiable there may be certain benefits that are,” Behrmann said. Behrmann said that an employer won’t take the job offer away from someone just because there is a negotiation happening, in fact they will typically understand that there is some going on. One aspect of the career center is that they help women negotiate salaries as Behrmann said statistics have shown that men are more likely to negotiate salaries than women. The academic and career advising checklist on the KSC website gives advice on how to set up a LinkedIn profile so that it is professional and all information is included that employers are looking for. Behrmann said that the types of things that should be included in the LinkedIn profile include experience, education, skills, recommendations and the profile being public. The LinkedIn checklist includes advice such as, “Tell a short story: describe what motivates you, what you’re skilled at, and what’s next. Explain why you want to do what you want to do. Mention adversities overcome, if any, or opportunities you seized.” Senior Sarah Doubleday said it is important to participate in multiple opportunities throughout college as a resume builder. “I have been a tutor and a part of the math honor society. I went from being a tutor to a peer course assistant. It is important to not wait until the last minute. Preparing has made me less nervous,” Doubleday said. Colby Dudal can be contacted at cdudal@kscequinox.com
Equinox Staff Seventy percent of Keene State College students stress about money and their future incomes, according to a survey in the KSC City Guide II: Campus Confidential Magazine, an online and mobile questionnaire was conducted this winter break. The participants in the survey were limited to KSC students. On the introduction page of the magazine it was stated that the survey was not scientific, but it is very insightful for readers. The KSC City Guide was contacted for an interview but there was no response. One of the survey questions asked students, “Are you worried about making a livable wage in your field of study?” 40 percent of participants chose the answer “Yes, but I’ll work it out” while 30 percent answered with, “Yes, constantly and it’s killing me slowly.” 24 percent said, “No, I’m confident my field of study is monetarily stable.” Four percent said, “No, money is not the point: Find something you like,” and two percent of participants had no response. First year journalism major Emma Paltauf discussed her worries of making a suitable income as a journalist. “I am nervous about making a living as a journalism major. Journalism is extremely competitive. I know people that went to college to study journalism and they are jobless,” she said. Although it is nerve racking for her to think about her future career, Paltauf finds it more important to find a job that is enjoyable. “I think it’s more important to find a career I like. If I did something for the sake of money, I would be miserable for the rest of my life... Money doesn’t buy happiness,” she continued. Similarly, sophomore music education major Christian Terry said he is nervous about making money after college due to the difficulty of his future career. “I’m a music education [major] and the field of a teacher and music put together is a tough field, but music is my passion,” Terry said. He went on to say that he thinks about the subject of money often, but he believes his future income is not as important as choosing a career path he truly enjoy. “I believe I will be honestly happy with whatever [income] I make because I will be doing what I love,” he explained. Terry would like to add that he is a Resident Assistance and his views do not represent the views of Residential Life or Keene State College. Contrary to Paltauf and Terry, sophomore education and psychology double major, Karli Sou said the college has prepared her enough to be successful in her career field. “I’m not that nervous about making money after college… Keene is a really good school for education majors so I’m confident that my teachers have prepared me to make a livable income,” she said. Sophomore safety major Connor Page also said that he does not get anxiety about making money post-college. “I don’t worry about my future income as much as I see others do. From what I’ve heard from older students, safety majors typically make a lot of money, especially right after they graduate,” he said. Page said it is important to find a career path you love, but passion was not the reason he decided to declare himself a safety major. “I became a safety major because I knew that was a popular major for students here, and because me and my family thought it would make me the most money,” Page said. Although his decision upon his major wasn’t connected to his passion for the subject, Page said his enthusiasm and drive for the field has grown the more he learns. “When I was a freshman, I wasn’t exactly educated enough about the safety field to be passionate about it. The more knowledge I gain through my classes, the more intriguing the subject becomes to me and the more I enjoy it,” he said. KSC Academic Advisor Jennifer Drake-Deese explained that income isn’t always determined by a desired career path. She believes an individual’s determination has an immense impact on future success. “Majors aren’t always directly connected to the amount of income someone makes… Anytime a person has good grades and experiences outside of the classroom, they make their chances of a high-income career a little bit better,” she said. She continued by saying students are more motivated in a career that they enjoy, which tends to benefit them in the long-run. “When I work with students who try to get into a major that they feel, or their families feel, will make them money, they’re often miserable and they’re not successful; it’s tough to be successful in a major you don’t love,’ Drake-Deese said. To talk about future careers or to question desired majors, students can make an appointment with an Academic or Career Advisor at the Elliot Center. Ashley Arnold can be contacted at aarnold@ksceuinox.com
EMILY PERRY / EQUINOX STAFF JOEY SULLIVAN / EQUINOX STAFF
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STUDENT LIFE / B3
Thursday, March 1, 2018
YMCA and KSC students come together GRACE PECCI
Copy Editor
On March 6, 2018, The Keene Family YMCA will be hosting an event that will give free advocacy training for those who are interested. Advocacy experts from New Futures Kids Count and N.H. Children’s Trust will be conducting the training. Former New Hampshire Senator Molly Kelly will also be speaking. According to new-futures.org/kidscount, New Futures Kids Count “undertakes data projects to ensure that New Hampshirebased data is collected and put to use for Granite State children and families.” New Futures Kids Count uses the data found to advocate for strong policies that will benefit the children of New Hampshire. N.H. Children’s Trust is an organization that also advocates for children. According to the organization’s “About Us” page, it ensures “safe, stable, and nurturing relationships and environments for children by educating, advocating, and collaborating.” This training isn’t the first to come to the YMCA. Development and Community Impact Director Marj Droppa said, in September of 2017, the YMCA offered its first advocacy training as part of a community COLTON MCCRACKEN / SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER impact event series that was put on. The YMCA on 200 Summit Road in Keene is partnering with KSC to build a closer relationship between both places. Students are working on this as part of an internship. “We did what we call an advocacy 101 important to have your voice embraced,” the advocacy event. because it discusses life skills that KSC stutraining,” Droppa said. “Part of the mis- opment and community impact director. Working for an organization whose misDroppa said. One way the YMCA rep“We’ve emailed legislators, faculty, staff, dents, as future employees, are going to be sion of the [YMCA] is to help to develop a civic engagement and advocacy skills in the sion values mirror her own is something resents the voices of college students is student organizations some other local non- able to use. through their interns. profits, and schools districts in the area, so Handy then said, “We’re going to be lives of the people who live in our commu- that Droppa said is very important. “There’s so many ways the [YMCA] Droppa said the YMCA has Keene basically just trying to get the word out graduating soon. We are going to have to nity... It’s part of our work to advocate to help make the lives of our community’s res- works to strengthen the Monadnock region State College interns in their Healthy Life- about this event and how important it is and advocate ourselves with jobs raises, with and help the people who live here and that styles department, Marketing department just trying to see how many people that we apartments and cars and everything like idents better.” that so that’s just a small idea of it, but you’re Droppa said the training that will be really resonates with me because I have a and Development and Community Impact can get there,” Handy said. passion for doing that exact thing,” Droppa department. Hart added, “And really we’re just trying always going to be advocating for yourself taking place on March 6 will be a “level two” KSC seniors and communication majors to get Keene State [students] to come to the so this is a really great tool.” type of training, as it dives into a deeper set said. Droppa also said one thing that is Taylor Handy and Sarah Hart both work event because our supervisor really wants This event will be held from 6-8 p.m.. For of skills. Droppa began working at the YMCA in wanted at the YMCA is the voice of college with Droppa in the Community Impact us to and we think it’s such a great idea too... more information, visit keeneymca.org. Department. it’s really like about bringing the commu2010 as a group fitness instructor. By 2015 students. “We really want that voice at the [YMCA] Handy and Hart said they are promot- nity together.” Grace Pecci can be contacted at she became a board member, but it wasn’t until May of 2017 that she became the devel- and at this event because we think it is so ing, advertising and communicating about Hart said it is also an important event gpecci@kscequinox.com
Pets of KSC
T H I S
COMPILED BY ANGELIQUE INCHIERCA
Name: Segway Age (in Human years): 6 mo. Breed: Stray Favorite Memory: I fell in the toilet once…
Name: Leona von der Hainstadt AKA “Rue” Age (in human years): 6 yr. Breed: German Shepherd (west German show line/ Deutsches Demokratische Republik working line cross) Favorite memory: We always go to schools to do presentations on my ability to scent out an invasive beetle species called the Emerald Ash Borer. One time we got to present for TedxTalks! I found the target odor in about ten seconds and positively alerted for the whole world to see. It’s filmed and on TedTalks’ YouTube page! It was lots of fun. I love to work.
Name: Izzy Age (in human years): 8 mo. Breed: Siberian Favorite memory: I love kitty naps out in the sun.
W E E K A T K S C
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STUDENT LIFE / B4
Thursday, March 1, 2018
The Global Chef returns to KSC
ALEXANDRIA SAURMAN / MANAGING EXECUTIVE EDITOR
During the week beginning Monday, February 26, the Global Chef returned to Keene State College. On Monday from 11-2 p.m. in the Lloyd P. Young Student Center, Sodexo hosted cuisines from various countries to kick off the Global Chef week at KSC. On Tuesday, Chef Lukas Solar came to Keene State College to share flavors of Slovakia with students. Solar has been working as a chef in the city of Michalovce for the past ten years which is a city in Slovakia. KSC students, like (L-R) Alexandra Sholtes, Connor Bell and Madi Reading, took the time to taste some new foods on Monday and Tuesday as they went through the student center. The Global Chef comes in both the fall and spring semester each year.
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TIME CAPSULE
A look back at the history of KSC and the world around us
Time Capsule / B5 Thursday, March 1, 2018
KSCEQUINOX.COM
Women in sports ABBYGAIL VASAS
Copy Editor/timE CapsulE Editor Throughout history women have been discriminated against in many aspects of societal life, and athletics is no exception. Although there is a long-standing history of women participating in recreational athletics, it was not until the passing of Title IX as part of the Education Amendments of 1972 that women began to participate in competitive sports. According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Title IX prohibits sex-based discrimination in any education program or activity which receives federal funding. Not only did it open doors for female student athletes, it also shattered the stigma that women could not be both academic and athletic. The Sport Journal cited, in an article titled “The History of Women in Sport prior to Title IX,” facts from 100 years prior to the passing of Title IX. The article states, “Horseback riding for pleasure, showboating, and swimming became fashionable, but women were not encouraged to exert themselves. Such physical activity for a woman was thought to be especially hazardous because during menstruation she was ‘periodically weakened.’” It also stated that, “Both muscular and brain labor must be reduced at the onset of menstruation.” In the early 1900s, the Sport Journal publication said women began to form athletic clubs for activities such as archery, bowling, croquet and tennis but they were mostly informal. Women divisions of collegiate sports also began to form but they were widely unrecognized because the competitions were mostly intramural rather than extramural. For years, women clamored at chances to participate in intercollegiate competitions. Although many women were forced into recreational clubs, a few managed to break into the spotlight. One of those women was Babe Didrikson Zaharias. Zaharias actively competed in basketball, track and field and golf competitions and was known as the greatest athletes of the 20th century according to Encyclopædia Britannica. In the 1930s, not only was she part of the women’s All-American basketball team but she also competed in the track and field events at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics. She took gold for the 800-meter hurdles and the javelin throw Pulled from KSC Archives and silver in the high jump.
Pulled from Wikimedia Commons
Pulled from Wikimedia Commons
Member of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League Dottie Schroeder at bat.
After years of sparse competitive play, women finally broke out into the limelight of athletics during the second world war. In the 1940s, men from across the country left their homes to fight in the war, leaving gaps in many industries to be filled by women. Many are familiar with the character “Rosie the Riveter,” whose strength and solidarity encouraged women to enter into the workforce, but factories weren’t the only new place women could be found. In 1943 the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was founded in an effort to replace the regular baseball league while the men were at war. Over 600 women joined the league and their legacy was exemplified in the 1992 movie “A League of Their Own.” After the war, when the league was disbanded, support for women athletes had grown enough to spread female athletic competitions. This
support grew through the ‘50s and ‘60s until, in 1969, there were finally national championships for gymnastics and track and field. Swimming, badminton, and volleyball were added to the schedule in 1970 and in 1972, basketball was included. In 1976, a, editorial by Kathie Neff in the Nashua Telegraph spoke highly of women’s changing role in athletics but also pointed out the shortcomings and stereotypes which persisted in health clubs. She pointed out that the focus of most women’s athletic programs was to “shape up” rather than condition their muscles or actually get fit, implying that it was more important for a woman to look good rather than actually be healthy. Neff not only sees this stereotype of the “weak woman” evident in athletics but in the realm of employment as well. Many women were not hired into positions which require physical activity.
KSC students say ‘nay’ to Nixon
The example Neff uses is the police force. Women were not often hired as officers because it was not thought that they could handle themselves if faced with a large attacker on the beat, but Neff points out that with specific training, women could actually be at an advantage in an altercation with a large man. Neff concludes her article with a quote that still rings true for women today and really speaks to their potential and need for equality. She said, “Women’s bodies are not merely convenient housing for their internal organs, Nor are they the cosmetic afterthought of the Great Creator. They are useful, powerful instruments, and, in that regard, not all that different from men’s.” Abbygail Vasas can be contacted at avasas@kscequinox.com
STAFF COMMENTARY
1975: BB gun fired on campus ABBYGAIL VASAS
Copy Editor/timE CapsulE Editor
Pulled from KSC Archives
In the days leading up to the elections for the 1972 presidential primary, students at KSC placed this ad in The Equinox in an effort to sway student votes away from incumbent President Nixon and toward Republican nominee Paul McCloskey. McCloskey drew the attention of the nation because he had served in the Korean War as part of the U.S. Marine Corps and, for his service, was awarded both the Navy Cross and the Silver Star.
Pulled from Wikimedia Commons
Babe Didrickson Zaharias at the 1932 Olympics.
Shots didn’t necessarily “ring out” in the evening of Friday, Feb. 28, 1975, but several campus members were concerned when a BB pellet struck a Huntress window. The third-floor window was part of 17-year-old Judy Brown’s dorm room, whose reading was interrupted by the shot at around 9:30 p.m.. Although she was not injured, she was concerned because the resulting hole was comparable to the size of a .22 caliber slug. Officer Pierre LaGrenade investigated the scene and determined that the hole was not caused by an actual slug because, after searching the scene for a half an hour, no bullet could be found. La Grenade determined “the shot probably bounced off the window after impact and disintegrated.” He also said that the shot most likely originated from the science center due to the angle of which the window had been struck. Custodian of the science center Roger LaMothe said that this wasn’t the first time BB shots had been fired at buildings. LaMothe said, in recent months, several windows in the science center were broken by a BB pellet; he added “one shot just missed a student.” He also speculated that the culprits were local middle school and high school kids. LaMothe said he knew of several neighborhood kids who owned BB guns and had also caught some kids in the science center after it had been locked up. Although, Huntress resident assistants Margaret Dixon and Janet Sauer said that Friday night had been “crazier than usual.” Sauer said there were people she did not recognize outside the building and there were two males setting off fireworks and causing a disturbance. They also said that rowdiness and general drunkenness had increased on campus recently because fraternity parties had closed down several weeks prior. Despite this, and the fact that another window was broken by a BB pellet on Sunday night, KSC security guard Ivo Radicioni did not believe it was a dangerous person and said it
was “just a bunch of kids fooling around.” I couldn’t help but wonder: what if that “bunch of kids” didn’t have BB guns but instead had gotten ahold of a real gun? Judy Brown’s life could have very easily ended that night. We’ve seen what young people can do given a dangerous weapon. In the 1970s, most of the “school shootings” were done by disgruntled adults or gangs, not young people. College students of the 70s were worried more about shootings like what occurred at Kent State, where four students were shot while protesting the Vietnam war when the National Guard opened fire on the students. It wasn’t until the 1990s when student gun violence was being perpetrated in schools, which finally culminated in Columbine High School, where two students shot and killed 12 students and one teacher in 1999, completely changing the nation’s perspective on gun violence and school shootings. It’s easily argued that Columbine prompted much reform in the way of school security and police response procedures to active shooters. But has it been enough? We’ve had almost 20 years to perfect the technique of keeping students safe so why are shootings like Sandy Hook and Marjory Stoneman Douglas still happening? I feel like we have the right to demand an answer for that. School shootings are not a recent problem, they’ve been happening for decades. History has shown us, time and again, what not to do and what to look out for but apparently we, as Americans, have a difficult time with the concept of keeping weapons away from schools and away from children or seeing the signs of a troubled young person. Gun control and school violence isn’t something a person can suddenly think of a solution to, in order to solve a longstanding problem you have to take a lesson from history. If not, and the information provided by past tragedies goes ignored, then the victims would have died in vain. Abbygail Vasas can be contacted at avasas@kscequinox.com
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Sports / B6
The Art of Exercising
Thursday, March 1, 2018
The effect of injuries CAROLINE PERRY
SportS Editor
Burning Calories in the Fridge CAROLINE PERRY
SportS Editor Exercising is a goal that requires consistency, dedication and, a lot of the times, self control. Being able to motivate yourself to go to the gym everyday doesn’t cover it all. You have to be able to give up some foods if you really want to see effective results. There are plenty of foods that you can still eat when looking to lose weight, but you should also be aware of the kinds of foods that you should stay away from. One of the biggest sources of fat, especially for college students, is alcohol. Alcohol is very rich in calories, oftentimes causes the munchies, it slows down your metabolism and it makes you sleepy, which doesn’t exactly lead to calorie burn. When alcohol enters your system, your body works to burn the alcohol calories first before anything else, leaving behind the fat calories, causing you to gain weight. Ever heard of a beer belly or gut? Well that’s a real thing. I’m not saying to cut alcohol out altogether, but watch your portions and stick to your exercise routine. Another really common drink that almost everyone drinks is whole milk. You may think, it’s milk, it’s supposed to make my bones stronger. However, whole milk is loaded with extra fat and cholesterol. There are great alternatives to whole milk like almond milk and skimmed milk. If you’re not interested in those, try getting two percent or one percent milk with less fat. Another common drink is fruit juice. Juice from a bottle or carton has a lot of sugar and is most of the time just floating calories. You’re better off just eating the real fruit over drinking the juice. Fruits are often a great alternative to sugary sweets. They are just as good but ten times healthier. However, fruits aren’t always good and can actually carry a lot of natural sugars. Tropical fruits have a lot of natural sugars in them, especially ripe pineapple and mangos. You can still eat them but try to only consume small proportions of them. Try to stay away from grapes as well, since they also contain a lot of sugar and can trigger cravings for sweet treats that aren’t necessarily healthy. Apples are great, as well as berries, oranges and bananas. Try to always choose fruit over fattening sweets. A food that can really get you is multi-grain bread. All the pretty seeds on the top of the bread look very inviting and especially healthy, that’s why so many people choose to eat it. In reality multi-grain doesn’t mean whole grain, so what you may think is healthy might actually be very unhealthy. Bread especially has a lot of carbs, so why not just read the label and make sure you’re choosing the healthier type. There are always going to be foods to look out for, but if you start little by little it’ll be much easier to give up unhealthy choices in the future. Caroline Perry can be contacted at cperry@kscequinox.com
A team is much like a puzzle, all the individual parts must come together to make the picture whole. Without these individual parts, a team can suffer significantly in games and throughout the season. When a player is injured, the obvious effect goes directly to the individual, but how is the team effected? Facing an individual injury is hard enough. Oftentimes athletes are restricted from participating in a sport they love and have to go through strenuous physical therapy that can last for months at a time. The recovery period can vary per injury and, with athletic seasons going by so quickly, an athlete can miss the entire season altogether. Braeden Huot, a first-year student and men’s swim and dive team member, faced a shoulder-related injury that caused him to have multiple physical therapy sessions and extensive training sessions with Keene State College swim and dive coaches. “I’ve had a shoulder injury, but that fully recovered in the early stretch of the season,” Huot said. Although Huot recovered before the season got into full swim, the injury required Huot to participate in physical therapy sessions and undergo exercises with coaches in order to strengthen his shoulder. Huot said the KSC coaches were extremely helpful in his recovery process and helped with adjusting his stroke technique in order to create muscle and joint strength while Huot prac-
ticed in the pool. “Individual injuries affect everyone because we all want to see each other succeed. The team doesn’t feel whole when a team member is unable to swim,” Huot said. Huot added that an individual injury affects the mental state of the team during training and can also lose key points that the team would have had in the meet, whenever a swimmer is unable to compete. “You can tell even if you are usually at the opposite end of the pool when training that someone is missing,” Huot said. The most common types of athletic injuries are strains and sprains. Strains are injuries to muscles, fibers, or tendons, which anchor muscles to bones. While sprains are injuries to ligaments, which are the tough bands connecting bones to a joint. Oftentimes athletes can have shoulder problems, knee (dislocation or ACL tears) problems, ankle sprains, shin splints, hamstring pulls and groin pulls. All of these injuries are significantly painful and can create lasting issues. Without effective treatment, these injuries can turn into permanent issues. Caroline Morgan, a firstyear student and member of the women’s swim and dive team, recovered from a knee injury early on in the season. Morgan said that the team was very supportive and that the KSC coaches helped her every single day with her stroke technique and strength exercises. “My coaches have designed a specific exercise
for me that helps me adjust my stroke in order to correct my form,” Morgan said. Individual injuries are especially hard to deal with, Morgan added. She said it hurts the team because everyone builds off of everyone else. “Without everyone giving their best performance, the dynamics of the team change,” Morgan said. Injuries occur in each and every sport, each and every season. Injuries take away from potential points, skills and mindsets from a team. This also applied to sophomore and men’s swim and dive member Kyle Shadeck. Shadeck had a major shoulder injury where he had weak scapular and rotator cuff muscles. Shadeck had to undergo three months of physical therapy where he had to swim using only his legs. The struggle of physical therapy and the injury itself set him back in the beginning of the season. “I had to work really hard all season to get where I wanted to be. My coaches have helped me a lot and teammates cheer me on every meet,” Shadeck said. Individual injuries affect the whole team because the team can lose momentum and suffer mentally due to not having everyone on board, Shadeck said. Individual injuries can greatly affect individual athletes as well as the whole team, making it difficult to perform at their highest level. Caroline Perry can be contacted at cperry@kscequinox.com
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The Owls face defeat and ending their season ADRIANA SANCHEZ
Equinox Staff First Half
Despite leading Eastern Connecticut State University at half time, Keene State College’s men's basketball team came up short in the end. The Owls started off strong. Within the first four minutes first year Jordan Haywood scored four points. Eastern Connecticut Warriors had taken the next possession but both teams offensively didn’t score until 12:16, making the score 7-6. The Owls got back into action shortly after. With the help of Senior Dizel Wright and first year James Anozie, they put their team up 13-8 with ten minutes and 59 seconds remaining. The Owls still had a lead of 29-22 with only 2:27 remaining in the first half. Warriors, Carlos Gonzalez and KSC Owls,
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hard as practice can be sometimes, or as frustrating... the time management is, you really just have to embrace it and love it because if I could tell them one thing it would be to love it with everything you have for the last moments that you have. Overall, Boucher said he was pleased with his team’s growth and thinks they have a lot of potential. He said however, potential does not mean much if it doesn't equate to performance. “The team will put a lot of hard work in this spring and summer so when they come back, they're ready to take the next step,”
Wright both had an exchange of threes with only a minute remaining still having the Owls up with a score of 32-27. Right before halftime, The Owls had a turn over making the score 32-29 at halftime. At the end of the first half, starters Ty Nichols and Haywood both had five points, Anozie had six points, and Wright had nine points. Coming from the bench, Kyle Santoro had three points and Ben Olson had four points. Second Half Eastern Warriors quickly took in control as the second half started off. Within four minutes the Warriors were up 44-35. The Owls had it tied for only a little bit at the 17:58 mark. But Eastern Warriors’ Kendall Marquez hit a three and then was fouled while attempting to make another three which lead to him completing a four point lay up. This had the Eastern Warriors up nine
Boucher said. As for the men’s basketball team, they also had a lot of younger players rise to the occasion, and a couple well-trained upperclassmen taking on new roles this season. Men’s basketball coach Ryan Cain said it was a fun year and they had a different group of guys than in the past. “We had seven new faces on the team, it was neat to get those guys integrated into our program and see how they develop throughout the season. It’s also a lot of fun to watch some of these older guys take on different leadership roles and roles that I think help them grow as people and not just as basketball players,” Cain said. The men’s season record was 19-9 overall, winning two LEC playoff games, but ended up losing in the championship to Eastern Connecticut state 79-62.
points with 16:12 left on the clock. KSC Owls points and Nichols had 12 points. were struggling to keep up. This made it the second straight tournaStill behind, The Owls’ Nichols and ment title for the Eastern Warriors. Anozie had layups making the score 52-44. With only eight minutes and a second Adriana Sanchez can be contacted at remaining, Wright made two free throws to asanchez@kscequinox.com make it 53-46. Immediately after this, Eastern Warriors’ Gonzalez, made a three and a transition bucket due to a turnover made by the KSC Owls. This put them up 58-46. With only six minutes remaining KSC Owls had almost made a comeback with the help of Wright and Sidi Diallo having a score of 58-51. Unfortunately KSC Owls wasn’t able to stop Eastern Warrior, Gonzalez who helped his team take the lead by eleven points. With four minutes and 55 seconds remaining KSC Owls were still down by ten. They were only able to score five more points for the rest of the game. The final score was 62-79. Wright had 18 points, Anozie had 13
During the midst of the playoffs Cain talked about the team’s mindset during the tournament. “It's always nice to get into the postseason and perform well. Fortunately and unfortunately sometimes the last game doesn't really have a heck of a lot of impact on the next game. We want to take every opponent very serious and not think that you're playing better than you actually are,” Cain said. At the semifinal game against UMass Boston, Cain said the team's goal was a chance to compete in the LEC championship, but he emphasized that you can't go on to the next game if you don't win your first. “We need to jump two feet into Boston and not worry about the tournament setting, focus on other things that they're good,” Cain said. Sure enough, the Owls soared past the Beacons with a 95-84 victory.
On Feb. 24, KSC, the number two seeded, played Eastern Connecticut State, the top seeded, in the LEC conference championship and lost. Cain said he thinks his team has had the most success in their conference tournaments the last few years because they embrace the moment and enjoy competing in a win or go home setting. “We had a lot of fun and play some of our best basketball during it. Despite losing a lot of guys last year, we have returning players back that understood what it took to have some success in this type of setting and the younger guys are listening to those older guys,” Cain said. The Keene State’s men’s basketball 2017-18 season officially ended when the team did not receive an at-large bid in the Nation Collegiate Athletic Association [NCAA] Division III Tournament. Coach Cain talked about the
brotherhood of the players this year in depth and discussed how supportive the upperclassmen were of the younger players. “Our seniors have been around the longest and they have been a huge impact on a program. Dizel has been the guy that's been through it all despite some injuries over the last couple years. He's a guy that competes and plays as hard as anybody you know,” Cainsaid. “He’s healthy now and for someone like that you want to see them have the opportunity to play for play for a championship again.” Overall, Cain said that there was a lot of trust on the court, support on the benches, and all genuinely wanted to see the best for their teammates. Julia Eichman can be contacted at jeichman@kscequinox.com
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Sports / B7
Thursday, March 1, 2018
The dynamics of assistant coaching
BRANDON MOULTON / EQUINOX STAFF
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The Beauty of Skiing
The fulfillment comes from helping young people develop and grow.
CAROLINE PERRY
SportS Editor
Tyler Hundley Men’s basketball assistant
SEBASTIEN MEHEGAN / ADMINISTRATIVE EXECUTIVE EDITOR
KSC assistant coaches talk about what goes into being a coach, how being an assistant coach is fulfilling and how leading young athletes makes it all worth it.
A behind-the-scenes look at efforts of being an assistant coach CAROLINE PERRY
SportS Editor Coaching is no easy task at the collegiate level. Hundreds of athletes go through the Keene State College program and each coach is expected to teach and help each individual player grow. This holds true for assistant coaches, who do a lot behind the scenes of the courts, fields, pools and tracks. Tyler Hundley, the assistant coach of the KSC men’s basketball team, said there are a lot of factors that go into being an assistant coach. “Being an assistant is a somewhat thankless job, but the fulfillment comes from helping young people develop and grow,” Hundley said. Being an assistant coach requires someone who is able to provide thoughtful input with tasks, duties and sport specific issues, Hundley said, adding that all of these things
remind him of how little control he actually has with what happens on the court. “I learned that preparation is an integral aspect… once the game starts, there is only so much a coach can control,” Hundley said. There are struggles in every coaching position, but Hundley said one of the best things about coaching is having the ability to “get lost” in a sport that you love. “Having the ability to teach through experience is very rewarding,” Hundley said. But behind every assistant coach is the reason they chose to pursue coaching in the first place. “Helping athletes is one of the main reasons why I got into coaching,” Hundley said. He added that the four years in college is where athletes do the most growing, so having the ability to guide them and help them learn is one of the most rewarding things he has ever experienced. At the end of the day, Hundley walks away from the court with a sense of fulfillment. “A good assistant coach is not just a “yes
man,” but provides thoughtful input,” Hundley said. Brad Bishop, the assistant coach of KSC men’s lacrosse, said his role requires a lot of traveling and recruiting year round. “I reach out to around 250 kids per high school and try to get them on campus, and I put together practice plans and execute them daily,” Bishop said. Bishop is personally in charge of coordinating the defense, which means he often designs different packages and match ups for each game. Although it requires a lot of work, Bishop said that it’s something he loves. “Helping the kids become responsible adults is one of the best things I get to do and see happen. These guys I coach are learning about the game we all love and on top of that, they learn valuable lessons about being an adult,” Bishop said. Although Bishop loves his job, he also has to travel an hour and a half each way every day when lacrosse is in season.
The commute can be straining and create adversities when trying to help student athletes year round, but Bishop does his best. “When I get out of my truck and until I get home, I shut off everything in my life and that time is about each student athlete. It makes me feel like I’m doing something to help someone else… whether that be school work, relationships, family issues, or even just lacrosse issues,” Bishop said. Matt Schmidt, the assistant coach of men’s soccer and Rob Bennett, the assistant coach of women’s basketball did not respond to comment. The life of being an assistant coach can come with its problems, luckily our KSC assistant coaches embrace these challenges with ease and really care about our student athletes no matter what. Caroline Perry can be contacted at cperry@kscequinox.com
BRIEF
Local car dealership sponsors giving challenge CAROLINE PERRY
SportS Editor The Keene State athletics website is promoting the 2018 Fenton Family Dealerships Athletics Giving Challenge. The Keene State athletics department is looking to raise $15,000, with the Fenton Family Dealership, which is located in Swanzey, New Hampshire and sponsors the challenge. The Giving Challenge is powered by GIVECAMPUS, a digital fundraising and volunteer management for schools and colleges. When making a donation, the funds can either be directed to a specific KSC athletics team or they can be directed to the athletics general budget fund. This challenge not only
helps the athletic department, but it also helps teams which need the funds to buy equipment and other necessary things. So far, the challenge has been extremely successful, raising $11,510 out of the $15,000 goal, which is already 76 percent of the intended goal. There is a total of 98 donors and the challenge ends on Feb. 28 at 11:59 p.m.. With this challenge comes the 2018 Giving Challenge Leaderboard, which is led by the KSC baseball team, who got a total of 35 donors to raise $4,850 for the team. The second leading is the Athletics program, who had six donors, which raised $2,685. The KSC softball team is third, with a total of 21 donors, rasing $2,560.
So far the baseball team, softball team, women’s soccer team, the athletics department, women’s field hockey team, men’s soccer team, men’s basketball team, women’s lacrosse team, the cross country and track teams and the strength and conditioning department have all received donations through the challenge. The total turn out shows that eighteen percent of the donors was KSC alumni, eight percent was parents, six percent was faculty and staff, and 12 percent was friends. Overall, the athletic program was very pleased with the total outcome reaching the original goal of $15,000. Caroline Perry can be contacted at cperry@kscequinox.com
Ski & Slopes
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY KIANA WRIGHT / EQUINOX STAFF
Even though I haven’t been skiing long, it always amazes me just how beautiful the mountains and trails are. Skiing is in another dimension itself. I remember my first time getting on a lift. I was so nervous and unsure because I had just barely learned how to turn, and now I was expected to ski down a hill. Getting off the lift, I shakely skied to the top of the hill and looked down. It was daunting, the hill looked so much steeper than it really was. Even though I was so nervous, I felt alive. The air was clean, the day was beautiful and I fell in love with where I was, even if I was just learning. That feeling never goes away either. Everytime I snap my skis on it always gives me an exciting feeling which intertwines with nervousness. The sport is constantly pushing me and constantly teaching me. Maybe that’s why so many people love it. When going down a trail for the first time, and I mean an actual trail, I was scared out my mind. I saw a sea of skiers and snowboarders weaving through the snow with such ease and patience. My friend never gave up on helping me learn, no matter how much I complained or fell. I think the faith my friend had in me instilled the faith I later found in myself. When letting my skis slide down my first ever trail, I concentrated so hard on turning and taking a manageable pace. Every turn I made without wiping out made me feel like I was on top of the world, like I was accomplishing something that I had always wanted to do and learn. The second time I ever went skiing, my friend took me to the very top. We climbed a bank of snow that led us to a deck. For miles you could see the tops of snow-capped trees, the colors of the pine needles so much darker than I had ever seen them before. The mountain range blew my mind, how beautiful, how pictureperfect it truly was. Looking at the distant mountains and how they became one with the blue sky was breathtaking. I could have sat up there for hours and just looked out at the world, because that’s what it feels like. When you’re at the top of the mountain you’re in a whole other world, a whole different dimension. There’s a silence that is so perfect and all you can hear is the wind and distance voices. There is no other feeling in the world, no other place that can give you that exact feeling. When the sun goes down and the lifts close, people from all over mingle at the resort. They laugh and dance and play music. Some sit by the fire and talk about their days and some grab last minute waffles. I don’t think you really ever truly come out of this spell until you get out of your car at home. Reality is lost when at the mountain, and a paradise is found. Caroline Perry can be contacted at cperry@kscequinox.com
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SEE B6: THE EFFECTS OF INJURIES
Sports / B8
Thursday, March 1, 2018
SEE B6: THE DYNAMICS OF ASSISTANT COACHING
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Breaking records CAROLINE PERRY
SportS Editor The heat in the pool continues as Kyle Shadeck makes waves in the finals at the New England Intercollegiate Swimming and Diving Association (NEISDA) championships. Shadeck broke 2014 graduate Drew Ledwith’s meet record (1:51.50) and 2016 graduate Cole Hogg’s school record (1:51.41) for the 200 yard butterfly with a time of 1:49.18. For Shadeck, breaking this record has been something he has been hoping to do. “I have been dreaming about breaking the one minute, fifty second barrier all year and to finally do it felt incredible,” Shadeck said. Diving into the pool can be intimidating in the finals especially, but Shadeck said once he dives in, he is completely relaxed. “I’ve been in hundreds of races over my career so I know what to expect and what I am doing. It’s all muscle memory at that point.” But this success came with a lot of hard work. At the beginning of this past summer, Shadeck had some serious shoulder injuries in both of his shoulders, which made him unable to swim for three months. On top of that, Shadeck became ill at the team’s mid-season invitational meet during December. “I knew I would have a disadvantage coming into the season… I didn’t have much hope that I would do what I wanted to do, so to be able to overcome the obstacles that I faced to reach my goals was just an incredible feeling,” Shadeck said. Overcoming those obstacles shows the will often seen in athletes. For Shadeck, it was all about having the
right attitude and believing he could do it as long as he was willing to put in the effort. Shadeck said he trained hard all season, staying diligent with his eating and sleeping habits, and sacrificed social events because he wanted it bad enough and in the end knew it would be worth it. “My biggest goal was to qualify for [National Collegiate Athletic Association finals]. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but I believed I had a legitimate shot based on how I prepared all season,” Shadeck said. Fellow teammate Braeden Huot believed that Shadeck also had a great shot at qualifying. “He’s strong swimmer and a leader for the team. He puts in the work and gets things done. All season long we have been training together and have been improving, so it’s great to see success come out of it,” Huot said. Huot added that the teams support is huge for each individual and the teams overall success. “We are all very supportive of one another. We are together a lot of the time so we talk a lot, cheer each other one, and push each other in the pool. It’s a great dynamic,” Huot said. Shadeck’s other teammates did not respond for comment. With this most recent success, Shadeck hopes to be selected for the National Collegiate Athletic Association finals. “Right now, I am ranked 12th in the country in the 200 butterfly, and by next week I will know for certain if my time is good enough to be invited,” Shadeck said. Caroline Perry can be contacted at cperry@kscequinox.com
PRIYA CHHETRI / EQUINOX STAFF
Kyle Shadeck breaks personal records, as well as Keene State College records set in previous years. He beat the records in the 200 meter butterfly, in the final day of the NEISDA finals
Regular season to playoffs Women’s and men’s basketball regular seasons have ended JULIA EICHMAN
Equinox Staff The ups and downs of the 2017-2018 basketball season has primed both teams for their own shot at the Little East Conference (LEC) tournament this year, but neither came out on top. Keene State College’s women’s basketball team had a tough rebuilding year with primarily young athletes getting a lot of game time, but every year is a new season, according to women’s basketball coach Keith Boucher. Boucher said the team last year had been playing together for a few years and developed faith and confidence in each other over time. He also said that he hopes the team this year will grow and write its own game plan. “They have to go through their own progression... along the way it's going to be stumbling blocks, but stumbling blocks are the stepping stones. I think people that are successful view failure as a way to learn and that's what we have to do, learn from mistakes in order to get better,” Boucher said. The women’s overall record was 6-20, which included their loss against Southern Maine in the LEC quarterfinals, officially bringing their season to an end. Senior Captain Sandi Purcell said it was a tough loss because it was definitely a game that they could have won. However, Purcell said there were many injuries throughout the season, including her
own, that contributed to the numerous obstacles the team faced. She further indicated how the first-years were more or less thrown into the fire and expected not to burn. “They got put into a role right away that they couldn’t be a freshman. They had to step up and be willing to share their skills with us. As for the sophomores, Kenzie and Hien especially, completely took on leadership roles that they weren’t expected to, but did,” Purcell said. Coach Boucher said Purcell was a great role model for the team and an extremely hard worker. “We lost one senior but she's a great player, Sandi, unfortunately she got hurt this year she broke her foot, which clearly hurt our team. When you talk about competitive character, she's small but I don't know if there's anybody on the court that's tougher than her when she competes,” Boucher said. He continued, “I'm hoping they learn that lesson from her when you step across the lines and it’s time to compete, you compete until the horn goes off, you play to the clock not to the score. If they take that away from watching her they’re going to be better for it come next year,” Boucher said. When asked about advice to leave her team, Purcell said, “Now looking back I don't have another practice to get better at, I don't have another game to look forward to, so as hard as the early-morning workouts are and as
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