The Local Trivia Scene pg. 36
Activist Extraordinaire: Giselle Hart
Friday Night Lights pg. 16
pg. 26
How I Went Incognito on the #1 Sugar Daddy Dating Website pg. 20
Editor’s Note Spring is Springing! The snow is melting! The hills are alive… with the sound of Main Street Magazine’s Spring 2015 issue hitting shelves all around campus! This issue’s topics range farther and wider than we would’ve ever thought possible. We talk about the pursuit of a sugar daddy, local trivia faults, tell you where to get a good burger, and mourn over the university’s loss of Dick Cannon. With the school year’s end looming closer and closer by the day, we’re pouring more and more of our hearts and souls into making sure that MSM is consistently hitting and resonating harder with the UNH student and faculty population. As always, we want to encourage you, our reader, to take a break from your schoolwork and hectic day to just breathe and flip through this beautiful 44page work of art we have prepared for you. It is more than important to relax and gather your thoughts constantly throughout the day, and MSM provides the perfect balance of entertainment and education to get you through. Lastly, enjoy Spring! Before you know it, we’ll be able to see the ground again! With that comes a re-emergence of outdoor school activities and pastel shorts, so make the most of it while you can. You can bet your bottom dollar these two editors will be doing just that. One more issue to go before we call it a year, let the countdown begin, let the tears stop flowing. Enjoy!
Tony Abou Jaoude, Co-Editor-in-Chief Melisa Donovan, Co-Editor-in- Chief Bridget Regan, Photo Editor Brady Brickner-Wood, Content Editor Hadley Barndollar, Content Editor Nik Beimler, Content Editor Morgan Cutolo, Design Editor Katie Wisniewski, Layout Editor Talha Khan, Business Manager Hannah Rivers, Contributing Designer and Writer Justin Fortier, Contributing Designer and Writer Kate Sutherby, Contributing Writer Katherine McAuliffe, Contributing Writer Liz Haas, Contributing Writer Lilly Radack, Contributing Writer Jamie Smith, Contributing Writer Naomi Odlin, Contributing Writer Adria Kajenski, Contributing Writer Corey Scarano, Contributing Writer Rebecca Ma, Contributing Writer Katie Beauregard, Contributing Writer Heather Campbell, Contributing Writer Claire Cortese, Contributing Photographer Kevin Hardman, Contributing Photographer
-Tony and Melisa
Find Main Street mainstreetunh.com facebook.com/mainstreetmagazine @mainstreetmagazine MUB room 134
Did you know HBO is FREE on campus!? HBO college reps are here to screen and promote HBO programming to UNH students all semester! This month check out: • Vice Season Premiere, Friday March 6 @ 11pm
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• GIRLS and Looking Season Finale, March 22nd @ 9pm
Main Street Magazine Spring 2015, Issue 3
Featured Article
Physical Labor “The physical world as we know it is founded upon engineers and carpenters, mechanics and crafters, builders and electricians.�
Page 19
Features 19 What I Learned When I Was Young 20 I Like My Money Sugar Coated 32 Pacific Crest Trailway 38 Hating Your High School Friends
Local 16 Friday Night Lights 18 UNH Waste 26 Activist Extraordinaire: Giselle Hart 36 Local Trivia: Dover > Durham 42 New Hampshire Fashion
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Reviews 6 Film 8 Music 10 Food 12 Book
Arts & Style 28 Unknown Musicians 30 UNH Fencing 40 An Ode To Dick Cannon
Opinions/ Satire 13 Serial 14 The Implications of Tinder 23 Online Shopping in Class 29 Girl Fight!
36 Printed by our friends at UNH Printed Services, 10 West Edge Drive, Durham, NH The opinions expressed within Main Street are solely the opinions of the attributed writers and are not necessarily shared by Main Street Magazine, Student Press Organization, SAFC, the University of New Hampshire, or anyone else, for that matter. Main Street Magazine is funded entirely by your student activity fee, and we would like to thank SAFC for continuing to fund this publication. www.mainstreetmagazine.com @mainstmagazine
Contributors In order by row: Corey Scarano, Hadley Barndollar, Bridget Regan, Hannah Rivers, Justin Fortier, Claire Cortese, Heather Campbell, Katie Wisniewski, Kate Sutherby, Katie Beauregard, Brady Brickner-Wood, Rebecca Ma, Kevin Hardman, Nik Beimler, Adria Kajenski, Morgan Cutolo, Jamie Smith, Naomi Odlin, Lilly Radack, Katherine McAuliffe, Melisa Donovan, and Tony Abou Jaoude, and Liz Haas
Staff Picks
Things MSM Staff Love Right Now
Cuties- With this miserable weather I’ve been longing more and more for sunshine and warmth. When I eat these little clementines I get even only for a short time.
Lemonheads- The best candy ever in the world ever, before you know it you’ll have had the entire box! Special thanks to the Walker family for introducing me to these lil’ suckers!
- Katie
-Tony Too Faced Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar PalletThis is my favorite makeup pallet ever. The eyeshadow is infused with cocoa so the whole pallet smells like chocolate. There are so many tutorials online for those who are a bit challenged when it comes to making up your face (I speak from experience). This is hands down my best purchase of 2015 to date. - Bridget Aeropress- This little dude makes the best cup of coffee in the universe. I don’t even like going to café’s now, because whatever they serve has nothing on my baby. I luh you aeropress. - Brady
The SHAYTARDS- This Youtube Idaho family has captured my heart along with the hearts of about 3 million other subscribers. Their funny, eccentric personalities paired with about a thousand-and-a-half “aw” moments make you want to keep watching as they document their every day lives. Recently celebrating their 6 year anniversary, I thought it about time to come clean about my addiction. (Shout out to Professor M. Soha for also helping me analyze my adoration for Breakfast food- When asked why people would them and making me feel less crazy). ever eat anything but breakfast food, the great Ron - Melisa Swanson once said, “People are idiots.” He couldn’t be more right. There is no bad time of day for a waffle drenched in maple syrup and confectionary sugar with a side of eggs and bacon. - Nik
O’Hanlon Mills Camp Socks- Best.socks.ever. Literally. I’ve bought four pairs now, in the coolest patterns. They’re unisex, so help yourself, boys and girls. - Hadley
The Bachelor- It’s hard to hate Mondays when you know that The Bachelor is on at night! The concept for this show is obviously ridiculous, but I watch it to see the cool places that they go on dates and to laugh at the girls who take it a little too seriously. - Morgan
Movie Reviews: Oscar Picks
By: Justin Fortier
B
irdman truly took me by surprise. I went in knowing very little about the film, but it was a very intriguing, strange, and a beautifully crafted avian beast (quite literally). The story begins while following Riggan, played by Michael Keaton, as he tries to move beyond the shadows of his past film, ‘Birdman’. He does all that he can to rebrand his career by entering into the world of Broadway stage production as a director, writer and actor. His obsession to alter others’ perceptions of him consumes him and takes the film into bizarre and dark places: mainly, his psyche. The narrative itself is great, and the dialogue is fantastic, but there are many other variables that add to the experience substantially. The most notable is the cinematography. This film is incredibly attractive, in the way that it occurs in one grand sweeping and flowing motion: all without any cuts. Obviously, the film was not filmed entirely as such. However through the power of masterful editing, the filmmakers were able to create the illusion that this film was all one single cut. From beginning to end, the film follows the characters, sets and even
time through different spaces without ever shifting from the standard. Emma Stone plays Sam, the from the same lens. The final result is flawless and a daughter of Riggan, who is very resentful of her truly unique film-going experience. father for her celebrity upbringing. Edward Norton plays Mike, a renowned Broadway actor known The incredible thing about this film is that it is for outstanding performances, which is accurate of not the cinematography alone that singlehandedly the character and of Edward Norton himself. He adds to the quality, but also what the cinematogwas quick, harsh, bold and beyond impressive; he raphy enhances. Riggan is trying to change his cawas phenomenal. Part of that is due to the writing. reer from film to stage, which is quite drastic for an However, it takes a talented actor to be able delivactor. By utilizing the camera in this fashion, it is er lines so eloquently and clearly while the camera very representational of stage productions and creperforms quite unique maneuvers. Finally is Miates a connection between the two mediums quite chael Keaton, who is undoubtedly and ironically well. While you are watching the film progress, it similar to his character, having starred in Batman feels much less like a film, and more like you are (1989) and Batman Returns (1992) many years floating around in a space (a stage show) with the earlier. His character was incredibly disheveled and characters themselves. The experience was extremenervous throughout, clearly dealing with psycholy immersive. logical disorders. He has conversations with his alFinally, beyond technical elements, this film has ter ego, Birdman, in extremely strange ways, which absolutely terrific acting. While analyzing the ac- leads to an unyielding conclusion during the final tors, it is incredibly important to keep in mind the act. environment in which they worked. These actors This film strays quite far from the norm, through and actresses had to work in a space where the camall of its peculiar characteristics. And even through era did not stop rolling while performing intricate some really strange and dark material, it never fails dances around them, and that is vastly different to feel fresh and exciting.
B
oyhood is easily one of the most unique and original experiences I have ever had the pleasure of being a part of in a cinema or in viewing any film at all. This film ventured into risky territory that not many filmmakers have ever dared, for very legitimate reasons. However, the final product is, without exaggeration, incredible. It is and will continue to be an enduring film that most everyone can relate to for years to come. Boyhood takes place over the span of 12 years of young Mason’s life. It documents the fragile years, starting from age five, until the more mature and independent years upon entering college around the age of 18. What I just described is both applicable to not only the story itself, but also our own reality.
ents, played perfectly by both Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke, as well as the focal character Mason, played by Ellar Coltrane and finally his sister Samantha played by Lorelei Linklater.
real and it never strayed from that ultimate goal of maintaining that reality. As for the older actors, it was similarly fascinating to watch them grow as well. We observed Patricia Arquette struggle as a single mother to support her children with nourishment and care through many difficult obstacles. We watched Ethan Hawke struggle as a young father, and as he develops more gray hairs, he becomes wiser offering more stability for his children. One of the most incredible parts of this is that when casting an unknown five-year-old boy, there was no way to predict what he would look like 12 years into the future. Given that, I was astounded at the end when we see the father sending his son to college, and how much they looked alike.
As far as the film goes, I really could not recommend it enough. It speaks so clearly to my generation, specifically anyone who grew up during the 1990’s and 2000’s. 911, Harry Potter book releases, technology. These are all things that affected and shaped us in both positive and negative ways. This film covers everything and I have truly never seen anything that I can relate to more than this wonderful feature. I understood how Mason felt throughout a lot of his adventures; I felt as though this film was made for me, or even about me, and I know that I am not alone in sharing that opinion. Similar to the Harry Potter franchise, we watched The cast and crew began filming in the late What this film created is not easily replicable; it is these characters, an entire family and some of their 1990’s, and the entire operation would reunite so full of deep emotions, rich beauty and strong close friends grow on-screen, and it truly feels like semi-annually with the same cast, until they com- morals. a privilege to be a part of that. The only difference pleted their fictional, but realistic narrative of the was that instead of a series of eight films spanning Of course by doing what these filmmakers and 12 years of Mason’s life. This film truly took a leap across a decade, it was one single feature-film. This producers did, young child actors were involved. of faith, as the producers trusted all, or at the very film was emotional, beautiful, exciting, and beyond Much like these situations, as the kids aged, both in least, the primary family would continue to shoot, all else, one of the most original ideas I have ever real life and on-screen, they appeared to feel slightly without any departures, death, or unexpected obseen dragged on to the big screen. It is unequivocalawkward and while occasionally the audience felt stacles. The family consisted of two divorced parly and inarguably, one of a kind. that these kids in fact were awkward, it always felt
Music Reviews
Beck sitting in a chair
Milo Greene being hooligans
ODESZA somberly reflecting in the woods
Beck
“Morning Phase” Capitol
It’s been over a year since Beck released his album Morning Phase, and it’s now been over a month since this same album won a Grammy for Album of the Year. Though never having heard anything off it, or even realized Beck was still relevant, I would not have cast my vote this way for Album of the Year. I would, however, recommend giving it a good listen. With fourteen tracks ordered precisely, this album flows as one from start to finish before you even realize that it’s over. Some might say the lack of spark or robust palate makes for a bit of a drag compared to earlier work, but the mellowed out, neutral tones of Morning Phase are standout when compared to other currently high profile albums.
Overall Rating: 7.8/10
Fans of indie-folsky-rock are going to pick up the on the intentional vibes of relaxation and renewal. Every song is filled with warmth and some
sort of hope; an easy listen for those doing homework, walking to class, or enjoying the (eventual?) sunshine driving around the seacoast. I gave Beck a chance and played the entire album three times before realizing I had already heard it. I felt quite calm after, even though my environment was stressful. Personal favorite tracks include “Blackbird Chain” and “Wave”. “Blackbird Chain” is a bit sunnier and relatable to anyone who might be trying to start something new but can’t truly let go of the past (looking at you, class of 2015.) “Wave” has a haunting feel to it and the orchestra in the background is stunning. Lyrically, the album seems as if Beck himself is a wave, personified. As stated earlier, the entire album works strongly when listened to from start to finish. Beck, congrats on the Grammy, you deserved it. -Heather Campbell
Milo Greene “Control” Elektra/Atlantic
Since the release of their debut album, I’ve been eagerly waiting for Milo Greene to release their sophomore album. I fell for their dream pop voices, the classic folk style, and the raw emotion in their voices. It breathed life to the music. To give some background, Milo Greene is made up of five people from California who all share vocals and switch instruments during sets. When sung together, it creates a wispy, dreamy sound just like heaven. Initially it surprised me when I found out that their second album wouldn’t be that California folk sound that they created with their first album. However, their change was a flawless transition that separates itself from their first album. Their second album, “Control” has followed the ’80’s comeback trend but it still has everything that made me fall in love with them in the first place.
paired with their signature voices. “When it’s done” strongly reminds me of David Bowie but is paired with their raw emotion. “Save Yourself ” and “Lie to Me” are songs that you can dance awkwardly alone to in the library at 4 in the morning during finals week. The entire album together reminds me of driving alone at night with no destination in mind.
Ethereal may be the only word to describe ODESZA’s sophomore release, “In Return”. The duo take so much of what made their first album successful and polish that technique off with powerful collaborations that feature artists such as Zyra, Py, and Shy Girls. “In Return” calls for a certain lack of attentiveness from its audience that promotes euphoric rhythm and concentration. This is the album you should be studying while listening to.
of the Far East. It is still a dance song by nature, yet its symphonically addicting. The other huge hit from the album, “Memories That You Call”, featuring MonsoonSiren, plays up the same effects of all the other songs on the album, yet it gets away with being incredible light-hearted and optimistic. It’s a song that brings a lot of life to the album in ways that many artists often struggle with in the music industry.
All in all, “Control” is one of the best modern adaptions of ’80’s music out there. It has a smooth sound and is all around brilliant. It’s good for people who want background music or something to set the mood. It’s also great for people who want to experiment with ambient sounds and music. If their signature vocals don’t draw you in or give you chills, then this album is probably not for you. In my opinion, it’s a phenomenal album that marries “Control” is the kind of album where you have the classic ’80’s sound and modern dream pop. to listen to it in order to experience the magic. -Rebecca Ma “Lonely Eyes” has an ’80’s lounge and disco theme
Overall Rating: 8.9/10 ODESZA “In Return” Counter
The record boasts numerous standout songs. Perhaps the one with most commercial exposure and acclaim, “Say My Name”, featuring Zyra, highlights ODESZA’s signature musical style. A mid-tempo beat that’s heavy on the base accentuates the singsong like dance song. “All We Need” featuring Shy Girls plays off of the same planes as “Say My Name”, but slows things down to become more primal and concentrated. Perhaps my personal favorite song, “Koto” plays off of music trends
Overall Rating: 9.5/10
The album is laced with heavy base accentuation throghout, this aspect really drives ODESZA’s message home. That message pays homage to the virility and temporary natue of human existence. It’s one that calls for us to make the most of our lives, that’s what makes it ethereal in nature. It makes us crave more, makes us want to do more, be more. It highlights the beauty of our existence; all while making you dance light-heartedly. -Tony Abou Jaoude
Food Reviews: A Good Burger By: WLilly Radick, Katie Beauregard and Corey Scarano
Lexie’s Joint 212 Islington Street Portsmouth, NH 03801 (603) 319-4055
plain-Jane and like vanilla milkshakes, but for the ie’s also has very reasonable prices where you can more exciting folks, there are six different flavors to get two of their amazing burgers for the same price choose from. as two grande chai lattes at Starbucks.
Under their ‘Tasty Sides’ section they have seven Take my word for it and next time you feel different types of fries to pick from. Bistro fries, ai- like heading to Portsmouth, head to Lexie’s Joint. oli fries, house cut fries, the list goes on, and surely You’re welcome. has something satisfying for all different taste buds. There is nothing like a big, fat juicy burger to I pick the Bistro Fries—fries smothered in herbed The Farm Bar & Grille fill your heart with happiness during the middle of aioli, bacon, asiago and herbs. I take the first bite; 25 Portland Avenue a snowstorm. Having been to most burger restau- yep, they are delicious. rants in the Seacoast area, I was shocked when my Now, time for the real action: picking the burg- Dover, NH 03820 friends told me that I had not been to one of the er. They have twelve different burgers ranging from (603) 516-3276 best: Lexie’s Joint. The Green Muenster to The Urban Cowboy. I like “Peace, love and burgers” is their motto and putting as much toppings on all of my food, so I Snowstorm No. 4 may have stopped other that’s exactly the atmosphere of the small, but cozy go with Lexie’s Big Mouth Burger which is a 4 oz. patty topped with Herbed Aioli, Bacon, American University of New Hampshire students living in restaurant of Islington St. in Portsmouth. I walk in and grab a seat at the bar, and my mouth-wa- Cheese, Caramelized Onions, Roasted Tomato and Durham to venture off campus, but with the Farm ters looking over all of the different burgers options Fried Pickles. Even though the restaurant is packed, Bar & Grille’s reputation, I had to try. And may I they have. To experience Lexie’s the way I was told I wait less than ten minutes to get the fries and add, it was totally worth the poorly plowed Dover too, I couldn’t hold back. So of course, I need- burgers all at once. I’m not exaggerating when I say roads and blizzard that should have subsided much ed to order fries, a milkshake and a burger. I’m a it is one of the greatest burgers I’ve ever tasted. Lex- earlier in the evening.
Completely unfamiliar with this part of town, I quickly found the flying pig sign, which ultimately led me to my destination. Even though I fell from the unkempt parking lot to the restaurant, I wasn’t going to let a little blizzard ruin what I expected to be amazing food. I felt my snow-covered luck quickly change when I entered the restaurant and immediately felt welcomed with twinkling lights around the bars, easy going music and most importantly, laughter.
food, everything tasted amazing. Being a nacho snob, I had to ask my server if the guacamole I paid extra for was homemade, which it was, and how the chicken in the California Club was prepared, which was dry rubbed. Apparently, the reputation of the Farm Bar & Grille has declined in the past few years, according to some UNH students, but I enjoyed my experience overall. Aside from the chilly draft and slight wait for food, I couldn’t complain. My two roommates and myself had three meals and two beers on draft, which added to a total of $32.50. For this price, the great atmosphere and people genuinely enjoying themselves, I left the Farm Bar and Grille extremely satisfied.
After soaking in my first few impressions, I was quickly delighted with good service, but even better, the 27 beers on draft, which were only $2.50. Before I got too excited about the drink selection, I needed to stay on track, and decide what to order. Luckily for me, having my roommates by my side My only regret? Not going for trivia on Tuesday made the wide selection of food purchases seem less night. unhealthy, and more like a random smorgasbord of ambivalent college students. BRGR Bar We decided on the barbeque nachos ($12.50), which could feed the table next to us as well, beer battered pickles ($8.00) and the California Club ($10.00), which was a grilled sandwich with homemade guacamole, cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato and fries. Aside from the slight delay in getting our
34 Portwalk PI Street Portsmouth, NH 03801 (603) 294-0902
With dozens of restaurants to choose from in Downtown Portsmouth, the competition between businesses is fierce. But with everyone’s favorite guilty pleasure written right into its name, the BRGR Bar never fails to impress. With a dozen signature burgers on the menu, there is a juicy patty for anyone’s craving. One of the most popular burgers include the “OO-Mommy” a burger cooked to a hot pink medium, topped with gorgonzola, bacon jam, and crispy fried onion rings. All of the beef used is local, grass fed, hormone and antibiotic free, so you know it’s the real deal. You can choose one of the signature burgers, create your own, or choose from any of their generous dinner salads as well, including a Cobb, wedge, and house. But filling up on a big, juicy patty and French fries isn’t all the BRGR Bar is good for, they also have craft beers, cocktails, a variety of unique milkshakes, and house made sodas. It seems that BRGR Bar offers up only the guiltiest of cravings, and “going big or going home” seems to be a theme there. Nicole Downing, a BRGR Bar lover herself states, “When I go to the BRGR Bar, not only do I get the big burger, but a milkshake and homemade soda as well. When you’re there, you just gotta!”
Book Reviews “Wild: A Journey from Lost to Found” By: Cheryl Strayed
F
rom the gross descriptions of pulling off bruised toenails and drinking muddy swamp water, to the beautiful imagery of California’s landscapes, Cheryl Strayed captures readers affections in her book Wild: A Journey from Lost to Found.
hike. Even though the most dramatic event may be the short period of time where she lacked water, Wild still keeps the reader thoroughly engaged. Her internal struggle is one that the reader takes on too, encouraging her to push forward on the trail when she is about ready to give up. The audience is able to empathize with her feelings of emptiness, as Wild is a memoir written by Cheryl Strayed about well as feeling the positive outcomes of resiliency. her journey hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. The PCT is a hiking trail that runs from the Mexican border Cheryl’s transformation process is experienced up through California, Oregon, and Washington, through humor and hardship, and her hike makes before ending at the Canadian Border. She decided her both physically and mentally stronger. Wild to conquer the trail, starting at the Tehachapi Pass makes the reader question their own lives, whethin the Mojave Desert of Southern California and er it is regarding relationships or problem solving hiking, on her own, all the way up to Washing- abilities. While many people haven’t suffered nearly ton over the course of a few months. The strenuous as much as she has, it still makes the reader closely terrain and lack of human interaction allowed her look over what they have done. She writes in the to leave her life of negativity behind. Constructing final chapter of her book, “It was my life – like all this book from journal entries, Cheryl allows her lives, mysterious and irrevocable and sacred. So readers to walk beside her through the dry desserts very close, so very present, and so very belonging and snowy hillsides to help her find who she wants to me.” and is supposed to be through self reflection. -Morgan Cutolo The book describes the various triumphs, struggles, and friendships that were made along the
“Ms. Marvel” By: G. Willow Wilson
S
Artist: Adrian Alphona
pider-Man. Batman. Hulk. Captain America. Iron Man. Ever get sick of seeing white savior tropes passed off as wholesome American entertainment? Well I do. And apparently the rest of the comic world is catching up. A medium that has historically catered to a straight, white and you guessed it, male demographic, has been undergoing a renaissance. Once a stubborn boy’s club, the comic world has received a much-needed ideological facelift. When’s the last time you saw a superhero who wore a hijab? Or a female character who doesn’t exclusively wear V-necks or latex? Or a crime-fighting Latino who speaks to his parents in Spanish?
croagressions from her fellow peers. Torn between a traditional Muslim family life and the typical American adolescent experience, Kamala struggles to understand her relationship with her classmates, her family and herself. On a walk home one night, she is overcome with the fumes of what appears to be a florescent, chemical fog. She faints and hallucinates that Iron Man is reciting her poems while Captain Marvel sings in Urdu. From there on, Kamala discovers a whole palette of superpowers. Once dreaming of walking alongside The Avengers who protect the city, Kamala paths her own heroic path and dubs herself Ms. Marvel.
While the series is slow to find its way to monThanks to comic book giants like Marvel and ster-killing, brute-batting action, Ms. Marvel excels DC, as well as their more progressive, fashion-forat exploring the duality of being a Muslim-Ameriward cousins, Image and Vertigo Comics, these can teenager in a westernized world. A product of identities are no longer being kept in the shadows. the coming-of-age genre, Ms. Marvel celebrates the I present to you Ms. Marvel. Released in Feb- self-conscious high school years, while acknowledgruary of last year, Ms. Marvel has garnered criti- ing of the cruel omnipresence of Islamophobia. Kacal acclaim and comic fandom for its accessible, mala is an eccentric, crime-fighting badass, who is true-to-heart story of 16-year-old Kamala Khan. proving that the future face of comic books might So what makes this a game changer? Well, Kamala look a lot like her. If you haven’t ever picked up a Khan is a Pakistani-American, Muslim teenager, an comic book, this may be the best place to start. identity the writers present with care and ground-Katie McAuliffe ed realism. In addition to the persistent headache of high school, Kamala has to deal with daily mi-
Serial Obsession By: Jamie Smith
A
s college students, we expect those inevitable questions to be asked by every relative and family friends over winter break. Our practiced answers about our majors, extra-curricular activities, and plans for the future sound like a monologue from a washedup actor just doing it for the paycheck. This past holiday season, however, another question was on everyone’s lips: have you listened to Serial?
murder and given the sentence of life in jail (though he pled his innocence throughout the trial). This murder and the ensuing trial sound like the opposite of what you might find on a procedural television show. We know what happened, we know who did it, he got caught, he’s in jail. Except, not everyone believed that Adnan could have done such a heinous act. His family and friends defend his innocence - even now, after Adnan has spent 15 years in prison.
Though Serial, a spin-off podcast of the hipster mainstay This American Life, had arrived on the scene in October, I didn’t join the listening party until December. Unlike those who had been following the podcast for the past two months, I was lucky enough that I did not have to wait for a new episode every Thursday, with the final episode of Season 1 being released a few days before I began. I listened while doing the dishes. I listened while sitting in my car on my lunch break at work, with the fear of my car battery dying far from my mind. I even did the unthinkable: I put a Netflix binge on hold so as to not become distracted from all the fibers that ran through each podcast episode. I was, in a word, hooked.
That is where journalist Sarah Koenig comes in. A producer on This American Life, Sarah used this story as her jumping off point. Each week, she explored a different facet of the case. Did the state’s timeline of Hae’s murder actually work? Inconclusive. Was Adnan’s case mishandled by his attorney Christina Gutierrez? Probably, but not intentionally. These are among the questions that Koenig posed to herself and her listeners. With each new discovery or setback, she was eager to call the case one way or another - either Adnan did it, or he did not. The highlight of each episode, I found, was Koenig’s telephone calls with Adnan himself. They came from two very different worlds and were in very different circumstances, yet they both cohosted this stranger-than-fiction story. They were like yin and yang detectives trying to solve a mystery - but in this case, one of the detectives was the prime suspect.
The first season of Serial followed the 1999 murder of a high school student named Hae Min Lee in Baltimore, Maryland. At the time, Hae’s ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed was charged with her
The appeal of Serial is multi-layered. Of course, the twists and turns of a real life crime are reason enough to listen, but there are more. I myself found it to be incredibly satisfying to allow myself to be taken away to 1999 Baltimore just by voices telling a story. I did not have to watch a screen or stare at words on a page. I could go about my business while still getting to follow Adnan’s case. And this idea - a serialized story - is certainly not a new one, but the way in which it was done was refreshing. It hearkened back to an older time, where people listened to the radio rather than television, or even before that - when people merely told stories orally. Clearly, something about Serial was fulfilling for me. Not necessarily Hae and Adnan’s story, or Koenig’s journalism, but just the idea that I was able to sit back and listen to someone tell me a story. In our fast-paced world, where we hope to catch an episode of House of Cards in between classes (or, if you’re me, sometimes during class), the simplicity of being told a story sans bells and whistles of production values or actors or commercial interruptions (that is, if I don’t count the annoying plugs for Mail Chimp at the beginning of each episode) is a complete novelty. And if the success of Serial’s first season is any indication, I surely hope that there will be more opportunities to hear such things.
What To Listen To Next
1. “Criminal” - This podcasts digs deep into the areas wehre the law doesn’t go and will have you on your seat and with almost sicty episodes it will keep you going while you wait for Serial Season 2! 2. “Here Be Monsters” - This podcast is unpredictable and dark but will have you hooked in minutes. The cool thing about this is that the staff is located all over the world and they set out to explore the unknown which is a wide variety of topics. 3. “This American Life” - This American Life was the podcast that launched the Serial spin-off and has been on air for over 15 years. There are some amazing stories to be heard through this radio show. 4. “Slate’s Serial Spoilers”- This podcast was created by Slate Magazine just to discuss theories and dissect details of the original podcast and could make you see the case in a whole different light.
Swiper No Swiping By: Hannah Rivers I would totally swipe right on that hot piece of…
swipe right on each other. Then you can start messaging and…” Here the voice pauses, let’s the viewer imagine what might happen next and goes on to Whatever finishes this sentence, I’m sure you have heard it at some point. mention that no payments of $19.95 are necessary. Maybe you knew what swiping was, or maybe you were confused like I was. Before I thought swiping was a reference to Swiper from Dora the Explorer. Ideally, I’d like to claim that I made a Tinder profile for the sake of social But that was then. experimentation. However, the truth is far less noble. In short, Winter Break happened. I was bored and, well, boredom often leads to bad ideas. And alBy now, we’re all familiar with what “swiping” another person means. But though I’m not the biggest fan of Tinder, I decided to do it. Because I’ve if you happen to live under a rock, I’m talking about Tinder—the “matchaccepted that it--along with other sites and apps that allow you to search for a making mobile app” (not my words, theirs). A website called gotinder.com special someone/fuck buddy/random hookup--are a part of our society. Gone describes Tinder as: “… how people meet. It’s like real life, but better.” Right. are the days of courtship, courtesy and chivalry. And who knows? Maybe “the If Tinder were an infomercial, the annoyingly chipper narrator might say one” is waiting for me…just one swipe away. something like: “by using Tinder, dating/hooking up/whatever you’re looking If my opinion of Tinder seems ambivalent, it’s because it is. At first I was for, is as easy as swiping left or right. Who needs real life connection when you skeptical of it, then I was hopeful and then I went back to being skeptical. I can get a man or woman as quick as you can order takeout? Another feature of guess it depends on how desperate I’m feeling on a given day. But with Valenconvenience is that you don’t actually need to get to know the person. Because tine’s Day fast approaching, my all-too-single status is pushing me toward the five pictures and a few hundred characters of self-description later, it’s obvious insidious red flame that denotes the Tinder app. whether or not you’re interested in them. You get a match when two people
Being on Tinder is like building a Barbie home. You spend so much time arranging the furniture and making sure it all looks nice that by the time you’ve finished setting up this imaginary world, you don’t want to play in it anymore. I enjoyed looking through my Facebook photos to find the five best ones; I took pleasure in composing an “About Me” section that sounded vague yet mysterious; but most of all I liked swiping people. Despite how shallow and mindless and ineffective it is, I found myself DTS (Down to Swipe). But when it came to actually engaging with my matches, I couldn’t care less. It’s not like I intended to use Tinder for real. Until Alex that is. After messaging with several guys--conversations that sooner or later involved the classic but creepy masturbation joke--my interest was piqued by Alex’s lack of inappropriate commentary. I’m all for a good (or bad) sexual innuendo, but when a guy you’ve never met puts an olive oil bottle in a context it should never be in, the normal where-are-you-from type of small talk becomes way more appealing.
important; it’s what didn’t happen. After two dates in 12 hours--a fact I perceived as a good sign--mine and Alex’s non-relationship went the way that most actual relationships tend to go: down in flames. Which is fine. Maybe it was the natural progression of something that wasn’t ever going to work out, or maybe it was Tinder setting me up to fail. I personally like to blame the app and curse the divide between technology and human connection, but--whatever the reason was--I must accept that the two are intertwined. It’s inevitable that relationships are going to change. It already has. No longer is the Jane Austen era of six months of chaperone-accompanied strolls pertinent in today’s society. The advent of technology--along with the triviality of romance, the shifting of gender roles and the reinvention of what constitutes as a relationship--has caused a drastic transformation in the way that we relate to one another.
But while the journey is different, the end result is the same. No matter how we find them--whether it’s online, at a bar or through a parental arrangeWith Alex, the conversation eventually turned toward the inevitable: meetment--we’re all still looking for someone, some connection that enhances our ing up. I was hesitant at first, until I remembered my New Year’s resolution to lives and transcends our previous experiences. I don’t know what the best way do things. By this, I mean that my goal is to take advantage of opportunities to find someone is. None of us do. and not sit around watching Netflix. So when Alex suggested a day and a time, I responded with a place and an activity. All we can do is keep trying, with open hearts and quick-swiping fingers. Now is the point in the story when I could tell you every single detail of our first and second dates. But I won’t. Because it’s not what happened that’s
Friday Night Lights Out By: Liz Haas
U
NH’s Student Environmental Action “It would be cool if we had a ton of people and Coalition, SEAC, turns the lights out if we all dressed the same and ran from building to at 5pm every Friday night. building every Friday and everyone knew who we were,” Flanagan said excitedly. “Like the cat pack at Danielle Flanagan and three other football games.” students from SEAC gathered in MUB 139 just before 5pm to begin an hour of flipping The number of lights turned off each week varies switches, hanging posters, and writing on white depending on how many people attend and if the boards. Their mission is to turn off as many lights club needs to simultaneously hang posters and adas possible before the academic buildings are locked vertise on chalk boards for upcoming events. for the weekend and energy is wasted lighting emp“Any lights are worth it,” says Badylak-Reals. ty classrooms and hallways. Some nights the group turns off six lights and other “It is easy. It’s only an hour,” Flanagan explains. nights it’s 50 she says. It also depends on which “I’m not really doing anything at 5pm on Friday buildings the team visits. Newer facilities such as nights, you know?” This is her second week partici- Kingsbury and Parsons have motion detection syspating in Friday Night Lights Out (FNLO) and her tems to turn the lights on and off, so there are no first week leading the group. switches to flip. Tonight, the group’s first stop is Hamilton Smith Hall. The first light out was by the men’s bathroom on the basement floor. Group members stayed on the same floor level but split up to turn off lights and hang posters for upcoming SEAC events in different areas. “We should bring flashlights,” said SEAC co-coordinator Christin Badylak-Reals as she navigates a dark hallway after turning out the last light on that floor. The hardest part of FNLO is finding a way out from the curving back halls of academic buildings, with only the green glow of exit lights as a guide.
mation coordinator for the UNH Sustainability Institute understands that getting people to remember little things like turning off the projector before they leave on a Friday afternoon is a challenge. She knows everyone is in a hurry to leave for the weekend. However, she also knows that Turing off even just a few lights adds up to significant savings. On an individual level the energy use seems small, and many students see leaving their lights on while they are at dinner as just another use of their tuition dollars. However, Cullen wants to encourage students to think about how many people live at UNH; with over 12,000 undergraduate students alone there are a lot of lights turned on and cell phones and lap tops being used.
Cullen suggests that students invest in a power strip, so they can hit one button and turn everyAs a co-coordinator of SEAC, Badylak-Reals tries thing plugged into it off at once. Taking things one to be an active attendee of all of its subcommittees, step further are smart strips, which she uses in her but she attends FNLO just because she believes in own office. Two of the outlets are always on for apthe cause. pliances such as mini fridges that need to run constantly; the other two outlets are indicators. The indicators sense when one item plugged into them is turned off and immediately shut down everything else plugged into an indicator.
“Their mission is to turn off as many lights as possible before the acedemic buildings are locked for the weekend. and energy is wasted.”
“I can’t remember how many times I would get lost in PCAC,” recalls senior Naomi Odlin. “You can’t imagine how confusing Murkland’s light Jennifer Purrenhage, a professor in the natural switches are.” Odlin has been involved in FNLO resources department, supports FNLO’s efforts since its beginning in 2012. to save energy. However, she also sees this as an Twenty-six lights and several posters later, the opportunity for students and faculty to adopt a team walks to Murkland to turn off five more lights. more sustainable behavior, which she defines as a With only four members and the extra advertising behavior that is low-impact environmentally and work, the group only has enough time after visiting easy enough to incorporate into daily life that it Murkland to hang two posters in Dimond Library will last. before returning to the MUB by 6 p.m. They could “We have a dedicated group of people who are use a few extra helpers. willing to go around and turn off light switches Ben Trolio began the Friday Night Lights Out because the majority of people on this campus are movement four years ago. Within months over not noticing that need.” She encourages students to twenty students were meeting each week to turn off become more aware of their environments and ask lights and projectors left on throughout campus. themselves what they can do to save more energy, The movement has since dwindled after Trolio believing that there is always something else that graduated in the Spring of 2012, and leadership has one can do to live more sustainably. changed hands several times. With no designated Purrenhage is also a proponent of spreading leader last semester, different club members took awareness through communication. on the responsibility each week. “Make an announcement in class,” she suggests Flanagan took over leading FNLO after hearto get the word out about ways to be more sustaining about the need and that it was an easy event able and save energy. She hopes students will also to coordinate. She hopes to expand attendance this begin to use technology and social media to spread semester and reminds her friends to visit MUB 139 the word as well. “How cool would it be if you told each week. So far she has had little luck in getting so many people that everyone did it already?” new recruits. Jackie Cullen, the communications and infor-
Cullen also recommends that students with baseboard heat refrain from storing clothing and other items along the baseboard. This traps the heat, making the room cooler and keeping the heater running longer than necessary. On the flip side, she tells students to call UNH Facilities if their rooms seem too hot. “There’s usually as problem if you’re sweating to death in January,” she says. “Chances are there’s a balance in the system that’s off.” Facilities is happy to fix these issues, as it saves money and keeps students from opening their windows to solve the problem. According to Facilities, it is a myth that it’s less expensive to leave lights on all the time instead of turning them on and off. The facilities website states that incandescent lights are so inefficient that they should always be turned off. Florescent bulbs are more efficient. However, if they will be off for more than five minutes, it is more cost efficient to turn them off. For now FNLO is looking to expand its membership. “The goal is to have a big enough group that they can split up and cover more territory,” explains Badylak-Reals. “That’s what we hope to do, so then it’s more competitive. We can split up in groups and whoever turns the most lights out wins.” But the question becomes: What is winning really? Is it turning off the largest number of lights possible, or is it finding that there are no lights to be switched off; since, conscious students and faculty have already flipped the switch?
Student Environmetnal Action Coalition
UNH Unplugged Flip The Switch
UNH Recycling: What You Can and Can’t Throw Away By: Naomi Odlin
T
he University of New Hampshire prides itself in being a leading institution in sustainability. One of the ways it does this is through an extensive network of waste management efforts. We have all noticed, hopefully, the blue and green dumpsters by nearly every building on campus, for recycling and trash. Some of us have probably seen the truck that drives around collecting the yellow compost bins from the dining halls and various other locations. Facilities, as well as the sustainability Institute are doing everything in their power to make dealing with waste as easy as possible for students and faculty alike around campus.
correct things into the correct bins. A comprehensive waste audit done by PLAN and Trash 2 Treasure in 2014 concretely showed what facilities and the Sustainability Institute already knew: Campus consisted of many different labels, sometimes all found on one dumpster alone. This is due to a constantly updating campus. For instance the new Paul School added yet another, albeit newer and sleeker, style of recycling and trash bins to the mix. There are over 175 dumpsters on campus, and through the help of interns, Facilities and the Sustainability Institute have labeled them all. It took a while, but hopefully it will be worth it. There are a few more steps, but the goal is to have these labels, or ones similar, on any bin that is used for trash or recyHave any of you seen the new stickers on the cling; that means inside buildings and dorms too. dumpsters? The reason behind these simple, easy to read labels is that in the past, many of us have That being said, let’s find out what actually can been unsure of exactly what can be recycled and be, and should be recycled. Glass bottles, plastics what can’t. This has been especially true since Janu- (i.e. bottles, containers, packaging), cans, and ary 2013, when the whole campus switched over to paper products are the big things that definitely single-stream recycling (everything recyclable goes should find their way into the “recyclables” bins. in one bin). The hope is that by using a standard Notice how plastic bags were not mentioned? label across campus, everyone should be tossing the That’s because they cannot be recycled. Everything
else should go in the trash, or the landfill bin. The trouble before, but hopefully not now, is that too many trash items were finding their way into recycling, and therefore it all had to be tossed as trash. The biggest contaminators are plastic bags, because most of us use them to line the bins in our room and then just toss them with the rest. The correct thing to do is empty the recycling out of the bag, then throw the bag into the landfill bin. As mentioned before, UNH is incredibly sustainable in a variety of different aspects. However, we don’t do such a hot job of recycling. Hopefully all of that is going to change with these new labels, and increased outreach on correct practices, making it easier for us, as the student body, to recycle what can be recycled, and throw away what cannot. We must all do our part if we are going to take UNH to the next level when it comes to sustainability. If you have any questions, you can check out Facilities website (http://www.unh.edu/ facilities), call them at 603-862-1437, or go to the waste tab on the Sustainability Institute’s website (http://www.sustainableunh.unh.edu/waste).
What I Learned When I Was Young By: Brady Brickner-Wood
M
y hands haven’t built a whole lot. Never fixed any pipes or plumbing, and certainly never messed with whatever creatures are under my car. I’ve hammered in some things here and there, split some wood in the backyard. But I’ve never sustained a construction process from start to finish, never gotten callused hands from months and years of work. Woodworking is an unexplored world. Carpentry is a foreign language. Repair work is like geometry. To me, all are daunting obscurities, reserved specialties for those with rougher sets of hands than I.
Someone must bring wonder into reality. Developed nations are in the age of instant everything, and as a result, people are becoming less and less self-sufficient, relying on others to do harder, more unpleasant work. The modern inability of many to grow food, create standing structures, and make repairs is potentially perilous to social systems. Many have realized that they don’t need to be competent in these areas to maintain a high standard of living. With that being said, it is not inherently negative to be averse to blue-collar work. It can be rather positive. An increased specialization of labor has allowed for deeper developments in overall human ability. People are able to explore diverse work opportunities, lifestyle choices and general interests as a result of not needing to express proficiency in physical labor. However, because of this, people like me are left stuck, feeling incompetent and unable to hold ourselves down if we needed to unleash a toolbox.
Last year when I was travelling, a friend and I worked for an old man in exchange for food and housing. During our first morning with him, he instructed me to remove planks from a wooden crate. He handed me a crow bar and some gloves, and while walking away said, get to work! I wrestled with the beast for twenty minutes before submitting to help. As the old man effortlessly pried up the planks, mumbling distaste for me, my heart sunk. Was I this inept? In a society built upon the My mom would be the first to tell you she raised creation of physical objects and entities, was I the a good, hardworking New Hampshire boy, caweak link, a less valuable member of humanity? pable of doing proper physical work around the house. Thanks ma, you did well. You too, dad. As The physical world as we know it is founded upon a family we kept the house together, and all of us engineers and carpenters, mechanics and crafters, learned our roles while maintaining it. Yet, I never builders and electricians. Societies continue to be engaged in any consistent construction, repair or progressed by this army of laborers. Human history project. And why would I? People endured specialis remembered through its makers, the ones who ized training for that shit, and our family had othturned dreams into solidity. As wonderful as ideas er important work to direct our energies towards. may be, somebody has to erect the pyramid, raise Instead of learning the ins and outs of a toolbox, the Statue of Liberty, tilt the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I learned other abilities, skills and traits valued by
my parents. I am not of a blue-collar background, and values did not present themselves through laborious work. Nurturing, of course, is uncontrollable, and there is a lot of moving parts here—privilege, socioeconomic class, community, varying value systems, geography, and so forth. Yet, the divide between academics and physical labor, ideas and solidity, seems to be an ever-increasing gap. It seems to be unsettling that if the skyscrapers collapsed into a dense blotch of dust and our political and economic systems fell apart, many would be unable to confidently adjust to a more natural way of life. Improbable or not, it is comforting to be self-sufficient, fortified with the ability to survive. As our heads fly away into endless cycles of thoughts, and as our minds are increasingly consumed with human institutions, the farther and farther we drift from reality. When assessing personal capabilities, it is easy to feel as if we are missing something. Perhaps that something is a lack of experience with physical labor work, or maybe it is a lack of spiritual depth. Maybe it is a desire to read more, or a need to become more fit. Perhaps it is the desire to feel more comfortable with whom we are, even if the outside world is unaccepting of what that may be. It’s probably a whole lot of these things mixed together. Whatever it may be, and whatever it may entail in our lives, we have the ability to recognize these perceived deficiencies, and chose whether or not to address them. For me, I’m going to approach a toolbox. Someday.
I Like My Money Sugar Coated: By: Hadley Barndollar How I went incognito on the world’s #1 sugar daddy dating website
I
need money. In fact, there are times when I feel desperate for money. I monitor my savings account just as frequently as I check my email, ultimately sulking in the fact that my future income looks grim and somewhat unpromising. The concept of post-grad rent in the city aches my conscience. And that is not even taking into account amenities like insurance, utilities and monthly loan payments to compensate for the education I will have already completed. At the moment, the average student debt is $28,400 per person. As a journalist, I would never put money over my craft. But I’ve come to accept the fact that I will need to make ends meet with increased efforts for most of my professional life. Whether that means waitressing three times a week at a high-end bistro or buying lottery tickets on the regular, I’ll do what it takes to make the dream work. Cue Craigslist ad No. 1: About a month-and-ahalf ago, I posted an ad stating that I was a University of New Hampshire student looking to make money, in the forms of “house-sitting, pet-sitting and babysitting.” I made the mistake of ending that list with “and any other opportunities you may have for me.” Little did I know the culmination this post would ultimately amount to. Perhaps only minutes after I had clicked the ‘post’ button, I already had my first job offer enter my inbox. Would you consider doing weekly massages for a middle-aged man? I would pay well and make sure your bills are taken care of. It wasn’t exactly what I expected, considering the content of my ad was rather PG and family-friendly. I simply ignored the message and thought nothing more of it. Within hours, my inbox could have been equated to that of an adult film star’s. One man asked me to clean his house naked for an hourly rate. Another asked to engage in an ‘intimate friendship’ in exchange for complete coverage of my expenses. And perhaps the most upfront, one asked if he could play with my upper body parts for $100 an hour.
in movies, with a submissive young female catering to the needs of an older man while he pays for her spending and living expenses. I essentially had a man (we’ll call him “J”) offering to pay for the rest of my college education. But I would have to sacrifice my moral compass by engaging in an arranged liaison, more than likely consisting of sexual favors. I may be hungry for money, but I would never fall into a situation where I was under the control of a possibly powerful, older man. I would never trade sex for money. And I would never wish to be associated with a man who sends out offers to young girls via Craigslist. And while all of this rings true, I was still intrigued by the concept. I virtually had a free college education waiting for me in my inbox.
probably a middle-aged man who perused Craigslist ads regularly looking for younger women to message. Maybe he’d been a daddy before, maybe not. Maybe he was a millionaire or maybe he was lonely, living in a dirty one-bedroom apartment on top of a pizza joint. I didn’t know, and I wasn’t going to find out. But I knew there were girls who would.
In fact, college girls with sugar daddies are not an uncommon concept. As a 20-year-old female with dreams to move to the city and pursue high-level journalism jobs, I saw the reasoning and the need. In today’s society, we must work to live. And those of us who near the end of our higher-education careers see the trap door that many fall into once we’ve received our liberal arts diplomas and Mom and Dad turn our bedrooms into studios or offices. My investigative brain sprang forward. After We need money to live. And we need lots of money three weeks of dozens and dozens of email offers to live and do the things that we enjoy. from different men, I decided to play a different card. I posted another Craigslist ad, this time sayI rationalized with myself that love and intimacy ing that I was a UNH student “looking for her sug- should not be mixed with money; it’s simply a bad ar daddy.” This had to be the ad that every search- concoction. But tracing back to our earliest ancesing and interested ‘daddy’ wanted to come across. tors, it’s an inherent, evolutionary concept. Since And then, I hit the jackpot. the beginning of time, women have been drawn to men who can provide for them, their children and afford the little extra things (or big things like cars, mansions and penthouses). It’s ingrained in the female mind, like seeing a man pay for dinner or watching him drive a car from the view of the passenger’s seat. It’s the aura of dominance. Parallel to that, men are triggered by young, innocent beauty. And this is where we find these arrangements originating.
“Would you consider doing weekly massages for a middle-aged man? I would pay well and make sure your bills are taken care of.”
While I didn’t enjoy the fact that my Gmail account had become a destination for sugar baby inquiries, I did have all of the tangible examples I needed to investigate this trend further. One man said he was looking for a girl to spoil. Another said he was a multiple business owner, asking if I was attractive and what kind of money I was looking for. Many asked me if I was willing to provide companionship in exchange for a monthly allowance. And sure enough, I had another message from this “J” character.
While a sugar daddy was completely out of the question for me personally and morally, I wanted to see who, in fact, had tried this. And who were these men, shelling out their wealth? ***
A story told in an article by The Atlantic in 2014 introduced a sugar daddy situation that Amanda*, a senior at Princeton University, found herself in. A Wall Street banker in his sixties had her taking But it was one particular email that sparked this private limos to and from campus to his New York research. City apartment. They would eat dinner, have sex and she would be back on campus in time for her “Hi Ms. UNH, I’d love to hear more about you. “Hi Princess, are you open to a sugar daddy to pay 10 a.m. class. All in exchange for a huge salary. Have you ever had a Daddy before? Regards, J.” the bills? –J” One example of the trend occurring across By his second email, I’d concluded that J was A sugar daddy? I’d always seen these referenced
America, Amanda’s story started on Seeking Arrangement, a matchmaking site for sugar daddies, mamas and their sugar babies. According to the same Atlantic article, Seeking Arrangement announced in 2013 that about 44 percent of its 2.3 million sugar babies are in college. That’s nearly half of its female users. CNN.com also reported in 2013 that the average monthly “allowance” sugar daddies advertised on Seeking Arrangement was $3,000 per month. Most of these men are quite affluent, depending on their geographic location, earning incomes of over $5 million per year. This is where my investigation led me next. I made an account on Seeking Arrangement, hoping to chat with some real sugar daddies to see the other side. Registering under a fake name, I described myself as intellectual, mature and looking for older companionship involving a money/gift exchange. I pulled a photo of a generic blonde off Google images and advertised that I was a college student “looking for her match.” Going into this, I understood that none of the communication I’d
exchange with these men could be verified, but for Hm, I thought. I need support, I’m blonde and I the purpose of this exploration, I took it all for face love riding the Amtrak. value. On social media, I advertised that I was investiDaddies must pay $49.95 per month for mem- gating this trend, hoping to find local New Hampbership, or $1,200 a month for a Diamond Club shire sugar babies. I ensured their identities would certification. But as a college girl with an authentic remain anonymous, but I received no responses .edu email server, my account was free. or tips. This being said, I did not equate this to the fact that there were no sugar babies at the UniMy first daddy contact? A premium user who versity of New Hampshire or in the state. Because called himself ‘Suit and Tie’, a 39-year-old finance chances are, there were girls who were engaging in professional living and working in New York City. these relationships in the 03824 area. “Our first meeting is a real opportunity to potentialTyping in the local Durham zip code, I saw that ly yield a stream of 4 to 5 figure monthly cash flow and there were men from all over the area: Portsmouth, a valuable long-term relationship,” his profile read. “I Dover, Newmarket, Somersworth, Manchester. am here because I work long hours and want an honOne man from Hampton Falls posted, “I live alone est, upfront and time-efficient way of dating that is on a seacoast estate not far from UNH. I have two free of games and BS.” small dogs and a big empty mansion. Possible live-in Suit and Tie’s profile listed him as having a net arrangement available.” worth of $2 million. He also had a section labeled Robert*, a Portland, Maine native with an adver“extra points.” As a sugar baby, you’d receive extra tised net worth of $10 million, invited me to spend points if you were a student looking for support, a weekends at his waterfront Miami Beach home. light blonde, willing to take the Amtrak on weekThis was after a simple exchange of four messages. ends to New York or a resembled a ‘Cali cutie.’ When I asked how I could verify that he was telling
continued on pg. 43
Productivity of Online Shopping By: Katie Beauregard
I
t’s a habit that our professors try to break on their syllabi the first day of class. They desperately encourage us to use our laptops for Word documents, researching French vocabulary and looking up math equations. Professors will continue to throw their ever-so-prominent fits so that when we hide behind our screens in Paul School or Hamilton Smith, we won’t do what they dread— online shop. And the real question that stems from this continuous battle is— Why not? To some professors, it deceitfully looks like we’re trying to figure out what Shakespeare meant in the second act of Hamlet. When realistically, we’re trying to figure out which size shirt from Forever 21 will fit better. Some could even classify it as a learning experience. The art of online shopping not only enables students to multitask, but learn financial “responsibilities.” So ultimately, online shopping can only add to the college experience in a positive way. Aside from this valuable practice and inner rebel-
lion, online shopping in the United States has seen dramatic growth. According to WWW Metrics, 2014 had online sales of $248.7 billion. Obviously these sales were not solely obtained from distracted college students trying to avoid eye contact with professors, but it shows just how prominent the act has become. And the growth doesn’t stop there. By 2017, WWW Metrics expects that the annual United States growth of online sales will hover at roughly $370 billion. And as students hide behind their MacBook Pros and HPs, it’s important to remember the little object that is asked to be “tucked away and turned off,” but is naturally sitting on your lap— cell phones. The majority of UNH students can remember their first cellphone, which consisted of a “chunky” flip phone that you could play Tetris on for $0.25 a minute. And although the dire need to text your seven contacts about what to wear or when practice was, was crucial, cellphones have rapidly evolved since then. By 2007 the first iPhone 3G was unveiled, and
the overwhelmingly fast paced life of smartphones took full reign. With an estimated 69.4 percent of the global population using smartphones by 2017, according to eMarketer, it’s really no wonder why and how online shopping has become so prominent. With over one million apps for iPhones alone, the convenience top tap on your Target, Amazon or Groupon app is really just begging college students to partake in the festivities. With online shopping nearing 10% of all United States sales, it’s only fair that we go back to the previously asked question—Why not? Yes, some of us may pay upwards of $40,000 annually to go here, but if you spend over $150 at Express online, you get free shipping. And if you do that instead of taking notes in your Germs 101 lecture, you’ll comparatively be more productive anyway. So as your professors disappointingly ask why your debit card is out, or why you’re “taking notes” during the Italian film they are showing, just remember the deals you are stealing and shipping you won’t have to pay for.
A Stroll Through Italy Photos By: Claire Cortese
Activist Extraordinaire By: Liz Haas
G
iselle Hart grew up splashing in the tidal pools, her red hair tangling in the salty breeze as she played outside her family’s home on Nantucket Island. Before Hart was born, her pregnant mother sorted through school dumpsters, separating recyclables from the trash. Jean Marie Hart had already been bringing reusable bags to the grocery story for twenty years, and single-use plastic water bottles were forbidden in her home while Hart was growing up. Jean Hart also started several community gardens, an annual county fair, and set up recycling programs in the Nantucket K-12 schools. “The biggest lesson my mother taught me was the importance of kindness and the way we treat other people,” says Hart, a sophomore environmental conservation and sustainability major. “She taught me a lot about stewardship.” The ocean was also a big part of Hart’s childhood. After kindergarten she moved from Nantucket Island to the small coastal town of Cohasset, Massachusetts, where she lived until attending UNH. Hart found her passion for science the summer after her freshman year of high school. She studied the state of the Cohasset harbor through a marine biology citizen science program at the Cohasset Center for Student Costal Research. This experience, along with growing up with a devoted conservationist as a mother, fueled her passion for the environment. “I’ve sort of always felt a personal responsibility toward the earth and humanity,” said Hart. “Even in high school, I would feel overwhelmed learning about the injustices that were going on in the
world, and I felt restless to do something about of water and energy. it. But it wasn’t until I came to UNH that I really With SEAC, Hart campaigned for a tar sands learned how I could do my part.” free New England. To raise awareness on campus, Georgia Elgar first introduced Hart to the Stu- Hart helped bring two Canadian activists and Aldent Environmental Action Collation, SEAC, berta First Nation members, while leading Hart’s Pre-Orientation Adventure for Crystal Lameman and Eriel Tchekwie Deranger, Wildcats group the week before Hart began classes to share their experiences living on the front lines at UNH. of tar sands extraction. “SEAC opened my eyes to activism and the ways Hart simultaneously worked on a proposal askI could make a difference here and now, as a college ing the UNH student senate to pass a resolution student,” said Hart. “It’s been incredibly empowersaying UNH students supported New England ing and it’s made me happy.” being tar sands free. To her disappointment, the Hart joined SEAC immediately. She passed out proposal was rejected. fliers at SEAC’s table on her first University Day. In the fall of 2014, Hart took over the role of And by October she had helped recruit enough co-coordinator of SEAC beside Pia Marciano. support and funds for members of SEAC, includSince SEAC is nonhierarchical, Hart’s role was as ing herself, to travel to Pittsburg for a youth ena facilitator, enabling other members to start new vironmental activism conference known as Power campaigns. “[Hart’s] openness has attracted and Shift. held many members for SEAC,” said Marciano. The next semester, she became more involved in “She has invigorated many campaigns by inspirthe Peace and Justice League, PJL, and its efforts ing others to take charge as well as becoming a leadto support abolishing the death penalty in New er herself.” Under Hart’s leadership, SEAC began Hampshire. Though PJL, Hart brought Damien Choose2Reuse, a campaign for UNH to commit to Echols, a man who spent 18 years on death row ending the sale of single-use plastic DASANI water for a crime he did not commit, to speak at UNH. bottles on campus when the university resigns its Students filled the Strafford Room to hear his stocontract with Coca-Cola in 2016. ry. The speech was simulcasted in Union Court to accommodate the audience overflow. “She goes out of her way to confront people in a way that makes them comfortable,” said Griffin That same semester, Hart became involved in the Sinclair-Wingate, a sophomore active SEAC and movement against tar sands, one of the dirtiest fosPJL member. “She doesn’t want to offend anyone, sil fuels, composed of clay, sand, water and a thick, which is funny cause she’s an activist.” sticky oil called bitumen. Tar sands are carbon-intensive and their extraction requires large amounts Senior Gwyneth Welch agrees. She says Hart fo-
Photo Credit: Alexx Bindre
cuses on making sure others arecomfortable before on February 13 by leading a teach-in and march to deliver over 500 petition signatures to the Office of she thinks about herself. the President. She hopes that UNH will pledge to Welch met Hart a year and a half ago at a Waysstop investing in all fossil fuel extraction companies meet Center community dinner. The girls’ love of before she graduates. She believes that by funding food, Joni Mitchell and volunteer work brought companies that are directly contributing to climate them together. change UNH is failing its reputation for sustain“She’s incredibly gifted at making friends and ability. maintaining friendships,” said Welch. “I’ve had “She is an excellent catalyst for action,” said lunches with her in the dining hall where she has Welch. “I’d like to believe she is the reason why the warmly greeted more passersby than I can count on Feb 13th Divestment march went off with such entwo hands. I’ve never seen her falter on rememberthusiasm. If people are hesitant to cheer, she leads ing a name.” them right into it.” Hart now lives at The Waysmeet Center, volunHart says she wants to leave UNH a better place teering at community dinners, the food basket prothan she found it. “Sometimes when I’m stressed, gram, and in the Cornucopia Food Pantry when I think about how much easier things would be if she is not taking classes or working on SEAC camI just focused on school,” she said. “But honestpaigns. ly, activism is what makes me happy. I don’t want “Giselle is a community builder,” said Reverend to just take classes; I want to also give back to my Larry Brickner-Wood, chaplain and executive di- community. Because ultimately, what is a commurector of The United Campus Ministry to UNH nity if not a collection of people giving back to one another.” and The Waysmeet Center.
united and hopes to find a way to facilitate collaboration between the many groups in the UNH community, such as Greek Life, the activism community, faculty and the administration.
Hart believes it is important that all UNH stu“[She] always manages to rally folks around issues, to help out, or to just play music in our back dents have an understanding of environmental susroom after one of our dinners. She is a connector of tainability and social justice before they graduate. She plans to continue leading the divestment campeople and issues.” paign and supporting Choose2reuse. This past semester, Hart focused on reopening She intends to learn more about tuition and SEAC’s campaign for UNH’s divestment from fossil fuels, passing her and Marciano’s roles as co-co- how students can lobby for more state funding and ordinators on to Christopher Grinley and Christin hopes to become more involved in the diversity community. Badylak-Reals.
Nineteen years after her mother sorted recycling out of school dumpsters, Hart transferred discarded water bottles and plastic cups from street trashcans to recycling bins on Nantucket Island.
Hart recently reopened the divestment campaign
She also would like to see UNH become more
“We are all doing such incredible work individually, just imagine what we could do if we all worked together,” she said. “After several conversations with her outside and inside of lessons, I have grown to know that Giselle is a person who truly wants to make a difference in the world,” said Professor Christopher Kies, Hart’s former piano professor. “I know that sounds a tad like a cliché, but I have seen lots of students come and go over 35 years or so at UNH, and I think Giselle is the real deal in that regard.” Hart plans to minor in music and first met Kies when she auditioned for the UNH music program. “In ten years, I see her as being a lawyer working for a non-profit dealing with heady international issues like human rights groups, doctors without borders, that sort of thing,” said Kies.
“It was so funny,” said Welch, recalling the incident last summer. “People would be watching, looking really confused, but Giselle didn’t care at all; I think she was grumbling about why people couldn’t place recyclable items in the correct dispenser.”
On The Lookout: Five Up-andComing Musicians By: Brady Brickner-Wood
Spooky Black (Corbin) Don’t be fooled by the goofy name and lo-fi music videos. Don’t even be fooled by that one EP cover where he’s rocking a doo rag and a turtleneck. Spooky Black (who recently changed his stage name to Corbin) is one of the more emotionally compelling artists in today’s music scene. With a hauntingly, beautiful voice, his sound creates a glorious aesthetic. With production combining elements from hip-hop, electronic, and ambient genres, Spooky Black is exploring a gorgeously dark new world. Check out tracks like “Worn,” “Pull,” and “Motionless.”
Father John Misty Father John Misty is one cool dude. He’s been aiding independent bands for a while now, filling in any musical roles necessary. His biggest gig was with the Fleet Foxes, where he stepped in as a temporary drummer. Now that he is the main act, he is showing the world how talented he is. Misty’s music is luscious and full and sad. His new album, I Love You Honeybear, is both musically fulfilling and socially complex. Lyrics are strangely satirical, and sound almost sweet when delivered by his smooth crooning. Father John Misty’s music is honest and open, and I Love You Honeybear is a beautiful piece of work.
Moon & Ju “Fuck everybody” might seem like a harsh slogan to adopt for your musical movement, but it fits perfectly with the persona embodied by Moon & Ju. The Chicago duo’s three SoundCloud releases have garnered an Internet buzz, as their sound is
a tasteful adaptation of new wave hip-hop. Both Moon & Ju are damn good rappers (check out Moon’s verse at the end of “SWIM!” and Ju’s at the end of “Jungle”) but both prefer to sing and experiment with their voices rather than sticking to convention. Great things appear to be on the horizon for these dudes.
Phantom Posse Phantom Posse is the band of Steve Sobs, a dude who connected with iLoveMakonnen on Tumblr two years ago. I’m sure Steve Sobs didn’t envision “Tuesday” happening. Now, thanks to Makonnen’s endorsement, the talented sounds of Phantom Posse have gotten some Internet love. Their new project, Home, was recorded in Steve Sobs apartment, but the sound is much richer than anticipated— funky and soulful, layered and colorful. Home is remnant of a Mac DeMarco record, with lots of catchy guitar riffs and soft drums. Listen to “Blue Diamonds,” “She Gets Lonely,” and “Can’t Wait To Get Up.”
Waldo Hip-hop can seem stale at times, repetitive and alarmingly stupid. But Waldo, the Grand Rapids, Michigan artist, is a great embodiment of new age hip-hop. He blends traditional styles with contemporary flows. He is thoughtful too, able to engage in quality content, all while masterfully spitting. He certainly benefits from Sango’s production, but he takes advantage of the excellent selection of beats by creating a cohesive and consistent sound. Check out tracks like “Rich Without Money,” “173 (pipo vesion),” and “SNS.”
Girl Fight! By: Jamie Smith
Y
ou saw the movie! You saw someone with a longer attention span than you read the book! You and your friends have dissected the moment when you first saw Ben Affleck’s penis! And like most of America, you are probably a bit Gone Girled out by now. While the fanfare has died down, a certain piece of Gone Girl has staying power the Cool Girl. Article upon article have dissected the inner monologue of sociopathic suburban wife Amy Dunne - is it a feminist rant, or did it just set us back half a century? Who, exactly does Amy have a problem with - women or men? And above all, does what she says have even a scratch of merit, given that it’s coming from a bonafide crazy person? This author chooses not to assess those questions. Rather, I would like to shine a light on what the Cool Girl might look like here at our esteemed university. For Cool Girls all have the same M.O. - be cool, naturally - but perhaps a UNH Cool Girl does not exactly manifest herself as the “hot, brilliant, funny woman who adores football, poker, dirty jokes, and burping” that Amy Dunne knows. The Cool Girl is a relative of the ubiquitous Basic Bitch - perhaps a cousin, or an older-step sister. Oftentimes they look alike in appearance because they are both lithe with long hair, and have a penchant for yoga pants. But they are decidedly different. The Basic Bitch is thin because she tries to be - she works out, she’s always trying out the new diet fad, she excitedly waits for her new issue of Women’s
Health to arrive in her GSS Box. She wears those yoga pants because - God forbid - she was doing actual yoga in them. The Cool Girl does not exercise, save for the occasional winter sport, when she hits up a fancy resort to “shred” and then returns to her room for an equally calorie-torching evening of debauchery. She wears yoga pants because she truly cannot be bothered to zip and button a pair of pants. The Basic Bitch cares about things. The Cool Girl does not (at least, not outwardly). The Basic Bitch worries about her grades, her appearance, and peoples’ perceptions of her. She is not proud of getting black-out drunk on the weekends. She goes to see the doctor when she feels sick, and to office hours when she is failing. She writes down every last thing in her planner. She has often been told that she is “too nice,” “too sensitive,” or “cares too much.” She is faulted for finding pleasure in simple things such as a good cup of coffee or the sight of leaves falling on the T-Hall lawn. She is mocked for her use of Instagram filters and her proclamation that she “just can’t take shots” (except Fireball, because, duh). She is seen as pretentious - and sometimes, she actually is - for coveting designer brands. She has been asked on more than one occasion to either “relax,” “chill out,” or, more bluntly, “pull the stick out of her ass.”
whatever swill hides in the depths of a guy’s mini fridge. She has a Facebook, but she “totally hates it” and/or “never uses it” (yet pictures from her dope weekend always seem to end up in a mobile uploads album). She wouldn’t miss the opportunity to get a dollar slice from DHOP. Her going-out uniform consists of leggings, sweatshirts, and a messy bun (fall and spring), and a crotch-baring mini skirt and crop top (winter, naturally. She was never taught to leave anything to the imagination, and is also attempting to illustrate that the New England blizzards can’t keep a Cool Girl down). She only uses a Mac computer, though she covers it up with stickers of local hangs, snowboard brands, and some sort of social/political proclamation. She is lauded for her ability to wear a baseball cap backwards and putting up a good fight when playing her boyfriend-of-the-week in Halo.
Now, it surely seems like I have some sort of animosity towards the Cool Girl, which I cannot deny. But my biggest issue with Cool Girl is that she is not sustainable. She is living her life as a guy’s girl rather than a girl’s girl, and that is something that is going to catch up with her. She makes decisions based upon what will be sexiest or most desirable, rather than what is most fulfilling. She makes the girls who choose to stay in to have a girls night or study for that huge exam look like losers. And not putting your fellow women first? Well, that simply The Cool Girl cares about nothing, except for isn’t cool. continuing to be cool. She is totally down to drink
“En Guard, Ready, Fence” By: Adria Kajenski “En guard, ready, fence” are the words every referee calls out at the beginning of every bout. Fencing, the ultimate form of physical chess, is one the oldest sports. It is one of the swiftest moving sports in the Olympics; the tip of a weapon is the second fastest moving object in the games. The first is a bullet. Now a modern sport, fencing is popular at both the club and varsity levels in high schools and colleges throughout the country. There are several different types of tournaments, including individual and team events. Regardless, most include the typical format of a three-minute bout to five touches. The bout is over either when time runs out, or the score of five is reached. In the event that the time elapses and the score is tied, one fencer is awarded priority. It is determined by a coin toss, and the bout enters “sudden death” for
one minute. Whoever scores the next touch wins the bout. If the one minute runs out without the scoring of any touches, the fencer with priority wins. Although the weapons are not actually sharp, proper equipment and gear must be worn to reduce injury and ensure safety. Épées are substantially heavier than the other two weapons, and their blades have less give. Hits in épée at too short of a distance are likely to cause bruises. Saber, due to the ability to score with the side of the weapon, can result in slash-mark bruises. In all three weapons, one is dealing with fast moving blades and the possibility of human error. The first and most important piece of kit is the mask. The mesh is designed in a manner such that fencers can see out the mask, yet it can also withstand the impact of a touch. For
standard tournaments, masks are only required to be able to hold up to 350 newtons of force. For higher level and international tournaments, the force is increased to 1600 newtons. Masks must not have any visible dents or spots of weakness, in order to maximize safety. The next piece of gear is a chest protector, and is a piece of hard plastic designed to protect one from hard blows to the chest. Over this goes an underarm protector, also called a plastron. This is in addition to the jacket, and it is worn so that the seams are not aligned. In the event that a broken blade were to pierce the jacket, it is unlikely to go through the seam of the plastron as well. Fencers are required to wear a jacket and knickers, commonly made of cotton, polyester, or nylon. The three types of weapon vary in terms of rules
and target area. Foil is a point weapon, and any touches scored on the torso or bib of the mask are valid. A lamé, or a conductive vest is worn to register on-target hits. A touch delivered with the side of the weapon will not register, and the action will continue. Off-target attacks will trigger an off-target light, and a halt will be called. Additionally, in foil, there is the aspect of right of way. One can obtain right of way initially by simply attacking, or by “beating” the opponent’s blade. It is then up to the other to regain right of way before attacking once again. Only the fencer with right of way can score a touch. It is up to a qualified referee to closely watch the action and listen to blade contact to determine to whom to award the touch. Foil is a weapon heavily dependent on right of way and precise blade work. Épée, like foil, is a point weapon, where the tip of the weapon must be depressed to score a touch. Target area, however, is the entire body. Épée fencers can be known for delivering subtle wrist and foot touches, which do not occur in the other two weapons. It is generally the slowest of the three,
where fencers tend to spend more time setting up their opponent before going for the attack. There is an emphasis on blade work, where parries are used to remove the other fencer’s blade, rather than simply obtain right of way such as in foil. In épée, right of way does not exist; whoever’s light goes off is awarded the touch. Another point that distinguishes épée from the other two weapons is the possibility of double touches. In right of way weapons, even if both lights go off, only one person can be awarded the touch. In épée, the lockout time is 40 milliseconds, meaning that a touch landing more than that right after another will not register on the scoring box. Épée consists mainly of steady footwork and accurate point control. Saber is the last weapon, and is substantially faster than the other two. Touches can be scored with either the tip or the side of the blade. The entire upper body, including the mask, is target area. Generally, time is not kept for saber bouts, as they progress at a much faster rate. “Timing out” is uncommon in saber, as the score of five touches is typically reached before three minutes elapse. In saber,
crossing over, or moving the back foot in front of the front foot is not allowed, and will result in a yellow card, or a warning. Saber is most often the type of fencing seen in movies and TV shows; it is the fastest-paced, and can be the most exciting to watch. Fencing, in all three weapons, introduces the enigma of a physical chess. Every movement provides the opportunity for the other fencer to attack a different target. Every step, every beat of the blade, every parry, and every extension must be carefully calculated in order to score a touch and avoid getting hit. It involves both the mind and the body; in some cases, such as a direct-elimination bout, fencers are actively engaged in three three-minute bouts with only a minute in between. Endurance is critical, and athletes must keep their stamina up to continue thinking cerebrally. It is a chivalrous activity, where participants salute their opponents and referees, and shake hands after every bout. It is a sport, nonetheless. Fencing requires endurance and extreme concentration; it is a demanding, intellectual sport.
Somewhere Between the Mountains and the Desert By: Katie McAuliffe It’s a 15-mile stretch from here to the next dusty, tumbleweed haven of a town. Food poor and throat dry, you have been traveling through a part of California where clouds are as commonplace as gold and water is the richest currency south of Oregon. It’s the Mojave Desert and you’re 300 miles from where you started and 700 miles shy of where you will end. Scuffed knees and peeling shoulders, you don’t look like yourself after months of hiking on the Pacific Crest Trail, a 2,650 mile long hiker’s paradise that stretches from the southern Californian border to Canadian border of British Columbia. Then again, you don’t sound like yourself either.
the Appalachian Trail, D’Amours has traveled parts When one travels on the Pacific Crest Trail, they of the United States that most Americans won’t see do not travel lightly. With D’Amours also came in their lifetimes. But she was ready for something seven liters of water (weighing roughly 15 pounds), different. a sleeping bag, food, maps, a first aid kit, a change of shoes, a personal beacon locator, clothes and lots With a route that encompasses 25 national forof sunscreen. Her pack could weigh anywhere from ests and seven national parks, the PCT takes its 12 to 50 pounds depending on how far she was hikers through a diverse landscape of mountainous from the next trail town. desert, vast chaparral, drastic snow-capped mountain ranges and star-exposing vistas. Having grown up in New Hampshire all her life, D’Amours found the vastness of the desert to be “I just needed to try something totally out of my the most striking feature of the landscape. Able to comfort zone,” she said. see for hundreds of miles in every direction, she Getting out of her comfort zone meant doing encountered a scale of nature not afforded to New England. this one alone.
Black Swan, Skywalker, Girly Girl, Biscuits. You Before she could leave, D’Amours had to take trade in your real name for a trail name, a pair of pain-staking preparation that lasted several months. hiking boots and the most grueling and rewarding She researched the trail extensively, marking maps months of your life. with the nearby water sources and trail towns that she would need to locate in order to guarantee waBut with a name like Sierra, you wouldn’t need a ter and food supply. She prepared boxes of hiketrail name anyways. proof food including granola bars, dehydrated A 21–year-old senior art student at the Universi- beans and oatmeal. The boxes would be sent at the ty of New Hampshire, Sierra D’Amours is the kind care of her mother to post offices in hiker towns of girl you might assume is named after the moun- scattered throughout the PCT. After securing a long-distance hiking permit and convincing her tain range. And most people do. parents that solo-hiking wasn’t a death sentence, “I’m obviously not named after the soda or the she booked her plane ticket for California. It was truck or anything, but they just assume I’m named a one-way ticket. after the mountains,” she said. “I’ve been hearing “I had no idea when I would come back,” she about [them] my whole life.” said. “I had no idea how it was going to come toClad in dirt sodden boots and a flannel, she gether. It seemed like a very far-fetched idea up uncarries herself with a relaxed gait befitting of her til the moment I was on the trail.” campy, bohemian style. With short choppy brown And so she set out for San Diego, flying out from hair, D’Amours isn’t really one for conventions. This past summer, she hiked a thousand miles on Boston only a day after her spring semester classes the Pacific Crest Trail, frequently referred to as the ended in 2014. PCT, in a journey that would find itself at home in Described by D’Amours as a “hippie highway,” the pages of Jon Krakauer novel. the PCT starts in on the southern Californian borAfter hearing about the PCT on the Appalachian der in Campo. Meaning ‘countryside’ in Spanish, Trail, D’Amours was enticed by the expanse of the Campo has a population of less than three-thoutrail and the opportunity to explore the bounds of sand and the largest employer in the town is the the West Coast. While many hikers see the trail as United States Border Control. kin to a spiritual pilgrimage, D’Amours headed for However, D’Amours’ journey does not start in the PCT with no existential agenda in tow. Campo; it started 200 miles north of Campo in “A lot of people go out looking for something, Cabazon, California. Having started her trip in early May, Sierra had to alter the route of the trip to but I went with zero intentions,” she said. ensure she was not spending too long in dangerousA seasoned hiker of the White Mountains and ly hot, drought-prone conditions.
“I remember the first time I saw a cactus, I freaked out,” she said. Although often pictured as flat and barren, the mountainous deserts on the PCT are livened by the small stretches of Joshua trees, bundles of white forget-me-nots and over 1,700 different types of plants. Although D’Amours had hiked the White Mountains and Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail was still had a shock factor. “I’m having a hard time believing that this is really my life out here. This place, the PCT, is surreal and impossible to explain,” she wrote in a blog that chronicled the hundred days she was on the trail. With water scantily available in the desert, D’Amours and other fellow hikers had to travel as much as they could in a day to reach their next water source. During days where the temperatures soared into the hundreds, they had to hike at night. She recalled the survivalist mentality that one assumed in the desert, “I have to walk 20 miles a day or I die.” Dehydration and severe sunburns were threats all too known by D’Amours and the other hikers she met on the trail. “I knew people who had to go 10 miles without water and almost die,” she said. Dehydration wasn’t the only thing to be feared in the desert. A hot spot for rattle snakes and mountain lions, a month spent traveling through the Anza-Borrego and Mojave deserts could be deadly for
the unobservant among us. Luckily for D’Amours, my mom a letter because I had not talked to her in her one run-in with a rattlesnake ended with it two weeks and knew she was going to be worried. hastily slithering in the other direction. When’s the last time you had to communicate with people by mail?” Although D’Amours spent the majority of her time on the trail with four other hikers, she appre“What century are we in?” she remembers thinkciated her alone time. ing while in Kennedy Meadows. “When you’re with someone you can kind of let your guard down because you’re not alone in the wilderness,” she said. “But when you’re alone- I just felt more alert to everything going on around [me]. It was really cool to be so attentive and in touch with everything around me.”
Entering mountain country meant lakes and rivers would now be a part of the trail’s landscape. Upon seeing the first body of water after 500 miles of desert, D’Amours knew regardless of the biting temperatures and small floating snow piles, she was going swimming.
Abruptly leaving hiking groups to set out on your own is part of the trail culture. Those who do make unexpected departures often leave notes for his or her other group members to find called ‘trail mail.’ Although D’Amours observes that hikers come at all ages and different places of motivation, there is a unifying strand that unites the hikers beyond lines of difference.
trees and all this grandness, but I found that it actually just gave me an appreciation for home.” The changing seasons, the history, the smallness, were among the things D’Amours missed while on the trail. By the end of her trip, D’Amours had hiked 1,000 miles. 500 in the desert. 500 in the mountains. But for her, it was never really about the miles. “I wasn’t looking to walk far,” she said. “I was just looking to live in the mountains and see things I’d never seen before.”
“I took off all my clothes and just jumped in,” For some hikers, it is very much about the miles. she said. “I jumped right out again. I was like gaspThru-hikers, a small population of PCT hikers ing, [the water] would knock the wind right out who complete the entire trail in a single attempt, of you.” acquire a more focused, logistical minded persona. For D’Amours, one of the most engrained mem- The 2,650 mile long expanse of the PCT is so gruories of the three month long journey came the eling that as of now, more people have successfully climbed Mount Everest than have completed it night the group summited Mount Whitney. in its entirety. On average, the entire PCT takes “You know, I hung out with 65-year-olds. I hung around five months to complete. out with 25-year-olds. Some people just graduated D’Amours notes that beyond the physical excollege. Some just retired or are moving to a differhaustion, the trail takes a large emotional toll on ent job because they had a mid-life crisis. Some just the hiker as well. like want to get out of society,” she said. “But we’re all walking the same trail and we’re all going the “There were times I would sit on the trail and same direction. We’re there for different reasons, cry,” she said. “I’d just be like ‘I don’t want to hike but we all have the same goal, no matter how we anymore. I’m so sick of it.’” end up getting there.” Although moments of homesickness were selThe largest peak in the United States, Mount dom for D’Amours, she notes that the PCT “does Beyond the communal-minded spirit of the trail, the PCT comes with its own angels. Trail angels Whitney offers an awe-inspiring award for any take a lot of physical and mental stamina.” support thru and short-term hikers by leaving hiker motivated enough to scale the 14,505 foot Eventually the fatigue did strain on her and she hiker boxes along the trail and in the towns fre- summit. Distant from the insomnia of bustling ended her thousand-mile, 3-month journey in quently stopped in. These boxes house food, med- neighboring cities and free from the echo of light South Lake Tahoe, California. ical supplies and gear left behind by hikers looking pollution, Mount Whitney’s peak turns hikers into to lighten their load or help out other fellow PCT astronomers, providing travelers with a view typiAlthough she’s back at UNH now, she still loses cally only captured by the glass eye of a telescope. herself in reverie of scuffed knees, peeling shoulders wanderers. and mountains that became so much more than a “We were able to watch the sunset from the highAfter a month of traveling through 500 miles of familiar name. desert, D’Amours and her hiking group reached est point in the United States. Then the stars came Kennedy Meadows, a Californian town that marks out and it was a new moon, so the stars were so As for her next journey? D’Amours does not the transition of the trail into the Sierra Mountain visible,” D’Amours said. “It felt like we were just plan on slowing down anytime soon. Range. Like many of the desert towns scattered in the universe.” “Nepal’s been on my mind.” along the PCT, Kennedy Meadows seems reminisAmong all the grandeur showcased by the trail, cent of a lost time. Wearing a 1995 Thanksgiving 5k run sweatshirt D’Amours found a surprising longing for home. and covered in speckles of clay, she smiles and says, “It consists entirely of a general store without any “I thought I was going to fall in love with the “Everyone can make their own adventure.” phones, internet or service,” she said. “I had to send West Coast and its grand mountains and grand
“Then the stars came out and it was a new moon, so the stars were so visible...it felt like we were just in the universe.” ”
The Fifty Shades of Fifty Shades (Well, There’s Almost Fifty) By: Hannah Rivers
I
t was four years ago that a little book called Fifty Shades of Grey came out. This erotic romance by British author E. L. James hit the fiction scene and exploded. Despite weak critical reception, it topped best-seller lists and sold millions of copies. Just a year later film studios were battling to secure the movie rights. Though beloved by its fan, the novel has sparked controversy regarding the relationship between the two main characters—Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey. The issue for many is not the explicit nature of the sexual relationship, but rather the balance of power. Even though it is fiction, you could ask the question: what if Fifty Shades of Grey was real life? If that were the case, then the situation that Anastasia finds herself in would be more than ridiculous. Imagine being a twenty two-year-old virgin (which is rare enough in our society) and then having sex for the very first time with a man that is involved in BDSM. Quite early in her sexual education, Christian exposes Ana to the world of whips, butt plugs and riding crops. How she gets into the situation is even more improbable than the situation itself. Ana meets Christian when she interviews him for her college’s paper. Though not a journalism major, she is tasked with interviewing the young billionaire after her roommate becomes ill. Christian’s first impression of Ana is her falling face first into his office. Then she stutters over every question and somehow, by a twist of fate, this peaks Christian’s interest. A very unlikely couple, though it does provide some hope to those of us who are awkward as hell. A sex god is waiting for us somewhere. Another way of looking at Fifty Shades of Grey is from a feminist perspective. The majority of the controversy has been centered on Ana’s potentially abusive relationship with Christian. Fifty Shades has been referred to as offensive to women and misogynistic. One could say that Ana is manipulated into doing whatever Christian wants. But it seems, at
least to me, that everything is consensual. There is a contract concerning the dominant and submissive roles, but Ana and Christian go through it together and Ana says what she is unwilling to do. They negotiate the limits so that both parties are satisfied. Ana can leave at any time if she is not comfortable. However, maybe it only appears that she has some control. Perhaps Christian is ultimately orchestrating the entire situation and Ana gets nothing out of the deal. It has been said that Fifty Shades of Grey is similar to Twilight, which is odd because I don’t remember Bella being tied up and blindfolded (maybe I missed that part). But since I’m exploring different perspectives, I’m going to focus on how the two movies compare. Obviously, both are super popular book-to-movie franchises, but there are parallels that exist beyond that. For one, the audience is similar. Twilight definitely appeals to a younger demographic (hopefully no twelve-yearolds are reading Fifty Shades), but both films count college-age women and middle-aged moms as fans. Also, the foundations of the stories have comparable themes. The basic plot of both Fifty Shades and Twilight is centered on how the relationship develops between the two protagonists. Edward and Christian are the typical bad boys. They are older, tortured, dangerous and impossibly alluring. Bella and Ana, on the other hand, are very innocent and inexperienced. The male characters urge the female characters to stay away from them, for their own safety. But of course the women can’t resist (which we later come to find out that they probably should have tried a little harder at that). At the core of both Twilight and Fifty Shades is a love story. The particular details are just a bit different.
think about it, all of the elements are present. There is a prince (or in this case a billionaire) who--through a series of unlikely events--meets an unsuspecting girl and offers her all the riches—A castle/penthouse suite, money, horse drawn carriage/private helicopter, nice clothes, etc. The fairy tale aspect of Fifty Shades is that Ana is this super awkward girl who works at a hardware store. She is not drop-dead gorgeous and she has no inheritance of any kind. She’s kind of plain and yet she gets the guy. But not just the guy, the guy. Issues aside, Christian is rich, intelligent, charming, cultured and face-meltingly attractive. It’s like Cinderella. How does a poor scullery maid catch the eye of the prince? Because they’re both fairy tales in which you must suspend disbelief. But Fifty Shades is not your typical happily ever after story. Prince Charming is still charming, but he also has a troubled past and a dark side. Like, a really dark side. Also, the predicaments are much more serious than losing your shoe or having to be home by midnight. It’s more like “ow, whipping hurts” and “you’re really messed up because your prostitute mother died when you were four--and you were there”. This kind of subject matter is what makes it an adult fairy tale, and its explicit sexual content is what makes the film forego its PG rating in favor of an R rating. And even though there is no happy ending, it could still be a fairy tale.
There are many different ways you could look at Fifty Shades of Grey. Maybe you hated it because you thought it glorified abuse or you loved it because it was Twilight 2.0. Maybe you see it as a dark reincarnation of a fairy tale or as another unrealistic movie. Or, maybe, you just get a thrill out of the sex scenes. That’s probably why most of read the book or saw the movie. To either take our sex lives to the next level or, if we are lacking in that To some, Fifty Shades of Grey is like an adult department, to live vicariously through the characfairy tale, a sort of Brothers Grimm take on the ters. Well, by all means, hand over that blindfold. Disney classic, except with a BDSM twist. If you
Local Trivia: Dover > Durham By: Nik Beimler
W
ho’s ass is this?
It is a question that has been asked on more than one occasion during Wednesday trivia nights at Scorpion’s Bar and Grill in Durham. It is hard to decide what is more disturbing about this – the fact that identifying which celebrity the booty belongs to has become an acceptable topic for trivia among American college students, or the troubling amount of groups that answered correctly without any hesitation. For myself, I knew it was time to take a closer look at trivia in Durham, what it says about college culture, and indeed, about myself. Even I, despite trying to stay as far away from this nonsense as possible (at least on the surface; there is a certain amount of guilty pleasure that I receive from pop culture gobbledygook), was able to correctly identify the backside of Kim Kardashian.
the area. In the fall of 2013, my friends and I went to the Knot for my first experience with trivia at a bar. Somehow, we were able to overcome the pre-renovation noxious fumes from the bathroom, sticky floors, and subpar speaker system to come out with a win. We won the next week too. Following that, our performance dipped and our appearances near the top of the leaderboard were few and far between. The reason? CHEATERS! Well, that’s what we told ourselves anyway.
But seriously, when we started losing, my friends and I started looking around at the teams that were beating us. What we discovered is the first, and perhaps most important, evil that plagues Durham bar trivia: 3G/LTE. Somehow, even in the bowels of Main Street that is the Knot, people were still able to obtain a strong enough signal to access the Internet. And they took advantage. Despite very clear rules, many teams were using their phones to look Thus began my solemn mission. Sometime in up answers to questions that they didn’t know. And October of 2014, I thought it would be an interestthe authorities did nothing to stop it. ing examination of UNH students to try to deduce what the trivia nights at local bars might say about Now how is that fun? Even for the people cheatour culture, lifestyle and priorities. For compari- ing, it seems to me that looking up answers defeats son, I have attended some out-of-town trivia nights the purpose of trivia. as well. Overall, I will say that the Knot had a toleraBut before we dive in to my amateur psychoanal- ble amount of genuine trivia questions mixed in ysis, perhaps a brief history of my trivia experiences among the random pop culture tidbits – certainly would be beneficial. This section may also serve as more tolerable than Scorp’s. a sort of review of the different trivia locations in My first experience with Scorp’s trivia came in
late August 2014. In short, it was a miserable affair. Even if I chose to ignore the mindless questions they were asking, the atmosphere itself was abysmal. Let’s start with the way Scorp’s trivia is constructed. Basically, some guy asks a question and gives every team an incredibly large amount of time to answer by bringing up a slip of paper. Not bad, except that while you’re writing down the answer, an EDM song is blasting your ear drums at volumes that should only be acceptable on the dance floor on Thursday and Saturday. If whoever makes that playlist landed a job at Guantanamo, bin Laden’s location would have been revealed years earlier.And if you made it this far, you can probably tell that I don’t like the quality of the trivia here. The most intelligent question asked was something like the following: “During what years were the generation known as ‘Baby Boomers’ born?”Not bad, right? Except that it was ruined by the choices given, which were something like this: “a) 1944-1966 b) 1944-1964 c) 1946-1964 d) 1946-1966.” Kudos if you know the answer without guessing. It seems to me that you would get a better idea of who actually knows their stuff by switching the decade a bit, or at least shifting five years here and there. I could go on and on about the awful questions asked, but I’ll spare you. Long story short, my friends and I left halfway through because it was taking way too long, and we were about to spill our
deepest secrets as a result of the auxiliary torture. Anyway, my yearning for a fun, semi-intelligent trivia night continued. Just as I was about to give up hope and accept that watching Jeopardy alone every night would be the closest I could get, my odyssey led me to the depths of Dover. The Farm had called my name. This was an incredibly pleasant surprise. The Farm was free from people using cell phones, music causing tremors in the Earth’s core, and, best of all, it was almost completely void of useless nonsense. The questions asked here actually require a certain level of thinking. If you don’t know an answer, you can usually make an educated guess based on the context. For example, one of the questions asked was, “There are only two musicians who had No. 1 albums in each decade from the ‘60s to the ‘90s (either as part of a band or as a solo act) and they both have the same first name. Who are they?” Now that’s a good question. Most likely, you won’t know the answer right away, but, if you think about who was popular in that time, you might be able to come up with Paul McCartney and Paul Simon. (We got the question wrong with a guess of Bob Dylan and Robert Plant.) Additionally, the trivia here runs very smoothly, takes less than two hours, and offers some pretty nice prizes. Finally, a glimmer of hope. After unexpectedly finding The Farm’s trivia satisfying, I de-
cided to not branch out and try any others. At least not yet - I can’t take any more disappointment. However, my realization that driving 10 minutes can remove you from the world of useless nonsense and bring you to an intelligent night of trivia got me thinking.
Paul Simon. This led to my second, more pessimistic, thought. Maybe college students no longer know who Paul McCartney and Paul Simon are. Maybe our culture has deteriorated so much that we are more likely to know Nicki Minaj’s biography or memorize all of Lil Wayne’s names than we are to be able to identify a Beatle. For any of you who may disagree, I have a friend who knows Elton John only as “the guy who did that song with Tupac.” This same friend thought that Princess Diana was an
What does this disparity say about UNH students, if anything? I have had several theories. First, I thought that maybe the groups that ran the trivia in Durham were causing the objects of my grievances, but I quickly realized that if that were the case, there would not be enough attendance every Are we really at a point in society where we care week for the bars to pay these people to keep commore about what the latest raunchy hit is (which ing back. They know their market, and they bring a will be completely irrelevant in a matter of months) product that the consumers will enjoy. than we do about some of the greatest musicians of So, I thought, it must be something with UNH the past century? Are we really more likely to know culture (or college culture as a whole). After a Taylor Swift’s birthday than we are the year that the while, I was able to narrow it down to two main war in Iraq started? reasons that the trivia in Durham is so inferior to The disturbing answer, I think, is yes. We are at that in Dover. a point in society when college-aged students are First, college students like to drink. You don’t more concerned with celebrity gossip than with need to do too much to convince a fairly large actual, important current events. This fact is pregroup of us to head down to Main Street. They sented in our trivia. could ask the same questions every week and still Hopefully, the difference between trivia in get a crowd. I think this is likely the leading reason Durham and Dover shows that, once we leave for the popularity of Durham trivia. This would college, we are more likely to keep up with the also help to explain the questions that are being meaningful events in the world. But for now, we asked. They know the attendees will be drinking, are caught in a troubling state of mindlessness, as and will likely have just enough attention span to expressed by the trivia nights we attend. come up with Kim Kardashian; they won’t have the mental capacity to think of Paul McCartney and
Mean Girls
Easy A
The Breakfast Club
High School Musical
10 Thing I Hate About You
How To Hate Your Highschool Friends By: Rebeecca Ma
S
o you’ve gone back for a long break and all of your high school friends are in the same confined space again. If your high school experience was like mine, a hundred person, four-year-long breakfast club, then you’ll understand the excitement of going back to people you considered your second family who you did weird shit with whilst dealing with puberty. When you finally get back, you realize that you don’t feel that same about them as you did in high school. You might still keep in contact with them via Snapchat or paper scrolls tied to trained foxes, but face-to-face interaction is weird. You realize that you have nothing in common anymore and you’re annoyed by their behavior. You start to wonder how you spent four years with them, but you can’t even spend one hour with them now. You start to have negative feelings about them and your high school memories. You think that you can pick up where all of you left off at graduation night, but it just isn’t happening. If you’re experiencing any of these happenings, you might hate your high school friends.
in a book you read together in English class don’t apply anymore. It might bring back a brief memory of laughing together in Chemistry but it’s just awkward to try to bring that joke back. The joke has become old and outdated. It’s probably humor fit for 15-year-old you, but not for present you. 2) You find that you don’t have as much fun with them as you did before. You go to a party or a reunion with all of them there. You catch up, and after telling each other about the good things in life, there’s nothing else to talk about. It gets awkward quickly. We all know the awkward silence that all conversation stops when we resort to our phones to talk to our college friends that we wish were there or to play Trivia Crack. At that point the party is dead and not even food and a game of Cards Against Humanity can revive it.
3) You have nothing in common anymore. You strike up conversation and realize that your opinions differ from theirs. One or all of you have changed your music tastes. You might have realized your love for Taylor Swift and Beyonce, and one of them might have realized their love for When it dawned on me that I hated everyone, underground Russian dub step and whale/church I was confused and thought that I was just being weird. I had these weird feelings after seeing them all again after a few months. I had a conversation with my roommate about seeing high school friends and it turned out that she felt the same way. We compared notes and I found we both sort of experienced the same feelings upon going back home. I felt that I experienced several signs that led me to the conclusion that I hate my high school friends. 1) Everything they do starts to annoy you. One person’s comments make you fume with rage. You swear that their laugh makes angels die. Their attempt to make life a musical makes you want to wring their neck. You start to notice small details in their mannerisms that annoy you. You notice they repeat things again at a louder volume for emphasis. You notice they flap their arms around when they’re trying to stress a point. You might notice that when talking with them, they slowly move their face towards yours until your noses almost touch even if there’s a significant height difference. Their jokes even start to annoy you. They’re not funny anymore. Those inside jokes about tree sex
“After telling eachother about the good things in life, there’s nothing else to talk about. It gets awkward quickly.”
bell electronic fusion music. You don’t watch the same movies anymore. You might exclusively watch Sundance films and they might exclusively like to watch Lifetime films. There’s no way to meet in the middle and there’s nothing to really talk about anymore. 4) Hindsight is 20/20. You look back and realize that they were probably terrible people. I went to school with a person that I thought was kind of aggressive but somewhat enjoyable. I look back and realize that she was a straight up bitch. You start to think and remember them only by the negative
aspects of their personality. In my case, there was the narcissistic bitch, the self-righteous dick, the pretentious asshole, and the self-professed “chosen one.” These probably don’t apply to everyone’s experience in high school as they’re pretty harsh and specific but you get the idea. Once you start to think of them that way, it’s hard to think of something positive. You only remember the bad memories and those people end up only leaving a sour taste in your mouth. You start to compare them to your college friends and then end up wishing that your college friends were there with you. You find yourself looking back and reassessing your memories. The memories are most likely just as happy as when they were actually happening but you love the memories more than the person. 5) Most importantly, you’ve realized that you’ve probably changed just as they have. You’ve all gone on with your lives. You’ve all gone to different colleges in different parts of the world and explored different social groups. You may have found yourself, or are still on a journey of self-discovery because you spent all of high school hiding. You realize that there’s so much more to life outside of whatever social group you’re in or what school you went to. I described my class as a giant breakfast club. During our time together, we spent it like the breakfast club spent Saturday school. We started out awkward, did some freaky shit together that would fit in an episode of Skins, and then parted ways knowing that we’d probably never see each other again. However, that was a mutual agreement that we all had. We knew that we’d probably eventually part ways after a few years. There are friends and memories in high school that could never happen in college. My college friends never got to the level of friendship that my high school friends did, and vice versa. Change is inevitable for everyone, and it’s not a bad thing. You’re moving on with life and they are too. You once shared something in common with a group of people and now that commonality is gone and everyone is separated into different environments. Some of your friends managed to still have something in common after the change and that’s just fine. While I hate them all, I’m still fond of them one way or another and am able to look back on the happy Wmemories that we shared.
Ode to Dick Cannon By: Naomi Odlin The man, the myth, the legend. Our days are darker without Dick Cannon. Glancing at the 10 day forecast will never be the same. Without the hope of receiving an email signed your name. You brought us happiness as well as sadness. Curtailed operations were the gift into us you blessed. Though we’ve had more snow days than ever before. We can’t help but day drink with hearts feeling sore. You will be missed you can count on that. Because once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat.
Staff Playlist Tony Mocki - “Weekend (Jai Wolf Remix)”
I promise you this is the best song you will ever listen to. Ever. It has over 100 plays on my iTunes.
A friend got me hooked onto this song and i’m Katie practically obsessed with the drop. It mixes video Frankie Ballard - “Sunshine & Whisky” game sound effects with modern EDM to make an I’ve been willing warmer weather to come and this irresistable beat. song is a great summer jam so it’s been on repeat for Calvin Harris - Pray to God (featuring HAIM) me since I’ve decided I’m done with winter. Intense vocals by HAIM, fantastic beat by Harris, a Redbone - “Come and Get Your Love” duo that can’t be beat You’re lying to yourself if you didn’t love the GuardODESZA - Say My Name (featuring Zyra) ians of the Galaxy Soundtrack. This song is in my Check out my album review on these guys. This head constantly, I love it that much. song is probably the biggest hit they’ve had to date. 30 Seconds to Mars- “Stay (Cover)” It’s incredible If you don’t know what BBC Live Lounge is please go to YouTube right now and check it out. SomeMelisa times I love covers of songs more than the song itThe Marcels - “Blue Moon” self and this is one of those times. I’m feeling a throwback playlist, so I’m going to include all sorts. This distinct doo-wop style song Bridget brings me back to the summer days when I was a Sam Hunt - “House Party” kid. Memories of cruising along in my dad’s mintgreen ‘66 Chevy Impala with the rest of my fam, Besides the fact that I am head over heels in LOVE enjoying the warm breeze, eating a bubblegum ice with Sam Hunt, I’ve been on a hard core country kick since Lee Brice was announced for the spring cream, and burning my butt on the leather seats. concert, and this is the perfect feel good country Randy Travis - “Three Wooden Crosses” song. Classic country song that never fails to to bring a Darius Rucker - “Homegrown Honey” tear to my eye. Probably the most underrated song off of her newBarenaked Ladies- “One Week” est album. When you’re in the car if you’re not No throwback playlist is complete without this screaming the lyrics, you’re doing it wrong. gem. I vowed as a young 9 year old child to learn Jesse McCartney - “Beautiful Soul” the words to this song, and failed. Perfection in every sense of the word.
Brady
Bjork - “Joger”
Hadley
Ryan Adams - “My Wrecking Ball” I am just starting to dive into Bjork’s body of work. Homogenic has been my favorite album of her’s so I’ve had this on repeat since the album dropped in September. It’s liek driving on a moonlit road, can’t far, and Joger is an absolutely gorgeous song. get enough of the light acoustics. Drake - “Know Yourself ” Halsey- “Hurricane” I could pretend that I’m not obsessed with Drake. Halsey’s bio reads “I am Halsey. I will never be But I am. Go Drake. anythign but honest. I write songs about sex and Lil Ugly Mayne- “Throw Dem Gunz” being sad.” Hurricane is a track off of her brand new Room 93 EP.
Sia - “Salted Wound” Featured of the 50 Shades of Grey soundtrack, this track is background to perhaps one of the steamiest scenes int eh film. Eerie, mysterious and enigmatic.
Nik Billy Joel - “River of Dreams” I have tickets to see Billy Joel in Syracuse in March, and I’m planning on going to see him again at Fenway this summer. Billy basically has an infinite number of incredible songs, but for some reason I’ve been all over this one recently. I’m gonna lose it if he plays this when I’m there. Pearl Jam - “Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town” Every few months, I go through a phase where all I listen to is Pearl Jam and/or Eddie Vedder. This song is, in my opinion one of their best. I love Eddie’s desperate-sounding voice in it, and the lyrics are incredible, even though I don’t entirely know what he’s talking about. Bruce Springsteen - “Red-Headed Woman” Who knew the boss could be so explicit? Many of you may be aware of my obsession with Bruce. This is track buried deep, deep in the bowels of his catalogue, but it’s a great one. Hilarious lyrics about his ... love... for his wife. For a special treat check out the live version from San Jose in 1996.
Morgan John Mayer - “Wildfire” This song makes it feel liek summer, and even though it may only be for 4 minutes and 14 seconds, it’s 4 minutes that everybody could use right now. Ed Sheeran - “Tenerife Sea” There aren’t words to describe the beauty of this song, you just have to listen to it. Beyonce - “Crazy in Love (2014 Remix” This remix from the new 50 Shades of Grey Soundtrack is everyones guilty pleasure right now.
Shire Attire: Stereotypes of NH Fashion By: Kate Sutherby
U
NH’s 12,000 undergraduate students must be bursting with diversity, right? Well, when it comes to style, UNH students lack diversity. This is not necessarily a negative. Perhaps some of us feel a sense of belonging if we have matching Patagonia Fleeces or L.L. Bean Boots. Perhaps we are subliminally trying to make a statement about our socioeconomic status. Or perhaps majority of us just simply enjoy the brands we wear, and coincidentally, so do a lot of people on this campus. I believe that our student body has a great sense of style; but for whatever reason, a lot of people choose to wear similar brands. When walking to class, it is almost impossible not to notice the identical girls in their long black North Face coats and tall leather boots. Yet, while girls are frequently mocked for wearing such “basic” clothing, boys tend to also dress similarly. The majority of boys seem to be walking around campus in their boot cut khakis, Timberland boots, and a Tom Brady style beanie. Of course there are many people who have their own unique sense of style, but for majority of students at UNH, there seems to be some unwritten rules regarding fashion.
Girls:
Spirit Jerseys: If you are against the flannel fad, then another popular option is to wear one of the “UNH Wildcats” spirit jerseys that can be purchased downtown or in the bookstore. You can choose from a variety of vibrant colored spirit jerseys or you can stick to the classic navy blue and white jersey. These shirts are awesome because they are casual like a flannel and they also boast school pride. L.L. Bean “Bean Boots”: Bean boots are everywhere! They are perfect for New Hampshire winters when trekking to class in the snow or rain. Bean boots are somewhat pricey ranging from $109-$199 depending on the style of the boot. Not only are these boots pragmatic for the New Hampshire elements, but they will also give your outfit a preppy flare. Tall Leather Boots Not a fan of L.L. Bean? Then the next best shoe option is the classic tall leather boot. The best place to purchase these is either at a Marshall’s or TJ Maxx because you will find a designer brand for a relatively cheap price. Tall leather boots can dress up any outfit.
Long Black North Face It’s 8 am on a Monday morning and almost all I’m sure if someone were to photograph an aerial of the girls on campus will be dressed in their black leggings, flannels, and bean boots. This casual yet view of UNH students walking to class, it would stylish outfit is perfect for those early morning probably look like a miniature army dressed in all black. Every time I go outside, I constantly see clusclasses. ters of people bundled up in their long black North Black leggings: Believe it or not, most girls own Face jackets. But who can really blame them? These an average of six to eight pairs of black leggings. Al- jackets are super cozy; it feels as if your bed comthough they seem so simplistic, they are lifesavers. forter is wrapped around you as you walk outdoors. They are as comfortable as sweat pants, but they This trend is a must for the winter season. A simple give off a slightly more presentable appearance. jacket that stops at the waist will not be enough for Flannels: When living in New Hampshire, one the harsh winter. I definitely would advise everyone of the most rural and woodsy states in the America, to buy a North Face that goes all the way down to it is essential to own a flannel. They are versatile, the knees. You will not regret it! comfortable, and warm.
Boys:
Timberland Boots:
Just as girls are often mocked for always wearing Bean Boots because they are “basic”, guys are considered “basic” for wearing Timberland boots. These boots give off a rugged vibe, which correlates to one of the lifestyles here in New Hampshire. Guys can really wear these with anything whether it is sweat pants or jeans. Dark Washed Jeans: On a casual day, guys here can either can choose from their grey Nike sweat pants or take the slightly more presentable route and choose a classic pair of dark washed jeans. This option is not as elaborate as khaki’s but they are considered on the more dressed up side of style. Tom Brady beanie This is a very wise fashion choice because New England hero, Tom Brady, models this beanie during football games. Aside from keeping you warm in the winter, this red, white, and blue beanie also shows pride for the beloved Patriots. If Tom does it, then you should definitely follow. Quarter Zips When it comes to shirts, a standard quarter zip can do no harm. If you truly want to follow the unwritten fashion rules of New Hampshire, then you will purchase a Patagonia quarter zip shirt. Patagonia’s are simple and smooth but also will portray you as an outdoorsy kind of guy. North Face vests It’s typical for guys to wear a black or navy blue North Face vest over their sweatshirts or quarter zip. These vests are athletic looking but also make a fashion statement.
continued from page 20 looking for companionship. One spoke of how he loved trying new restaurants and was looking for a young woman to take out to dinners. Another told me his life revolved around running three businesses and he tried to find women to spend time with “$3,000 a date. As often as you want. We can go in the different cities he visited on a regular basis. up from there.” Of course, sexual remarks were made by most of Pierre* from London asked if I’d like to make an the men, as sex is a huge part of the sugar daddy Amazon wish list, from which he would buy me culture. One man in particular introduced himself gifts, or “rewards.” But of course none of these gifts as an avid BDSM participator and was looking for would come without reciprocation from my end. a submissive to partake in activities with “restraints Jack*, from Rochester, New York, traveled to and punishments.” His base pay was $1,000 per Portsmouth frequently for business. We spoke month, but mentioned pay would increase once about how we both loved the banana pancakes at our “connection deepened.” It was these messages The Friendly Toast and that we couldn’t resist Fat that made me squirm in my seat because I knew it Belly’s burgers. He told me he’d like to take me to was no Christian Grey on the other side. all of these places one day. And finally, he volunPhysicality aside, I came to see that the motives teered on his own that he had previously spoken behind these profiles clearly stemmed much deepwith many UNH “sugar babies.” er. They were rooted in need and desire. Perhaps a Boom. There it was. UNH girls were on Seek- desire to be young and enticing again. When they ing Arrangement and they were in fact looking for browsed the hundreds of profiles of advertising fedaddies. I couldn’t help but wonder, how much males, they saw possibility for a freer, more unatmoney were they making? And what were they tached lifestyle. One that would rid them of the doing in exchange? Or were they simply like me, mundane. making fake accounts to explore this fantasy world? Looking at the trend on a local level, in MasA few days later, I received a message from a sachusetts, Seacoast Online reported in 2013 that Manchester man. He mentioned that he worked Boston University ranked No. 45 on a list of the in law and had had copious past experience with fastest growing “sugar baby schools.” That same year, The Huffington Post had Boston as the No. sugar babies. 5 sugar daddy capital in a new survey. Atlanta, “I started with arrangements about a decade ago Georgia was No. 1. It also stated that on average in or so. I tend to do best with intelligent college wom2013, New York daddies spent $5,692 per month en. The first was a girl named Jillian* who went to on their sugar babies. $28,400 divided by $5,692? Williams College. That lasted about two years. I saw That’s an elimination of student loan debt in sima Berklee School of Music student. A Boston Univerply five months. sity student. University of Maine. The last girl was After the many conversations I had with these a UNH student. Anthropology major. She graduated self-acclaimed sugar daddies, I knew there was one last year.” more man I needed to speak with; Brandon Wade, He told me he would pick the UNH student up creator of Seeking Arrangement. With 3.6 million in downtown Durham on a Friday and they would active members and 139 countries represented, the go into Portsmouth for dinner, drinks and a night site started somewhere; in the mind of this man. in a hotel where they would “do what adults do.” And despite my skepticism, with a lot of luck Safe to say Anthropology girl didn’t have to worry about her spending money back at UNH. A piece and perhaps just the right timing, Wade responded to my inquiry. I received his response while sitting of me longed for that fund security. in my Monday evening class, where for the remain*** der of the period, I felt like I was holding in a secret During my experience on Seeking Arrangement, as my stomach simmered with anticipation. I spoke with over two dozen men. Many more mes“I was motivated to starting SeekingArrangesaged me, but I picked my conversations based on ment.com because I wanted to solve the challenges who I thought could give me the best information, I faced in my dating life,” said Wade. “I was a shy or essentially what profiles advertised the highest and socially awkward nerd who had little luck datnet worth. ing. My mother’s advice for me as a teenager was to Some days I found myself checking it in class, focus on my studies because “one day when I am and then looking over my shoulder to make sure successful and wealthy, I would be able to use my no one behind me was peeking at the photo icons generosity to turn my dating life around”.” of men that plastered the page. There were times Wade seemed to attribute the sugar daddy trend I logged on and had over 20 unread messages. At to men utilizing their wealth to help them achieve times I felt overwhelmed, as if I was actually living what they want. Not completely ethical, but it this double life, even if only through the Internet. made sense. For men who have had difficulty in Several of the men I spoke with were simply their love lives, money presents itself an attractive the truth about his Miami home, he sent me an exact address and offered to send copies of his purchase paperwork. When I stopped responding, he messaged me continuously.
asset for women. Wade graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1993 with a degree in physics and electrical engineering. Wade has been interviewed by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and many more highly acclaimed publications. This entrepreneur was in my inbox. Me, just a small, unranked college student. “All relationships are in effect ‘arrangements’, be it business or romantic relationships,” said Wade. “Money (like muscles, good looks, etc.) acts as a sort of icebreaker or bait, to gain the interest of the other party. And just like muscles or good looks, money does not replace good personality or chemistry.” Wade reasoned that money was only the beginning of these arrangements. But the way the website is set up, it’s all about the money. “While money cannot buy love, it can certainly make the process easier,” he said. “For instance, it would be more likely for two people to fall in love at a three-star Michelin rated restaurant than at McDonalds.” I felt that this definition was too innocent to characterize the arrangements I was offered to partake in on the website. It would be one thing if these men were looking for younger girlfriends, but in fact, most of them were looking for what they called “sugar babies”. But Wade’s reasoning was certainly an interesting application to the trend that has now gone international. *** Usually, my paychecks and bills show up in my mailbox on the same day. It’s a cruel coincidence. “Hey you earned a lot of money last week but now it’s going to your cable and Internet bill!” The papers inside the envelopes taunt me. Even better is the email notification from Bank of America, “Your account balance has fallen below $25.” As I said before, I see the need for a sugar daddy. I completely see why some young women become involved in these “mutually beneficial” relationships. But personally, the principality of economic independence is something I value, something that remains crucial to me as I move up the professional ladder. And as much as this opulent reverie fills the financial cracks in my collegiate life, I will remain with the convention that I cannot be bought. Even when my card gets declined at Rite Aid for a mere pack of gum or another one of my professors pulls the “you must really love to write....” card, I remember how I was brought up, the way I was raised. That hard work earns satisfaction. That as a woman, I want my earnings and money to be in my own hands, and not someone else’s. Yes, sugar is sweet but so is self-made success. *Names have been changed to protect privacy
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