Issue 12 (SP18)

Volume XXIV, Issue 12 April 25, 2018 PenmenPress.com

Manchester, NH

The Future of SNHU Culinary is Uncertain

Nick VonSchantz-Ricci Junior Copy Editor

May 12, 2018:

SNHU Commencement

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What's Inside: News | Front & 3-4

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Editorials | 2

Penmen Passion | 6 Penmen Abroad | 7 Sports | 8

Featuring: Budget Issues in the Pub | Page 3 Dorm Updates: What Is Getting Torn Down? | Page 4 Challenging Sexual Assault Statistics | Page 5 Penmen Passion: Steve Johnson | Page 6 Study Abroad: Location Highlight | Page 7 SNHU Baseball Goes Viral | Page 8

of the minors, ensuring an uncompromised experience for current students and how the new minors would be promoted.

The final decision regarding the future of the program is to be made by President of University College Patty Lynott, who is in the process of discussing the situation with other groups. Lynott is to announce her decision sometime in late April.

The exact logistics of the new minors have not been determined and how the program

will function given the changes in curriculum is not yet clear.

Nevertheless, Evans is optimistic about the new approach.

“I’m really excited about the minors myself, for a lot of different reasons…they are something that current students can take advantage of as opposed to only perspective students,” said Evans. “There can be a junior English major right now who sees this in the fall and says, ‘I want to do that’ and signs up for these minors.”

SNHU Culinary

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Vice President of Academic Affairs Michael Evans is recommending a teach-out of the SNHU Culinary program. On April 3, Evans sent out an email to students who are enrolled in the culinary program that outlined his reasoning for this recommendation.

Evans offered a similar recommendation in January of 2017. His main concerns were the high cost associated with running the program and declining enrollment. The recommendation was met with backlash from current and former culinary students which led to Evans changing his recommendation.

In the fall of 2017, the incoming culinary class studied under a new, more condensed version of the program that involved one year of classes and culinary labs followed by a yearlong internship. This incoming class was much smaller than previous classes and enrollment for the upcoming fall 2018 semester has not met the goal.

On March 9, Evans met with current culinary students and faculty to discuss the future of the program.

“Instead of the major…I’ve proposed that we offer minors instead, so a minor in culi-

nary and a minor in baking that would be open to students across the campus,” said Evans.

“Every program is intact, we’re going to teach them all out until the very last student gets their degree in hand.”

Many questions surrounding the future of the program were raised during the meeting.

The utilization of The Quill, the on-campus restaurant run by the culinary department, was one major topic of discussion.

Several students expressed interest in continuing lunch and dinner service at The Quill.

More specifically, the students requested one lunch and one dinner service each week during the upcoming fall semester.

Other ideas brought forth by the students included revamping the Cup of Love Café and hiring paid student workers to help operate The Quill.

Presently, the culinary department has its own receiving center which provides all the products used within the program. Next semester, all products will be sourced through Sodexo. With this change arises the possibility of students being able to use their meal plan money at The Quill and Cup of Love Café.

The students who attended the meeting also voiced several concerns that they have with Evan’s recommendation. These concerns involved the integrity

The culinary program may be undergoing massive changes soon.

SGA Voter Turnout Down 13 Percent Since 2015 Megan Palmer Editor in Chief

This spring election for Student Government Association (SGA) senate and executive board saw the lowest voter turnout rate in five years, with only 15 percent of the eligible student population participating (421 students). This represents a 13 percent decrease since spring elections of 2015, with the presidential election of Caroline Fleming and Sarah Lawton. Last April’s spring elections (Ashlee Lindsey v.

Ryan Evaul) saw a 24 percent voter turnout rate with the highest number of students voting.

Outgoing Vice President Michelle Fortin (’18) shared her thoughts about what some of the potential barriers may have been to students voting.

“I believe students don't vote because they may not have the resources or knowledge of SGA. We can promote all we want online and over campus; however, you will always have students that don't follow our social media or have social media, students that don't take the time to look at flyers on bulletin boards and others that may not even go near the student center to look at sandwich boards.”

Promotions for voting prior to the election included tabling, giveaways such as SGA sunglasses and hats, promotional videos, flyers, bulletin boards and golf cart shuttles on campus encouraging students to vote while being driven to class.

Outgoing SGA President Ashlee Lindsey (’18) shared that another reason for low voter turnout is the low turnout of students campaigning for Sen-

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ate and Executive Board. “Last year when there were more executive board members 'competing,' I definitely spread the word more. Word of mouth is powerful. Some students definitely did give up on campaigning because they're like, ‘Well I don't have to, so I don't have to try.’ And I understand that too... I had to compete to be a senator and chief executive office and president, so I knew the time commitment, but if I didn't have to, I probably wouldn't have.”

McKayla Hutchins (’19), newly elected 2018-2019 SGA president, who ran unopposed, was unavailable for comment.

According to Lindsey, the upcoming fall election will have 12 open seats with five reserved for incoming first year students.

SGA will utilize orientation to publicize their organization

and get students excited to join, run and vote. Though Lindsey will be graduating in a few short weeks, she encourages both the incoming class and returning student body to run for SGA. “People should run because you never know what you're going to learn in any new opportunity. I think people should run too, because... it's more of an intentional involvement in some ways because of the structure we have, but it's really what people make of it.”

Fortin, on the other hand, encourages students to vote.

“Students should vote because SGA is elected to be the voice of the students. Without having students on this campus vote for who they believe should be in this position makes it hard to have people that truly care for the students and the SNHU community.”

letter from the editors Farewell and Thank You

the penmen press staff 2017-2018

As the year comes to a close, it is with a heavy, yet ready, heart that we prepare to say good bye to The Penmen Press. After four years, we have learned more than we could have ever hoped, grown more than we could have ever imagined and hopefully made an impact that will last beyond our graduation.

This year, we have given so much of ourselves to this organization, it’s a shock that these pages aren’t dripping with our blood, sweat and tears. We embody the notion that there is a learning curve to leadership, always knowing and hoping that we can do better. It has not always been easy.

It has not always been fun. But it has always been so, so rewarding.

It is at this time that we would like to thank all the people that have made this possible. We could not have done this on our own, and we are so grateful to be a part of such an amazing community.

First, we want to extend our sincerest thanks to our advisor, Jon Boroshok. The past four years have been a whirlwind, and we owe as much of our sanity as our stress to JB. Thank you for all you have done; you will always be our

CO-EDITOR IN CHIEF Rebecca LeBoeuf rebecca.leboeuf@snhu.edu CO-EDITOR IN CHIEF Megan Palmer megan.palmer@snhu.edu ONLINE MANAGER

Nikki Fain nikki.fain@snhu.edu

SENIOR BUSINESS MANAGER Ryan Evaul ryan.evaul@snhu.edu JUNIOR BUSINESS MANAGER Sultan Akhter sultan.akhter@snhu.edu CO-NEWS EDITOR Rosa Valente rosa.valente@snhu.edu CO-NEWS EDITOR Thomas Cahalan thomas.cahalan@snhu.edu

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OPINION EDITOR Laana Depina elaana.depina@snhu.edu ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Troy Robinson troy.robinson2@snhu.edu

PENMEN ABROAD EDITOR Rachel Romeo rachel.romeo@snhu.edu

advisor of the year.

Next, thank you to the Office of Student Involvement and the wonderful student leaders we have been honored to lead alongside. Your hard work has given us a reason to keep striving, and we have loved telling all of your stories.

Additionally, thank you to the Women’s Center and Director Brooke Gilmore for the constant use of your space. The Women’s Center seems to have become our second home, and we are so lucky to have a place to go for all of our thousands of meetings.

Thank you to Presidents Paul LeBlanc and Patty Lynott for your constant support for the past four years. We have learned so much from your leadership and dedication to this university, and we hope we have made you proud to display our newspapers around campus.

To our staff: Thank you for spending your “free” time with us and putting in countless hours each week to ensure we meet hard deadlines and have both online and print content. We could not be the paper we are without your ideas, hard work and desire to

learn and constantly improve.

Thank you for your support as we put our four-year strong vision into action, and for bearing with us as we develop our leadership skills (and make mistakes along the way).

Lastly, thank you to our readers. You have given us a purpose, and without you, our efforts would be futile. We’re fortunate enough to have expanded our readership this year to include our online followers with the conception of PenmenPress.com. Access to campus news is now at everyone’s fingertips, and we’re thrilled that people are embracing these changes.

Leaving may not be the easiest thing we’ve ever done, but we are so happy to be passing the torch on to an amazing dynamic duo: Nick Klotz and Nikki Fain.

There is no one more prepared for the job, and in them, we have an amazing faith. We leave you all our duct tape and bubble gum.

The Penmen Press is always growing, always changing and always pushing itself to be better than it was the day before. Thank you for everything you’ve given us. It’s been real.

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SPORTS EDITOR Catherine LaChance catherine.lachance@snhu.edu SENIOR COPY EDITOR Gabe Carrio gabriel.carrio@snhu.edu SENIOR COPY EDITOR Ginny Fagan virginia.fagan@snhu.edu

LAYOUT EDITOR Emma Sheehan emma.sheehan@snhu.edu

Rebecca LeBoeuf

JUNIOR COPY EDITOR Nick VonSchantz-Ricci nicholas.ricci1@snhu.edu

Turning the Next Page

PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Wyndee Man jingyin.wen@snhu.edu VIDEO MANAGER Eddie Sam eddie.sam@snhu.edu SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Jessica Puchacz jessica.puchacz@snhu.edu EVENTS COORDINATOR Maddie Covino madison.covino@snhu.edu FACULTY ADVISOR Jon Boroshok j.boroshok@snhu.edu

The Southern New Hampshire University Penmen Press is a news publication produced by Southern New Hampshire University students and funded largely by the Student Government Association of the University. It is our responsibility to inform the SNHU community about events on and around campus.

The views published do not necessarily reflect the views of Southern New Hampshire University. The Penmen Press is published biweekly during the academic year and is printed by the Concord Monitor. To contact the newspaper, please e-mail us at penmenpress@snhu.edu.

It’s time to turn the page on another year of The Penmen Press.

In recent years, we’ve been part of immeasurable growth, this year has been no different, and in this time of transition the two of us are equal parts humbled and excited to lead this amazing group.

The dynamic duo of Megan Palmer and Rebecca LeBoeuf are a hard act to follow. Their dedication to press at times could be perceived as unhealthy, but we’d be lying if we said we weren’t going to miss the frantic 2 a.m. text messages from Megan. Even while Rebecca went abroad and took a hiatus from being Editor-in-Chief, she still acted as Penmen Abroad Editor. Press is too deep in her blood to stop, and we know we’ll see this budding journalist in the big leagues someday. And feel free to message us from Chicago if you

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can’t sleep, Megan.

It’s clear that all their hard work was done because they love what they do. Their passion for the Penmen Press and the hard work of everyone who chooses to spend their Wednesday afternoons with us shines through these pages.

Our hearts are heavy with familial pride as we say farewell to these two, and the rest of our departing members, Mike Banarhall, Travis Burke, Thomas Cahalan, Gabe Carrio, Maria Celli, Megan Danis, Kevin Guimond, Tyler Leighton, Wyndee Man, Jess Puchacz, Desmond Robinson, Matthew Rubenstein, Eddie Sam, Addison Thyng, and David Williams.

Thank you all for the mark you’ve left on this paper. And don’t ever hesitate to visit.

To our returning members, we trust you’ll keep your appetites

for improving your craft when we meet again come September. You have all grown so much in this short year, and we can’t thank you enough for the effort and passion you bring to every Press meeting.

It is because of your voice that we have been so successful. The Penmen Press is a family first, and a newspaper second.

To our readers, we aim to continue pushing forward on this path of innovation, growth and constant improvement of the way we tell SNHU’s story. It’s going to be hard to top the amazing year we just had, but the Penmen Press is always up for a challenge. Thank you for your loyalty and support.

Thank you for reading.

From your new Editors-InChief, Nick Klotz and Nikki Fain, here’s looking forward to another great year.

News news

The Pub’s Booming Business Leads To Financial Kinks Rebecca LeBoeuf Editor in Chief Rosa Valente News Editor

Emma Sheehan

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The Last Chapter Pub experienced an increase in use from students over the course of the 2017-2018 school year; however, this increase in business resulted in difficulty managing the budget set aside for the Pub. Pub Business Manager Lorile Mayberry (‘18) attributes the increase of the Pub’s business to changes the staff made this year. Some changes include different snack and alcohol options and larger events such as local student bands and comedians. They have also modified their marketing strategies to reach more of the SNHU community.

“We’ve also put more work into employee training to ensure all our staff gives the same level of service to our customers,” Mayberry said.

Of the $165 Student Activities Fee that students pay semesterly, $25 is set aside to operate the Student Center. This is $152,000 per year.

This year, the Pub experimented with additional hours, food and materials. Associate Director Elizabeth LaClair said, combined with the increase in business, the $7,000 budget for free snacks and drinks was exhausted by February when it was supposed to last through June.

Another issue was surrounding the staff’s shifts. Each employee is allotted approximately 12 hours per week to work, according to LaClair.

This limitation was exceeded by many employees this year due to management’s experimentation with double shifts.

“We had some really weird doubles during quiet times, which we really should have

The Last Chapter Pub on a Tuesday night. evaluated earlier, so we pulled some of those people,” LaClair said.

There was also an issue with staff members picking up extra shifts. As a result, some employees had their work hours monitored more carefully and some shifts were cut.

Mayberry further elaborated on the reason behind these shift cuts, explaining that employees were “dropping and/ or picking up too many shifts, especially on the weekends.”

The Pub also encountered unexpected costs this year that required immediate attention.

This included an issue with the cooler freezing in the early fall semester, costing $3,000 to fix.

Products that were ruined inside the cooler when it froze also had to be replaced.

The Student Center man-

agement’s experimentation with different ideas in an attempt to gauge students’ interest and increase business further drained the budget.

For example, after reviewing analytics, 10 a.m. was found to be one of the busiest times, outside of wet shifts, according to LaClair. “We started opening at 9 a.m. instead of 10 [a.m.] and we’ve noticed big sales at 9 in the morning.” LaClair said. \To be more environmentally conscious, LaClair said the Pub introduced compostable cups and straws. “They cost more money but it’s a better decision I think,” LaClair said, noting that the pros and cons were considered.

There were also some adjustments to the Pub’s menu this year. For example, Dino Nuggets were introduced as a

Pub Grub item. More cookies were ordered than in previous semesters, and chocolate almonds emerged as a free snack. While LaClair said she is researching other cookie vendors, expensive snacks such as chocolate almonds may only be offered as Pub specials here and there.

LaClair cited solutions to ensure this issue does not arise in years to come. “I think we’re going to hire some more work study only next year,” LaClair said.

Work study dollars come from financial aid awards, not the Student Center’s budget.

She recognizes, though, that there are not many campus job options for university paid students, and sympathizes with them.

There are also plans to

expand the snack budget to $10,000 next year. To accommodate the increasing campus student population, LaClair hopes to find deals that increase the budget. “I think there’s a little bit of reorganization that we can keep doing. I think there are deals we can do ourselves,” she said. “I’d love to do a deal with Coke.”

She does not foresee an increase in the Student Activities Fee, noting that students pay enough to attend college as it is. Instead, she wants even more students to utilize the building and its services. “The biggest case I could make for ever needing more money or resources or services… I can provide you with more services if more people are in the space, and earlier in the morning and later at night.”

Public Safety Prepares The Community for Active Shooter Situations River Matis Staff Writer In the case of an active shooter situation, people are often confused on how to respond. On April 10 in Walker Auditorium, Public Safety provided answers.

Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE) training teaches faculty and students how to respond in the

case of an active shooter situation. Kevin Lee and Dan Reilly from Public Safety gave this lecture to a group of people to make sure others are prepared for a dangerous situation.

The lecture mainly discussed the Run, Hide, Fight system. In the case of an active shooter situation, they advised to do one of these three procedures as the situation allows.

Run if the shooter doesn’t

sound close and an exit is in sight. While running, make sure to steer passersby away from the danger zone and find somewhere safe to be as you wait for responders.

Hide if necessary, such as if the exit is not clear or you are trapped in a room. Use furniture to barricade the door, turn off lights and keep quiet.

The final system is to fight

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if absolutely necessary. If there is no way out and the shooter is coming close, use fire extinguishers and any surrounding items that can be picked up to defend oneself.

Reilly and Lee also advised attendees to keep away from people in the vicinity when it comes time to speak to authorities. This is important when communicating with law enforcement to help them

identify the shooter. Mingling with others could mix up stories. The sooner a definitive story gets sorted out the sooner the suspect can be caught.

This all comes in light of recent shootings such as the Parkland shooting, “Everyone has to work together as a team to get through these traumatic events and support each other,” said Dan Reilly of Public Safety.

News news

Kingston Up, Suites Down

Josh Warshauer Staff Writer

Emma Sheehan

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As the SNHU campus continues to evolve and grow, new Residence Halls go up. This also means that older halls come down.

Last year the upper suites Winnisquam and Chocorua, along with the Kearsarge apartments, were torn down in order to construct the new and anticipated Kingston Hall. This year the lower suites, Whittier Hall and two townhouses, Sunapee and Cranmore are all being torn down.

This is part of the evolution of the SNHU campus being thrust into a new era.

When the campus was built in the 1970’s the dorms were brandnew and revolutionary. Now, buildings such as the Lower Suites, the Townhouses and Whittier are in an old and decrepit state to the point where they are considered the worst places to live on campus.

Some may believe that the decision to take down the lower suites was recent. However, according to Director of Housing Shannon Brown, the plan has been set in motion for some time.

“There was conversation among leadership like President LeBlanc to tear down all the older halls with brown siding. It wasn’t until after I got here that a plan was put in place to take out the upper

lition, as this is the space where many people may have made some of their old friends and have some of their fondest memories.

According to Brown, “I think that a lot of memories, especially foundational memories are found in residence halls, their friendships and their hardships. The memories will still exist, just not in physical connotations.”

Some students may have mixed feelings about the demolition of these older buildings. Some

suites and what would be put in their place.”

As with the recent demolition of Greeley hall, one would possibly believe that the fire in the former apartment building had influence on the decision to demolish it’s neighboring Whittier. However, Brown stated this was incorrect as both apartment buildings would have been torn down regardless.

One would expect that with the older dorms there may be an emotional reaction to the demo-

The lower suites are some of the dorms scheduled to be torn down at the end of the school year.

summer career opportunities

Rachel Dembek Staff Writer Securing an internship or job for the summer is something many students aim to do. If one hasn’t, no need to worry, there are still plenty of opportunities to connect with employers and snag the perfect internship or job to help you gain experience this summer.

Students that need internships

students, such as Diversity Agent Benjamin Alves ('20) had said “Winnipesaukee was good as it provided me a living space where I didn’t get snowed or rained on when I didn’t want to be. It also served as a meditative place where I needed to be alone. Occasionally it was a good place to work, but now having been around campus I do prefer most of the other dorms.”

While some students, such as Alves have more mixed views on

or jobs over the summer should first start searching on SNHU Recruit. This database serves as a way to search for jobs and internships around the area. There are hundreds of employers looking for students to not only hire this summer, but for full-time positions for seniors who are graduating from SNHU. Those who participated in the elevator pitch competition last week have met employers from

Career & Professional Development Center

On-campus interviews are one of the career resources at SNHU.

different companies around the area. Students should follow up and reach out to these employers to see if they have internship or job opportunities available. Even if there are no opportunities available, networking is always beneficial. It’s not what you know, it’s who you know, that can help you find opportunities.

Having an up-to-date resume is the first step to getting interviews for internships this summer. Students should make an appointment at The Career & Professional Development Center so they can have a counselor review their resume to make sure that it will catch the attention of employers and give them the best shot of receiving the internship or job of their dreams.

The deadline to apply for credit for summer internships is May 18. This is not far away, so students should apply to as many internships and jobs as possible.

Students should contact The Career & Professional Development Center at 603-645-9793 or stop by the office in the Gustafson Center to make an appointment if they need help with LinkedIn, SNHU Recruit or to have a resume review or mock interview.

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the Lower suites, other students views sway to be more starkly negative or positive.

Winnipesaukee resident John Lien ('20) had said "It takes fifteen minutes for the showers to warm up and there's a huge ant infestation. I've never seen any other person in my suite."

On the positive end of the spectrum is Merrimack Resident Assistant McKayla Hutchins ('19) who had said "the Lower Suites is like the underdog that holds the most meaning to me this year at SNHU. It's become my home away from home where I've been able to develop the best community and grow as a student leader."

With all of these older buildings being taken down new construction fills the space left behind. In the space of Sunapee and Cranmore will be the new CETA building opening in fall 2019. The space where Greeley and Whitter once stood is set to become a green space. Brown had even confirmed that grass seeds had been planted on Greeley's former loation. The space of the lower suits has been chosen to be used as an expansion for the parking lot that is already next to the buildings that stand there today.

Clearly, while some people may miss these old buildings, the SNHU campus will be moving into the future.

new ra's thoughts River Matis Staff Writer Whether it’s a spat between roommates or an incident on the floor, Resident Assistants (RA’s) are there to do what they can, and right now the future RA’s of SNHU are being trained.

Hunter Secor ('19), who is an RA at New Castle and is going to be mentoring four future RA’s, said that when he was still an RA in training one thing he was nervous about “was not knowing what’s going to happen next year.”

The mentors are preparing the future RA’s for the responsibilities that come with the job. Among the group there is a range of feelings. According to Secor, there is a mix of excitement and nervousness for next year.

One future RA, Christina Sotis ('21), can concur with both.

“I'm pretty excited, a little nervous, being responsible for people and being the person people go to, but I’m also really excited to be that role, and I’m excited to get out of my comfort zone and be there for people.” Sotis is going to be in Windsor next year

and is ready to take on the work.

One of the responsibilities that come with being an RA is building a community, and future New Castle RA Rachel Kelly ('21) is getting prepared. When asked what she’s excited about she said, “building a community, meeting residents, helping everyone out and getting to know them.”

Although there’s some nervousness, the future RA’s are getting pumped to help their residents, especially with new incoming freshmen who might need a helping hand.

With help from mentors, the RA’s are sure to have plenty of resources at their disposal. “One of the things I look forward to most [about] being a mentor is being that extra knowledge that is not on that persons staff, they know that yes they have this amount of people on their staff, but they always know there’s someone who has already been an RA for a year and they can reach out to me and ask my opinion or ask how I might have done something, and I can give them that knowledge and that feedback to hopefully bring them towards the goal they are looking for,” said Secor.

Feature

Survey and Interviews Challenge Sexual Assault Statistics Rebecca LeBoeuf Editor In Chief Megan Palmer Editor In Chief

Radio Kenai

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Sexual assault cases are making headlines across the U.S. in many industries and environments, and college campuses are no exception.

“11.2 percent of all students experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence or incapacitation (among all graduate and undergraduate students),” according to the Report on the Association of American Universities Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Sexual Misconduct.

This would equivalate to more than 300 students on SNHU’s campus.

“I think our students are a little more willing to talk to at least Residence Life or Public Safety,” said Title IX Coordinator Becca Lawrence. “I think they have a great relationship with Public Safety, which isn't always the case, so our students are a little more open to reporting, which is not always the case.”

An April 2018 survey distributed to SNHU students revealed that 51 percent (55 students) out of 107 participants, were aware of a sexual assault occurring onor off- campus that had not been reported.

Each year, under the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (The Clery Act), all colleges and universities that receive federal financial aid are required to maintain and disclose information, data and statistics regarding crime on and near their campuses. This information is collected and released in a formal report at the start of October, covering the reports from the previous year.

Since 2014, when current traditional four-year seniors began their time at SNHU, 19 cases of sexual misconduct (categorized into Rape and Fondling in 20152016 and Sex Offenses: Forcible

in 2014) have been reported to the university.

“I know so many people that have told me that they have been sexually assaulted, or raped or had unwanted sexual interactions that would never be willing to tell anyone or even be willing to tell their friends,” Emily McSweeney (‘21) said. “I don’t think [our statistics] are accurate.”

The Title IX reporting process on SNHU’s campus can be confusing to students, and many offices work to demystify the process in their work and advocacy.

Lawrence explained that cases often begin in Residence Life but can also begin with reports made to “a faculty [or staff] member, Athletics or directly to Public Safety.”

“From that point, I'm informed and Public Safety is informed that there is a potential Title IX issue, and so one of the officers - usually Amanda Peabody or Kevin Kelley - and I meet with whoever the initial reporter was,” explained Lawrence.

If a Title IX investigation results in a preponderance of evidence (51 percent likeliness that an incident did occur), Title IX cases then move to the Office of Community Standards and a hearing board.

“When it gets to me then I begin arrangements to make sure that the respondent and the complainant are notified of any charges,” said Jay Tifone, director of community standards. “If we're having a Conduct Board hearing, I make sure that the names of the faculty and staff that are serving on that board are communicated to both parties.

Both parties have the ability to object to the involvement of any of those faculty or staff members; if there's any perception of bias, [they can] raise those concerns.”

Inconsistency exists between the offices. Excluding extreme circumstances involving minors, weapons or repeated offenders, Lawrence said reporters are free to drop cases whenever they decide to.

While Tifone agrees that students can stop sharing information at any point, he said, “If at the end of the day we have enough information to believe that another student may have violated the complainant… I think we would talk about that, but my feeling from the conduct side is that it might still be something we are interested in pursuing. Based on the amount of information that we have, I worry that if we didn't act on that, that we would be opening ourselves up to some degree of negligence.”

Several resources exist on campus for survivors.

Jim Winn, director of Public Safety, emphasizes the importance of survivor autonomy. “If they come here to report a sexual assault, they're in control of what they want to see happen… We'll simply explain to them what their options are.”

The Wellness Center is exempt from the Title IX mandated reporter or Campus Security Authority regulations and will only share information when the patient provides written permission.

"We have the ability to see students on the same-day basis, both on health and counseling side[s],” Wellness Center Director Felix Pizzi said.

If a sexual assault case is recent, the Wellness Center will typically refer survivors to the Emergency Room for a rape kit and prophylaxis for Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI).

Otherwise, on-campus Nurse Practitioners and the Nursing

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Staff can provide STI testing.

If an assault takes place outside of the Wellness Center’s office hours, there is an on-call counselor that Residence Life staff or Public Safety can connect students to.

Wellness Center staff are trained to respond to sexual assault trauma through national and regional conferences and other professional development opportunities.

"There is a lot of collaboration within our team,” Pizzi said.

“If there's a scenario that's new, for example, to one staff member, generally the situation has been dealt with and experienced by another staff member who can provide consultation internally to make sure that we are covering all our bases and being responsive to the student's needs."

Brooke Gilmore, director of the Deborah L. Coffin Women’s Center shared the Women's Center's role as an on-campus resource. "As a mandatory reporter, I am unable to advise or support in any confidential capacity, but I can help students navigate the process of reporting and help to empower them to regain a sense of agency and control," Gilmore said. "The Women’s Center is included in the list of on-campus resources that is given to students upon initiating a report. I would love for students to know that we are always here to help advocate for them when needed."

The stigma that exists surrounding sexual assault, however, often prevents survivors from reporting their assault case or seeking counseling in the aftermath, according to several campus resources.

Pizzi thinks survivors may blame themselves for the attack, based on perceptions some people have.

Lawrence suggests the social implications survivors might consider when vocalizing the attack. “I think that a lot of students still feel like it's high school, and if I report, then no one's going to be my friend anymore, and I don't think that's the case most of

the time.”

One survivor who reported their sexual assault case, but wishes to remain anonymous, stated that after reporting, she “had to deal with all the rumors and everything. That was probably the worst part of it all. Everybody believing him, and I looked like a liar."

Sean Keegan (‘18) shared that he believes another barrier relates to individuals not speaking up.

“Given our androcentric tendencies as a patriarchal society, unfortunately men are more likely to be listened to and have a public voice… So if [men] hear other men partaking in what’s often referred to as “locker room talk,” that’s perpetuating rape culture, [or] if you see something that doesn’t feel or look right, speak up. We can’t be afraid or ashamed to speak up.”

Another barrier to reporting, another survivor shared, focused on being unable to understand what had occurred. "I didn't fully process what had happened for a long time after. I just, like, the next day, I felt sick to my stomach.” Ultimately she did not report her case. “By the time I finally realized, the kid had already transferred and, it had been so long I just felt like it wasn't worth it, even though it's still bad."

McSweeney shared that she did not believe that current Title IX education allowed people to do this effectively, to know how to speak up, or even to be fully aware of the parameters of Title IX. Gilmore agreed. "I would support a more robust, consistent, and continuous prevention education program that will engage all members of the campus community including students, faculty and staff," she said.

The statistics provided in the Clery Act may be missing many cases, based on survey data and information provided by SNHU students.

To ensure the correct data is documented, McSweeney said, “Talk about it. Report things when you hear them. Use your voice.”

penmen passion From Officer to Dean: The Story of Steve Johnson

Catherine Lachance Sports Editor

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Steve Johnson

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Every professor and administrator at SNHU has traveled a unique path to get here. For Dean of Arts and Sciences Steve Johnson, the path was everything but ordinary.

Johnson is the son of a former Army officer. Throughout his childhood, he and his family would move around whenever his father was restationed. He was born in Alabama and attended the majority of high school in Texas and northern Virginia. Since he moved around a lot, he didn’t necessarily have a place he called home.

However, because his parents lived in northern Virginia for many years, it was the “closest place to home.”

When Johnson graduated high school he followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the military. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant and a field artillery officer in the Army for 13 years. He was not a combat fighter and was never deployed, but he spent two years in South Korea and several years in Oklahoma.

Being in the military was a growing experience for Johnson and it shaped him into the leader he is today. He learned many things about himself that he did not previously know and embarked on previous experiences to better himself for his future endeavors in education.

“Being in the military taught me that I have strength maybe that I didn’t realize I had,” said Johnson.

“When you’re miserable, out in the rain, when it’s close to freezing cold temperatures but you have to accomplish something, you find ways at an individual level to dig down and realize you have strengths you didn’t know you had.

At the same time as an officer, I was trained to be a leader… in order to find it within myself, I had to help other people find [strength] in themselves and that was an important learning aspect of it because you don’t get being a leader right the first time, and in fact you mess up a lot when you’re trying

to figure out who you are as a leader and learning how to work with different people.

My military experience on both those counts was really important to who I am.”

When Johnson left the Army, he earned his undergraduate degree at West Point Military Academy, which is an engineering school. The Army then sent him to the University of Washington where he received a Master’s degree and Ph.D. in English.

Attending graduate school opened many doors for Johnson and gave him other opportunities besides being an officer in the Army.

He wanted to delve into the field of English by becoming an educator.

When Johnson graduated from the University of Washington, his drive to become involved in academia grew stronger. He taught composition literature courses in the English department as an instructor and an assistant professor at West Point for three years. Doing so cultivated the idea of him wanting to continue pursuing English and to move on from the Army.

After teaching at West Point, Johnson’s travels led him to New Hampshire. He took a break from teaching for a couple of years and worked at an engineering company in Nashua. Because of his background in engineering from attending West Point, he worked as a program director and as a business development director for the company.

“I went into the defense industry and I learned a lot of things about management which made me better qualified for the role I’m in now, and leadership in the army is not the same as leadership in corporate and is not the same as leadership at a university,” said Johnson.

When Johnson left the engineering company, he realized he missed teaching and wanted to dive back into education. Luckily, there was a job open at SNHU. Caren Erickson, Johnson’s predecessor in his current role, had an opening for an associate dean. He applied and landed the job.

Landing the job was “like

Steve Johnson, a former military officer, is SNHU's current Dean of Arts & Sciences.

winning the lottery.” He was associate dean for two years before Erickson went on sabbatical and didn’t return.

That was when Johnson took over as acting Dean of Arts and Sciences at SNHU. Johnson describes his current role as dean as “akin to what you knew as your high school principal.” Deans do a lot of behind the scenes operations. They finalize the schedule, put the classes in their particular hours and figure out what faculty is going to teach each course.

Their job is to make sure faculty shows up and makes sure they’re doing what they’re supposed to do, so students can show up and have a great experience.

In addition to performing behind the scenes tasks, deans also teaches a few classes. Johnson has taught a few war literature classes and describes teaching as his “favorite part of the day” as

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he “loves understanding [his] students and faculty.”

“I like getting to work with people,” said Johnson. “I could get bogged down with administrator things, but I don’t. I like to take time out of my day to be with students.

Your education is about your education and not your grades. We learn a lot from our failures as well as our successes but because we get caught up in our grade point average and thinking that is our ticket to whatever job we want, we often don’t take risks that we should or open ourselves up to experiences.”

Outside of work, Johnson likes to spend time with his family which includes his wife of 20 years and sons Micah, who is in 9th grade, and Griffon, who is in 7th grade.

Johnson met his wife while he was on duty in South Korea.

She was in the air force, and she now owns a dental practice in Epping.

Regarding his kids, Johnson says they are really fun and that they share a lot of hobbies. He says they are part of the reason why he does what he does, and they are more important to him than any occupation he’s held.

“If I’m a great dean and a bad father, I really missed priorities in my life,” Johnson said.

When he’s not with his family or at work, Johnson can be found either reading books or playing guitar. He enjoys reading stories from William Faulkner and Bore Hayes, and he also used to be a member of a band.

Johnson has traveled a winding road to get to SNHU, but it was one like no other.

From the Army to education to dean, Johnson has experienced it all. He can’t wait to spend many more years as acting Dean of Arts and Sciences at SNHU and is prepared for the times ahead.

penmen abroad

alumna moves to spain following study abroad experience Derek Smith Staff Writer

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National Student Exchange (NSE) just recently celebrated its 50th anniversary since its establishment in 1968. Over the years, the program has successfully placed more than 120,000 students for exchange. With approximately 200 universities to choose from, SNHU students are given the opportunity to study in the United States, Canada, Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

With no additional cost, SNHU students can study for a semester or up to an entire academic year in one of the exchange sites mentioned. The colleges and universities included in the program vary in size, class selection, and experience. NSE includes access to Hispanic serving institutions, historically Black colleges and universities, along with other ethnically mixed campuses.

The program is designed to send students to another college or university in exchange for an incoming student interested in SNHU. The program was first introduced to campus by Dean of Student Success Carey Glines.

She believes that this program broadens the horizon of traditional students and challenges

sion to live abroad. But Madrid was the second place that she had traveled abroad, the first being England.

Anyone with questions about studying abroad can email Study Abroad Director Stefano Parenti at s.parenti@ snhu.edu or Study Abroad

Advisor Scott Snyder at studyabroad@snhu.edu. Also, those who are curious about the program Patrelle is a part of in Spain can visit https://www. mecd.gob.es/eeuu/convocatorias-programas/convocatorias-eeuu/auxiliares-conversacion-eeuu.html.

SNHU alumna Aryion Petrelle has gone on to live abroad in Madrid, Spain

NSE Opportunity

Rachel Romeo Penmen Abroad Editor

U.S, U.K and Spain.

Patrelle studied abroad while at SNHU and traveled to Madrid, Spain. Patrelle describes the program that she went through as “absolutely fantastic.” Patrelle's experience studying abroad proved to be influential in her deci-

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Aryion Petrelle is an SNHU alumna and is now living abroad in Madrid, Spain.

Petrelle has been living in Spain for about a year but has lived abroad for roughly two years overall.

Petrelle lives in the city center of Spain in an area between Puerta del Sol and Plaza Mayor, but Petrelle plans on moving to London in September where she hopes to pursue a master’s degree in graphic design.

Petrelle describes the city area as, “Very busy with a lot of tourists but the city is one of the best for young people and there is always something to do and normally it is free.”

One event that Petrelle considered worthwhile during her time in Spain was, “when they opened all the museums until 3 a.m., and we were able to walk the streets [while] seeing various artist's installations made for the occasion.”

Patrelle works as an English teaching assistant at a local high school in Madrid. She was able to get this job through

the government; the job didn’t require her to speak Spanish and Patrelle believed it as a great opportunity to travel abroad.

She also teaches private english lessons to children and is working freelance in graphic design for companies in the

them to be more resourceful and independent.

Laura Malito is the coordinator of the NSE Program and is located in the Student Success Office. “I think all the students need an opportunity to study away, to go out from their comfort zone, to engage with cultural and regional differences,” said Malito.

“New Hampshire is a beautiful and quiet state but it is not quite representative of the whole nation and we want to educate our students [on] diversity, to make them aware, more engaged, and that’s why we want to make NSE part of the global education of our students.”

Students interested in the program can visit the Student Success Office or attend an information session to learn more.

After displaying interest, the student will be interviewed to check eligibility requirements. More than 100 universities are open for students. The deadline to study in fall 2018 is June 1 and to study in spring 2019 is October 1.

Malito encourages students to plan their study away experience in advance and keep free electives available. She also suggests that students start researching the multiple campuses available at www.nse.org or email her at l.malito@snhu.edu.

studying abroad & mental health Megan Palmer Editor in Chief

Students preparing to study abroad have a lot to organize before leaving for a new country. Between packing and other physical steps needed before studying abroad, it is also key that students consider their own mental health before departure.

Sophomore year, before departing for my study abroad trip to Italy, I thought about how I anticipated responding to such a big change. Knowing I have anxiety about new things, I was worried I would get there and freak out, so I wanted to do everything I could to prepare and develop coping mechanisms.

Traci Belanger, senior counsel in the Wellness Center, echoed this intention, sharing how important it is for students to take the time to self-reflect and assess what their needs might be.

“Anyone traveling who may have any kind of medical or mental health questions should take the time to check in at the Wellness Center prior to their departure,” Belanger said.

“Health Services and Counseling Services both have a team of helpful professionals who can answer most questions and find

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the answers for any they do not have. If someone is in treatment with services – health or mental health – outside of SNHU, then it is worth the time and effort to talk with your treatment team prior to traveling to make sure you have worked through such issues as medications, seeking help in the area where you will be living and how the health systems work in the country where you will be traveling.”

This is exactly what I did, as I spent the fall semester before leaving working with the Wellness Center and going to counseling to determine what sorts of things might be anxietyinducing and how I could alleviate some of those stressors (e.g. travel, homesickness, culture shock, etc.)

For students getting ready to go, either in the fall or the spring semester, looking into counseling or researching other on or off campus resources can help to make this transition abroad, and back home, easier.

Belanger also highlighted how these resources can be beneficial upon returning to the United States, due to the potential difficulty transitioning back to “normal” life.

“Reverse culture shock is a real thing,” Belanger said. “You

return from one of the most exciting times in your life, only to find your friends are blasé about the whole experience and are more focused on their homework and the new cutie on the floor. Both Study Abroad and the International Student Services offices can help with this issue with suggestions of how to present some of your wonderful experiences and how to keep your excitement about travel going forward.”

My study abroad experience allowed me the opportunity to better get to know myself and grow. If you experience anxiety or are worried about the study abroad experience, here are my three tips for your mental health.

Breathe. Whether you’ve missed your connecting flight or you forgot the word for the tiny, cream-filled pastry, just take a breath.

Balance. Remember to balance home and your new country. Homesickness will hit and it will be hard, but know when you need to call home and also when you just need to tell everyone you don’t have Wi-Fi. Enjoy. Take time to appreciate even the small things. Take days just to sit outside. Remember even the bus ride can be beautiful.

SPORTS

Catherine LaChance Sports Editor

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the season, he injured his UCL and needed Tommy John surgery. Tommy John surgery takes a year to recover from, so he was forced to take the remainder of last season off in addition to the first half of this season. His appearance in the matchup against AIC was his first since the surgery.

“I knew the dugout’s reaction was going to be what it was, everyone was saying how excited they were to see me back there,” said Walkinshaw. “I didn’t expect a video to be made, never mind for it to go viral.

That was pretty crazy.”

Walkinshaw is not the first penmen from the baseball team to go viral. Andrew Lalonde (’18) brought his dog to media day in February and posted a picture of the two of them on Twitter. The photo has been seen by various accounts including Foul Pool Sports, which posts uncensored content of college baseball to its 14.2 thousand followers.

Lalonde also went viral for posting a vine a few years ago.

Walkinshaw said the

SNHU Penmen

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Recently, SNHU has been making a significant presence on social media.

From hosting events such as the fall Fetty Wap concert to the incident of an online professor claiming Australia is not a country, SNHU has been receiving a tremendous amount of national attention. The attention is now shifting more toward SNHU’s sports teams, particularly the baseball team.

On April 8, Penmen Productions posted a video on Twitter showing captain Jake Walkinshaw (‘18) walking to the mound to an eccentric Waka Flocka song before closing out a game versus American International College. The video features his teammates throwing chairs in the air and dancing on benches from within the dugout.

It has since gone viral and has been seen more than 770,000 times. Waka Flocka himself retweeted the video.

Walkinshaw was the team’s starting pitcher last year, but halfway through

snhu baseball goes viral

Jake Walkinshaw's opening seasonal appearance went viral on Twitter, having been filmed by Penmen Productions and was seen by hundreds of thousands of people, including Waka Flocka.

team likes to have fun with their Twitter account. During games, he and Lalonde post updates of on-field action using various memes and images to give their 2,055 followers a good laugh. They also post up-

dates about upcoming games and community service projects.

Head Coach Scott Loiseau believes the publicity will benefit the recruiting process. He said that “social media now is a huge avenue

especially with the high school kids, so they’ll probably see it.”

“Some kid might see it and have him look up the school,” he added. “Anything that's positive is good.

It’s good for the guys.”

Do you want to get involved with The Penmen Press? We are currently looking for students to fill several open positions for the 2018-2019 school year!

Open Positions Include: Copy Editor Social Media Manager

Online Team Members

Video Team Members

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Sports Writers SNHU Penmen

Graduate Student Andrew Lalonde went viral on Twitter for posting this picture of him and his dog on media day.

News Editor

Staff Writers

We meet every Wednesday at 2 p.m. in ACC 106. Email us at penmenpress@snhu.edu for more information!

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