Issue 11 (SP18)

Volume XXIV, Issue 11 April 11, 2018 PenmenPress.com

Manchester, NH

Biology major now offered at snhu

Derek Smith Staff Writer

April 11, 2018: National Pet Day

Starting in the fall, Southern New Hampshire University will be offering a new major open to all students for enrollment. Dr. Katherine York is an Associate Professor of Biology at SNHU and will be running the new Biology program.

Dr. York’s reason for starting the biology program at SNHU is because during the six years that she worked at the University of New Hampshire, she was able to create a new curriculum for the program there and loved it.

York has also seen SNHU grow

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in so many directions in the eight years she has been here, and the biology program at most schools is one of the biggest programs. It works as a foundation for so many other subjects.

According to York “the foundation of the biology program is going to be lab work”.

The content the major will cover is a “one-year sequence in biology and a one-year sequence in chemistry. Both will have labs.

Then there will be two concentrations. One will be leading towards health science, and one will be leading towards cells and organisms,” according to York.

The concentrations will not be

available until the fall of 2019, so any students who will be starting the biology program in the fall will start by taking core classes.

For example, Bio 120 and Bio 120 Lab may be completed in their first semester.

According to York “students will also have a chance to use statistics and mathematical analysis. An example would be how to support data.”

York believes that the bio program will be a big transition into the sciences for the school.

According to York “Even though we have the environmental science major, which is great, the biology program can help build

on that but be its own thing at the same time.”

York’s thoughts on the program are “there will be a lot more lab work and that this will be a vigorous and challenging program.”

Any students who have any interest in joining the Biology program in the fall or have any questions about the program can contact Dr. York or visit her during her office hours. Contact k.york@snhu.edu, Katherine York Office Hours Robert Frost 206, Monday and Thursday 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Tuesday and Friday 8:30-9:30 a.m., Wednesday 12:15-1 p.m.

STEM education, fine arts and community service.

The email advertised the program as the following: “Atlas takes our successful online competency-based education experience and re-engineers it as a face-to-face, on-campus model.

This initiative is taking on the challenge of rethinking the cost of the student lifecycle with the intent of delivering that cost savings to students.”

It continues with, “This fall we will kick off this new experience with 25 students on campus. We are currently in the midst of planning out the full student experience for the first year and are beginning to identify students for the pilot. We will commit to these students for four years, covering their tuition." The students will be responsible for

room and board.

In addition to being responsible for housing and their meal plan, Share confirmed that they will also be responsible for any other campus service fees such as Student Activities Fees, Wellness Fees, Parking Passes, etc.

Paul LeBlanc, president of SNHU, explained how Project Atlas developed.

“Our assumption had always been that this [online] program had always worked best for working adults, non-traditional aged students. We then got a sense that no, it’s also working with students that are close to traditional-aged students now...

The only question we are trying to answer with Project Atlas is: Does a direct assessment program work in the traditional residential setting?”

To accurately determine if Project Atlas is a success, LeBlanc also shared that the Harvard Center for Education Policy Research was hired to conduct the research in an unbiased manner.

According to Kosegarten, “The main purpose of the meeting was to refocus the faculty-administrative relationship on the objective kind of rules of what’s called 'academic governance.' It was motivated by a broad faculty sentiment that there were, or are, three administrative initiatives, which may or may not have merit, validity or efficacy, but in their rollout or implementation, violated the structure of governance. Regardless of the proposals themselves, the initiatives themselves, the way in which it took place seemed to not adhere to the objective processes and rules that are set out.”

Academic governance, according to SNHU, states: “The faculty has primary responsibility for such fundamental areas as curriculum, subject matter and methods of instruction, research, faculty status and those aspects of student life which relate to the educational process.”

Kosegarten explained the importance of governance to faculty. “If you look at the language in the governance, it’s not a faulty right, it’s not a faculty choice, it’s a responsibility. That’s the language in there. It’s the faculty responsibility to uphold governance.”

Kosegarten continued stating, “Three initiatives that I think

Project Atlas Weighs on Faculty

Ryan Evaul Business Manager

What's Inside:

Nikki Fain Online Manager

News | Front & 3-5

Jay Kosegarten, Faculty Senate president and associate professor of psychology, called for an emergency faculty meeting on Tuesday, April 4 at 3:30 p.m to discuss a new program called Project Atlas. The meeting lasted until approximately 5:30 p.m.

Project Atlas came to light when a recruitment email was sent by Executive Director of Project Atlas Jennifer Share to education students working with Destination Imagination, including some SNHU students. Destination Imagination is a project-based learning program for high school students focusing on

Editorials | 2 Feature | 6 Penmen Passion | 7 Arts & Entertainment | 8-9 Opinion | 10-11 Penmen Abroad | 12

Featuring: Greeley Demolition | Page 3 Restaurant Spotlight: Boards and Brews | Page 4 Dining Center: Enivironmentally Friendly Initiatives | Page 5 Nick Peters Bond: From SNHU to Hell's Kitchen | Page 6 Penmen Passion: Josh Harwood | Page 7

Rebecca LeBoeuf

Ready Player One Review | Page 8 Study Abroad: Location Highlight | Page 12

Project Atlas will bring new online students to campus housing.

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letter from the editors the penmen press staff 2017-2018 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

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

The importance of self-care

Though the end of the semester is just weeks away, the pressure placed on college students is not winding down with the academic year. The time crunch only adds fuel to the already burning fire.

While the end may be in sight, it is difficult to step back and breathe, and it can be just as difficult for families, faculty and staff to understand these unique societal expectations placed on college students.

College students today face a wide array of stressors, and these have serious implications on the university campus. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, more than 40 percent of college students have felt a more than an average amount of stress within the past 12 months.

Also included in this report is that more than 80 percent of college students felt overwhelmed by all they had to do in the past year, and 45 percent have felt things were hopeless.

The stresses and pressures are, in many ways, new and are a product of a changing job and financial market.

No longer can students afford to spend their four undergraduate years attending classes and enjoying a social life. It’s just not enough The first reason is that college is expensive, financial aid or not.

According to Student Loan Hero, 44.2 million Americans have stu-

LAYOUT EDITOR Emma Sheehan emma.sheehan@snhu.edu 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.

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opment, “involvement in student organizations has a strong association with psychosocial development, particularly on students’ establishing and clarifying purpose, educational involvement, career planning, life management, and cultural participation.”

All of these pressures and external factors are also juxtaposed against the need and expectation to maintain a social life. Friends and family can often be affected by the stressors of the students in their life, and relationships can become difficult. Yet, it is often these connections that can be the most beneficial during this complicated time.

With all of the added pressures and end of the year fast approaching, it seems easy to be counting away the days until the end of finals, going home or graduation.

But it is so important then to recognize the way these pressures affect you and that it is important to dedicate time and effort into positive self-care.

As the year comes to a close, focusing and stepping back when necessary is crucial. Whether it is exercising, reading, spending time with friends or simply setting small goals and trying to notice the positives, the end of the year shouldn’t be only days to count away, but a chance to appreciate each and every one of them.

Project atlas

SENIOR COPY EDITOR Ginny Fagan virginia.fagan@snhu.edu JUNIOR COPY EDITOR Nick VonSchantz-Ricci nicholas.ricci1@snhu.edu

dent loan debt, and the average monthly student loan payment for borrowers between the ages of 20 and 30 is $351. To manage this (often impending) burden, students must also work a part time job, sometimes two.

In addition to working part time, employers are often searching for candidates with professional experience in their fields.

According to 2018 survey data from the National Association of Colleges and Employers, what matters more than a major and grades is whether or not a candidate completed an internship within the organization’s industry.

On a five-point scale, the average influence rating of a candidate who has completed an internship in the industry is 4.4, and if the experience was within the employer’s organization, the influence rating goes up to 4.6.

Though some people may be fortunate enough to partake in paid internships, this is rare in some fields.

Between jobs, internships and maintaining a high enough GPA to keep scholarships, students are also often expected to find time to get involved on campus and in the community. According to John D. Foubert and Lauren U. Grainger, who conducted a study on the importance of student involvement in relation to psychological devel-

Continued from page 1 got faculty really refocused on governance are interoperability, Project Atlas and something called division heads.”

The controversy around Project Atlas is not whether or not it is a good idea. “The way in which information is disseminated is structured by governance and the way in which information was disseminated did not follow governance protocol," Kosegarten said. "For example, yes, Project Atlas was learned about once it was announced to the world.”

Professor and University Honors Program Director Dr. Andrew Martino said, “There’s a frustration on my part and some of the other faculty’s that we don’t know what’s going on, so we would like a little more transparency.”

Cara Procek, vice president of the Faculty Senate and associate professor of education, mentioned her concerns regarding Project Atlas and her job. She shared that faculty had some awareness of the name of the project, but did not know

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what it entailed.

“What I’m mostly concerned about is that faculty on-campus are seen fully for what we bring on campus," Procek said. "Personally, I spend between 20-25 hours a week working with students outside of classes. That is not possible with Project Atlas...

I value that work I do with students.” Due to the competencybased online program, students in Project Atlas would not receive the same student-faculty relationships and assistance as traditional on-campus students.

LeBlanc acknowledged the faculty’s frustration. “I think we could’ve done a better job just sort of walking the faculty through this because I think when they understand what we are doing and the question we are trying to answer, people will be much more comfortable with it.”

He continued with, “In part because we haven’t been as good with communication as we perhaps needed to be. In my slight defense, we have talked about this. I often say, ‘Are there

questions?’ and I often don’t get questions. And maybe some of this is perhaps because it seems distant and not very soon, and now this stuff is getting closer and it’s like, 'Oooh, wait a minute I want to look at this more closely.'”

What both parties, administration and faculty, are mainly concerned with creating a smoother collaborative relationship while continuing to serve the students and do what is best for them.

From the administrative side, there will two panels on April 10 from 3:30-4:45 p.m. and May 10 from 12-2 p.m. Both sessions will be live-streamed to all faculty who cannot be in attendance. The administration will also be trying to make a safer environment for faculty to communicate by having the option to ask questions anonymously.

Faculty Senate will be sending out a resolution to the Board of Trustees and administration to formally express their concerns.

News news

Life After Greeley

Rebecca LeBoeuf Editor in Chief Josh Warshauer Staff Writer

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Maddie Covino Events Coordinator

students were placed in open residence halls and apartments around campus and brought to Bed, Bath & Beyond to replace some necessities.

“Both Reslife and the SNHU community did a great job handling the situation in my opinion,” McCluskey said. “They were both very open and understanding of the situation.”

Housing was accommodating to all students, including Potter (‘19). “I'll admit I was probably a burden to housing since I refused to get placed with a random. Can't be too careful when you are open as trans.”

Residence Life tried to keep roommates together too. Adam Albano (‘18) was relocated to the Rockingham Townhouse with one of his roommates. McCluskey was moved to New Castle with a roommate.

“I was lucky again because I was set to move to Monadnock after that semester [this one] anyway. So I just had to make it to the end of that semester. Then my roommate and I were put with this nice girl, who's name I also forget, until she graduated and I moved out. I've been at Monadnock since.”

With many other older buildings on campus, including the rest of the West Side Apartments, concerns of future fires have been

electroshock weapons (i.e., Tasers), guns that shoot foam arrows/pellets (i.e., Nerf guns) and martial arts devices.” If a student is found with any of the items listed above, or any other item that falls under the above categories, the weapon will be confiscated indefinitely.

Associate Dean of Student Affairs and the Head of Public Safety, Jim Winn, demonstrated how seriously SNHU deals with instances of finding a weapon on campus. He explained a situation that happened a few years ago where while on a call, Public Safety discovered a firearm in a student’s dorm room.

In describing how Public Safety deals with this sort of case, he said, “It all depends on circumstance. In that circumstance, obviously, we secured it right away, we immediately suspended the student temporarily from the university to make sure that everyone was safe because we didn’t know what the intention was… so, we removed the student, and then did an investigation, and ultimately, the student was expelled from the university, and that is just how serious the university takes these types of things.”

To help them keep track of situations like this as well as any potential threats, SNHU’s Public Safety is in constant contact with Manchester and Hooksett emergency services through a radio provided by those establishments. They also have continual connections with other universities in New Hampshire and the surrounding area, so that they are always aware of impending risks to the campus.

“Agencies, and law enforcement and Public Safety [in the past] were kind of in their own cylos, if you will, and I believe what happened, since 9/11 and now with some domestic terrorism and we have these shootings in schools, there are much more coordinated and collaborated efforts between all of these agencies,” said Winn.

To prepare for a critical situation, the police, fire and SWAT departments come to campus every summer to practice the protocol that would take place in the event of an active shooter and to familiarize themselves with the layout of the university. Public Safety officers also participate in this run-through to ensure that they will be able to provide the

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Last semester, SNHU witnessed an electrical fire in Greeley Hall that left the apartment building uninhabitable. While the fire displaced all its residents, the efforts made by the SNHU community helped the transition process.

Like most incidents, this one did not go without its witnesses.

Roommates Emmett Christian (‘20) and Samantha Chiodi (‘21) saw the events unfold from their dorm room window. "The first thing that happened was the smell of smoke in New Castle, lights in the room," Christian said. "I thought it was popcorn or a vape and then real smoke and fire trucks and then people had morbid curiosity and texted all [their] Greeley friends.”

Sky Potter (‘19) lived in Greeley at the time of the fire. “It was strange because my roommate and I started getting our phones blown up and we just ignored it for a while," Potter said. "Eventually, my roommate got a call from our friend asking us frantically if we were in the building." Potter exited the building unscathed. "I was lucky to have my most im-

portant belongings either on me or were able to be retrieved.”

Most students did not lose many of their belongings in the fire. “Much to my amazement, the sprinkler system hadn’t even gone off, which seemed somewhat concerning,” Robert McCluskey (‘19) said. Once the fire was extinguished, a firefighter brought McCluskey inside to grab a couple necessities, including his wallet.

As for everything else, the gym was set up for residents to claim their salvageable belongings. While most items hadn’t suffered damage, McCluskey said “we had to rely on other people from the school to remove our things from the apartment and as a result, we did end up losing a number of items that never got brought out.”

As for emotional damage, SNHU students had the opportunity to receive support and counseling in the fire’s aftermath.

Students were also followed up “to ensure available support, and, for the most part, got positive feedback from people appreciative of support,” Assistant Dean of Students Meagan Sage said.

Sage had taken action to help the students ease through this incident. On the night of the fire, she said each student was offered a hotel room. Afterwards,

The remnants of Greeley after its recent demolition. addressed. “Buildings are up to code and all proper testing [was done] to ensure buildings are safe, but there are circumstances where things can happen,” Sage said. “Scary but true.”

“The entire situation and semester was very stressful after the fire, but it was simply because of the nature of the situation and not because of the way the school handled it,” McCluskey said. “It is hard to think of ways

that things could be done better, as a fire is not something people become regularly accustomed to dealing with, but it seemed like what was done was good.”

Over the summer, Whittier Hall will also be demolished, with plans to create a green space between Kingston Hall and New Castle over the summer, according to the March 9 email sent out by the Office of Residence Life staff.

most reliable assistance when necessary.

Winn also explained that there is a program that was installed in each classroom which allows faculty to press a button in case of an emergency situation.

When they press that button, information is sent and fed to the nearest police cars so that they can get to the university as soon as possible.

Public Safety also has ways to keep students and faculty updated on possible critical situations should they arise on campus, such as SNHU Alerts.

SNHU Alerts is a system that Public Safety uses to keep the SNHU community informed.

Typically, one can register their cell phone to receive messages from SNHU Alerts by going to my.snhu.edu, scrolling down to the Public Safety tab and clicking on the SNHU Alerts link. Then just follow the prompts, create an account and that’s all. Within this page, students can also find a video that describes what they can and should do if a crisis situation were to arise.

“Please register for SNHU Alerts,” said Winn, “because that’s how we’re going to com-

municate with you in an emergency.”

Along with keeping students informed in dangerous situations, SNHU Alerts is also used to update the SNHU community on topics such as school cancellations.

In order to help educate students and faculty on what they should do in a crisis, Public Safety is holding classes that will teach attendees on the correct protocol they should follow when they are put in a hazardous position.

“What we are trying to do is give a skill set,” said Winn. “So, if you were at the mall and something were to happen, if you were at a church and something were to happen, you would know what to do.”

The next scheduled date for this program will be April 10 from 2 p.m. until 3 p.m. in Walker Auditorium. Winn noted that they are hoping to make this a regularly scheduled session for students in the SNHU community.

“I think it is very important for students to be educated through our program,” Winn said. “I don’t want people to be paranoid, right, but I want them to be prepared.”

Public Safety is prepared for the worst

Rosa Valente News Editor With the current atmosphere around gun violence, Public Safety provided details on the protocol for when a gun is present on campus. Some details have been excluded for the sake of security of the campus in the event of a crisis situation.

According to SNHU’s Student Handbook, “possessing, displaying, using or distributing a firearm or any other weapon or explosive on property owned by or under control of the University” is not permitted. The handbook defines a weapon as “an instrument of offensive or defensive combat or something to fight with,” but can also include any item that is wielded with intentions on harming another living being.

Weapons which are not allowed on campus include but are not limited to “firearms, bb guns, ammunition, bows, arrows, swords, rockets, slingshots, air guns, paintball guns, personal knives (2 inch blade or greater),

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News

Classic Games and Casual Eats found at Boards and Brews Nick VonSchantz-Ricci Junior Copy Editor

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People are also welcome to pick and choose games themselves, although that may be difficult, considering that the café’s collection features 946 games spanning many genres and skill levels.

“I’ve probably played around half,” said Tufts.

Looking for some sustenance to fuel a night of gaming? Boards and Brews provides a casual menu lined with sandwiches, salads and snacks. Additionally, a full bar featuring craft beer, wine and game-themed cocktails is available for those of age.

Tufts held several preopening events to spark excitement in the concept. “Two years ago, I started Keatingcon. We had about 30 people play games all day. Last year we had about 100 people.”

In March, Keating attended the annual Granite Game Summit in Nashua where he held an event and spread the

termined by weight, whereas meals like pasta or burgers have a standard price. While it may seem challenging at times, there are always ways to eat healthy while on a college meal plan.

There are several meal plans that students have access to ranging anywhere from $875/ semester to $2,100/semester.

Meal plans can only be changed during the first two weeks of a semester. Any remaining balance from the first semester will carry over to the second semester, but a remaining balance at

the end of the second semester is forfeited. The plan that freshman are required to start with is $1,900, but the traditional meal plan is $1,350. It is important to keep this balance in mind because students are often left with either too much money on their plans at the end of the year or too little.

Make a budget that takes into account how many meals students eat in a day and what the approximate costs are of the choices students make. Make sure to plan out what it typically costs to eat for a week, month or semester and then make choices about which plan will work best. Finding the plan that meets a student’s specific needs is essential if a student is looking to save money. If students are thinking about healthier eating, create a healthy menu based on Dining Center choices and try it for a week. Be sure to estimate what each meal costs as well as its nutritional value.

Creating menus in advance can make healthy eating and managing a meal plan’s bottom line easier.

Another important aspect of eating healthy on campus

word about his new business.

Boards and Brews will cater to large groups through their private room, which holds up to twelve people and can be reserved in advance.

The grand opening is set to take place in mid to late-April.

The café will be open seven days a week, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. on weekends.

There will be a 5 dollar entry fee to play the games.

Boards and Brews will provide a venue where individuals of all ages can come together and celebrate gaming.

Updates regarding the opening date are available through boardsandbrewsnh. com and the café's Facebook page.

Nick VonSchantz-Ricci

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Board games are a classic, yet constantly evolving, form of entertainment that are enjoyed by individuals of all ages. These games span many genres, from childhood favorites such as Apples to Apples and Monopoly, to edgy innovations like Dirty Minds and Cards Against Humanity.

Boards and Brews, a soon-tobe-open board game cafe and bar, celebrates the humble board game as a means of bringing people together.

Located on Elm Street in downtown Manchester, Boards and Brews is the brainchild of Keating Tufts, a SNHU alumnus with an affinity for Board Games. Tufts felt that there was a deficit in unique sources of entertainment in Manchester beyond restaurants and bars.

“I wanted to create some-

thing different downtown… I stumbled into [Board Games] and I saw what they were able to do in bringing people together,” said Tufts.

In recent years, board game cafés have become very popular in major cities across the globe. “They started overseas in Asia. [South] Korea had a few, then they opened one in Canada,” said Tufts.

This café, called Snakes and Lattes, opened in Toronto in 2010 and ignited the expansion of this unique variety of entertainment.

Despite their ever-growing popularity, board game cafés remain off-the-radar for many people, but Tufts is looking to change that.

“When you walk in, you’ll get greeted at the door, we’ll find you a table, we’ll explain the set up… you can order drinks and food, and we’ll also suggest a game and teach it to you,” said Tufts.

How to Be Mindful With Eating and Spending Amy Sumsion Staff Writer Eating healthy can be hard.

It is challenging when there are quicker, cheaper alternatives more readily available. When students walk into the dining center they can wait in line for the salad bar or deli line or they can walk right up to the grill and get chicken tenders and french fries with no wait at all.

In the Dining Center, it is also more expensive to eat healthily. Salad prices are de-

Live Lighter

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is remembering that menus at SNHU have items listed with symbols such as VG, O and V. The symbols indicate if the food is vegetarian, organic or vegan to meet any dietary restrictions that students may have. If a student has a specific allergy, the Simple Servings and My Zone stations provide meals that are prepared without common allergens such as milk, eggs, wheat, soy, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts and any gluten-containing ingredients.

There are also some easy tips to keep in mind for general healthier eating as well. For instance, bring a reusable water bottle to the dining center and get water instead of soda or even pricey bottled water. This avoids unnecessary amounts of sugar and is also free. Also, add more fruits and vegetables into all meals. Getting stir-fry? Ask for all the vegetables instead of just broccoli. When getting a burrito bowl from Fiesta Zone, an omelet from Global Cuisine or a sandwich from the Ultimate Deli, get as many vegetables as possible. These items are not charged based on weight and adding more will not hurt

students’ outstanding balances.

It will cost the same amount regardless of what’s inside the meal.

Keeping meals well-balanced is also important. A well-balanced meal is about one half vegetables such as broccoli, peppers and tomatoes, and fruit, such as apples, grapes or melons. Then add one-quarter grains consisting of whole wheat bagels, potatoes or brown rice. Finally, pile on one-quarter of proteins such as beans, chickpeas, eggs, fish, chicken, etc.

If students have any further questions about eating healthy, the SNHU dietitian, Kristen Chulada, is available to discuss topics ranging from athletic performance, nutrition, mindful eating and even weight concerns as well. Contact her at kristen.chulada@snhu.edu to learn more or schedule an appointment.

Students can also visit https://www.choosemyplate. gov/ to learn more about healthy eating and even create a personalized plan to help meet any specific needs students might have.

news

Campus Culture Challenges a More Environmentally Friendly Dining Center Giuliana D'India Staff Writer Nikki Fain Online Manager

Emma Sheehan

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Students returning to campus this semester may have noticed a change in the dining center. Dan VanAvery, the general manager of the dining center, made the decision to bring back metal utensils instead of offering exclusively plastic.

The new year means a new slate. This new year, the dining center introduced 1,200 metal pieces of each utensil, offering forks, knives and spoons. Students on campus now have the option to be environmentally friendly at every meal.

Despite this new change, this is not the only action the dining center takes to be environmentally friendly. However, most students on campus may be uninformed to the extent of how the dining center promotes environmental sustainability.

VanAvery expresses the struggle to become more environmentally friendly is hindered by the culture of the campus. One example is the “to-go” nature of our campus.

Students like Sam Barrett (‘20) highlight the issues facing the dining center’s potential efforts to be more environmentally friendly.

“I’m usually on the go, that’s just who I am. . . [grabbing a plate] usually slips my mind and [the dining center employees] usually instantly grab the boat first.”

Melanie Alibozek (‘20) also notices this pattern. “When the people give you your food, they automatically assume you want

it on a boat.”

VanAvery explains, “It’s a culture shift. It even changed my staffing habits. Our first choice is to put it on a plate.

We go through retraining every year, so next year we’ll go through this: grab the plate first. . . The boat is a lot more environmentally friendly than a lot of other things, however I’d rather it on a plate. When we originally started this, we never even had those boats.”

The culture of the campus is always at the forefront of VanAvery’s mind. It determines his actions as the general manager of the dining center. Every year, one of the most common trends remains to be food sustainability, but to be effectively sustainable, VanAvery sees a conflict.

“It’s not that we don’t want to be sustainable. We brought back the metal, because [we wanted to] bring back choice.

But originally we had metal probably two years ago, but we did away with it, because we were going through hundreds of pieces of silverware a week. . . [Students] were throwing it away.”

He continues by saying, “We want to be sustainably responsible, because if the culture isn't there, the students to do the right thing, we can't do that.”

While VanAvery believes that this culture change must be “peer-driven.” he does still try to think of solutions that cater to students’ desire for instant gratification and mobility.

“It’s called Choose to Reuse. Basically you can come up to any station, ask for a green container to go, they’ll put your meal in it, you pay one time for

SNHU's dining center is taking on several initiatives to become more environmentally friendly. $6. You own it. You come back.

You put it in the bin. The cashier will give you a coin, you go back to where ever you want, get another one, because we clean them for you. That’s when we give you the coin, because you already paid for it, you go back to the stir fry station, they give you a green container, go back to the cashier give the cashier your coin, and you don’t have to pay for it.”

Essentially, any student could have access to reusable to-go containers that are cleaned for them. After, they can return the containers in the bins next to the cash register to be cleaned. The bins next to the registers may look like that of a

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One of the dining center's new initiatives includes bringing back metal silverware.

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trash can, but one can differentiate the Choose to Reuse bins by the posters on the side.

VanAvery continued to explain other efforts that the dining center has made to be environmentally friendly. One of the ways in which VanAvery is most proud of is their compost.

The dining center began composting in 2011. While they may only compost the meal prep excess rather than the leftovers of the meal, they still compost 250 lbs a day. All of the compost is then given to the local farms they work with to use as a more eco-friendly fertilizer.

The decision to not compost the leftovers of meals mainly has to do with the handling and amount of waste.

“We have less than 160 lbs of waste a day. . . A lot of campuses will say they’re composting and what they do is put it in barrels and put it outside and it’s hauled away. That is not the most sanitary process and not one that I’m really engaged in.”

Other waste that is used is fry oil. VanAvery explained, “All of our fry oil gets recycled and uses biodiesel.” Biodiesel is an alternate source of the fossil fuel, diesel.

VanAvery also considers where the food he serves comes from. By using Stonyfield Yogurt, he supports local businesses. By using Coca-Cola products, he supports their commitment to sustainability whether it’s through their building design, their product

design or recycling.

“It makes me really happy to see the changes that the dining hall is making so far!” Nejra Fazlic (‘19) says about the changes the dining center has made. Fazlic has pursued an independent study this semester focused on the challenge sustainability faces on SNHU’s campus as well as determining solutions and their implementation.

While Fazlic may agree with VanAvery that the root of the problem is the campus culture, they differ on one aspect.

“The culture of the campus plays a large role in the success of the environmental efforts made by the dining hall.

It is one thing to provide our community with more environmentally-friendly options and another for people to actually follow and use them properly. . .

I do believe that the dining hall should have more of an active role regardless of whether students are pushing for more environmentally-friendly efforts. . . The school has a responsibility to take the initiative and start introducing more eco-friendly options.”

However, perhaps the SNHU campus will see the dining center begin to take on more new initiatives to be environmentally friendly. It is not something VanAvery is opposed to.

“The nice thing about our environment is, every four years, there’s a whole new group of folks.”

Feature

Nick Peters Bond: From SNHU’s Kitchen to “Hell’s Kitchen” Maddie Covino Events Coordinator Tyler Leighton Staff Writer Nick VonSchantz-Ricci Junior Copy Editor

Hidden Remote

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Nick Peters Bond during Finals Week on Hell’s Kitchen.

I didn’t watch the show in detail, which I thought was a good thing, but I really think it hurt me because I really had no idea what to expect,” said Bond. This lack of familiarity from the first season was converted to self-assurance and a newfound willingness to relax and enjoy himself during his second season.

When asked if he would change how he performed in the competition, he replied, “The first time I was on it I would have changed a lot of stuff that I did with dishes and the way I acted and just the way I kind of let my nerves get the best of me.” Bond’s attitude shifted during his second season stating that, “this time, I just didn’t feel those nerves and I stand behind all my dishes on the show, especially my finale menu.”

Many “Hell’s Kitchen” viewers felt that the handling of the finale was controversial. Bond, being in the heat of the competition, felt strongly opinionated toward the speed in which Gordon Ramsay and the producers moved from his elimination into the final challenge. “It was weird how it went down.

I even heard some behind the scenes chatter that the other people were thinking it was weird and they were kind of confused as to what happened… it was strange,

there was no send off because they had to keep going with the finale… I don’t think they played it out really well,” said Bond.

Although Bond was

Anna Laugelle

From the SNHU culinary program to one of the most well-known cooking competitions in the country, Nick Peters Bond has transcended expectations by appearing on “Hell’s Kitchen,” an acclaimed competition series that airs on FOX. After the completion of his first season in 2014, he was asked to return to the show for season 17, also known as the All-Star season.

Bond attended SNHU from 2006 to 2010 as a culinary management major.

During his time at the university, Bond learned all of the basic skills that readied him for his future career in the restaurant industry. “I think that it prepared me for the real world especially because I got my first line cook job right out of college and I became a sous chef shortly after that in a restaurant in Cambridge. It was pretty quick from me graduating to me getting my first adult job,” said Bond.

Bond’s original “dream school” from an early age was Johnson and Wales, a college well-known for its culinary arts program. He decided to attend SNHU because, “It was a lot smaller [and] it was more intimate.

I loved the campus and it was really pretty. It just had a different vibe than Johnson & Wales did.” In contrast to other, larger universities, Bond valued the small and personable classroom environment and tight-knit community at SNHU. Since the All-Star season was his second time on the show, Bond felt more confident going into the competition having experienced the chaos that is “Hell’s Kitchen.” “The first time

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frustrated with how the finale was carried out, he is now thriving with his new catering business, Kitchen to Aisle.

This new project that he

co-founded first came to light in November of 2017, making it his first business venture. “We’re doing it all and I don’t want to say no to anything yet because we’re so new,” said Bond. “I’m really excited to see where that goes and hopefully it will take off.”

Bond has gained valuable insight into the industry that stems from years of working in professional kitchens. He expressed the benefit of advocating for yourself, which he had done right after graduating from the culinary program. Bond said, “No one is going to do you any favors, especially in this industry. Don’t wait for promotions… you really have to go out and do it yourself.”

penmen passion Sultan Akhter Junior Business Manager

Josh Harwood: The "Average Joe" of SNHU

Catherine Lachance Sports Editor Rosa Valente News Editor

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Josh Harwood

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Josh Harwood is a business professor here at SNHU and is also the advisor for the Kappa Delta Phi fraternity. Harwood grew up in his hometown of Sutton, New Hampshire.

He was part of the last class that was accepted to New Hampshire College before they changed their name to Southern New Hampshire University and earned his degree in Business Administration with a minor in Sociology. He never expected to be teaching in the same classrooms that he once sat in.

“The one thing I never wanted to do was teach because my brother, my mom and my dad are all teachers,” he said.

“So, I said, ‘there’s no way in heck I’m going into education or anything thereof,’ and here I am teaching.”

Harwood’s dream job was and will always be to become a meteorologist. He acknowledged that his math and science skills weren’t exactly up to par, and that’s why he has yet to try and pursue it. However, he explained that if he were ever able to improve on those skills, he would most definitely try to become one.

“I’ve always been interested in weather, but I like the…speaking in front of people when they are not actually there, because I actually don’t like speaking in front of people,” he said. “People get so surprised…but I can talk to millions of people when it’s just one camera…I just thought it would be a fun job. You can always be wrong in [that] profession and still have a job.”

Harwood eventually chose the more realistic path of becoming a manager and worked for Hannaford for 17 years. He loved what he did, however, toward the end of his managing career, he realized that there was no more room for growth.

He eventually made the decision to start teaching, first at Daniel Webster College and then at Manchester Community College.

Harwood started working at SNHU in January 2016 after reconnecting with one of his old professors, Sue Losapio.

“She said there was a lecture opening here, and I was already teaching at other colleges and

Josh Harwood is awarded the University College Faculty Academic Advisor of the Year award at the 2017 Commencement ceremony.

I said, ‘what the heck?’ It was a year and a half commitment, and I might not have a job after a year and a half, but…I’ll take the risk and thankfully, I’m here permanently now…it was a risky decision to make, and it was the right decision,” he said.

When asked what changed his mind on being a teacher, Harwood explained that his parents had pushed him to earn a master’s degree. He chose education for a reason that even he now disagrees with.

“I said, ‘I’m going to pick the one that looks the easiest.

I’m getting a master’s degree in Education,’” said Harwood.

“That looked the easiest-[it] definitely was not.”

Harwood then went on to talk about how in his first day of classes for his master’s degree, his professor, Steve Booth, completely changed his view on teaching.

“I wanted to be a teacher because of him,” he said. “So, after my master’s program… I started dabbling [in teaching], and I just naturally fell in love

because of that one person.”

Harwood mentioned four professors that he had here at SNHU who pushed him out of his comfort zone and amazed him with the amount of knowledge they were able to share.

Andrea Bard in Communications helped him get over his fear of public speaking and made him love doing it in her class, and Frank Catano in Sociology blew him away with his vast knowledge on his subject.

Harwood shared a story about Steve Booth in Business in which Booth told the class that he would randomly call on people to talk about a chapter and called on Harwood in the second class of the semester to do so, but Harwood had not read.

From that moment on, Harwood was always prepared for class, and he credits Booth with teaching him that people will usually follow through with what they say. However, of all his mentors, he mostly credits Sue Losapio for his current success.

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“Losapio-we kept in contact after graduation, she had my wife in class, she knows the family and she is the one that made that first contact that got me back to campus and I always try to teach like her. She’s the go-to mentor,” he said.

When asked what his favorite part is about teaching here at SNHU, Harwood said that not only are students “awesome,” but also, his job is “different every day.” He commented on his affinity for having every student as his advisee, saying he likes to “actively recruit.” He also explained what he wants students to take away from his classes and how he hopes the relevance of what he teaches will change.

“You might not learn anything in my class, and that’s okay because everything I teach, you’ll understand five years later,” he said. “A lot of the stuff I teach is everyday things that might not relate to anybody right now, but I hope that it will actually relate to them five, six, seven years from now and they’ll be like, ‘oh yeah, Har-

wood taught me that.’”

When Harwood is not teaching, he can be found binge-watching The Office. He has memorized the name of every episode and has a tattoo from the show.

He also loves to go on road trips and travel; he has a goal to visit all fifty states. In addition to those interests, Harwood spends a great deal of time with his family which consists of his wife and their two daughters.

However, he acknowledged the fact that most of his time is spent at SNHU, and his family supports him in that.

“I love this place. If they could just give me a dorm somewhere, the whole family would move in,” he said. “If I just had to give general worldly wisdom: Make contacts…and always know when to take a break… It’s okay to turn off. I tell students in class that if you know you need a mental day, it’s okay. If it’s for the right reasons, turn your brain off and throw a frisbee around and stop thinking about school.”

arts and entertainment Jinkies! 'Scoobynatural' Crossover is a Total Scooby Snack!

Samantha Aguilar Hernandez Staff Writer

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Zach Meisel Staff Writer

Cartoon Network

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While others wait for the mega-crossover that is Marvel’s "Infinity War," some "Supernatural" lovers just received a dose of nostalgia with another legendary crossover.

On Thursday, March 29th, the highly anticipated "Supernatural" and "Scooby Doo" crossover premiered on The CW. In this episode, Sam, Dean and Castiel get sucked into the animated world of Scooby Doo by a vengeful ghost who takes over their television set.

The Winchester brothers along with the Scooby Gang must work together to solve a ghostly mystery.

What starts like any old episode of "Scooby Doo" suddenly turns into a new terrifying episode of "Supernatural," with language, violence, murder and more.

Although the Gang is ultimately surrounded by all the

darker elements that make "Supernatural" thrilling, the brothers are willing to preserve the Gang’s innocence until the end of the episode.

With the success that "Scoobynatural" brought to "Supernatural's" thirteenth season, it is safe to say that a fourteenth season has been ordered.

Although there's been no news of whether or not fans will be seeing those "meddling kids" once again, some fans support the idea of having another episode with the Gang.

"Scoobynatural" has everything one could look for in an epic crossover: references, homages, the characteristic animation style, bloody murder scenes and violent ghosts that maintain the essence of both shows.

Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, Misha Collins and writers of the show sure deserve a Scooby Snack after nailing what is arguably the "most ambitious crossover event in recent history."

"Ready Player One" Plays to Its Strengths

From the best-selling novel of the same name, Ready Player One is a decent example of

how to mix pop-culture references and futuristic technologies in an interesting, albeit uneven, film.

Steven Spielberg does his best to create an absorbing

homage to the past in what could have been an overstuffed nostalgia reference.

Taking place in the year 2045, Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan) lives in Ohio with his

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aunt on top of a stack of trailers in a section fittingly called “the stacks”. With the economy destroyed, the only currency that’s worth anything is inside the massive video game named OASIS. So naturally, instead of trying to fix the outside world, many people retreat into this virtual world created by James Halliday (Mark Rylance).

Halliday is the richest man on earth and when he passes away he promises one lucky person ownership of OASIS and its riches.

Wade hopes to become that person, but he must solve Halliday’s three obscure challenges and fight against Nolan Sorrento (Ben Mendelsohn), who hopes to put his company IOI (Innovative Online Industries) on top, to unlock the hidden easter egg.

The film does a good job of taking its world seriously, but a bad job of making the world feel feasible. OASIS is a game that towers above all games; people make a living and survive by playing this game. It is never explained how profitable the game is or what else there is to do besides play this

game.

This fact never detracts from the events that take place but thinking too hard about the aspects besides virtual reality can lead to questions about what is happening in the outside world.

Steven Spielberg does a good job of creating an interesting and imaginative world within OASIS and of the outside world. Spielberg creates a world that weaves pop-culture references and special effect set pieces together in a way that doesn’t diminish the key messages.

A constant fear of movie adaptions is changing sections to be more interesting onscreen while destroying the writer’s vision.

With Ernest Cline cowriting the screenplay for the movie it feels as though it is given a stamp of approval to stay true to the themes of the novel.

Even with some missteps, Ready Player One is still an exciting adventure that has plenty of entertaining action sequences as it does heartfelt moments that should entertain most moviegoers.

Arts and Entertainment Troy Robinson Arts and Entertainment Editor

River Matis Staff Writer

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What do history and power metal have in common?

Why, it’s the power metal band Sabaton, of course.

For example, Cesar must constantly find a way to balance maintaining good grades while also dealing with the fact that he’s been inducted into his brothers gang and that there’s no way out.

What I love about this series is that the daily occurrences the cast witnesses are actively embraced.

Furthermore, the personal problems each character faces are all intricate and play a huge role in who they are as characters.

Everything in this show comes around full circle for the characters. Each episode is impactful and drives the audience to continue onward.

With Ruby’s comedic relief on top of Jamal’s quirky behavior, the show just feels good all around and all of the characters are relatable and likeable.

I highly recommend this show to any and everyone who

Crazy Cat Lady Productions

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On My Block is a new series on Netflix that tackles life in the eyes of teens that grow up around gangs and in neighborhoods plagued by violence. The story takes place in Texas and surrounds the lives of Monse, Cesar, Jamal and Ruben.

The story tackles their lives upon entering high school. This show took many by storm and puts out a different perspective on what it means to struggle and live in a fractured home all while still trying to live and even more so, enjoy life and what you have.

The entire series tackles the typical situations relating to the lives of teenagers.

However with this show, the kids each have their own stories and problems that they face day to day. The problems they face each day are interesting.

"On My block" – taking off

wants a show that explains a struggle but at the same time stresses the point of enjoying

life whenever possible.

On My Block gets the job done. It’ll evoke all sorts of

emotions within its viewers regardless of their background or personal experience.

battle of D-Day. Other examples include “Stalingrad,” a song about the German attack on Stalingrad, and “Into the Fire,” which is about the napalm strikes during the Vietnam war.

As Sabaton’s success grew, they began touring with bands such as DragonForce and Hammerfall. They released more and more albums focusing on historical themes, and went through a lineup change.

The longest remaining members of the group are Joakim Brodén (lead vocals and keyboards) and Pär Sundström (backup vocals and bass), both being founding members of the band since its start.

Sabaton’s two latest albums, “Heroes (2014)” and “The Last Stand (2016)” have become notable, with the former focusing on the theme of war heroes in WWII, and the latter being based off famous last stand battles across history.

The band has become more notable in America in recent years as well as across Europe and Japan.

Sabaton has also been nominated and won several awards such as the Bandit Rock Awards and Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards.

The band, alongside their original works, have released covers of songs such as “For Whom the Bell Tolls”

by Metallica, and more recently “Kingdom Come” by Manowar.

Sabaton has a YouTube channel where they upload vlogs and updates on the band.

They also hold their annual Sabaton open air festival in their hometown of Falun.

The Power Metal Machine: Sabaton

Starting in 1999 with their demo album “Fist for Fight,” the Swedish band from Falun began their journey. Their first album consisted of standard metal songs with no real overarching theme across the

album. That changed in 2005.

Their first theme album was called “Primo Victoria.”

“Primo Victoria” contains several songs about World War Two, an example being the title track, a song about the

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OPINION

No dairy-free alternatives in dining centEr Catherine LaChance Sports Editor

World Affairs Council of New Hampshire

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As an individual who is stricken with lactose intolerance, I am forced to watch my friends enjoy delicious ice cream and flavorful yogurts while I stand to the side unable to partake in the tasteful fun.

Unlike them, my stomach can’t tolerate lactose, which, for those of you who do not know, is a protein found in dairy products, or more specifically, cow milk. Therefore, I must eat dairy free alternatives in order to avoid getting sick. I eat goat cheese, Daiya cheese, coconut milk, sorbet and coconut yogurt. However, I can only eat these products when I’m at home or off campus because no dairy free alternatives are offered at the dining center.

The dining center lacks providing dairy free options for students with allergies such as myself. The only item they offer is soy milk which is distasteful and high in fat. I often go over to “My Zone” by the Deli where they display all the allergen-free food and look in the fridge to see if someone finally stocked it with coconut milk and yogurt, but each time

I am let down when I see soy milk as their only alternative.

When I finish dinner and am looking for a sweet treat, I want to head over to Just Desserts for some cold, silky sorbet, but then I remember they don’t offer sorbet and that they only offer dairy-filled ice cream. I get frustrated whenever I am reminded of this as

I want to enjoy ice cream like anyone else. It's especially hard when all my friends rave about the ice cream selection; they say it’s some of the best ice cream they have had, but I wouldn’t know. I wouldn’t know how sweet the cotton candy flavor is or how enjoyable the mint chocolate chip is or even how chocolatey the mudslide is. I

can’t eat any of the flavors Just Desserts has. Instead, if I really want ice cream, I have to find someone with a car who is willing to drive me all the way to Ben and Jerry’s so I can get two scoops of berry-berry sorbet. Ben and Jerry's is out of the way and I have to pay for the sorbet out of pocket as it is not covered in my pre-paid dining

plan.

Not having dairy free options at the dining center is frustrating for someone like myself who is allergic to lactose. The dining center should consider offering lactose free foods like goat cheese, coconut milk and even sorbet. Doing so will allow dairy free folks to enjoy their favorite foods as well.

When it comes to the texture of the PB, I have always only used creamy PB, and I refuse to so much as try chunky PB. Am I missing out on something wonderful?

It’s possible. Do I care? Absolutely not.

To those who say I’m missing out on the texture of crunchy PB, boy do I have a delicious solution: add chips to your sandwich.

Plain potato chips are the greatest addition to a PB&J. They add a crispy, crunchy texture that breaks through the softness of all of the other ingredients. The saltiness of the chips also counteracts the sweetness of the chosen jelly.

Toasting the bread is also something I do and it adds a crunchier texture to the sandwich. The warmth from the toasted bread contrasts the cold jelly, bringing the entire sandwich together.

The perfect PB&J is made with toasted bread, Skippy creamy PB (or natural PB), grape jelly and plain potato chips. To all those who think this sounds gross, don’t knock it ‘till you try it.

The perfect peanut butter and jelly Ginny Fagan Copy Editor

Food Count

When it comes to sandwiches, I’ll admit I am not the biggest fan (with the exception of breakfast sandwiches, those will always be good). I haven’t enjoyed eating lunch meat since bologna and cheese sandwiches in elementary school, and I am extremely picky when it comes to types of cheese and other condiments.

Despite all of this, there is one sandwich I have always truly enjoyed: the peanut butter and jelly.

Though there is some debate over which kind of jelly or jam belongs on a PB&J, my preference is grape. I grew up with grape, and there’s not a person in the world who can change my mind, though I will admit that strawberry

isn’t terrible.

Another debate occurs over the type of peanut butter used. As for the brand of PB, I grew up with Skippy. Jif users can keep their opinions to themselves as far as I’m concerned. Though I prefer

Skippy, natural PB is also an incredible choice. I recently learned that Whole Foods provides customers with an opportunity to hand-grind their peanuts into PB, and I cannot wait to get my hands on some.

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OPINION

Is Tinder Really Worth It?

River Matis Staff Writer

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Mike Banarhall Staff Writer Over the years, snow days have been both a good and bad thing for SNHU. The snow days in the fall and the spring semesters have both excited and disappointed students. The excitement stems from the cancellation of classes, which leaves more time to relax. Snow days in the fall semester aren’t really a big deal since we have time off during the

Olivia Hayes: Her.ie

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Is swiping right really worth it on tinder? There is no guarantee you’ll get a match, and it’s hard to be sure if the person will even message you back.

Tinder is reaching its sixth year in September. In those six years it has barely changed its formula of simply swiping left or right to find a match. If you haven’t heard of Tinder, it is a location based dating app which lets you match with someone by swiping right on their picture. If you both don’t like each other then you will not be able to contact one another.

Matches are based around the age range you specify (anywhere between 18-55+).

You can also super like your match to let them know you really like them, and if you have Tinder+ you can see who liked you and get unlimited swipes.

Now here’s the thing, everything is random and barely any users write details on their profile. Unlike its competition OKCupid, Tinder does not suggest matches based on answers you give to ques-

tions, but only suggests those in your area.

Now say you do get a match with someone you genuinely liked... there are some people who use the messaging feature to harass people. The downside of no algorithm is

that you don’t get an idea of what the person is like, you have to hope that they aren’t a jerk after you match.

As for the LGBTQ community, tinder does allow you to put your gender in the description, but it does not affect

the algorithm; you still have to select whether you show up under men or women, leaving non-binary lonely hearts a little dysphoric.

Now is tinder really worth it? Like any dating site it’s all whether you’re brave enough

to meet someone who could be faking what they look like or who they are, and as with any dates you set up with a stranger from online, make sure you’re in a public place and you have a safe way to get back home in case things go

holidays.

Snow days in the spring semesater are more valued because we don't have to worry about the limited classes toward the end of the semester and teachers don’t like canceling classes due to snow days.

During the fall semester, the amount of snows days are always limited. The semester begins in September and the weather during that time, before the holidays, is pretty good. Snow days are few

and far between due to the mild temperatures. In my opinion, snows days aren’t really an issue during the fall season. Most of the time the weather hasn’t reached those freezing temperatures that we need for a big snowfall.

During spring semester at SNHU, snows days were more common this year than last year, when the students didn’t really have a lot of days off besides spring break. More snow days occurred during the spring

of 2018 because we had three nor'easter winter storms backto-back. One storm occurred just before students went on spring break. During the outbreak of these nor’easter winter storms SNHU received at least three snow days and many class cancellations.

When these snow days occurred during the semester, teachers hated cancelling classes because of the weather. This is mostly due to the limited time

available toward the end of the semester to finish up everything required to close out the term.

During the time of the three winter storms that occurred during spring semester and gave SNHU many snow days, I received 18-24 inches at my house alone so I couldn’t really go anywhere during spring break. The snows days during spring break made the break just a little bit longer, but in general spring break just isn’t long enough. Even with those snow days, many students, myself included, still found spring break very short due to the forced isolation caused by the snow.

In my opinion, snow days will be a problem for schools around the world, but it doesn’t matter whether it’s the fall or spring semester. SNHU will always have snow days in place of academic classes. I love a good snow day. It’s a chance for most people to get caught up on homework. I use them as an opportunity to chill out at home to watch movies, play video games and work on my genre novels.

Amount of Snow Days in Fall vs. Spring

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penmen ABROAD

Gain Global Business Skills in Cologne, Germany Nicholas VonSchantz-Ricci Junior Copy Editor

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Studying abroad as a business major allows students to gain a direct understanding of how international business compares to domestic business. Business students with the desire to travel have numerous options for studying abroad, including spending a semester at the renowned Cologne Business School (CBS) in Cologne, Germany.

SNHU first partnered with the Cologne Business School in 2014 and students have studied there since fall of 2016.

According to Study Abroad Advisor Scott Snyder, the program is beneficial because it provides, “The opportunity… to connect with a major European economy, mainly for international business purposes.”

The abroad experience in Cologne is an exchange program, meaning that CBS sends some of their own students to SNHU in exchange for SNHU students interested in going to Germany. Exchange programs are often considered beneficial because both colleges gain

Entrance to Cologne Business School. this program are required to enroll in a German language course in addition to three to four classes of their choosing.

Although the program is wellsuited for business majors, one does not need to be a business major to study abroad in Cologne.

“Our last student, [who went in] fall 2017 is a Music Education major and we’re working for fall 2018 with a psychology major,” said Sny-

der.

Snyder recommends taking unique business courses that are not available at SNHU. Doing so provides students with the opportunity to gain additional insight into global society.

“It’s always useful to save your Global Culture Cluster, Free Electives or other flexible areas… to make this work,” said Snyder.

Many students opt for

Both faculty members enjoyed combining their interest of education with that of travel.

“It’s really nice to teach an interdisciplinary course–it allows students to view material from

different perspectives and use their knowledge in different contexts,” said Youngs.

Within Iceland, students and faculty traveled to various museums, explored the town

of Reykjavik, and participated in guided tours around the country. The various museums included the Viking World Museum, the National Museum of Iceland and the Culture House

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Spring Break Iceland Experience

Rachel Romeo Penmen Abroad Editor

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Over this year’s spring break, 12 SNHU students had the opportunity to travel to Iceland. The trip correlated directly with the Norse Mythology and Graphic Novel course offered to students in the 2018 spring semester. The course itself incorporates elements of Norse mythology and graphic design as students are responsible for the interpretation of various stories regarding Norse myths. Students are then required to visually convey those stories through the implementation of graphic design concepts.

The week of spring break, students traveled to Iceland to engage in experiential learning of the Norse mythology history surrounding the country. Facilitating discussions throughout the course wereProfessor Youngs and Professor Dow, also attending the trip. Susan Youngs teaches World Mythology and a collection of composition courses. Tracy Dow teaches various graphic design courses along with Typography.

cultural diversity and international perspective from the switch.

CBS was founded in 1993 and contains about 1,400 students. According to the CBS website, the college is known for its wide variety of Englishlanguage courses. Most notably, it was among the first of universities to offer an internationally recognized Bachelor’s degree.

Students who engage in

The Norse Mythology course visits the Sun Voyager viking ship sculpture in downtown Reyjavik during their spring break adventure through Iceland.

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staying in a “CBS Dormitory,” which are about 10-15 minutes from the university by bus. These dormitories are typically filled with international students, and past students have commented on how they have made numerous friends through this housing system. This fall, students will have to option to live with a local family. This is referred to as a home-stay. This option is more costly, but it includes two meals a day and authentic cultural immersion.

Although Cologne may be off-the-radar for many people, it is considered a “German Metropolis,” with a population of about one million, including about 100,000 students.

The city is situated in close proximity to tourist destinations such as Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam. According to the CBS website, “The campus itself is located in the “Südstadt” district of cologne, one of the nicest neighborhoods in Cologne.”

Studying abroad in Cologne is a unique opportunity for students to gain global business perspective at an esteemed university.

where students learned more about concepts mentioned in class.

Alexis Gardiner (’19) was one of the 12 students participating in the trip. Passionate about travel, Gardiner wasted no time immersing herself in the Icelandic culture. Many of the students also participated in the Golden Circle bus tour that highlighted some of the most iconic Icelandic sites. Throughout the tour students were able see a national park, a hot spring and the Gullfoss waterfall.

“The highlight of my trip was the geothermal hot springs.

The floor of the natural pool is layered with sulfur and stays at about 100-104oF all year round, giving it a spa-like feel and making it a relaxing way to end one of our days!” said Gardiner.

Students are now required to take inspiration from their trip to Iceland and apply it to their end of the semester projects. “We really appreciated Stefano Parenti’s help in arranging this trip. We had a great group of students, and we are hoping to run this course one more time, perhaps in two years,” said Youngs.