Writing SNHU’s Story
VOLUME XXVI
NOVEMBER 6, 2019
PENMENPRESS.COM
Political Engagement Grows with a Bernie Sanders Rally Nikki Fain Co-Editor in Chief
As the primaries and presidential election edge closer, more students are turning their eyes to the future of 2020. Inevitably, New Hampshire and the college student demographic is a top priority for many candidates, so it’s likely that the campus will keep seeing hopeful presidential visitors. For a few students, this has ignited efforts to bring more political engagement closer to home. Political activity has grown on campus with a new progressives and moderates group, the climate strike, and a Bernie Sanders rally on October 25. The Bernie Sanders rally was done in collaboration with the Environmental Club. The organization’s Vice President Julianna Larue (‘22) was volunteering at the event and taking attendance. She is also acting as the student coordinator of Students For Bernie, a group that she is trying to start. In addition, she is a member of SNHU Blue, the affinity group for moderates and progressives on campus started by Aisha Khiyaty (‘21) this semester. Larue explained that the Bernie campaign actually approached the executive board of the Environmental Club to plan the event. The club was eager to accept with Larue saying, “We need more college students to vote, so getting more campaigns on campus is really, really great to get more students
educated.” According to the Concord Monitor, “The Sanders steering committee in New Hampshire has met monthly ever since the 2016 general election,” making the Sanders team arguably the most organized candidate in the state. It makes sense that the campaign would know how to connect with SNHU students despite there having been no formalized left-leaning group on campus until recently. And considering Sanders’ success in the 2016 primary election, beating Hillary Clinton by 22 points in New Hampshire, it’s a no brainer that they’re trying to get onto the campus. Shannon Jackson, the New Hampshire Sanders campaign director, has been working diligently to bring awareness to the Sanders campaign in the state. In just the day he came to SNHU, he had previously visited Saint Anslem College and Dartmouth while preparing for a day of action the next day. In New Hampshire, the Sanders campaign has been working closely with Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield of Ben and Jerry’s. The rally at SNHU featured Ben from Ben and Jerry’s scooping ice cream to students while promoting Sanders and his platform. Jackson said about the event, “The Bernie Campaign is all about the people. One of the important things is just to get the energy prevalent throughout the whole state. So today,
we’ve got Ben Cohen of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream talking about why Bernie is the best, why he’s going to beat Donald Trump, why he’s the strongest candidate, and why Ben and Jerry - Ben and Jerry the people - have never endorsed a presidential candidate besides Bernie before. They are dedicated to really doing everything they can to get Bernie elected.” The event also included pins supporting Bernie that said, “Bernie beats Trump”. This was supposed to represent the fact that in every national poll, according to Jackson, Bernie beats Trump. According to CNN, FoxNews, Quinnipiac, and numerous other polls this is true.
Many students came out to support. (image credit: Kyle Griffin)
Ben of Ben and Jerry posing with students at the Bernie rally. (image credit: Kyle Griffin)
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NEWS tHE PENMEN PRESS STAFF 2019-2020
CO-EDITOR IN CHIEF Maddie Covino Madison.Covino@snhu.edu CO-EDITOR IN CHIEF Nikki Fain nikki.fain@snhu.edu ONLINE MANAGER Ryan Barrett Ryan.Barrett3@snhu.edu BUSINESS MANAGER Derek Smith derek.smith@snhu.edu EVENTS COORDINATOR Grace Mage grace.mage@snhu.edu PODCAST EDITOR NOW HIRING: email penmenpress@snhu.edu LEAD COPY EDITOR NOW HIRING: email penmenpress@snhu.edu NEWS EDITOR NOW HIRING: email penmenpress@snhu.edu LIFESTYLE EDITOR NOW HIRING: email penmenpress@snhu.edu ARTS & ENERTAINMENT/OPINION Spencer Fennell EDITOR spencer.fennell@snhu.edu SPORTS EDITOR Madyson Alexander Madyson.Alexander@snhu.edu LAYOUT EDITOR Taylor DeForrest taylor.deforrest@snhu.edu LEAD VIDEOGRAPHER Eli Hark thomas.hark@snhu.edu PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Kyle Griffin kyle.griffin@snhu.edu STAFF REPRESENTATIVE Stefan Karlberg george.karlberg@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 Penmen Press will print any material found to be factual and in good taste by the editorial staff of the paper. 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 email us at penmenpress@snhu.edu.
iNTERNATIONal EDUCATION WEEK
Press Release International Students Services
International Education Week will be celebrated on campus, November 11-15. Over the week there will be a variety of educational and social events that we encourage students, faculty and staff to enjoy. Here is the list of our upcoming programs, make sure to pop reminders in your calendars now so you do not miss these great events. Monday November 12 – Friday November 15 Global Cuisine Dining Center Lunch time Sodexo will feature specialty international menus at the Global Counter. Make sure to stop by and try something new. Tuesday, November 12 International Education Week Kick-Off Dining Center 11:30 a.m. 1:00 p.m. Kicking off our week with global treats, game show questions & prizes. Business Etiquette Around the World Hospitality Center, Salons A & B 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. Join us for a hands-on experience of business culture around the world and how to navigate the dynamics of workplaces abroad. You can even win a copy of The Culture Map: Breaking. Through the Invisible Boundaries of Global Business, which we’ll discuss during this session. Co-sponsored by the International Business Student Association. Screening: Girl Rising Gustafson, Alumni Hall 6:00 - 8:30 p.m. Celebrate the powerful stories of girls who push through tremendous
barriers in the pursuit of a brighter future. Brought to you by the Deborah L. Coffin Women’s Center. W E D N E S D AY, November 13 International Fair Student Center 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Explore the cultural traditions of students within SNHU’s ILE as they share their countries’ music, food samples, clothing, presentations and demonstrations. Also, learn about many of the overseas research and travel opportunities SNHU faculty, staff and students are engaged in. Business Across Borders Hospitality Center 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. Learn about SNHU’s Global Education Movement (GEM) Program at an informational dinner. GEM products will be available for purchase before and after dinner. Tickets are $25 and on sale at snhutickets.com. Brought to you by the INT315 class and GEM. Screening: Throne of Blood (1957) Robert Frost, Walker Auditorium 5:30 8:00 p.m. Enjoy this classic of World Cinema hosted by Professor Charles Andrews and brought to you by the School of Arts & Sciences. International Bingo Night Student Center, Last Chapter Pub 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. Join us for a SNHU tradition with an international flair. Great prizes & international treats. T H U R S DAY, November 14 Making a difference through the U.S Peace Corps Student Center, Corcoran Room 12:30 1:30 p.m. Wonder what it would be like to be a Peace Corps
Volunteer? A returned PCV shares her experience of volunteering in the Republic of Macedonia. Global Café Green Center 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. Join us for a special Language Café, celebrating Native American Heritage. We will make dream catchers and try some traditional treats. International Pub Night with Karaoke Student Center, Last Chapter Pub 8:00 - 10:00 p.m. There will be international treats, drinks, and Karaoke at our annual Pub Night. Brought to you by ISS and ISA. FRIDAY, November 15 Zentangle Library Learning Center, Makerspace 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. Join us for an afternoon exploring Zentangle, an easy to learn and meditative drawing experience. Ping Pong Tournament Kingston Hall, First Floor 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. In 1971, China broke its silence with the world by holding Ping Pong matches with the UK, USA, Canada & Colombia. Come practice Ping Pong Diplomacy in our 4th annual tournament. International Game Night Student Center, Last Chapter Pub 8:00 - 10:00 p.m. Join us for an evening of international games, meeting new people and FREE food. If you have a favorite game from home, bring that along too. International Education Week is brought to you as a collaboration with SNHU Academic and Student Service Departments. Question about IEW events? Email International Student Services at iss@snhu.edu.
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news
SNHU Partners With Connection to open sales lab
Stefan Karlberg Staff Representative
SNHU has partnered up with Fortune 1000 company Connection to open up a brand new sales lab on campus in Webster Hall. The new lab offers SNHU students real world sales experience in the comfort of their own campus. On October 23 members of the SNHU and Connection communities joined together for a ribbon cutting ceremony to commemorate the opening of the sales lab. Students will be able to enter into an internship with an external company and get real training, all at the SNHU campus. While working with Connection, students will learn professional selling by experience. SNHU’s Director of Experiential Learning Dawn Cerrato said, “This lab promotes the idea of failing forward. The idea that it is okay to make a mistake or make a failure while still being in a safe place like the SNHU campus rather than being outside and having graduated.” She continued, “We also believe the more experiences we can give our students while they
are here will make them stronger when they are ready to leave.” Many students are already looking forward to being able to gain new experiences from the space. Isabelle MacGilvary (‘21) said, “I think it’s great. I love that students will have
the opportunity to fail successfully. It is really unique to this internship because when you go into different sales internships you may not have that opportunity to fail and still be successful.” Another student, Joe Beauchemin (‘20)
said, “I’m psyched, I’m ready to go, I can’t wait to get started. I’ve never been part of an internship like this before and to have it come to SNHU is really amazing.” The link between SNHU and Connection goes further than this internship opportuni-
ty. University Campus President Patty Lynott said, “What’s really cool about this initiative is it’s holistic. The owner of this Fortune 1000 company is a SNHU alumnus. This company is based in New Hampshire, and now this alum is coming back
to SNHU and funding this incredible immersion experience for our students.” President Lynott went on to say, “This [is an] incredible, hands-on immersion experience for our students. It’s perfect. That’s the kind of thing that says success.”
(image credit: Renee Dubec)
Senior events announces trip to universal studios
Press Release Senior Events
The Senior Events Committee is excited to announce that this year’s Senior Trip will be to Universal Studios in Orlando, F.L. The Senior Trip has taken place each year since its inception in May 2008. For the past 11 years, the trip has been to Walt Disney World in Orlando, but this year
the location has changed due to a variety of factors which include: the continual increase in the park tickets, additional fees (parking, package delivery, etc.) and most importantly the addition of Star Wars Land this year, which has reduced the availability of hotel options. The Senior Events Committee has been interested in the op-
portunities available at Universal for a few years, and now, with the addition of their water park, Volcano Bay, it becomes even more of an experience that the committee believes students will enjoy. The trip is priced at $650 and will include: hotel accommodations at Universal’s Aventura Hotel (one of the newest resorts on the property), a 3-day park ticket that
includes both theme parks and the water park, flight on JetBlue or Southwest, ground transportation in Orlando and the first night’s dinner. While Walt Disney World is an amazing place, it’s awfully large and impossible to see in just 3 days. Universal Studios will allow students to really enjoy their time; go for a swim, shop at City Walk, go to
the parks for a couple of hours and still get a nap in. The best part is that you can walk to everything, which is a far cry from Disney World which requires bus transfers to all parks, hotels and shopping/ dining experiences. We feel like this experience will be more of an experience that requires less pre-planning, more quality time with friends,
and the time needed to feel like you’re ready to conquer the world upon return. The trip is slated to go on sale on Monday, November 25, 2019, at 7 a.m. on snhutickets.com. The 2019 trip sold out in seconds, and we anticipate the same for this year. For the official waitlist or questions please email: seniorevents@ snhu.edu.
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news
Trip to Guatemala for Documentary video production class Rosa Valente Staff Writer Nikki Fain Co-Editor in Chief In 1980, the Guatemalan government launched “Operation Sophia,” with the intention of ending the civil wars that were plaguing the country for 20 years. This mission would direct the Guatemalan army to destroy the civilian bases where the guerilla movement hid and targeted indigenous Mayan communities who were suspected of supporting them. More than 626 villages were destroyed, more than 200,000 people were killed or “disappeared”
and more than 150,000 people were forced to seek refuge in Mexico with an additional 1.5 million people displaced, according to Holocaust Museum Houston. The indigenous Maya of Guatemala are much more selective of who they allow into their communities since Operation Sophia, but from March 8 to March 14, a lucky group of SNHU students will be journeying to El Pajuil which houses the indigenous Mayan Poqomchi people. The students enrolled in COM454, otherwise known as Documentary Video Production, will be taught by Assistant Professor of
Communications David Humphreys. COM454 is usually offered as a workshop class where students choose a topic to focus on and create their own content. According to Humphreys, in past years this has led to a few problems including students’ ideas not working out in film, or projects completely falling through. He hopes that by making the Guatemala trip a central focus in the course, it will both provide students with a real documentary filmmaking experience and allow for more successful projects. This opportunity has been developed in collaboration with The Chandler Center, who
has helped to fund and organize the trip. Like other alternative spring break trips, a key component is community service. “We’re not coming in to be white saviors. . . We’re not looking at them through a removed point of view. We’re getting right in there with them. If they need help carrying some buckets, we’re carrying buckets,” said Humphreys. The class will be split into two distinct groups. One will be the video production team who will go to Guatemala and spend approximately three days filming the indigenous people in their community. The second will be the post production team who
will receive and compile the footage from the video production team to create two videos for the Guatemalans to use to attract more aid. “The community hopes that the videos will help to preserve their culture and bring attention to some of the needs they have so that they can use the films to present to internal and external organizations to help them get funding for infrastructure, electricity, running water, and other systems,” said Humphreys. Meanwhile, the students will be able to add a unique piece to their portfolio and understand the expectations when being contracted.
The trip will not be easy. Ultimately though, Humphreys is mostly excited to take these students out of New England to see unknown parts of the world and push their boundaries as filmmakers. “That’s really what I want the students to get out of this is that type of experience where they trust the people next to them, but then they’re also open to experiencing different cultures and things. . . If you’re never running on the line of failure, then you’re not pushing boundaries. If you’re running that risk of failure, that’s when good art and good film and good things happen,” Humphreys said.
Students enrolled in COM454 will have the chance to film a documentary in Guatamala. (image credit: Pixabay)
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news
SNHU Commits to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Nikki Fain Co-Editor in Chief Alexa Gustavsen Staff Writer It’s well known that one of the institutional goals for SNHU surrounds the promotion of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Students quickly understand this when joining SNHU by having to take First Year Seminar, which aims to explore diversity issues in the classroom. However, it is less known that SNHU has developed a full five-year strategic plan to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in many aspects throughout the institution. At the board of trustees meeting in June of 2018, the leadership of SNHU presented the 2018-2023 strategic plan. In the appendix, each department was asked to contribute its own goals. While the board of trustees approved this strate-
gic plan, they also asked Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Jada Hebra to expand her departmental goals and develop a separate five-year DEI plan, now known as the Social Mobility and Opportunity Agenda. From that point until December of 2018, Hebra attempted to recruit a team of 15 and ended up with a team of 34. The team included students as well as staff, faculty and administration. This team worked in five workstreams developing a diversity objective, an equity objective, and an inclusion objective for each of the five commitments the 2018-2023 plan created. Overall, the plan developed 15 DEI objectives and three goals. The plan’s goals are to cultivate equity, access, and just experiences, to foster a culture of belonging and agency, and to advance learning and development for equity and academic efficacy. The plan was then pre-
sented to the leadership team in January for editing. Then it was approved at the next board of trustees meeting in February. Hebra explained the benefit of having such a larger than expected team, “Everybody has blind spots. You think you’re going down a good path and then someone, particularly the student advisory groups, their input was invaluable. They highlighted things the workstreams weren’t necessarily thinking about.” Even though the plan is supposed to be a fiveyear plan to supplement the strategic plan, due to its development it is more like a four-year plan. For the first year, Hebra’s team is going to work on expanding its department infrastructure (mainly staff), which it has done by expanding its team of two to seven. The team will also work to cultivate and strengthen relationships and partnerships across all
SNHU units. “Diversity, equity, and inclusion is not transactional. It is highly and deeply relational. . . It can’t be this finger-wag, top-down, you know, read this, we’re going to test you on this and then you will know,” Hebra said. Some examples of relational efforts include bystander intervention, intergroup dialogue, and restorative practices. During the past summer, Hebra brought in a facilitator to present SNHU employees with intergroup dialogue. Shanita Williams, associate vice president of talent engagement and inclusion, added, “We have to create space for people to feel it’s okay to learn. . . Just like our students we embrace learning head-on.” The four objectives being focused on this year are: Recruitment and retention of underrepresented learners, recruitment and retention of underrepresented
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employees, development of a DEI learning and development strategy, and the implementation of a climate survey. Williams works in the human resources department for the institution, so she is actively working on the recruitment and retention of underrepresented employees. She has worked with others to determine the location of SNHU’s job posting advertisements and to deploy job advertising efforts in target locations for more diverse populations. The first goal is to have the percentage of SNHU employees reflect the regional work-place eligible demographics, from there it’ll be to have SNHU employees reflect the national numbers. Meanwhile, the Director of Diversity Programs Kayla Page is more focused on the recruitment and retention of underrepresented learners and said, “With Jada’s plan one of the things I’m most excit-
ed about is that we’re admitting students that maybe don’t fit the traditional profile of a ready college student, which is wonderful because we’re thinking critically about how do we help.” However, change is slow and there are external factors, mostly time according to Hebra, that will continue to challenge the plan. Hebra has understood the importance of having a few “quick wins” to ensure people are aware that the university is still focused on DEI work. Hebra and her team have done this by distributing Inclusive Innovation Grants (students, staff and faculty are all eligible for funds up to $3000 through this program) and collaborating with the New England Black Conference. In January, the DEI team will be sending out a climate survey, which will help to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the university in terms of DEI.
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arts & entertainment Kanye WEARS RELIGION LIKE A FASHION TREND
Kyle Griffin Photography Editor JESUS IS KING produced by musical artist Kanye West is one rollercoaster of an album. The first track of the album “Every Hour” is a heavy hitter featuring the Sunday Service Choir. The song eases us into the album until the sudden stop of sound. This awkward transition leads us into the second track of the album “Selah”. The second track off the album has a strong instrumental with undertones that push us through the song. The choir pulls the listener into an emotional trans with their isolated vocals. These vocals are backed up with the beat and percussion hitting hard, short and fast throughout the entirety of the track. This feeling is almost euphoric until the outro. The listener is pulled out of this peaceful place with the, “woo” outro that diminishes the emotion in the song.
The third track “Follow God” starts off strong with an old radio-style vocal effect which is instantly ruined when West starts rapping. The two vocal differences are layered parallel to each other. They are on the same decibel range which creates this war between the two which leads to this chaotic scream pushing the listener to the next song “Closed on Sunday.” The fourth track starts as this strong emotional instrumental complemented by strong vocals on every beat and offbeat making a full sounding track. West’s vocal effects are strong when he first comes in with the line “Closed on Sunday” which leads us to the second line, “You my Chickfil-A,” which immediately turns the entire track into a meme. West spoke out about gay rights through his hiphop music. He spoke about the discrimination in hip-hop and how it needs to end, but then makes a
song about a company, Chick-fil-A, who is against the LGBTQ community. On the track “Hands On,” West sings, “Nothing worse than a hypocrite.” Is this not hypocritical? Not only does this track become a joke within the first few seconds, but West also calls hypocrites the worst, yet he is one. West gets more serious in his next track “On God” singing about God and how he lights the way in the darkness. The questionable part of this track is when he sings, “Thirteenth amendment, gotta end it.” The thirteenth amendment states, “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” By ending the thirteenth amendment, the United States government would then allow slavery to be legal.
Later on this same track, West sings, “That’s why I charge the prices that I charge.” If one is not informed on West’s merchandise line, here is a little bit of a breakdown. In the United States, JESUS IS KING t-shirts are $60. His sweatshirts and crewnecks range from $160 to $250. In the track “God Is” West sings, “From the rich to the poor, all are welcome through the door.” Clearly, West’s merchandise line is only for the rich. The most controversial track is the ninth track “Hands On.” West sings, “Said I’m finna do a gospel album, what have you been hearin’ from the Christians? They’ll be the first one to judge me, feelin’ like nobody love me.” Let’s break this down. There are a lot of Christian/Gospel singers/artists from Colton Dixon, Third Day and Remedy Drive to Danny Gokey, Matthew West and Sidewalk prophets so
when West sings, “What have you been hearing from the Christians?” Well, we have been hearing a lot because West is not the only one with a “religious” album. The more the audience listens to this record, the more they realize this album is more about West than it is about religion. West then follows that with, “They’ll be the first ones to judge me,” well, yeah because this socalled “religious” album was made for popularity, controversy and to make a paycheck not because there was any actual care about spreading the word of God. That verse is followed by “Feelin’ like nobody love me.” Jesus’s love is great and powerful, and his love alone can fill the void of loneliness, so why is West feeling so alone? Maybe it is because his “gospel” album is hollow of God and filled with himself. The next track “Use This Gospel” has a basic
instrumental with a weird chime in the background that makes the track feel like he recorded it in his car with the door open and the key in the ignition. The listener hears, “DING, DING, DING” which is abrupted by an off-putting Kenny G saxophone solo and back to the dings. All in all, this album is just another train wreck by Kanye West. We hear really amazing instrumentals that fall flat with weird screams, annoying chime sounds and battles trying to hear the vocalist’s words over them. Vocally this album lacks a bite, West repeats the same idea over and over but with zero profanity this time. This album is also on the shorter side, only being twenty-seven minutes total. This record is a “religious” or “gospel” album but the only message that West is selling is the message of himself. Jesus is king, but West has not won a crown since 808’s and Heartbreaks.
Modern Warfare Brings the Series Boots Back to the Ground Rosaline Aurora Staff Writer “Call of Duty” had always been one of those games that I would pick up every year. It didn’t matter if it was being made by Activision or Treyarch (“Black Ops” Series), I would go to GameStop and reserve my copy. I enjoyed the single-player story that would help me understand the controls before moving to the multiplayer to play against other people online. It had been my favorite game series for a long time, but the last few years have been different. I stopped playing the “Call of Duty” series around the release of “Advanced Warfare” and played “Black Ops
3” for a couple of months after it was released before trading it in at GameStop for store credit. I’d had enough of the sci-fi/futuristic style the series had adopted. I wanted to go back to the way the game used to be, like it was in “Modern Warfare” 1 & 2: boots on the ground, only sometimes gaining the upper hand on your opponent if you could. My wish has partially been granted with the latest installment to the series. “Modern Warfare” is, as promised, back to form with boots on the ground and an 8-hour story campaign that is gripping and gut-wrenching, and multiplayer with a set of new maps and modes.
However, the story is still another played out trope of terrorists attacking the city, you go after the terrorists, you win. Yes, they did some different things, for example, some of the missions aren’t exactly linear progressions and you have to sneak around and try to blend in, but it still boiled down to an over-exhausted trope. As for the multiplayer, which is the version of the game most people buy the game to play, it is standard for a “Call of Duty” game. They have some new modes that are enticing, but a lot of them feel like rip-offs of old modes from other games. 2v2 Alpha is just what it sounds like: two players team up and go against another team
of two on a super small map. It feels like a mode from “Halo 2” called Swat which was a 2v2 mode as well. Then there is Ground War, where you play on a massive team of 32 players against another team of 32 to hold points on a map and get an overall score. This mode feels like a simpler version of “Battlefield’s” Conquest mode in which you do the same thing. Although I have been griping a lot about the game, it is fun. Activision may be out of ideas and must pull from other games to make it seem like they are trying to keep things fresh, but if you like the old “Call of Duty” games, I would say give this one a shot
(image credit: Renee Dubec)
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Have halloween costumes become too sexualized?
Kate Boilard Staff Writer
The sexualization and objectification of women has gotten worse over time. Hypersexualization of women is prominent during Halloween, when the majority of female costumes are provocative. Sexy Halloween costumes have become expected each year, examples being sexy nurses, police officers, and even nuns. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, it’s pretty widely known that sex sells. In attempt to make money, companies have begun to sexualize much more than just nurses and police officers.Cartoon characters, and even characters from children’s shows are now becoming sexualized for the sake of Halloween costumes. I came across one of these sexualized children’s characters when I was scrolling through
my Facebook feed and an ad for a sexy Mr. Rogers costume appeared. My first thought was “Why?” Out of all the things to make “sexy,” why did this company have to choose my childhood friend, Mr. Rogers? It’s a strange concept because the thought of a sexy Mr. Rogers is comical. I’m not sure how many women looking for something sexy to wear will be rushing to buy it. Curious as to what kind of company would make this, I went to their website. I saw they had a male version of Mr. Rogers that was completely appropriate and resembled the character. These findings made me question what woman would want to wear one of these costumes. I fully support a woman’s choice to wear a sexy Halloween costume, but at what point should companies draw the line, if there is any? Although there are other options to choose
from, the amount of sexualized female costumes have begun to outnumber the amount of appropriate costumes, pressuring women to buy the sexualized version. While not necessarily a company’s responsibility to try to stop the over-sexualization of women, one could argue they could help by providing more appropriate options for female costumes. Halloween isn’t to blame for the objectification of women, the issue exists outside of the holiday itself. Society seems to have developed a vicious cycle where it’s become normalized for women to wear overly sexualized costumes, therefore creating an even larger variety of sexy costumes on the market each year. If society could start to view women as more than sexual beings, perhaps the ridiculous amount ofinappropriate costumes would decrease.
An overly sexualized version of “Mr.Rogers”. (image credit: www.yandy.com}
Male costumes are more realistic than their female counterparts. (image credit: bestreviewof.com)
The male version of the same character. (image credit: www.yandy.com)
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sports
Men’s Ice Hockey: 2019 NE10 Champions Gear Up For 2020 Season Colin Holmes Staff Writer
2018 Adaptive Sports Showcase (image credit: Eli Hark)
Adaptive Sports Showcase to Take Place on November 9 Ayana Howard Staff Writer
Athletics have often come with many stigmas. Whether it be that they require running on two feet, jumping, using your vision, balance, use of both hands, or even hearing. However, as adaptive sports come to rise, these stigmas have become less evident. Luckily these sports have become more inclusive to everyone, with activities such as wheelchair basketball or sled hockey growing in participation.Lisa Jennings, the Director of the Office of the University President, has dedicated much of her life to spreading awareness of adaptive sports. Jennings and her family, including her son who is diagnosed with muscular dystrophy, founded the orga-
nization Athletes Roll in 2016. Athletes Roll focuses on supporting and promoting adaptive sports. Jennings’ son, Anthony, actively participated in traditional sports until his mobility became limited upon entering college.”As it progressed, we didn’t know there was anything that he could do sports wise, but we wanted to keep trying.”It was then that adaptive sports occurred to Jennings as a perfect alternative. When Anthony began playing power soccer and resumed his passion for sports, Jennings knew that she had to spread the awareness of equal opportunity sports. Jennings applied for a grant through the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion office for adaptive sports and began her work through
advertising that “everyone can.” As a result of her persistence, the first Adaptive Sports Showcase was held on April 25, 2019. At the Adaptive Sports Showcase, organizations that support adaptive athletics and athletes of all kinds will have the opportunity to participate. Participants will be given the chance to learn about a number of different accessible sports, including Jennings’ personal favorite, sled hockey.“You may have limited mobility, or sight, or hearing but there is a way you can participate and compete,” said Jennings.The second Adaptive Sports Showcase will take place from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on November 9 at the Stan Spirou Field House, inside the Athletic Complex.
Last winter, in just his second season coaching at SNHU, Head Coach Sean Walsh led the men’s ice hockey team to a Northeast-10 Championship victory over rival Saint Anselm College.“[The season] was an emotional ride, but the boys got the job done in the end,” said Walsh, the 20182019 Coach of the Year. “They were a very close-knit group with a lot of leadership and a highly competitive attitude.”Walsh attributed this competitive atmosphere to the upperclassmen on the team, including Kurt Gutting (’20), Brett Strawn (Gr.), DJ Goldstein (’20), and Brian O’Callaghan (’20). Gutting was named NE10 Goalkeeper of the Year and Most Outstanding Player during the NE10 Championship game
last year. While the team is coming into the 2019-2020 season with twenty underclassmen and only eight upperclassmen or graduate students, one of their youngest rosters yet, the success of the team lies in “aiming for the same goals and stepping up to the team’s needs,” said Walsh, who also noted that he likes the odds of the veteran presence mixed with newer players. As the team is gearing up for their season, they recognize they have a strong history to live up to. The 2019 NE-10 champions no longer have the benefit of being known as the “underdogs.” Instead, the team has a target on their backs, as the rest of the division and NE10 teams look to take their place as the reigning champions. One of their biggest competitors includes Colby College, who made the NCAA Division III
Frozen Four in 2017. Within the NE10, the strongest competitors include Saint Anselm, who placed first at the top of the preseason coaches’ poll, along with Assumption College and Saint Michael’s College, placing third and fourth. Despite having the pressure from last season weighing on their backs, Walsh believes there will be similar results to come. “[This group is] the deep est team I’ve ever had, and one of the most competitive. They are willing to contribute [to the team] and fight for their place,” said Walsh. “It’s truly a unique mix and I’m excited for this upcoming season.” The Penmen made their debut on November 1 against Bryn Athyn College. Their next home game is set to take place on Saturday, November 30 against Morrisville at 1:50 p.m.
Penmen ice hockey won 3-2 against Bryn Athyn in the season opener on November 1. (image credit: SNHUPenmen)