Penmen Press - Volume XXVI Issue 2

Writing SNHU’s Story

VOLUME XXVI

Stefan Karlberg Staff Representative After announcing A Boogie wit da Hoodie as the main performer during September’s Big Money Bingo, Coordinators of Activity and Programming Event’s (CAPE) Major Concert sold out almost immediately. CAPE Publicity Chair Silvana Terranova (‘20) said, “Tickets sold out in three hours.

There was a lot of interest. The 200 we had the night before sold out in minutes.” Many students bought their tickets before they even left the upper dining hall. This year’s Major Concert follows a previous school year full of electronic dance music (EDM). CAPE selected EDM trio Cheat Codes as the 2018 Major Concert and brought

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OCTOBER 9, 2019

PENMENPRESS.COM

CAPE wows with major concert pick

DJs GrooveBoston for SNHUStock, SNHU’s annual spring concert.

Some students weren’t excited for the EDM concerts, and CAPE looked for ways to cater more to the students.

During the summer, CAPE sent students a survey asking what they wanted for the Major Concert. Students were sent a list of different genres artists and were asked to rank each.

CAPE Vice President Dennis Nguyen (‘22) said, “I think we really wanted to take students into account because of what happened with the Cheat Codes concert. Not only that but SNHUStock as well. We really wanted to get more students to say their opinions of what they wanted, who they wanted, what kind of genre they wanted. We took all

that into account and chose [A Boogie wit da Hoodie] as the Major Concert.”Students have been quick to notice that this year’s concert falls on a Thursday.

Some students felt confused by this move, and some even felt disappointed as they have to go to class the next day. While many students are excited about the main act, some people are concerned about the concert being on a Thursday night.

Sophomore Anna Cronin (‘22) said, “Who wants to go to a concert on a Thursday night?

I have an 8 a.m. on Friday. It doesn’t seem fair.” Associate Director of Student Involvement Colleen Lubin said, “I think that it is not an ideal scenario. We . . . . . . . . . . .

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A Boogie Wit da Hoodie. (image credit: Creative Common)

Clarifying the Rumors of SNHU’s Financial State

Nikki Fain Editor in Chief

Accessibility. It’s a buzzword in higher education right now. It’s a word that dominates most of the conversation at SNHU, whether it’s in the classroom or at an event. It comes from faculty, staff and administration alike.

It’s the goal for SNHU. In the past couple of years, this has meant the development of a five year diversity, equity and inclusion plan. It has also meant considering what the learning environment of the class of 2030 is. Most notably to the campus life though, accessibility is now making all SNHU

departments refocus and “hyper-fixate” on the financial health and sustainability according to University College President Lynott.

Towards the end of the spring semester in 2019, rumors of budget cuts started floating around. Since coming back to campus, students have started to see changes that are rumored to be the result of the supposed cuts, like the outsourcing of the study abroad department to Education First (EF) or a lack of trash bins in the residence halls.

But there haven’t been any formal budget cuts. Rather, SNHU has decided to find ways

to be more purposeful with spending, to spend more efficiently.

It’s no secret that the College of Online and Continuing Education (COCE) has helped the University College (UC) flourish, particularly with capital projects, like new buildings.

Dr. Lynott confirmed it was during the Great Recession in 2007 when President LeBlanc pitched and convinced the board of trustees that investing in the fledgling online education division would help the campus survive by using the extra funds to offset campus costs.

However, the success of the online division has transformed its original

purpose.

“Something really incredible has happened and we have learned that online division has become a model for what accessible nontraditional learning can be. . . We have become this multiversity of learning,” Lynott said.

And inevitably, the operating costs per student on a campus are more expensive than the costs of a student online.

In October 2018, SNHU hired a new Chief Financial Officer, Ken Lee. To acquaint himself with the new role, Lee began to assess and analyze the finances on a unit-by-unit

basis. In December of 2018, Lee and his team were ready to share their observations.

While it was always known that the online division supported the campus financially, Lee’s team pinpointed exactly how wide the gap has become. It was during this time that Dr. Lynott learned that the amount for the campus to reach self-sustainability is “just under 25 million.” When asked for an exact number, CFO Lee said, “I am very cautious about putting a specific number on it, because to be sustainable we don’t need to be positive.”

However, both Lee and Dr. Lynott shared

that the institution as a whole is doing well financially. Lee shared that for the 2018 fiscal year the university had over $819 million in assets, which is a huge increase from ten years ago when that number was $137 million. SNHU’s cash and short-term investments were $290 million dollars meanwhile its long-term investments were at $136 million and property and plant equipment were $322 million. On the other side, SNHU’s liabilities were at $200 million.

Lee explained this was due to debt taken for some of the new buildings. He also confirmed that the university has

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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 Barret ryan.barret@snhu.edu BUSINESS MANAGER Derek Smith derek.smith@snhu.edu EVENTS COORDINATOR Grace Mage grace.mage@snhu.edu PODCAST EDITOR

Samantha Aguilar-Hernandez samantha.aguilarhernandez@snhu.edu LEAD COPY EDITOR NOW HIRING: email penmenpress@snhu.edu

always would prefer Fridays, but Fridays are always the most sought-after dates. On the survey we had over a thousand responses, which, during the summer, is really impressive. A Boogie was the top voted artist which is why we decided that was a good choice.

The reason it’s on a Thursday is because of his availability. We had to prioritize and ask, ‘Is the date more important or is the artist more important?’ Knowing that A Boogie was the top voted choice on the survey we felt that [Thursday] was the best choice.”Other stu-

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT/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.

Continued from page 1 dents felt that the reveal was under-advertised, meaning that many students didn’t have the chance to get discounted tickets for the event. Sophomore Kate Campbell (‘22) said, “I know nothing about the concert. I didn’t see any advertising for the reveal or any information about tickets until they day after.”CAPE also has an opening act lined up for the Major Concert. Former SNHU hockey player and alum Brett Strawn (‘19), also known as DJ Sterno, is set to DJ the first act of the Major Concert.

Terranova said, “He actually reached out

to us. We’re super excited.”CAPE President Sammy Fraser (‘20) said, “If somebody did not get a ticket there is an opportunity to volunteer for the concert and receive a ticket.”

Volunteers also receive free food during their shifts and a free t-shirt.

The sign-up link for volunteering is http:// bit.ly/capevolunteer19.

The event is expected to be very busy, so make sure to be ready at the Spirou Fieldhouse when doors open at 7 p.m on October 17. The concert is set to begin at 8 p.m., and no entry will be allowed after 9:30 p.m.

. . . . . . .

NEWS EDITOR NOW HIRING: email penmenpress@snhu.edu LIFESTYLE EDITOR NOW HIRING: email penmenpress@snhu.edu

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Continued from page 1 generated surpluses over the years too.

Lee emphasized the importance of analyzing this data now, while SNHU still holds a competitive advantage in the online education market.

“The nice thing is we’re being proactive about it.

Our backs aren’t against the wall. We aren’t trying to figure out how to save the university. We’re not in that situation.”

It’s always been a given that the online division would supplement the campus budget, but it’s also important to consider that for the past five years, SNHU has not increased tuition. Dr. Lynott shared that this isn’t just to make the traditional college experience more accessible. “We knew of course that we needed money at the end of each year from the online division. Which is great, no problem, because we believe in this campus.

This campus is the center. Everyone supports the campus, including

the board,” she said.

So instead of making a budget cut, the campus leadership has instead asked departments to, in Dr. Lynott’s words, “Hold steady. Take a breather.” This has entailed a hiring freeze with Dr. Lynott asking departments to “be thoughtful” and “re-assess” when an opening is available. She’s also asked that departments provide evidence on benefits when pitching new ideas.

And while there have been changes on campus this year, these haven’t all been rooted in budgetary concerns. Dr. Lynott confirmed that talks of a partnership with EF and “outsourcing” the study abroad department began about a year and a half ago. “[Partnering with EF] is not a question of cost savings. Will it save money? Yes, absolutely.

But it will save students more money and give them more opportunities to study overseas. . .

And that to us, that was just doing a better job,” she said.

Meanwhile Dean of Students Heather Lorenz confirmed that facilities has not decreased their staff at all.

Instead, the lack of trash rooms is a move to be more sustainable. She also addressed student concerns on a more limited number of university paid job options on campus saying, “. . .

There’s been no conversation among my team to decrease student staff.

I think sometimes people feel it, because there are fewer college-paid jobs, but I would argue there is a significant push for student employment.” Dr. Lorenz’s focus is on being flexible to pivot with student need.

If students have any other concerns about any potential budgetary issues, Dr. Lorenz asks students to keep giving feedback, ask questions, and come talk to people, herself included.

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Ruth Way Staff Writer During a routine check-in the 2018 spring semester, SNHU recognized some issues

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news

Here’s What’s Cooking at The Pub

at the university’s Last Chapter Pub. The accommodations under which they served food did not meet the standard. Due to this realization, SNHU revoked

The Pub’s food license which stopped them from baking or cooking within the area.

The issues the Pub faced had to do with cleaning and storage. At

the time of their food license loss, the Pub only used one sink. A standard of three sinks is required for restaurant use, which the Pub needed to uphold to

The Last Chapter Pub. (image credit: Ruth Way)

be permitted to serve food. Also, their backroom used to hold all of their snack supply had become very crowded.

For the past year, the Pub operated on free sodas and snacks while renovating their area to be up to standard. The food served, such as veggie straws and animal crackers, still held food safety standards because they did not require food-prep or the use of an oven. The Pub also continued to serve alcohol as their liquor license remained in effect.

Now, in the 2019 fall semester, the Pub regained their food license through renovations to their space.

Two more sinks have been added to adequately wash, rinse, and sanitize dishes. Instead of solely using a back closet, the Pub now

utilizes counter areas for oven space and food prep.

One sought after snack making a comeback is the Pub’s cookies. Employees there can now bake cookies fresh upon request.

Theses warm snacks can be ordered in four different forms: double chocolate, chocolate chip, oatmeal and turtle. These fresh-baked cookies are free to staff and students.

The sweet treats are not the only item that the Pub utilizes its food license. There are other cooked foods they now serve such as dino nuggets, mozzarella sticks, soft pretzels, and more according to Last Chapter Pub employee Samantha Frazer. These items are available for purchase ranging from $1 to $3 and made upon request.

willing to do so. Two Central High School students who attended the march already took steps to reduce their carbon footprint. One, Sofia Mendez, is currently vegan and made a habit of using reusable bags and straws. The other, Lydon Philbrook, is focused on making his voice heard to local governments.

“Our generation has the media, a tool no generation has had before,” Philbrook said.

He went on to say he’d like to see local governments be the first to make changes around energy and pollution.

From there, he believes it would move its way up the government ladder.

Not all young students are as active or knowledgeable as Mendez and Philbrook.

Many of the youth at the march purchased reusable straws to cut out that part of their plastic pollution.

However, therein lies one miscommunication. Plastic straws are certainly a danger to our oceans, but makes up less than a tenth of a percent of all plastic pollution. Making the switch to reusable can give a sort of moral license, but it is not the end-all solution.

The danger is people who make the switch will feel satisfied and make no further changes. It takes strides such as significant changes from everyday people to sweeping government policies. If the recent climate strikes are anything to go by, we are in the midst of making strong first steps.

Climate Strike Storms Manchester Environmental Club Contributing Writer

Environmental Club at the Climate Strike in Manchester, New Hampshire. (image credit: Environmental Club)

On September 20 nearly 300 people marched on Manchester Town Hall demanding action regarding the current climate crisis.

Activists used speakers and megaphones to give specific demands for local government action. The same voices informed fellow strikers of the current dangers we face and what part each person can play to help make a change.

Strikes such as these expand past Manchester, NH. Over 7 million have taken to the streets this past week as part of global climate strikes.

Some individuals have already made drastic lifestyle changes, and others are very

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opinion

The Truth About Coming Out

Kathryn Boilard Staff Writer It’s been approximately five months since I came out to my family as queer.

I still remember the fear I felt as I emotionally prepared to make one of the biggest changes of my life. The idea of being free seemed like a dream, and knowing I had the possibility of making it a reality was terrifying.

My family has al-

ways been extremely accepting. I knew they would still love me, but deep down I still had my doubts. I felt embarrassed, ashamed almost, for being this way. For a while, I feared my sexuality would be an inconvenience to others. I thought if I mentioned I wasn’t straight; it would cause an unbearable awkwardness.

I wouldn’t dare reveal I was anything other than a straight woman to strangers.

(image Credit: Unsplash) It wasn’t until five true to myself. months ago I felt the My father was first courage to be honest to know. Then followed with my family and by my sister, and lastly myself. I had always my mother. My mother dated cisgender men, knows me better than not particularly because anyone, but strangely I liked them the most, she was the one I was but because I felt that most afraid to tell. She was the only socially cried when I told her acceptable option I had. and at first, I couldn’t When each relationship tell what she was feelseemed to be worse ing. Through her tears than the last, and my she said she’d always constant anxiety around just wanted me to be toxic masculinity came happy and find sometoo much to bear, I de- one I love. That’s when cided it was time to be I knew I was doing the

right thing.

I won’t lie and say coming out is nothing to be afraid of, because, to me, it was absolutely terrifying, but it also is something that changed my life completely.

Starting my first semester here at SNHU as a transfer student, I wasn’t sure what the LGBTQ+ community would be like. At the school’s involvement fair, I signed up for the club Generation Equality, and quickly

felt like I belonged.

This year I’m excited to celebrate National Coming Out Day for the first time. In the past I always contemplated using the opportunity to come out to people, but never had the courage.

But now I realize that’s okay, because National Coming Out Day isn’t just a day to come out if you haven’t yet, it’s a day to celebrate and honor being true to yourself and knowing you are not alone.

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arts & entertainment Link Awakens Again in Link’s Awakening Remaster

Rylan Lewondowski Staff Writer In an entertainment world so bogged down by remakes and remasters, one must ask themselves: Are they worth our money? With Nintendo games, it’s a toss-up.

Ruth Way Staff Writer Artists of all forms and fashions experience mental blocks in one form or another with their work. Inspiration does not come when convenient, life gets in the way of creating, hobbies and work can sidetrack what one initially intended on creating. It is often helpful to be kept in check when working on a project.

Workshops, groups, or simply checking in with fellow artists do wonders for motivation. A widely used tool are prompts that promote daily work to be produced by the artist.

Inktober is a monthlong art challenge created by artist Jake Parker. The challenge supplies artists with daily prompts for them to create art of all forms and encourages them to post those drawings online. It occurs yearly from October 1st (which, ideally, would be your first post) and

(image credit: Nintendo) The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening was first released for the Gameboy handheld system in 1993, remastered for the Gameboy Color in 1998 and has now been remastered yet again for the Nintendo Switch, 21 years later.

The first thing that needs to be made abundantly clear is that this is indeed a remaster, not a remake. This is a brick for brick recreation of the Gameboy Color version of the game, with a complete graphical overhaul.

The original version of

the game had you exploring the world screen by screen, with a short transition anytime you moved to the next screen. In the 2019 version, the world is all loaded together, which was nice to see.

Seeing as the Switch can handle Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s immense map all at once, this game should have been no trouble for the system. This fact made the occasional drop in frames-per-second seem confusing. It was never bad enough to hinder the experience, but it was annoying.

The sound design is no doubt my favorite aspect of the game. Link and the world’s cute, almost toylike design is reflected

through the sound. The music is beautifully orchestrated and almost has a merry-go-round kind of charm to it. The sound effects are plucky and utterly delightful. This was a game that I turned up the TV to play.

The gameplay itself is clunky compared to other top-down Zelda titles.

Link’s movement options have been improved compared to other titles, such as Link to the Past, but despite the smoothed-out look of this remaster, it still feels like you’re controlling Link on a grid.

On the plus side, this is one of the few games where Link can jump.

The game itself isn’t too long, but it’s not

rushed by any means.

While moving through the story at a fairly fast pace, it still took around nine hours to complete the game. While by today’s Triple-A RPG standards that is short, the game remained interesting and fun the whole way through and it ended just when it needed to.

If you have a Switch, have the money to spare, and are wondering whether to buy the game, I’d say go for it. It’s a good waste of time and a cute Zelda game. If you don’t need another game to play for a bit and are on the fence about spending the money, just wait for Luigi’s Mansion next month.

traditional ink drawings but now includes digital, calligraphy, or even creative writing.

Artist can use watercolor, or other methods, but are encouraged to stick to simple black ink. This stems from

the challenge’s intent of “simplifying your options as an artist and seeing what you can create with a white sheet of paper and black ink,” according to the website’s FAQ page.

The challenge holds artists to a standard by encouraging them to post their work with the universal hash-tag: #inktober or #inktober2019. The website emphasizes that if you cannot do the challenge every day, it does not mean you should not participate. They ask that whatever you try to do be consistent, improve and grow.Artists sometimes need motivation to grow within their niche. Challenges such as Inktober offer up an invitation to a community that some may have been waiting to sink into. No matter if an artist can participate every day or once a week, participating as a whole can offer them an excuse to work on their craft.

Explore Imagination with Inktober

ends on October 31st (ideally your last). The daily work is meant to promote positive art practice and skill.

Inktober.com started supplying prompts to participants in 2016.

Before that, people

(image credit: Inktober) used their own imag- them so long as they ination and freeform. are creating every day.

Four variations of the The website is availOctober prompt list able in seven languagcan be found on the es: English, Spanish, inktober website. These French, Portuguese, prompts are simply to German, Chinese and guideparticipating Japenese.Initially, the artists can go outside challenge focused on

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Hannah Rose Guest Writer

lifestyle

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Joe Biden’s ‘Conversation with a Candidate’

Joe Biden is a man of details. During his Conversation with the Candidate interview with WMUR, he made that very clear; details are his selling point Conversation with the Candidate is an important interview conducted by WMUR. All of the current Democrats running for president have been to the local Manchester station and taken part in these town hall formatted conversations.

Former Vice President Joe Biden was the last candidate to visit the station on Saturday, September 7.

During the interview, Biden discussed many hot button topics, such as the Second Amendment, climate change and criminal justice reform. Biden spent a long time talking about the latter.

His plans are extensive and seem like a brighter alternative than what other candidates, like Senator Kamala Harris, are proposing.

Biden also dis-

Stefan Karlberg Staff Representative The McIninch Art Gallery, located in Robert Frost Hall, regularly offers new art exhibitions in its space, but it shines when the SNHU community takes advantage of it.

Communications Professor Dave Humphreys decided to use the space for his first ever photography gallery that can be viewed from now until October 26.

At the opening re-

cussed civility, and briefly attacked current President Donald Trump, specifically on the lack of bipartisan efforts and dangerous comments coming from the White House. Biden voiced his concerns over the comments made

by President Trump during the protests in Charlottesville, VA in August 2017. He mentioned Heather Heyer, a young woman killed by an alt-right protester, and what Trump’s comments meant to him.

Biden also spent some time discussing more personal matters, like the loss of his wife and daughter in 1972 and son in 2015. Candidly, he spoke about his experiences with loss, grief, and finding hope, which led him easily into his future healthcare plans. He thoroughly explained how his healthcare act will equate mental health with physical health and will reduce the stigma around it as well.

Throughout this town hall-style interview, Biden was compassionate, attentive, and deeply focused

on each person in the room. It’s clear, to me at least, that this candidate is different than others in a very obvious way; he connects to Americans on a deeper level than other candidates.

When I had the chance to speak to him one on one, we spoke about the more complex issues of his criminal justice reform plans. For example, we discussed the problems incarcerated transgendered people face in the prison system. He made it clear that his main focus on this issue is protection and safety for those individuals.

He also mentioned the recent murder of Bee Love Slater, a black trans woman recently burned to death in southern Florida. We discussed the epidemic of the violent killings of trans women in America further, and he was consistently mentioning the facts and statistics that regard these matters.

His attention to detail is what makes him a formidable candidate in this election, whether

he’s talking about policy, hot button topics, or uncommon issues Americans face. Unlike his counterparts, Biden has an impressive political past within the Senate and the White House, and Democrats know this.

Biden goes beyond his past by making each American feel like their voices are heard and that he cares. Yes, other candidates do this, but

not like Biden. Biden will hold your hand and encourage you if you’re nervous asking your question. He’ll look deep into your eyes and make you feel that you’re supported no matter what.

Although all of this makes him a strong candidate, I’m not sure it will lead him to the top. This democratic primary will be fierce, and the presidential

election even fiercer.

At this point, Biden’s plans need to match his empathy with everyday Americans, and it doesn’t seem like it will.

Nevertheless, Biden’s got the vibe of a cool grandpa, which is great to an extent.

Biden needs to prove to Democrats that he’s not just charming, but he’s also capable of leading the country in a very tumultuous time.

ception on September 19, students and faculty gathered at the McIninch Art Gallery to be the first to see Humphrey’s photo and video gallery, “Mono No Aware.” Humphreys shot film photos, digital photos, and videos in Bar Harbor, New York City and Japan.

Humphreys’ vision for his show took many forms over the span of a year.

“I decided I was making a show last September, but I didn’t know what the show

was about, and I didn’t know where I was going to show it,” said Humphreys. He spent a bit of time determining the best medium for his show but ultimately landed on photography.

While he knew his medium, he still had to find a topic. After a few months, it finally appeared to him.

Humphreys said “In January, as I was preparing to take a class trip to Japan, I was reading some Japanese philosophy and [mono no aware] really con-

nected with me. I started thinking about in my life where there were so many moments like this philosophy.”

He decided to name his gallery after one of the Japanese philosophies that resonated with him the most. He said, “Mono no aware is a Japanese phrase that would roughly translate to this sense of nostalgia that you would feel while experiencing something. It’s the idea that you’re happy to experience it but you’re sad that is has been

experienced and never will be again.” He added, “You’ll often see this in Japanese literature or philosophy describing the cherry blossom season.”

Humphreys also had to narrow down his photos to just a few to put in his show. Hundreds of photos became only around twenty. These were the photos he felt highlighted “Mono No Aware” the most out of his collection.

He said, “A lot of the photos I took and put in this show were ser-

endipitous moments.

The picture “Yes!”, the boat, I was sitting there trying to get pictures of it but they were all underexposed. A truck pulled up next to me as I pushed the shutter button and its headlights hit the boat and illuminated it for two seconds before it was gone.”

Students and Faculty are welcome to experience “Mono No Aware” while the instalation at the McIninch Art Gallery in Robert Frost Hall.

Joe Biden on Conversation with the Candidate. (image credit: WMUR)

Mono No Aware Opens in McIninch Gallery

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sports

Magdalena Hubickova: Coming Out Swinging

Magdalena Hubickova (image Credit: SNHUPenmen) Sofia Barassi Staff Writer M a g d a l e n a Hubickova (‘23), who hails from Prague, the Czech Republic, is taking the SNHU women’s tennis team by storm.

In the September 17 season opener against Saint Anselm College,

Hubickova went 6-0, 6-0 during her singles match against Kaitlin Hughes, earning her a No. 1 standpoint.

During her doubles match, Hubickova went 6-3 alongside teammate Alexxa Etienne (‘22).

The team finished with a final score of 7-0, earning SNHU two points in

the Queen City Cup. “I was super nervous because it was my first match at SNHU, but the team gave me so much support and I knew I wanted to win everything. For me, for them, and for coach,” said Hubickova.

Just one day after her debut, on September

18, Hubickova travelled to Flushing, NY for her first ever Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) East Regional Championship. She went 5-0, including three tie-breaking victories.

Hubickova became the first SNHU freshman to make it to the final round of the tournament.

Along with her numerous feats during the month of September, Hubickova also captured four Northeast-10 awards in two weeks.

Hubickova was crowned the Northeast-10 Player of the Week and Rookie of the week for the period ending September 22. She continued to hold both of these titles for the second straight week, ending September 29.

Hubickova, who has been playing tennis since age three, originally wanted to attend a university in Florida.

However, she also knew that she wanted to continue playing tennis competitively. It wasn’t until Greg Coache, the head coach of SNHU’s women’s tennis for the past 13 years, reached out to Hubickova that she realized that this dream was becoming a reality.

During a Skype conversation in June, Hubickova and Coache connected and made the decision that the SNHU Women’s Tennis team was the place for her.

This connection, in addition to her teammates’ welcoming attitudes, allowed Hubickova to more easily adjust to a new team and environment.”

I see an amazing future for Maggie here at SNHU. I knew from the day that she stepped on the courts that she has all the tools to be a national champion- and

now, a month later, I feel even stronger,” said Coache. “I am proud to be her coach in this part of her journey.”

Hubickova plans to continue excelling and putting forth her best effort. While she was a little skeptical in moving to a new country with an unknown path, Hubickova’s solution is to keep pushing forward.

“Just don’t be afraideven if the challenge ahead looks so big and you think that you will lose, just try it. Even if it’s really uncomfortable for you,” said Hubickova.

The Women’s Tennis team ended the week of September 29 with a perfect 3-0, and swept past Assumption college on October 1 with a score of 5-2. The team next will host Daemen College on Saturday, October 12, at 1pm on the Penmen Stadium Tennis Courts.

2019 Tiebreaker for Queen City Cup Excites Rivals Andrew Wilson Staff Writer It’s time for the 2019 Queen City Cup, a multisport battle between long-time rivals Southern New Hampshire University and Saint Anselm College. The winner of the most events wins the Queen City Cup and bragging rights for a year.The schools, just seven miles apart from each other, began competing in 1969 when SNHU was still New Hampshire College.

However, their official rivalry, documented through SNHU Penmen, didn’t begin until 1977 with a women’s basketball game.SNHU joined the Northeast-10 Conference in 2000,

ensuring that the teams would meet up for a range of (currently)15 sports, at least once a year. This fiercened the rivalry, but the two schools felt they needed something more.In 2014, the SNHU Penmen-St. Anselm Hawk rivalry escalated the intracity competition with the introduction of the Queen City Cup, awarded at the end of the final season. For season games, a win is worth two points while is tie is worth one.” The rivalry is always exciting when schools are this close geographically and compete in the same conference,” said SNHU Athletic Director, Anthony Fallacaro, “I think the idea the student-athletes came up with to further grow

the competition with an annual cup made the enthusiasm around these games even more thrilling.”SNHU held the Queen City Cup Champion from 20142017. In the 2016-2017 Cup competition, Saint Anselm came close to stealing the title as over 2,000 fans packed into the SNHU Athletic Complex. The suspense was high as fans eagerly watched their favorite teams go head-to-head for the final men’s basketball game.The following year, Saint Anselm took their first win in the 2017–2018 cup with an end tally of 21–15. With tensions high after Saint Anselm’s victory in the previous year’s cup, spectators packed the stands for

the 2018–2019 games.

The competition ended in a tie, making the 2019-2020 schoolyear a tiebreaker.“I think the local fans have a good level of excitement around these games as they are routinely covered by the media. This cup, however, creates an even different level of support from the campuses and a sense of pride among the teams,” Fallacaro said.

So far, SNHU took the first victory in women’s tennis, shutting out Saint Anselm in a 7–0 game on September 17. Saint Anselm then responded in volleyball with an end score of 3-2, and field hockey with a 2-0 game.

As it currently stands, Saint Anselm holds three points, while SNHU follows closely behind

with two.”Overall, it has been a very healthy and competitive experience that has made an already exciting series of contests even more exhilarating for those involved,” Fallacaro said.The next game, a Northeast-10

Championship, features women’s cross country and is scheduled on October 27. Updated standings are posted to the Queen City Cup website at https:// snhupenmen.com/ QueenCityCup/index.

(image credit: SNHUPenmen).

the penmen press

page 8

sports

Willem van Biezen Defeats Brother to Become First SNHU Tennis Player to Win ITA East Regional Title Catherine LaChance Lead Copy Editor Two SNHU athletes made history when they reached the final of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Championships at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center in New York.

Bas and Willem van Biezen met in the ITA championship match on September 16 in what was the biggest match of their ever-growing careers.

The brothers have been playing tennis together since they were five and six years old.

They were born in the Netherlands with supportive parents, who cheered along as they competed in matches across the country. “[Our parents] have both been such a big part of our careers,” said Willem. “Now, we want to show them what we’ve learned and what we’ve accomplished.”

And they did. Their parents flew to New York and watched their sons accomplish what no other SNHU tennis player has done before.

Bas and Willem, both seniors, fought through a handful of matches before ultimately facing each other in the final, and one of whom would be the first SNHU tennis player to win the title.

Bas had a rockier tournament compared to his elder brother. He started as a qualifier and was nearly knocked out in the quarterfinals against the number six seed, Tom Jarry, from Le Moyne College. He lost the first set 6-1 before roaring back to capture the second set

6-2. He hung on in the third set tie-breaker to clinch the match 12-10 after being down 8-2.

“I had to live in the moment,” said Bas of his grueling match. “I was positive and didn’t get down.”

Willem, who was the number four seed, had a BYE in the opening round. He cruised through his next three matches and did not drop a set. He did not face any significant difficulty until he met Jay Godfrey Seno from Concordia in the semifinals.

Willem came up short in the first set, 6-7, dropping the first set tiebreaker 6-8. He then came charging from behind to capture the second set 7-5 and continued that momentum into the third set tie-breaker to clinch the match with a 10-7 tie-breaker victory.

“Momentum is important,” said Willem, reflecting on his trajectory at the ITA’s. “If momentum is on your side, you will have positive vibes.”

Bas and Willem then met in the final championship, a feat Bas describes as “extra motivation.” “[Playing Willem] motivated me more,” he said. “We joked about seeing each other in final, but didn’t know we’d actually make it. It was in the back of mind that I might play my brother and that gave me extra motivation.”

Several of Bas and Willem’s teammates and coaches, as well as their parents, gathered in the bleachers surrounding match court on the day of the final.

The atmosphere was odd, as Willem describes, as the crowd was unsure of who to root for.

“A lot of emotion usually goes on during a match, but it was an awkward silence in this match,” explained Willem. “We’re brothers on the same team, so they are not going to cheer if one of us makes a mistake, but only when we hit a good shot or break serve.”

The crowd didn’t erupt until match point when Willem came out victorious. He captured the 2019 ITA East Regional crown with a 6-4 6-4 straight-set win over his brother.

Willem was ecstatic.

He was thrilled when he hoisted the trophy, but at the same time, he wishes two people could hold the trophy.

“There should be a winner of the top and bottom flights,” said Willem. “That way Bas and I could have both won. And even if Bas did win the final, I would still be happy.

All I could think of was playing him.”

Willem will now travel with SNHU Head Tennis Coach, Greg Coache, to Georgia for the ITA National Championships.

Bas and their parents will also be by his side cheering him on.

“I’m just going to go down there and enjoy the moment and go from there,” Willem said. “It’s already a huge accomplishment winning regionals.

“It’s an honor to represent SNHU in Georgia. We’re making history.”

(image credit: SNHUPenmen)

Bas and Willem pose with their parents who flew from their homeland, the Netherlands, to support their sons in the ITA tournament (image credit: Willem van Biezen).