Volume XXV - Issue II

THE

Writing SNHU’s Story

PENMEN PRESS VOLUME XXV

ISSUE 2

OCTOBER 10, 2018

PENMENPRESS.COM

Take Back The Night Perseveres through setbacks

Alexa Gustavsen Staff Writer

The ninth annual Take Back The Night event held by The Deborah L. Coffin Women’s Center took place September 25 in the Last Chapter Pub. Take Back The Night is an international charitable foundation for the fight against sexual assault.

This year’s event saw some unforeseeable circumstances with having to hold off on the march due to rain and last minute cancellation of guest speaker Kyla Lacey. The march is to be rescheduled to Saturday, October 20. The Women’s Center staff chose to persevere with high spirits, proving how important the night was to them. Even with

the last minute changes, this year’s Take Back The Night was still a passionate and compelling event filled with poems, chants and great support.

Brooke Gilmore, Director of the Women’s Center, commented

on the importance and purpose of the event.

“To help amplify the voices of our community members, to provide them [with] a supportive community and to let them know that we are here for them. To let

them know that this is their space and that we are going to advocate with them for what their needs are,” Gilmore said.

She continued to explain why the Women’s Center chose to go ahead with the event, even with the

Women’s Center members ready for the event. (image credit: Billy Saunders)

last minute changes. “It didn’t feel right to cancel.

This is a super important event that has a lot of meaning,” Gilmore said.

These changes didn’t hinder the night but brought the community together.

The night began with a few Women’s Center student-faculty members reading poems like “How Many Dicks Does It Take To Be A Hoe” and “If You Give a Man Your Cookie” to the students standing shoulder to shoulder in the packed pub. The poems had a few comedic undertones, but the honest and brutal message behind them seemed to get through to most.

The mic was then opened to students who wanted to come up and share some words of their own. After a few

silent moments, one person came up to read a poem and the line continued from there.

Aaliyah Paxton (‘19) has attended every Take Back The Night in her four years here on campus and commented on her appreciation for the open mic layout.

“It was more engaging I feel like, especially opening the floor to people who want to talk and who want to speak out,” Paxton said.

The night was organized to educate students about sexual assault and encourage them to start a conversation and feel safe in doing so. Kylie Lorenzen (‘19) felt the event did just that.

“It’s an important . . . . . . . . . . .

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Shining a Light on blackboard replacement, Brightspace

Hannah Cohen Staff Writer

Brightspace is the new interface that students and faculty use for all online documents and assignments. It officially launched this fall for most of the student body, but had some trial groups last spring.

Before SNHU was taken over by Brightspace, students and faculty used a platform called Blackboard, which is what they used to keep track of assignments.

Since the university has transitioned from one interface to another, there have been multiple views and takes on how everyone likes Brightspace so far and what may need some improvement for the future.

The class of freshman that started this fall had

not been introduced to Brightspace until the start of the semester. “[Brightspace] is very user friendly,” said Kyle Eno (’22). Though the freshman may find this easy to use, the other students have another story.

Lindsay Harper (’21) said, “It was not hard to transition to. I feel like it is easy to use, but it is not easy to navigate. You can’t find the syllabus. Then once you find it you are like, ‘Oh, that’s not bad,’ but [professors] can put assignments in the table of contents or under content modules so it can be a little confusing.”

For both new and returning students, trying to navigate Brightspace without any training or assistance before the start of the semester seemed like a bit of a jump. “There should have been some

type of training,” Harper said. “Even if there was a little online video… like a YouTube video or something… that could be helpful.”

Professors have shared some of the same struggles that students have had. There have been many cases where they have had issues with Brightspace. Dr. David Swain, a professor and the chair in the English department said, “I have an analogy. If I assigned every student to do a blog, I could tell everybody that they were going to use Google Blogger which is wicked easy to use. Brightspace is a little bit like telling students everybody is going to be using WordPress, which is powerful, but has a steep learning curve.”

Brightspace will take a while to get used to. Since

Madison Hopkins and Arianna Caruso use Brightspace in the dining hall to get homework done between classes. (image credit: Ryan Barrett) the university was so used to using Blackboard and not Brightspace, the transition was a bit rocky.

Dr. Marlyn Tadros, an associate professor for the school of arts and sciences said, “We, as professors, did get training on Brightspace, and there were multiple opportuni-

ties for people to attend which made it quite easy.”

This training should have given professors everything they need to use Brightspace, but there still have been many issues that need to be figured out. Some professors still need to learn how to use the website, but nothing

a little time won’t be able to fix.

Since the start of the semester, both students and professors have had issues with Brightspace.

There is help around campus for those who still need some guidance.

Tadros said, “The support for Brightspace is now very accessible because, as you saw, it is in Robert Frost, and the people there are just awesome and helpful.”

Guidance is available for anyone who needs it.

Whether you want help from a peer or even from IT help in the library, there are many places to go. Though Brightspace may not be everyone’s favorite platform, it is something that we all need to get used to. Swain said, “There are teething pains, but we will get there.”

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editorial tHE PENMEN PRESS STAFF 2018-2019

CO-EDITOR IN CHIEF

Nick Klotz nicholas.klotz@snhu.edu CO-EDITOR IN CHIEF Nikki Fain nikki.fain@snhu.edu ONLINE MANAGER Zach Meisel zachary.meisel@snhu.edu BUSINESS MANAGER Sultan Akhter sultan.akhter@snhu.edu COMMUNITY RELATIONS MANAGER Maddie Covino madison.covino@snhu.edu S OCIAL MEDIA MANAGER NOW HIRING: email penmenpress@snhu.edu LEAD COPY EDITOR Nicholas VonSchantz-Ricci nicholas.ricci1@snhu.edu NEWS EDITOR Rosa Valente rosa.valente@snhu.edu OPINION EDITOR NOW HIRING: email penmenpress@snhu.edu

vote for survivors

Current news can often feel worlds away at college.

Last week, the senate confirmed Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court despite multiple allegations of sexual assault in an incredibly narrow 50-48 vote. The nation watched with bated breath through Christine Blasey Ford’s emotional testimony. It truly seemed that the current cultural shift in favor of survivors had finally made its way to Capitol Hill.

A decision with long term impacts affecting our generation, impacts stretching long after those sitting in the senate are gone, was just made for us.

College campuses are typically a breeding ground for cultural change, like the #MeToo movement.

Students’ voices are oftentimes the loudest, despite having the least representation in Congress.

On September 17, SNHU released the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report, better known as the Clery Report. This report outlines the amount of each different kind of crime that occured over the previous school year.

However, it is mostly called out for the sexual assault related crimes.

The period from when freshmen arrive to campus until about Thanksgiving

Break is known as the ‘red zone’. The red zone is the period of time in which sexual assault related crimes are more than 50% more likely to occur according to the Campus Sexual Assault Study. It is a concern for freshman girls especially.

In this past school year, there were five incidents of rape and eight of fondling, and countless others that still go unreported.

We expect better from our campus, just as we should expect better from the world as a whole. It’s important to make your voice heard when the time comes on November 6.

Let the world know our generation does not excuse such acts.

Take back the night Continued from page 1

RTS & ENERTAINMENT EDITOR A NOW HIRING: email penmenpress@snhu.edu ENMEN ABROAD EDITOR P Rachel Romeo rachel.romeo@snhu.edu SPORTS EDITOR Catherine LaChance catherine.lachance@snhu.edu LAYOUT EDITOR Emma Sheehan emma.sheehan@snhu.edu LEAD VIDEOGRAPHER Jaime Mailloux jaime.mailloux@snhu.edu PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Jaelle Matthieu jaelle.matthieu@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.

Women’s Track & Field at Take Back the Night. (image credit: Billy Saunders) subject, but it’s also a hard alone. Unfortunately, oth- shared what she hoped subject for a lot of people er people go through this people took away from this to talk about, but events a lot and it’s okay to speak night. “I would hope that like this make it easier to out or report it,” Sirios people knew they weren’t bring people together,” said. alone,” said Gilmore. said Lorenzen.

This year’s Take Back On October 20, The The night was inspir- the Night did not go ac- Women’s Center invites ing and eye-opening for cording to plan, but still students to march with all attendees who decided prevailed by showing them at their Take Back to listen with an open support for students and the Night Block Party. To mind. Danielle Sirois (‘22) giving them a voice that find out more informawas one of those inspired will be heard. tion, you can look on their students. “It’s kind of like The night was deemed twitter page a reminder that you’re not a success as Gilmore @SNHUWomensCtr.

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news

Suitcase Stories Carries Important Baggage

Maddie Covino Community Relations Manager Rosa Valente News Editor

It can sometimes be hard to remember how privileged we are as Americans and the freedoms that we take advantage of every day.

People often lose sight of how difficult it can be in other countries and why many people choose to come here. On Sunday, September 30 at 7 p.m., the Palace Theater in Manchester sanctioned the International Institute of New England (IINE) to put on their tenth annual performance of Suitcase Stories.

Suitcase Stories is a theatrical performance which allows United States born citizens and foreign refugees and immigrants who have worked with the IINE to share their stories about immigration to America. According to the host of the event, Peter

Biellon, 65 million people are displaced and about 43,000 flee their homes every year on a global scale. The foreign speakers also bring awareness to the conditions they were in before making the decision to come here. This particular show featured seven immigrants from five different countries and a variety of backgrounds.

It is easy to lose sight of where people come from or what battles they may have faced to get where they are today. Mahboba Akhtarzadah, a SNHU alumna, gave a breathtaking speech on how she fought through pollio, the unkind words people said and the disbelief that she could accomplish what she wanted in her life. Instead of giving up, her father pushed her to accomplish her dreams, and with his support, she continued to push herself up a flight of stairs every day to get her education. She is a true inspiration of what hardwork and dedication should look like.

Another speaker by the name of Molly Short Carr has been working with refugees for the past seventeen years. She shared her experience in how she began working for IINE and one of the first times she was able to help an immigrant family settle in in the United States.

“I joined the institute because I think they have an amazing vision about how to best serve the refugee community, and it really spoke to me,” said Carr.

Her story explained how she had been living in Kenya with her husband for two years prior to moving back to the United States and taking residence in Montana.

She was helping to train a group of volunteers who were going to be receiving immigrants from around the world. The story centered around when she had to make arrangements to welcome her first immigrant family from Africa.

She struggled with finding them a place to live and

hate groups in Montana who rejected the idea of allowing immigrants into the United States. She was worried that the family she was going to be receiving would not feel comfortable, which would make her feel like she failed her job. Upon their arrival, she realized that she recognized the mother from the African family from her time in Kenya, and when she brought them to their new home, they were able to settle in just fine.

After the show, Carr commented on how crit-

rice and tropical fruits, all of which work together to create healthy, boldly-flavored dishes. Those unfamiliar with this fresh and comforting cuisine can dive right in at Buba Noodle Bar. Situated on Lowell Street in downtown Manchester, Buba Noodle Bar is the creation of Trumin Nguyen,

who strived to bring his expertise in Vietnamese cuisine to Manchester.

“Our family has owned restaurants for fifteen years and we hoped to expand. Manchester is growing and we wanted to be a part of that,” said Nguyen.

Nguyen also believes in giving back to the local community. Buba recently held its grand opening, and 15 percent of the sales were donated to Families in TransitionNew Horizons.

Buba specializes in pho (pronounced FUH), a traditional soup featuring house-made broth, rice noodles, scallions, cilantro and a choice of beef, chicken or vegetables. Preparation of the broth is given the utmost

care because a well-made broth is the key to an authentic pho. Their beef broth consists of beef bones and spices that are left to simmer for many hours.

“When you eat pho, you have to know how the broth is made. The broth’s complexity is made over eighteen hours by simmering bones. The sweetness of the bones and the natural spice of ginger and onions combined makes a really good broth,” said Nguyen. “We have a lot of people say that it is probably the best soup in New Hampshire.”

The signature pho at Buba is the beef version, which consists of rare steak, brisket, meatballs and/or flank steak simmered in that meticu-

ical these kinds of events are in our society today.

“These events are really important to help people understand who refugees are, and immigrants, and how they come here,” she said. “There are a lot of assumptions about how refugees just come here and they are not inspected...and that is totally not the case.”

When asked what students can do to encourage the refugee community, Carr said, “it’s just getting out there, becoming a volunteer, being a men-

tor and connecting with the refugee population.”

Hands down, Carr said that “volunteering is essential” if you would like to get involved.

Overall, Carr wanted to make sure that people took one major thing away from this event. “I think it is very important for people to understand that refugees are not just a statistic. They are people.

They have gone through a long challenge to get to the U.S., and once they are here, they work really hard to make a difference.”

Speakers at Suitcase Stories (image credit: Kim-Sarah I)

Take a Journey to Buba Noodle Bar for Sensational Pho

Nicholas VonSchantz-Ricci Lead Copy Editor

Vietnamese cuisine is rapidly gaining popularity throughout the United States. This newfound popularity is well-deserved, as Vietnamese cooking is known for its extensive use of fresh herbs, spices,

(image credit: Nicholas VonSchantz-Ricci)

lously prepared broth.

The soup arrives tantalizingly hot with fresh bean sprouts, basil, jalapenos and lime wedges on the side. Sriracha and hoisin are also available to add additional spice and sweetness, but many consider them superfluous.

“You just enjoy the broth. When you eat pho, eat the broth first. See how you like it and then you adjust accordingly… different people have different tastes. Usually, the sriracha and hoisin is on the side to dip the meat in, but you never add that into the broth,” said Nguyen.

There is more to the menu than pho.

Appetizers include shrimp spring rolls with peanut sauce, mussels

simmered in white wine, coconut milk, lemongrass and Thai basil and chicken wings seasoned with chili garlic sauce.

Additional main course options include grilled beef with vermicelli noodles and tofu with lemongrass.

The restaurant is petite and cozy, with a semiopen kitchen, a handful of tables and attractive lighting. The casual, yet inviting atmosphere is perfect for a get-together with friends or family.

The name Buba stands for “Be Unique, Be Authentic (B.U.B.A),” and Nguyen and his team have encapsulated this motto in everything they do. For fantastic pho and amazing noodles, Buba is unbeatable.

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news

SNHU Dining Services Continues to Unveil New Initiatives

Nicholas VonSchantz-Ricci Lead Copy Editor

Each year, modifications are made to the SNHU dining hall to improve efficiency, increase options and meet student needs. Last year brought the arrival of the pasta station at La Trattoria, which has been hugely successful. This year has brought a handful of new innovations to serve the SNHU community.

Some of the more obvious changes include the expansion of the salad bar.

Madyson Alexander Staff Writer In recent years, vaping has become a large part of the culture of young Americans. It has evolved from a method to quit smoking to a social movement with its own following.

Vape clouds can often be seen floating on the streets, along walkways of college campuses and in high schools across the country. While this might seem unlikely, more than two million middle and high school students were e-cigarette users in 2017, and this number is only going to grow if nothing is done about it.

To aid with this epidemic, the Food and Drug Association (FDA) has passed new guidelines that target the main brands and culprits of underage vaping: JUULs, Vuse, MarkTenXL, Blu e-cigs and Logic. These manufacturers as well as different distributors of the brands have been illegally selling to minors. This results in a nicotine addiction at a young age. To best pro-

“That expanded by 35% more offerings, including more vegan and vegetarian options in that particular area,” said Dan VanAvery, general manager of SNHU Dining Services.

The other major change is the shift of the omelet station from the Global Cuisine station to the pasta station in the early hours of the day. More students can be served at once, thus limiting long lines and reducing wait times.

One of the lesser-known additions is the implementation of an

avocado cart. A variety of flavors of fresh guacamole is available to avocado enthusiasts a couple times a month. The cart recently made its debut appearance and it was well-received.

The grab and go options have also been given a face-lift. The previous product was prepared in-house under the name simply to go. “This year, we made a decision to change based on volume…it was becoming a point where it was cost-negative, it wasn’t even cost neutral,” said VanAvery. “The nice thing about this new product is

the variety in which they can offer…there’s a lot more items available to us that we can take advantage of over what we could produce previously.”

The new products are sold under the company York Street. Options include an array of vegan and gluten free sandwiches, overnight oatmeal, yogurt parfaits and specialty salads. These products can be found in the dining hall as well as the several cafes across campus.

Many new initiatives are to be put in place later in the semester. One par-

ticularly exciting effort is to install a pre-ordering system for the omelet, pasta and Mill City Grill stations. A kiosk-style set-up will be established where students can punch in what they want to ensure accuracy and efficiency.

VanAvery is also considering implementing an app for the station kiosks next semester.

“It should make it a little bit easier to order and less time [will be spent] in lines. You just take your slip, pay for it at the register and away you go,” said VanAvery.

Another program that is in the works is a “make your own bread” program. All the sub rolls will be baked in-house in a newly-acquired proof and bake oven. The bread will be baked behind daily dish, in full view of the everyone. These freshly-baked loaves will be available at Ultimate Deli, Mill City Grill and the pasta station.

Constant expansion and innovation to benefit students and faculty is a focus of SNHU and this mentality can also be found in the dining hall.

tect minors, the FDA has issued more than 77,000 warning letters, 135 no-tobacco sale complaints and 18,560 civil money penalty cases to these brands and companies as of September 1, 2018.

In addition to launching an anti-vaping campaign aimed at teens and potentially ceasing online sales, this statement was released by the FDA on September 12, 2018: “The agency is asking each company to submit to the FDA, within 60 days, how they will address widespread youth access and use of their products. If they fail to do so […] may require brands to remove some or all flavored products that contribute to the rise in youth use, until they receive premarket authorization and otherwise meet all obligations under law.”

What do students think about all of this?

A couple of students here at SNHU gave some new insight on this epidemic with underage vaping and use of e-cigarettes in regards to the new laws to

be passed by the FDA. “It is a good idea to stop people from starting. If you don’t already [use] JUUL, don’t start now.” said Ryan Ulcickas (‘22), a freshman at SNHU. Another freshman, Jacob DaRosa (‘22), agreed with this by saying, “The reason I began using JUUL and vaping was because a lot of my friends in high school did it. I think it is important to stop underage use because kids are getting addicted [to nicotine] at a young age.”

Both students think that it would be difficult for the FDA to crack down on usage because the kids are always going to find a way to do something.

“If you have willpower, you have a way,” said Ulcickas.

DaRosa said that he would no longer continue vaping or using JUUL if the flavors were taken out of the picture, but Ulcickas had a different insight.

“The tobacco flavors are gross, and having no flavor also seems gross. I would still do it because I like the thrill

of it, and I think this is part of the problem for kids, too,” he said.

Both students also had some interesting thoughts about the effects of these new implementations on college campuses, and how college students may react. They sug-

gested that this may lead to using cigars or cigarettes. Or, they could quit altogether, which could lead to withdrawal symptoms such as depression.

What do you think?

Will this be the end of the JUUL era, or will JUUL be able to come

up with a plan that is effective enough to stop underage use while also maintaining their flavors? Should flavors be taken away? How do we stop underage vaping and smoking?

It starts with a simple message: it’s not always cool to JUUL.

The Uncertain Future of JUUL

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news

Welcome Sodexo’s New Vegan and Gluten-Free Options

Molly Graves Staff Writer

Veganism has risen by 600% in the last three years according to the Food Revolution Network. Not only has veganism been on the rise, but so has the gluten-free diet. Studies show that over one hundred million consumers follow the gluten-free diet, with the majority of them not being celiacs (Richardson, 2018).

With these surprising statistics, it is no wonder that Daniel VanAvery, general manager of Sodexo, decided to implement more vegan and gluten-free options onto the menu.

“The way we’ve always made our food is to order.

So they’ve always been there but we made it a lot more obvious,” VanAvery said.

Along with making the options more obvious to students, he also added a few new vegan and gluten-free options.

For example, they have added a vegan tortellini which can be paired

with the vegan red sauce they have had in the past.

They also added vegan yogurt at the smoothie bar, dairy-free ice cream and oat milk.

For gluten-free options, he said last year they did the big push for those additions. Every station has gluten-free options, but VanAvery said he is working on finding a better gluten-free dinner roll, so they can have that option as well.

Although many of these options were available last year, Sodexo’s staff has gotten trained more on these dietary restrictions so they are better able to accommodate.

Nejra Fazlic (‘19) is a resident student who has been vegan for two and a half years.

Fazlic went into detail about how difficult it was when she first started searching for vegan options in 2016. After finding a few vegan options, she would have to keep repeating those meals since there weren’t as many accommodations.

With these new up-

dates to the menu, Fazlic seems to be most excited about the new vegan to-go options, since she doesn’t always have time to sit down and eat. Her favorite one at the moment is the vegan avocado ‘bacon’ wrap. Although she may not like every new option Sodexo is offering, she is just happy about the efforts being made.

“Even if I don’t particularly like a certain vegan item that’s now being offered, I still love the direction that Sodexo is going by being more inclusive and sensitive to different diets. It’s also ‘normalizing’ veganism a little more at SNHU, which is not a common diet for many students here,” Fazlic said.

Normalizing the vegan diet is a goal for VanAvery too. He says that these vegan and gluten-free options are not just for those with restrictions. He actually suggests that more students try these options, because they do tend to be healthier options.

The one concern Fazlic has is the lack of

The dining hall’s new vegan wrap. (image credit: Yazan Haimur) replicate that on a larger pes and ideas with him, vegan desserts.

Every once in a while scale and make vegan and because right now he is Sodexo offers a vegan des- gluten-free desserts more going off what he thinks sert, but it is not consistent common. “Dessert is an everyone would like to and there isn’t much vari- area we struggle a little bit eat. ety. Good news for both still. It is a priority for us, He is always open to vegans and gluten-free but we are getting there,” new options and will look responded into anything to accompeople is that VanAvery VanAvery said he is currently look- when asked about how modate students. There is ing into more options for he plans to produce more only one dining option on the dessert menu. He just vegan and gluten-free this campus and he wants hired an additional baker, desserts. to make sure everyone Sodexo really cares is happy with their food so there are now three about the students and choices. bakers at SNHU. VanAvery reflected wants to cater directly to A few options to look on the chocolate pie them. forward to are dairy-free VanAvery said he mac and cheese and a he made his daughter for Thanksgiving and would love if people vegan pizza coming withis looking to be able to would share some reci- in the next few weeks.

conference requests and swear in the newly elected senators.

To begin, the meeting was called to order at 5:06 p.m. A roll call took place determining that three senators were absent. Given only 16 out of 25 seats for senate are

actually filled, the shortage on the 18th was not desirable.

After roll call, the new senators present were sworn in. Among the new senators who took an oath to SGA were Rosa Valente (‘21), George Karlberg (‘22), Zainab Naziri (‘22),

Alexis Smyrski (‘22), Anna Norton (‘22) and Gregory Tolson (‘22).

The SGA then moved into officer reports.

CFO Timothy Price presented budget requests from CAPE, the Student Veteran Association and the Sports Management

SGA Swears In New Senators After President Steps Down

Elizabeth Lemieux Staff Writer

The Student Government Association (SGA) met Tuesday, September 18 in the Penmen Room in the Athletic Center. They met to discuss current

The new senators join SGA. (image credit: Nick Klotz)

Club, all of which were approved.

President Iesina Tupouniua then presented a co-sponsorship and spoke about the vacancy in the Vice President spot. Tupouniua used to hold the position of Vice President but recently stepped up to become President of the SGA after McKayla Hutchins stepped down.

“I’m excited to share this experience with all of you,” said President Tupouniua to the senate and executive board.

Tupouniua explained the vice president position to the senators and spoke of requirements needed for each person

applying for the position.

Qualifications include having at least a 3.0 grade point average and having been on the SGA for at least a year.

Soon after, the members of the SGA finally did proper introductions during the allotment of time reserved for Advisor Gavin Telfer’s comments.

To end the meeting, SGA members took time to snap for each other’s accomplishments within the association.

The meeting was adjourned at 5:44 p.m.

It lasted nearly forty minutes. While brief, the meeting was an important stepping stone for SGA.

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news

Be Financially Prepared for a Natural Disaster

Amy Sumsion Staff Writer

Living on the east coast means being prepared for any natural disasters that might arise.

On August 31, Hurricane Florence formed and the east coast was anxiously awaiting to see where Florence would attack and the impending damage that the hurricane would leave behind.

It is impossible to predict the impact of natural disasters or when they might occur which is why it is essential to be financially prepared in emergency situations.

Make a list.

When natural disasters

hit, the financial impact may be just as detrimental as the emotional impact if someone is not prepared.

Items, both replaceable and irreplaceable, might get damaged so it is important to have a list prepared that consists of the items that would need to be replaced such as vehicles, furniture, electronics, appliances, jewelry, collectibles and even clothes.

This list will become important so that individuals can get the proper insurance coverage for the items that need to be protected.

Get protected.

It is important to get the proper insurance coverage that will protect the

items that are not easily replaced out of pocket.

It is also important to purchase either renter’s insurance if renting and homeowner’s insurance if it is owned. Also, depending on one’s residence, it is important to purchase additional policies such as earthquake insurance or flood insurance if these natural disasters are more likely to occur based on location.

Adding these additional measures ensures coverage for items that will need to be replaced.

For instance, if a hurricane floods one’s beach house, but they do not have flood insurance or homeowner’s insurance,

they will have to pay for the damages to their house and pay for the items lost out of pocket.

Have cash readily available.

Oftentimes, power will go out during a natural disaster, and the local bank or ATM will be inaccessible. If a storm is approaching, it is important that cash is accessible.

Throughout the year, individuals should be depositing money into a separate savings account designated for emergencies.

In this savings account, it is important to save up to 3-6 months total expenses.

In the event of a natural disaster, this money can be withdrawn to have access

campus ranging from New Castle to the apartments in Lincoln and Monadnock which are usually only used to house upperclassmen.

Furthermore, during certain times of the day, the dining hall is often jam-packed.

Students may be in line for a longer amount of time when ordering their food or waiting to pay for it.

To handle the surplus of students, Sodexo has hired more staff to increase the efficiency of their services for students.

General Manager Dan VanAvery states that by adding in more staff it

allows for more breaks to happen, and with the additional breaks, there’s less stress put on the staff.

When asked about wait times for food and lines VanAvery said, “Our goal is to get students their food as soon as possible to keep things moving.”

VanAvery has stated that more improvements to the dining hall and how students order food are on the way. To keep the staff from burning out in one area, Sodexo is having its employees undergo cross-training.

This allows them to work in a different station like the Fiesta Zone, Salad Station or the Ultimate Deli.

Associate Director Matt Petersons also commented on how Residence Life was able to make room for the student overflow at the beginning of this year.

He explained that Kingston was able to accommodate for the loss of the lower suites, as well as the townhouses that were torn down.

He also explained that SNHU is already gearing

up for next year’s incoming class. The overall capacity for the year was 2,017 beds, but after their adjustments, SNHU’s total capacity is now 2,021 beds.

However, the current amount of beds in use is 1, 960.

Petersons stated that in some cases, certain spaces used as temporary housing were turned into fulltime living spaces for students. When Tuckerman hall opened, a triple space had been designed as a quad allowing SNHU to house additional students in these triple spaces.

With Hampton, there is an apartment that is being utilized as housing for students as well. They turned one of the bedrooms into a double and left one as a single.

For a few rooms in Washington, the layout of the room allowed for a third person to move into a double.

Residence Life works closely with Admissions and the University Campus President to project trends and possibilities for the future.

The Effect of Student Overflow

Troy Robinson Staff Writer

SNHU has gained new family members at the beginning of the year. The class of 2022 is SNHU’s biggest class to date. With a large class comes some complications.

At the beginning of this year, SNHU was at 100.7% capacity for housing accommodations.

As a result, common rooms in Washington Hall and New Castle Hall were temporarily transformed into quads to house the additional students. Freshmen have been placed all over the

Crowds at SNHU. (image credit: Jeremy Mayheu)

(image credit: Cash Central) to cash that can be utilized financial burden of replacfor food, water or shelter. ing all of their items can be While it may not seem substantial. like natural disasters will Taking these small happen to us, it is import- steps to get the ducks in ant to be prepared just in a row will help prevent case. any unnecessary finanIf pushed off for too cial stressors in the event long, an individual may of a natural disaster like lose everything and the Hurricane Florence.

CETA accreditation Derek Smith Staff Writer

Starting this year, SNHU’s College of Engineering Technology and Aeronautics (CETA) programs, Mechanical Engineering (ME) and Aeronautical Engineering (AE) have been accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc. (ABET).

According to Dr. Yan Xiang, the Dean of CETA, this accreditation from ABET is “a huge success for SNHU and CETA as a new engineering institute.” This is significant to SNHU’s CETA programs because “ABET accreditation provides assurance that a college or university program meets the quality standards of the profession for which that program prepares graduates.”

According to Alexandru Manus, the Assistant Vice President of Academic Quality and Accreditation, “the ABET accreditation evaluation is an 18-month, 5-step process. The next comprehensive review is scheduled for the academic

year 2023-2024.”

Originally, the Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering programs at Daniel Webster College (DWC) were accredited by ABET before SNHU took over DWC. According to Xiang, “This is a new accreditation and a big milestone for CETA as a new engineering institute.”

This new accreditation is also great for SNHU because “it is very meaningful on CETA engineering program academic quality, the successful transition from DWC and huge support [of the] programs, faculty development and facility support from [the] University.”

According to Xiang, the ABET accreditation “... is crucial for CETA engineering programs growth.”

Xiang also said that the accreditation is great news for students in the CETA programs because “Graduates from an ABET-accredited program have a solid educational foundation and are capable of leading the way in innovation, emerging technologies and in anticipating the welfare and safety needs of the public.”

the penmen press

Matthew Rubenstein Staff Writer Welcome to Ruby Review, where I go in and review stuff here on our great campus. This review is based on the school's famous chicken bowls that are served every Monday night.

I haven’t had one of these infamous bowls in a long time, so I traveled to the Dining Hall and purchased one. For my review, I got all the fixings and toppings with no extra servings of anything, and I got half buffalo and regular tenders as well.

The bowl can come with mash-potatoes, chicken tenders, corn, stuffing, shredded cheese and is topped with gravy.

The bowl is prepared quickly and easily. Even with long lines, you will get your chicken bowl fast with little mistakes in your order.

The chicken bowl comes in a small round black container. It's perfect for taking it on the go and for microwaved leftovers - a college

Austin Bonnell Staff Writer Webster Hall, the home to the School of Business, is situated far from the other buildings on at SNHU. Its location for many is a little inconvenient and require as much as ten extra minutes to get to from another hall.

There are two different ways to get there.

One way is going down a steep hill through the Rockingham townhouse, down flights of stairs, then ending up at Webster. The other way is to go all the way down North River Road

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opinion

Ruby Review: Chicken Bowl Monday

student's dream.

The chicken bowl comes hot, and by the time I sat down to eat it, I could already see the cheese melting inside. I was told by my friends that it’s the best when you mix it all together. Before I did that, I tried a little bit of each part of the bowl while it was still separate.

The first thing I tried were the mashed potatoes. They looked creamy and soft and didn’t have any lumps in them.

The potatoes were still warm and they tasted good, but they were deceivingly dry. I needed some water to help get it down, unfortunately.

Next I tried the regular chicken tenders.

The chicken bites tastes exactly like the tenders from the grill, but in bite size.

They were little on the dry side for me. I moved on to the buffalo bites so I could compare them to the regular tenders. The buffalo bites is a definite upgrade to the regular bites. It was juicier than the regular

flavor and comes with a nice spicy kick to it.

The corn is just corn to me, and I could care less about it. So if you like corn, get it and if you don’t, then don’t.

The stuffing is the cream of the crop in my opinion. It is filled with flavor and just tastes so good.

Always ask for extra stuffing. Only negative thing about it is that it comes in a small ball and can be difficult to mix in with the rest of the bowl.

The cheese is a nice addition to the bowl and helps to add an extra creamy flavor to the bowl, especially when it starts to melt. However, it is just a bit of an overkill for me, since I thought it overpowered the other flavors.

Gravy is gravy. If it is good or bad, it always helps gets the whole thing down. Always ask for extra gravy when you get it. After trying each piece, it was time to mix everything together.

For most people, they open the bowl and mix

(image credit: Matthew Rubenstein) it up with their spoon or It is important to keep it might not be one of fork. But I think shaking in mind that the quality the healthiest options it till all the goodness is of the chicken bowl var- at the Dining Hall, it’s a mixed up is the best way. ies. Sometimes ingredi- good meal after a long It helps combine all the ents may be fresher and Monday. It's too simple to flavors, so that you can less dry, other times they get wrong, but you don't taste it in every bite. The could be worse than my expect it to blow your mixing of the bowl helps experience. mind when you have it. mix the gravy with the The chicken bowl is Overall, it was almost mash and eliminates the a quick and filling meal like a little Thanksgiving dryness that potatoes can that everyone should party in your mouth with have. try at least once. While every bite.

Walk to Webster: Too Tiring to Treck?

on a tiny sidewalk and then cross the street to Webster.

After class, it’s a chore to walk all the way back up going either way.

Students get exhausted when they enter the classroom, realizing that they must take the same trip back up and feeling even more tired.

For some students, driving down to Webster is a convenient way to stop walking there and back. But for those who don’t have a vehicle on campus, is it worth to ask their friends to get a ride to Webster whenever they have class?

In the winter time,

it’s dangerous to walk down because of the ice. Sometimes, there is no salt covering up the stairs or walkways. What if someone falls because of slip hazards? The risks are too much for students to walk down to Webster when it’s icy outside.

Even though there is the benefit to getting exercise, students will be huffing and puffing all the way up the hill.

Conversations have to pause. Those conversations about class become forgotten as students make the trek. Shins burn. Asthma acts up. I'd rather get my exercise in the gym. Some students

aren't prepared, heaving with no water in sight.

Once they get past the townhouses, the walk

(image credit: Foursquare) becomes more gentle, but until then, it's more pain than it is exercise.

The walk is especially

exhausting when students have most of their classes at Webster. It must be tiring.

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arts & entertainment The house with ‘boredom’ in its walls

Zach Meisel Online Manager With every kid’s movie, there is a chance that it will be fun for the whole family or it will turn out to be something that will only entertain children.

“The House with a Clock in its Walls” tends to lean toward the latter and fails to provide anything worthwhile for adults.

It has decent acting and an interesting world, but can’t overcome its thin plot and dull final act.

Based off the novel of the same name, “The House with a Clock in its Walls” follows an orphaned boy named Lewis Barnavelt (Owen Vaccaro) who goes to live with his uncle Jonathan Barnavelt (Jack Black) in his magical house.

Lewis soon finds out that his uncle is a warlock and their neighbor Mrs. Zimmerman (Cate

Blanchett) is a witch who requires Lewis’s help to find the strange ticking heard within the walls.

With a unique and interesting premise and director Eli Roth attached to the film, known for his repertoire of gruesome horror films, it seemed it could have been a divergence from most children’s book adaptation movies. Roth attempts to inject some spookiness into the film, adding a few small jumpscares and scary imagery. Sadly, it still falls in line with many cliches, tropes and even some potty humor that people have come to expect from kid’s films.

The main problem is the villain Isaac Izard, played by Kyle MacLachlan, who wants to end the world because he’s the bad guy. There are various threads of feelings of loss, trauma from war and what

(image credit: Universal) makes a person unique, but none of them are explored deeply enough to be meaningful. Many of the characters actions feel unjustified because of this and end up feeling placed to move the plot forward.

What the film does get right is creating an interesting way to cast

magic. It doesn’t default to anyone being able to do it or having to move a certain way. Instead, they bring up the concept that each person can have their own unique method of casting magic. The concept is not developed fully, but it is better than a magic artifact or wand to cast spells.

The acting is also, for the most part, good. Cate Blanchett is fantastic as always and is one of the best aspects of the film.

Jack Black is entertaining as always and is a good opposite to Blanchett.

Their back and forth banter and chemistry really relieve the dull moments and exposition

dumps.

All in all, “The House with a Clock in its Walls” cannot escape from the cheap laughs and cliches that plague many kids movies. Most adults will be counting down the seconds until the good guys win and everything turns out happy in the end.

Your Guide to Nintendo Switch’s Online Service Michael Carignan Staff Writer After having a delayed launch, Nintendo finally launched their online services for Switch. The new online services bring a couple intriguing features that were not available to us before, and add a paywall to those we’ve been experiencing since launch in the “preview” phase.

The biggest benefit, of course, is online play.

Games like “Mario Kart 8” and the upcoming “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” require a subscription to play online. Free-to-play games, like the ever-popular “Fortnite,” do not.

Users also now have access to cloud saving, meaning you can upload your game saves to the cloud. Now users can always have their saves on

(image credit: Nintendo) them, even if you break your Nintendo Switch.

The bad news is that unsubscribing results in inaccessibility of those saves for 180 days. This is a contrast to the competition.

Sony allows six months after a lapsed subscription

to their Playstation online service, and Microsoft does not require a subscription at all to use the feature on Xbox.

The most intriguing feature for many will be the classic game library.

Launching with twenty

NES games, this will be available anywhere, any time as long as you have a subscription. It launched with 20 iconic titles, including “Super Mario Bros.” and “The Legend of Zelda,” and will continue to be updated with more

games Netflix-style.

It will be exciting to see what games are added in the future, with a clip on three games per month planned. Many of these games are multiplayer, so they can be played with roommates. There is also

an online option which enables gamers to play with friends who live across campus or commute.

Additional benefits include subscribers having the opportunity to buy special loot from Nintendo like the new wireless NES controllers.

Nintendo also has access to the new smartphone app which enables voice chats with friends during the game.

These online services have select pricing plans starting at $3.99 a month for one account and up to $19.99 for the entire year.

Nintendo also offers a family membership which can be used on eight Nintendo accounts for $34.99 for the entire year. While the benefits truly are rather slim, at a fraction of the cost of Nintendo’s competition for online services, it’s hard not to recommend.

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page 9

arts & entertainment Netflix Gets Romantic in “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before” Josh Warshauer Staff Writer

As a sucker for romantic comedies but also a skeptic, I’m usually harboring mixed feelings about romantic comedies be they on Netflix or in movie theaters. Despite those feelings, I still like to give this genre a good watch every now and again. “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before,” is among the newest installments in this heavy-handed genre.

Lara Jean Song-Covey is a young woman who is well known as a hopeless romantic. Lara Jean is always reading romance novels and dreaming of her own happy ending.

(image credit: Netflix) Whenever she feels incredibly strong feelings for a boy, she writes them a love letter, of which she does not send.

When Lara Jean’s box

of letters are mailed out, she is afraid that they will be seen by others and cause her embarrassment.

This film was based off of a book, but I have not

prequel feel out of place in the series. The only reason horror fans tolerate the hot garbage that were the sequels is because Michael Myers has been the boogieman for as long as anyone can remember.

The Halloween series remains a classic in the horror world. The 1978 movie inspired slasher films for decades to come and completely terrified audiences. The horror genre was innovated, and while the movie is dated now, it was an instant classic among horror fans.

Since then, the multiple sequels and prequels transformed Michael Myers into this insane, overpowered, humanoid demon man. They’ve made him invincible through the power of the devil, they gave him a cult following in a hospital, they gave him family issues with an abusive step father and a stripper mom, a baby sister (Laurie Strode) and a big sister who was a bully to him.

When more is added to a character it usually

makes the story even better than it was before, not so here. Myers was a mash up of different directors and writers adding to the story and making this huge mess of a character.

While many fans are angry they stripped away Michael Myers’ story after the second movie, I am personally relieved.

It felt too good to be true when it was announced that John Carpenter had stepped back in to fix his beloved series from the inevitable mess it became. While he won’t be a director, he will be the composer and executive producer with Jason Blum, the CEO of the Blumhouse Production Company, who has produced films such as Get Out, Insidious, Paranormal Activity and Happy Death Day. Halloween will be directed and written by David Green with additional writers Jeff Fradley and Danny McBride. This new Halloween throws out the plots of the films following the second film

read it so I cannot speak to the film against its source material. The plot as a whole is somewhat predictable, yet the movie is undeniably good-natured.

As far casting goes, Lana Condor did an excellent job in her role portraying Lara Jean. Noah Ciento also showed that he was more than competent

in his role as a love interest. The duo has excellent on-screen chemistry and make a believable couple.

Other roles, such as Lara Jean’s sisters, Margot and Kitty, gave effective performances and the trio made believable sisters.

While the characters were fun to watch and endearing, the story and the writing was still considerably predictable.

The movie also relied on certain romantic comedy tropes that have gotten old with time.

Overall, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, while not as grounded in reality as one would hope, is still a beautiful movie that symbolizes love bringing people together.

Hoping for the “Halloween” sequel Horror Fans Deserve

Taylor DeForrest Staff Writer

This Halloween season welcomes back the iconic masked murderer, Michael Myers, as he returns in the 2018 reboot of “Halloween.” There are 10 sequels to date, making this one the eleventh in the series. The quality of said sequels are up for debate.

The series took strange turns that original Director John Carpenter and fans didn’t quite expect with the original slasher film, and that is not a good thing, from Rapper Busta Rhymes using martial arts and cursing out Michael Myers, to the strange demonic twists and cult-like backstory that fans accepted half-heartedly. There was also a gruesome rendition

by Director Rob Zombie, who has such projects as “House of 1000 Corpses” and “The Devil’s Rejects”.

The movie wasn’t completely awful, however, the overwhelming sexualization and grit made the

(image credit: Universal) and focuses on the first two movies.

Jamie Lee Curtis returns as Laurie Strode, 40 years after the second movie. She has a family and has been prepping for Michael’s return. Michael Myers is in a mental asylum after his Halloween murder spree and escapes

during a bus transfer. He then inevitably returns to Haddonfield to finish what he started.

The movie comes out October 19 and hopefully will be the last installment to the series. Finally, we are going to get the sequel to Halloween one and two that the series deserved

from the beginning. With an 83% score on Rotten Tomatoes, horror fans’ hopes are high for the new installment.

Go watch the first two Halloween movies, grab a movie ticket and get ready for a thrilling nostalgic horror film on October 19.

the penmen press

Nikki Fain Editor In Chief

penmen abroad

page 10

When Homesickness Turns Into a Homecoming

One of the biggest concerns about studying abroad is homesickness, and rightfully so.

Studying abroad almost allows a student a pause on their life at home. It can be a dream to take a break from their traditional course load to explore different cultures in the world. However, it also means spending some time away from friends and family and missing a holiday or two.

Ryan Evaul (‘19) is studying abroad in Florence, Italy and shared his experience so far. “The first three weeks were rough. . .

Yeah, I try not to think about it, because I do get sad. Unfortunately, there isn’t much you can do to avoid it.”

For Evaul, it’s comfort food that’s gotten him down the most. “The thing that got me most homesick has definitely been food shopping. I broke down crying in the grocery store the second week I was here, because my phone was out of bat-

Rachel Bidwell Staff Writer My mom always told me that studying abroad was the best thing she could have ever done during her time in college. Many Southern New Hampshire University students take the opportunity to study abroad across the world.

The most popular country that Penmen go to is Italy. For some students studying abroad is the first time they experience life outside of their com-

tery and I couldn’t google translate anything, so I didn’t know what any of the foods I was looking at were.

Even though people will push students to fully immerse themselves in the culture, Evaul shared his need to find his comfort in Italy. “Another thing that makes me feel at home in Florence is definitely McDonalds or the diner. The diner is this American food restaurant where all the waiters speak English and they have American foods like pancakes and BLTs and anything in between.”

Becky Martone (‘18) studied abroad in England at the University of Essex in the fall of 2017 and explained how homesickness affected her.

“I definitely experienced homesickness while abroad. I would have been surprised if I didn’t. I’ve never traveled abroad before. I’m someone who’s pretty awful at adjusting to unfamiliar places, and I’m pretty shy, so it’s difficult for me to put myself out there and

make friends especially if the situation is as new as being at Essex felt.”

But when she did, she found a community with the other study abroad students at Essex.

“I think we were all felt a bit out of place at first and could kind of bond over that.”

While Ericka Broderick ('18) struggled with homesickness for a while, she ultimately opened up to her roommate. "I was just getting to know [her] and she received me with so much compassion. . . From that point on, my homesickness went away."

Amber Krane (‘20) is studying abroad at the University of Essex in England and shares her unique perspective.

“I’ve been traveling since I was very young. . . I tend to adjust fairly quickly to my new environments, however homesickness is never really an issue. I remind myself this is not forever and I’ll be home soon after the experience is done.”

Other students, like Frank Chin (‘21), are

SNHU students Ginny Fagan and Amber Krane are studying at the University of Essex this semester. (image credit: Amber Krane) worlds away, but also clubs and being part of “huge difference”.

It’s important to rehave very little home- the community helps a sickness. “I have felt a lot.” Meanwhile, Chin member, like Martone little homesickness, but can be found sleeping did, all of these other it's like saying a 10 out of off his or with his friends study abroad students are going through the a 100 scale. What makes from SNHU, like Orr. Homesickness, in one same thing. me not even notice it at These students all are times is probably the way, shape or form, is a Thanksgiving things that you can do part of the journey too. missing in Japan. . . I kinda just Each student has their or Easter, spending Valentine’s Day away sleep it off when it does ways to cope.

Evaul suggested buy- from significant others, hit.”

Goran Orr (‘20) is ing your own bedding etc. You’re not alone. also in Japan attend- supplies. Even though Get together for a ing Seinan Gakuin the school provides it, Friendsgiving like Evaul University with Chin. the sheets can be “stained plans to do. Study abroad While he experienced a or abrasive”. Having these with friends like Goran little more homesickness, things makes him “feel at and Chin. Make new he’s “found that joining home”, which makes a friends like Broderick.

Fighting Culture Shock in Italy

fort zone. Sometimes that different lifestyle can come to an individual with a shock, that is called culture shock.

"Living in Italy is quite the adjustment from the SNHU community.

I have certainly had my challenges with having to adapt to so many cultural differences," said Lauren Gralenski ('20) who is studying at the American University of Rome.

Over the course of a day, the little differences add up fast.

One sits down for a

breakfast of a cappuccino or espresso and maybe a cornetto, which is Italian for a croissant. It's near impossible to find "American" coffee.

"The closest thing you can get is an Americano, which is just espresso with water," said Gralenski.

Getting dressed in the morning is also an adjustment.

"Even when it was high 80's in September, most Italians were wearing pants. They dress for the season. Nobody

wears shorts," said Gralenski.

Winter coats are also common through most months, even though the climate is warmer than in New Hampshire. Along with that Italians wear neutral colors and that you don't see many people wearing branded clothing. It was also stated that athletic clothes are for working out, not for going about day-today activities.

Travel gives a perspective one does not understand fully until

Lauren Gralenski has been studying in Rome since September. (image credit: Nick Klotz) they do it themselves, who I am is from where even when you just look I have been. The world at the little things. is constantly changing, As someone who's we are changing with it has been to a number and we need to adapt to of countries around the multiple surroundings world I can easily say and environments.

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page 11

sports

basketball to host meet and greet with coaches

Catherine LaChance Sports Editor

The Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) athletic department will host a meet-and-greet with the head men’s and women’s basketball coaches Saturday, October 13, from 11a.m. to noon as part of Homecoming weekend. The event will take place in the newly-renovated Penmen Room overlooking the Stan Spirou Fieldhouse in the Athletic Complex.

Associate Athletic Director Tom Wilkens arranged the event for fans to meet Head Women’s Basketball Coach, Karen Pinkos, and Head Men’s Basketball Coach, Jack Perri. Perri replaced Stan Spirou after 33

Austin Bonnell Staff Writer

years of coaching and will begin his first season as head coach later this month.

The meet-andgreet will serve as an introduction to Perri.

As “the ‘new’ guy,” he hopes to inform fans of his plans and expectations for the upcoming basketball season.

“It’s been 30 plus years since someone other than Stan Spirou ran a Southern New Hampshire practice,” Perri said.

“I am sure people will want to know the type of environment that I am establishing and what my expectations are.”

The event is open to the public. Friends, family, faculty and lovers of basketball are all encouraged to attend. The goal is to

Coaches Jack Perri and Karen Pinkos will meet with fans October 13. (image credit: SNHU Penmen) get everyone excited meet-and-greet. the event. and November 9, refor the season.

Seniors Charlie The men’s and spectively. The men Fans will also Russo, Daquaise women’s basket- will play NYIT while get to speak with Andrews, Kylie ball teams are set the women take on current players Lorenzen and Brianna to open their 2019 Bloomfield at the Stan during Saturday’s Camara will attend slate November 10 Spirou Field House.

lewellen weighs in on progress this season

“Golf is a very overlooked sport that never gets a lot of press.”

Makyla Lewellen (’20) practices six days a week. This includes routine practices and hefty work out sessions at the gym.

Golf is a major aspect of her life. She continuously works hard to maintain a high level of performance.

Lewellen and the Penmen have travelled to three games so far this season (at time of publication).

They first went to the Dartmouth Invitational on September 15.

The team finished 14 out of 15 teams.

Then, on September 23, they sloted a third place finish at the Franklin Pierce Fall

Second year student Makyla Lewellen takes looks for her high flying ball. (image credit: SNHU Penmen) Invitational. Most re- season and Lewellen said. “[Head Coach] look the women’s golf cently, they took third believes they have Matt Arvanitus has team. She wishes there place at the Granite brought much talent. also been a great coach was a way for women’s State Invitational on “With the addition to go to for anything golf to receive more October 2. [of ] these players, it involved in the sport.” press. Many sports Three Penmen added a lot of talent Lewellen feels as teams participate in joined the team this toward the team,” she though students over- events around campus

that ultimately result in public recognition. The women’s golf team does not host or participate in events, however she still wants golf to represent the SNHU community.

“I want us to stand out from the rest of the other sports,” she said “I wish that there could be a way that we could be more involved in SNHU and the community. I feel like the whole team really wants to help out.

We aren’t really a sport where people go watch the game, but we just want to be mentioned and represented at SNHU.” The Penmen hope to get more people involved with the team and aim to show the community how committed and talented they are.

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page 12

sports

Esports teams host first meeting and tryouts Lin Mo Staff Writer Esports are SNHU’s latestest varsity sports program. They held their first informational meeting in Walker Auditorium

September 5.

SNHU chose to start promoting eSports this semester. Since SNHU has an exclusive design program, it decided to create an eSports program for students with

majors related to gaming such as game art development, which is a good tool for scouting students from other colleges and high schools.

Tim Fowler, the director of the eSports teams,

League of Legends team members at a practice. (image credit: SNHU)

mentioned that the philosophy of SNHU's team was based on community, teamwork, academics and focus. To be on an eSports team, participants must maintain a 2.0 GPA and be able to focus on practice, replays and reviews.

The eSports team will compete in four games: League Of Legends, Overwatch, Fortnite and Hearthstone. There were ten tryout invites for the League team, twelve for Overwatch and ten for Fortnite on September 15 and 16. Sultan Akhter ('19), the treasurer of gaming club and the captain of the League of Legends team, said there were approximately two hundred students interested in joining eSports and one hundred applicants who provided their gaming records. The way Fowler selected tryout members is through checking their gaming

statistics such as total kills in a game, win rate and the current title they have. After estimation, there were around thirty to forty participants left to fight for the six slots in League of Legends, seven in Overwatch, four in Fortnite and three in Hearthstone.

Joining an eSports team does not mean it is necessary to be a player.

Fowler mentioned there will be more roles in broadcasting, spectators, technical support, graphic design and analysis.

In order to tryout, members had to attend the tryouts on September 15. The members for different games had different numbers of tryout matches. They needed to play ten matches for League Of Legends, twelve for Overwatch and ten for Fortnite. Their performance and the number of winning matches would

determine if they had the qualifications to become a part of the eSports team.

The members who did not make the varsity team still had the option to express their gaming technique in the club teams.

If one of the members in the varsity team could not attend the tournament, the eSports team would select one of the club team members to fill that player's spot.

The eSports teams will have three regular practices for two hours and one match with other schools per week. There will be a $3,000 scholarship available to eSports participants stating next fall.

To find out more about eSports, prospective participants or spectators, email Tim Fowler at T.fowler1@snhu.edu or follow the SNHU eSports Facebook page to stay updated.

other perfectly”.

While his soccer teams have been a family of sorts, he values his family back home in Spain above all else. Satrustegui has shared that he’s made some sacrifices to achieve his dream of being a professional soccer player, such as missing out on plans or trips with friends and family or not going out at night in order to stay healthy for the sake of the game. Regardless though, every game he has a tradition.

“I rub my wrist and I put the letters of the names of my family and friends. They help me to be motivated for the game, because I know that they are watching live.”

As for the future of the men’s team, well, Satrustegui knows they’ll be just fine.

“We don’t panic. Just keep going.”

Goal leader Alex Satrustegui is back for his senior year. (image credit: SNHU Penmen)

welcoming back nation leader alex satrustegui

Nikki Fain Editor in Chief It wasn’t only until Saturday, September 29, that the Southern New Hampshire men’s soccer team lost its first game this season. Up until this game, the men were undefeated.

They held a division leading 9-0 record. Despite this loss, however, the Penmen are still number one in their division and seven in the country.

Hailing from Spain, senior Alex Satrustegui returned to the field for the Penmen, but this time as a striker rather than a forward. Satrustegui, originally from Pamplona, Spain, came to SNHU last year as a junior. Quickly, he integrated into the soccer team as one of the best players. This season, he’s stood out just as much, if not more.

“There was a goal where I did a bicycle kick, and it was top five on ESPN. . . I also had a really good game when I scored four goals,” said Satrustegui. While his sheepish smile may showcase his constant modesty, the pride radiates through his eyes.

And proud he should be. So far this season Satrustegui has scored 17 goals and made two assists, making him the national leading scorer in NCAA Division II. While some could be intimidated or even bored by the success, Satrustegui is unwavering in his efforts on the field. “I’m just excited [for the game] and motivated to win, score, to be going forward. Never nervous. The goal number one is to be national champions. After that is to see how far we can go.”

That’s what stands out about Satrustegui. He is the definition of a team player. He’s sheepish in talking about himself, but when talking about his team, he is sure and confident.

“My goal everyday is to help the team to win the game. That’s the first thing I want to do. If I can help the team by scoring, then I’m happy. We lost a lot of players from last year, but a lot of good players came too. I think we have a better team than last year. We are a family too. They are the closest thing to family here.”

They are so much a family, Satrustegui even lives in an apartment with three other teammates now. Not only has it brought them closer, but it has lead to success on the field. Satrustegui explained that now they “know each