Penmen Press - Volume XXVI Issue 3

Writing SNHU’s Story

VOLUME XXVI

ISSUE 3

OCTOBER 23, 2019

PENMENPRESS.COM

SNHU Rejoices for Homecoming Weekend

SNHU students enjoyed many of the rides and attractions. (image credit: Kyle Griffin) Stefan Karlberg Staff Representative

SNHU students tabling for the Deborah L. Coffin Women’s Center. (image credit: Kyle Griffin)

Service Award, the SNHU Young Alumni Award and the SNHU Over the weekend of Alumni Hall of Fame October 19, SNHU held Award. its 2019 Homecoming The SNHU festivities. With some Distinguished Service events occurring on Award was given to a Friday and Sunday, community member Saturday was when a who shows leadership, majority of the activities dedication and service took place. for SNHU and its greatSaturday started er objectives. This year’s at 8:30 a.m. with the award was given to two Homecoming 5K run people; SNHU Dean and was followed by the of Students Heather 2019 Alumni Awards, Lorenz (‘98) and Wade the 3rd Annual SNHU Philbrick (‘85). They Homecoming Cornhole were given the award for Tournament and the their work in service to SNHU Street Fair. help cultivate a greater The 2019 Alumni SNHU community.

Awards took place in The SNHU Young The Gustafson Center’s Alumni Award was Alumni Hall. Three established in 2000 awards were given out and is awarded to reto alumni and com- cent alumni who have munity members, the shown leadership and SNHU Distinguished support of the SNHU . . . . . . . . . . .

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NEWS tHE PENMEN PRESS STAFF 2019-2020

CO-EDITOR IN CHIEF

Maddie Covino Madison.Covino@snhu.edu CO-EDITOR IN CHIEF Nikki Fain nikki.fain@snhu.edu ONLINE MANAGER Ryan Barrett Ryan.Barrett3@snhu.edu BUSINESS MANAGER Derek Smith derek.smith@snhu.edu EVENTS COORDINATOR Grace Mage grace.mage@snhu.edu PODCAST EDITOR

NOW HIRING: email penmenpress@snhu.edu LEAD COPY EDITOR NOW HIRING: email penmenpress@snhu.edu NEWS EDITOR NOW HIRING: email penmenpress@snhu.edu LIFESTYLE EDITOR NOW HIRING: email penmenpress@snhu.edu ARTS & ENERTAINMENT/OPINION Spencer Fennell EDITOR spencer.fennell@snhu.edu SPORTS EDITOR Madyson Alexander Madyson.Alexander@snhu.edu

Alumni community.

Barbori Streibl (‘16) was honored for her work volunteering with the greater SNHU community, including leading the first Global Days of Service in Canada.

Finally, the SNHU Alumni Hall of Fame Award is given to an Alumni who graduated 10+ years ago who shows dedication and has made outstanding contributions to their fields, communities and SNHU as a whole.

Laurie Chandler (‘89) received this award for her work as a student mentor, SNHU trustee and for her involvement in helping SNHU become a host for the Center for Women’s Business Advancement.

The SNHU Street Fair spanned over the Green Space to the Belknap parking lot.

Full of tables, food trucks and games, the Street Fair had something for everyone.

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Continued from page 1 Tables that were run by student organizations hosted activities, crafts and gave out lots of free items. Alongside the annual Homecoming t-shirts, there were hidden puzzle pieces on the green space that awarded some free SNHU Alumni memorabilia.

The street in front of the Green Center was packed with food trucks offering grilled cheese, tacos, desserts and more. Following the weekend’s game theme, there were many games set up on the Green Space, such as SpikeBall, a rock-climbing wall and an inflatable jousting arena. There was also “bubble soccer” on Larkin Field, which allowed players to put on large inflatable bubbles and bump each other while playing soccer.

Next to Larkin Field, there were 4 carnival rides. The rides stayed open an hour later than the rest of the Street Fair

to ensure everybody got a chance to ride.

The day also hosted many varsity sports games, allowing SNHU alumni to watch men’s baseball, and both men’s and women’s soccer teams play at home to celebrate the weekend. Alumni who were involved in Greek Life were also able to participate in the 2019 IGC Ultimate Frisbee Tournament, which was followed by Greek Night in The Last Chapter Pub. These events allowed alumni to connect with community members and experience how life at SNHU has changed.

To close off Homecoming Weekend, participants were invited to the Practice Field to see the annual fireworks show, complete with live music, fire pits and s’mores. The night ended with two big games of Big Money Bingo and Think Fast Trivia.

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.

Food trucks were a hit among the crowds. (image credit: Kyle Griffin)

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news

Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act Kate Boilard Staff Writer The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (The Clery Act) is released each year to report statistics of criminal activity on the Southern New Hampshire University Campus, as well as all colleges and universities.

The report is released every October and provides statistics from three years prior.

This year’s report showed a decrease in drug abuse violations on campus from the years 2016-2018. The violations started at 114 in 2016 and dropped to 9 in 2018. When asking Jim Winn, the campus’s Director of Public Safety, about the decrease he stated, “The state changed the law on possession of marijuana. It used to be any possession of marijuana was a misdemeanor. Now if you have less than ¾ an

ounce, which is most of our cases, it’s not an arrestable offence anymore.”

The new law on possession of marijuana took place in late 2017.

This explains the drastic decrease of drug abuse violations in 2017 and 2018.

When asked how drug abuse is monitored, Winn replied that most of the cases come from people who call to report drug use and staff from Res Life who do rounds of the campus.

The statistics of rape on campus remained relatively the same over the years, ranging from 5 cases in 2016 and 2017, to 6 in 2018.

Rebecca Lawrence, the Title XI coordinator and equity officer, answered questions regarding the campus’s actions to promote reporting of sexual assault. Lawrence stated she has a list of information she gives every year for athletes, RA’s, Greek life and other groups on how to report sexual assault and

what actions fall under Title XI. Lawrence was then asked if she thinks the numbers that were reported are accurate.

She responded by saying, “I think it’s always going to be under-reported, and to report is a really personal thing, so people may tell their RA’s but there will always be people who may never tell anyone but a therapist, if that.”

The takeaway is that sexual assault can’t always be prevented but

SNHU statistics for drug and alcohol related violations through 2016-2018. (image credit: Taylor DeForrest)

spreading awareness that it exists and learning what resources are offered for students are the main points SNHU staff is trying to promote. The number of drug abuse violations and sexual assault cases reported may never be one hundred percent accurate but the SNHU faculty, staff, as well as students have the power to create a safe environment by being kind to others and asking for help when needed.

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news

Dining Center pricing Mystery Debunked

Sign displayed above the main entrace in the Dining Center. (image credit: Devin Pouliot) Devin Pouliot Staff Writer Recently, there have been rumors spreading that the price of items at the dining center have increased. With exponentially decreasing dining dollars and increasing concern among students, the rumors appeared true.

“They charge us tax on top of the already high prices they’re charging us for food,” one student said in response.

However, the rumors have been found to

be untrue. In general, the prices of items at the dining center have remained the same. Prices have been increased only for a select few items.

“The cost of the items coming into the dining center have increased,” Dan Vanavery, general manager of dining services at SNHU, said in a recent interview.

“Some things have gone up, some have not, but it’s all because the commodities themselves have increased.”

What Vanavery

means about commodities are items such as produce, beef and sustainable efforts, the new straw-less system and silverware.

These costs and other factors, such as the cost of labor, are factored into the pricing of the dining center. This semester has seen the increased price of Coca-Cola, beef and some coffee products due to the rising cost for these items and sustainable efforts.

According to indexmundi.com, the price of beef per

kilogram in October of 2018 was $3.86. In August of 2019, the price of beef per kilogram was $4.60, increased to $4.65 in September of 2019, and is continuing to rise.

Vanavery stressed that increased prices were not a “profit grab” and are a response to market prices. “[Sodexo is] a margins business,” he said. “We need to make sure we are costing things to a percentage that allows us to be financially stable.”

In response to this, the dining center

has searched for new options to decrease costs. The new express menus at the Mill City Grill is one solution that cuts down on wait times while providing a more affordable option for students. Vanavery also stated that the dining center makes their own pizza dough and soups to cut down on costs and provide better quality food.

Regarding the tax on food, students, faculty and staff are tax exempt.

New Hampshire places a tax on food and the tax

appears on the register.

The tax must be shown for when a non-student, faculty or staff member buys food at the dining center but is exempt when students swipe their ID cards.

“We try to make sure we’re passing on savings wherever we can,” Vanavery said.

Anyone who wishes to learn more or has any questions is encouraged to fill out comment cards. They can be found next to the elevator and are responded to regularly.

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arts & entertainment Joker Review: Why Disabilities Should Not Be Ignored

Ian Hamblen Staff Writer In what may be the most important movie of our generation, “Joker” provides a look into how society should and should not treat those with mental impairments. Mental disabilities are not always talked about due to the stigma surrounding them, but “Joker” ignores this and takes a look at the treatment of that group.

Whereas many might see this as just another interpretation of one of the greatest comic book villains, “Joker” is far more than that.

Barely anything in the film makes you feel as though you are watching a superhero movie and instead gives you a unique film that stands out in the crowd. It would be unsurprising to see health classes may show it alongside movies such as “A Beautiful Mind” to help showcase and bring awareness to the group of people who

can’t always speak up for themselves.

Every part of this movie has a purpose, and even the simple graffiti-white text included at the end of the trailer is representative of so much that happens inside it. The graffiti in particular shows how society sees black and white morals and how Joker is slowly fading into the darkness. The film also shows how Joker is seen by others, either as a hero or a villain, while he dresses in an array of colors to show that he sees the world differently from everyone else.

The film also tributes other filmmakers, such as Charlie Chaplin and Martin Scorsese. “Joker” also references classism throughout the entirety of the film .

Many times, “Joker” gives us daydreams as to what the main character, Arthur Fleck, is thinking of. It presents them as real scenes as to not talk down to the audience and show how

Fleck wants the world to be. This includes my favorite scene in the movie where he first sits down with his mother to watch his favorite idol, a stand-up comedian, and his mind takes over the show. There are many themes of hope, then abandonment or mistreatment of idols in the movie, whether it be parental figures, standup comedians and even authority figures such as God. The film also keeps Arthur’s mental illness of uncontrollable laughter as vague as possible to show that the movie would stay the same regardless of what mental illness Joker had.

Everyone should see “Joker” at least once.

It might not be one to watch alone as it is very scary and violent at points, but the subject matter presented and the effort put into every scene is so important.

This movie was made to spread awareness of mental health, and it does so perfectly.

Joaquin Phoenix stars in Joker (photo credit: New Straits Times)

Dissect Dives into Hit Rap Albums Stefan Karlberg Staff Representative

Dissect Logo (photo credit: dissectpodcast.com)

Named one of the best podcasts of 2018 by the New York Times, Dissect reaches listeners by diving into popular albums of the past few years and dissecting them. In a time where playlists rule the music world, Dissect aims to look at albums as whole pieces, rather than vehicles for a few hit songs.

Each season of the podcast, one album is selected to analyze. Each episode tackles one song of the album and goes line by line to take a deeper look at the meaning of each song and album. Dissect’s first season looked at

Kendrick Lamar’s “To Pimp A Butterfly.” The podcast started out with a dedicated audience, but after season two’s analysis of Kanye West’s “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,” their audience grew 450%.

Dissect’s world-wide recognition led them to expand their focus beyond Frank Ocean’s “Blonde” and look at Ocean’s life and prior work. Looking at these factors and how they impacted Ocean’s musical process made for an even more in depth conversation about Pitchfork’s best album of the decade. Dissect tied Ocean’s reclusive tendencies, rare Tumblr

posts, and prior albums into a larger discussion about “Blonde,” leading to mainstream recognition and inclusion on many lists of notable podcasts.

Dissect’s popularity even lead to a partnership with Spotify to release episodes early.

Dissect is currently in its fifth season, where Kendrick Lamar is back in the spotlight for his most recent effort, “DAMN.” The season’s fifth episode was released October 17th on Spotify, and goes in depth about how news coverage of racial issues impacted Lamar’s music, specifically on the song “DNA.” Dissect split the song into two episodes,

and the most recent episode talks about how “DNA” starts out as a song about Lamar, but is later revealed to be a song that any human can relate to.

Dissect aims to talk critically about a genre that often doesn’t get looked into academically. Dissect is geared towards all music lovers, regardless of genre prefereance. Rap lovers will be sucked into discusions about their favorite artists and albums.

People who haven’t had as much experience with hip-hop may find that there is more in the music than expected. Dissect is released on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and any other podcast distributor.

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Crossword

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Halloween Crossword by Christopher Kelly

Across 5. A kind of haunting, also a movie 7. Movie genre 8. Trick or Treat 9. IT 10. RL Stines book series

Down 1. Something Unknown 2. Friday the 13th 3. What you wear on Halloween 4. The town of the Headless Horseman 6. A kind of Ghost

Answers: 1. Mystery 2. Jason Voorhees 3. Costume 4. Sleepy Hollow 5. Poltergeist 6. Spirit 7. Horror 8. Halloween 9. Pennywise 10. Goosebumps

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sports

SNHU Adds New Club Sport President to Roster

SNHU Women’s Club Soccer president, Meredith Basner. (image credit: Madyson Alexander) Madyson Alexander Sports Editor Southern New Hampshire University offers a wide array of club sports, but until this year, there were no options to play women’s club soccer.

Meredith Basner (’22) is a business management student who also participates in the pilot program, Project Atlas. Project Atlas is a competency-based program that allows students to complete online courses on campus.

Basner aspires to open her own company someday, preferably in construction. Basner participates in intramural sports, such as futsal, soccer and basketball. She is part of the

hospitality club, and she loves building and spending time with friends and family.

As of this year, Basner added the title of women’s club soccer president to her list of activities and achievements.

Basner was inspired to create the team with fellow Project Atlas member and now co-captain, Chloe Cashin (’22) due to their ineligibility to compete in NCAA sports as a result of not having a set GPA. However, Basner’s competitive attitude compelled her toward travelling and competing against other schools, having a set practice and game schedule and a full team.

The planning began in

January of 2019, where, at first, it was just speculation. Then, steps started falling into place. First, Basner had to get approval from the school, the board and Elena Nee, the SNHU Club Sports and Athletic Success Administrator.

She had to find a league to play in, pay dues and ensure they were on the roster.

However, things became complicated when the women’s club soccer team wasn’t put on the roster until the end of the summer, leaving Basner with just two weeks to formulate the club constitution, find club officers and an advisor, schedule practice and field times, games and find out how

they would travel to and from games.

An obstacle that Basner faced through the process was finding time to use Larkin Field for practices and games. Because Larkin Field is the main field used for recreational purposes, a small space is left for usage which was unapproved ahead of time.

“I definitely figured out how to use my resources and communicate better,” said Basner, “but I had to have patience and I knew it would all work out.”

As a first-year club sport, the team plays at a provisional level, or “dipping your toes in the water” as Basner described it. Once the minimum of four played games is ex-

ceeded, the women’s club soccer team will move onto a divisional status, which allows teams to participate in and travel to different tournaments across the United States.

The newly founded SNHU women’s club soccer team lost their first game against Northeastern University 10-0; they then came back swinging with a tied game of 0-0 against Merrimack College. The team played at Saint Anselm College against the University of Maine on September 22 and finished with a loss of 1-0.

Despite the scoreboard, Basner feels that the team has more than accomplished their goals.

“We’re all new. We’re

all just trying to get back into the sport and get fit again. It was really nice to see everyone get to know each other — we’re starting to become a team,” Basner said.

While club sports games may not be as wellknown as those for varsity sports, Basner notes that sports of any kind are important to forming community. Anyone can stop

by Larkin Field and enjoy a game of friendly competition, watching both new and old athletes come together.

“It’s invigorating,” Basner said. “[Club sports] give people opportunities to get rid of stress and hang out with some really cool people.”

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sports

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SNHU Doctor Creates Female Athlete Empowerment Group Andrew Wilson Staff Writer

Dr. Elizabeth Sheehan, associate Sport Management professor and director of the center for teaching and learning, is paving a new road toward gender equality in sports with the creation of the Women’s Athlete Affinity Group.

Sheehan joined SNHU as an instructor of Sport Management in 2005- she recently served as the director for both college unbound and community engaged learning, where she demonstrated her passion for learning, mentoring, and leading in sports.

While the subject of sport management can be straightforward, Sheehan’s interests are not. Interested in the how and why, Sheehan’s curiosity for one particular subject peaked- gender and sports.

How has gender identity changed the experience of children in sports?

This question ran through Sheehan’s head throughout spring semester of the 2018-2019 year, as her Gender in

Sports class partnered with the Chandler Center on campus to work with Inti Soccer Academy. Inti, a nonprofit organization located on Canal Street, focuses on bringing Manchester’s youth refugees, immigrants, and inner-city children together through soccer.

While working with Inti and the Manchester youth, students in Sheehan’s class began noticing that it was more difficult to get the young girls to participate in comparison to the young boys.

In fact, according to a 2016 Business Wire study, sixty-seven percent of girls feel that they don’t belong in sports, and over fifty percent of female athletes stop playing sports by the time they hit 17. However, for young and old female athletes, sports have been shown to boost confidence short and long term.

To combat these statistics and encourage female participation, Sheehan set out to create a group that would encompass mentoring and community, while also searching for the answer to her essential question and motivation for the

(image credit: Eli Hark)

group’s creation.

The goal of the Women’s Athlete Affinity Group is to present an opportunity to all women, including varsity athletes, recreational athletes, and sport management majors, to have an open space to share their experiences with children and teens while encouraging female empowerment in sports.

“This is an opportunity for women who don’t share other social identities- for women of all ethnic, racial and sexual orientation backgrounds, to work to bring people together and use their experience and strength to mentor younger girls in the community,” said Brooke Gilmore, director of the Women’s Center.

While the group is still evolving, Sheehan is optimistic that this project will better the experiences of young female athletes as well as those who choose to mentor them.

For information or interest regarding the Women’s Athlete Affinity Group, contact Brooke Gilmore at b.gilmore@ snhu.edu or Dr. Elizabeth Sheehan at e.sheehan@ snhu.edu.

Dorthea Glorud (‘22). (image credit: Eli Hark)

Emily Roan (‘20). (image credit: Eli Hark)