Issuu

Volume XXIII, Issue 5

November 30, 2016

penmenpress@snhu.edu

Manchester, NH

TOWNHOUSE STAFF helps Boston's Homeless

Rebecca LeBoeuf Editor in Chief

November 30, 2016: National Mousse Day

News | Front & 3-6

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Emily Lamplough

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What's Inside:

Five Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) Townhouse Resident Assistants (RA) and the Assistant Resident Director (ARD) collected toiletries and winter gear to deliver to the Friends of Boston’s Homeless organization and distributed bagged lunches to the hungry on the streets of Boston on Saturday, Nov. 19. “It definitely puts you outside of your comfort zone,” sophomore RA Katie Kelly said about the day. RAs must participate in staff development opportunities as a part of their job. “We are given so much money to throw programs and take trips, and we just all decided to change directions for a moment and think of better ways to spend our money,” Emily Lamplough, the ARD of the Townhouses said. Lamplough hoped she made a difference in someone’s life through this volunteer project and showed her staff how to use what they have to help others. “Change doesn’t always come

Left to right: Julia Repaal, Adrian Ramos, Katie Kelly, Megan Palmer, and Derek Vanat. from million dollar donations, it comes from challenging the attitudes on how we view people that are different than us, and how we treat people who do not have what we have.” Senior RA Derek Vanat was surprised to see that many people on the streets did not trust the group. “[Is it] because of past experiences? Or their distrust in humans? Is it a survival mechanism, to watch your own back

until given a reason to proceed otherwise?” he wondered. The Townhouse staff decided to take on this volunteering opportunity for several reasons. “We are all incredibly privileged to be at this amazing school, living on campus and experiencing college life. While we might not all be financially stable, we are all still here, which is a lot more than many others can say,” Lamplough said. “For

those who know Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, in order to be successful in life, you need to have a stable start. Without a shelter or daily meal, a person will never be able to live their dreams.” Senior Julia Repaal, the administrative RA, participated in this volunteer opportunity to inspire more people to help oth-

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Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week Rachel Romeo Staff Writer

The Center for Community Engaged Learning (CCEL) put on Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, which traditionally falls on the week leading up to Thanksgiving. The week is designed to bring awareness and support to those who struggle with poverty. Affecting communities across the nation, hunger and homelessness limits families from coming together during the holiday season. Here at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), many organizations around campus are coming together to get involved. Starting on Monday Nov. 14 and running through Saturday Nov. 19, students were encouraged to attend and participate in a variety of events held throughout the week.

The week kicked off with the “Faces of Homelessness Panel,” located in the ACC First Floor Learning Commons. The event began at 5:30 p.m. and students could hear from people who have experienced the struggles of homelessness and the ways in which they are currently trying to end it. Sophomore Kristen Boyd said, “ I thought it was very eye opening to see that someone who is doing so well in life could wake up the next day and find that everything is gone.” The panel highlighted specific strategies to limit the percentage of homelessness within the Manchester area. Junior Stephanie Anderson said, “It was cool that we were able to hear both sides of homelessness, the people who work everyday trying to help to make things better and from people who actually experienced

homelessness and received these services. It was disheartening to hear the stories of how the panelists became homeless.” Wednesday, Nov. 16, students attended the “In Her Shoes” Domestic Violence Shelter simulation. The simulation was run through the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA). This organization is considered the largest multicultural women’s organization in the world. Their mission is to eliminate racism and empower women. Participants at the event where exposed to the thoughts and actions of domestic violence victims to better understand what it would be like to walk in someone else’s shoes. By attending the event, students were given better insight and awareness of how serious domestic violence is in society. Additional events through-

out the week included “A Look into Their World,” “Stop Hunger Now,” and other various volunteer opportunities. “A Look into Their World” consisted of a themed journey that provided students with a better understanding of what it’s like to be hungry and homeless. The event was three Penmen Pride points and students were asked to donate socks during the event. The socks will be donated to the Manchester Homeless Center. “Stop Hunger Now” was an event that the OUTREACH Association put on in the Miles Room in the Dining Center. This is where students package about 10,000 meals to send to people in need. Hunger and Homelessness Week brings awareness to issues facing the surrounding Manchester area and how students at SNHU can get involved.

editorial

Post-Election Letter from the Editors

The Penmen Press Staff 2016-2017 CO-EDITOR IN CHIEF Rebecca LeBoeuf rebecca.leboeuf@snhu.edu CO-EDITOR IN CHIEF Megan Palmer megan.palmer@snhu.edu MANAGING ASSISTANT Brendon DiBiasio brendon.dibiasio@snhu.edu ADVERTISING MANAGER Jaime Mailloux jaime.mailloux@snhu.edu CO-COPY EDITOR Laurelann Easton laurelann.easton@snhu.edu CO-COPY EDITOR Nicole Kenney nicole.kenney@snhu.edu NEWS EDITOR Nicole Clark nicole.clark2@snhu.edu Cyan Magenta

OPINION EDITOR Bryan Creevy bryan.creevy@snhu.edu ARTS & Gabriel Carrio ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR gabriel.carrio@snhu.edu HEALTH & WELLNESS Lori Costa EDITOR lori.costa@snhu.edu

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PENMEN ABROAD EDITOR Annie Boghigian anna.boghigian@snhu.edu SPORTS EDITOR Matthew Martin matthew.martin1@snhu.edu CREATIVE EDITOR Katerina Wilhelmi katerina.wilhelmi@snhu.edu

FACULTY ADVISER

Jon Boroshok

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 e-mail us at penmenpress@ snhu.edu.

should not be guided in expectedly "neutral" spaces. College should be a time when nothing is off limits for discussions. Even though politics are considered taboo for some, they should not be excluded from the classroom, especially in light of the recent election. Discussion can, and should, be healthy. As this past election proved to be a very passionate and sensitive topic for many, it is necessary that professors are capable of remaining unbiased, open and willing to facilitate discussion in the classroom. During the week following the election, Southern New Hampshire University saw professors and administrators do an excellent job facilitating discussion with their students, but also saw others do a poor job. Profes-

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Townhouse Staff Helps Boston's Homeless Continued from page 1

ers. “With just a little amount of stuff you can make someone's day and if we can do that, then someday, hopefully, they will be able to pay it forward to someone else and make that person’s day,” Repaal said. Vanat wanted to instill hope in the people they helped. “The number of people in need was a heart-wrenching reality,” he said. “Knowing that we helped them for today will hopefully give them hope for tomorrow.” Senior and RA Adrian Ramos commented on what the group was able to do and how it made him think. "I've seen things like it before but it still gets tough," Ramos said. "I seek to understand them better, every time. To seem them as they are, still so humble and kind."

Townhouse Staff in front of Boston Christmas tree. Most of the RAs wished they could do more to help, but were happy with what they did do. Many offices around campus supported this volunteer opportunity that the RA staff

Emily Lamplough

We are looking to fill several editorial positions for the 2016-2017 academic school year. We would like to fill these positions ASAP in order to provide the proper training. Positions that are available for application and interviews are: Staff Writers | We are always looking for new staff writers and contributors to the Penmen Press! No interview or application for these positions necessary. If interested, please e-mail penmenpress@snhu.edu with your information!

sors have openly taken sides, belittled the voices of students and proved that training is necessary to create an environment where everyone feels safe to voice their opinions. As this country and this campus move forward, it is necessary that these conversations happen in safe places that offer support and guidance. It is necessary that parties, “sides” and people not be reduced or simplified for the sake of convenience or political rhetoric. And it is necessary that this campus strive to cultivate critical thinking and understanding. To those students who may have felt unsafe or unheard, the Penmen Press will remain a space for critical thinking, acceptance, and intolerance for hate. We will tell your story.

Emily Lamplough

LAYOUT EDITOR May Mullen maura.mullen@snhu.edu

Almost a month has passed since the results of the election came in. In that time, and in the time leading up to Nov. 8, many emotions have been on the table, feelings of anger and joy, confusion and excitement, fear and disregard. The questions on college campuses and in all public spaces have become: “how do we respond as a community,” “how do we discuss and validate the opinions and genuine concerns of our community members,” and, ultimately, “where do we go from here?” Conversations have been occurring in all spaces across campus; multiple offices, classrooms, and common spaces have become the hotbed for critical processing and communication. Some have begun to suggest that these conversations

Bags of lunches handed out in Boston.

underwent. “I was not expecting the amount of support that we received from other offices, and I am so grateful for everyone’s help,” Lamplough said. Both the Office of Residence Life and the Center for Community Engaged Learning helped give the staff of six the financial capability to do this. The Office of Residence Life often completes community service projects during RA summer training. In the past, SNHU RA’s and RD’s have cleaned up and prepared elementary schools in Manchester, N.H., for students to return to in the fall. “As an organization, we like to recognize the privilege we have and use it to make a difference, as much as we can,” Lamplough said.

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SNHU CELEBRATES international education week

Kamila Ataee Staff Writer

Brendon DiBiasio

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The week of Nov. 14 was the event-filled International Education Week (IEW) at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU). International Student Services (ISS) with the help of SNHU and off-campus representatives made these events possible. On Nov. 14, the World Affairs Council, SNHU Careers, Study Abroad, ISS, and Women’s Center represented the Think International Fair event held in the Student Center lobby. The organizers aimed to help students learn about ways they can internationalize their SNHU experience both overseas and locally. Leanne Bowden has worked with ISS as student success coordinator for two years. She is happy working with students. “Having had the chance to study, work and live overseas for over ten years myself, I understand what it means to be an international student and also how life changing international experiences can be,” said Leanne Bowden. The Women’s Center sponsored the International Spouses and Families Group event on Tuesday, Nov. 15 to help participants connect with other international and American spouses. This year, the International Ping Pong Tournament was a new addition to the IEW. In 1971, China held ping pong matches and beat England, America, Canada

From left to right: Divya Gurung, Muhammad Umar, Manadita Zou, Suprim Rajthala and Shekhar Jain play Carrom at International Game Night during International Education Week. and Columbia. At this event, students participated to practice their own ping pong diplomacy with their friends. “I used to be a good ping pong player, about five years ago, but haven’t played for a while,” said Hassan Khasawneh, a SNHU graduate student and a participant. “I enjoyed playing ping pong after a long time. I felt really good.” International Culture Fair was the highlight of the International Education Week where students represented 17 countries from four

continents. Rita Naughton, assistant professor of Teach English as a Second Language (TESOL) and Stephen Hinman, a graduate Language Studies (GLS) professor were the organizers of this event. “Each year brings a new combination of students representing their countries,” said Rita Naughton. “I call them their countries' ambassadors.” Students represented their countries by wearing their traditional outfits. They also shared their traditional food, dessert and

music with their visitors. “This year, we were very pleased with the outcome of the culture fair. We had a wonderful turn-out from students and professors all throughout the university,” said Naughton. The week continued with International Bingo Night, Islam and Muslims in America’s Multipath and Multicultural Landscape, Bollywood Dance Lessons, Mandarin in a Minute and the International Game Night. Yuyang Sun and Yu Zou,

SNHU international graduate students taught Mandarin phrases to a group of SNHU students and staff. “I think it was very well done. It was also interesting to learn about different Chinese cultures,” said Susan Call from the office of International Admission. “In global market, we are together. Learning a new language will help us to communicate better,” said Sun. “I really enjoyed teaching some Chinese to a fun group.” International Students Association and Gaming Club organized the International Game Night. This event brought international and American students together and helped them experience different cultures. “The international students bring amazing games from their countries for us to experience along with unique candies and food,” said Brendon DiBiasio, the president of Gaming Club. “We provide our American games like Super Smash Bros and pizza to show them what entertains us.” International Students Services and the organizers of the International Education Week encouraged students to represent their countries as best they can in order to educate the community. “We hope the week has encouraged our students, faculty, and staff to think about how they all can internationalize their SNHU experience - which is so important in today’s world,” said Bowden.

Professionalism is essential

Rachel Dembek Staff Writer

Kamila Ataee

From left: Marwa AboSeada, Gehad Mostafa and Doaa Shabana International graduate students represent Egypt.

What is professionalism? It’s talked about a lot, but what does it mean? It covers many things related to someone’s work: a good work ethic, timeliness, collaboration skills, taking responsibility, and following through on commitments. One way to think about professionalism is treating others as one wants to be treated. Why is professionalism so important to remember while searching for a job? Professionalism is highly valued in the workplace. It benefits companies and organizations, because it helps develop strong relationships and good reputations; from here, companies and organizations can grow and become suc-

cessful. Professionalism is shown through the work one does; if someone puts a lot of effort into producing high quality work, they will be valued and respected. This leads to more responsibility and trust from supervisors, peers, and clients. For positive results, workers should take pride in everything they do and strive to be the best they can possibly be. Showing up on time is a basic skill of being professional. This shows the employer that one is dedicated to the job and ready to work. It is also important to be passionate about the job at hand and always strive for the best in order to have success and happiness in one’s job. Employers look for people who respond well in challenging

situations. It is important to remain calm and show the employer how well one can manage challenges and overcome obstacles. Taking responsibility is a big part of being professional. Most companies value maturity; to show this, workers can step up and take responsibility for mistakes they’ve made or acquire additional tasks. It is also important to be teamoriented, have a positive attitude, and work well with others. Being rude to others does not get anyone anywhere. Being polite and professional in all interactions shows maturity and helps build a good reputation. One never knows who is watching. Because of this, workers should strive to always be as professional as possible, especially in the workplace.

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ART GALLERY DISPLAYS "SOON I WILL BE PRESIDENT"

Nicole Kenney Copy Editor

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son River Valley School inspired landscape with abstract expressionism text overlaid that depict lyrics from 80’s punk rock songs. “All the text comes from 80’s punk rock band lyrics.

Mostly, all the horizontal lines are from the Black Flags song called Gimme Gimme Gimme; it’s about capitalism and consumerist society, which I find a lot of 80’s punk rock angst seems really relevant to [the

Michelle Murray

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On Thursday, Nov. 4, the McInich Art Gallery at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) unveiled its latest exhibit, “Soon I Will Be President,” courtesy of artist Joe Wardwell. The title is derived from a lyric out of The Dead Kennedy’s song “California Uber Alles.” That evening, an Artist Talk event was held in Walker Auditorium at 5 p.m. Wardwell shared with the attendees what the exhibit represents as well as how he creates his artwork, from the conceptualization to execution. Wardwell is an Associate Professor of Fine Arts at Brandeis University. When asked why she chose Wardwell’s work, director of McInich Art Gallery Deborah Disston said, “I’ve known Joe since he was a graduate student and he was getting his MFA in painting at Boston University. I followed his career for all that time for about 20 years and I’ve always admired his work as a young artist.” She continued, “[Wardwell] is using his painting experience as a way to show this dynamic

expression of two different voices…a voice of national pride and a voice of dissent, where is very reflective of our current politics.” The exhibit contains oil paintings that each have a Hud-

The McInich Art Gallery displays Joe Wardwell's "Soon I Will Be President" collection.

current state of America],” said Wardwell. Wardwell explained the layout for the exhibit and said, “The way that [the paintings] are installed is supposed to give the effect of a wheat-pasted wall of posters.” He continued, “By taking a venue like posters that people are familiar with from walking past a wall of wheat-pasted posters that serve as advertisements, and putting it in the language of contemporary art and these very precious objects of landscapes, then it kind of subverts what people see on an everyday level.” Attendee and sophomore Michelle Murray said, “This exhibit was definitely different than anything I’ve seen in the McInich Art Gallery before because, usually, the art is straight-forward and easy to derive meaning from, but with these paintings, people have to look at the art for two to three minutes to fully digest what the artist is trying to say.” The exhibit will be on display at the McInich Art Gallery in Robert Frost through Dec. 17. Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Thursday, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

students watch election coverage Create in Makerspace Nicholas VonSchantz-Ricci Staff Writer

The 2016 presidential election is widely considered to have been among the most dramatic, controversial, and hardfought elections in U.S. history. On Nov. 8, it came to an unforgettable conclusion. Coordinators of Activities and Programming Events (CAPE) celebrated Election Day by hosting an election viewing party in the Last Chapter Pub. The Women’s Center and College Republicans served as cosponsors. Many students who have followed the election throughout its many twists and turns attended with the hope that their candidate of choice would become the forty-fifth President of the United States. Earlier in the day, the Center for Community Engaged Learning (CCEL) bussed voters to and from the Manchester and

Hooksett polls. For most Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) students, this was their first opportunity to vote in a presidential election. The party provided an opportunity to tune in to the election coverage while spending time with peers. Senior Rachel Straehle attended as a representative from the Women’s Center. Straehle said, “I am excited for students to come together to celebrate community engagement, especially after having a very successful day bringing students to the polls as a worker for CCEL.” The election coverage was shown on a large projection screen in front of the stage area. Other components of the event included music, red, white, and blue mason jar painting, and free Shirley Temples. “There has been great atmosphere, great company, and great Shirley Temples,” said freshman Hillary Faust.

Many attendees had very strong opinions about both major candidates, and they were often heard cheering their respective candidates throughout the night. “The election is pretty tense this year. You can feel the tension. Everyone is focusing on the results. It’s nice to see both viewpoints, though,” said senior Sinja Mandel. The closeness of the race, especially in the battleground state of New Hampshire, had many students on the edge of their seat. After months of anticipation, it was determined that Donald Trump would serve as the country’s next commander-in-chief, having received the necessary 270 electoral votes from the electoral college. He will take office in January of 2017. The Election Viewing Party served as an enjoyable venue to watch history being made.

Katerina Wilhelmi Creative Editor

On Nov. 9 and 10, students at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) gathered inside the Innovation Lab on the first floor of the Edward S. Wolak Library Learning Commons to learn about the different ways to use the engraving machine. The engraving machine is in the Makerspace room inside the Innovation Lab. Students watched as Christopher Cooper, the Digital Initiatives Librarian and Archivist at SNHU, demonstrated how to use the machine. Students can use Microsoft Word, Adobe Illustrator, or Adobe Photoshop to upload designs on a laptop that is connected to the engraving machine. There is also a guide with step-by-step instructions on how to use the machine.

Students were shown that the engraving machine can be used on either wood or glass to create a variety of designs. The designs students may create are unlimited; anything a student may normally print may be engraved. Students can utilize this tool for free. They only need to provide the glass or wood they will engrave. This machine was proven to be a helpful tool to use for the holidays when giving gifts. Cooper was happy to show students the benefits of using the Makerspace. “We really want to get students more interested in the Makerspace. Students are encouraged to come check it out and get creative,” said Cooper. The hours for the Makerspace are posted on the SNHU website under the Shapiro Library page. If students want to get ahead on their gift making, this is a great way to go.

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POP UP NEWSROOM: REAL STUDENTS, REAL INFO, REAL time Megan Palmer Editor in Chief

Megan Palmer

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Introduction to Journalism students in the newsroom.

Junior, Ericka Broderick commented on the skills they have been developing in class, saying, “We have been researching each race, what each candidate’ s strengths and weaknesses are. We did exercises involving live video, doing some practice with live video, and we are bringing those skills into the newsroom now.” Throughout the evening, the student reporters shared information with their newsroom peers. Communications major, Matt Montminy updated with the newest poll numbers, and immediately dove back into the web looking for more information. Upon taking a moment away from the developing stories, Montminy shared the most important lessons he has learned in the classroom, as well as the newsroom. “We need to have our facts absolutely correct,” Montminy said. “These facts can change in a heartbeat. As you see I can have three different news sources open [on

Megan Palmer

As the 2016 election season drew to a close, Southern New Hampshire University’ s (SNHU) Introduction to Journalism class held the first ever SNHU’ s first-ever Pop Up Newsroom. Under instruction of Mary Helen Gillespie, the Pop Up Newsroom aimed to cover the election results in real time,

while allowing the students in the course to interview, connect and engage with the SNHU Community. Working across various communication platforms, the students in this class provided live news via Twitter, Instagram and Facebook Live to the SNHU community. The students prepared throughout the semester, learning what the newsroom entails and incorporates.

Students working on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook Live. my computer] all at one time, not counting WMUR running on the TV.” The Pop Up Newsroom allowed these SNHU students to take the practical skills and lessons and apply them to a real world scenario. Senior Jimmy Scheibel, looking past the newsroom and towards graduation, reflected on the applications these skills would have after his university career. “I definitely think it’ s going to help with public relations, just finding out how to talk to people

and knowing what to say,” said Scheibel. “It’ s a good class to take pointers from when you are going into the ‘ real’ world.” In the midst of the flurry that comes with the newsroom, Mary Helen Gillespie shared her feelings about tonight’s event. “I’ m thrilled and so proud of our students,” said Gillespie. “At the start of the semester I walked into an Intro to Journalism class and this was completely unexpected. I had no idea we would be covering the race of modern American history.”

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student loans: how to repay and save money Amy Sumsion Staff Writer

of this is that the repayment process is longer and can take up to 300 months, which is 25 years. However, any outstanding amount after the 25 years will be forgiven by the Internal Revenue System (IRS). There are other plans such as the Income-Based Repayment (IBR) that is 15 percent of income divided by 12 that takes 300 months, IBR For New Borrowers is 10 percent of income

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There are a lot of different options when it comes to repaying student loans. While most options do require students to pay for at least a small portion of their loans, there are ways to have loans completely forgiven without having to pay any money. What students need to do first is learn about the different repayment plans and how to go about knowing which plan is best for them. To start, students can access student loan repayment estimators, such as the calculator provided at www.studentloans.gov. This calculator allows students to log in with their government loan information to use their actual information or continue without logging in. This means that students will have to input the information themselves. Then, the website allows users to input their actual loan information, such as the type of loan, the amount, and the interest rate, or to use average loan balances. From there, the calcu-

lator will ask how students file for taxes and their income. This is how the calculator determines what the monthly repayment will be. After the information is in the system it generates the first and last monthly payments, total amount paid, loan forgiveness, and the payment period. There are several benefits to using a calculator when deciding which repayment plan is the best option. Sometimes students can afford the standard plan that is at least $50 per month for 10 years until the loan is paid off or sometimes they need to consider different plans in order to get the most for their money. The graduate plan allows students to start with a low repayment amount but every two years it increases. So students might start paying $43 per month but, at the end of the 10 years, the monthly payment might be around $134. There are plans that are based off income as well. The most common, Revised Pay As You Earn (RPAYE) plan, the monthly payments are equal to 10 percent of one’s income divided by 12. The downside

divided by 12 that takes 240 months, or the Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR) plan that is 20 percent of income divided by 12 that takes 300 months to repay as well. For these repayments the remaining amount will also be forgiven if there is a balance after the repayment period is over. Not only will the students who utilize these programs be paying less monthly, they will

also have the potential to have the remaining balance of their loan forgiven. While there are different programs, such as the Public Service Loan Forgiveness plan, that will forgive balances as well the plans need to be longer than 10 years in order to qualify. It is very important for students to know how much they will be paying monthly and the different loan repayment plans that can help save them money.

News news

Women's Center Game Design and Development Club Screens AUDRIE & DAISY Hosts 24-Hour Game Jam Julia Carolan Staff Writer

Nick Klotz Staff Writer Twenty-four hours. That’s all Southern New Hampshire University’s (SNHU) Game Design students had to create a finished video game on Nov 4. Success was riding on their knowledge, creativity, and most importantly, teamwork. This is not the first time these students subjected themselves to this. In fact, this Game Jam is an annual event, hosted by the Game Design and Development Club (GDDC). The participants formed their teams and took the challenge in strides. “I’m very excited; nervous, but excited,” said Nathaniel Park, a first year Game Design student. He had only heard stories about this event, but his eagerness was every bit as palpable as the rest of the students’. “The energy in the room is pretty intense,” said James Cowin, the president of the

Nick Klotz

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This year's theme: an antique camerea. GDDC. “They’re all rearing to get started. The fact that this is the most important thing game developers can do on campus is most exciting.” Going into the event, participants were in the dark about this year’s theme. In the past the theme would be a word or a phrase like “command,”“drone,” or “Lovecraft”. After the theme is revealed, teams race to get started. This time the theme was a little different. Randall Case, an instructor of Game Studies at SNHU,

Nick Klotz

In the new office of the Women’s Center, located in the Green Center, a small group gathered to view and discuss the documentary “Audrie and Daisy.” “I came to the screening because I knew this would be a safe space for me to talk about my own experiences and get feedback from people who support me," said junior Dee Dube. "This was a great way for me to see who supports me in Southern New Hampshire University’s (SNHU) community." The movie follows Audrie Pott and Daisy Coleman. Two young teenage girls share hauntingly similar stories even though they come from very different places. Both girls were sexually assaulted while under the influence of alcohol. Neither of them were in a position to give consent. Neither were served true justice. Social media played a dangerous role in both of these cases as well. Pictures of Audrie that circulated around online as well as the feeling of abandonment from friends and the justice system led Audrie to commit suicide. Daisy was called a liar and a slut over Twitter and Facebook. She received many threats due to the fact that prosecuting the boys who molested her was

seen as ruining their future. The hashtag “Matt is Free” (referring to her rapist) became a popular way to show hate against Daisy. Due to the fact that all of the perpetrators were minors, the justice system did little to help these victims. A police officer involved in Daisy Coleman’s case spoke on camera about how the boys are often the real victims in these situations. After the film ended, a discussion was led by head of the Women’s Center, Brooke Gilmore, along with Shelia Lambert of the Wellness Center, and the new Title Nine coordinator. Students were very active about asking questions on SNHU’s policies as well as discussing their general thoughts on how these types of cases are handled today. “Talking about sexual assault in general is such an important topic in society we don’t talk about enough," sophomore Kieren Williams said, "Coming to the screening, I knew that we would have an open conversation about it and gain some new perspectives.” SNHU has many resources available to students. The Wellness Center offers confidential support and always has a counselor on call. SNHU’s Title Nine coordinator helps report cases and navigate the legal system. Along with the Women’s Center, everyone works as a team to give students the help and support they need.

Meghan McGuire, Kevin Bettis, Anthony Annson, Nick Brooks, David Ballantyne in the planning stages.

decided to choose an object: an antique, early 20th century camera. “You can definitely always leave it to Randall to come up with something unexpected,” said Cowin. “I’m glad we opened the theme to something more up to interpretation.” This year also allowed online students to participate. The whole event was live streamed on the group’s Facebook page and three online students entered submissions. “We have a community to keep our online students engaged, like you guys would do in the lunchroom where you all get together and talk about what’s going on,” said Candy Wolfe, Vice President of Academic Administration for the College of Online and Continuing Education. “The best part is having a finished product at the end,” said Darren De Klerk, a second year Game Design student. “Being able to work for 24 hours and have a game at the end of it is just really awesome.”

CCEL Attends SCALe conference Nicole Clark News Editor Southern New Hampshire University’s (SNHU) Center for Community Engaged Learning (CCEL) attended the SCALE conference on Saturday, Nov. 5 at Manchester Community College. SCALE stands for Student Citizens for Active Leadership and Engagement. This conference was put on by Campus Compact for New Hampshire. The morning started off with a lot of group discussions

and sharing out to the audience. Brain Hannigan, a senior from SNHU, along with a two students from Saint Anselm College ran the opening and closing of the conference. During the day, there were three different sessions that the students attended. There were three to four options for each session. Some workshops that were available were “Let Your Passion for Service Guide Your Career Aspirations,” “A Month in the Life” and “Social Justice Uncensored.” “Oops: Surprising Things

Well-Intended People Say that Widen the Gap,” was put on by the Director of CCEL Elizabeth Richards. This workshop helped people make sure they are creating inclusive environments when having conversations with others. All of the workshops were designed to give students helpful and useful information that they can take back to their college and apply them with daily life and decision making. Sophomore Emily Monteforte said, “The SCALE Con-

ference was an amazing opportunity because I was able to attend workshops while interacting with students from other schools.” There were many people at the conference who wanted to network and exchange information to get rescores from one another. Students also talked about strategies and what to expect when trying to create a new program at their school. One program, specifically, is the Trash to Treasure program. Some schools talked about how successful it is and

what the program can do for the community. Others that did have this program at their school talked about some road blocks they have encountered such as school administrators, budget and student commitment. Lastly, others got contact information in the hopes of setting up this program at their school. “Leaving the SCALE Conference, I was so amazed by how many students care about social issues and want to help make the world a better place,” said Monteforte.

OPINION news

GET FESTIVE OR GO HOME

Hold on the Holidays

Nicole Kenney Copy Editor

COLLEGE HIBERNATON BEGINS Julia Carolan Staff Writer

The dining hall has great dinner options, but why leave now when you’ve got Pringles and Oreos under your bed? Seeing people on the quad, sitting outside to eat or going for a run is becoming a rarity. Our walk from class to class has become less of a stroll and more of an Olympic sprint. When we have the choice to be outside, we’re opting out. When we’re forced to be out there, we’re making it as quick as possible. “I used to go for a run every morning, but where it’s 30 degrees or below now, I usually go to the gym or just stay inside,” said freshmen Meaghan Walsh. So, the college hibernation begins, until we all get Spring fever and start sitting outside in temperatures colder than this.

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Winter; you either love it or hate it. Gone are the days of not being able to sleep in your dorm because you’re having heatstroke. Unfortunately, the days of cute fall outfits, breathtaking foliage, and pumpkin spice are slipping away from us too. Although we can all agree on the fact that Fall is an amazing season, what comes after has always left people divided. While some of us eagerly await the sparkling snowcovered trees, others don’t want to think about trekking through negative temperatures just to get lectured about calculus. No matter what side you’re on, we can’t stop win-

ter. Along with the change of the season comes a significant lifestyle change at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU). Most of us have tapped out of Fall fashion. Seeing as Fall has the most perfect weather, it’s easy to look like you have your life together. Flannels, vests, sweaters, there are so many options to rock. Winter, on the other hand, leads itself to less creativity. You may have that one nice coat, but at 8 a.m. when your weather app just says, “Stay inside,” sweatpants, sweatshirt and your favorite Patriots pom-pom hat looks a lot more enticing. We avoid going outside at all costs. Sure, you could study at the library tonight, but think about that walk back at one in the morning.

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Groan all you want, but the holidays are here! Whether you like it or not, retail stores are wall-to-wall decked out in reds, greens, snow, and Santas. Even Starbucks is ready to celebrate with their new less-Satanic red cup collection. Working in retail, I get in the holiday spirit the minute October passes. There’s nothing better than looking forward to totally stuffing your face with high-calorie desserts, dousing yourself in egg nog, and making a holiday wish list. Let’s not forget about the holiday movies on TV 24/7. Boredom? Fear not! You get a choice of roughly 10 to 15 classics on TV at any time. Kick back and relax with a cup of hot cocoa and a plate of fresh cookies as you completely push your priorities to the side. You know, the priorities like the six research papers your professors assigned right before Thanksgiving break. Speaking of Thanksgiving break, let's talk decorating. There's something oddly satisfying about tacky home décor. This is the time to cover every inch in generic holiday colors and go nuts with tons of useless indoor string lights that will likely be left

up well past New Year's. Throughout the holiday season, door frames slowly fill up with holiday greeting cards plastered with entire families wearing the same outfit while posing prom-style and smiling painfully. At the same time, some relative or family-acquaintance that hasn't heard from you in seven years is probably receiving the cards your own family sent out in which you undoubtedly busted out the ugly holiday sweater. Who's got room to cringe when the whole fam looks fabulously festive? However, it’s clear that not everybody is on my side. I’m looking at the homewreckers who bash people simply for being in the holiday spirit. I’m sorry, Ebenezer Scrooge, nobody asked for your commentary. If you have something against the season of jolliness and generosity, go back to the sewer you crawled out of. I don’t mean to get all Linus on you, but the holiday season is a time for kindness and thoughtfulness towards others. Just let people blast their holiday music and wear obnoxious holiday garb without spitting hate at them for offending your cold heartless soul. Get ready, kids. It’s time to get festive!

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Well, would you look at that: we’re at the end of November. The best holiday of the year just happened, but stores have been hyping everyone up for the biggest annual commercial boom the nation has and will ever know since November 1st. Christmas is great, yes, but we just had Thanksgiving. It seems like there are two types of people in the world: those who count the days it takes to get from one Christmas to another, and those that just wait for it to come naturally. Those that take part in the incredibly early celebration and get into the spirit nearly two months prior to the actual holiday, and those that roll their eyes when they walk into Wal-Mart on Nov. 1 and see the entire store decked out in red and green. I’m a member of the latter party. I love Christmas just as much as the next person (well maybe not THAT much), but I like to just let it happen. I don’t bother counting the days leading up to Christmas until it’s only a week away. Dealing with having to lis-

ten to holiday-themed songs right after Halloween is jarring every single year, even though I know it’s coming. I’ll never get used to no matter how many times it happens. I haven’t finished dealing with the spookiness of the previous day, why are you assaulting me with “Jingle Bells” and “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town”? All of the Christmas trees, ornaments, candy canes, wreaths, your typical decorations being on display at every single major retailer makes me feel like I’m trapped in a pre-Winter Wonderland with no escape. It gets tiresome, even though I know there’s no stopping it. Stop shoving your holiday down my throat. I’ll celebrate it when it’s here (and I’ll love it). But there’s no reason to celebrate it before it’s home month has even arrived. I love those SweeTarts flavored candy canes like everyone else, but not before Thanksgiving. Christmas fanatics can keep on keeping on, but don’t try and force me to take part in your premature celebrations. Let me get ready for Christmas the way I want to. The same goes for you, commercial retailers. Even though I know they’ll never change.

The Ugly Truth

Gabriel Carrio A&E Editor

OPINION news

America: Now What? Stephen Denis Staff Writer

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should wish him luck. I also think it is important for people to prepare for the worst. People should be united—not against Trump but against what he may do. Millions of citizens are scared that they will be further disenfranchised under a Trump presidency. Many believe this presidency will spell disaster for the middle class and the environment. As someone who did not support Donald Trump, I hope he proves the critics wrong. I hope his term brings prosperity to Americans who longed for change. I believe he can do that without inciting the violence, racism, xenophobia, homophobia, and sexism that had been a common theme of his campaign. After watching the President-Elect’s victory speech and seeing his meeting with President Obama, people seem to be optimistic but will continue to hold him accountable for his actions throughout his term. Nobody expected him to get this far, and predicting what he will or will not be able to accomplish does nothing. But for the sake of our future, I hope the young people of this nation maintain their passion for political issues and continue to force change.

Aleisha Bourgault-Callahan Staff Writer With Thanksgiving Break having just past, it brings up a valid point: should it be considered a break at all? Students get Wednesday through Sunday off, but the time that they are not on campus or in classes is spent doing work that instructors assign over the holiday break. It is also getting close to finals week, so most students and faculty are in the home stretch of their semester. When asked if it counts as a break, sophomore Nathalee Clark said, “No, because we still have a lot of work to do.” Many students, especially commuters, still have jobs despite the break from classes. When you still have assignments, as well as final projects and finals to study for, it doesn’t really seem like a break at all. “Thanksgiving Break counts as a short break, but it doesn't really count because you don't feel refreshed when you have to do multiple assignments,” added Alex DelGreco, a SNHU alumnus. Depending on the instructor, students might have many things to do over the break.

On the other hand, some students, such as athletes, would consider it a nice break from the grind of their hectic everyday life. “Yeah I'd definitely consider it a real break,” said Junior Chris Moquin. “Once you get late into the semester, even a few days off of classes feels like Spring Break. After a heavy workload for the entirety of the semester, Thanksgiving Break feels

like Christmas.” Students get this time off to be able to spend at least a few days with family. A few institutes give students a two-week break for Thanksgiving, instead of the few days most colleges offer. Whatever way you look at it, Thanksgiving break is still a break from classes. Whether or not you have assignments to complete is up to the instructor.

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The whole world watched as a new leader of the free world was chosen. To the surprise of many, when the dust settled on Tuesday, November 8, it was Donald J. Trump who received the majority of the electoral votes, deciding him the winner of the United States 2016 Presidential Election After an election season, which lasted almost two years and was described as one of the most divisive in American History, everyone needs some space. People who are happy over the result do not deserve to feel guilty, just as someone who is upset does not deserve to be ridiculed. Months of dividing families, breaking friendships, hateful rhetoric and violent tension led to a historical night for our country. Now, us as Americans are tasked with putting the pieces back together. Nobody knows what kind of president Trump will be. We do know that Hillary Clinton won the popular vote, meaning more Americans voted for her than Trump. Despite what you thought of him, he is now your President-Elect, and for the sake of the country, you

no classes but no break

A Difference Gone Undiscussed Ruth Way Staff Writer

Huffington Post

In the year leading up to move-in day, there are a lot of things high school seniors theorize about: dorm layout, college choices, campus, and roommates all make the list with smaller sub-topics tagging along. However, there are several school-related areas that go undiscussed simply because high schoolers see no use in talking about them. Six months ago, I did not believe switching classes every semester was a discussion topic worthy of discussion; I was far more concerned about whether to wait to buy textbooks, but now, halfway through my first semester, I

find myself baffled that class length was such a minute detail in the big college discussion. While reminiscing about high school with my fellow freshman, I stumbled upon a common habit: the dead zone—a period shortly after the first quarter of school where a student’s productivity and studious stamina drop to all time low levels. During high school, the dead zone did not matter too much. Students would simply boost their grades during the second semester. But college, with its one semester class, is entirely different. With mid-terms already past and finals just weeks away, the semester seems to have shot by.

And, just after midterms, I started to feel myself shift into the dead zone, along with my friends. With all the changes being implemented into our new lives, we did not stop to think how this constant occurrence would affect us in the fasterpaced college world. The difference here is that you cannot allow yourself to become stuck in that rut. There will be no time to fix your GPA if you fall behind. There will be no time to readapt. Even with all the experiences—moving to campus, starting classes, meeting a swarm of new people—we cannot lose our will for an education halfway through the fall semester.

arts andnews entertainment The 'Arrival' of Sci-fi

Zach Meisel Contributing Writer

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Paramount Pictures

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Released on Nov. 13, director Denis Villeneuve’s “Arrival” is a thought provoking story about the human race’s first encounter with aliens. Based on the short story “Story of Your Life” by Ted Chiang, “Arrival” is about 12 strange ships landing all over the world. The world governments have the challenge of determining what these creatures want and whether they are friends or foes. Colonel Weber (Forest Whitaker) shows up to see if linguist Dr. Louise Banks (Amy Adams) is right for the job of communicating with the two cephalopod-like aliens, named Heptapods for their seven legs, which have landed in Montana. Dr. Banks is teamed with theoretical physicist Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner) to try and understand the Heptapods strange circle language and figure out what they want before China and other countries declare all-out war with them. With multiple twists and turns, every new discovery

has weight and feels important. Villeneuve’s directing is fantastic and sets in the bittersweet rush of meeting and understanding a new species; at the same time, it gets the viewers guessing if the Heptapods will try and end the human race. With beautiful visuals and music that further set the tone of fear and excitement, the movie really stands out from other usually action-based alien movies. The movie feels a little long and tends to drag in some sections, but with so much to wonder about, it is never boring and can easily hold the attention of any viewer with what could happen next. “Arrival” accurately portrays how the world would react to alien ships floating above cities and oceans: Riots and protests in the streets to destroy the creatures, countries keeping knowledge to themselves, and people acting on their own instead of working together. “Arrival” is an excellent film that balances sci-fi with the real world and provokes deep thought long after the movie is over.

Swain Delivers Catchy Contemporary Grunge Nick Klotz Staff Writer

End Hits Records

Swain put their own spin on 90’s rock.

As the saying goes, “what’s old is new.” As a result, now seems just about the right time for the 90’s-era grunge sounds of bands like Nirvana and Alice in Chains to make a comeback. German band Swain (formerly known as This Routine Is Hell) heard this message loud and clear. On “The Long Dark Blue," Swain give the genre a kickstart with their energetic secret sauce of hardcore punk influence. The album’s opener “Hold My Head” gets this point across well bybeginning with a raspy, whiskey-trashed acapella vocal until the grimy guitar kicks in with a sticky hook that is conducive with the band’s “fed up with everything” attitude. The band does a great job of balancing the mile-a-minute

punk tunes with some more mellow, moody balladry. The track “Never Clean My Room” is built off of a washed-out guitar lead that builds into a crescendo of fuzzy distortion and a moment-of-clarity lyric of harmonized vocals (“I’ll never clean my room/ I’ll just move when I get sick of it”). “Kiss Me Hard” is the standout track of the whole record. The instrumental is chock full of passion and frustration, with an arpeggiated lead reminiscent of Nirvana’s “Come as You Are.”The catchy chorus of “You kiss me well when you kiss me hard” is sure to stay stuck in the head of any Cobain fanatic. It’s difficult to be a revivalist of any genre and come across with one’s own sound, but Swain accomplish the task in strides. This album is highly recommended for fans of fuzzy and energetic rock music.

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caravan palace's "robot face'' is anything but robotic Gabriel Carrio A&E Editor

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ence. The album starts off with what is inarguably the band’s biggest single to date: “Lone Digger.” From the get go, the song is jumpy, energetic, and a lot of fun. The brass instruments, the 4/4 electro house-esque drums, and lead singer Zoe Colotis’ fast and aggres-

sive (but not angry) fauxcompressed vocals all come together to make one of the strongest intros to an album I’ve ever heard. Another noteworthy track on the album is “Mighty feat. JFTH,” an incredibly dancey song that focuses more on the swing aspect of the band’s sound while making heavier

game. If you’re a Dragonball super fan who has played the

original game or are only familiar with the basics of the

anime, Dragonball Xenoverse 2 is worth playing. 8/10

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Although it was released in October of 2015, Caravan Palace’s (CP) third studio album “<|°_°|>,” affectionately called “Robot Face” by the band, is still worth listening to over a year later. The genre of the album cannot be called anything other than electro swing. That’s CP’s specialty, and this album holds form. The genre itself is a beautiful mixture of electro, the bouncy and energetic subgenre of EDM, and swing, the jazzy and brass loaded dance music of 1930s and 1940s. In contrast to the synthetic vibe one gets from electro, or any subgenre of EDM, every song feels alive because of how much is going on in each track as well as the fact that Caravan Palace is an actual band playing actual instruments. Now, I love EDM and its subgenres, and I can appreciate manually placed beats and artificial instrument samples, but there’s something beautiful and refreshing about hearing music like Caravan Palace’s being played on real instruments. That’s not to say the album isn’t heavily produced. In fact,

use of production, which can be heard in the French chorus (did I mention the band was French? no? well, there you go) and reversed drum hits. “Wonderland” and “Wonda” are tied for the album’s heaviest songs, lowering the bpm significantly compared to the rest of the album. The percussion is booming and echoey, the brass instruments are powerful, and Zoe’s vocals are delivered with a purpose missing from the rest of the tracks. The fastest song on the album, “Midnight” is the album’s outcast. It’s the most experimental track, branching away from the rest of the album, and trading swing for what feels like a melodic trap vibe. On first listen it feels like it doesn’t belong, but it sits near the top of the list for best song on the album. Overall, Caravan Palace is an incredibly talented group of musicians coming together to fuse two highly enjoyable genres of music from two completely different periods of music. “<|°_°|>” or “Robot Face” gets a strong 9/10 and a definite recommendation. Stream the album on Spotify, or purchase it for $9.99 on iTunes.

The overtly talented group of electro-swing musicians. an uninformed listener would likely assume there were no real instruments involved at all. However, watching them perform live is a wonderful sight to behold. Caravan Palace is a group of truly talented performers, and watching them perform “Rock It For Me” live is an amazing experi-

dragonball xenoverse 2 goes super saiyan

Alex Scheuer Staff Writer

Bandai Namco

Dragonball Xenoverse 2 is the sequel to Dragonball Xenoverse, published by Bandai Namco Entertainment and developed by Dimps. Like the previous game, Xenoverse 2 is a fighting and role-playing game set in the Dragonball universe and is available on Playstation 4, Xbox One and PC. The plot of Xenoverse 2 is similar to that of the previous game, where the player’s character works as a Time Patroller a person whose duty is to protect history from being altered. The player can play as the five main races from the anime: human, Saiyan, Majin, Namekian or the Frieza clan. The player’s main goal in Xenoverse 2 is to protect the

Dragonball timeline from being changed. Unfortunately, a witch by the name of Towa and her assistant Mira have enlisted the help of two antagonists from the Dragonball movies, Turles and Lord Slug, to wreak havoc through history. The player fights alongside notable characters from the anime such as Goku and Piccolo as they try to return history to normal. While Xenoverse 2 has the same features and story as Xenoverse, it does improve upon a few of the bugs and problems from the previous and is much more polished. While the fights in the story quests gradually increase in difficulty, they are still quite enjoyable. Online multiplayer fights are incredibly fun as there aren’t as many hackers as there were in the previous

arts and news entertainment "hacksaw ridge" is a brutal true story

Nick Klotz Staff Writer

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Mustapha R. Price Staff Writer

The battle scenes are raw, visceral and violent. He borrows much from the book that “Saving Private Ryan” wrote. I was struck by how gory it was – gorier than most horror movies.

This horror comparison can be drawn out even further because there’s little glory in these battles. Gibson paints a truly terrifying picture. There is a light at the end of Doss’s tunnel, however. He

mechanics of combat don’t quite match up with a classic RPG at all. “Undertale” truly puts you in the driver’s seat. It gives you the opportunity to customize your experience as you go. It allows your style of play to directly mirror the narrative. Whether you kill or spare enemies, attack or dodge, defend or run, the game will be an entirely different experience. Despite taking the classic RPG aesthetic, “Undertale” has some very advanced and modern game design principles at play. These included an incredibly reactive and relevant soundtrack, gripping narrative moments as well as comical scenes that bounce off the incredibly dynamic

tracks. Finally, the narrative. The story of “Undertale” is progressive and modern without being preachy and overbearing. You’ll find the question of morality, but it’s not shoehorned or self-righteous. It’s incorporated in a way that allows you to act on instinct, and rewards or punishes you accordingly, by presenting some incredibly emotionally gripping scenes and characters. “Undertale” is genuinely a modern masterpiece, utilizing the style of an RPG to really give insight into some of the more psychological aspects of video game design. If you happened to miss it when the game was popular, now might be an even better time to give it a try!

proves his worth by using his bravery and medical training to save an incredible number of his men. Garfield gives the performance of his career so far in this role. Regardless of how one

Revisiting "undertale"

Toby Fox

If you’re like me, “Undertale” was a game you intended to try, but the incredibly vocal fanbase may have turned you away. Having now passed that threshold, it’s clear that there’s far more to this game than meets the eye. “Undertale” is a game worth revisiting for numerous reasons. First and foremost, it offers fans of classic RPGs such as “Earthbound” and “Final Fantasy” a familiar interface as it takes the traditional nature of turn-based battles and builds on that formula. However, the deeper you get into the game, the more you will start to find that the

We Live Entertainment

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Would you sacrifice your own values for the good of your country? In “Hacksaw Ridge,” Desmond T. Doss (Andrew Garfield) struggles with this question. In this true story, all of his friends are off fighting in World War II. He won’t stand idly by, but Doss is a pacifist and refuses to handle a weapon. Doss’s story begins in Virginia. He woos a beautiful nurse (Teresa Palmer), and we see them get to know each other. It’s sweet, heartwarming, and reminiscent of the romance Garfield shared with Emma Stone in “The Amazing Spiderman.” When Doss enlists, he truly feels the weight of the decision he’s made. He’s labelled a coward for his choice to serve as a combat medic without a gun. As a result, he faces an onslaught of hazing from his fellow troops in basic training, but he holds strong. It’s as soon as the soldiers enter the battlefield in Japan that one is reminded that this is, in fact, a Mel Gibson movie.

feels about Gibson as a person, it cannot be denied that the man is a master of his craft. “Hacksaw Ridge” is a brutal and awe-inspiring look at the lengths a man went to stay true to his beliefs.

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"Claire's Summer" Laurelann Easton Copy Editor burger.” She’s already dressed hers up with everything on the table, just like her parents. I prod one of the chips out with my fork and put the jar further away. As I lift it to my mouth, I inhale at the same time and get an acetic sniff and taste all at once. It’s crunchy and then slimy on the way down, with more juice than I’d expected when I chew. My lips purse and I put my fork down. “Look at this girl’s face,” her dad says, pointing with his stacked sandwich in hand. “You’d think she’s never had pickles before.” My face heats up like I’ve got a sunburn on my cheeks. In reality, a sunburn is possible with how fair my skin is; I didn’t know how much sunscreen to put on either, so now I’m worried about that obvious glare on my skin. I duck my head and squirt a little ketchup on the patty and eat in silence while they continue conversation around me. Martha pokes my side with her elbow and gives me a smile full of burger, and I’m forced to laugh. I need to remember to laugh more often.

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He wears an apron that says, “Near the lake, we forget to count the days.” I forget how fast time always passes when I’m here, because I’m always back home too soon. “Dinner will be ready in a few.” I tug my bathing suit off, cringing where it sticks to my body and doesn’t want to slide off as easily, and I replace it with my t-shirt and shorts. I join Martha at the picnic table, anxious for food after the long swim. The smell of the seasoning on the patties—pepper, garlic, and something else I can’t place—fills the campsite and even the camper’s bathroom when I’d been changing. I turn down her father’s offer of cheese on my burger, and when I’ve got it on my bun, I don’t know what to put on it. I’m used to eating these plain, but they’ve got ketchup, mustard, onions, and pickles. I’ve never really tried pickles before. I turn the cap and a sweet yet bitter smell hits my nose. I lean back, surprised at the sharpness of them. Martha tilts her head at me. “You can eat them plain if you don’t want to try them on your

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Mid-July, Martha manages to convince me to come out to her camp, and after the first day, I’m surprised to find that I like it. They have a camper they set up permanently near a lake, with a fire pit that we roast marshmallows over the first night I’m there. The camper itself is somewhat secluded, so it’s a quiet retreat away from the city. It’s my first time spending time out in the “wild.” My parents agreed to only let me stay the weekend, but by the next one I’m packed for a full week. I’ve never gotten to swim so much in my life, or feel so happy. I enjoy being around Martha’s parents so much more than mine. They let us do whatever we want if we remember to eat and be back for dinner. The second weekend there, Martha and I spend all day at the beach, joining the others in sun-bathing and splashing each other in the lake. When we come back for dinner, her parents have burgers on the Weber grill, and paper plates and condiments are clustered on the wooden picnic table. “Get changed, girls,” her father says from behind the grill.

"A Hopeful Girl" Katerina Wilhelmi Creative Editor She holds her dreams entirely, Strengthens her hope true into fire She sprouts her ambitions to the sky To bloom into a smile high and wide. Her smile spreads across the field its light. The blossomed success is so bright Her glories pile in sight. With a contented heart, she is sublime, A heart worth diamonds in their prime. Victory does reign on high, The tears of joy she will cry.

Penmen Abroad news The "study" in study room

Gabrielle Grosvenor Contributing Writer

Gabrielle Grosvenor

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I am in the thick of all my classes here in England and have essentially done no work. I take notes, and there are suggested readings, but they do not give homework here. They do however set dates of impending doom. In my case, this consists of four 3,000 word essays all due within two days of each other in the second week of December. I am trying not to think too much about that... though it would be in my best interest to start. I am enrolled in four classes. 1) The Sociological Imagination: I am still figuring out the meaning to this class. Basically, to my understanding it explores the reasoning behind sociology, and how it shapes many ideas in society. 2) The Reading and Writing of Poetry: This is rather implied. We simply read, write, and analyze poetry.

3) Race, Class, and Gender: Again, rather self-explanatory, we explore each topic and deduce their relations to each other. 4) Macroeconomics: Yes, you guessed it, I passionately dislike this class, though some may take a liking to it. Each module has a seminar or lecture in the beginning of the week, followed by a smaller class where we are able to dig deeper into certain concepts. My Macro lecture is held in a large auditorium with roughly 250 students. The professor somehow manages to talk for two hours straight, while I on the other hand try to associate the numbers and letters scattered on the board with some sort of significant meaning. This is my first experience with this kind of learning. The majority of my classmates are English. This being the case, I am for the first time the one with an accent. This has surprisingly made

me extremely aware of myself when talking in class. I feel as though the way English people speak makes even the most irrelevant banter sound exceptionally intelligent and important. Not to mention when my poetry Professor reads aloud

in class he might as well be Shakespeare himself reciting a Midsummer Night's Dream on stage at the Globe Theater. In America, a British accent is majorly romanticized and met with fascination. On the other hand, when I, The American, speak up I am im-

mediately questioned about my political stance. Which for many is quite a sore subject at the moment. Even so, learning in a different country is all about gaining a new perspective. What you take away in the end is up you.

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students Travel for Alternative Break Annie Boghigian Penmen Abroad Section Editor

Rachael Straehle

"We invite students to try and leave their comfort zone, try something new, and open their mind to service and community involvement, whether it be domestic or international," said Alternative Break Program Co-Coordinator Emily Paquin. Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) offers many opportunities for students to travel internationally. One option students have is through the Alternative Break Program executed through the Center for Community Engaged Learning. Students have the option of travelling both domestically and internationally. Paquin was able to give some additional feedback on the specific trips happening in the 2016-2017 school year. Some SNHU students this year will be travelling internationally to Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic as well as Santa Julia, Nicaragua, according to Paquin. The Do-

SNHU students Rachael Straehle and Adrian Ramos in the Dominican Republic on a past Alternative Break Trip minican Republic trip will take place Jan. 7 to 14 while the Nicaragua trip will take

place Mar. 11 to 18. These trips are geared towards helping the communi-

ties and each have a particular focus. Students travelling to the

Dominican Republic will be working with children to help provide education in an area with little resources. "In Nicaragua, students will be working alongside Panorama Service Expedition to construct a water pillar in the Santa Julia community," said Paquin. She explained the project further: "The pillar will be able to provide clean water access to the community, an issue they struggle to find a solution to." Paquin explains that the importance of the trips lies with the experiences students are going to be witness to and how they can then bring that knowledge back to SNHU and apply it to the students' lives. "It is so important for students to gain a global perspective of social issues," said Paquin. Students interested in more information are encouraged to contact the Career Development Center at serve@snhu.edu or in their new location in the William S. and Joan Green Center.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS news HAVe OPTIMISM WHEN TIMES ARE UNCERTAIN

Lori Costa Health & Wellness Editor

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Over the course of the past year and a half, Americans have been through the ringer of one of the most (if not the most) brutal election cycles in American history. Between the insults, scandals, and strong personalities of these candidates, it brings up emotions for everyone watching. Now it is over. The United States has a new President-elect, and there are more questions than answers at this point. What kind of President will he be? Will he represent everyone equally? What are his plans for the future of the United States? It’s enough to make anyone’s head spin. That is why in a time of uncertainty in the road ahead, finding the bright side is

a promising start to a new journey ahead. According to the Huffington Post, there are numerous ways to stay optimistic and healthy when feeling down. Physical exercise is a proven mood elevator and getting in shape is a great way to feel strong and in control: jog in place, take a bike ride, walk the dog, anything to get up and moving and get the blood pumping. Be open to being happy. It may be surprising, but the simple act of showing a smile can elevate mood in a very positive way. Seek out the humor in everyday life and be with the people that are optimistic rather than pessimistic. One celebrity that always has a smile on her face is Ellen DeGeneres. At the end of ev-

ery one of her shows she ends with the famous catchphrase, “Be kind to one another.” It is a phrase that should be exemplified by everyone, no matter how upsetting a situation is.

After the election, Ellen used her monologue time to discuss how people were feeling as she plead for more kindness and understanding. Being optimistic in a time

where everything seems uncertain is a sign of strength. The more people spreading positive messages of love and kindness will make the world a stronger place.

STAY HEALTHY DURING COLD And FLU SEASON Lori Costa Health & Wellness Editor

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One of the worst feelings is waking up with aches and pains screaming all over the body. Coughing, sneezing, trouble breathing and sore throat are the symptoms commonly associated with the common cold or the flu. It’s very important to stay healthy during cold and flu season, especially with final exams creeping around the corner. Here are some tips from the CBSNEWS official website to help relieve symptoms of the

common cold and flu and get back to feeling normal in no time. Drink plenty of fluids. Everyone has most likely heard this at least once in their lifetime, but staying hydrated cuts down on symptoms for a stuffy nose or sore throat. It may also help to boost the immune system. Gargle with warm salt water. Salt water works to reduce inflammation and pains in the throat and helps to clear mucus. This also works to flush out bacteria and other viruses. Use a saline nasal spray.

Studies have shown that using a saline nasal spray soon after symptoms have formed reduce their overall impact on the body. Using a nasal spray can also help to prevent developing sinusitis if a cold ends up developing. Take over-the-counter pain reliever or a decongestant. Pain relievers such as Advil or Tylenol help to fight off achiness associated with the flu. Sudafed can also help to dry up mucus if staying home to rest is not an option. For those who are not comfortable taking over-the-coun-

ter medications, studies suggest that drinking tea with honey is just as effective in relieving achiness. Staying healthy is very important no matter what time of year it is. With final exams

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and the holidays just around the corner, nobody wants to be cooped up in their dorm or at home nursing a cold or worse. By following these tips, cold and flu season will be a thing in the past...at least until next year!

Sports news

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL STARTS OUT 2-1 BEFORE Thanksgiving Matt Martin Sports Editor

Kylie Lorenzen had this to say about how she thinks the season is going so far. “We need to work on making our defense stronger,” Lorenzen said. “We need to stay together and keep working. Now that we’ve got a ‘1’ in the loss column, we don’t want another. That hunger to win needs to be there for us in practice and in games.” The road ahead for Women’s basketball is tough. It shows a lot of Northeast-10 (NE-10) Rivals. The Penmen will travel to Assumption College on Wednesday, Nov. 30 for a 5:30 p.m. match-up against the Greyhounds. Saturday, Dec. 3 is a home game against the Bentley Falcons at 1:30 p.m. Then, it’s another road game, but this time at Stonehill College on Wednesday, Dec. 7. The Penmen will play a 5:30 p.m. game at the Skyhawks before returning home Saturday, Dec. 10 for a 1:30 p.m. game against Saint Michael’s College.

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Women’s basketball at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) played its first three home games of the season before breaking for the Thanksgiving recess. Those games resulted in two wins and one loss for the Penmen. The home opener was played on Nov. 12 against the District of Columbia. This game was a blow out win for the Penmen who outscored their opponents 7443. Sophomore Kylie Lorenzen led the way in points for SNHU with 15 and tied fellow sophomore Brianna Camara with the lead for rebounds with 7. Camara had nine points in the game. Also playing well was junior Mimi MacLeod (10 points, four rebounds) and freshman Victoria Dean who scored 12 points in her SNHU debut. Nov. 13 marked another game for women’s hoops and it marked another blow out win for

the team. In this game, SNHU beat Mercy College. Senior TriCaptain Sara Ryan led all scorers with 20 points in the game. Lorenzen notched a doubledouble, scoring double digit point totals in two separate stat categories. She scored 17 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. Dean reached double digits in her second straight game as well, scoring 14. The final score here was SNHU: 79 and Mercy: 52. The third game was a hardfought loss for the Penmen against the Saint Anselm College Hawks. SNHU outscored St. A’s 24-14 in the fourth quarter of the game on Nov. 16, but it was just barely not enough as the Hawks edged the Penmen 73-71. Lorenzen scored 17 again, this time grabbing eight rebounds. Junior Cat Stinson added 13 points of her own, but for the third game in a row, the story was freshman Victoria Dean. She once again achieved a doubledigit point total with 18 to lead the team and set a career high.

Junior Jen Shelp dribbles down court against Mercy College.

MEN’S BASKETBALL starts right

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Brianne Torre Staff Writer Men’s basketball at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) has always been one of the nation’s top tier basketball programs. This year, the Penmen have a strong squad and have been focusing on their defensive structure. This could be the year of the Penmen and the Penmen wrung in the 2016-2017 season

in a big way with a big win. Before the home opener on Nov. 16, SNHU Men’s Basketball head coach Stan Spirou was honored with the raising of a banner to mark his 600th win as coach of the Penmen. The Penmen put on a show for the coach on his night against Queen City Rival, Saint Anselm’s College (St. A’s), as they beat the Hawks 74-68. Senior Devin Gilligan notched a career-high 24 points and added

WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD PREVIEW

12 rebounds to reach a doubledouble, or double-digit totals, in two stat categories for the game. Other notable performances included junior Dimitri Floras with 14 points and red shirted junior Chris Walters who had 13 points and 2 blocks. The Penmen stayed at home in a winning streak for the next three games as they rivaled Bridgeport on Nov. 19, Franklin Pierce on Nov. 22, and Chestnut Hill on Nov 27.

Brianne Torre Staff Writer

Last year, women’s track and field was introduced to Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU). Projected last in the coaches’ poll with a brand-new team, the Penmen tied for eighth out of 11 teams at the Northeast-10 (NE-10) Championship meet. With all-stars like senior Sahara Brown in Javelin, sophomore Ashley Elder in Discus, junior Melissa Melanson in hammer, and the 4x4 and 4x1 relay teams, SNHU took the conference by surprise and beat everyone’s expectations. Melanson gave her outlook

how the team so far. “We have a lot of talented freshmen and overall we have more bodies, so I think we will definitely put more scores up. We’ve been working really hard and I think that we’re all in a really good spot for our first meet, especially against one of our biggest rivals, Franklin Pierce. It’ll be a good opportunity to face off against them. I’m really excited to see how far we go because we all have big expectations for ourselves and I think the conference, as a whole, does too.” The team will be continuing to work hard for the upcoming meet on Dec. 9 at Plymouth State University at 10 a.m.

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Senior Devin Gilligan earned a career-high 24 points against Saint Anselm College.

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ICE HOCKEY BEGINS SEASON 4 -1 before thanksgiving

Aleisha Bourgault-Callahan Staff Writer

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The season for Southern New Hampshire University’s (SNHU) men’s hockey team has just begun and they are looking good. In the five games leading up to Thanksgiving Break, the Penmen accumulated a record of 4-1. “The team has been great so far,” said junior forward Chris Moquin. “We're executing our systems on the ice, and really proving that we are a stronger team than last year.” Junior goalie Ryan Slatky also offered his thoughts. “The vibes have been good through the first few games of the season, and we're looking to keep it rolling,” Slatky said. “So far I feel really good about our team. Everyone wants to win and I feel we all push each other each and every day. Our coaches give us a foundation and it trickles down through the leadership committee and to our players.” That foundation laid down by the coaches has shown. In a recent game against Daniel

Junior goalie Ryan Slatky guards the net. Webster College (DWC), SNHU burst into the game with a flurry of goals. Juniors Timothy Baylis, Griffin Rogers, Moquin and sophomore Artem EfimovBarakov all scored in the first period. Efimov-Barakov scored a short-handed goal and Moquin scored on the power play. Less than three minutes into the third, Moquin scored again,

his second of the game, giving SNHU a two-goal lead. Two minutes later, SNHU scored again. A goal by senior Jay Sylvia added to the lead. Moquin and sophomore Brett Strawn would follow that by scoring two more goals just one minute apart of each other. DWC scored again late in the third, but SNHU captured an 8-4 win. Moquin re-

corded his first career hat trick, and junior goalie Matthew MacInnis earned his first win of the season, making 24 saves. The Penmen’s most recent game against Post University was a big win as SNHU outscored the Eagles of Post 8-1. Sophomore forward Michael Bears scored in period number one for SNHU as junior Kyle

Valliere, grad student Joe Collins, and freshman Brandon Goudreau would score for the Penmen in the second. Kyle Weiss would score the only goal for Post University in the period. In the third, the Penmen notched four more goals. Two came off the stick of Rogers, one from Strawn, and the other from freshman Bryan Callaghan. Slatky would split the goal keeping with freshman net-minder Kurt Gutting. Slatky stopped 15 of 16 shots and Gutting stopped the four shots he faced. “The goal for the team this year is to take every game one at a time,” Moquin added. “If we take it game-by-game, we will be able to represent the SNHU jersey well, and come out each game ready to win.” Up next for Penmen Hockey is a three-game road trip. First up is Franklin Pierce University on Dec. 4. Then, SNHU plays Suffolk University on Dec. 7 and Post University again on Dec. 9 before returning home for a Dec. 11 game against Lebanon Valley University.

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Athlete Spotlight: THE THREE-POINT TERROR Matt Martin Sports Editor

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Ryan sets up for a three-point shot against Mercy College.

This week, the featured athlete in the SNHU Athlete Spotlight is known for draining the three-pointers. She led the team as a freshman in 2013-14 with 29 tri-fectas only to increase that total for 201415 with 36. For her SNHU career, she has made an even 100 threepointers and has averaged 8.5 points per game (PPG.) She is a senior guard from Quincy, MA for the Women’s Basketball team; she’s the tri-captain that wears number 15 and her name is Sara Ryan. Ryan began playing basketball at the age of six. That first day she picked up a basketball set in motion an honorable basketball career. When she got to Archbishop Williams High School, Ryan made the team. In her high school career, Ryan scored a total of 1,035 points. She was selected to the Boston Globe and the Patriot Ledger All-Scholastic teams in her senior year. In that year, she would also win a Division III

State Championship with the team and she was named the Catholic Central League MVP. The accolades have not stopped though. At SNHU, Ryan was named Northeast-10 Rookie of the Week her freshman year, she has been an integral part of Give a Little, Feed a Lot since she came to SNHU, and she is also the President of the Student Advisory Committee. On top of that, she is furthering her education by pursuing a marketing degree with a minor in sports management. Ryan talked about her who has helped bring her to achieve great success not just in basketball, but life as well. “My grandfather inspires and motivates me because through everything that he has gone through in his life, he is always able to stay motivated and have a positive outlook on life. He is my number one fan and the greatest role model a person could have.” Head Coach Karen Pinkos offered some insights on what type of player Ryan is. “Sara has worked hard

to improve all aspects of her game,” Pinkos said. “Her defense is tenacious. She can steal, block, she can handle and she can shoot. We need her to continue her three-point reign. Our last game, she knocked down six. She’s a vocal leader as a two-time captain. Verywell respected by teammates and coaches. Her energy is contagious. She works hard and if she plays both ends of the court, her senior year will lead to team success.” Junior Mimi MacLeod gave her thoughts on her teammate as well. “Sara is one of the hardest workers I’ve ever met,” MacLeod said. “She’s always so positive and her expectations of herself and the team help to motivate us to be like her. She never cuts corners, she goes hard at everything she does on and off the court, and she makes everyone work harder to get better.” Check out the three-point terror, Sara Ryan, and the rest of the Penmen in their next home game on Dec. 3 against the Bentley Falcons at 1:30 p.m.