GOING THE DISTANCE: KEEPING THE LONGEVITY OF THE CUPBOARD
SNHU RIDES THE GRAVY TRAIN FOR THE BIGGEST CONCERT IN SNHU HISTORY
SNHUS WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD NE10 CHAMPS
Co-Editor-in-Chief Taylor Posik
Spring break is a time during the school year when everyone can kick back from their daily routine. Maybe it’s spent lying on the beach or climbing to the top of a mountain. Maybe it’s more laid back, allowing people to go home and spend time with loved ones. Ideally, people can spend their spring break however they please.
However, what happens when school responsibilities are brought home with students? While there are people that can take off and go on adventures and recuperate, other students are spending their time catching up on homework. If that’s the case, is it really a spring break?
This year’s spring break fell later in the semester than normal, likely due to the early start of the spring ‘23 semester.
SNHU began on-campus classes on January 2 without consideration of how it would affect the timing of spring break.
With five weeks left of the school year, students are beginning to feel pressured to complete outstanding assignments. Especially for those that are either graduating, participating in extracurricular activities, or both, any spare second of free time is most likely being used to tie loose ends in classes. Students would have benefited if spring break was moved forward a week earlier this academic year.
SNHU Online is also a program that does not offer a
spring break due to its more flexible schedule. Because of this, students on campus that are also taking online classes must fulfill their requirements and complete assignments during spring break. Additionally, student teachers are expected to fulfill their requirements. Anyone looking to earn their degree in education is required to student teach for a certain number of hours. Schools that student teachers work at don’t observe SNHU’s spring break. Because of this, many students must remain on campus in order to commute to the schools where they’re teaching.
As SNHU crosses over to the final stretch of the semester, there is more of a scramble to ensure classes are passed, resulting in students using their free time to catch up on work. However, being in college is a fleeting experience. One moment, students are getting their first taste of adulthood in their freshman year, the next they’re planning their next steps following commencement. Either way, the process of earning a degree is a long one. This is why everyone deserves a break from their demanding schedules and a chance to catch a wave, explore, or spend time with loved ones.
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The Cupboard is a resource on campus for students in need. As of late, it has faced the complication of running out of resources too quickly. The Concierge Desk, which is in charge of The Cupboard, underwent changes in how they run the operation.
Nicole Monahan, the director of Student Support Resources, laid out the conflict at hand, which has impacted how much inventory The Cupboard has.
“What we have witnessed with The Cupboard is that there is an increase in demand and decrease in supplies that we can purchase. This has impacted the supplies we can provide our students and directed us to make operational changes as well as educate the community about the resource and how to use it responsibly,” said Monahan.
Monahan emphasizes keeping the longevity and sustainability of The Cupboard.
“The goal is to make sure it is a sustainable resource for all community members moving forward,” said Monahan. “To do that, it has become evident we need to implement operational changes...I would like to ensure that any changes lead to [the] sustainability of The Cupboard and meet the needs of our students.”
Concierge Desk manager, Kayla Torres (‘24), has been working on The Cupboard all year, knowing that there needed to be changes.
“We at first wanted to give everybody what they wanted, because who doesn’t like the opportunity to use a free resource?” said Torres. “But in doing that, it kind of turned into not being able to
give everybody what they needed.”
Difficulties arose when items were quickly running out of stock. To prevent a shortage of highdemand products, the Concierge Desk came up with a plan to provide more access to those products.
“We’re implementing a oneto-two item limit,” said Torres. “Let’s say someone wants [a box of] pasta, they can take up to two boxes of products.”
To keep essential items in stock, such as eggs and milk, there will be a limit of one item per unit to ensure everyone has a chance to take home such necessities.
Originally, students had access to The Cupboard through their student IDs. Now, there are student workers on sight at all times to allow students into the pantry. While there is a worker standing outside, students have privacy when entering The Cupboard.
The Cupboard will have hours of operation to give everyone a chance to stop by. Their hours are every Monday through Friday from 9am-1pm and 3-7pm. In between those times, student employees undertake housekeeping.
“We have time in between for someone to go in and kind of clean
up the space and make sure it looks nice for when the new people come in,” said Torres.
At the front of the Concierge Desk, there is a flyer with a link to a survey for students to take. It allows students to be heard about what they need from The Cupboard.
“Their voices let us know what they need so that we are able to order those things,” said Torres.
Torres is passionate about the cause and hopes that The Cupboard could expand one day so more resources can be available to students. “Maybe we could get toiletries or stuff like that...to be able to get all the things people need,” said Torres.
She also hopes that people will be able to help with The Cupboard. The Concierge Desk accepts donations for the pantry. They do not take money.
“We’re taking a risk, we’re changing up things and we just hope that by doing this, we’re able to give what everyone would need out of this space,” said Torres.
Any questions, thoughts, or concerns can be brought to the Concierge Desk in the Student Center or through email at thecupboard@snhu.edu.
In today’s day and age, original films are rarely seen. Everything has either been done or plots have been recycled to the point where they’re redundant. Elizabeth Banks’ film, Cocaine Bear, strays away from the common movie formula and provides an oddball tale of a coked-out bear in the woods, desperately attacking the characters.
The title tells exactly what the audience should expect. In the woods, we follow a vast cast of characters from teenagers, a divorced mom, cops, and criminals. They almost survive against a rampaging bear who just consumed pounds of cocaine.
The movie is inspired by true events, where a black bear found cocaine stranded in the woods. This real-life bear died hours after eating the cocaine; however, Banks uses this event to create a slasher-style film that is original and outside the box.
Calling Cocaine Bear a horror movie is an understatement. Each time The Bear kills, it is gruesome. This movie has long, gut-churning scenes that will leave you speechless as well
as allow its dark comedy to take center stage.
While the point of the movie is a bear tearing into its victims while under the influence of cocaine, it plays into this a little too much. It leaves little-to-no room for character development.
The only consistent character was The Bear, who kept its goal throughout the entire movie and even reveals a little more depth to it: it had bear cubs who also did cocaine.
The film also made it difficult to grow attached to most of the characters, because they were either killed off almost immediately or had no depth to them.
Most characters didn’t have a backstory prior to the film. The only other character who had some emotional depth was the grumpy cop, played by Isiah Whitlock Jr., with a soft spot for his pet dog, which seems to be the only side plot of the movie. Despite this, the actors portraying these characters did a good job embodying them, such as Kerri Russell portraying the overprotective mother who runs on top as one of the “final girls.”
Cocaine Bear is borderline
ridiculous to the point where it felt like an absurd inside joke between Banks and the audience.
I felt it was exactly what it was supposed to be: a dark comedy with odd characters and an even odder, yet simple, premise. Not once did I feel bored or lost. I was engaged with the characters, whether it was joy and entertainment or frustration and annoyance.
I found myself shaking my head at certain parts of the film, like when the teenage characters portrayed a lack of common sense over the nature of cocaine or the paramedics forgot to close the back door of their ambulance as The Bear was approaching them in rage. What slowed down the film for me was that it was one large chase scene. There wasn’t much depth in the characters or their backstories. The plot didn’t move nor wrap up. The surviving characters in the resolution go about their lives. Even The Bear and its cubs at the end of the movie are fine.
The movie is Rated-R for gore, language, and portrayal of drugs. It is currently in theaters now.
After a fall concert that many, including CAPE, would consider a major bust, the pressure was on to put together a spring concert that pleased the SNHU community; CAPE did just that. On March 4, the SNHU community, as well as the general public, packed the SNHU Arena as rapper and media personality Yung Gravy took the stage.
The concert was a year in the making and has been at the forefront of CAPE Vice President Megan Rogers’ (‘23) agenda.
“Right when you get the position [of Vice President], you start planning the concert right away. Aside from other duties, the concert is your primary project...it’s the main role of the position,” said Rogers.
The concert began with the members of CAPE, along with advisor Kadie Dickson, coming on stage to kick off the night. The second they walked up the stairs and onto the platform, the crowd went nuts. For Rogers, this moment was full of excitement and emotion; realizing the time that went into planning was worthwhile.
“[Walking onto the stage] was magical; life stopped, and I truly don’t remember what I said up there,” said Rogers. “I went to one of the SNHU suites before to get a feel because I had not been in the arena before, I had just been out making sure all the volunteers were good, making sure backstage was good, making sure Yung Gravy was good....I hadn’t had the chance to see how many people
were there. [I saw] the ticket numbers but hadn’t seen what that looked like.”
Rogers pulled all the strings, but the work of the rest of the E-Board should not go unnoticed. Rogers emphasized that the show would not have been possible without them.
“I’m so grateful for my team,” said Rogers. “We are a force, and I could not have done this without them. I truly love and appreciate every single one of them, especially our advisors Kadie [Dickson] and Lucas Frazier; they encouraged us so much and had so much belief in us throughout it all. My team is there to lift me up and put us out there; it’s not just me.”
For Dickson, the journey to Yung Gravy has been as long as her tenure at SNHU; her position as Assistant Director of Student Involvement Operations comes with the role of CAPE advisor.
“For some context, I started working at SNHU on May 2, 2022; that is significant because we had our first planning meeting with the arena on May 5, 2022,” said Dickson. “So quite literally, since I started working at SNHU, a lot of what I have been doing has been [preparing] for the concert.”
Planning a concert for more than 5,000 fans with one of the biggest names in modern media is no simple task, and Dickson pointed out, emotionally, how proud of her students she is.
“These students work[ed] incredibly hard to make this a reality, and there were so many different points throughout the process that weren’t, dare I
say, sexy or glamourous, and so having this final product showcased how much love, energy, and time went into this. Everything from the artwork, the marketing, the shuttle system, [to] making sure that there [were] opportunities for students to get involved as much as possible,” said Dickson.
A great concert is something to look back on proudly for CAPE, but it also means that the expectations from the student body will be high. With no fall concert for the 20232024 school year, the planning begins for next year’s CAPE Vice President with the next spring concert, and Rogers’ hopes are high.
“I think that this is going to be great for the VP next year to be able to focus on....If the VP can take the time to make even more shirts, have events leading up to the concert, sell stuff prior, it will help grow the concert more and be able to fulfill the needs of the students,” said Rogers.
The spring concert being held at the SNHU Arena is not a onetime event; CAPE confirmed that next year’s concert will, again, be held in the SNHU Arena.
“I had a meeting with the arena for next year...no talent has been acquired yet,” said Dickson.
The SNHU community really showed up for Yung Gravy, and for that, Rogers could not be more thankful. “I just want to say thank you to the SNHU community for coming,” said Rogers. “We could not have done it without [them].”
I’ve never been on a plane before, or even across the country. All I’ve ever known is the lull of the road and the familiarity of the East Coast. Then, I had the chance of a (collegiate) lifetime to travel to a place I’d never been before: San Francisco.
After waking up at 3:30am for an hour-long drive to the Logan International Airport, followed by an approximately six-hour flight from Boston, MA to San Francisco, CA, we finally arrived at a place that was slightly warmer and teeming with awaiting adventures.
We soaked in the setting sun as it graced the Golden Gate Bridge in majestic beams. Hundreds upon hundreds of photos of our team were taken; from one featuring the Creative Writing and English majors (Penmen Press Senior Managing Editor, Adam Dufault (‘23); Penmen Press Lead Copy Editor, Allie Beaumont (‘23); Penmen Press Staff Representative, Emily Blais (‘24); and myself) to others picturing the Communication Major crew (Penmen Press Co-Editor-inChief, Chris Tutt (‘24) and Penmen Press Adviser, Professor Jon ‘JB’ Boroshok) and so many more. We roamed along the pathways by the bridge, snapping photos at different angles (while observing purple flowers).
Standing in front of the Golden Gate Bridge felt like a scene from the movies; it almost seemed unreal. At the same time, I think that was the moment when it hit that we were in San Francisco. Especially after planning and talking about the trip for months, the dream suddenly became a reality.
After the sun disappeared, we found ‘the place to be’ at
Fisherman’s Wharf. Ranging in shops and restaurants, we all found a piece of the boardwalk to explore, whether it was finding new baseball hats at Lids or getting our fortunes from Zoltar. We found ourselves returning to it for various occasions, including when Emily, Allie, and I went for a much-needed girls’ night on Friday, March 10. I only wish we could have stayed longer because there was so much more to see just in that small corner of the city.
On Thursday, March 9, we all boarded the boat to Alcatraz. We watched the island grow closer into view, and a hush fell over the passengers of the cruise ship. The tone of the tour was eerie, enhanced by the dismal weather. Once we got our bearings, we set off to the main prison.
One of the cells in D Block, where the worst-behaved inmates were put, had a whiteboard with the question, “What makes you feel human?” written on it. Visitors on the island were given the chance to answer the question. Adam answered the question, putting down “nature.” If I were to go back and put down my answer, I would write “love.” The experience of visiting Alcatraz was one to give goosebumps, and it was worth it.
The main reason we went on the trip became our sole focus. I remember going to that first workshop for the Associated Collegiate Press conference in the hotel we were staying at, the Hyatt Regency. We split off to go to our different sessions. Everyone in my team went down the hallway where rooms H through O were; I was down the hallway with rooms A through G. This happened
often, with everyone ending up in different rooms for various breakout sessions. Several times, I attended sessions with my teammates, such as Editor-inGrief sessions with Tutt, or Project Planning with Emily. I networked with other college students, even making a couple of friends in the process.
With each session I went to, I personally found my desire to be a journalist following college solidified. We all got so much from these meetings, which led us to reconvene eagerly after the sessions were completed to share what we learned and what ideas sparked. One of my favorite sessions was called “Your story, your voice,” which demonstrated the power of first-person writing in journalism. I’ve never attempted to write an article in the first person, yet I found that there can be a certain beauty about it. That style of writing establishes more of a connection between reader and writer, something that doesn’t often happen in journalism.
It wasn’t only the impact of the conference or the big moments that made the trip, like visiting the Full House house; it was everything in between. It was the way we went up to the fourteenth floor to look out to the sun sparkling along the ripples of the Pacific Ocean. It was the way we kept up conversations during Uber rides, or how we went on joy rides using the city scooters. It was the shenanigans at a playground, and the stories told at Mangia Tutti Ristorante. Most of all, the memories I’ll keep are in every photo, everything we learned, and overall, every moment we spent together.
The women’s track team snagged their first-ever NE10 championship win on February 17 at the New Balance Track in Boston. The team was runner-up last season.
The team had at least one person in every event; sprint events, distance events, jumps, and throws. The team scored the most points in the 5k (top 3), shotput, and the pentathlon.
Ashley Corcoran (graduate student) spoke on the hours of training and hard work that went into winning a championship.
“A lot of race planning goes into winning a championship,” said Corcoran. “Thinking about who needs to race what and how everyone can best optimize their energy to help the team. We train all year to get ready to peak in training and be our best when we need to, at the conference championships.”
Corcoran herself was a firstplace finisher in the 5k, 3k, and mile races. She also ran the mileleg of the distance medley relay, and a leg of the 4x800m relay, and was awarded Most Valuable Athlete of the meet and Most Outstanding Track Performer.
Now that the indoor season is over and the outdoor season has begun, Corcoran spoke on what it’s like moving forward as champions.
“Being NE10 champs is such an incredible feeling. This is my fifth year at SNHU, so I’ve watched this team be built from the ground up. It’s amazing to see how far we have come, and show everyone what we are capable of,” said Corcoran.
Women’s track and field head
coach Lex Butler spoke on how the whole team contributes to the team’s success.
“The whole team stands out to me,” said Butler. “It’s cliché, but it was a true team effort. We scored in all 17 out of 18 events, and most, if not all the team either scored or PR’d in their events. That’s all we ever can ask for.”
When it was coming down to the win, Butler knew they had it, but the girls pushed on and continued to give it their all.
“We still had two more relays to run, the 4x800m and 4x400m. I told the relay teams that we had won the championship and it didn’t matter what the outcome of the two relays were, we were still going to win the meet. They were of course happy but told me they wanted to ‘send it’ and do the absolute best they could....They went out and both ran season bests after a long 2-days of racing. I was very proud of the heart and determination,” said Butler.
With it being SNHU’s first indoor track win, the team’s
emotions after the win were happiness and excitement.
“The energy after the win was very high. This was SNHU’s first indoor championship win in history,” said Corcoran. “It’s a very surreal moment when all of our hard work pays off. Everyone was just happy and excited to be a part of such an incredible thing.”
Coach Butler was proud of the adversity the girls showed at both times of success and times of defeat.
“I’m very proud and excited for our team. As [with] any team, there are ups and downs. This team worked incredibly hard and [was] able to come together and fight for each other to reach their goal of winning the championship. However, the excitement was short-lived for myself. Shortly after the win, the coaching staff and I began planning for our Outdoor NE10 Championship in May,” said Butler.
The team is starting to get ready for their first outdoor home meet on March 31st.
The SNHU men’s tennis season is underway. The team goes to Adelphi on Saturday, March 25, looking to expand upon their 5-4 record. This will be the Penmen’s first NE-10 matchup of the season.
Men’s tennis captain, Cade Nadeau (‘25), talked about his team and how they feel about this year’s season.
“We did feel really good last year and have a lot of the same guys this year, so we are definitely feeling good. [We have] been putting in a lot of work in the gym and on the court, so [we are] excited for the conference matches to start,” said Nadeau.
He then spoke about how last year went and how it compares to this year thus far.
“We had a great season last year. We were the finalist[s] in the
NE10 and were able to scratch and claw our way to nationals last year,” said Nadeau. “We were able to make it to the Sweet 16 and lost in the conference last year against Le Moyne.”
Nadeau talked about their losses so far and what they could work on to move forward this season as successfully as possible.
“[We] had a couple [of] losses, one or two that maybe we didn’t really want to have but they are not going to make or break us. I feel like we will be totally fine for the ones that matter,” said Nadeau.
Regardless of the record, Nadeau is glad to be with his team. He discussed the thrill he gets from competing with his teammates.
“[I’m] just really excited to play
alongside of the boys. We have a great group and we are all working hard, so I really feel that is the most exciting part for me,” said Nadeau.
When asked about the rest of the season, he acknowledged how the team’s work ethic will translate on the court throughout the remainder of the season.
“[I’m] really proud of the work we have put in so far,” said Nadeau. “I still think there’s a little bit more to do and for us to put it over the line and be able to get the ring which we all want.”
He stated that the job is not done and that there is plenty of time left to continue moving forward.
“I think we need to grind a little bit more, but are heading in the right direction and I’m just excited for the boys,” said Nadeau.
The SNHU dance team participated at the United Spirit Association Collegiate Nationals on February 25-26 in Anaheim, CA. The team finished fifth in scoring.
Graduate student Jackie Allen (‘23), a member of the dance team, spoke on what it was like to compete at nationals and the impact the experience had on her and the team.
“Walking into nationals was surreal….There were teams there from all over the world that we got to watch which was really cool,” said Allen.
She spoke on the experience and what it meant to members, acknowledging the nerves.
“The last time the SNHU dance team went to nationals was [in] 2019. Nobody on our current team had ever competed at a collegiate nationals, so it was definitely intimidating at first….
We definitely knew we had to work extremely [hard] and stick together as a team,” said Allen. While the competition proved to be intense for the team, that did not take away from the fun they had while competing.
“The competition itself was so fun. We got to compete two times; the first was prelims and then the last day was finals. We worked so hard throughout the year to make it to that stage, and it was the best feeling,” said Allen.
To get to nationals, the team knew they needed a special season and needed to connect as a unit, rather than focus on individual performance. A captain of the dance team, Chloe Duchesneau (‘24), spoke on the experience.
“The chemistry on the team is absolutely insane. In California, we were constantly laughing, and morale was always wicked high.
We all work so well together, and you can see it when we dance,” said Duchesneau.
She noted that while they earned their place at the competition, SNHU dance was one of the smaller teams.
“Walking into the Anaheim Conference Center as a tiny team of nine and walking by teams of like twenty to thirty dancers was definitely intimidating,” said Duchesneau. “We walked in with our heads held high and just worked hard to hold our own.”
Duchesneau discussed what it feels like to be ranked among the best in the nation, and how rewarding that is to the entire team.
“The feeling of being nationally ranked is an absolute dream….I am so proud of my team as one of [the] captains, and I can’t wait to see what we do next year,” said Duchesneau.
SNHU’s Office of Sustainability was established in 2021. They will celebrate two years of the office’s opening in July.
Sustainability Manager, Pamela Beckvagni, works to further the efforts of the office’s sustainability.
“When we think about awareness here, what we really want is the step beyond that, which is getting people involved,” said Beckvagni.
The Office of Sustainability has a list of goals to achieve, which fall in the areas of academics, operations, engagement, and planning and administration. The work is different for each area. Academically, they develop sustainability curriculums.
“Across each of these goal areas, the work is different. For example, in our Academics workstream, we’ve just wrapped up creating a guiding framework for developing and defining [a] sustainability curriculum. Work like this eventually will trickle down into classes, degrees, certificates, and beyond,” said Beckvagni.
The office’s three primary functions are “to advance sustainability in our Universitylevel strategy, to track and report on sustainability work, and to build a culture of sustainability by engaging everyone in the work of creating an environmentally friendly school,” said Beckvagni. “Some of that work is more programmatic and outward facing, like the Good Stuff move-out program that we have taken on the task of coordinating. Some of that work is policy-based and internal.”
The office doesn’t do it alone. On their team, they have student EcoReps who work toward educating
people about sustainability while partnering with community groups.
“Most importantly, our team of Student Eco-Reps can be found both on campus and online, working with stakeholders on things like sustainability education and reporting, coordinating community groups, and focusing on university surplus as well as our waste metabolism,” said Beckvagni.
Emily Salyards (‘25), an EcoRep and an Environmental Club member, applies her degree in Environmental Science and her knowledge from being a club member to live a sustainable life.
“In my roles as a student majoring in Environmental Science, an Eco-Rep, and an Environmental Club member, I am able to learn how to live sustainabl[y] and gain current knowledge and experience that I can apply in my professional work,” said Salyards.
The office works closely with the Environmental Club to further awareness by working on projects and sharing a common interest in sustainability.
“We have provided resource support to the club by sponsoring projects and events in the past. The club serves an important role
in our work by allowing us to meet students where they are at and find ways to support their passions and interests in making the world a better place,” said Beckvagni.
Recognizing that everyone lives on the same earth and shares resources helps people reach a sustainable life. Thinking about climate change and access to clean drinking water can help people recognize the importance of sustainability.
“Sustainability is really about recognizing that all of us live in the same, global community,” said Beckvagni. “We all deserve a healthy, happy life, however, two billion of us lack safe drinking water. One and half billion of us are projected to be displaced by the worst of climate change.”
Sustainability is a group effort and it can’t be obtained with just one person.
“Sustainability is only actionable when it is also connected to the community. After all, change only comes from concentrated efforts; one person can’t do it alone,” said Beckvagni.
To learn more about the Office of Sustainability and its efforts, they are reachable at sustainability@ snhu.edu.
Sophia Peguri Staff Writer
Andrea Bard is the Associate Professor of Communication and the Coordinator of the Communication major. She has been a part of the SNHU community for 24 years and wouldn’t have it any other way.
Bard spoke about the importance of Communication and why she took the role of implementing it into students as a professor and mentor.
“It’s the most important thing in my eyes; it touches everything. You can’t function in any part of life without having it. That’s why I love it: it’s essential for everything. Losing our capability of communication because of technology and COVID has been a struggle and it makes it even more important,” said Bard.
Bard has years of experience in advising and loves to create relationships by helping students grow throughout the years. Her impact gives her students the ability to develop and become comfortable with themselves and others. “My favorite part of working here is that I get to be a part of a time in their life where they are figuring everything out. It’s a blessing to be a part of it. Seeing a student’s progress throughout their four years in college is better than a paycheck. They mean everything to me,” said Bard.
When asked about why she teaches Communication, Bard answered by emphasizing how the ability to communicate through students has become less of a priority.
“It is pretty rewarding seeing them all shy and then when they are ready to graduate, they have three job offers and are ready to
start their professional careers with nothing but confidence and determination,” said Bard. Bard is reachable in her office located in Robert Frost, room 332, or by email at a.bard@ snhu.edu.
“My advice to incoming freshmen is [to] take every opportunity that SNHU provides to you that you can. Many of these experiences will not be available to you once you graduate,” said Bard.
