Penmen Press Volume XXVIII Issue II

Volume XXVIII

Issue 2

october 15, 2021

penmenpress.com

THE

PENMEN PRESS Writing SNHU’s Story

05

06

09

Covid cases on campus

Cross Campus Construction

SNHU Women’s Soccer Kicks Off Nine-Game Win Streak

2 | News

MEET THE

STAFF Co-Editor-in-Chief Sofia Barassi

Co-Editor-in-Chief Stefan Karlberg

Business Manager

Events Manager

Online Manager

Senior Copy Editor Bailey Arnold-Fuchs

Andrew Wilson

Lifestyle Editor

Julie Armstrong

Ryan Barrett

Now Hiring!

photo Manager

media Manager

NEws Editor

Sports Editor

A&E Co-Editor

A&E co-Editor

Opinion Editor

Layout Editor

Faculty Adviser

Orlagh Skafas

Devin Pouliot

Chirstopher Kelly

Jack Drolet

Taylor Posik

Jon Boroshok

Hannah Black

Now Hiring!

Joshua DiNapoli

The Penmen Press | 3

THIS MONTH’S

EVENTS

wensday, October 13 Cybersecurity Awareness Month Tabling 9am IGC Blood Drive Tabling 9am IGC General Meetings 2pm Phishing: Why We Fall For It 3:30pm Weekly bingo 8pm

thursday, October 14 Homecoming 2021 IGC Blood Drive Tabling 9am Outdoors Club Monthly Meeting 8pm Radio SNHU - Karaoke Night 8pm

Friday, october 15 Homecoming 2021 Volleyball vs Stonehill 5pm Family Game Night with CAPE 5pm Homecoming: Paint Night 8pm Angie K Watch Party 9pm

saturday, October 16 Homecoming 2021 Field Hockey vs So. Ct. State 12pm Comedian Watch Party 8pm Virtual Big Money Bingo 9pm

Christian Fellowship Club Monthly Meeting 7:30pm

tuesday, October 19 IGC Hazing Prevention Tabling 9am IGC Blood Drive Tabling 11am Study Abroad and NSE Info Session 5pm

IGC Hazing Prevention Speaker 7pm Leveraging Micro Credential Stacking to Advance your Education 7pm

wensday, October 20 IGC Blood Drive Tabling 11am New Club Recognition Committee Meeting 2pm Field Hockey vs Assumption 4pm MSoccer vs St. Michael’s 4pm WSoccer vs Bentley 7pm Weekly Bingo 8pm

thursday, October 21 IGC Hazing Prevention Tabling 9am IGC Blood Drive Tabling 11am Falling for Social Engineering 3:30pm

Homecoming 2021 8am Stuff a Critter! 2pm

AMA Halloween Movie Night 6pm Psychology Club Monthly Meeting 7pm Radio SNHU - Musical Trivia 8pm

monday, October 18

Friday, october 22

Cybersecurity Awareness Month Tabling 9am IGC Blood Drive Tabling 5pm

International Student Orientation - ESL 9:30am Spooky Kahoot with CAPE 5pm

sunday, October 17

Corn hole Tournament 8pm

saturday, October 23 Reslife Community-Wide Block Party 1pm

Volleyball vs New Haven 4pm Public Health Student association Monthly Meeting 4pm MSoccer vs New Haven 7pm Mini Pumpkin Decorating 8:30pm

sunday, October 24 Public Health Student Association Monthly Meeting 4pm

monday, October 25 Fulbright Information Session (virtual) 11am IEW Kickoff 11:30am IGC Blood Drive Tabling 5pm International Education Week Virtual Alumni Panel 5pm

tuesday, October 26 Death Cafe 2pm Global Cafe 3:30pm Search & Research: Mastering the Library Databases 6pm Global Pop Trivia Night 7pm Book Club Meeting 7:30pm

wensday, October 27 International Culture Fair 11am Study Abroad Tabling 11:30am GEM Student Experience 1pm IGC General Meetings Panel 2pm

4 | News

News

The Penmen Press | 5

Covid Cases on Campus Andrew Wilson News Editor The semester is in full swing, but with it have come several COVID cases.

According to the SNHU COVID-19 Dashboard (locatable at snhu.edu/ about-us/covid-19/dashboard), there is one student positive on campus.

The Dashboard states that it is updated weekly and “serves as a way to offer transparency to the SNHU and surrounding communities.” However, that information is from the testing period ending on September 30. The information was published on October 5, meaning that the Dashboard is already five days out date. In reality, the number of positive cases is higher.

The procedure for students with confirmed COVID cases is to quarantine the student for ten days, regardless of vaccination status.

While that is happening, the COVID Taskforce (working with Public Safety) conduct contact tracing.

Students may have noticed paper flyers on the doors to some buildings on campus. These flyers titled “COVID-19

NOTIFICATION,” are some of the only ways to track the number of cases on campus, and where they were located, as the Dashboard is out of date. However even this method is inconsistent, as a case from Kingston, self tested on September 11, and confirmed by SNHU on September 13, had no flyers posted about it until September 16, a full five days after the first test.

Students will also notice that in the two update weeks from August 27 to September 2 and from September 3 to September 9, according to the Dashboard there were no COVID cases on campus. However, some students may remember seeing flyers posted on Robert Frost Hall and SETA on September 1 and Washington Hall on September 8 stating that there were COVID-positive students on campus.

That is because until September 8, the COVID Dashboard did not track any confirmed positive cases not done

by SNHU tests, even if the university posted flyers about them on buildings

that they had been in.

The information on the Dashboard does not include the positive cases from October 1, being a student living in Lincoln Hall and the student living in Windsor Hall, which was posted at the dining hall four days before the Dashboard’s update. Because the testing date was after the period of September 24 to September 30, that case will not be reported until Tuesday October 12.

“The SNHU COVID-19 Dashboard is updated weekly on Tuesday mornings in order to provide accurate numbers after our weekly testing occurs,” said Siobhan Lopez, Assistant Director of Media Relations, in an email. However Tuesday, October 5 came and went and the Dashboard was only updated to the information available on Thursday, September 30.

When asked why the Dashboard is only being updated weekly, Lopez said, “If SNHU increases testing protocols on campus, the frequency of the updates may also change.”

“Home Sweet Homecoming” to Proceed Virtually for Fall Semester Taylor Posik A&E Co-Editor Homecoming season is around the corner for SNHU and students are gearing up for the festivities.

However, it has been announced that Homecoming will move forward virtually for the 2021 fall semester.

“For the safety of our entire community, Homecoming will be virtual this year,” said Associate Director of Student Involvement Colleen Lubin.

“The University has put our current COVID-19 policies in place to protect our campus community, including limiting the number of external guests.”

In-person events will be hosted but will be limited to current campus students. Homecomings

have previously hosted around 3000 external guests which often included children. Past activities have included rides, making stuffed animals and a fireworks display.

Since 2012, Homecoming has become a fall tradition. It allows students a reprieve from their demanding schedules and gives them a chance to connect with others.

“I love Homecoming because of the greater sense of community that it creates,” said CAPE President Justin Kaminski (‘23).

A virtual homecoming will allow alumni and other guests to participate in the festivities while social distancing.

Students will still be able to enjoy time with their off-campus friends and family outside of class.

Staff and students can also look forward to this year’s Homecoming T-shirts. They will be given away on a first-come, first-served basis.

“You can expect to see some of our favorite traditions including a virtual 5K, painting, a magic show, music, comedy and of course Big Money Bingo,” said Lubin.

Homecoming will take place from Thursday, October 14 through Sunday, October 17. More information can be found at alumni.snhu.edu/ homecoming.

6 | News

Cross Campus Construction Andrew Wilson News Editor All across the SNHU campus there is caution tape, fences and warning signs surrounding sites under construction. These sites include the SETA (School of Engineering, Technology and Aeronautics) building, Penmen Stadium and the quad stairs on the green space. The work being done on each site varies in scope, but the stairs, most notably, have caused students to have to change their routes or usual patterns around campus.

The quad stairs are at the heart of campus and are the most direct way to cross the street. The fencing surrounding the stairs on all sides has lead many to wonder what was wrong with them and when they will be fixed.

“The quad stairs are approaching 10 years old and for the second time in that period, the concrete is failing where the nosing (metal edge protector) is anchored into the concrete,” said Scott Greeb, Assistant Vice President of Facilities Management. “This is caused by many factors including what is used for ice melt, surface treatment, freeze/ thaw cycles, etc.”

This project was planned to run before the pandemic hit but was put

on ice when it did. When the freeze on projects was lifted, the stairs restoration was considered high priority and meant to be completed before the start of the fall semester. However, due to an issue with granite suppliers, the project was delayed again.

“Construction will start as soon as late October and we hope to have it wrapped up in early December, weather permitting,” says Greeb.

For now, students will have to make do with the walkway to the left of the stairs that leads towards Robert Frost Hall.

“To leave the stairs open with the failing nosing just isn’t an option we were willing to entertain. The liability to students, staff and faculty would’ve been just too much. Although they look in a safe condition from a distance, the nosing/concrete connection could catastrophically fail at any time and is dangerous to the sheer volume of foot traffic those stairs see,” said Greeb.

Over at the Stadium, more construction is going on. This includes the field itself, HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning), the Americans with Disabilities Act

Main stairway. (image source: Emily Blais)

(ADA) compliance issues and more.

A leaking problem is the reason the concourse area is taped off as they replace the concrete with pavers. Just recently, some of those sections that were previously cordoned off have been made accessible.

Meanwhile at SETA, there is scaffolding set up around the building to solve the issue of falling slate from the façade of the building. Over in Robert Frost, students may have noticed the stairs got an upgrade within the first few weeks of classes. They got a face lift, including new carpet on the landings, new stair treads, and a new coat of paint.

When asked about why there are so many projects happening on campus at once, Greeb stated, “A lot of it is related to the timing of unpausing projects and trying to wrap them up before school started. To pick up momentum with projects after being paused for so long can lose some valuable time. It’s the cost of starting/stopping things.

However, we are asking that folks just hang in there while we wrap them up. There was no playbook for the pandemic.”

The Penmen Press | 7

Crime on Campus: The Clery Report Joshua DiNapoli Opinions Editor With the annual Clery Report now released, the faculty and students of SNHU now have access to public data that shows the safety profile of the campus. While the data only extends to last year, it provides a trend of how crime has shifted in three years (2018, 2019, 2020). With the advent of the COVID pandemic, there is a clear comparison for how the lower population might have impacted the reported rate of crime incidents.

The report itself breaks the data down by where the crime occurred.

Additionally, it includes any criminal offenses that might have been unfounded. According to the report, there have been no falsely reported crimes in the last three years.

One of the most notable inferences from the data set is the consistent reports of robbery and motor vehicle theft. In the last three years, there have been no reported cases of these crimes.

Another consistent statistic has been the presence of aggravated assaults.

Similar to robberies and other theft, this crime has also been nonexistent in the last three recorded years.

The only theft-related crime

reported in the previous three years was burglary. However, there was only a reported incident at a residence hall back in 2018. Since then, there have not been any reported crime incidents of this categorization.

While some crimes have been consistently nonexistent, others have been counted. Statistically, there were six reported cases of sexual assault in 2018. Over the next year, the rate of reported incidents remained constant.

In 2020 the crime rate did drop to only one case; however, interpretation of this statistic must consider the significantly lower student population post-March.

Other crimes, such as fondling, had a rate as high as seven in 2018 before dropping to only one reported case in 2019 and 2020.

In addition to recording the number of criminal offenses, the report also keeps track of noted arrests. Broken down further by the type of offense, the categories are liquor law violations, possession or carrying of weapons and drug abuse. Out of the three categories, there has only been one arrest noted due to liquor law violations. While the arrest rate is notably low, the same

cannot be said for disciplinary referrals.

When referrals are taken into account, weapon violations consistently remain at zero. However, drug abuse violations ranged from nine to ten except for 2020 where no referrals occurred. Disciplinary action was the highest for liquor law violations, which reached 200 cases in 2018.

Like other categories, these reports declined following the drop in student population. However, even in 2020, the rate was at 21, double the peak of drug abuse violations in 2019.

For offenses listed under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), the report lists the three categories of domestic violence, dating violence and stalking. While there have been no known domestic violence incidents on campus in the last three years, there has been one listed incident of stalking each year since 2018.

Reports of dating violence fluctuated over the three years from four cases during 2018, dipping to none in 2019, before rising back to two cases in 2020. Finally, any reported hate crimes are listed, for which there have been none in the last three years.

Walok Learning Center. (image source: Joshua DiNapoli)

8 | Sports

Sports

The Penmen Press | 9

SNHU Women’s Soccer Kicks Off ten-Game Win Streak to Start Season Adam Dufault Staff Writer With a commanding start to the year, SNHU’s women’s soccer team erupts for their tenth straight win on October 9 to begin the season.

After a year of patience and uncertainty, the women’s soccer team began their hot streak. The team continues to climb the national division II rankings, making their way to seventh, according to the United Soccer Coaches poll.

Starting 5-0 for the first time in 27 years, it is clear that there is one thing on their mind: winning. Now they stand above their fellow Northeast-10 (NE-10) teams, currently with a 100-1 record after a 3-0 win against Le Moyne College on October 9.

Two-time NE-10 player of the week, Jordan Butters (’23) is excited to be back after a year without a season.

Butters is tied for the team lead in goals (5) and has shown up ready to battle every game. “I think we’re kind of at a

high right now,” said Butters. However, she and the rest of her squad know better than to expect an easy win.

Butters continued, “Each team has definitely…brought a new competition that we haven’t seen previously.” The stat-stuffing forward displays the pride and determination to maintain the team’s current momentum to take on any challenge that comes their way.

With the team’s best start since the 1980s, there is no doubt that the stats show how efficient the coaching has been. Soccer coach Elie Monteiro played at SNHU as a student himself. He later coached at Franklin Pierce University, the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, and now at SNHU, where he has been for six seasons.

Monteiro touched upon what life was like for his team during the COVID pandemic. “You know, we couldn’t train at all…We would do

some check-in phone calls…just to see how things were going with the squad,” said Monteiro.

He mentioned the preparedness of his players when they returned to campus. When asked about players that have stepped up, Monteiro noted that everyone has contributed to the team’s recent success. “What you don’t see is the work that’s being put in by some of the midfielders who are not getting on the end of the score sheet… but they are putting a lot of miles into their legs.”

Reflecting upon what it means to hold such a successful record, Monteiro views it as a distraction. “A record has never scored a goal for us, made a tackle…it is the players on the field who do that,” said Monteiro.

Being back on the field for the first time in so long, Monteiro doesn’t wish to lose sight that no game is a guaranteed victory.

Jordan Butter dribbling the ball (image courtesy: Jim Stankiewicz and SNHU Penmen)

10 | Sports

Jordan Butters Nets Two NE-10 Player of the Week Honors Christopher Kelly Layout Editor Jordan Butters (‘23) of the SNHU women’s soccer team was named the NE10 Player of the Week for September 20, as well as the following week, according to Penmen Athletics.

Her forefront accomplishments to achieve these awards were scoring the game’s only goal on September 15 against Saint Michael’s College, along with an overtime gamewinner on September 29.

When asked if being named player of the week was a surprise, she said, “Yeah, a little bit...because there’s a lot of players in the league.

I didn’t really expect that big of a deal out of it.”

Although NE10 doesn’t state

what they look at when deciding the player of the week, Butters offered this perspective on earning the award: “Sometimes that means you get goals and assists. But sometimes it’s not all about stats.

They have defensive player of the week; they have goalkeeper, offensive player, [and] I think working hard and playing your best is how they recognize those players.”

Despite the award being for individual players, Butters emphasized that earning this consists of teamwork.

“It’s more of a team effort than an individual effort. Yeah, I got a couple goals and assists, but that

obviously wouldn’t have happened if other players didn’t set me up, and I didn’t set players up [to score],” said Butters.

Butters does not just want to stop here. “Just keeping up with what I’ve been doing and what our team has been doing, I think that we’ve been on a bit of a hot streak. Obviously, we have room for improvement, but I think as each game has been going, we’ve been getting better and better, and whatever I can contribute, I can contribute.”

As of now, the women’s soccer team is sitting with a score of 100-1: ten wins, one tie and no losses for the first time since 1994.

COVID-19 Protocols for Athletes Sofia Barassi Co-Editor-in-Chief As SNHU’s fall athletes return to play for the first time since 2019, COVID regulations have been set in place for them to compete.

According to Tom Wilkins, SNHU Associate Director of Athletics, SNHU Athletics follows all guidelines set by the NCAA and the NE-10 conference. Some guidelines can be found on both the NCAA (ncaa.org/sport-scienceinstitute/covid-19-coronavirus) and NE10 (northeast10.org/2021_ COVID_Protocols) sites and have been updated for the fall 2021 season.

“As with prior NCAA publications, these materials are meant to be consistent with guidance published by the federal government and its health agencies and reflect the relevant scientific and medical information available at the time of print,” according to

an article published by the NCAA. The guidelines in place consist of athletes wearing masks for indoor team meetings and activities as well as team travel. For play and practice, however, athletes have no restrictions for social distancing and masking.

These regulations are only applicable to indoor contests. As for outdoor competition this fall, soccer, tennis, cross country, golf and field hockey athletes are not required to wear masks except for travel and any indoor meetings.

In regards to spectators, each school in the NE10 has its own set of rules published on the NE1o site. Those for Southern New Hampshire University read, “Fans will be welcomed back to athletic events at all SNHU athletic venues at regular capacity, however, all fans must complete

a self COVID health screening, completing the questions found here (snhupenmen.com/ news/2021/8/31/fall-2021spectator-polic y-game-dayfan-offerings.aspx). Those who answer yes to any of the screening questions should not attend the event.

“All outside guests, regardless of vaccination status, are required to wear a face covering when attending sporting events. This includes fans at both indoor and outdoor venues.”

These guidelines are subject to change as the status of the pandemic changes.

According to Penmen Athletics website, “If the conditions of the pandemic continue to improve, SNHU will begin allowing external guests to utilize SNHU facilities beginning in January 2022.”

The Penmen Press | 11

Women’s Volleyball Digs Deeper Christopher Tutt Staff Writer The last time the women’s volleyball team hit the floor was November 17, 2019, which ended their season; their record was 14-13. This was before the NE10 canceled the 2020 season due to the pandemic when the team was hoping to improve. This season, the team looks to rise both as players and people.

“My approach this season is totally different than in years before.

My main goal is to help them be better people, not just better players,” said Head Women’s Volleyball Coach Dega Da Gama. “[The team] is really happy to be back at SNHU. They are working harder every day, and I believe that by the end of the season, they will be much better than at the beginning.”

Da Gama has many years of coaching experience, but when an event such as COVID comes into play, keeping the same approach as the past is nearly impossible. He has been at the helm since 2017 and is very impressed with how his players have handled this new “normal.”

“The kids are doing really well and are working really well together,” said Da Gama. “That really surprised me because when the pandemic hit, I thought [the chemistry] would be bad.

In college, each year comes with a different team, and with COVID as a factor, there is more difference than usual; Da Gama has noticed resilience in his players even with the adversity.

“We had to restart the program and we have a lot of new players,” said Da Gama. “Not just freshmen, but sophomores who weren’t here last year as well. What I like is that they are working together and [the team] is welcoming to new players.

It has been really fun to be around those kids.”

Da Gama continues, “[The team] has created a really good environment. I think that is huge compared to years before. I was really worried about that, with

COVID, but it was the opposite.”

Da Gama places a lot of his trust in his upperclassmen as they are the veterans of the team.

“The captains and the upperclassmen are doing an amazing job leading the program.

I think the upperclassmen are the most important piece that we have this year,” said Da Gama.

Having such a young team, a lot of responsibility is thrust upon captains Juliana Pacini (’23) and Ramona Fontaine (’22).

“I expect [the team] to feel comfortable playing hard and to hold themselves accountable in every situation,” said Pacini. “We have been working hard on team bonding to build better team chemistry and apply that on the court. The connection is crucial; I expect them to get out of their comfort zone and learn how to be comfortable during uncomfortable situations.”

Fontaine has similar expectations as her co-captain and emphasizes the need to play as a team and gratitude for being back.

“I want them to be confident and positive; a lot of times we can get in our head and volleyball is such a team sport. Everyone has to work together,” said Fontaine. “It felt very different [to be back]. I missed being with the team on campus.

That feeling is unmatched.”

At the point of October 4, the Penmen are 6-6 overall and 2-2 in conference play. Along with this, the team has had a lot of goals for the rest of their season.

“Our goal as a team is to go to the conference tournament,” said Da Gama. “The best eight teams in our conference make the conference tournament. Two years ago, we were one win away from going to the tournament.”

The Penmen are grateful for the opportunity to play and are happy to be together. Adjusting to this situation may be tough, but the Penmen are not alone in this fight.

“We have to adjust to this reality.

It’s not just SNHU; it’s everyone else in the country,” said Da Gama. “At the end of the day, at least we are playing sports this season.”

Juliana Pacini vs Franklin Pierce (image source: Jack Drolet)

12 | Lifestyle

Lifestyle

The Penmen Press | 13

Experiential Education Fair Jon Boroshok Faculty Adviser Students looking for projects with real clients that offer academic credit can preview classes at SNHU’s first-ever Experiential Education Fair on Thursday, October 28 from 11 AM to 2:30 PM on the second floor of the Dining Center.

All students and faculty are encouraged to attend to learn about these hands-on course offerings that will make registration for Spring 2021 classes easier and clearer.

These opportunities are ideal for students who enjoy active engagement and learning through real-world projects, service, research, travel and leadership, according to Dr. Beth Sheehan, the fair’s director.

“Many of the experiential

learning components provide opportunities to learn skills and gain knowledge that is transferable to any career,” said Sheehan.

Attendees can meet with the faculty and staff to ask questions, understand expectations and learn more about the course before signing up and registering. There will be a Dining Service voucher for the first 100 students attending along with a guide sheet that students can take as a resource for registration.

“Professors have the opportunity to directly connect with students that they might not otherwise get a chance to meet,” said Sheehan.

“This fair gives faculty and staff the chance to offer more details

about their experiential course that can’t be articulated on short course descriptions or captured in a short flyer posted on campus.”

Sheehan said experiential learning at SNHU is defined as learning by doing. Its intent is to immerse learners into authentic, relevant experiences and engage them in reflection to develop new skills, attitudes and ways of thinking.

Sheehan added that projectbased learning is the most common form of experiential learning across campus. Project-based learning does not require groups, although collaboration is important for learning and when working in a professional setting.

Tap House Grille Features Tasty Food and Irresistable Drinks Stefan Karlberg Co-Editor-in-Chief It is impossible to explore around the SNHU campus without stumbling upon the gem that is New England’s Tap House Grille.

Located right off of Benton Road, on Hooksett Road, The Tap House boasts an impressive selection of food and drink with something for anyone who visits.

The Tap House is a great choice for any SNHU student looking to get a meal away from the dining hall without going too far or paying too much. SNHU students are a huge part of The Tap House’s audience, and there is even a SNHU themed booth in the front corner of the restaurant for customers who really want to show their Penmen Pride.

The Tap House’s menu does everything right. They feature American classics like jalapeño poppers, buffalo wings and nachos,

as well as a huge selection of burgers and other hearty entrees. The menu also boasts unique offerings such as sticky duck, pork belly tacos and a Korean fried chicken sandwich.

Not only does The Tap House offer a wide variety of options, but they make all of them more than satisfactory. They offer nachos in “personal” and “party” size, but even the personal size is a huge pile of nachos complete with salsa, a cheese sauce and other delicious toppings.

Another stellar dish is the Korean fried chicken sandwich.

This sandwich is a great first step for people wanting to explore more Korean food. The crispy fried chicken is topped with a Korean barbeque sauce that packs a powerful taste without being too thick and heavy. This sauce paired with the kimchi included on the

sandwich makes for a filling bite that is sure to become a member of the clean plate club.

The Tap House also features an expansive beer menu, including 48 draft beers. They feature a rotating beer menu, which is headlined by East Coast Surf Club’s American IPA, as well as a permanent beer list that features domestic and imported beers. In tandem with the beer menu, The Tap House also provides a wine list any sommelier would approve of, as well as a cocktail menu with mouthwatering original drinks and creative twists on some classics.

With fantastic classics and innovative creations and a vast drink selection, The Tap House is a perfect choice very close to campus for anyone regardless of what they want for dinner.

14 | A&E and Opinion

A&E and Opinion

The Penmen Press | 15

Baby Keem Takes Rap Scene by Storm With Powerful Debut Stefan Karlberg Co-Editor-in-Chief Los Angeles-based rapper Baby Keem made it clear that he deserves to be in the conversation for best rapper of the year since the release of his debut studio album, “The Melodic Blue.”

Baby Keem isn’t brand new to the music scene. His 2019 song, “ORANGE SODA,” brought his first taste of virality and has more than 2 million plays on Spotify. Mostly known for making faster-tempo songs such as “STATS,” “MOSHPIT,” and the self-titled “BABY KEEM,” Keem expands his sound in “The Melodic Blue.”

The album was preceded by singles “hooligan,” “no sense,” “durag activity” and “family ties,” with the latter featuring 13-time Grammy Award winner Kendrick Lamar. Lamar, Keem’s cousin, also owns pgLang, the record label

behind “The Melodic Blue.”

Some critics have suggested that nepotism is behind the emergence of Baby Keem’s stardom, but he ignored the critics and dropped one of the most popular singles of this year. “Family ties” has already accrued 71 million streams almost two months after it was released, with thanks to TikTok virality.

While “family ties” shares the upbeat sound Baby Keem has used so well, the complex instrumental and beat-switch are indictive of “The Melodic Blue’s” exploration of sound. From the first track, “trademark usa,” it is clear that “The Melodic Blue” is a new direction for Baby Keem. The samples in “pink panties” and “scapegoat” show a growth in beat production, which Keem was less involved in with his previous projects.

Baby Keem still keeps bangers as a corner piece of this project, but he also experiments with slower and more intimate selections. “Issues,” “south africa” and “gorgeous” all feature a new sound. Baby Keem gives the listener a new view into his personal life; the line, “I can’t go ghost, I face demons/Don’t let it defeat you, all in my hands/I know it’s hard for you to come out that trance/I look myself in the mirror when I can,” from “issues” shows a more intimate view of Baby Keem beyond his stage persona.

“The Melodic Blue” takes the audience for a ride unlike any other Baby Keem project. He supplies his iconic hard-hitting songs, but adds a new experience with his slow, introspective rap. Baby Keem will be performing in Boston on November 21 at the Paradise Rock Club.

Baby Keem drops two new singles. (image source: onestowatch.com)

The Penmen Press |16

e 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. e Penmen Press will print any material found to be factual and in good taste by the editorial sta of the paper. e views published do not necessarily reect the views of Southern New Hampshire University. e Penmen Press is published monthly during the academic year and is printed on campus by Copies Plus. To contact the newspaper, please email us at penmenpress@snhu.edu