Last week, The Keene Sentinel published an article reporting the severance pay for former Keene State College President Anne Huot. Huot received $327,225 after she resigned from her position, according to the article.

The money was distributed to Huot on July 15 and Aug. 15.

Huot was employed at KSC for four years as the president, with June 30, 2013, being her official start date, according to the employee agreement between The University System of New Hampshire (USNH) and Huot.

Her resignation was effective July 31, 2017, according to the USNH press release. On July 19, Dr. Melinda Treadwell was named the Interim President for the college, effective July 31, according to another USNH press release.

“President Huot will spend the coming academic year on an unpaid leave of absence preparing to return to her faculty position as a full professor in the Biology Department,” the release read.

The employee agreement outlines what Huot was to receive had she ever decided to resign.

“In the event that the President resigns her position as President, then the University System shall pay the President: (i) the Base Salary through the date of separation of employment, (ii) any vested benefits under the then-current employee benefit plans of the University System through the date of separation of employment as President, and (iii) any other benefits and compensation, if any, as required by law. In no event shall the President be entitled to the Severance Payment after notice of her resignation is given,” section 8b reads.

In 2014, Huot made $245,000, and in 2015, that number increased by more than 10 percent to $271,000, according to the USNH Salary Book. As of 2016, Huot received a base salary of $278,000.

The $327,225 was taken out of the college’s fiscal year 2017  (FY17) budget.

Alexandria Saurman can be contacted at asaurman@kscequinox.com

When natural disasters hit, it’s nearly impossible not to worry about friends and family affected by the catastrophe. What increases the worry is when you’re hundreds or thousands of miles away and have little access to them. How do you find out if they’re okay?

Last week, I got a notification from Facebook saying that two of my family friends in Florida had marked themselves as “safe” from Hurricane Irma. I sat there, not even having to unlock my phone, and breathed a sigh of relief knowing that they were safe. Before I even thought of messaging them, I knew they were okay.

Sean KIZILTAN

According to Facebook Newsroom’s website, Safety Check launched in October of 2014, and is a feature which allows individuals in areas affected by natural disasters and crises to mark themselves as “safe.” The feature uses the city listed in a user’s profile to determine if he or she was affected by a natural disaster or crisis, and asks if the user is safe.

Once a user is marked as “safe,” the post will be added to his or her timeline and a notification will be sent to some friends, according to Facebook’s Help Center. I believe that the features provide many benefits to its users. It’s a fast and efficient way to let multiple people know that a user is safe. However, if an individual is marked as “not confirmed safe,” I don’t think it’s appropriate to panic.

In an article by Aaron Balick on The Independent, Balick discussed the idea of how the tool creates an “unfounded panic and an over-inflated sense of danger.” Balick wrote that he lives less than 30 minutes from London Bridge, the sight of the London Bridge attack in June 2017. Although Balick chose not to use Facebook’s Safety Check, his friends and family did, letting him know that they were safe.

However, he later received a different kind of notification from Facebook–one concerning a friend’s desire to know if he was safe.

Balick wrote, “[Facebook’s safety check] creates an implicit supposition that we are not safe until we let people know that we are. It creates a culture of hyper-vigilance that undermines our capacity to feel relatively secure about our environment.”

Balick makes a valid argument that “the ability to check in constantly fuels our anxiety that if we don’t hear back straight away, something bad  wmust have happened.”It’s important to keep in mind that not everyone uses Facebook religiously, and not everyone’s first priority after a natural disaster or crisis is to go on Facebook. There are more important things for the affected individuals to worry about.

I don’t worry if a loved one is marked as “not confirmed safe” because I know that he or she may not have found time to go on Facebook. There are more important things for him or her to worry about if they are facing a natural disaster or crisis. If there was a real emergency and my loved one was not safe, I probably would have been notified or found out through other family members.

According to some Facebook’s Safety Check is a convenient and quick way to let multiple people know at once that a user is safe, but not everyone should be expected to use it. You should not rely solely on Facebook to know if loved ones are safe.

Alexandria Saurman can be contacted at asaurman@kscequinox.com

Many basement bands dream of making it to the stage one day, but for rock band Gray Haven, that dream has become a reality.

The band is composed of three Keene State College students: Joe Sansone, Nick St. Amour and Mike Holahan, and one alumnus, Ricky Pelchar.

Gray Haven, along with their manager, KSC film production and critical studies major Rachel Blumberg, hit the road this summer for their East Coast tour.

“I was a little nervous just because it was just taking it to the next level,” said Holahan, the band’s drummer.

“But once we got in the car and once we were headed for the first venue, then I just got excited.”

Gray Haven’s guitarist, St. Amour, said that he felt like the tour was meant to be.

Photo Contributed By Bob St. Amour

“I was nervous to begin with, but everything had just opened up perfectly for the summer for me to go on tour, so I kind of expected it to happen,” he said.

“My life was just like, ‘Hey dude, send it. Go for it.’”

The band played a total of 11 shows in places such as New Haven, Connecticut, Long Island and Manhattan and Philadelphia.

Each night, they performed with different bands, allowing them to make more connections and learn from other artists.

“[Getting out of Keene] was cool because you were kind of thrown into like a setting that you also realized so many other people are doing, so it’s kind of motivating to be like ‘Woah. This is the real world. We’re doing stuff that other people do,’” Blumberg said.

Although they were miles away from Keene, the band said they still ran into KSC students at their shows.

“It’s just kinda cool to know that you have that support outside of Keene,” Blumberg said. “Obviously we travelled [to] so many places, but people still came out even though they knew they were going to see us in Keene, but they came to see us in a different setting.”

One of the concert attendees was KSC alumnus and St. Amour’s housemate, Aaron Williams.

Graphic Contributed by Nick St. Amour

“Their sound quality was pretty tight. Their performance was pretty on point,” Williams said about Gray Haven’s performance at Toad’s Place in New Haven, Connecticut.

“…High energy. That’s what comes to mind when I listen to their music. Just very high energy, very upbeat, very angsty, in your face. Something that…anybody who appreciates rock ‘n roll can really get into it in my opinion,” Williams said.

In between their shows, the band used their down time in a multitude of ways. They visited Six Flags, took a trip the the Jersey Shore and attended a concert for Holahan’s birthday.

The band also recorded three times while on tour, and is planning on releasing a full album in summer 2018.

Although 2017 KSC graduate Pelchar no longer lives in Keene, Sansone, St. Amour and Holahan are back to start their senior years.

“It’s really cool to be back in Keene because I just missed everybody,” St. Amour said.

The band held a basement “homecoming” show on Saturday, September 2.

“The whole time that we were on tour, we were just thinking, ‘Wow. We haven’t played in a basement in so long,’” Sansone said. “We missed it, and it feels good to be back home, back where we’re comfortable so we can really let loose.”

St. Amour, who only has one semester left at KSC, said, “I think the best part of coming back to Keene is that one generation of Keene has left with the name Gray Haven in their head and now another generation is coming in, and they’re about to learn what the hell Gray Haven is all about.”

Alexandria Saurman can be contacted at asaurman@kscequinox.com

Keene State College bookstore worker Olivier Gabriel was arrested on Tuesday, Sept. 5 on two charges, according to the Keene Police Department’s (KPD) press release.

KPD began an investigation relating to “online solicitation and meeting of a child under the age of sixteen” on Aug. 25, the release read.

The investigation resulted in a warrant being issued for Gabriel’s arrest.

Gabriel is charged with “[o]ne felony count of Certain Uses of Computer Services Prohibited” and “[o]ne misdemeanor count of Sexual Assault,” the release read.

Gabriel’s case will be addressed in the Cheshire Superior Court today at 1:30 p.m..

Alexandria Saurman can be contacted at asaurman@kscequinox.com

When the world seems like a dark place, sometimes you need to be the light.

On Sunday, August 27, citizens of Keene gathered together to respond to the recent events that occurred in Charlottesville, VA. 

Jake Paquin / Photo Editor

St. James Episcopal Church’s Rector Elsa Worth helped create the event.

“We didn’t call it a protest or a vigil or a demonstration,” Worth said. “It was simply a gathering to be the light and the love of Keene.”

Hundreds of individuals lined the sidewalks of Main Street in Downtown Keene with lit candles. The line extended from West Street to slightly before Emerald Street on one side, and from Roxbury Street to right before Eagle Court on the other.

“It was really beautiful to see the candles line the street, Worth said. “It was just what we hoped–bringing people together in an uplifting way.”

Everyone shared a moment of silence before the participants began singing “This Little Light of Mine” and “Lean on Me.”

Keene State College Associate Vice President for Institutional Diversity and Equity Dottie Morris was one of the event’s attendees.

“I was just really amazed,” Morris said, following the event. “I was just really excited. It felt really good. I feel inspired. It’s just so nice that so many people with so much love and light.”

The event was hosted by the Keene Interfaith Clergy Association. One of its members, Cindy Cheshire, is the Catholic Campus Minister at the Newman Center, “which provides campus ministry to Keene State and the other, area colleges,” according to Cheshire.

“One of the reasons I think we settled on this date is because the students would be back,” Cheshire said, “…we thought it was a neat opportunity for the students to be involved in the greater city of Keene.”

There were a few KSC students that attended the event, including sophomore political science major Emily Foy. Foy said her friends asked her to attend the event with them, and she eagerly agreed.

Prior to the event, Foy said, “I’m very excited for tonight. Hopefully it’ll be good and calm and peaceful and people can come together.”

With participants gathered in Central Square, Mayor Kendall Lane kicked off the event with a speech.

 “We are not here tonight to engage in protest,” Lane stated. “We are here to support our fellow human beings in peace and love and compassion…In this region, we are committed to being inclusive. We welcomes of all people, regardless of their race, religion, sexual identity or cultural heritage, and we strive to enable every person to reach their full, human potential.”

Following Lane’s speech, New Hampshire State Representative Jay Kahn delivered his own speech.

“The hate and bigotry recently expressed is repugnant and unrepresentative of our nation’s goals,” Kahn stated. “…Tonight we stand intentionally with people across our nation who possess the courage to confront racial and religious and gender bigotry, and we unite with them in creating respectful safe communities in which all our valued and secured.”

Alexandria Saurman / Managing Executive Editor

This past Wednesday, Aug. 23, Keene State College welcomed more than just first years to its campus; it also said hello to New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu and the Executive Council.

There were a few meetings held on campus that Governor and the Executive Council attended. The first was a breakfast meeting held in the Technology, Design & Safety Center (TDS). The University System of New Hampshire Board of Trustees member Jamie Burnett was one of the attendees of the day’s meetings.

Burnett said that during the breakfast meeting, information was presented on the Sustainable Product Design & Innovation (SPDI) program at KSC.

“If we’re not teaching what they need in terms of skills, they’re not going to be able to get into the workforce that they want,” Burnett said in an interview with The Equinox. “Students aren’t going to want to come here. There won’t be jobs here so we just need to continue to do that. I think that there’s a large recognition that that’s important and I think that that work is happening now and has been ongoing but we just need to continue to do that.”

New Hampshire District Two’s councilor Andru Volinsky, who was also in attendance at the breakfast, said, “In this day and age, we’re trying to find opportunities to create better paying jobs for hardworking people and advanced manufacturing is one area that’s promising. And so to have a program like that at Keene State is a real plus.”

On the same day, there was also a Governor and Executive Council meeting held in the Student Center’s Mabel Brown room at 10:00 a.m.. Four of five of the executive councilors were present at the meeting, including Volinsky.

Volinsky was the individual who selected KSC as the meeting’s location.

“I’ve been interested in for actually quite a while the economic development issues in places like Keene,” Volinsky said to The Equinox during an interview.. “…I thought particularly with the SPDI program, we could emphasizes the connectivity of the school to business in the Keene region and I wanted to encourage that.”

There were 106 items on the Regular Agenda, each falling under a specific department or office. While some items were passed with a simple vote, others were discussed before making a decision.

One of the discussions was focused on items under the “Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Services” section. In an interview with The Equinox following the meeting, Sununu said, “I doubled the alcohol funds in New Hampshire which is really the flexible funds that we have in the state dollars to address the opioid crisis….This opioid crisis is unlike anything we’ve ever seen so you got to be able to push the envelope a little bit, try new things, and I think in New Hampshire we’ve had the opportunity to do that.”

According to Volinsky, five percent of NH’s gross liquor sale profits, about 20 million in two years, is suppose to go to the state’s Drug and Alcohol fund. However, “the legislature only dedicated about half of that,” Volinsky said. “That missing 10 million, if you want to think of it that way, went to fund indiscriminate business tax decreases…that meant that money wasn’t available to fully fund the Drug and Alcohol fund even though we’re in the midst of the worst opioid crisis in our history.”

The Governor and the Executive Council also discussed a topic revolving around the Department of Corrections. Following a lawsuit filed in 2012, the state began construction of a new women’s prison in Concord, NH, according to an article in The Union Leader. Although the prison will be completed in the fall, it will not open then. Volinsky said the corrections department was never given the authorization to start recruiting staff.

“There’s a six month lead time to train and certify new correctional officers,” Volinsky said. “If the prison’s going to open in September, you don’t authorize recruitment to begin two months earlier. …They’re not going to open the women’s prison until, if they’re lucky, springtime, probably next summer. Its inexcusable. We’ve spent the money to build the place. The legislature should fund the staffing.”

A total of three items were tabled by the conclusion of the meeting.

The next Governor and Executive Council meeting will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 13, according to the State of New Hampshire Executive Council website. However, the meeting place is still to be determined.

Alexandria Saurman can be contacted at asaurman@kscequinox.com

Seven Equinox reporters received national awards for the 2017 National Contest held by the Society of Collegiate Journalists (SCJ) for pieces they produced in the previous year

“The contest is designed to celebrate and recognize outstanding student work across all platforms of media,” according to SCJ’s website. The contest is also “judged exclusively by professionals in the field.”

Crae Messer / Contributed Photo

For the category of Online Media, Equinox Multimedia Editor Sebastien Mehegan took first place in the subcategory of Multimedia Feature Story for his piece entitled “Water Protectors: The DAPL Protest.”

In response to Mehegan’s multimedia piece, a judge from SCJ wrote, “Very powerful topic. Enjoyed how there were interviews with people who were natives but also weren’t natives. This gave a look inside this protest that many didn’t even get from the mainstream media. Extremely well done and important piece.”

Six awards were given to Equinox reporters in the category of Individual Writing and Imaging.

Former Arts and Entertainment Editor Nick Tocco received first for his article entitled “Athletes and coaches speak on sportsmanship” in the Sports News subcategory.

One SCJ judge commented on Tocco’s article. “This was well constructed,” wrote the judge. “Nick did a great job by letting people share their experience and opinions.”

In the subcategory News Stories (excluding Sports), former Equinox senior reporter Jacob Barrett received second place for his article “KSC uses biofuel for heating.”

One expert wrote, “It’s not easy translating scientific processes for the public. But you nailed it. The story explained quickly and cogently what’s new and why it matters. The sooner that comes across for the reader, the more effective the story will be. This one was a breeze to read, and packed with information.”

Former Managing Executive Editor Kendall Pope received third in the category of Breaking or Hard News for her article “KSC Nursing Program approved on probation.”

One judge wrote, “Article explains issues with nursing program well and provides voice to concerned students.”

In the subcategory Features (excluding Sports), staff writer Paul Lucas and current Administrative Executive Editor Olivia Belanger were awarded first and honorable mention, respectively. Lucas’s award-winning article is “A student’s life in the CALL program at KSC” while Belanger’s is “Unreported. Sexual assault victim speaks out.”

When commenting on Lucas’ article, one expert wrote, “Really charming story; brings the reader right along for a day in the life. A very worthy subject.”

On Belanger’s article, an SCJ judge wrote, “Well written with good background and expert input. Gives the survivor a safe space to report what happened and a voice to gain her power back, which is good journalism at its core. Be careful of letting person politics and obvious feelings lea in, though.”

For the Sports Feature subcategory, former Managing Executive Editor Crae Messer placed second for his article “Living life through a different hue – Colorblind lacrosse player and graphic design major sees things differently.”

On this article, one expert wrote, “Interesting story. It’s not something you;d read every day. Good job mixing school with lacrosse to tell the whole story and not just one side.”

Alexandria Saurman can be contacted at asaurman@kscequinox.com

Earth Day comes once a year, but at Keene State College (KSC), it comes in a big and loud way. The Saturday closest to April 22, or Earth Day, is the day Solarfest comes to campus.

This year, Solarfest fell directly on Earth Day. It was held on Oya Hill in front of Carle and Holloway Halls.

Colton McCracken / Equinox Staff

The event ran for about five hours, attracting a variety of people, including other student organizations. KSC Democrats, Environmental Outing Club and Pre-Med Club were among those tabling.

This year’s musical lineup contained a variety of bands, from folk to rock. Three out of the six bands contained alumni from KSC, while another was composed of current KSC students.

There was also an array of activities to partake in at the festival besides listening to the live music. Attendees could make cotton candy, participate in a clothing swap or shop from vendors.

Hosts

Solarfest is the result of a collaboration between three on-campus organizations: WKNH, Fair Trade Club and Campus Ecology.

“We’ve come together for this festival and made it a lot bigger and a lot more environmentally conscientious,” said Vice President of Campus Ecology Seanna Flynn.

Part of setting up Solarfest involved selecting the bands that will be playing. Originally, WKNH had a hard time finding a band to be the headliner, but it eventually worked out.

“Until we got to [Animal Flag], we were talking to like four or five other bands and their schedules just didn’t work up, so for a couple weeks, we were kind of just stressing about trying to find a headliner, but in the end we found Animal Flag,” Co-Manager of WKNH Nick Busby said.

Fair Trade General Member Morgan McMinn said she found the most difficult part about setting up for the festival was organizing and finding time to meet up with other people.

McMinn said she was able to attend Solarfest for three out of the four years that she has been at KSC.

“It was amazing,” she said. “I really remember freshman year, I went a little bit. Sophomore year, helping out was fantastic… it was eye opening just to see everybody come together and have such a great bond with this awesome band.”

Prior to the event, Flynn said, “We got a really good lineup. The band, The Bourgeios Mystics, they are Campus Ecology alumni…it’s gonna be really fun and sentimental to have them here.”

Busby said he was enthusiastic for this year. “Everyone’s worked really hard at getting this event the way it is; every year it improves and I think this year it will stay on that trend of it being bigger and better than the years past,” Busby said.

Music 

There were a total of six bands that played at Solarfest this year. The first band to open for the event was The Most. Based out of Southington, Connecticut, The Most is a band that plays eclectic math rock.

According to their bandcamp website, “[The Most’s] sporadic style utilizes genre blending changes and innovative grooves to take listeners on a melodic journey. Their goal is to bring orchestration and technicality back to rock and roll in a new and refreshing way, while keeping in touch with the rawness of unbridled passion that lives at the heart of their punk rock roots.”

After The Most’s performance, Sons Who Disappoint Their Fathers, a band composed of current KSC students, took the stage.

Band bass player Jameson Foster and band banjo player and one of the band’s vocalists Mike Hunyadi originally played bluegrass together, but after two of their former bandmates left, they had a difficult time making music.

They eventually met Sam Smith, who would become their guitar player and one of their vocalists.

“We played with him once for like 40 minutes and it was just awesome. It was just instantly the most fun I’ve had since my sophomore year when he had the full original four of us,” Foster said.

From there, current lead guitar player James Spineti joined the group looking for music to play.

Right after the four settled on the name Sons Who Disappoint Their Fathers, Carolyn Cunningham asked to join the group as a fiddle player.

“We said, ‘Oh do we have to change the name?’ she said, ‘No I think it would be funny if it was like Sons Who Disappoint Their Fathers and then also a girl,’” Foster said.

The folk band was not originally set to play for Solarfest, but when one scheduled band dropped out, they stepped in to help.

“I think this would actually technically be our first actual gig I guess, so it’s pretty exciting,” Foster said.

The Bourgeois Mystics were up next.

Although singer and pianist Squiggly Finesse and bassist and vocalist Zenith Nadir both attended KSC, neither of them met on campus.

“We met through our mutual friend Felix who went here,” Nadir said.

While Finesse graduated in 2010, Nadir didn’t graduate until 2013. After he graduated, Nadir moved to Austin, Texas, where Finesse was already living.

“Some plans kind of fell through and I was like, ‘Well, Austin seems cool, maybe I’ll just move there. I have a music degree and they have music and [I] went there and we started jamming and then it was all just started really connecting musically,” Nadir said.

The Bourgeois Mystics play a wide variety of music. Finesse explained what genres they touch upon, saying, “I mean, it depends on who we’re talking to. Basement monkey bat jazz is one genre we’ve flirted with. Art funk is another one, kind of like art rock but more rooted in funk than rock. Kind of like Zappaesque, Sly Stone, Talking Heads-ish with some hip-hop tinges, 90s hip hop tinges. And then we also play jazz, metal and country, too.”

“We like lots of genres and like, ‘Well, why choose’ it’s just all just put it in a big stew and mix it all up,” Nadir said.

The 10-member band is currently on tour, with KSC being one of their many stops.

“I think 18 shows in 18 days is what we’re doing right now…I’ve been up for about 27 hours right now,” Nadir said.

For both Nadir and Finesse, being back at KSC was “trippy.”

“It’s kind of wild being in the Dining Commons and eating all the old food and seeing some new buildings that have popped up,” Finesse said.

Jake McKelvie & The Countertops played after The Bourgeois Mystics.

While McKelvie is not a KSC alumnus, he attended high school with KSC alumnus and bassist Nick Votruba.

“I was playing music and recorded an E[xtended] P[lay] that…blew [Votruba’s] mind so much that he couldn’t help but encourage us to start a band,” McKelvie said.

“It completely changed how I looked at bass,” Votruba said.

When their first drummer quit, KSC alumnus and current KSC Interim Recycling Coordinator Matt Bacon was asked to join and became a member of the band.

“It’s kind of odd being here on a Saturday and also odd being here as an artist instead of my job, but it’s nice,” Bacon said.

“It feels good coming back to my throne,” Votruba said about being back at KSC.

The two-man band Giraffes? Giraffes! was the second-to-last performance during the festival.

Members Joseph Andreoli and Kenneth Topham met at KSC in the early 2000s. Eventually, they broke away from their previous bands and joined together to form the band A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, having their first performance in the Night Owl Café (NOC).

“[We] thought that might be a little too much for a band name,” Andreoli said.

The duo eventually settled on Giraffes? Giraffes!.

“Somebody had gotten [a book called ‘Giraffes? Giraffes!’] for me as a gift and we had moved out to the west coast to Santa Cruz after we left Keene and we were just driving around because we had been playing this music a little bit and we didn’t have a name and it was in my car and we just kind of went with that as a placeholder, I think,” Topham said.

“It was just like, ‘That’s stupid and funny,’ and so we’re just like, ‘Oh let’s use that for now,’ and it just sort of stuck,” Andreoli said.

Topham classifies the band’s genre as “high-energy fun.”

Andreoli elaborated on Topham’s comment and said, “It’s rock, but it’s like experimental, but it’s not so experimental that it’s unlistenable. It’s not so straightforward that it’s boring… It’s like if you had a [The] Who record and you left it in your car and it melted, so it’s like rock music but it sounds kind of f—– up.”

Solarfest was the first time the band has played again at KSC since their debut in the NOC years ago.

“I’m just happy to be back,” Topham said. “It’s really… very Déjà vu-ey to be walking around here and seeing things that weren’t here and just getting bearings and feeling old. It’s cool.”

Andreoli agreed that it was good to be back.

“I always feel like this is my home no matter how long I’m gone, so it’s cool to be back and cool to play here,” Andreoli said.

Animal Flag was Solarfest’s headliner, performing last.

The band is a rock band based out of Boston, with members Matt Politoski, Zach Weeks, Sai Boddupalli and Alex Pickert, according to the band’s Facebook page.

More Information

For more information on Solarfest and students’ reactions to the event, please visit kscequinox.com or facebook.com/KSCEquinox/ for a multimedia piece.

Alexandria Saurman can be contacted at asaurman@ksceuqinox.com

While some people begin playing musical instruments in middle school, others start very young. One such person is Keene State College (KSC) senior music performance major Hannah Benoit.

On Saturday, April 15, Benoit performed her senior recital in the Redfern’s Alumni Recital Hall.

Benoit has been playing the piano since she was four years old, when a piano was gifted to her family.

“I kept hitting all the keys and stuff and my mom started showing me little things or so and then she signed me up for lessons,” Benoit said.

Benoit had her first lesson at age five and continued with them, further improving her skills and passion.

Alexandria Saurman / Arts and Entertainment Editor

When it came time for Benoit to decide on a college major, she said she was torn between math and music. Ultimately, she went with music.

“I knew that going into music I would be so happy…Playing piano is really what I need to do for my life,” Benoit said.

The recital opened up with Benoit walking onto the stage, adorned in a strapless, green gown. She bowed to the applauding audience before taking a seat at the piano’s bench.

She played “Prelude and Fugue in G Major, BWV 884” by Johann Sebastian Bach. At the conclusion of the song, Benoit stood up, bowed and exited the stage. This was a pattern that followed every song.

Once returned to the stage, Benoit played Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Sonata in e minor, Op. 90, No. 27.”

One more song was played before the 10 minute intermission.

Post intermission, Benoit played three additional songs, one of which involved nine parts.

For all but one of the songs, the one involving nine parts, Benoit was required to memorize the music. She explained that for piano and guitar players, any music created before the 1950s must be played without sheet music.

When the show was over and audience members gathered in the Redfern’s lobby, Benoit thanked everyone for coming and for supporting her.

Benoit’s roommate, senior music education major Hailley Dufresne, attended the recital.

“I’m overall really proud of her ‘cause she’s worked her butt off… she did great. I could not be prouder as a roommate.”

Two of Benoit’s other friends, Rivier University junior human development and family studies major Michelle Palmieri and former KSC communication major Alex Peck, were also a part of the audience.

“Oh I loved it. I’m so glad that I’m able to come back here and experience classical music again,” Palmieri said.

Peck called the performance “quite spectacular,” commenting positively on the songs Benoit played.

“I’ve been with this repertoire for so long that like it feels so good to be performing and then be done with it, but then on the flip side, obviously I really care deeply and I want to do really well,” Benoit said.

Benoit has committed to Boston University to earn her master’s degree in music theory, what she calls “the math side of music.”

Alexandria Saurman can be contacted at asaurman@kscequinox.com

When most people sing, whether for fun or professionally, they go along with a prerecorded or live tune. Keene State College’s only a capella group approaches music a little differently.

Luke Stergiou / Senior Photographer
Tim Smith / Photo Editor

A capella involves more than just singing songs; it involves creating the rhythm and beat to a song with only the singers’ mouths.

On Saturday, April 14, Chock Full O’ Notes (CFON) performed their spring concert. Composed of nine songs, the concert ran for a little over an hour.

With the sound of the tuner and the snapping of Music Director Brendan Hoar’s fingers, the group, composed of 16 members, began their song. The song featured new CFON members Natalia Chiume and Alexander DeJesus as soloists.

The three songs that followed, “King of Anything,” “The Way You Make Me Feel” and “The Phantom of the Opera,” featured various soloists such as Rachel Blumberg, Ivy Sheehan and Zachary Howe.

Luke Stergiou / Senior Photographer
Tim Smith / Photo Editor

During intermission, audience member and junior architecture major Angel Ortiz said, “The show’s great. I liked it.” Ortiz said he attended the show because many of his friends are in CFON.

Following intermission, the group started their next song, a rap song entitled “All We Got,” which featured Blumberg and Chiume as soloists.

The next song sung was “Run,” originally by Hozier, and featured Sung-Ki Carty.

“Somewhere Only We Know,” featured Karley Collins, before Hoar soloed in “Jealous.”

Luke Stergiou / Senior Photographer
Tim Smith / Photo Editor

Senior and CFON president Sheehan soloed the last song of the afternoon. She soloed Jon Bellion’s “Carry Your Throne.”

After all nine songs were performed, the group presented Sheehan with three gifts, as well as a card. “There’s not anything too small, too difficult, too big or whatever that Ivy won’t want to help,” Sophie Katz said in her speech before the gifts were presented. “She’s one of the most loyal and genuine friends you could ever ask for…Ivy not being here next year is not going to be the same.”

In Sheehan’s speech that followed, telling the story of how she first joined CFON, she said, “Over the past four years, there has not been a group that is as close as we are now and I love every person in this group…CFON has just been such a huge part of my life through the past four years and I don’t know what I’m going to do without you guys.”

In an interview with The Equinox, Sheehan said, “[Katz’s speech] made me feel so happy and at the same time, it was very sad because it’s kind of the end of an era moving on from that, but at the same time, I was very glad that it was her and somebody that I’m so close to in the group.”

Luke Stergiou / Senior Photographer
Tim Smith / Photo Editor

Sheehan has been involved in CFON since her first-year at KSC. “It’s just inspired me to grow in a lot of different ways that I never thought were possible,” she said. “It’s allowed me to be a lot more outgoing and friendly and I’ve met a lot of new people through it and a lot of people in the group, not necessarily would have been friends if it weren’t for the group itself.”

Chiume, who is a first-year member of CFON, echoed Sheehan’s comment on the friends she has made in CFON. “I just think it’s so amazing to see people come together who would never have been friends other than our love for singing,” Chiume said.

“The 16 people that are in this group are like some of the most accepting, open-minded people I’ve ever met…at the end of the day we all love each other and the support that I’ve gotten from this group is honestly indescribable,” Chiume said.

Alexandria Saurman can be contacted at asaurman@kscequinox.com