With instruments and stands put in place, the stage was set. Five painted posters, each depicting a man playing an instrument–a set of drums, a trumpet, a bass, a guitar and a saxophone– hung on the walls, three above the stage, and two on the sides–one on the left and one on the right. The Faculty Jazz Recital, hosted on Friday, Feb. 17 in the Alumni Recital Hall, was about to begin.

When the lights dimmed and over 75 audience members had quieted down at around 7:40 p.m., KSC Music Lecturer Scott Mullet walked out onto the stage, yielding his saxophone and introduced the evening.

According to the Vermont Jazz Center’s Faculty section on their website, Mullet, a Berklee School of Music graduate, played with famous musicans such as Tony Bennett and Aretha Franklin. In the past, Mullett toured with musicals such as 42nd Street, as well as other artists like Woody Herman and even worked on a cruise line as the musical director.

During his opening remarks, he welcomed bassist Cameron Brown to the stage.

Colton McCracken / Equinox Staff

Brown, who has been working as a musician for more than 50 years, currently works at  The New School, a university, located in Manhattan, New York. He has played with numerous artists including Art Blakey, Dannie Richmond, Ted Curson, Joe Locke and Tony Malaby, according to the night’s program, which was handed out to audience members as they entered the hall.

Brown and Mullett began the evening with a duet. Throughout the first song entitled, “The More I See You,” by Harry Warren, Mullet sat in his chair and swayed forward and backward, while alternatingly tapping both of his feet. Brown , on occasion, hunched over his bass.

When the saxophone stopped playing, the bass continued on. Audience members applauded and the bass carried on. With the eventual joining in of the saxophone, the audience clapped, and the two played together again.

With a laugh from Mullett, the piece had ended. Mullet then introduced drummer Joe Hunt who, as stated in the program, “is a jazz drummer, educator, author and historian.”

Hunt has played music alongside Dizzy Gillespie, Charles Mingus, Joe Lovano and Tal Farlow. In addition to being a musician, Hunt authored a book entitled, “52nd Street Beat,” as written in the program.

During the next piece, Hunt played throughout the entire song, even drumming some short solos. They played “Airegin ” by Sonny Rollins.

Following the piece, Mullet, who now used a microphone, welcomed Russell Hoffman to the stage, whom he met while attending Berklee College of Music.

Hoffmann, the pianist, currently works at Berklee College of Music. In years past, he’s played alongside Jack McDuff, Billy Hart and Bobbie McFerrin. Hoffmann, too, is a published author, writing and co-writing workbooks regarding “keyboard comping,” as well as “ensemble performance,” per the program.

Mullett counted the four musicians off with “a one, two, a one two three,” for their next piece.

The stage had now been filled with all four musicians– Scott Mullett, Cameron Brown, Joe Hunt and Russell Hoffmann.

Throughout the night, Mullet, who spoke for a majority of the interludes, told multiple jokes, some of which regarded Kellyanne Conway and alternative facts.

During one interlude, he began to tell a story about how he and Hunt ran into each other one evening. Hunt, however, asked to take the microphone and told the story from his point of view.

After a few pieces, Mullet addressed the audience, telling them that he was going to sit in the corner for the next song–and he did.

While he rested in the back left corner of the stage, Hoffmann took the lead on “Speak Low.” Hunt and Brown accompanied him.

The performance ended with an up-tempo song called “Super Jet” by Tadd Dameron. After the piece was over, the four stood up and put their arms around each other to address the audience one last time.

One audience member, junior music performance major Jacob Huggins, who has taken a class with Mullett before, commented on the performance.

“They’re all incredible, they’re all absolutely incredible…you can hear all the years and all the time it takes to become what you hear now and that’s what blows my mind is the dedication,” he said.

“It’s like every single one of those guys up there, they play music like they need to breathe… and you can hear it in their playing too… when I’m watching it from a student’s perspective… that’s how good you want to get—or at least I want to get…”

Junior muisc technology major Brandon Lane  also attended the concert.

“[The recital] was really nice. I had Scott Mullet as a teacher my sophomore year for music improvisation and he’s a great teacher and a great musician.”

Katie Robinson, a KSC alumna and the educational program coordinator for the Aspire Program, and her husband were among the audience members.

“We love it… Scott Mullett’s a great mentor for so many students at Keene State. We just love to come and see them perform whenever we can,” she said.

The next event hosted by the Music Department will be the Faculty Composers Recital on March 8 in the Alumni Recital Halll .

Alexandria Saurman can be contacted at asaurman@kscequinox.com

Disclaimer: The “Hoots N’ Hollers” section of The Equinox is entirely satirical and not at all based in fact. Every story, photo and name used here is fictitious solely for the purpose of comedy and does not represent The Equinox’s or the College’s beliefs as a whole.

With the close of winter break and the beginning of the semester, students eagerly unpacked their vehicles and moved back in on Sunday at 12 p.m. sharp. By 12:01 p.m., every scholar’s room was neat and organized. By 12:02 p.m., they had managed to get ahold of their textbooks, even though the bookstore had not yet opened, and were studying profusely.

“I’m taking this new class called ‘How Many Classes Would I Have to Skip to Become a Sheep Farmer and Other Answers to Life’s Big Questions’ and I really want to get a good grade. I printed out and studied the syllabus over winter break, and on move-in day I just quizzed myself and read the whole textbook,” said sophomore Al Wrighty.

“Dude, I’m so pumped for Monday morning’s 8 a.m.,” said Noah Ever. After being informed that there were no classes on Monday, Ever’s response was “What? Whatever, man. At least Tuesday’s classes are gonna be lit.”

Unfortunately, Ever was incorrect. In a follow-up interview, he commented that his classes were not as lit as he had assumed.

“I thought like we’d go in and, like, talk about ourselves. But she [the teacher] just read the syllabus and told us that we had homework. Like, who even does their homework?”

Ever requested that his hometown, major and on-campus job be included in the article, but neglected to mention what any of them were.

However, Ever brings up a valid point: who even DOES their homework?

A recent study published by A. Cooper Ashun in 2007 found that 62.541 percent of students actually do their homework and graduate before they die. The study was deemed invalid since only 10 people were surveyed.

This brings up another question: how many students at KSC enjoy syllabus week?

Besides Wrighty, who was found at class two hours and 11 minutes before it started, it appears that only one other person loved syllabus week: Dr. Ima Doctor. Doctor received his Master’s degree in art management when he was only 20 years old, and went on to gain his Ph.D in Hedge Trimming by the age of 22.

“When I first began my job here at the beautiful campus of Keene State College, I never thought that I’d fall so deeply in love with my job. I get to interact with the students daily, and I love all my co-workers…syllabus week is the best because I’m usually the happiest person on campus.”

Doctor works as the door opener in the LLC.

Alexandria Saurman can be contacted at asaurman@kscequinox.com

“You know what, I’ll make up this monologue,” said Jimmy Fallon while hosting the 2017 Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, Jan. 8. Fallon, the host of his own comedy show, The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, was selected to host the awards night back in August of 2016, according to the Golden Globes website.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s president Lorenzo Soria spoke on the selection of Fallon and said, “Jimmy Fallon is an exceptionally talented and dynamic entertainer… His charm, wit and incredible spontaneity will play exceedingly well both to everyone at the show, as well as the millions watching at home from around the world.”

Fallon began the night with an almost five minute opening introduction that included impersonating comedian and actor Chris Rock, naming a select few nominations for the presented awards and cracking jokes about the election, Donald Trump and Amazon.

Fallon then handed the microphone off to Ryan Reynolds, who was nominated for his lead role in “Deadpool”, and Emma Stone, who was up for the Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy award.

They presented the Golden Globe Award for the Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture to Aaron Taylor Johnson for his role in “Nocturnal Animals.”

As the night continued, various stars, such as Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Drew Barrymore, Nicole Kidman and Matt Bomer presented awards, naming all the nominations before reading the selected winner.

Soria took a brief moment to thank the celebrities and said, “The arts give us a better understanding of our common humanity. They make us laugh, they make us cry and also teach us to never stop dancing. They show us the injustices of life, but also its beauty. Our nominees show us that life has meaning and purpose–to make every moment count. You challenge us to make this a better world. And for that, on behalf of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, I thank you, and congratulations.”

About 40 minutes in, actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus, adorned with a brown heart on her dress and red headphones around her neck, took a hand at being the DJ, the job originally given to Ahmir-Khalib Thompson.

Per biography.com, Thompson, more commonly known as Questlove, works alongside Fallon on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon as the drummer for The Roots, a band that plays live on the show.

20 minutes later, marking the first hour of the Golden Globes, Sunny Pawar made an appearance alongside co-star Dev Patel.

Samantha Moore/ Art Director

They presented their film, Lion, which was nominated for four Golden Globe Awards.

Eight-year-old Pawar, originally from Mumbai, India, was recruited by Garth Davis and Kirsty McGregor, the director and casting director specifically for the film, according to People Movies.

Later on, a segment was played in tribute to the recent passing of Carrie Fisher and her mother, Debbie Reynolds.

This clip, accompanied by the song “You Made Me Love You,” contained brief scenes from their movies, along with some clips of them together.

Shortly thereafter, Tom Hiddleston’s accepted the award for Best Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture for TV for his role in “The Night Manager.”

In his acceptance speech, he mentioned his humanitarian work in South Sudan, telling a story about how he and the humanitarian aid workers he was with were approached by “Médecins Sans Frontières [Doctors Without Borders] doctors and nurses.” They commented on “The Night Manager,” and how they had watched it.

Hiddleston said, “…The idea that I could provide, or that we could provide, some relief and entertainment for the people who worked for UNICEF and Médecins Sans Frontières and the World Food Programme who are fixing the world in the places where it is broken, made me immensely proud, so I dedicate this to those out there who are doing their best.”

This speech received extreme backlash from Twitter users that night, claiming that Hiddleston’s speech was selfish, per BBC News.

He later apologized in a Facebook post and said, “…I was very nervous, and my words just came out wrong. Sincerely, my only intention was to salute the incredible bravery and courage of the men and women who work so tirelessly for UNICEF UK, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), World Food Programme and the children of South Sudan, who continue to find hope and joy in the most difficult conditions. I apologize that my nerves got the better of me.”

Two hours in, the The Cecil B. DeMille Award, which is a “special, prestigious award for outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment,” as stated on the Golden Globes website, was presented to Meryl Streep.

Viola Davis, who delivered Streep with the award, said, “She makes the most heroic characters vulnerable, the most known familiar, the most despised relatable… You make me proud to be an artist. You make me feel that what I have in me, my body, my face, my age, is enough.”

Samantha Moore/ Art Director

Streep’s acceptance speech began with an apology. “I love you all,” she began. “You’ll have to forgive me; I’ve lost my voice in screaming and lamentation this weekend.”

She continued her speech, and brought up an occurrence that took place during the presidential race– the incident when the then presidential nominee Donald Trump impersonated a disabled reporter.

She commented on this saying, “…There was one performance this year that stunned me. It sank it’s hooks in my heart–not because it was good. There was nothing good about it… It kind of broke my heart when I saw it and I still can’t get it out of my head because it wasn’t in a movie. It was real life.”

The award show concluded less than an hour later.

In total, 26 awards were given out, six of which were awarded to the musical “La La Land,” featuring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling.

Other winners include “Moonlight” for Best Motion Picture – Drama, The Crown for Best Motion Picture – Animated and “Zootopia” for Best Motion Picture – Animated.

The two next, major award shows   are the Grammy Awards and the Oscars. They will be held on Feb. 12 and  Feb. 26, respectively, according to Newsday.

Alexandria Saurman can be contacted at asaurman@kscequinox.com

On Friday Dec. 9, 2016, 11 students in Theatre and Dance Contract Lecturer Cynthia McLaughlin’s class unveiled and performed their semester-long choreographed dances in an event known as the Choreography Showcase. One of those students, however, was not a typical KSC student.

Although she works on campus like 1,094 other KSC students, per Keene State College’s Fall 2016- Spring 2017 Factbook, her job is not included in this statistic, simply because she is a faculty member.

Diana Duffy, an Oberlin College and Antioch University New England alumna and resident of Keene, NH, is the Coordinator of Energy and Administrative Services at KSC. Before beginning her career here in 2011, Duffy worked in a few other New England States, as well as New York, according to KSC’s website.

Alexandria Saurman / Arts and Entertainment Editor

In the six years that Duffy has worked for KSC, she has managed to take a total of six classes, some of which included Modern II, a dance class, and Percussion Ensemble, a music class.

Duffy had expressed interest in taking a dance class for a while, but was finally influenced by Provost William Seigh.

“…the day that he [William Seigh] was awarded Distinguished Teacher of the Year was shortly after I was hired… and so after that event, I caught him… and he said ‘Oh yea, take a dance class’ with such enthusiasm. There was no doubt in his mind. ‘Take a dance class…’ So I did,” she said.

Duffy also mentioned that another influence was due to the location of her job being at a college.

“…I work at a college,” she started. “You’re surrounded by all kinds of learning opportunities and it would seem…like you’re missing out on that by not taking advantage. As energy coordinator for the campus, I have some interactions with students and faculty, but not much. Taking a class at least puts me in that place where I have that perspective and there’s  been a lot of great moments where I get to see, firsthand, some of the many strengths that the college has.”

One of the major difficulties with taking a class is managing time. Duffy, who’s married, works a full time job and also serves as the faculty advisor for KSC’s radio station WKNH, would find herself, at times, overwhelmed with time management, calling it a “headtrip.”

“It’s like any commitment you make. It inserts itself and it puts pressure on your work day, your relationships, you know, your sleep… I guess we could say that’s another advantage…you’re reminded again just the demands of being a student… the pressure was on me just like the pressure is on everybody else, so I can have a great respect and appreciation for the students…”

In Duffy’s most recent class, Research in Choreography, Duffy worked alongside junior Amanda Untracht.

Photo contributed by Amanda Untracht

Untracht, who double majors in choreography and performance and business management, has been in other classes with Duffy.

“…I love her. Her energy’s great… it’s interesting to have somebody else in the class that doesn’t have the same background as you, so it’s nice to have that change,” she said.

“She grows just like… the rest of the students… it’s nice to see where she goes with it, like in choreography class, she kind of took the root of her piece through her work which was interesting because some of the class took it as personal life back home.”

Duffy’s instructor for the class was Cynthia McLaughlin. Though McLaughlin has taught faculty members at other schools, Duffy was her first faculty pupil at KSC.

“She’s a non-traditional student and I think… in some ways that just gives her this freedom,” she said. “She sees it as a limitation sometimes. She grapples with that herself… but she, in the end, doesn’t limit herself.”

“It just shows how even when something’s new for you, you bring whatever you’ve been investing in, and she’s [Duffy’s] obviously been investing in all these other areas in her life. She brings all of that to the dance. She doesn’t leave it at the door.”

McLaughlin also said, “She ends up just being this incredible inspiration for all of us because she just… dares. She dares to really take things on and give her whole being to them. It’s just really inspiring to be a part of that and be around her.”

Duffy is considering taking one or two classes this semester, but has not selected any specific ones yet.

Alexandria Saurman can be contacted at asaurman@kscequinox.com

Less than a year ago, Alex Suarez walked through the Keene State College archway and officially became an alumnus. While many graduates attempted to find jobs pertaining to their major, Suarez took a different path. He began a professional rap career.

Suarez, known in the music industry as Jasz, has been acquainted with rap from a young age. Born to parents native of the Dominican Republic in Beverly, Massachusetts, Jasz found that a combination of his cousins, poetry and jazz is what influenced his career decision. During his time at KSC, he managed to make a name for himself, selling his first mixtape and attending the 2016 Grammy Awards.

Now, Jasz is in the process of releasing some of his singles. “Rambo,” which was produced by KSC junior Patrick Taillon and shown at the Film Student Music Video Night on Nov. 3, has received over 700 views in three weeks.

Taillon and Jasz met last year, and discovered that their talents could intermingle.

Photo contributed by Alex Suarez

“I just kinda pestered him to let me do music videos for him,” said Taillon. “[Jasz and I] both kind of wheeled it into existence. He needed it done and I wanted to do it.”

Upon meeting with The Equinox, Jasz explained that he plans on releasing a new music video every two weeks. However, this is subject to change as the production process can take longer than planned.

Although he already has over 160 different recordings on his computer, Jasz wants to make sure each song is flawless. He works alongside his managers and business partners, all of whom assist with opinions, to produce something that the public will like.

Each one of Jasz’s songs has it’s own sound. The raps aren’t meant to reach one specific audience, but instead, to be heard and understood by anyone.

“[My production team and I have] been experimenting with a lot of different instrumentals because…I try to be very versatile. I don’t really necessarily have a concrete sound like a sound…that I created…I just like making different kinds of music. Every instrument inspires me [in] a different way or it just kinda puts me in a position where it makes me think about certain things I wouldn’t have thought of if I didn’t hear it,” he said.

“Alex is genuinely a really creative person all around, whether it’s through visual aesthetics or just having a great ear for music…,” commented Taillon.

Jasz also mentioned, “If there’s a sound that I can create that will inspire people, by that definition, then yeah, I definitely would want to create an impact…if I can keep making different kinds of music and inspire people that way with my versatility…then I guess that’ll work,” he mentioned.

Much of his inspiration comes from what’s current in his life.

“Now the things that inspire me are the situations that I’m in right now, just like friends of mine going to jail….I realize that a lot of people that are going to jail that are going through some tough times–it usually revolves around money,” he said. “I feel like if I have this talent…I can kind of use that to get everybody out of their situations. I feel like that’s my biggest motivation right now.”

“I’m inspired by the people that I surround myself with. The people I have around me are go-getters and chase their dreams the same way that I do–in their own respective field or art,” he added.

Although Jasz is just starting his career, he has already built a fanbase.

“It’s so inspiring…to see someone that’s around our age [to be] so passionate about something they love…I am a fan of that kind of music anyways, like just hip hop and rap, and then being able to have a personal connection to him, so that knowing he puts so much heart and soul and just dedication…I think it makes me like it even more,” said senior Delta Phi Epsilon president Stephanie Giang, who got to know Jasz, a former TKE brother, through Fraternity and Sorority Life.

Jasz released his second song entitled “Wake Up” on Tuesday Nov. 29, and he plans to release more shortly. His songs can be found on YouTube or his website, slumdoggmusic.com.

Alexandria Saurman can be contacted at asaurman@kscequinox.com

On Sunday, Dec. 4, music students and community members amalgamated as one group for Tuba Christmas. Held in the Mabel Brown Room, this free event featured solely tuba and euphonium players from around Keene and surrounding counties, ranging in ages from 12 to 72.

The event bragged a somewhat large turnout, though mainly consisting of community members. Musicians, some with their instruments decorated with bows and ribbon, were adorned in Santa and elf hats as they performed 19 different numbers, each lasting under two minutes.

The afternoon began with an introduction from Keene State College’s associate music professor and Tuba Christmas conductor Dr. Jim Chesebrough. Dr. Chesebrough has been the conductor of this event for nine years, but actively involved for 10.

Alex Saurman / Equinox Staff

“The first year I played and then the second year I started conducting…,” said Dr. Chesebrough. “Professor Douglas Nelson…started this 26 years ago, and when he retired, I took his place here on campus.”

After the short speech, the group began their performances, starting with “Oh Come All Ye Faithful.” In the second song, “Hark the Herald Angels Sing,” the audience sang along. This occurred a few times, especially when more popular Christmas carols were performed, such as “Joy to the World,” which they called “Joy Tuba World.”

During two songs, senior Hailley Dufresne was asked to conduct in place of Dr. Chesebrough. The switch in leadership occurred about halfway through the program.

During one portion of the performance, the band dedicated “Low How A Rose” and “Silent Night” to those who are unable to join their loved ones for the holiday season, whether for military or other reasons.

At the conclusion of the event, the audience was allowed to meet members of the band and take photographs with them.

Although some musicians packed up and headed out, a few lingered around, talking with family members and assisting in clean up.

KSC alumna Cathleen Pearsall attended the concert for her daughter Bethany Pearsall. “It was great–our first time,” she commented. “[Bethany] only started playing three months ago.”

Her husband John Pearsall also noted, “…she’s only been doing it for three months, but she loves it…”

While musicians like Bethany are new to Tuba Christmas, others like euphonium player Mary Cornog from Nelson, New Hampshire, have been involved for years.

“Oh, it’s fun…playing with all the other euphonium players and tuba players in harmony. It’s just wonderful,” said Cornog, a five-year member of Tuba Christmas.

Speaking on the event, Dr. Chesebrough said, “I think it’s one of the most amazing things…we do over 80 performances a year through the music department at Keene State and this one gets so much attention.

There’s another one today, brass and saxaphone ensemble. There won’t be near as many people in the audience and… it’s really easy to… have a good time when there’s a whole bunch of people here to listen and it’s a great time of year.”

The next event hosted by the Keene State College Department of Music includes the Concert Choir on Friday, Dec. 9 and Chamber Singers and String Ensemble on Sunday, Dec. 11.

Alexandria Saurman can be contacted at asaurman@kscequinox.com

On Saturday Nov. 19, the Keene State College Music Department hosted an ensemble recital in the Redfern Arts Center’s Alumni Recital Hall. Here, music majors of every year conglomerated to perform various songs, ranging in genres from baroque music, from Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr,” for example, to contemporary pieces like Leonard Bernstein’s “Overture to Candide.”

The Clarinet Choir, ‘Currants’ Contemporary Ensemble, Flute Ensemble and Woodwind Quintet, alternated and played for almost two hours. The audience of about 50 people listened to the 14 songs performed, in no particular order, by each musical group. Although the program ran long, there were breaks between each piece to give time for break-down and set-up for the following musical number.

Colton McCracken/Equinox Staff

The afternoon began with three Giuseppe Maria Cambini songs performed by the Woodwind Quintet.

One of the members of the Woodwind Quintet, junior music performance and chemistry major Angelica Monroe, spoke on her performance and said, “I think I did as good as I could for the limited time that we had to prepare…because most of the ensembles that meet, meet once a week and it’s really hard to put together pieces with multiple people if you’re only meeting once a week.”

Like a majority of the members of the Woodwind Quintet, Monroe is a part of second ensemble.

After a slow and quiet opening, Theresa Barnes sang the first and fifth poems of Emily Dickinson, while Andrew Brace played the guitar.

While a multitude of the songs were played by the entirety of the ensemble, there were three musical numbers performed by small, chamber groups, such as Barnes and Brace. They were sporadically placed throughout the concert.

As the day continued, the songs changed in intensity. Some musical numbers, such as “Beneath the Canopy,” contained a mix of percussion and wind instruments.

The concert concluded with a performance from the ‘Currants’ Contemporary Ensemble, a group that included a mixture of musicians from all other performing ensembles.

Two audience members, KSC juniors Bethany Griffin and Olivia Miller, both attended the concert to watch their friend.

“I came to support my friend Sarah Keith. She is a senior and I know that she’s always loved flute. I asked her what she was doing today and she said she was performing, so Bethany and I came along to support her,” said Miller.

Griffin, an elementary education and psychology major, commented, “It was very interesting for me to see. I played the flute in high school and middle school, so I haven’t done anything with it since I’ve been in college. It’s kind of cool to see it happen again and see the difference in the way they presented it in contraction with each other.”

Aforementioned, the number of attendees was rather small.

“[The turnout was] a little less [than normal], but in November it’s hard because there’s a lot going on campus-wide…and it was good, less-than-normal I would say…but in general for a Saturday afternoon, I think it’s okay,” commented Christopher Swist, director of the ‘Currants’ Contemporary Ensemble.

The next events hosted by the Music Department will be the Percussion Ensemble on Thursday, Dec. 1 and Jazz Combos on Friday, Dec. 2.

Alex Saurman can be contacted at asaurman@kscequinox.com

Article in This Featured Series:

“Keene State College music recitals: Student Composers share their work at Student Composers Recital”

The worldwide phenomenon known as No-Shave November, also called Movember, is sweeping the nation for the 12th year in a row. Originating in 2004 in Australia, men began the movement by growing out their mustaches as a way to draw attention to prostate cancer, according to The Vidette.

The National Cancer Institute reports that prostate cancer affects roughly 12.9 percent of men. Although this may not seem like much, depending on a male’s family medical history, this means that one in almost eight men will develop prostate cancer at some point in their lives.

No-Shave November brings awareness to more than just prostate cancer. Men grow out their facial hair in hopes of promoting recognition of prostate and testicular cancer as well as depression and other mental health concerns, per the Movember Foundation.

Since 2004, men have taken the concept of not shaving to the extreme. Instead of simply growing out their mustaches, they’ve decided to refrain from shaving all facial hair.

One such male is Keene State College senior computer science major Matthew Stretton. Stretton has been actively participating in No-Shave November since his sophomore year in high school.

“I never heard anything about the cancer awareness until a few years ago. I thought it was some masculine thing like, ‘Hey, look we can grow facial hair. Let’s show it off in November. Let’s see who can grow the biggest beard in a month’. That’s what I thought it was about,” said Stretton.

First-year safety management major Tristan White is another student who participates in the No-Shave movement. He, too, began back in high school because it was popular.

“It started out [because] my friends were like, ‘Don’t shave this month,’ and I was like, ‘Alright, I can do that. That’s pretty simple,’” said White. “But eventually, my cousin…told me about it and I was like, ‘That’s cool’…[so] I did some more research into it and I thought it looked pretty cool,” White said.

“I think it’s a really cool thing to bring attention to ‘cause you never really hear a lot about prostate cancer. A lot of the times it’s breast cancer or pancreatic cancer or the bigger things, but you don’t really hear a lot about it,” White also said.

However, men aren’t the only people abstaining from shaving–women are as well, but for other reasons.

“The environment No-Shave November creates amongst men is a metaphorical challenge to be, the dangerous construct, “manly”…women should be allowed into the realm of No-Shave November to help break [the societal norm stating that women must shave], because it’s ridiculous,” argued senior Jessica Schaper, an English major.

First-year video production and film analysis major Tyler Thompson commented on Schaper’s argument and said, “A lot of women do No-Shave November to help bring awareness to testicular cancer and I’m completely fine with that. It’s not until they start doing No-Shave November to just…protest shaving their legs because there are a lot of people who start doing it out of protest saying that, ‘Oh, women don’t need to shave’…it’s not what No-Shave November was originally about…I kind of find it disheartening when people start doing No-Shave November not because they want to raise awareness for testicular cancer, but because they…want to contest beauty standards…I’m not against [women] who aren’t shaving, but….it’s not the time to protest that.”

To Thompson, there’s more to No-Shave November than growing a beard. A few years ago, one of his male relatives was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Since then, “[he does] No-Shave November not only to bring awareness to testicular cancer, but to…take the money [he] save[s] [on shaving products] and give it towards charities and researching testicular cancer…”

For more information on No-Shave November, or to make a donation to a non-profit organization regarding No-Shave November, please visit no-shave.org or us.movember.com.

Alexandria Saurman can be contacted at asaurman@kscequinox.com

On Thursday Nov. 3, Keene film students and music video enthusiasts united in the Putnam Theater for an hour filled with laughter.

In the past few weeks, Keene State College film majors have been diligently putting together their own rendition of music videos. While participants were required to film their own scenes, they were allowed to use the musical artist’s voice, resulting in their own portrayal of a song.

Luke Stergiou / Senior Photographer

In a room brimming with viewers, the show began promptly at 10 p.m. It was hosted by the duo of Rachel Blumberg, coordinator, and Keelan Brown, media productions club president.

The two introduced every video before it started and gave recognition when it was over. Ten music videos were shown in under an hour.

There were an array of genres and musicians used, ranging from original rap songs to alternative rock and electropop remakes. Each music video was creative in its own way.

While some producers, like Patrick Byrne’s “On Top of the World” used stop motion, others, like Brady McNish, Sarah Avery and Kyle Kendall’s “What If” by Creed and Zach McCallion and Jack Callahan’s “Through the Fire & the Flame” by DragonForce, incorporated the use of horror and thrill or the theme of the ‘90s, respectively.

In Alex Thibault Miller, Jack Kelleher, Peter Kelleher and Nolan Rourke’s “Car Radio” by Twenty One Pilots, a series of flashbacks tie together a story of happiness and tragedy. The producers included multiple angles of the man’s life.

Patrick Taillon directed “Rambo”, a rap song sung by Jasz, a graduate of KSC. The video is set in a club where Jasz, decked out in silver grills, brags about his audacious and risque lifestyle with crude lyrics.

“Cosmic Love,” produced by Brooke Carlson, Cody Denegar and Rob Walsh, told a story of a girl finding her way through nature. The clarity and beauty of the scenery picked tied along with Florence and the Machine’s slow rhythm.

The last video, a horror film entitled “What If,” took an abstract approach. One scene involved one of the characters peeling the skin off her face after waking up on top of a broken mirror.

Luke Stergiou / Senior Photographer

One of the directors of this music video, first-year Brady McNish, commented on his work and said, “We definitely feel accomplished.

I think our video came out better than we expected it to. It changed so much… It’s really nice knowing all that work came out to this and it was really great to watch.”

First-year Sarah Avery, another one of the producers of “What If,” also said, “It was definitely an amazing feeling seeing everyone react to the video because we worked so hard on it. Brady and I were definitely excited to see everyone enjoy it.”

This event was coordinated by sophomore film production major Rachel Blumberg.

As teacher assistant to Production 1 Professor Lance Levesque, Blumberg was required to organize the entire event, which involved booking the theatre, advertising the event and reviewing submissions.

“It’s student work and everyone likes to see it, but seeing it all come together was like ‘this is really cool’,” Blumberg said.

From now on, media productions, in conjunction with Professor Levesque and his teacher’s assistant, will be putting on the Film Student Music Video Night every semester.

Alexandria Saurman can be contacted at asaurman@kscequinox.com

For many people, Halloween is a time to dress up, go out and have fun.

There’s a wide variety of costume choices, from the classic “Scream” mask to the all too popular cat outfit and anywhere in between.

This holiday allows for people to express their interests and creativity in a public way.

However, for many individuals, going out, treat-or-treating or partying results in an evening filled with irritation.

There are many Halloween costumes that people find offensive or rude for various reasons. Examples include risqué outfits, racially suggestive costumes, or mental illness-related accessories.

According to an article on The Huffington Post, Halloween costumes since 1973 have become increasingly sexualized.

Samantha Moore/ Art Director

Although it began in Greenwich Village, New York, sexually provocative halloween costumes can be attested to the progression of advertising.

As the drive for capitalism augmented, so did the desire to market Halloween to individuals of all ages.

Sophomore pre-med major Alex DeJesus finds explicit female costumes offensive and almost contradictory to societal views and said, “I have a big issue with the fact that girls treat Halloween as an excuse to dress provocatively because the whole issue of gender equality…is basically reversed on this one holiday…they’re like, ‘Don’t treat me as an object. I’m not for your sexual pleasure,’ and [then they] proceed to wear shorts that barely cover their [rear end].”

First-year Sam Yogis, a sustainable product design and innovation major, agreed with DeJesus to an extent.

Although he’s not personally offended by promiscuous costumes, Yogis noted that, “[risqué costumes] entice some people and [they] reinforces stereotypes.”

For others, risqué costumes aren’t a bother. Rachel Ford, a first-year secondary education and English major, said, “I don’t really care how you dress. If you want to show off your body, that’s fine. Good for you; you’re proud of what you look like. I don’t care, as long as you’re nice and don’t judge me for what I’m wearing…it’s what you want to dress up as. Why does my opinion matter?”

Despite this, in light of recent circumstances, Ford takes deep offense to clown costumes.

She commented on this and said, “Why would you take advantage of something that’s genuinely terrifying? People are actually going out dressed like this and are attacking other people, so why would you try to take advantage of that just for the scare factor? …This Halloween, it’s just not an okay thing to do.”

Another offending costume involves mental illnesses.

One individual noted that Walmart’s razor blade suicide scar wound was offending. This accessory mimics a razor blade scar and is meant to be related to suicide.

Speaking on costumes that relate to the latter, DeJesus mentioned that “[costumes involving] psych patients and straight jackets that demoralize mental illness…are definitely offensive…”

On the other side of the fence stands first-year math major Robert Bilodeau.

While many students feel annoyed or offended by specific costumes, Bilodeau remains unbothered. “It’s just not all that important to get worked up about. When you really think about it, maybe it was a little suggestive…but…does it really make a difference? Can’t most people just say ‘it’s whatever’ instead of making a big deal of it?”

Everyone carries a unique view on Halloween outfits, as well as the holiday in general.

No matter what your opinion may be, showing respect for others is important.

Despite the fact that Halloween has passed, respecting others for their choice of clothing is an important aspect of representing Keene State College.

Alexandria Saurman can be contacted at asaurman@kscequinox.com