Justin Mahan

Contributing Writer

Many students go to the southern states to soak up the sun and swim in the ocean and party, but not these particular ten Keene State College students. They spent their spring breaks with the Alternative Break program assisting Habitat for Humanity in Florida through the Keene State College Community Service Office.

They were sent to Clearwater, Florida, to help Habitat for Humanity in any way they were asked to.  “We’re here making a difference, which I think is amazing,” KSC student Sarah Bean said. Bean was one of the members of the group who traveled over 1,400 miles to help with the construction of a Habitat home in a neighborhood filled with 51 just like it — all of which were built by volunteers.

Contributed Photos / justin mahan

Their site leader was named Jack and was a Habitat homeowner himself. “I’ve been here since the very first home coming all the way around. It’s been fantastic,” said Jack. He helped the students with whatever they asked during construction, and always did so with a smile on his face and some joking around from time to time.

In order to qualify for a Habitat home, individuals must invest sweat-equity hours in building his/her home and others, make an affordable down payment, make timely mortgage payments and attend homeowner education classes. Each home takes about three months to construct and is completely built by volunteers.

The group spent a full week helping construct a house and the amount of work the team provided, helped bring the house up to speed in the construction process with the house next door, a house that was started three weeks prior to this one.

The students are sad to be home and wished they could have continue their services, but they are glad for the difference they have made. “I’m really passionate about Habitat for Humanity,” Bean said. “I’m very happy that we came somewhere warm but I would have done it even if we were in Canada.”

Caroline McSHerry

Contributing Writer

Over this past Spring Break, the KSC softball team traveled to Clermont, Florida to play at the Legends Way Ballfields at the National Training Center.

This year’s tournament hosted over 310 colleges and universities from across the country.

The Spring Games Tournament is open to all divisions and gives teams a chance to kick-start their season after a long winter of preparation. Our team’s journey began at 2:45 a.m. on Saturday, March 14, as we loaded all of our gear onto the buses to head to the airport.

Upon our arrival at the Orlando Airport, the team packed into two separate vans and drove to the place we would be staying for the next week. This year our team was split up into two houses that were about a 10 minute drive from the fields.

Only a short time after arriving at the houses, we were changed and ready to go have a short practice at a nearby field in order to get warmed up for our season openers the following day.

Our first day of games brought lots of excitement and jitters, as we were going against two of the best teams in the country.

COntributed photo / Caroline McSherry

One of those teams was Tufts University, who won back-to-back national championships in 2013 and 2014.

Our team ended up falling to both teams that day, but we knew what needed to be worked on and were ready to come back the next day for some more competition. Throughout the week our coach was constantly switching up positions to see how players (especially the rookies) handled different situations.

We have eight rookies this year, so it was awesome to see what some of them could do and how they will benefit our team this season.

Though our schedule consisted of 12 games, we still had time to do some team bonding.

On Wednesday the team had the day off, so we chose to spend the day at Typhoon Lagoon Water Park. We plummeted down water slides and relaxed while floating down the lazy river. On our last day at the tournament we went 1-1, winning our final game against Chicago.

Our final record for the week was 5-7, which we were pretty happy with.

All together, I think we showed what Keene State Softball could do on the field, and we’re excited to begin our regular season against Springfield College on Wednesday.

Kelsey Jackson

Contributing Writer

On March 13, I began the 20-plus hour journey to Memphis, Tennessee with nine other participants.

Of course, I was excited, nervous and everything in between to dive into a state and opportunity I had never experienced before. Little did I know, this trip would change me forever.

The purpose of this ASB trip was to work at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, located in the heart of Memphis.

Le Bonheur is an amazing hospital with hundreds of volunteers, and patients ranging from having asthma to brain tumors.

On Monday morning I walked into the hospital side-by-side with my team, with the biggest smile on my face. Throughout the week, emotions ran high, but that smile never left my face.

The whole week my team and I were given tasks varying from pushing around different specialized carts to just simply asking parents if they needed a break.

Contributed Photo / Kelsey Jackson

You never really realize how lucky you are until you see a parent’s face light up when they’re offered a little extra shampoo or some time to themselves to get some fresh air or a meal.

There was one day when we had the opportunity to bake cookies for patients and families. Another day we helped with a teddy bear event, where patients were able to pick a teddy bear, name it and then bring it around to different stations.

I was fortunate enough to have interacted with patients of all ages.

There was a five-month-old baby girl that I held almost every day, and an 18-year-old patient that I was thankful to have met and played Uno with on the last day.

We all gained strong relationships with some of these patients and it was definitely hard to say goodbye, whether it was them being discharged and ready to go home, or us ending our volunteer work for the week.

I went into this trip thinking to myself that I was here to make a difference. I was here to impact kids’ lives in one positive way or another.

I never thought that the impact these kids made on my life would be something greater than I have ever imagined.

Yes, I may have put many smiles on many patients’ faces, but the smiles and memories they gave me is something indescribable and more importantly, unforgettable.

Listening to patients’ stories was something that I will also be forever appreciative for.

It taught me that life is too short to complain about anything, and that nothing should be taken from granted.

Some of these kids had nothing but a hospital bed and a few toys, yet still were some of the happiest kids I have ever met.

I think that was the best lesson I could have learned — that through everything, you should always remain happy.

So, Tennessee, I thank you.

I thank you for allowing me to experience your beautiful culture, the Le Bonheur family and the best barbeque I have ever eaten.

But most importantly, I thank you for giving me the best week of my life.

Emily Taber

Contributing Writer

Health care: “The maintenance and improvement of physical and mental health, through the provision of medical services.” This is the Google-provided definition of healthcare and typically what most people think of when they hear the term. To say the least, there is so much more to it than simply this definition.

Photos by Caroline Alm / Arts & Entertainment Editor

Nine of Keene State College’s Alternative Break members packed our bags and set out to Kilmarnock, Virginia, where we would then volunteer at The Northern Neck Free Health Clinic [NNFHC]. The excitement was evident and energy was high as we set out on this trip, an experience none of us would never forget.

Because the NNFHC is a free clinic and primarily run by volunteers, the communication and organization was lacking — no one seemed to be on the same page as to what was going on and what needed to get done, which made finding things to do a challenge at first. This in itself was astonishing to me: that a place so important and relied on by so many could be so unorganized and confused. Then it hit me — this isn’t a doctor’s office like I’m used to or have ever seen before. It doesn’t have the means and endless resources sitting there ready for the taking; it doesn’t have the luxury of consistency like other health care offices do. It was easy for us to place judgments on the way it was run because it was not something we all experience or deal with every time we go to the doctor’s office. We are accustomed to whipping out our insurance cards and not having to worry about it. For those of us who have health insurance and doctors who treat us with respect, we are truly privileged.

The second day we were there four of us got to go to the town over in Middlesex, Virginia, where they had screening and pharmacy pickup set up in a church for patients who were unable to get to the actual clinic. While there, we sat in on an eligibility screening — this was where everything I had heard about the health care system really became a reality for me.

As I was sitting there watching the screening take place and learning how to do it, the person across from me was sitting there waiting to see if they were eligible or not. When I reversed roles and thought about how I would feel if I was in their chair and not mine, I realized how scared and nervous I would be — yet these people swallow their prides and acknowledge the fact that they need help in order to take care of themselves and their families. They sit there answering every question cooperatively and handing over all of their private financial documents for everyone to see. Getting health care and being taken care of shouldn’t be a privilege, but a right that every human being has.

Once the screening was over and the patient left, the person conducting the screening then made a very racist comment as if it were nothing and went about their day completely not phased. Although I knew racism still happened, being born and raised in New Hampshire, I have never really encountered it personally — I was taken back. Not even one minute after the patient left the room, judgments and racist comments were being placed on them simply based off of the information provided in the screening.

While the Google-provided definition of health care is true, it is simply not that black and white — it is many different shades of grey in between. It is disheartening to see how difficult and contradictory the whole health care system truly is. So many of us take for granted the things we have and are available to us, yet there are others in the world who would love to be in our shoes.

You can hear and learn about health care and how it works and this and that five times over, but you won’t truly understand it until you’ve experienced it or observed it directly. That is when things come to light and the light bulb in your head goes off, and hopefully you will take action rather than simply talking about it.

Hannah Elliot

Contributing Writer

As the age-old tale goes, travel offers us opportunity, experience and, if we are lucky enough, an impact monumental enough to bring back home with us. Immokalee’s Alternative Break proved itself just that.

Contributed photos / hannah elliot

On the way down to Immakolee, Florida, the usual car bonding ensued. In getting to know one another we also discussed our expectations of the trip, knowledge of the community partners and the experience we were hoping to leave with on Saturday.

This trip ended up being more than what we thought we were getting ourselves into. It was an opportunity not only to look through the lens of a culture completely different from our own, but also to experience the hardships and triumphs through many community partners and people we met along the way.

One of the community partners we were able to learn from and work alongside was the Guadalupe Center. This center is a safe place created for the largely migrant farm-worker population, usually spanning all levels of legal status and poverty. Although the center is small, it is mighty. It provides food, clothing and a multitude of social services among them, including immigration documentation help.

The disadvantages of some people we were able to meet through sitting in with clients waiting to receive their meal tickets was impactful. These people were facing issues from immigration, low income, little education and corrupt rent and living conditions; it was humbling. Some of these people, with all that lay ahead of them, had already accomplished so much and had the determination and will to push forward to create a better life for themselves and their families here in the states.

Another community partner we were able to work with was the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. This group was a powerfully charged group of farm workers and student organizations working for social justice in the fields. Over the past 30 years they have fought for fair wages and protection from abuse in the fields and have sought to get more corporations on board for the Fair Food Movement. This movement ensures all that was listed above by having corporations only buy tomatoes from farms that adhere with the farmers’ rights.

It was inspiring to be around such passionate and empowered people pushing for civil justices through peaceful yet effective protest, art and unity. We were fortunate enough to be there during a time of their annual parade for the Fair Food Movement. We were able to take part in the art-making process by painting a parachute inscribed with the words: Respecto, Esperanza and Dignidad — Respect, Hope and Dignity. No better group of words could illustrate the movement and its people more clearly.

From the soup kitchen to the coalition, the farmers and people of Immokalee truly embody a quote I happened to pass hanging on the wall of the Coalition, “We have lost many, but we have lived the most.” Their resilience to injustices and hardship demonstrates the beauty of the human spirit and the power to overcome. Every member of the community builds together, heels together and looks forward together. No shortage of love and knowledge was shared during our time there for Alternative Break. We couldn’t be more grateful for our stay and volunteerism opportunities.

To the Campus Community:

There has been much conversation and debate on campus and throughout the community about the riots that took place during the Keene Pumpkin Festival in 2014. Much of that debate has focused on holding individuals accountable. Our students who were identified have been held accountable and those found responsible for the most egregious actions were given serious sanctions (suspension or expulsion) which carry with them significant financial consequences. The College also suffered property damage in excess of $70,000 and, as far as we can tell, most of that damage was not caused by Keene State students. Our own additional security expenses were more than $5,000.

To mitigate the impact on our community, our students cleaned up the neighborhoods following the riots, held an appreciation dinner for emergency responders and have continued to work toward rebuilding and repairing relationships. In my letter that was published in the Keene Sentinel on February 6, I indicated that resources at Keene State College should always first and foremost be used in ways that benefit our students, and faculty and staff. I am fully committed to ensuring that our students receive the education they expect and deserve.

Yet, the passionate debate and concern over the unpaid portion of the bill from the Keene Pumpkin Festival has become a divisive lightning rod in our community. There are many opinions about who should pay and why.

The focus on this question is, in part, keeping us from moving our community forward, healing the hurt, and working together to address broader issues of common concern. I fear that if this question isn’t resolved, we will remain mired in a controversy that does not serve any of us well. As a leader in our community and with this in mind, I have decided that we will provide the necessary funds to cover the balance of the bill. It’s my understanding that Let It Shine is in the process of making an additional payment, we will cover the remainder.

Reserve funds from student fees will be used. The reserve fund will be repaid by fines collected through our conduct system thus reinforcing the Student Code of Conduct and avoiding penalizing the majority of students. The money will be delivered to the City of Keene, for their disbursement. However, the decision to contribute to the expenses associated with the Keene Pumpkin Festival should not be viewed as establishing a precedent.

We are all one community – the future of the College is intertwined with the future of the city and its residents. My commitment to our shared future is the very reason that Mayor Lane and I initiated the College-City Commission – to develop a lasting framework that will allow us to work together continually rather than episodically. The work of the Commission is taking shape and more detail on that will be forthcoming.  I continue to share my aspirations for Keene State, particularly around the topic of student citizenship, and to engage with city leaders, partners, and neighbors, to achieve the cultural changes that will contribute to our shared success.

I appreciate that some will applaud this decision and others will criticize it. As a deeply committed citizen of Keene, I see no advantage to letting the matter create dissent any longer. I am hopeful that the potential good that may come from this will move the community forward. My thanks to all of you for your thoughtful input and genuine concern for our students, our college, and our city.

Respectfully,

Anne E. Huot,

President

Let me tell you about these people. I have been out of the country with this group for the past ten days. After being placed back into American society where the culture and customs are varied, I have had the opportunity to gather my thoughts after a hot shower and a night of sleeping without bugs.

Collectively, we saw and encountered many visuals. We witnessed a child vomit from poor health. Older women acted aggressively over deodorant. Children were not using dental floss properly, or even knew what floss was.  Homes had mud for a floor and rusty sheet metal for walls and a ceiling.

There were days where we could not shower because it did not rain. There were other days where we went dehydrated because we showered. People could not afford a water filter that cost less than five U.S. dollars. There were times where we weren’t able to use the toilet for three hours because someone flushed toilet paper.

There was a constant threat of poor health due to living conditions. We lived with some of the 2.5 billion people who lack basic sanitation. We also lived with some of the 800 thousand people who lack access to clean water. These are some of the mental images that I will not be able to erase.

These are also some of the things that people can maybe imagine when they are told that you are going on a service trip.

However, it is impossible to fully grasp these situations unless you have lived them.

Collectively, we also saw and encountered the inability to walk down the street without being welcomed with conversation, chairs for all and coffee.  We had a willingness to teach and, more importantly, a willingness to learn. We played a game of high-fives that would go on for hours.  We received hugs and kisses because we said “hola.” Everyone knows everyone, and everyone is family.

Contributed Photo

There is a constant desire to put others first. A smile and a wave from a stranger is the most common occurrence.

We also made friendships that were created in only ten days that we know can easily last a lifetime, whether back in the states or with our friends in the Dominican — Lisa, Lisa, Enmanuel, Radhy, Melissa, Maria and Radhames.

I may not be able to erase the mental images of the unbelievable things that we saw in the first list, but when I look back on this journey, the second list is what I am going to think of.

Something we fail to realize is that we are all poor. Some may be poor in material items, where others are poor in community. It is up to us to decide what is most important.

We were able to provide 800 people with clean water that will last over the course of the next five to eight years.

We distributed over 300 water filters. We saw how saw dust, clay and silver can change and save the lives of many. To be able to see the complete progression of this process was awing.

I may never be able to fully describe the experience that I had to people that I did not share this time with, but it is my responsibility to try.

I could not have asked for a better team to share this experience with. My co-leader had my back through it all and stepped in where I was weak.

Our supervisor put us all in a position to succeed and learn.

The 13 other team members joined us on a journey that had been in place since April, not knowing much about the situation.

I can guarantee that this group will be the group that goes forward to serve and serve some more.

I could not be more proud. I love each and every one of you for your personalities and willingness to go into an area unknown by most. Thank you to all that helped make this experience a possibility and I go on now ready to take on the world.

Ryan Mahan can be contacted at rmahan@ksc.keene.edu

Radio Coverage from Election Day at KSC.
Courtesy of Keene State Journalism Department Radio Journalism Course.

Five panelists sat in front of the room to share their stories and experiences at Keene State College’s second annual Coming Out Panel organized by Residential Life and KSC Pride held Monday, April 14. 

According to KSC Residential Hall Director Megan Barbato the panel included KSC Academic Technology Librarian Irene McGarrity, KSC Staff Writer/Editor Lucy Webb, and KSC students Kal Rasku, Heather Aldrich and Jacob Knehr.

The panelists answered questions and participated in room-wide discussions.

KSC junior Tim Kehoe said he liked the event because it allowed him to hear other people’s experiences of coming out and compare them to his own.

“It is a great experience in knowing how your fellow peers feel and what they went through during a very transitional period [of coming out],” Kehoe said.

Alex Pacifico, a KSC sophomore said, “I came to the event not only as an RA but because I enjoy listening to people speak from the LGBTQ community, being a member of it here at Keene. I enjoy listening to students and faculty’s journey through coming out and how they handle it all today.” Pacifico continued, “For next year [the goal should be] to offset the perfect painted picture. We need someone to speak about a more negative story so that Keene students can see both the positives and negatives of the LBGTQ community and how people treat members of the community.”

KSC senior Justin Smith added similar thoughts about the positivity of the event. “I think, in terms of the problems with homophobia on this campus and the frequency of hearing or seeing people targeted, you know — whether it is sexual orientation or because of how they look, what they do, or what they wear, anything — I think that I would have wanted to hear more negative experiences that people have on this campus — because I don’t think we’re perfect,” Smith said.

Smith continued, “I don’t think that we have open acceptance on a large scale. I thought this program was great at inspiring and creating a safe space,  identifying different ways and tips for people who might have not come out yet or might have not made their orientation public. While at the same time I want to know what are some of the most frequent ways people are targeted on this campus — what we have to address to make this campus better and more accepting on the large scale.”

Pacifico commented on the success of the panel and said, “I went last year to this event as well and I think that both years were fantastic. It’s interesting hearing everyone’s individual journey and story.”

Smith said, “I think that a panel talking about those who have different sexual orientations other than, say, heterosexual and talking about their experiences can help others on campus that might struggle with their own coming out or their own experiences. I think that these kind of panels are very few, unfortunately, programs that are held on campus.”

Smith also said he wants people to, “be aware of and maybe try to get involved with, more of the organizations and events here on campus.”

Smith concluded,  “We have a KSC Pride group and I know that one of the common misconceptions is that you have to be not heterosexual to be in Pride, and that’s not true. You don’t. One of the big things in this panel that was talked about, and something that I think about needs to be talked about a lot more, is straight allies.”

Nicole Carrobis can be contacted at nicole.carrobis@ksc.keene.edu

On March 3, 2014, Keene State College Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Dr. James Waller, introduced several hundred students and community members to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Rwanda to the United States of America, Mathilde Mukantabana. The audience viewed a public conversation between Waller and Mukantabana via Skype in the Mabel Brown Room. Mukantabana shared her experience during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, which according to Waller, claimed nearly one million lives in 100 days.

Mukantabana explained her loss and said she lost her parents to the genocide, as well as four brothers and sisters and more than 70 other family members.

“I was one of the lucky ones,” Mukantabana said.

Mukantabana explained what is ultimately important to remember is she and others are all still Rwandans, and that though forgiveness may seem like a luxury, it is key.

In the conversation, Mukantabana also added no government in the world has as much female representation as Rwanda.

She concluded, “It’s forgiving ourselves, you really have to suffer to move forward,” Mukantabana said.

“We have a story to tell,” Mukantabana concluded, “The truth will set you free.”

Kaitlin Conlon can be contacted at kaitlin.conlon@ksc.keene.edu