War has existed for thousands of years. According to the Ancient History Encyclopedia, the oldest war in recorded history was in Mesopotamia 2700 BCE. Over the course of several centuries, war tactics and forms of war have evolved.

Today, the threat of war has not disappeared and in America, it could be a major threat to our nation. Last week, President Trump launched a non-nuclear missile attack at a military airfield in Homs, Syria. It involved 59 missiles. Not only do I find this action to be destructive, I also find it to be a dangerous and risky move.

What we need to consider is the death toll that involved innocent lives. Syrian officials said to multiple news sources that some of the people were killed civilians. According to the LA Times, the Syrian officials said the airstrike killed six on the U.S targeted base and nine other people in surrounding villages.

Samantha moore/ Art director

Whether what the officials said was accurate or not, having this information could make the U.S a potential target.  This could go back on the progress the American military has put forth to establish a positive relationship with some Syrian civilians.

In addition to the loss of innocent lives, the missile strike was a massive waste of money. According to an article on CNN, each tomahawk missile costs $832,000. If you multiply this by 59, the amount of missiles that were launched in the strike, that would bring the total cost to $49.088 million dollars. This is a huge cost to taxpayers. Trump’s reasoning as a message to Assad he isn’t okay with the chemical attacks he carried out on civilians.

If this is truly the case then what is the point of launching the amount of missiles that he did and wasting several million dollars? As much as I agree with his statements about the atrocity of the Syrian chemical attacks, why not just send a few missiles and save millions of dollars.

One missile that doesn’t miss their target is enough of a statement that our country won’t tolerate this injustice. These millions of dollars could have gone to help out the economy and other financial issues that American citizens are struggling with.

Another reason I am against it is the potential military retaliation the U.S might receive. When an air strike is being conducted by the military, it gives the message, “We are declaring war,” which would sign us up for a third world war. According to The Independent, China expressed their distaste for the air strike, saying it undermined Syria’s territorial sovereignty, an opinion I agree with. Vladimir Putin and Bashar-al Assad also expressed their distaste for the attack, condemning it as an act of aggression.

Not only did Russia and Syria condemn the airstrike, so did North Korea. Officials in North Korea said that the U.S airstrike was proof they needed nuclear weapons. So we potentially signed ourselves up for a war with three highly equipped and militarized countries.

If Assad’s and Putin’s chemical attacks on Syrian civilians wasn’t horrible enough, imagine what could happen if they decided to do these attacks on U.S. soil? What could happen if the same kind of attack occurred on U.S soil as a result of our attack on Assad? No military attack has gone without retaliation, with the attack on Pearl Harbor being a perfect example. North Korea has also had a fair share of nuclear threats. Imagine the devastation they could inflict on the U.S. with nuclear weapons. According to the New York Times and BBC news, China warned the U.S that the North Korea conflict could lead to devastation and that the conflict will only get worse.

While we do have a powerful military, how can we properly prepare for potential chemical and nuclear attacks? Right now, we are enemies with Assad’s regime, Putin, Islamic State fighters and North Korea. All of these places have many resources and were responsible for several thousand deaths, foreign and non-foreign, in the past.

Another reason why I don’t approve of the missile strike is because of the harm it could cause on other countries as well as our own. According to an article from CNBC, one of the countries that North Korea trades with is China.

Because the missile strike convinced North Korea their nuclear weapons are needed, it could potentially set us up for an attack. This, in turn, could be a problem for China and would impact the U.S. because we trade with China. If the U.S. ends up being in a full-on war with Assad, North Korea and Russia, it would affect surrounding countries. China expressed it would try and stop the conflict between America and North Korea because if they don’t, it could negatively impact both China and North Korea, causing them further economic issues.

Our country should not have to deal with another world war. We have come so far, so why destroy all of our progress just to instill fear in our enemies? The number one question one should ask is whether it’s worth all the risks when we carry out an attack as big as the airfield strike? Instead, compromises should be made and we should make an effort to not lengthen and worsen an already existing war.

Katherine Glosser can be contacted at kglosser@kscequinox.com

Feminism has been a controversial topic discussed by many.

Lately, gender has become a topic widely talked about, and International Women’s Day was a perfect example. On Wednesday, March 8, which was International Women’s Day, Assistant Professor of English at Acadia University Dr. Erin Wunker spoke at the Alumni Center in Centennial Hall. She spoke about her recent book, “Notes From a Feminist Killjoy: Essays on Everyday Life.”

Tim Smith / Photo Editor

Wunker has been doing feminist research since she was an undergraduate at the University of North Carolina and became interested in intersectional feminist theory. The book talked about rape culture, feminist friendships, mothering and “resistance,” or working against female misogyny. During the presentation, Wunker discussed pop culture’s toxic narratives about female friendship and how it contributes to stereotypes. Wunker than highlighted the importance of feminist friendship and discussed intersectional feminism, as well as her book.

Assistant Professor of English, Dr. Emily Robins Sharpe proposed the idea and invited Wunker to speak. Robins-Sharpe said that some students were reading excerpts of Wunker’s book and felt that it would be a great idea for people to meet the author. “I know that Dr. Wunker is a phenomenal teacher and a phenomenal speaker, and so I knew that if she were to come to our campus, it would be a really exciting experience for the students and faculty and staff and community members who got to not only listen to her, but also talk with her,” said Robins Sharpe.

Wunker said she knew that students were reading excerpts of her book and said she did the presentation to get people talking and thinking about how toxic narratives of female friendships circulate in pop culture and over history and why those narratives are toxic. “I felt that after the year we had, in terms of the gender and equity issues, that I wanted to talk about something a little less complicated but a little more joyful, like friendship, and so that’s really what inspired me to talk about feminist friendship,” said Wunker.

KSC first-year student Garrett McMorrow said he came to the event for his class and he didn’t know much about feminism. He said that going to the event changed his perception of feminism. “I thought it was really insightful. It completely changed my understanding of the ideology of feminism,” said McMorrow. “Prior to this, I guess I thought of it more as women want the same pay or women want the same opportunities, but you never really think of it as they want their image to be changed.”

KSC first-year student Madison Olsen came to the presentation for both her class and her interest in the presentation’s topic. “I identify as a feminist….so it was a talk that I wanted to see,” said Olsen. “I thought it was awesome; I thought it was really informative and insightful. I didn’t realize the importance of feminist friendships… you should strive for these types of relationships.”

Katherine Glosser can be contacted at kglosser@kscequinox.com.

Feminism has been a controversial topic discussed by many.

Lately, gender has become a topic widely talked about, and International Women’s Day was a perfect example. On Wednesday, March 8, which was International Women’s Day, Assistant Professor of English at Acadia University Dr. Erin Wunker spoke at the Alumni Center in Centennial Hall. She spoke about her recent book, “Notes From a Feminist Killjoy: Essays on Everyday Life.”

Tim Smith / Photo Editor

Wunker has been doing feminist research since she was an undergraduate at the University of North Carolina and became interested in intersectional feminist theory. The book talked about rape culture, feminist friendships, mothering and “resistance,” or working against female misogyny. During the presentation, Wunker discussed pop culture’s toxic narratives about female friendship and how it contributes to stereotypes. Wunker than highlighted the importance of feminist friendship and discussed intersectional feminism, as well as her book.

Assistant Professor of English, Dr. Emily Robins Sharpe proposed the idea and invited Wunker to speak. Robins-Sharpe said that some students were reading excerpts of Wunker’s book and felt that it would be a great idea for people to meet the author. “I know that Dr. Wunker is a phenomenal teacher and a phenomenal speaker, and so I knew that if she were to come to our campus, it would be a really exciting experience for the students and faculty and staff and community members who got to not only listen to her, but also talk with her,” said Robins Sharpe.

Wunker said she knew that students were reading excerpts of her book and said she did the presentation to get people talking and thinking about how toxic narratives of female friendships circulate in pop culture and over history and why those narratives are toxic. “I felt that after the year we had, in terms of the gender and equity issues, that I wanted to talk about something a little less complicated but a little more joyful, like friendship, and so that’s really what inspired me to talk about feminist friendship,” said Wunker.

KSC first-year student Garrett McMorrow said he came to the event for his class and he didn’t know much about feminism. He said that going to the event changed his perception of feminism. “I thought it was really insightful. It completely changed my understanding of the ideology of feminism,” said McMorrow. “Prior to this, I guess I thought of it more as women want the same pay or women want the same opportunities, but you never really think of it as they want their image to be changed.”

KSC first-year student Madison Olsen came to the presentation for both her class and her interest in the presentation’s topic. “I identify as a feminist….so it was a talk that I wanted to see,” said Olsen. “I thought it was awesome; I thought it was really informative and insightful. I didn’t realize the importance of feminist friendships… you should strive for these types of relationships.”

Katherine Glosser can be contacted at kglosser@kscequinox.com.

A documentary film was shown on Wednesday, Feb. 15 at the Alumni Center Centennial Hall. The film that was shown, “Generation Found,” is a three part series focusing on the issue of addiction.

“Generation Found” focused on students recovering from addiction that are attending a rehabilitation high school.

Keene State Coordinator of Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention, Treatment and Education Services Michelle Morrow organized the film screening.

Jake Paquin / Equinox Staff

Morrow, who is continuing to make an effort to educate the public about the issue of addiction, said she selected the film because of it’s more positive approach to overcoming addiction and how it focuses on youth.

“I really like it because I think a lot of times, documentaries may highlight the real dark pieces or the real negative pieces,” said Morrow.

“I think that the thing that is so important about it is that it highlights recovery and it highlights the positive things that are happening and that people are doing and how support can really make such a huge difference.”

Keene State senior Aliza Guerrero said she attended the film because she wanted to fill her internship hours and was intrigued when she read the description of the film.

Guerrero, who interns at the Center for Health and Wellness, said she thought the film was cool.

“I think it’s a good educational piece,” said Guerrero.

“I am probably biased since I’m a health science major, but I think that just in general, it kind of gives that overall perspective of how you’re kind of working against your mental health in a way because drugs do that.”

Keene State sophomore Devon Sacca said she hasn’t heard of rehabilitation high schools, but felt it was a good idea. She also felt that people are more likely to start doing drugs in high school.

Jake Paquin / Equinox Staff

“I just think that if kids are going to experiment with anything, it’s going to start at high school age and it’s kind of before college. It’s so tough to really think about it. It’s not something parents can just talk about with their kids,” said Sacca. “So I feel like it’s a matter of getting the kids who are young and in high school to understand that.”

Morrow said that by showing the documentary to people, she will show that change is possible. “I think it’s really important to show that hope and change is possible, and that I think that sometimes with sort of only focusing on sort of someone’s lowest point I think that it can make people feel helpless,” said Morrow.

Morrow said she is planning on showing two other films that are a part of the “Generation Found” film series. She will be screening the second part of the series called “Anonymous People” on March 29 at 6 p.m. at the Alumni Center and the third film of the series called “Hungry Heart” on April 19.

Katherine Glosser can be cotacted at kglosser@kscequinox.com

Millennials have been labeled as lazy and easily offended, but is that really true about this generation? Do they truly fit these stereotypes? Perhaps this is just another case of underestimation and misunderstanding by the previous generations.

The millennial generation is being relied on to positively influence future generations. Yet, with every generation comes a stereotype and millennials are no stranger to that.

Let’s break down the stereotype about this generation being easily offended. The millennial generation is more outspoken about each of their own thoughts and feelings.

Millennials have been brought up in a more liberal society. Gay and transgender people of today have become more acceptable than all the previous generations have. Today, people are focusing more on gender equality, racial equality, religious equality and knocking down stereotypes. According to the United States Chamber of Commerce, millennials are more tolerant of races and groups than any previous generation, with 45 percent versus 19 percent agreeing with special treatment to improve the position of minorities.

Samantha Moore / Art Director

In the generation before the baby boomers, women were seen as people meant to be good submissive housewives, while the men were seen as the “dominant” gender. Then the baby boomer generation came about and challenged that ideal, which opened up for more gender equality movements.

Today, the millennial generation continues to challenge gender stereotypes just like their parents in previous generations. Male stereotypes are also being challenged more as well. It is a lot more acceptable in society for a man to cry today than it was in any other generation. All of this social and liberal progress has made this generation more conscious of other people’s feelings, and in particular, the feelings of racial, religious and sexual minorities.

This is where the easily offended stereotype comes in. With more tolerance of minorities and being a more outspoken generation, we are more likely to challenge any form of hate speech that targets people of a certain sex, sexual identity, gender identity, religion and race.

Previous generations have been quieter about these issues until more and more people began to express their differences. A gay man and a transgender in the millennial generation is more likely to come out and express their identity more than any previous generation. The more normalized something is, the more acceptable it becomes. The generation is making an effort to make people feel safe, understood, and valued, even if it means challenging a person’s view.

Another stereotype that is often associated with millennials is the notion that they are lazy,  but statistics show otherwise. According to the Pew Research Center’s survey conducted on over 2000 adults, 41 percent of millennials obey what their managers tell them to do, which is more than the previous generations.

This generation has also expressed a bigger need to balance both work and life than other generations have, which creates a misunderstanding that they don’t value work as much. According to a survey by Project: Time Off involving 5,600 people, 43 percent of people who said they are workaholics are millennials, compared to 19 percent from previous generations.

Another challenge to the lazy stereotype is that previous generations were also being challenged as lazy by older generations. According to an article in the New York Times, when Plato was alive, he commented that the younger generation was lazier. This was a couple thousand years ago.

As technology progresses, so does the easiness of completing everyday tasks. Hundreds of years ago, people often washed and made their clothes by hand, but now most clothes are washed in washing machines and all of the clothes we wear were bought in a store. The same can be said with the technology of today.

A person can now speak into a computer and it will write down everything.  People can cite their sources automatically by putting a website link in an online generator. People no longer have to rely on going to the library to look for books for their school reports because we have the technology to look things up on our phones and computers. People can do more things in the comfort of their home than any other generation. Millennials have more resources than all the previous generations and they utilize them to help themselves efficiently work in a quicker fashion.

Therefore, millennials are not lazier or more offended than all the previous generations. They not only take advantage of the technological advancements that they have, but they are becoming more empathic and conscious of people’s feelings. They are not afraid to speak up when there is something wrong and we are active in our careers.

Putting the blame on any generation hinders our progress as a human race, and if one continues to encourage such a notion, generations will continue to be divided.

Katherine Glosser can be contacted at Kglosser@kscequinox.com

Throughout the years, elections have been a source of division and controversy with this year being no different.

With tensions running high between Trump supporters and Trump protesters after the election results, protests throughout the country have taken place. One of these protests managed to take root in Central Square in downtown Keene.

Organized by Keene State senior Sara Myers, people decided to protest the presidential election results Saturday, Nov. 19.

The protest was put together in a week and roughly 13 people showed up holding signs that said, “Honk for Human Rights,” and a sign with a Jude star stating, “Never again, we shall overcome.” A few protesters held a sign that read “No one is free when others are oppressed,” and chanted this at passing cars.

Myers, who is also a resident  assistant, said she has been involved with the American Democracy Project in politics for a while and decided to organize the protests to oppose Donald Trump’s policies. Myers said she had previously organized a candlelit vigil to solidify that Trump isn’t representing their beliefs and values and to reassure people that they are valued and cared for in the community.

Katherine Glosser / Equinox Staff

She said however, the vigil did not show their distaste for Trump’s policies and decided to change that with the protests. “I wasn’t ready to let the city of Keene get away without holding some demonstrations against this because a lot of his policy proposals would violate people’s rights. They would be bad for the economy,” said Myers.

She continued,“We decided we need an outlet to speak to their beliefs and to do so publicly so that other people can recognize that this is happening and are trying to rally some people off and get people re-engaged in democracy.”

Keene State sophomore and protester Morgan Sulham held a sign reading, “Water is Life,” to refer to the Standing Rock Dakota Access Pipeline to emphasize that Trump’s values are clashing with the welfare of those at Standing Rock. Sulham said she found out about the protest on Facebook and decided to be a part of the protest.

“Given the recent events in this election, I felt it was important to get out and to do something concrete, and a lot of people think protesting isn’t that important, but it is. It’s showing up and at least getting somebody that is driving by to think about this for a couple of seconds and hopefully more,” she said.

A protestor and resident of Keene Ian Freeman held a sign that read, “No Trump and Hilary, Yes to NH Independence,” said that he personally feels the solution would be for New Hampshire to secede.

“People value the idea of independence. They don’t see the federal government as being something that benefits them, [they see it as] something that is a burden. It’s something that pits people against one another,” he said, “so people fought hard against each other in the election and now they are going to gear up and fight each other again in four more years. So what’s the point of all that? Why not just go our separate ways?”

Keene State first-year Emily Foy protested alongside Sulham and held a sign that read, “Can We Talk About the Elephant in the Womb?” to refer to Donald Trump’s pro-life views and to protest  how Trump is against the woman’s right to choose.

She said she was holding this sign to get people to think about what they believe in and to question why Donald Trump is against the woman’s right to have an abortion.

Foy said that despite there being a few people that showed their distaste to the protests, she felt that her protest has generated overall positive reactions.

“A lot of the people have been supportive and honking their horns so it’s really nice to see. I just want to get my voice out there and make people think,” she said. “I hope that people driving by that see these signs, even if it’s just for a couple of seconds, they think about why people are protesting and think about their views and think about how their views can affect other people.”

Katherine Glosser can be contacted at kglosser@kscequinox.com 

Going to the zoo can be a fun and educational experience for people of all ages. It gives people a chance to get a glimpse of animals they don’t normally see everyday and they are shown how they live and behave in the wild.

However, are zoos in the animal’s interest as well? My answer? No. Here’s why.

The exhibits animals are put in are often much smaller than their original habitat. According to an article in the New York Times, carnivores, like polar bears, cheetahs and lions, are wide range animals, meaning they thrive best in a habitat which allows them to cover a lot of land while searching for food.

According to biology researchers Dr. Georgia Mason and Dr. Ros Clubb, the total amount of ground polar bears cover in their natural habitat is typically 31,000 square miles. For polar bears in a zoo enclosure, that would mean they are living in a space that is one-millionth the size of its range. This stresses out polar bears and causes them to pace around their enclosure, hoping to walk off its natural instincts.

The New York Times article repeatedly said animals living in zoo enclosures experience a high infant mortality rate due to the stress of not living in a proper habitat.

Studies have found that stress in zoo animals is caused by either a lack of variety in their diet, lack of places for an animal to hide, or relationship problems with their caretakers.

Places that have captive marine animals, like SeaWorld, are no stranger to these types of issues either.

According to an award-winning documentary titled, “Blackfish,” captive orca whales are often depressed and sickly because of  captivity.

Rachel Carbone/ equinox staff

Orca whales typically travel 100 miles in the wild and have been recorded to dive 1,000 feet. A typical show pool is 27.6 feet deep. Because they can’t dive that deep in an inclosure, they tend to stay near the surface of the water. Their dorsal fin, which is supposed to be sticking straight up, is usually folded over, causing it to droop.

Being in an enclosure with other orcas can also prove fatal, as other orcas who are not from the same pods can attack each other.

While SeaWorld did announce they were closing a lot of their orca shows and now letting them swim around their tank without worrying about stressing them out with performing, they still have limited space and are still stressed out.

My solution is to only go to zoos that are in the animal’s best interest and not just for human entertainment.

According to a research document found on zoocheck.com, around 95 percent of zoos do not release their animals in the wild nor do they make an effort to breed endangered animals for conservation efforts. I think that should change.

Animals deserve the same quality of life that humans have. I can’t imagine being trapped in a fake habitat, never being allowed to roam outside and watching people staring and pointing at me through a glass window. If I don’t want that fate, I am sure animals don’t want that either.

Some zoos have something called reintroduction programs. According to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, reintroduction programs are programs where animals are rehabilitated from injuries or illness, or situations where they are found away from their home and need to be relocated. Once an animal fully recovers, they are then released back into the wild.

Many of these programs focus on endangered animals. I think that if someone wanted to visit a zoo, it would be to either an animal sanctuary, where animals have more land and mobility and are well cared for, or a zoo that has a reintroduction program.

If there is no nearby animal sanctuary or zoo that has a reintroduction program, be mindful when you are about to pay for your zoo ticket.

By going to a zoo that does not have any sort of reintroduction programs, your money is going to a cause that keeps sad animals in captivity.

Katherine Glosser can be contacted at kglosser@kscequinox.com

Keene State College campus safety e-mailed students last Thursday, April 28, about multiple bike thefts that occurred in early April.

Director of Campus Safety Amanda Guthorn said bikes being stolen on a college campus on not unlikely.  However, Guthorn said the amount of bikes that have gone missing in a short period has caused for concern. “You go through periods of time where bikes will go missing, so this is an unusual sort of clump of bikes that go within a short period of time,” said Guthorn.

According to the e-mail, out of the four bikes stolen this month, only one has been returned to its owner. In addition, the e-mail stated three of the four were secured to bike racks with cable locks. One was broken by force, and the others were cut.

Guthorn said bikes are taken for various reasons, such as borrowing them to get somewhere or snatching parts for one’s own bike. She said that another major motive for stealing a bike is to sell it. Guthorn recommends using a U-lock or heavy gauge cable lock to secure your bike.

Some students like KSC sophomore Graham Beaudoin, keep their bikes inside their dorms. “I’ve already been securing my bike pretty well, so I’m not too worried,” said Beaudon. “I keep my bike locked up downstairs, so I feel comfortable with that. “

KSC First-year Kyler Tang however, had his bike stolen inside of his dorm building last semester. He said he kept his bike in Randall Hall. His bike was stolen three times and returned twice. Once, he found it in the building’s study room. The third time his bike was taken, he lost it for good.

“It’s kind of my fault in a way because I would go upstairs to my room and forget to lock it,” said Tang.

Guthorn said anyone who brings their bike on campus should register their bike. That way, if someone loses their bike and it is recovered, it can be returned to the owner. You can register your bike in Campus Safety or at the police station. Guthorn asks for people to be on alert for anyone who is scoping out bike racks or believed to have committed theft.

To report a stolen bike or suspicious behavior, call Campus Safety at (603) 358-2228 or the Keene Police Department at (603) 357-9813.

Katherine Glosser can be contacted at kglosser@kscequinox.com