Keene State College announced Dr. Melinda Treadwell as their interim president, according to a news release from the University Systems of New Hampshire board of trustees meeting this Wednesday morning, July 19.

The appointment of Treadwell is the first step in leadership transition, three weeks after former President Anne E. Huot announced her resignation via email to faculty and staff. Treadwell will be working closely with Chancellor Todd Leach and the USNH Board of Trustees in an attempt to advance the college during the transition period.

According to The Keene Sentinel, Treadwell has a lengthy background in higher education in the area. Currently, Treadwell is the provost and CEO of Antioch University of New England, but will be starting at KSC on July 31 and staying until a permanent replacement is named.

As a graduate of KSC with a Bachelor of Science in occupational/industrial health, Treadwell served as interim provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs for KSC back in 2014 before working at Antioch. She also was a tenured faculty member of the Professional and Graduate Studies Program.

In a news release from the board this morning, Treadwell said she is “proud” to be returning to her alma mater.

“I am proud and pleased to be returning to Keene State College,” she said. “This is an institution that offers so much to the students and the community and I am excited about the opportunities that exist here.”

In the same news release, USNH Board of Trustees Chairman John Small explained why he believes Treadwell is the best choice for the interim position. “Dr. Treadwell has a track record of success,” Small said. “..We are pleased that she has accepted the position of Interim President, working closely with the Chancellor in these challenging times for higher education.”

At this time, it is still unclear who the board is considering for the permanent role of president.

Olivia Belanger can be contacted at obelanger@kscequinox.com

Leaving friends and familiarity behind is making many Keene State College (KSC) seniors resistant to graduate. On Saturday, April 29, KSC Student Government teamed up with the KSC Kronicle Yearbook to host the annual senior picnic, created to be a last get-together for the senior class to reminisce and celebrate the accomplishments made in their four years.

Colton McCracken / Equinox Staff

The picnic, hosted on the A-Field on campus, gave seniors a chance to pick up their yearbook, choose a complimentary pint glass from KSC’s Kronicle, play games and eat cook-out-style food provided by Sodexo.

KSC junior and Kronicle Business Manager Lindsay Perella said although she is not graduating just yet, she understands how important this event is for seniors. “It’s good to see the senior class at a final event and have everyone together one last time,” Perella said.

The free food was a big reason KSC seniors interviewed by The Equinox said they came to the event. “I was planning on coming to grab my yearbook, but then I heard they were having a barbeque so I stayed,” KSC senior Linda Lauture said.

Colton McCracken / Equinox Staff

Lauture added she was glad she stuck around because she believes these are the types of events students remember once they graduate.

KSC senior Sydney Shultz said the event made her feel appreciated for her hard work as a student. “I think it’s nice to be congratulated and to have the whole senior class do that together,” Shultz said.

Along with getting the class together, KSC senior and President of the Class of 2017 Noah Macri said this event is a good way to unwind before finals week. “It’s time to hang out with your friends, play some games and have some fun because finals are stressful,” Macri said.

Both Shultz and Lauture said the thought of graduating soon is bittersweet, but added they are grateful for the time they had at KSC.

Olivia Belanger can be contacted at obelanger@kscequinox.com

Graphic designer Paul Rand once said, “Design is so simple, that’s why it is complicated.”

As seniors in the graphic design department at Keene State College (KSC) approach their final semester, they get a glimpse of what Rand truly means through a required class called Graphic Design Portfolio.

Art students display artwork at Thorne

The course focuses on producing a professional portfolio of design work.

The goal, according to the KSC website, is to prepare students to transition from college to the professional world and/or advanced design studies.

The work created during the semester-long class is displayed for the public at a portfolio exhibition.

This year’s review titled “Twenty-Six” was held on April 21 in the Media Arts Center.

KSC senior graphic design major Brian Cronin said the work he created for the exhibition was inspired by who he is as a person.

“I am the fun, laugh at my own joke kind of guy, so a lot of my stuff has some humor to it,” Cronin said.

Colton McCracken / Equinox Staff

“It also has a lot of music inspiration and a lot of my daily life was revealed throughout my portfolio.”

One of Cronin’s designs, “Dead in Khakis,” was a fictional high-end clothing line for designers.

Cronin said when he was talking to graphic designers about clothing, all of them said they’d rather die than wear khakis, which sparked the clothing brand idea: Designer clothing for designers.

While Cronin’s clothing designs were accidental, KSC senior graphic design major Christina Lyons said she used her interest in fashion to influence the designs in her portfolio.

“I love fashion, so flipping through fashion magazines, Pinterest and movies was a huge part of my process,” Lyons said.

Colton McCracken / Equinox Staff

Of her work, Lyons said her favorite was her identity and design project.

This project’s guidelines were to create and brand an entire company from scratch that has a concept.

“I created Poli, which is a clothing company based on transformative clothing for professional woman,” Lyons said.

“It’s really catering to the modern woman and making her look good and feel good.”

Thematically, two of the graphic designers interviewed by The Equinox, Patrick Clark and Ashley Wood, both found graphic design through their passions as well.

Clark said he was always interested in art in high school and graphic design seemed the best way to market himself.

“I found graphic design my freshman year of high school and it gave me an outlet to produce art while also have a way to sell it,” Clark said.

Similar to Clark, Wood became a dual major with studio art and graphic design in order to continue pursuing her passion for art.

“Graphic design is a modern version of studio art,” Wood said.

Colton McCracken / Equinox Staff

“This is basically a way for me to continue my love for studio art but also make a living.”

Wood said the project she was most proud of was her DVD remake covers of “The Underworld” series. “I was able to use my studio art in it the most,” Wood said.

“All the graphics for it, besides the typeface, were all hand done and then brought into the computer to be further edited. That’s my favorite thing to do, to take my studio art, my drawings and my paintings and be able to turn them into a graphic.”

Several graphic design majors interviewed by The Equinox said they thoroughly improved as a designer because they took this course.

“It’s a b—- slap into the real world,” Cronin said. “It makes you realize what you are getting yourself into and it’s nice to finally have the availability to show off what we do because for most of us, we are just hermits in this building and people don’t know what we’re doing. Portfolio shows us this is how the graphic design world is, but when you get to show off what you have, it’s worth it.”

Although the deadlines and endless projects were stressful, Lyons said the course has prepared her for what is yet to come.

“It [Graphic Design Portfolio] has made me a way more refined designer and I can handle stress really well now,” Lyons said.

“It was a big learning curve, but it helped you learn high turnaround and how to be more professional when presenting your work. It gets you ready for the big, bad world.”

Olivia Belanger can be contacted at obelanger@kscequinox.com

Other article in this featured series: “BFA majors debut projects: Art students display artwork at Thorne”

In Keene, New Hampshire, finding diversity can be challenging. However, the Keene State College (KSC) Latin American Ensemble, “Cotopaxi,” brought culture to the Alumni Recital Hall stage on Wednesday, April 12.

Collaborating with KSC’s Guitar Orchestra and Chamber Singers, the recital series offered a variety of musical stylings.

The music was chosen by Professor and Director Jose Lezcano and several pieces such as, “Two Canticles: Song of Maria and Song of Simeon,” were performed for the first time.

Jake Paquin / Equinox Staff

A majority of songs were in Spanish and some in Swedish, which created a large obstacle for the singers involved.

KSC junior and Chamber Singers member Matthew McGinnis said he was grateful to bring this challenging performance to the college.

“It was really special,” McGinnis said. “We usually perform as just the Chamber Singers, so getting a chance tonight to be really collaborative was really fun. I’m glad we got to get out of our bubble.”

McGinnis said his favorite song he performed was the finale, “Berusa Er!” The piece ended with the students bursting into dance, while Director Dr. Sandra Howard jumped right in with them.

“Learning Swedish was an adventure, but the piece is very rhythmic and challenging but we had a lot of fun with it,” McGinnis said.

KSC senior and Guitar Orchestra member Mark McCarthy said while the recital was worthwhile, it required a lot of additional practice.

Finding the time for all three ensembles to rehearse and getting used to the different styles took some patience, according to McCarthy.

“We’ve done stuff like this, like last year we did a concert with the concert band, but it was never like this where we were hosting our own concert with another big ensemble. It was definitely a lot of extra time then when it’s just us,” McCarthy said.

The collaboration was able to draw in more people, McCarthy added. “It was kind of long for a concert, so hopefully people didn’t mind that, but this was definitely the most people we have seen at a Guitar Orchestra concert,” McCarthy said.

Of the audience members was KSC junior and former Chamber Singers member Tim Peterson, who said he had to leave the group for academic reasons.

Even though he could not perform with them this semester, Peterson said he still enjoys attending the recitals.

“I think it is interesting what they are doing with the Guitar Ensemble [orchestra] because I have never seen them perform before,” Peterson said.

“This was a really cool collaboration between the groups I’d like to see again.”

McCarthy, Peterson and McGinnis said they were glad with the turnout, but all wished more students would attend music department events.

“It’s so important for students to come see their peers and see the work they are doing,” McGinnis said.

Peterson added, “It’s all part of the liberal arts education. If you are only sticking to your major, you really aren’t getting a whole understanding of what’s out there. The more you learn about things outside of your field, the more well-rounded of a citizen you will be.”

Olivia Belanger can be contacted at obelanger@kscequinox.com

The discipline of dance requires strenuous work involving the mind, body and soul. For members of the Keene State College dance department, this work does not go unnoticed. On March 22 through 26, 12 dancers traveled to The State University of New York (SUNY) Potsdam to perform at the American College Dance Association (ACDA).

Each year, the dance department chooses two student-choreographed and performed pieces to bring to ACDA. The dances then receive feedback from prestigious dancers and choreographers in order to improve. When the dances are performed, the adjudicators are unaware if the piece is student or faculty-choreographed in an attempt to keep feedback unbiased.

Makayla Ferrick / Contributed Photo

One of the dances chosen entitled, “Boiled Frogs,” was choreographed by KSC senior Makayla Ferrick. “All semester, we’re working on these pieces, developing them and casting dancers,” Ferrick said.

“The main purpose [of going to ACDA] is further exploration. There’s three people who will give us feedback on our work based on choreography, performance, hair, makeup and costumes, and then we use that information to practice because we have a show, ‘Evening of Dance,’ where the pieces will be shown again.” Ferrick has performed at ACDA for three years now, and the past two years her choreography has been chosen.

“When I first went, I didn’t have a full understanding of what it was. I was used to high school competitions and so when I first went, I was all nervous, but it really is just a way for other people to see your work,” Ferrick said.

Even though Ferrick has been to ACDA before, she said she still gets a lot out of the experience. “For me, going to ACDA helps me with my own dancing and my own movement. There are a lot of master classes there that pushed me to try different types of things outside of the box that we don’t get at Keene,” Ferrick said.

The other piece chosen, entitled “ab origine,” was choreographed by KSC junior Bethany Peterson. Ferrick said both pieces were rehearsed twice a week for a total of four hours all semester and more rehearsals would be added if she or Peterson saw fit. Ferrick’s piece was an octet, while Peterson’s was a trio. Choosing the works to go to ACDA is discussed by faculty. Among those is KSC contract lecturer Cynthia McLaughlin.

“It involves choosing students that will have the most to gain from being a part of the conference and there is some seniority if it is their last chance to go,” McLaughlin said.

McLaughlin was responsible for the “nitty gritty,” of the trip, such as travel expenses. However, she said ACDA is important for dance students and she said she was more than happy to plan it this year.

“They had exposure to a lot of philosophies, approaches and genres of dance and also get to perform in front of their peers. There are 40 works presented, so they are able to see 38 other works,” McLaughlin said.

“Afterwards, there is really fruitful feedback sessions and the adjudicators were able to enter right into the environment of the work and discuss it and pick it apart and find ways for you to rethink the work, both for the choreographers and the performers. By the end of every day, they are incredibly exhausted, but it’s well worth it.”

The student choreographers benefit from the feedback in order to rethink the work, but the dancers in the piece benefit as well. KSC sophomore Jordan Pierce danced in both works and she said watching other works helped her own performance.

“When you come to Keene, it’s mostly modern, ballet and jazz, so it is a really good opportunity for the dance department to go and experience things that they can’t experience here,” Pierce said.

The two student works, among many others, will be performed April 12-15 during “An Evening of Dance,” in the Redfern Arts Center Main Theatre.

Olivia Belanger can be contacted at obelanger@kscequinox.com

A country the size of Colorado sits in Northwestern Africa, landlocked with a lack of tools we in the United States tend to take for granted. Burkina Faso is facing detrimental issues nationwide, whether it be from their economics, government or lack of healthcare. Ranked third as one of the poorest countries in the world, the population of over 19 million has limited natural resources, resulting in a majority of its citizens having to live in a poor economy.  Even by West African standards, Burkina Faso’s quality of life has several inequalities from food insecurity and drought to forced child labor and sex trafficking.

Derived from the Mossi word meaning “land of honest men,” Burkina Faso could not be more corrupt. The country has experienced a number of public protests over the high cost of living, corruption and other socioeconomic issues including the fall of their government and military in 2014. Political insecurity has put the country in an uproar, and many of its citizens live in fear of the unknown.

The country is in ruins, and Kyle Hastbacka cannot wait to go there.

Luke Stergiou / Senior Photographer

Hastbacka is a senior at Keene State College (KSC) and isn’t quite sure where he sees himself after graduation. As a double major in criminal justice and political science, most of his peers are applying to graduate school, but Hastbacka said he wanted a change of pace. That change of pace, however, is taking him into a Third World country, volunteering for the Peace Corps.

During his time at KSC, Hastbacka has become a familiar face on campus for many. Involved in first-year orientation, the Sigma Pi fraternity and Alternative Break, his presence does not go unnoticed. Being involved on campus was never one of Hastbacka’s original goals, though. In fact, KSC was never even on his radar when he was first applying to colleges.

Raised right outside of Miami, Florida, Hastbacka always dreamed of attending the University of Northern Florida (UNF) in Jacksonville. He had thought of attending school in New England, but knew it was unrealistic because of financial reasons. UNF was the first school he applied to, and during October of his senior year he was accepted. With a strong study abroad program and the location on the beach, Hastbacka was hooked since his first year of high school. Being accepted was a dream, so he “did not see the point” in applying to any other schools.

Throughout high school, Hastbacka said he was not “super involved” because he wanted to solely focus on his grades. It was not until his junior year, when his parents were going through a divorce, that he found an opportunity he was passionate about. The fighting caused him to not be home very often, which in turn drove him to find more involvement in school.

His mother had “forced” him to join a Youth Group his sophomore year in an attempt to get him active in the community, but he was not into the idea. After a year of being a member, a few friends he had gained from the group informed him about a service trip the church took to Haiti every year. This was the first opportunity he had to give back and also the first project that sparked his interest throughout his high school career.

Convincing his parents to let him travel to a foreign country took almost a year, but he was finally able to join the trip his junior and senior years of high school. “From that point on, I was looking into service work and that’s when I really started putting my eye on the Peace Corps. I started realizing it was something that I really wanted to do,” Hastbacka said.

Luke Stergiou / Senior Photographer

After the divorce, his dad moved back to New Hampshire for work, where Hastbacka was originally born before moving to Florida at a young age. Shortly after his dad moved back, his mother informed him that she would be moving to the area as well to be closer to family. Hastbacka was torn—his dreams of UNF did not seem to fit into his family’s plan any longer. Having to take a plane back and forth when he wanted to return home was unimaginable for him, so half-way through senior year, he began to search for other schools closer to New Hampshire.

A family-friend graduated from KSC, and Hastbacka decided to apply. He knew nothing about the campus; he didn’t even know the school’s color was red. By the time Hastbacka received his acceptance letter from KSC in early February, he had already paid his deposit to UNF. As the end of his senior year crept up on him, Hastbacka had a decision to make. His heart was still set on the warm weather he had always called home, but the thought of being away from his family was unsettling.

In April, he decided to switch his school and head north for the next four years. His attitude when deciding to become an Owl was one of uncertainty. He kept telling himself that he could always transfer if he hated it, and he had a strong feeling that he would. But Hastbacka found himself pleasantly surprised when he enjoyed the close-knit environment Keene welcomed him with.

Hastbacka’s high school was one of the largest in the nation, with his grduating class containing about 1,100 students. He appreciated that he was now at a small school, with only 5,000 students on the whole campus, where he didn’t know anybody–not even a familiar face. Similar to his high school mindset, when he arrived on campus, he wanted to get a job and focus on his academics. It wasn’t until he overheard a speech about the Alternative Break Program that he decided he wanted to get involved with the community service opportunities KSC had to offer.

After being hooked on the idea of an Alternative Break, Hastbacka decided that he would make participating in these trips his niche. He was accepted onto the international trip to Panama to work at a school his first year, went to our nation’s capital to work with those who suffer from homelessness his sophomore year and during his junior year, he went to New York City to work on LGBTQA+ rights. Out of all the trips he attended, the one he said he appreciated most is his NYC trip because he had a limited amount of knowledge on the trip’s focus, which allowed him to truly learn about it from the community members.

Friends he made from his trip to Panama convinced Hastbacka he needed to further immerse himself in the campus community. The organizations he later became involved with were never a part of his plan, but with a push from his peers, he signed up for Greek life and first-year orientation.

“I had zero interest in Greek life, the fact that I ended up in it was kind of a fluke. I at first started off very much as ‘I’m just here to be here, my friend told me to do it,’ and I wasn’t super interested. Then the more I was in it the more I started to enjoy it,” Hastbacka said.

In high school and college, Hastbacka said most of his experiences were accidental, explaining that a majority of his involvement has been because of persuasion by others. However, with everything he became a part of, Hastbacka thrived. He was the coordinator for Orientation Staff last year, is currently the President of Sigma Pi and has held other roles within those organizations as well. While he originally lacked enthusiasm for the clubs he participated in, his natural ability as a leader has shown in all that he does.

While he tends to have a reserved demeanor, best friend and classmate Kathleen Dougherty has always seen Hastbacka becoming involved in something for the greater good.

Friends since the first day of their first-year at KSC, Dougherty claims she has always seen Hastbacka’s potential. As a friend, Dougherty describes Hastbacka as loyal, trustworthy and honest, which she thinks are characteristics that have helped him grow throughout his personal and professional life. When Hastbacka told her he was applying to the Peace Corps, his attitude was subdued. However, Dougherty could tell that this meant a lot to him because of the amount of effort he was putting into getting accepted.

“Once he finally decided to apply, that’s when it clicked that he actually really wanted it because I think he always just thought ‘I could do this, it’s an option,’” Dougherty said. “But once he put motion into it, you could tell that he really wanted it. He was asking one of our professors to do practice Skype calls for the interview and doing everything he could to be the best potential candidate, which he really didn’t even need to do because on paper alone he could have gotten it. The extra touch of an interview, though, showcased that he is the candidate that the Peace Corps needs.”

Hastbacka was accepted into the program in mid-September, and that is when he found out he would be stationed in Burkina Faso. Until he arrives, Hastbacka does not have a concrete idea of what he will be helping with. What he does know is he will be involved with community economic development, and past participants with this job have helped with farmers, small schools and community gardens. Spending over two years in a Third World country would scare most, but Hastbacka is more than excited to embark on this opportunity.

“I have always thought that if you are in a position to help someone, you should,” Hastbacka said. “There is no other time in my life really where I’m going to  be able to drop everything that I’m doing and go away and live in a different country for over two years [27 months]. It’s important to help others when you can, and why not do it when you’re young and can explore and have no worries back home.”

Once he returns to the United States, Hastbacka is not set on what he wants to pursue for a career. He is using the time he has outside of the country to relieve some of the stress he puts on himself about his career path. What he is certain of, he said, is that he does not want to do a “basic, boring desk job” because he likes to be hands-on with his work.

He has toyed with the idea of law school, but when asked where she pictures Hastbacka when he returns, Dougherty said law school is not it.

Student involvement is a part of Hastbacka’s personality, according to Dougherty, and the amount of service he is involved with makes it hard for her to see him becoming a lawyer. “To be a lawyer, you have to be very black and white and to see right and wrong and you need to make hard and fast decisions, but with everything he does with volunteer work and how involved he is with orientation and how he interacts with people, he knows the whole grey area in between. He knows that there is more to every single story, that there is no right or wrong necessarily,” Dougherty said. “I think that when it comes to something Kyle should do, he very much should be a president or CEO of something because we need people in high positions like Kyle. Kyle could be the President of the United States if he wanted to be–150%. He absolutely could.”

Olivia Belanger can be contacted at obelanger@kscequinox.com

The protection of transgender students across the nation is at risk after the Trump administration reversed federal guidance that directed public schools to allow students to use the restroom and locker rooms that correspond to their gender identities.

The move by the Departments of Justice and Education reverses guidance that the Obama administration publicized in May of 2016. The Washington Post reported that in a letter to the nation’s schools, administration officials plan to say they are withdrawing guidance issued by the Obama administration that found denying transgender students the right to use the bathroom of their choice violates federal prohibitions against sexual discrimination.

Samantha Moore / Art Director

While this administrative decision puts a focus on transgender rights in high schools and middle schools, it could also alter the level of comfort a transgender student has on their college campus.

At Keene State College, the current discrimination and discriminatory harassment policy safeguards transgender students, allowing them to have equal access to the college’s programs, facilities and employment without regard to their gender identity or expression.

Title IX Discrimination and Harassment Coordinator at KSC Jeffrey Maher stated the campus remains committed to supporting an environment that protects the rights of all students, faculty and staff.

“While the current level of support at the federal level may be in a period of adjustment, Keene State’s level of commitment remains steadfast. This issue is more than bathrooms; it is about equality and unrestrained access to all of the educational and employment opportunities offered by Keene State,” Maher stated.

The equality KSC offers to transgender students has not gone unnoticed, according to KSC sophomore and transgender woman Vivian Valengavich. Coming out at the beginning of this year, Valengavich said she has never felt anything but safe and comfortable on campus.

When it comes to the reversal of the bathroom bill, Valengavich plans to continue using the bathroom that is reflective of her gender identity, regardless of a federal or state-level policy.

“I am personally going to continue doing it [using the women’s bathroom] because if someone is able to figure out I am not a biological woman, then they are the one that’s the problem, not me,” Valengavich said. “I pass pretty well, so it would have to take some serious looking to figure out if I’m a trans person walking into the women’s [bath]room.”

For Valengavich, this controversy is not about bathrooms, similar to how segregated water fountains were never about the water fountains.

“We all need to use the bathroom; it’s a human necessity. It’s not about whether or not we can use bathrooms, it’s about people trying to control other populations,” Valengavich said.

Program Support Assistant for LGBTQ Students Hunter Kirschner said he agrees with Valengavich, and these protections are only hurting transgender people.

“People go to the bathroom to use the bathroom. These protections and regulations to keep certain people out of the bathrooms is only hurting trans people who are just trying to live,” Kirschner said. “If your intention to go into a bathroom to harass someone or assault someone, you can’t. We know it is still against the law, but if someone really wants to do that, they’ll do that regardless of what the law says. Assault is not legal because a trans person can use the bathroom.”

Kirschner said he encourages students who are frightened of the Trump administration’s decision to find comfort on the KSC campus. While KSC is in favor of transgender student, faculty and staff rights, Kirschner said he acknowledges that the bathroom which reflects someone’s gender identity is not always a safe place.

A map of all the gender neutral bathrooms on campus has been compiled by Kirschner to make it easier for students to find them on campus. Kirschner is also currently working on making the signs on the gender neutral bathrooms more consistent and easier to identify.

“We’re doing the same thing we have always done in trying to create structure, practice and policy that ensures the comfort of our trans students,” Kirschner said.

Any transgender student who has any questions or concerns regarding their campus experience can stop by the Office of Multicultural Student Support on the second floor of the student center.

Olivia Belanger can be contacted at obelanger@kscequinox.com

Winter break is usually meant for relaxation, but for the Keene State College Dance Team, the workload was piled high. After months of fundraising and practice, the team headed to Orlando, Florida, from Jan. 11-16, where they competed at the Universal Dance Association (UDA) National competition.

The 17 members represented KSC against 22 other colleges from around the nation in the open division. Last year, the team made it to the finals, but this year the competition was “so extreme,” that they did not place.

KSC junior and dance team captain Monica Doorley said that while the team did not make it to the final round, they scored better than the previous year. “We scored better than last year by around two overall points,” Doorley said. “That includes the music, the choreography, the performance and the difficulty, so overall our score was better.”

Contributed photo by Sarah Olson

Even without a trophy to take home, the team’s optimism remained intact. KSC senior and team manager Sarah Olson said that she is happy with their results. “The trophy isn’t everything,” Olson said, “It’s great and I’m glad that we have one from last year, but it’s not everything. We can learn so much from this and it also makes everyone work a little bit harder.”

Both Doorley and Olson said they are proud of the team, especially because they are the only team without a coach paid through the school.

Doorley said she is responsible for all coach-like responsibilities, including choreography. For nationals, the team brings in a choreographer, but Doorley said she adds the team’s own style to the routine after they learn it. “After we receive the dance, it’s my job to clean it, add tricks and change anything as I see fit for the girls,” Doorley said.

While this is Doorley’s third year attending nationals, she said the experience was very different. “As captain, I saw all of the behind-the-scenes stuff,” Doorley said. “I helped with the flights, the hotel, the competition’s rules and regulations; it was a lot of responsibility.”

However, nationals was different for general team members as well. KSC sophomore and team member Kelsey Walsh said that this is her second year attending nationals, which made her feel more prepared.

“I knew what to expect this time around and had a lot more confidence going into it,” Walsh said. “You’re going up against teams from D[ivision] one schools and it’s really intimidating, but at the same time it’s fun to learn from.”

The team received several compliments while at UDA, according to Olson.

Contributed photo by Sarah Olson

“Our hard work definitely did not go unnoticed,” Olson said. “Other teams from other states would come up to us and compliment us, especially since we don’t have a coach.”

Walsh said the experience of the competition is more important than winning. “Our memories that we made together during late practices and in the [Disney] parks are what we are going to really remember and that is what matters,” Walsh said.

Preparation for Nationals began in August, on top of learning other routines to perform at sporting events. Practices start two weeks before the school year begins. “We have practice at least three times a day and they are three or four hours long, and when we go to Florida we have long practices as well,” Olson said.

“Yeah we didn’t make it to finals, but it’s been just as enjoyable and upbeat,” Olson said. “We’re a great team and we are much more than a club. We work really hard and I want others to realize that.”

Olivia Belanger can be contacted at obelanger@kscequinox.com

Six students dressed in superhero costumes stood outside a patient’s door, grasping a small cotton hat. The four-year-old boy inside has been battling cancer for months now, and has spent most of his days stuck in a hospital bed. The hat the students give him is for more than just warmth, it is a symbol for the child and their family to keep fighting.

Love Your Melon began in 2012 as part of an entrepreneurship class at the University of St. Thomas. The company sells hats, shirts and other apparel, and began with a buy-one, give-one-away model. Several student-run chapters are spread across the United States, including the Keene State College campus.

Crae Messer/ Managing Executive Editor

KSC junior Abby Donovan is one of the ambassadors of the campus’ chapter, and is currently the head of public relations for the group. “We really strive to let children know that they’re still loved and as much of a person even if they don’t have hair, which is where the whole ‘melon’ idea came from,” Donovan said.

Donovan was among the six students who went on a patient visit recently, which occurs after a certain amount of sales are reached in their chapter. This was not Donovan’s first visit, but she said that each one is as impactful as the last. During the visit, the students not only give the child and each family member a beanie, but they also stay to play with the child to get their mind out of the hospital.

“It’s so rewarding just being able to meet them and give them a hat that symbolizes so much,” Donovan said. “His facial expression when he got his hat was amazing. His face lit up; he was so excited to have a hat that matches all of ours and I think he felt like he was a part of something bigger.”

In 2015, Love Your Melon donated 51,264 hats to children battling cancer, according to the organization’s website. This success is partially due to the style of the hats, along with other apparel, being popular on college campuses.

KSC senior Jessica Bonacorsi is among the many female students sporting a Love Your Melon beanie. Bonacorsi said while the hats are stylish, she does believe the reason they are trendy has a deeper meaning.

“My motivation behind buying one was that for every hat you buy, a child with cancer gets one too. It’s a great cause and I think that it’s important that the kids know there are other people who support them,” Bonacorsi said.

While Donovan is involved with the organization to support these children, other team members have a more personal reason behind volunteering.

KSC sophomore and general team member Jenna Imbrogna was exposed to lung cancer at a young age when her grandmother was diagnosed. Ultimately, Imbrogna said she wanted to be a part of something on campus that had purpose.

“My nana passed away when I was seven and it had a huge impact on my family,” Imbrogna said. “She was in the ICU, but because my sisters and I were so young, we weren’t allowed to see her. I joined Love Your Melon because of this and I wanted to help others who have been affected [by cancer].”

Both Imbrogna and Donovan promote Love Your Melon through Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to get people involved in events they hold on and off campus.

“It’s great to see everyone have one [Love Your Melon hat], especially when I see people that I don’t know wearing one,” Donovan said. “It’s become so popular, and I think that people see that it’s a great cause and that there are no gimmicks or anything, that we are doing exactly what we say we are.”

Donovan said she is graduating faster than she would like to and hopes that the work that her and the other ambassadors have done on campus will continue once they are gone. Leaving a lasting impression has been one of Donovan’s goals from the start.

“We want to recruit more members that are really passionate about this,” Donovan said. “I just hope that it leaves the impression that the students here are good people because the people that are in our crew are some of the most amazing people I have ever met. They are kind, giving and thoughtful and I hope that people take that away from this campus.”

Olivia Belanger can be contacted at obelanger@kscequinox.com

 It was her first year of college. He was a football player. After her first party, she was drunk and they went to his dorm room.

Four years later, Jessica* said that his initial approach was one of concern, and while she has not forgotten that night, she has also yet to forgive herself.

For even before the rape, Jessica had demons.

Jessica started her college career at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2013, where she had ambitions to become a writer for Self Magazine. Referring to her high school years as dry, Jessica was excited for the notorious parties UMass Amherst had to offer. Having limited experience with alcohol, Jessica became “black-out” drunk at her first college outing.

Initially, Jessica tried to purge the alcohol she had consumed, feeling guilty for allowing thousands of calories into her system. When a friend found her heaving over the toilet, she tried to intervene.

Also drunk, Jessica’s friend became too emotional to be of help and left Jessica to be alone once again.

Then, a familiar, new face appeared. Jessica had met a guy on the football team when sober hours earlier, but it wasn’t until later, when Jessica was drunk and upset, that he pounced. He took her hand and asked what was wrong, leading her into his empty dorm room. “We can talk in my room,” he promised her.

“I remember the way my shorts fell on the floor. I remember him forcing his dick in my mouth. I remember him grabbing his other friend to do the same. I was in-and-out of consciousness; I only remember the bits and pieces,” Jessica said.

What she does remember is that she was raped.

Growing up, Jessica said she always viewed men as a threat. From elementary school through high school, boys bullied her. Along with feeling targeted at school, Jessica felt targeted at home.

Her oldest sister carried “masculine traits,” according to Jessica, causing their relationship to suffer. She said she felt belittled by her sister through hostile behavior, pushing her into a state of low self-esteem. Although her sister and the boys at school were a constant battle, Jessica’s mother was her source of stability.

Initially after the attack, Jessica went back to her room, hysterical and still drunk, and dialed the seven digits she knew would comfort her. When her mother answered the phone, Jessica could not get her thoughts together – stumbling over her words, the alcohol and emotions consuming her – and she hung up.

Her inability to find the words to tell her mother what had happened caused an increase in the suicidal thoughts that had always been with her.

When Jessica’s roommate found her, she was in a state of distress. The guilt Jessica felt from the rapist forcing himself inside her made her feel weak. She just wanted to give up.

The alcohol began to wear off, and Jessica began to frame the words to explain what she had been through. She did not want to bring the assault to the school’s attention, but Jessica’s roommate could not let her story go untold.

The case moved from the Resident Assistant, to the Resident Director and finally to the Dean of Students, all against Jessica’s wishes.

Jessica said that everyone was on her side and wanted her to press charges against her attacker, but Jessica believed the rape was her fault. Four years later, she still believes it.

Jessica blaming herself is not a unique case. She has plenty of company in America’s rape culture.

Rape culture is reflected in a society that shames the victims of a sexual assault. Specifically, the term focuses on the cultural practices of society that excuse or otherwise tolerate sexual violence and the way society collectively thinks about rape, according to the Women Against Violence Against Women (WAVAW).

More often than not, situations involving a form of sexual assault result in a coat of judgment, causing the victim to push blame upon themselves.

KSC Professor of women’s and gender studies Liz Pacilio said that society is driving these victims to self-blame.

Pacilio argued that if we did not live in a rape culture, then when a woman was raped, she would not assume blame because she was passed-out drunk.

Among undergraduate college students, 23 percent of females and five percent of males experienced rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence or incapacitation in 2015, according to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN).

Because of these statistics, Pacilio said she gives out an anonymous survey to each of her classes before getting into their sexual assault unit.

The results revealed that 64 percent of her students said they had been sexually assaulted and 28 percent said they had been raped. Those numbers are consistent semester after semester she said.

Pushing the blame on these victims is why less than one in 100 rapes are reported, according to Pacilio. She argued that if it was safe to report the crime, then the victims would report it. At KSC, only two rapes were reported in 2015 and six were reported in 2014.

“I would report the crime if someone stole my diamond watch or if someone broke into my house, so why don’t I report it when I’m at the party, I’ve had three margaritas and the guy I was flirting with ends up raping me? Why don’t I report the crime? Because I have eternalized in this culture of rape that as a women I am responsible and no one is going to take it too seriously anyways,” Pacilio said.

Pacilio cited the recent Brock Turner case, where a student at Stanford convicted of raping a girl behind a dumpster received a six month prison sentence.

He was released on “good behavior” during his third month, creating an international controversy. Between media coverage and the court hearing, the public saw Turner receive merely a slap on the wrist for destroying a woman’s innocence.

“We almost have to take out our Kleenex box because, ‘Oh my gosh he could have gone to the Olympics and been a senator and now this is going to ruin his life.’ If I’m hearing that and that night I got raped, am I going to go forward? That’s the rape culture,” Pacilio said. “The judge who gives the sentence. The media who grieves his lost future. The victims who feel blame and keep it to themselves and suffer silently. That’s just how the patriarchy wants it.”

And for Jessica, the guilt is her only memory of the night she was attacked.

With no case being filed by Jessica’s request, she found herself in a constant state of depression. On top of her own guilt, her parents also blamed her for being raped, claiming she “shouldn’t have drank that much.” This took a toll on the once steady relationship that she had with her mother.

Crippling self-esteem and lack of purpose led to Jessica dropping out of UMass Amherst in February of 2014.

Months later, she wanted to get her life back on track. Keene State College, among a few others, was one of the only schools Jessica liked.

Once familiar with the KSC campus, Jessica became involved with Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP), a group of student peer-educators coordinated by the on-campus Counseling Center.

By joining MVP, Jessica was able to give other victims of sexual violence what she cannot give herself – the chance to heal.

Even with her now educated background in sexual violence, Jessica still feels a great deal of responsibility. She said if she had had this education before the attack happened, she may have had the courage to file the report.

As a member of MVP, Jessica’s goal is to educate as many people as she can in order to find purpose in herself.

“I definitely think it is far too common that the victims blame themselves. It is societally taught and often based on alcohol consumption or clothing,” Jessica said. “But in reality, how could the burden not feel like ours to carry? How could we not blame ourselves?”

* Jessica is not the victim’s real name. She has asked to remain anonymous.

Olivia Belanger can be contacted at obelanger@kscequinox.com