Let me first start off by saying I respect Boston Bruins Captain Zdeno Chara both as a hockey player and as an individual. The guy has been in the game almost as long as I’ve been alive (to put it into perspective I’m nearly 22-years-old), and if that doesn’t warrant my respect, I don’t know what does. Back in 1996 Chara was drafted in the third round, 56th overall by the New York Islanders at the NHL Entry Draft. He skated with the Islanders from 1997 to 2001 then traded to the Ottawa Senators where he stayed until 2006. The six-foot-nine powerhouse has been playing with the Boston Bruins from 2006 to present day. As a Bruins fan, seeing Chara in any other uniform looks foreign, as he’s been rocking the black and yellow for a decade now.

Throughout his hockey career, Chara has reached some impressive goals worth noting. Big Zee is perhaps most notorious for his slapshot, which clocks in at a deadly 105.9 miles per hour. Despite his size, Chara had big shoes to fill when coming into the Bruins organization. He was named the team’s captain upon the departure of Bruins legend Joe Thornton. Throughout his career, Chara has been named to multiple All-Star games where he set and broke his own records for hardest slapshot. He also won the James Norris Memorial Trophy during his 2008-2009 season with the Bruins.

Jeff Haynes / Associated Press

The Slovakian defensemen has proven himself off the ice as well. He was one of the first NHL players to endorse You Can Play, which is a project that works to take a stand against homophobia in sports. He is also a polyglot, speaking a whopping total of seven languages. In addition, he also has a financial planning diploma from Ottawa’s Algonquin College and received a license to sell real estate in Massachusetts in 2015.

Now that I’ve highlighted his accomplishments both on and off the ice, I can say that it’s time for the Bruins to move on and trade Chara. The B’s disappointed many fans this season with their failure to make playoffs. All money and trade deadlines aside, the Bruins desperately need to revamp their roster. It’s important to be concerned with the now. The almost 40-year-old may need to realize the importance to build younger players. The Bruins need a consistent two-way defensemen. Although players like Jaromir Jagr and Teemu Selanne seemed to defy this scary thing we call ‘aging’ and played well past their expected ages, that lifestyle is not for everyone.

I’m not saying it’s time for Chara to hang up the skates just yet, but I am saying the Bruins need something new, fresh and exciting. While Chara has certainly been a good thing for the Bruins over the past ten years, as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end.

Sabrina Lapointe can be contacted at slapointe@kscequinox.com

Last semester I was enrolled in a sports psychology class. The toughest thing I had to do in that class wasn’t the tests or the papers. The hardest assignment in that class was to define the word ‘game.’ The dictionary defines it as, “a form of play or sport, especially a competitive one played according to rules and decided by skill, strength, or luck.” My definition of the word ‘game’ varied a bit from that. In my mind, a game is a physical or mental activity working

toward achieving a certain goal that is done recreationally and for fun.

If you have been keeping up with the news recently, it has probably been near impossible to watch a day of television without hearing about the National Football League’s investigation of deflated footballs used in the AFC championship game between the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts. There have been countless articles talking about this case, investigating what happened with the footballs during
that game. The NFL has gone to great lengths to bring this issue to the public light and investigate it to the best of its ability.

Philip Bergeron / Graphic Design Editor

I am here to argue that, while this may be an issue in promoting fair and equal play, there are far worse problems going on in the NFL that should be addressed than this. Let me be fair and say that I am an impartial judge in this situation. Despite the fact that I am from New England, I do not consider myself a Patriots fan.

I am not a football fan in general. So, I am not arguing this because I believe the Patriots have done nothing wrong — that really isn’t for me to say. I do believe the outcome of a game at the professional level is important. It is important to both the team and coaches who dedicate their lives to this sport. And it is also important to the fans who support their team and watch the games as a leisurely activity. However, I believe there are far worse issues going on that the NFL needs to address thoroughly before they delve into the issue of footballs that don’t meet league regulations.

In a very sarcastic opinions piece on The Washington Post called “NFL finally dealing with its Most Serious Problem” all of the more important problems in the NFL are discussed. Talking about the proper size of the footballs, the article states, “Each one must be inflated between a minimum of 12½ and a maximum of 13½ pounds per square inch. But at the Patriots/Colts game, the balls were not inflated like that. Think of the millions of children, watching the NFL, hoping to see players they can look up to, players who wield regulation footballs inflated with proper air pressure. How must those children feel? This cannot stand.” The article goes on to subtly incorporate all of the corrupt incidents caused by players in the NFL. On Feb. 15, 2014, concerning news broke about Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice. Video evidence was released of Rice dragging his then fiance, now wife, Janay Palmer from an elevator. He was arrested, charged and released from jail on simple assault charges, according to an article on SB nation. By the end of 2014, on Nov. 28 Rice eventually won his appeal and was reinstated by the NFL.

According to the same article, “A neutral arbitrator overturned Rice’s suspension, forcing the NFL to reinstate Rice and making him immediately eligible to sign with a team and resume playing.” Next we have New York Jets quarterback Michael Vick.

Vick and three associates began a dogfighting operation called “Bad News Kennels,” where the men would train the dogs to fight one another and shot, electrocuted or hung dogs who did not perform well.

After it became a Federal Investigation in 2007, by September 2010 the Philadelphia Eagles named Vick as the team’s starting quarterback and paid him $5.25 million that season, according to an article on Animal Legal Defense Fund.

Just to top things off, in December 2010 Vick stated that in the future he would like to own a dog as a family pet. Michael Vick and Ray Rice are just two examples of NFL players who have done things that are so socially unacceptable yet the NFL turned a blind eye to some of these issues.

The list of professional football players who have done things to this level of corruption could go on — Aaron Hernandez, Brandon, Marshall, Dan Snyder, etc. And I have to admit, there are sick and twisted people everywhere. This is not only seen in the NFL, however it is frequently brought up in the NFL. Why fixate so much time, energy and money on deflated balls when there are far worse things going on in the realm of professional football? If the NFL immediately dealt with and investigated the cases I mentioned above, like they have been with these deflated footballs, the lives of people and animals alike could have been spared.

In the grand scheme of things, the footballs used in that game between the Patriots and the Colts, deflated or not, did not have as much of an impact on the lives of people and our overall well-being as a society. Sure, it was important to investigate and get to the bottom of, however, I believe the NFL should treat all issues that come up in the NFL equally and realize that, after all, it really is just a game.

Sabrina Lapointe can be contacted at slapointe@keene-equinox.com

By his own admission, Arcade J. Joyal liked to drink and liked to party but didn’t like burying his fellow soldiers in a faraway battlefield in France.

He was a French-Canadian man born Aug. 3, 1897 who emigrated with his family to Keene, New Hampshire while still a toddler. Like many Keene residents 100 years ago, he worked in a mill — in Joyal’s case, he made shoes. His shoemaking experience did not leave him prepared for the combat service that he would soon endure. In fact, the same year he became an American citizen is the same year he enlisted in the American army at age 19.  Described as “frail and pale,” nonetheless, he heeded the nation’s call for soldiers when America entered World War 1. That same year Arcade Joyal also became a U.S. citizen.

Like most soldiers Joyal undoubtedly shipped out with the usual clothing, protective gear and weaponry. But tucked away somewhere was a three-inch by seven-inch book with blank pages waiting to be inked by short journal entries about the day-to-day life of war. Joyal’s mother had sent him off to war with kisses, hugs and a diary to keep.

On August 6, 1917, he recorded, “Went to the city of Concord and had a good time. We can’t go in a bar room but we get drunk just the same.” Despite the tedious routine of drill and preparation that lead up to the war, Joyal never failed to sniff or sip his way toward a good time. He especially had a good eye for where the nearest bar may be.

As the diary proceeded, Joyal’s daily life would fluctuate from easy-going, relaxed days, to days where he could see a fellow soldier take his last breath. Sept. 3, 1917, was a lighter day in the life of Joyal. He got to satisfy his sweet tooth and enjoyed the simplicity of doing nothing.“Nothing to do today. We stay around camp to sign the payroll. Everybody is happy today, ice cream for supper.” After a few months passed, it was now February and life wasn’t so sweet anymore. Relaxing with friends and ice cream would soon give way to burying them on the battlefield, and in turn Joyal began to bury his problems with booze. This was now Joyal’s life and although it may not be ideal, it was his life nevertheless.

Camp Keyes

First stop Camp Keyes in Concord, New Hampshire. July 25, 1917, “Left Keene at 6:30 a.m. arriving in Concord at 2:30 p.m. An awful looking place. Went right to work and put up our own tents.” This late July day was Joyal’s beginning of his journey in the Great War and there was no turning back. While setting up his own tent, Joyal realized what was in store for himself. Inadequate living conditions and being in charge of himself was an adjustment for this small-town young man. July 29, 1918, “Got out of bed at 5 a.m. and went to work at 7 a.m. I sawed wood all day. I wish I never joined the army.”

Aug. 3, 1917, “Today is my birthday and I did nothing but enjoy myself. Went down to the city and went to the movies. Very rotten.” Now at age 20, Joyal was looking for any excuse to blunt the realities of the war. He distracted himself with outside festivities like drinking and girls to try to escape this new lifestyle.

Camp Bartlett

Next stop after Camp Keyes was Camp Bartlett in Westfield, Massachusetts. Joyal was in the 26th Division, which later became known as the “Yankee Division.” The division was comprised mostly of  New England men and was where Joyal had his first exposure to combat training. Joyal found himself less than impressed with this kind of drill. Aug. 14, 1917, “We start to drill on the fighting stuff. We had to Bayonet drill all day long and I am sick of it.”

Joyal would mope and complain about having to “drill all day long.” Yet Joyal still resorted to his old trickster self. Joyal had approached his Captain for a pass and was denied. He instead went home on a “French leave” which essentially was the same thing as being away without leave. Aug. 19, 1917, “Ask the captain for a pass and didn’t get it and went home on a French leave, had a good time.” The captain however was no fool and quickly caught on to Joyal’s games. But with the right words and his sneaky smile, he appeared able to talk himself out of trouble.

U.S.S. Saxonia

September 1917, rolled around and the weather was warm and breezy, but the living conditions awaiting Joyal were another story. Conditions on the U.S.S. Saxonia were harsh and many men felt sick to their stomachs, not only for sea-sick reasons, but because of some of the things their poor eyes unwillingly had to see. On Oct. 6, 1917, he recorded, “Still nothing in sight am sick of seeing water. We see a man floating in the water with his head off.”

The 26th Division was now en route to La Havre, France. Arriving in this foreign country was, a culture shock to Joyal. Being exposed only to Quebec and Keene, Joyal was now intrigued by interesting looking European things. On Oct. 20,1917, he wrote “We ride all day in the funny looking cars without anything to eat.” This was yet another adjustment for the Canadian born, small New England town man.

Late in 1917, Joyal experienced an unforgettable first in terms of his military involvement. It was the dead of winter, December to be exact, when Joyal experienced life in the trenches.

Although conditions made him weary and tired, it prepared him for what was to come. On Dec. 3, 1917, he recorded, “Our first time in the practice trenches. We hike to Neucheateau and back taking our dinner and supper with us.”

Being from Canada did not make winters in France any easier for Joyal, especially when they consisted of being in the trenches. Living in the trenches left Joyal waking up feeling so sore and cold that he would take a swig of whiskey as a remedy to warm up. Throughout the diary a recurring practice for Joyal was using alcohol as a coping technique.

Liffol-le-Grand

Shortly after this practice in the trenches came the real deal. The entire 26th Division arrived in Liffol-le-Grand which is located in Northeastern France.

From there they boarded a transport train and headed in the direction of the frontline. Relieved, they eventually reached their destination of Crouy, France on Feb. 6.

This small French town had been taken and retaken several times and was now in the hands of the 26th Division. In doing so, this was their first real entrance to the Great War. Roughly one week later casualties within the platoon began. On Feb. 13 he recorded, “Went out that night and dug trenches, under shell fire one man killed and three wounded in our platoon.”

Toul Sector

Military life was unpredictable. Joyal never knew where tomorrow would take him. The next stop in his journey was moving into the Toul Sector, which is a comune in Northeastern France. Joyal and his company spent most of their days drilling throughout the sector. He also spent a vast majority of his time digging graves to bury his fellow soldiers. The same men he had bonded with the day before, he now buried. On April 30 he experienced a heartache, losing many men he had grown to know and love. “The same work, we have a funeral for twelve soldiers, very sad.” Joyal was a man of few words in his diary but sometimes that was all that it took. Shortly after, the Toul Sector was destroyed when it was hit with artillery bombardment by the Germans. Joyal was sent in to find the wounded and help bring them back to health. On June 8 he recorded “A heavy bombardment, I carry wounded all day, very tired.”

Chateau Thierry Front

His legacy and contributions to the Great War will live on forever in the pages of his small diary archived at the Cheshire County Historical Society.

Joyal was next sent to the Chateau Thierry Front, which turned out to be a battle in the war. For a few days everything fell silent. The silence was shattered on July 1.

“A heavy gas bombardment sleep in small holes in the ground. Six of our men seriously gassed.” Conditions continued to leave Joyal and his company weary and feeling helpless.

Nearly starving, Joyal yearned for nothing more than to be back home with his family in safe little Keene, New Hampshire. July 22, “Still pushing, nearly starved, three days without eating.”

With a battle life of constant fluctuation, August seemed a month of ups for Joyal. The majority of time during this month was spent fooling around with French woman, practicing his pick-up lines. Aug. 10 1918, “We visit a French woman that was set free by us in the drive and hear her story.”

When he wasn’t hanging out getting drunk, he enjoyed Paris nightlife. Enjoying himself appeared a necessary break from the harsh living conditions he had been enduring. No amount of beers or women could cure Joyal from the grim realities of the war, but it was worth a shot.

The Verdun Front

The Verdun Front where the Battle of Verdun was fought, unknowingly became Joyal’s last chapter in his ongoing nightmare of war. It was Oct. 13 when his division was told they would be entering Verdun. “Get ready for a hike to the Verdun front. Didn’t like to go there.” It was only day two of being in Verdun when heavy German bombardment came dangerously close to killing Joyal. While his journal entries appear that he is cool, calm and collected, Joyal lived in a constant state of fear.  Oct. 25, “A heavy bombardment killing a few men. I have close calls.”

All of the violence and terror came to an abrupt halt on Nov. 11. Around 10:30 a.m. Joyal and his fellow men halted their actions. “Go over the top at 10:30 a.m. and fight orders not to shoot no more.” Joyal’s heart filled with so much emotion, he did not even know how to contain himself. Joyal now realized there may finally be an ending to the madness.

There is no doubt that Joyal questioned his survival during the war. There were many instances where he wondered whether or not he would ever see Keene again. Finally, on March 28, 1919, Joyal and the 2nd Battalion boarded the U.S.S America. It was a day of heavy rain, but this did not stop Joyal and his fellow soldiers from their pure excitement. “Left camp at 7 a.m. reached the part at 2 p.m. Aboard the U.S.S. America at 3 p.m. sailed at 7 p.m. Rained all day everybody happy.”

Journey back home

Fast forward to April 3, homesick is an understatement for Joyal. “Passing away the time on the water watching the wave. Looking for land, none in sight everybody anxious to get home.”

Two days later on April 5, his journey would now end. Land was in sight. “On deck at 6 a.m. looking for land. Seen land at noon, docked at Boston at 2 p.m. a very good welcome lasting all day and all night.”

Years after his return home to Keene from the war, he married Mary Joyal and together they raised their two sons Lawrence and Richard and daughter Rita. Joyal did not live the remainder of his life in Keene, however. He instead moved to Fitchburg, Massachusetts where he continued working as a shoemaker. He eventually retired in the late 1960s. When Joyal died, he was buried in his home of Keene. Nearly 40 years later, his legacy and contributions to the Great War will live on forever in the pages of his small diary.

When someone mentions cheerleading, there are probably two images that first come to mind. The first image might include sideline cheerleaders with pompoms chanting encouragements to a football team. The other image, however, may look like a high-speed routine filled with back handsprings, helicopters, basket tosses and other advanced cheering stunts. What I am talking about here is the high-level competition cheerleading that we see all over the world.     Allow me to start off by mentioning that I am not and never was a cheerleader. However, as someone who has gotten the opportunity to spectate at events where cheerleaders perform, to say I was in awe would be an understatement. With that said, I would like to challenge all those out there who argue that cheerleading is not a sport. 

Kyle Bailey / Photo Editor

According to a livestrong.com article, some reasons people argue that cheerleading isn’t a sport include comments such as, “The activity is still too underdeveloped and disorganized to be treated as offering genuine varsity athletic participation opportunities for students.” The claim this makes is that the sport itself lacks organization and structural rules.

This does not say anything about the level of athleticism it requires to be a competition cheerleader. In terms of physical abilities, I would argue cheerleaders are some of the toughest athletes there are. Engaging in the sport means risking a high chance of injuries, some that could potentially be career ending or, at the very worst, lethal. Like many other sports, cheerleading is made up of a team that is expected to communicate and work together in order to achieve a common goal. According to livestrong.com cheerleaders work to incorporate elements of dance, tumbling and gymnastics to create performance routines. In doing so, this requires a coach or a person of proper knowledge and skill related to cheering. It is the coach’s responsibility to supervise the routines and make sure everything goes smoothly, along with teaching the fundamentals, up to the more skillful components of the sport.

Similar to any other sport, there is a competitive aspect. Cheerleading teams train and prepare to compete against others. Their competitions are organized and scheduled. They are also assessed on their performance, which then determines a winner. For someone to argue that what these men and women pour their lives into isn’t a sport is a true slap in the face to the athletes themselves. This is not to discredit the work of athletes in other sport settings, however, I would argue that cheerleaders work just as hard if not harder than other mainstream sports we see today. I believe a particular person and his or her perception of what sport is, is very dependent on his or her own personal experiences. If a person grew up playing contact sports only, such as football or ice hockey, it would not be uncommon for that person to assume that all sports must be of high contact in order to be justified as a ‘real’ sport.

What these people need to do is become more open minded and realize that there is a plethora of different variety of sports and just because they may not be as physical as their own, does not make them any less of a sport. I would also argue that many people decide not to validate cheerleading as a sport because it is typically a sport performed by females.

I would like to acknowledge the many men out there who do identify as cheerleaders, however, it is no surprise that they are not in the majority. It has taken decades upon decades for women in sports to receive any kind of recognition.

Now women have certainly reached a certain level of recognition, but they are still far from where men stand today in terms of sport. Maybe if cheerleading was a male-dominated sport it would be taken more seriously and that is something I find to be completely unfair.

When watching a sport, whatever it may be, it is important to give credit to the athletes that sacrifice so much of themselves for something they hold so close to their hearts. When we try to take that away from them and say that their sport isn’t legitimate, we are not being fair to their hard work, talent and skill.

Sabrina Lapointe can be contacted at slapointe@keene-equinox.com

For many high school and college-aged students, fitting in and being with the socially deemed “cool crowd” is a main concern. 

The question is just how far will some people go to be in with the so-called cool crowd? The concept I’m talking about here is hazing.

Hazing takes place in many different forms and in all different organizations. Whether it be a sports team, a club or Greek Life, I would like to take a look at some of these cases of hazing and why they are taking place.

According to an article on Elite Daily, “At Tulane University, pledges for Pi Alpha Kappa were put under boiling water for the most physically enduring pain they’d ever had.

Sarah Morrison / Equinox Staff

Fraternity brothers used boiling water containing pepper spray and a ‘crab boil’ seasoning mixture containing cayenne pepper to pour over their victims’ backs.”

This level of hazing does not even rank close to some of the worst incidents.

Also according to Elite Daily, in 1999 the state of Vermont passed an anti-hazing law after University of Vermont hockey players forced freshmen team members to drink warm beer until they vomited and perform something called an “elephant walk.”

For the sake of my readers, I will not go into detail about what this elephant walk entails.

However, I will say it includes being humiliated and sexually assaulted by other teammates.

Urban Dictionary can give you a pretty graphic description if you are interested in reading about what these young men experienced.

In the absolute worst of scenarios, extreme forms of hazing can even lead to death. At the State University of New York, hazing was taken to a level so extreme that one young man died as a result.

According to Elite Daily, “In March 2003, Walter Dean Jennings III was pledging Psi Epsilon Chi when he was forced to drink numerous pitchers of water, often to the point of vomiting. He ended up drinking so much that his brain swelled and he died from water intoxication.”

Okay, so the point is clear. In our society, hazing has been taken way too far. I think it is more than worth it to take a moment and ask ourselves, why?

Why do so many young people put themselves through humiliating rituals just for the satisfaction of being recognized on a certain team, club, fraternity or sorority?

Personally, I believe that this should by no means be tolerated by anyone. For myself, I know that if I were ever interested in joining a new club or team here on campus, the moment I came across anything that seemed to come up on my radar as hazing, I would report it.

Maybe the form of hazing wouldn’t be life-threatening or would not seem like a big deal to some but small scale hazing only leads to larger scale hazing. Forms of hazing will only be funny until whoever is in charge becomes bored and comes up with something bigger, better, more extreme.

I strongly encourage anyone who has experienced some form of hazing to speak up and report what is going on.

I do not believe that anyone should risk their life merely for recognition in a certain social group. An individual’s self worth as a person most certainly outweighs the approval of others.

Hazing rituals have been reported for countless years. This is an ongoing issue where many young people are caught between wanting to fit in and not wanting to feel a lifetime of humiliation and embarrassment.

Personally, I have been a part of dozens of clubs, sports and other organizations throughout my academic life. I have played ice hockey close to my entire life, I have played lacrosse and field hockey, have been a part of multiple clubs in high school and college and I am blessed to say I have never endeavored a form of hazing to my knowledge. I believe teams, clubs and Greek life, whatever it may be, should look to new ways to get people involved.

Being a part of a group is about unity, teamwork and strong collaborative efforts. It is not about humiliation and near death experiences. What may seem funny to some could end up much more dramatic than an innocent joke.

We have seen an influx of attempts to stop hazing on high school and college campuses so it is safe to say we are trying to head in the right direction.

Some of these steps, according to Team Captains Network, include developing strong, positive, responsible leaders, providing positive alternatives to hazing, meeting with leaders to discuss views and policies on hazing, cite examples of imitations gone bad, install a buddy system and encourage newcomers to report any anticipated or actual hazing.

Taking these precautionary measures could help build a safer, healthier, happier and friendlier environment for high school and college campuses everywhere.

Everyone should feel comfortable joining whatever club or team that may be of interest to them without the fear of hazing standing in their way.

Sabrina Lapointe can be contacted at slapointe@keene-equinox.com

Kyle Bailey / Photo Editor

Feminism. It’s a term that goes misunderstood more times than not. If you identify as a feminist, you have probably been posed questions along the lines of, “So does that mean you hate men?” or, “Are you just angry and confused about your sexuality?” Although these questions seem harsh, they speak loudly about the misconceptions structured around feminism. 

The definition of feminism, according to dictionary.com, is, “The doctrine advocating social, political and all other rights of women equal to those of men.”

The key word there is equal. What many seem to confuse is the motive behind feminist theories. First of all, I would like to rightfully mention that men, too, can identify as feminists.

At its core, feminism promotes equality for all. That goes for all races, genders, classes and sexual orientations, among other things. The idea behind feminism is not to put women a step ahead of men, but rather to get them at the same level.

The goal is to create an equal playing field. Although we have reached great milestones in making it to this goal, we are still far from reaching it.

For nearly all of time, women have been oppressed by their male counterparts. It’s sad, but it’s the reality of the matter. Just to put things into perspective, let’s take a look back in history.

Not even a full one-hundred years have passed since women have been awarded the right to vote. It was only in 1920 that women received their deserved right to vote. Prior to that, women essentially had no say in how the government was run. It is obvious that as a result of this, their interests were pushed aside while maintaining white male dominance that was brought to the forefront of all issues.

Another issue around the idea of feminism is the idea that all feminists are radical. While there are most certainly some radical feminists out there, that does not necessarily speak for the majority of people who identify as feminists.

Feminism looks at everything through an analytical eye. It views systems of oppression as institutions that place restrictions on certain people based solely from something not within their own control.

The purpose of writing this article is to bring to light the idea that feminism — in my definition of it — is not about bashing men and trying to exclude them from our practices, but rather to give meaning to this idea of overall equality.

Although we have come a long way in the United States specifically, we are still far from the ideal world. I must admit, compared to more underdeveloped countries, we have it pretty good here in the U.S.

We do not face extreme forms of patriarchy like some other countries do. We are not exiled and we are allowed to receive an education. However, what we still do not have, even in 2014, is equal pay for women.

There still exists this notion that even though two individuals are doing the exact same work, the male will experience better pay.

Now, this is most certainly not the case everywhere, however, it does still happen. To identify as a feminist is risky business. You jeopardize how people may perceive you. The stigma often attached to feminists is that they are angry man haters. I am writing to express in every way possible that this is not what feminism stands for.

In fact, feminists fight for racial justice as well. Any group of people that has faced oppression is in the interest of feminists.

As a collective society, I hope that we can all take a step back and look at the larger picture. We need to reconsider what it means to be a woman, because I would argue that women have moved far beyond their kitchen duties and are soaring into the roles of CEOs.

Sabrina Lapointe can be contacted at slapointe@keene-equinox.com

As I stood in line this morning waiting for my breakfast (which is coincidentally my favorite meal of the day) I eagerly watched the cook as he cracked my eggs I had just ordered. 

I stood tapping my foot impatiently while watching his every move, wishing that he could move faster because I was already in a rush — not to mention I tend to have a hearty appetite in the morning.

My wait in line this morning lead me to an epiphany. The Zorn Dining Commons staff work so hard to feed us efficiently and they try to make it as appetizing as possible, given their limitations. As I took a look around the ‘DC’, I noticed countless workers in their blue and red shirts, replenishing stacks of clean plates for us to take, constantly refilling silverware at all the different stations and most of all, cleaning up after our messes.

Olivia Schiaffo / Equinox Staff

What really struck me was how so many of them did this with a smile. They did this while making sure they greeted us asking how we were doing today, sometimes even making small talk about upcoming campus events or how the weather is.

All too often I hear students complain about the ‘DC’. I hear comments such as, “The ‘DC’ has no good options” or, “the ‘DC’ needs to be open later,” among many other negative remarks. I believe the student body should be more sympathetic for the amount of hard and oftentimes thankless work these kind people do for us on a daily basis. I understand that sometimes it is frustrating when you come into the DC, take a lap around the entire building and find that nothing strikes you as appealing. I can truthfully say I have felt this way many times, so I am absolutely guilty of this. However, I soon realized how good we truly have it.

Nearly every single day you can count on having pizza, pasta, burgers, a full salad bar, a minimum of two different soup options, a vegan meal, wraps and sandwiches, a large selection of cereal, a yogurt and fruit station, a bread station, among many other things I am sure I am forgetting right at your fingertips.

If you honestly cannot find one of these food options to be of interest to you, the problem isn’t the dining commons — it’s probably you. Although these options may not be your first choice or what you’re exactly in the mood for at that particular time, it is a meal and you should feel grateful that you have access to a warm meal every day, since many people in the world are unable to say that for themselves.

Now, I acknowledge the fact that we pay a large sum of money to dine in this facility, so it is understandable that we have expectations and want to get our money’s worth. However, a very bad habit I see many students doing is leaving a mountain of plates, food, napkins and cups all over the table. It is common courtesy to clean up after yourselves and bring your plates to the dish room.

It really is a simple task that does not require much effort at all. I always feel infuriated when I see the ‘DC’ workers cleaning up after a huge group of people who decided they were entitled to leave their mess behind.

The dining common workers are here to tidy up and make sure all the tables remain in an orderly fashion and are cleaned. They are not our waiters and waitresses. I see it as a sign of disrespect to assume that someone else will take care of your mess. Personally, I love the atmosphere of being in the ‘DC.’ It is really a beautiful facility when you take the time to look around and really appreciate it.

The staff is made up of hard working individuals who do their best to feed us with a variety of meals each and every day. I believe that we need to give both the DC itself and its workers more credit. Every time I walk out of the DC, not only am I well-fed, but I am also filled with appreciation for what these individuals do for me each day, for every single meal.

Sabrina Lapointe can be contacted at slapointe@keene-equinox.com

A solid 14 years have passed since I have eaten a single piece of meat. In other words, I became a vegetarian at the tender age of six.  

Very rarely do I go around telling people that I am a vegetarian because answering questions about it gets old.

Betsy Thompson / Equinox Staff

However, I am explaining myself for the sake of this article and to explain that being a vegetarian is not nearly as easy as it may seem. I have always had a natural curiosity about the world around me (some would argue that is why I went into journalism).

As a young and naive six-year-old, I became increasingly interested in knowing what I was being fed at the dinner table.

Once my parents gently broke it down to me that I was eating a chicken, or a cow, I was absolutely taken aback. From that point on, I decided I would no longer eat something with a face.

Now, go ahead and laugh, but if I could go back in time and thank my six-year-old self for that silly logic, I would.

As I have grown older, I have learned about all of the health benefits associated with being a vegetarian.

However, with these benefits comes some major hassles.  I cannot tell you how difficult it is to eat at a restaurant and find something to eat other than a salad.

In fact, oftentimes I have to specifically order salads without meat because that is how frequently they include meat.

Now, this is not to say that meat is bad for you and everyone should become a vegetarian. I am definitely not trying to argue that.

I recognize that meat is a great source of protein and that by nature humans are meant to eat animals.

With that said, I have made the personal choice to exclude meat from my diet.

Taking a step back, it is important I mention that it is especially difficult for me to go out to eat at chain restaurants versus local ones.

From my experience, local restaurants do a much better job at including a wide variety of meals which appeal to people with all kinds of eating restrictions.

Other than this effort to accommodate for vegetarians in some local restaurants, the struggle to find a meal on the-go is real.

According to statistics compiled by market research group Datassential, “About one-third of quick-service restaurants are menuing at least one dish identified as vegetarian, either in name or description.”

Well, I can’t deny, that’s an improvement. At least one-third of the places I dine in will offer me one sole option.

Luckily, I’m not a very picky eater. I recognize that vegetarian dishes are probably not the hottest-selling plates and definitely not what people come to restaurants for.

But every time I find a restaurant that has made the effort to offer me at least one option, I feel acknowledged by society.

I do not expect to walk into a restaurant and be handed a menu with a plethora of vegetarian or vegan options, but it is a slap in the face when I legitimately cannot find one meal I am able to eat so that I have to get up and leave the restaurant altogether. Taking into consideration all different kinds of people and their eating restrictions is something I strongly encourage the restaurant business to start doing.

Sabrina Lapointe can be contacted at slapointe@keene-equinox.com.

There’s no denying that as college students, we go to great lengths just to fulfill our caffeine addictions. 

Already late to class? You can bet I’m still waiting in this horrendous line at the Dunkin’ Donuts for my pumpkin spice iced coffee. Running low on cash?

That won’t stop me from dropping five or six bucks at Starbucks for a tasty caramel frappuccino.

Despite our questionable efforts to always ensure that we have that caffeinated drink in our hands, I truly believe that we would be just fine without coffee or any caffeinated drinks for that matter.

Don’t get me wrong, I sure love my coffee, soda and energy drinks but when I really gave it some deep thought, I found myself wondering how much it actually does for me in terms of keeping me alert.

Sure caffeine will keep you awake, but does it really keep you running in a way that is healthy?

Philip Bergeron / Graphic Design Editor

According an article on livestrong.com, “Excess consumption of caffeine can lead to side effects such as a shaky, jittery feeling, a rapidly beating heart, nervousness or dizziness.” So, yes, it will keep you awake, but this type of alertness may make you feel uncomfortable.

This is not to say that I am not guilty of catering to my caffeine addiction. Most of the times I find myself drinking coffee, soda or energy drinks simply because I’m a sucker for a sweet drink.

If you’re drinking caffeinated drinks because you enjoy the taste, then go for it.

But if you’re drinking them because you want to stay awake, you make want to explore other options that will be more beneficiary to you. According to the article on livestrong.com there are multiple other ways to help keep you awake and energized throughout the day without the help of caffeine. “Healthy methods of a providing an energy boost include getting regular physical activity, reducing your amount of stress or working less, eating a diet that contains several types of low-glycemic foods, such as nuts and high-fiber vegetables and drinking water throughout the day.”

Speaking for myself, I know that nothing gets me pumped up and energized more than a getting a good, hard sweat out at the gym.

Even if you just take a quick half-hour out of your day to do some cardio at the gym, you might be amazed at the results.

There is a common misconception that working out will only make you feel even more tired than you actually do. I completely disagree. Oftentimes I walk into the gym feeling groggy and out of sorts.

But once I’ve gotten my workout in, I feel like a whole new person.

I feel more alert and much more prepared to tackle any of the days problems. I am by no means an anti-caffeine person.

In fact, I frequent the Bean and Bagel on campus to get that vanilla caramel cream iced coffee I dream about all class.

However, that doesn’t mean that I can’t think twice about my ways of recharging.

Consciously realizing that there are healthier, more effective ways to stay awake is something that we all need to realize.

Sabrina Lapointe can be contacted at slapointe@keene-equinox.com

Anonymity has been taken to a whole new level with a sudden boom in popularity with social media app, Yik Yak. 

According to an article on FoxNews.com written by Joshua Rhett Miller, “Yik Yak was launched in December by 23-year-old entrepreneurs Brooks Buffington and Tyler Droll, two recent college graduates who designed the app to work like a virtual bulletin board for any 1.5 mile radius.”

Yik Yak is an app where users can make posts for anyone within their radius to see.

Whoever views these posts has the ability to up-vote or down-vote the posts.

The most controversial part of it all is that it’s totally anonymous. What’s wrong with that you might wonder? I’d say just about everything.

Philip Bergeron / Graphics Editor

Anonymity allows people the opportunity to hide behind their computers or phone screens and make comments about others without suffering the consequences.

This is not to say that everyone who uses the app has bad intentions. Not every post found on Yik Yak is a negative one, however, it only takes a few inappropriate comments before things get blown completely out of proportion.

There have been recent incidents at nearby schools where the app was used so inappropriately, the school decided to block the app entirely.

Norwich University, located just under two hours away from Keene in Northfield, Vt., has recently blocked access to the app on campus.

The university’s president Richard Schneider had to take the necessary action to block the app to send a message to his students.

He said in a Huffington Post article written by Wilson Ring, “I just know that it is hurting my students right now,” he said, “They are feeling awkward, they are feeling hurt, they are feeling threatened.”

In the case at Norwich, students were using it as a way to cyberbully other students on campus.

It was used in a cruel and ruthless manner that put students in such discomfort they didn’t even feel safe in their own school environment. You can bet your bottom dollar this is happening at more schools than just Norwich. Based off some of the posts I’ve read here at Keene State, you could say that I’m less than impressed with our school and what we have to say about our fellow classmates.

Of course there are many people out there who use the app tastefully and say things that are completely harmless.  However, it is those select few using it maliciously who ruin it for us all. Unfortunately, I think our generation has relied on technology so much that we pounce on any opportunity to communicate with people in a virtual way instead of being face-to-face. This is not to say that I prefer people to insult others to their face, but I believe that if apps like this didn’t exist, we would not have the amount of bullying that we do.

College is a place of learning, growth and self-discovery. It should not be a place where people feel uncomfortable being themselves because they may later find an anonymous post on a social media website putting them down.

As cliché as it sounds, I think we all need to revisit what we learned during our elementary school years. As juvenile as this saying may sound, I have found this to hold so much truth throughout my 20 years of life.  We need to refer back to that golden rule we learned so long ago: if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.

Sabrina Lapointe can be contacted at slapointe@keene-equinoc.com