Issuu

Volume XXII, Issue 6

Tyler Leighton Editor-in-Chief

December 9: Happy Holidays!

HILLARY CLINTON VISITS SNHU

Black

Editorials | 2

Arts & Entertainment | 11-13 Health & Wellness | 14-15 Sports | 16

Fit-Tip| Page 15 Men and Women's Basketball | Page 15

mentioned raising the country's minimum wage, instituting paid family leave, and making it so that it was easier for community banks to lend to small businesses as an economic plan that helped both genders and the economy

as a whole. Clinton stated in her speech, "I want to be the small business President and I mean it." She went on to speak about women's

..........

Please continue to page 2.

Lexi Emersom Staff Writer On Dec 2. the Student Government Association (SGA) chapter at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) held its annual Celebration of Light ceremony in the Student Center from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. While this event has been held in the past, this year, participants may have noticed a refreshing difference from years past. For the first time here at SNHU, the Celebration of Light encompassed the celebration of all winter holidays, including the celebration of other cultures, religions, and tolerance in the varied celebrations. The event featured a chance for students to make their own paper bag lanterns, a hot chocolate and holiday treat table, a Salvation Army toy donation station, a door decoration contest, live entertainment by Texas native Colin Hauser, holiday letter writing opportunities for deployed troops, and more. While SGA headed the table

of sponsors, SGA Vice President Jessica Gallant was sure to send shout outs to the co-sponsoring clubs that took part in the night. She stated that “the International Student Association, Hospitality Student Association, Office of Diversity Initiatives, Office of Institutional Advancement, Coordinators of Activities and Program Events (CAPE) At SNHU, the Outreach Program, Radio SNHU, and the Student Veterans Association all helped make this event possible.” In previous years, the Celebration of Light ceremony celebrated the Christmas season with an annual lighting of tree ceremony. This year diversity was celebrated in a change that was accepted enthusiastically by many individuals, one of which was President Paul Leblanc. In a speech opening with recognition of the events that happened earlier in the week in CA, President Leblanc emphasized how joyous it was to be surrounded by the collection of individuals that make up the SNHU campus who “come to-

Logan McCarthy

Featuring:

on the panel. The Summit's topic was women's economic opportunity, but the speech given by Clinton to the audience was not limited only to opportunity, but change for the future. Clinton

CELEBRATION OF LIGHT 2.0

Opinion | 7-9 Creative| 910

Hillary Clinton visiting SNHU.

President Leblanc giving his address to SNHU. gether and delight in differences at a place where people like you are celebrating light amongst the darkness.” When asked to comment on what makes this year’s Celebration of Light ceremony so special, President Leblanc stated, “We seem to be in a period of religious tolerance [at SNHU] a period that is timely and much needed.”

After opening speeches commenced, students proceeded to the many activities presented for the night, and many voiced their approval for the event using the hashtag on Twitter #SNHUlights. SGA plans to keep up with this new Celebration of Light event in following years, stressing the importance of religious, and cultural tolerance, and acceptance.

Black

Hilary Clinton came to Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) Thursday Dec. 3, the appearance was part of the university's Women's Economic Opportunity Summit. The second floor of the Dining Center was filled with secret service and extra security as the Democratic candidate arrived. The line for the event circled out of the Dining Center all the way to the Library Learning Commons. The events crowd neared 600 as Clinton came to the stage with Donna Soucy, NH Senator from Manchester and SNHU's MaryAnn Manoogian, Executive Director of the Center for Women's Business Advancement. The event was opened by SNHU Provost Patty Lynott who introduced the women speaking

Cyan Magenta

News | Front & 3-6

Manchester, NH

Kenneth Karns

May Mullen

Cyan Magenta

What's Inside:

penmenpress@snhu.edu

December 9, 2015

editorial The Penmen Press Staff 2015-2016 CO-EDITOR IN CHIEF Bryan Creevy bryan.creevy@snhu.edu CO-EDITOR IN CHIEF Tyler Leighton tyler.leighton@snhu.edu MANAGING ASSISTANT Brendon DiBiasio brendon.dibiasio@snhu.edu ADVERTISING EDITOR Ceilene Mitchell celiene.mitchell@snhu.edu ADVERTISING EDITOR Jaime.Mailloux jaime.mailloux@snhu.edu CO-COPY EDITOR Megan Palmer megan.palmer@snhu.edu

Cyan Magenta

NEWS EDITOR Nicole Clark nicole.clark2@snhu.edu OPINION EDITOR Jesiree Carrera jesiree.carrera@snhu.edu ARTS & Tyler Leighton ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR tyler.leighton@snhu.edu

SPORTS EDITOR Matthew Martin matthew.martin1@snhu.edu CREATIVE EDITOR Katerina Wilhelmi katerina.wilhelmi@snhu.edu FACULTY ADVISER Jon Boroshok j.boroshok@snhu.edu

We are looking to fill several editorial positions for the 2015-2016 academic school year. We would like to fill these positions ASAP in order to provide the proper training. Positions that are available for application and interviews are: Staff Writers | We are always looking for new staff writers and contributors to the Penmen Press! No interview or application for these positions necessary. If interested, please e-mail penmenpress@snhu.edu with your information!

active on campus and we've had Penmen Press teams for the charity event Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, The Center for Community Engaged Learning's Give a Little Feed a Lot food drive, as well as volunteering to make blankets for the local women's shelter with S.A.G.E. It's extremely rewarding to see our staff outside of our meetings representing the Penmen Press in the community. We've accomplished a lot in just one semester, but that doesn't mean we don't want to expand our efforts into next year and the Spring semester. We've discussed some goals which we aren't ready to share just yet, but stay up to date with The Penmen Press on our social media profiles. As many of us leave for the Winter break, we'll leave you with this: The Penmen Press is happy to report the stories on and around campus that wouldn't be known otherwise. We can't wait to continue to reporting and be active this Spring!

.......... Clinton Continued from page 1. economic opportunity stating, "When women are strong, families are strong and when families are strong, America is strong." Clinton's speech to the crowd was derailed from the topic of women to focus on the instance of gun violence that had happened in San Bernadino, California the day before. Clinton made a call for stricter gun control in America. Clinton commented, “If you’re too dangerous to fly in America, you are too dangerous to buy a gun in America. How can anyone of good conscious disagree with that?” When the discussion was opened up for questions, there was another change in topic. The final question from the audience, asked by Khaleel Shreet, a Syrian student at SNHU, asked Clinton what she thought of Syrian Presi-

Kenneth Karns

The Southern New Hampshire University Penmen Press is a news publication produced by Southern New Hampshire University students and funded largely by the Student Government Association of the University. It is our responsibility to inform the SNHU community about events on and around campus. The Penmen Press will print any material found to be factual and in good taste by the editorial staff of the paper. The views published do not necessarily reflect the views of Southern New Hampshire University. The Penmen Press is published biweekly during the academic year and is printed by the Concord Monitor. To contact the newspaper, please e-mail us at penmenpress@snhu.edu.

"The Penmen Press presents: Inside Out", in the Last Chapter Pub during Memorial Day Weekend. It was a lot of work to accomplish, but over 100 people came out to watch the film on the holiday weekend. The response was so positive that we're happy to announce that we'd like to present another film on Memorial Day weekend next year! We've also made it so that The Penmen Press is now available online! You can access any of our issues from the Fall semester at Issuu.com. All you have to do is search for the Penmen Press and you can scroll through every issue as well as bonus content that we couldn't fit into our layouts. These include uncut articles as well as some articles that couldn't find a place due to space limitations. Our organization has seen a great deal of success this semester, but it's our fantastic staff members who have made it happen. We wanted to become more

Clinton continuing her speech. dent Bashar al-Assad, the revolution and conflict that has affected Syria in past years. Clinton responded to Shreet's question by saying that she didn't see a military solution to the Syrian crisis, and that this solution must involve the removal of President

Assad. “We can’t say we’re going to only focus on Assad or only focus on ISIS. We have two very serious problems that are most significantly causing such death and destruction for the Syrian people, but now even beyond Syria.”

Black

HEALTH & WELLNESS Annie Boghigian EDITOR anna.boghigian@snhu.edu

The Penmen Press has experienced great change over the course of this Fall semester. It began with a new co-editor-in-chief and a lot of new ideas that have paid off greatly in the past four months. But our biggest goal becoming more active on campus. Our first effort at improving our visibility on campus was the Welcome Back issue. This special issue was put together by our returning staff over the summer and made ready and available on campus for Freshman First Days. The issue was a huge success and showed the kind of quality that we have strived to replicate in every issue since. We don't have statistics, but we think the Welcome Back issue was a success as it lead to the largest Involvement Fair recruitment in our organization's history. Over 70 students signed up to be a part of our staff. Another moment that we were hugely proud of this semester was our event,

Cyan Magenta

CO-COPY EDITOR Rebecca LeBoeuf rebecca.leboeuf@snhu.edu

Penmen press semester wrap-up

News SNHU's Think INternational Fair: Getting Internationalized

Annie Boghigian Health & Wellness Editor

The week of Nov 15. Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) held a Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week that was put on by the Center for Community Engaged Learning (CCEL). The campus started off the week with a faces of homelessness panel. This event was put on by Rachael Straehle, a junior at SNHU. There were four members on the panel who told their stories about being homeless and the struggles they faced while being homeless. Then, there were also two members on the panel who were service workers. They spoke about the organizations that they work with to help out the homeless. Johanna Leazott, a junior from SNHU, said, “This panel helped open the eyes of the SNHU community and made students more knowledgeable on this topic.” Zach Ingrassi and Chris Temple from the documentary "Living on One Dollar" came to the SNHU campus to talk about how they lived in Guatemala off a dollar a day. They made many friends young and old during their experience. They lived in a small hut with a dirt floor and had a thin mat to sleep on the

Architecture in New England

From Nov.18 to Dec. 19, the McInich Art gallery on the first floor of Robert Frost Hall will be displaying prints, paintings, photographs, and drawings showcasing different examples of architecture in New England. Different buildings, both antiquated and modern, come to life in the vivid portraits. Curated by Professor Colin Root, the art work embraces New England architecture from the colonial to the contemporary. “New England is unique,” says Professor Root, “different periods, different styles, different

ventures intermingle in the same space. We don’t really tear down our buildings, we allow them to grow old next to the new ones.” In the center of the room is an ionic pilaster capital designed by the architect Charles Bullfinch. This pilaster was once part of the original Fanuel Hall in Boston which was extensively remodeled and expanded by Bullfinch in 1804. The piece itself is wooden and conjures images of Boston’s rich history. An antique print of Quincy Market also hangs in the gallery, a delicately sketched rendering of how the building appeared in 1882. “It really shows

the historical side of Boston,” said Amanda Fakiri, gallery attendant and Boston local. Other interesting art pieces include the blueprints of the Everett A. Black in Lincoln, MA. This home is an example of the Bauhaus movement, an artistic trend that combined functionality and beauty. The gallery also showcases the oldest surviving aerial photo, an 1860 photograph taken 2,000 feet in the air. The photo was taken by James Wallace Black from the hot air balloon “Queen of the Air.” One of the most visually impressive pieces in the gallery is Peter Vanderwarker’s pho-

tograph of the John Hancock tower. At first glance, the photograph can be easily mistaken as a painting due to the way the scenery around the tower reflects off of the windows. “You’re actually seeing the reflections of this great mixture: Trinity Church, Boston Public Library . . . Each of the windows becomes an abstract painting of the buildings surrounding it.” The “Architecture In New England” gallery show provides a beautiful glimpse into the many different forms of local architecture. It’s definitely worth a visit if you want to admire different ways art and buildings can intersect.

ground with. They only had to live like this for 56 days but the people that live in Guatemala live like this everyday. They are also making another documentary about what it is like to live in a Syrian Refugee camp. A. Cuddy, a freshman who attended this event said, “It was really interesting to see these two guys talk about the cultural differences and how they used their minimal resources for the benefit of the Guatemalan people. It is unbelievable that just a small loan can make the biggest change in somebody’s life.” Stop Hunger Now was an event that was sponsored by Outreach where students packed over 10,000 meals for people around the world. There were all different stations for people to work at. Some filled bags with non-perishable foods, others weighed it, and lastly groups sealed the bags shut. Upbeat music was played, laughter filled the room, and who could forget about the giant gong that participants got to hit each time 1,000 meals were packaged. “This was such a great night filled with friends, music, and teamwork! We had fun while helping people in need,” Lauren Makchnie stated, showing just the level of dedication and support students show on the SNHU campus.

Do you love writing & want to be involved in a student-run organization on campus? Try writing for the Penmen Press! We meet every Wednesday at 2 P.M. in Robert Frost, Room 301. E-mail us at penmenpress@snhu.edu for more information!

Black

SNHU's Student Center represents different cultures with flags.

Nicole Clark News Editor

Cyan Magenta

Black

May Mullen Staff Writer

ent cultures. If a student wants their culture recognized, they should reach out to the International Student Association. For more information on International Education and opportunities for international exposure, students are encouraged to contact one of the organizations mentioned above from the event.

Annie Boghigian

Cyan Magenta

Southern New Hampshire University’s (SNHU) Think International Fair event held more than five different tables with organizations that promote international involvement. The event was part of SNHU’s International Education Week. Some of the tables at the event were manned by organizations such as Study Abroad, Conversational English from the Learning Center, International Student Services, the Peace Corps, and SNHU’s Center for Community Engaged Learning. The purpose of the event was to inform and encourage students to internationalize themselves. Leanne Bowden organized the event and wanted students to realize they do not have to go somewhere else to get international exposure. There are local opportunities to volunteer and get involved in international support. Vice President of International Student Association Shukria Shinwari was at the event. She explained that the International Student Association is having an International Gala on Apr. 8 where there will be activities and performances by different students. The idea is to get people who are from dif-

ferent cultures to participate and represent those cultures. They are looking for volunteers and students who are willing to participate. Any SNHU student is welcome to participate. “We are looking for any kind of performance,” said Shinwari. There will also be flags representing the differ-

Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week

news SNHU Drama Club "Mirror Mirror" Prouction Laurelann Easton Staff Writer From the same group that brings Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) the improv performance of “SNHU’s Line Is It Anyway?” came “Mir-

ror Mirror,” presented by SNHU’s Drama Club on the weekend evenings of Dec. 4 and 5. It was the culmination of their hard work this semester, and they showed it off with pride and confidence.

Among the characters are the evil queen of the school, an anorexic trying to be popular, a president of the high school’s drama club, the secretary of the club who attends cotillion classes, two twin-like drama

Erik Nystrom Contributing Writer The Learning Center at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) is authorized by the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA) to certify its peer educators through an intensive training program consisting of various levels of certification: Regular, Advanced, and Master Tutor/Mentor Certification. To reach levels of certification, peer educators attend topic training sessions run by Chad Detjen covering topics such as: definition of tutoring responsibilities, communication skills, compliance with the ethics and philosophy of the tutoring program, active listening and paraphrasing,

assertiveness/handling difficult students, and working with students with disabilities. Peer educators must also accumulate a minimum number of training hours with The Learning Center Coordinators as well as face-to-face tutoring/mentoring hours. SNHU’s Peer Educators have collectively accumulated an average of 7,500 tutoring/mentoring hours each semester. This shows how they have made a great time commitment to helping the students at Southern New Hampshire University. Their time devoted to training and tutoring has been exceptional and we can’t thank them enough for all they do. The Learning Center recognized the Peer Educators who have dedicated

themselves to helping the students of SNHU at a recognition ceremony held on Nov 30 at 5 p.m. in the ACC Learning Commons. Provost Patty Lynott, and Carey Glines, Dean of Student Success and Retention were in attendance along with the tutors and tutoring coordinators. Raj Phadtare, Kaitlin Shaughnessy, Christopher Hakes, and Paul Nguyen have all surpassed three hundred hours of tutoring hours and were honored at the ceremony. Next time a student is stuck on a math problem, having trouble outlining an essay, or struggling with time management, they should visit The Learning Center. The Peer Educators are there to help students succeed.

Black

Learning Center Honors Students with 300+ Hours

strange mirrors in the girls’ bathroom and the boys’ locker room. Look in the girls’ mirror and say, “Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?” and a pretty version of your own face may appear or other girls around the school. On the flip side, look into the boys’ mirror and rumor has it that you may just catch homosexuality. This prestigious private high school is most certainly homophobic, and its students have many presupposed ideas of the world and of life, influenced by their pretentious parents. The homosexual presence in the story challenges these ideas and forces some of these students to rethink what they know. However, this is a meaning to be dug for under the surface of the overbearing laughter that this play brought well to the stage. The actors dominated their opening night, and they pulled off a seamless and believable act. Their hard work throughout this semester certainly paid off.

Cyan Magenta

Laurelann Easton

Cyan Magenta The entire "Mirror Mirror" cast posing for a picture. From left to right: Director Liz Wellman, Crew Kenny Karns, Anna Conley as Gretchen Black, Tom Morrissette as Ronnie, Kristen Aldous-Traynor as Libby Sunday, Richie Oliver as Badger Biers, Sean Keegan as Coston Lyons, Reagan Murphy as Laurel Buchanan, Micah Sheffield as Donnie, Ryan Lanctot as Hoyt Monroe, David Scroxton as Rose White, and Linda Williams as Honey.

club boys who insist they are not gay, a shy plebeian girl of the school, Roy’s best friend who plays football and attempts to insist he’s not gay, another football player who says more about sex than he should, and the controversial Roy who appears as Rose. The show began with a man on stage, SNHU senior David Scroxton to be exact, and he began to undress to get into a strapless blue number and heels, with a wig to complement the ensemble. From there, the hilarity of the two-hour show ensued and worked well to engage the audience in laughter. The jokes consisted of punchy lines that were crass and harsh toward the fellow characters that could not be ignored. Within this comedic plot was the question of, “Whatever happened to Roy?” while Scroxton stepped around in his heels as new student of the complicated, prestigious private high school the actors attended. Alongside this is the magical mystery of the

News Students Sing at Voices of SNHU Concert Bryan Creevy Editor-in-Chief

Textbook Tips & Tricks Shannon Collins Staff Writer

Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) students held a concert in the Last Chapter Pub on Nov.19 where they sang songs of their own choosing to show off their singing talent. The “Voices of SNHU” concert was hosted by members of SNHU’s Voice Studio where students in the MUS-250 course were given the opportunity to show off their singing which they have worked on all semester. There were 17 performances done by 16 students with one duet between a student and the class’s professor Lindsay Rinaldi. Freshman attendee Emily MacDonald stated, “All the performers did a great job of bringing out their personalities on stage. Some were more confident than others, but everyone, in some way, made the song they were singing their own.”

Tall Heights Takes on snhu

Katie Leonard Staff Writer

Bryan Creevy

Voice of SNHU Tavric Chance performing.

Dana Finazzo on stage at the Voices of SNHU concert.

On Thursday, Dec 3, the band Tall Heights performed in Southern New Hampshire University’s (SNHU) Last Chapter Pub at 9 p.m. This is just one stop for the three-man band’s tour. The bandmates are all from the Boston and have been performing as a trio for the past six months. Before that, the band was a guitar-cello duo. The guitarist, Tim Harrington, and cellist, Paul Wright, were childhood friends who shared a love for music. They performed together for nearly half a decade. Percussionist Paul Dumas has been “a positive attribute to the band,” said guitarist Harrington. Dumas began playing drums when he was thirteen years old and said he “fell in love with music from there.” Wright spoke about playing cello from a young age and gave quality advice for

any beginning strings player, “You just need to practice long and slow, and remember that it will take time.” Wright also said that his love for the cello started when his late grandfather gave him the gift of music. The song titled Back to Autumn is in honor of his late grandfather. The band began the show talking about Harrington’s comical mishap with his dog earlier that day that left him with a split eyebrow. This was a precursor for the rest of the show. There were many comedy breaks throughout the performance, the best of which was discussing SNHU’s mascot, Petey the Penman. The band, during the show, announced that they hope that their music will relieve some of the stress that finals are bringing students. After the show, the band mates stated that they would love to meet with the Penman Mascot. Breaking news arrived just before the band took the

stage; The ABC Family original series The Fosters will be playing a single from Tall heights’ new EP Holding on, Holding Out, already out. The SNHU community at the concert was the first to be told the news along with one big spoiler for the episode the song will be aired on. The band Tall Heights is a very personable trio with a harmony-heavy folk indie sound. The groundbreaking sounds that the band creates are all their own, made with electronics, synthesizers, drums loops, Casio keyboards, and plenty of shimmer and shine. Their stage presence is unlike any other of their kind. Communication across the stage is seamlessly accomplished with just a single glance. The cello adds a new texture that is rarely heard in any similar music. The band’s swelling riffs, smooth drum transitions, and a driven sound work together to create a performance that will be remembered for years to come.

Black

It’s the beginning of the semester, students are registered for classes, they’ve paid their tuition, room and board, and other fees and then get slammed with the cruel reality that is having to paying for textbooks. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the price of textbooks has increased 82% over the last decade. College Board estimates that students spend $1,200 on average each year on course materials. However, there are several tips and tricks can be used to cut that cost and put some money back in students' wallets. First, always check the syllabus. If the syllabus in any way unclear, email the teacher. Ask if the access code is required or if any materials listed are recommended and not required. Then, look and see if there are any older editions or volumes of the textbook. More often than not, the older versions are less expensive than most up-to-date versions. Check

lighting or coffee rings, renting probably isn’t the best option. There is also often an option for E-textbooks. Since the entire book is electronic it can be taken on the go without the worry about carrying it around, and it often comes at a lower cost than buying the physical book. Students can also take the childhood lesson to heart and try sharing. Taking the same class as a friend did last semester? If the same book is required, ask to have their book and pay them directly for it. It will save time and money and that friend can get some cash back as well. Students can also split the cost of a textbook with a friend they are taking the same class with. But it is important to avoid conflict and create a schedule that works for both people. Finally, there is buyback. Several websites such as Amazon.com and Chegg.com will sometimes buy textbooks back at the end of the semester. Or, there is also the option to put up for sale on a websites such as Half.com and Amazon.com.

Cyan Magenta

The concert began at 5 p.m. and quickly filled the Pub to its capacity. Performer Jesse Wyman, a SNHU student in her third year who sung the song "Been a Long Day" commented that “the concert was terrifying but also thrilling; it was my first solo performance, so I was very anxious.But it was so much fun, and I cannot wait to be a part of it next semester.” The class that hosted the event is MUS-250. It is a private voice lessons course that is open for all students each semester. Taking the course does not require students to sing in the concert, however. Participation is up to each individual student. Nicole Jolicoeur, another third year student stated “The class challenges me and helps me learn new things about singing that I didn’t know." After singing "Strawberry Wine" in the concert, she concluded, “[The class] pushes me to be better.”

with the professor first to see if it is okay as the content and pages don’t always match up. Also, don't buy anything until comparing the prices. Since this can be a tedious task, there are several websites that will do price comparisons such as slugbooks. com and campusbooks.com. These show a specified seller which may either be a company or third party seller. Always be careful when renting or buying from a third party seller as not everyone is honest. Always check their ratings and reviews before purchasing from them. Some popular websites to order textbooks from are: Chegg.com, Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and Half.com. Don’t rule out renting. When renting textbooks, they are due by a specific date at the end of the semester. They can be extended for an additional cost if needed. The huge benefit to renting is that it only costs a fraction of what it does to buy it. A word of caution, for students who are hard on textbooks, such as excessive high-

News ON A DOLLAR A DAY Jesiree Carrera Opinion Editor

Kevin Guimond Staff Writer

about them, including ones about dating websites, everything that existed in the 90s, and relationships. He parodied the songs of popular artists today including Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe”, Taylor Swift’s “We Are Never Getting Back Together”, and Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the USA”. One song that he sung was referred to as “Mad Libs”, a parody of the song “Mad World” from the movie Donnie Darko. It was an interesting new take on how to create a song. He did this by asking the audience to tell him various words that fit the description of the type of word he was looking for. The end result ended up being hilarious. This guy’s humor unfortunately wasn’t for everybody; certain types of people that likely didn’t enjoy his type of humor ended up leaving. However, his dark humor was able to please more than less of the people that decided to go see him.

Comedian Brian O’Sullivan succeeded in making a large audience laugh late on a Friday night. This comedian, who was from Los Angeles, had a large crowd laughing on Nov. 20 at 9 p.m. in the pub. He had rather dark and perverted humor but, regardless, was enjoyed by a big demographic of people that decided to go see him. One of the lead contributors of Coordinators of Activities and Programming Events (CAPE), student Justin Terlisner agreed by saying, “It was a great event, a lot of people showed up, even though we had a mixed demographic, mostly everyone enjoyed it.” Brian O’ Sullivan performed his comedy act mostly through singing, by parodying various well-known songs and putting twists on them as well as singing some of his own original songs. He sung about many interesting topics while making jokes

FAMILY FUED Family Feud

Career Corner: Holiday Word Search

Katie Schmelzer

Addison Thyng Staff Writer

On Nov. 30, Coordinators of Activities and Programming Events (CAPE) put on a version of the daytime game show "Family Feud". Being played in the Last Chapter Pub, students had to pre-select their teams of five ahead of time, examples being the “Smartinis”, the “Freshman Squad”, and “Transfers for Life”. While the set up was the same as the show, the rules were slightly different; this mainly being that there was no real winner, just a victor each round with no fast money being played. The questions were ones that made students think from “what foods are named after their country” and “which dog would you not be afraid of when robbing a house.” With an audience of about 30 people, the crowd got into it as well, shouting out the answers in unison when the leftovers were revealed just like in the show. All in all, it was a good experience that did well to recreate the atmosphere of the show and this who went felt satisfied for what they got.

Black

inspired to create a solution and create an action, amazing things can happen." Q: How was your experience overall? After recalling their experiences, Temple and Ingrasci spoke about their most recent work at a Syrian refugee camp, where they lived like the refugees to see what it was like. They are continuing their efforts to raise awareness for the homeless and the starving people in the world. By spreading their message of #LivingOnOne, even though there is no one solution to poverty, Temple and Ingrasci can continue to help people and raise awareness for their causes. Temple urged everyone to take action, to ffind what they are passionate about and pursue it. From this, he said, "I learned patience. The belief that something really small can have such a big and lasting change on someone’s life is a really profound impact. It goes for both of our lives as well as trying something new, like selling Rosa’s tshirts on our website. It started a large impact on someone’s life. [I don’t] underestimate how doing something small for someone’s life, even if it’s just taking the time to ask someone how their day was. It can really make an impact."

Cyan Magenta

Zach Ingrasci and Chris Temple, co-producers and creators of "On A Dollar A Day", a Netflix documentary, visited Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) for Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. The two speakers spoke about their experience in Guatemala where they, as well as two of their friends, lived off of about a dollar a day for 56 days. As sophomores in college coming from Connecticut and Seattle, they wanted to experience having to live on a dollar a day like 1.1 billion people around the world. “I had no idea what it actually felt like to be starving,” said Temple. Temple and Ingrasci spoke about the difficulties they had, from not being able to access clean water, food, and shelter, to getting diseases like E.Coli. After diminished health and extreme weight loss due to the poor conditions, Temple and Ingrasci were able to truly understand the struggle of the people of Pena Blanca, where poverty was an extreme issue. “I was between Sean [best friend from home] and Chris, and I had to ask myself if it was really worth it,” said Ingrasci.

It was the people that they met along the way that helped to push them through it. Chino and Rosa were two of the main people who helped them to move past their adversities. Chino was a boy who worked to make money for his family. He gave up schooling and took on the dream of being a farmer, like his father. Rosa, on the other hand, was a woman who wanted to become a nurse, so she sold handmade weavings to help her pay for school. “Spending time with Chino, the kids, and their families,” said Ingrasci, “those were the moments that the trip was about.” Chino now is working close to 100 hour weeks selling dog food to help send his brother to school and making more money than his parents. Rosa is the first to graduate high school and has taken up a job as a school nurse to help the children and others of the village treat and avoid sicknesses. After viewing their journey, Ingrasci stated that he wanted SNHU students and faculty to realize "if you take a risk and you do something, especially in college, it can end up changing your life or someone else’s for the positive. Temple reaffirmed this stating, "I think again and again when we take that risk and are

Comedian Rocks Pub

opinion All I Want For x-mas...

Tyler Leighton Editor-In-Chief

the red cup is crap Katerina Wilhelmi Creative Editor

Let’s ignore the fact that there are homeless veterans that will suffer through a brutally cold winter, or that there are homeless families starving. We can discount the countless children dying in Third World countries due to poverty, disease, and malnourishment. No need to think about the fact that there is a group of terrorists taking down planes and killing journalists. We obviously must forget that in one day there was a terrorist attack in Paris, an earthquake in Japan, a funeral bombing in Baghdad, a suicide bombing in Beirut, and an earthquake in Mexico and, that in 24 hours, we have lost 115,200 people. So please, let’s bury our heads in the sand and focus on that red cup, because that is what is really important.

Weird Al Yankovich

With the holidays rolling in, there is so much to be excited about. There is the excitement of the first snowfall, decorating the house for the holidays, sipping hot chocolate, gift giving, and of course, spending time with loved ones. However there is one thing that ruins all this fun: that stupid red cup. Not everyone celebrates Christmas, so people are complaining about the phrase “Merry Christmas” being printed on their beloved coffee cup. Because of this, people also began to complain about the Christmas trees and other related symbols printed on the cup. So Starbucks decided to remove its typical design to prevent people from taking of-

fense and, instead, made their cup plain red. In doing so, Starbucks has started a war on Christmas. Over a cup. A cup, folks. A cup that you throw out or recycle. Why is this such a big deal? What happened to the days when someone said “Merry Christmas,” and simple thank you was stated instead of making a big fuss over a small phrase? I’ve even heard people get offended over someone wishing their customers “Happy Holidays.” Now, we are a nation that gets offended over well wishes? Seriously? Let’s all get upset over a red cup even though there are more pressing matters going on. Let’s forget that there is a heroin epidemic in New Hampshire, or that we, as a nation, have horrible mental health care.

Black

Gift giving and gift receiving is what many people consider to be the new meaning of the season. Judging by the intensity of Black Friday gift shopping, it seems that they might not be wrong. When your holiday of choice rolls around this December and beyond, you should take a deeper look at the gifts you give others to make sure that you’re able to come out ahead. Giving to others is truly one of the best feelings in the world. But don’t let that feeling get to your head. That’s when people find themselves wrapping up cell phones, televisions, and tablets to put under the tree. That’s ridiculous and excessive for multiple reasons, the first of which being that you probably won’t get that money back in the gifts that you receive. The natural enemy of a college bank account is the holiday season. This is why we need to start thinking about different gifts to give to your family and friends. The classic fall back gift for any holiday scammer is the hand-

made gift. Not only do they cost a fraction of the price of a normal gift, but they are actually more appreciated than expensive gifts as well. There are many problems with buying gifts. The first being that parents, grandparents, and even some aunts and uncle are unable to understand technology. You could buy their favorite TV show on DVDs or a full year of Netflix subscriptions. Then twelve months later you’ll return to find that the plastic wrap is still on the DVDs and the Netflix subscription has expired after barely being touched. That kind of gift kills the holiday cheer for both the gift giver and the receiver. Taking advantage of the holiday season doesn’t make you a bad person. In fact, it makes you one of the best people that there is in the world. You care so much about those around you that you won’t cave into the consumerism of December just to buy their happiness and love. You’re going to make gifts with your own two hands that they’ll actually love. Also when you receive your cell phones, televisions, and tablets it feels all the sweeter!

Cyan Magenta

Tis the season to be jolly and give gifts! More than that, it’s a time to get gifts! A time to share with the one you love the sentiment of just how much you love them based on what you buy, paid for by the fruits of your labor. Ah yes, the sounds of angry shoppers and rampant soccer moms who just have to buy their kids that one thing…it tickles my heart with joy. The holidays can be the best or the worst time for couples. Buying presents and cutting out snowflakes, getting cozy by the fire or near your clackety dorm heater. But what should you get that special someone in your life? What if you get the wrong thing? What if they already have that thing and now they have that thing again and they’re going to return it and you’re going to feel bad and Christmas will be cancelled? Chill, it’s not going to be cancelled. This commotion can be avoided very easily. How? Excessive spending. It sounds crazy doesn’t it?

Maybe. But no, it is the only surefire way to ensure that your significant other will be pleased. Start by taking one from the ABC Family book: 25 Days of Christmas. Yes, 25. One present for every day of the month to show them just how much you really care! Spend widely and muchly. They said once in an offhand conversation that they liked that sweater, get that sweater! They sent a text that said, “I wish I had a dirt bike,” get them a dirt bike! Shower them in endless presents and reap the rewards of their endless presents too! There is a method to this madness. If you get 25 presents, then statistically they will have to love at least one of them. That’s just math. And with odds like this, it’s 100 percent worth bleeding your wallet dry. Everyone knows the relationship calendar year begins with December so if you don’t step out on the right gift giving foot, chaos lies ahead! Or you know, if excessive spending ain’t your style, you can always get the holiday zest flowing and break up with them before you have to buy presents.

The Ugly Truth

Megan Palmer Copy Editor

...IS YOOOOUUUUU

opinion surviving holiday deals Amanda Fakhiri Staff Writer

Cyan Magenta

call it a day. It’s a problem. Because now you’re spending $50-$100 on each family member and you’re left with nothing in your bank account when you come back to school. Don’t do it to yourself. Budget your money. Don’t buy excessively. Think creatively! You don’t need to buy your dad a new tablet for Christmas. Just don’t go too cheap on him either…remember it’s the thought that count. Now you’re probably thinking I call bull… Well, guess what? It’s true! My last tip before you order a bunch of presents online and find yourself in American Eagle when you’re supposed to be in Macy’s finding your mom a gift. Make yourself a list. Put down what you tentatively want to buy and try to find a place where you can get it on sale. Or don’t. It’s your money and if you want to buy presents from Vineyard Vines, you do you.

Amazon.com

Cyan Magenta

Don’t stress if you missed Black Friday or Cyber Monday. If you were smart and didn’t spend your life savings on Black Friday like I did last year, there’s still plenty of time left to find deals. Black Friday has some decent sales, but in reality, the items you got on Black Friday will most likely go on sale again at some point during the month of December. Amazon is your new best friend! As students, we have Amazon Prime for a free six month trial, which means you will get free two day shipping. The holidays are the perfect time to take advantage of it! It’s the ideal way to avoid those long lines and full parking lots. Mall-ing. This is a difficult part of the holiday season because you know there will be no empty parking spots when

you pull into the parking lot, many angry drivers (especially if you’re in Mass.), and hordes of people bustling around the mall. Honestly, there’s nothing you can do about it. Just know that you’re human and you’re going to have a moment (or more) where you’re going to want to pull your hair out and punch the guy cutting the line. That’s just the season, the best way to get through it is to bring your favorite Starbucks beverage in that seasonal red cup we all love. That bank account though. You’ve saved all the money you’ve made from your job, which pays the minimum wage of $7.50 an hour in New Hampshire. Then, the holidays creep up and you have to buy presents for your mom, dad, Betty Jane, and Billy Bear. Now, let’s get real, you can’t buy your mom a five dollar present and

Zach Charland Staff Writer

Huffington Post

The Opinion Section does not represent the views of the Penman Press or SNHU. The Opinion Section is a place for members of the community to write about their on- and off-campus opinions. Contributing Writers are not a part of the Penmen Press Staff but are members of the SNHU Community at large. If you would like to be a Contributing Writer, submit your opinion to the Penmen Press at penmenpress@snhu.edu

It begins anew every year at Thanksgiving. The second we cut the turkey it can be heard creeping over the horizon. It slithers through the radio, it assaults our ears at the store, and even follows us into the bathroom. I am speaking, of course, about Christmas music. Before the first day of December, Christmas music arrives once again to overstay its welcome. It’s the anthem to the Black Friday Carnage and sticks around well past the poor decisions you’re going to make at parties this New Year’s Eve. Christmas music lurks around every corner, waiting for you, playing its siren songs, stealing away your souls, one gingerbread crumb at a time.

It’s like that U2 album on all of our iPods; it doesn’t matter how much you hate it, you’ll never be able to get rid of it. As bad as Christmas music can be, no one has it worse than retail employees. Day in and day out it’s “Have a Holly Jolly Christmas,” “All I Want For Christmas Is You” and “Jingle Bells,” somehow all sung by Mariah Carey. Employees working at the mall hear every slimy rhyme, every rancid rhythm, every noxious note, and every crusty crescendo. The next time you’re at the store, look into the soulless eyes of employees who have “Frosty the Snow Man” permanently stuck in their brains. Watch as tears roll down their cheeks. “Help,” they might whisper, but help never comes, only Mariah Carey with another song.

Black

the christmas carol creeps

opinion Amanda Fakhiri Staff writer

over and over, and it’s not fun. Luckily, if you work in Massachusetts, you receive a pretty fair salary for your efforts; but if you’re working in New Hampshire or other states where the minimum wage is less than what a 15 year old babysitter makes, there is not much motivating you. For those of you who think cashiers are being sassy, lazy, and plain ol’ annoyed when you come to their register, let me tell you this: they are most likely working an eight hour shift with maybe a half hour break or two. Their feet are killing them because they are not allowed to

Home for the holidays

May Mullen Staff Writer

December birthday was like. As it stands, I’m as likely as anyone to forget my own birthday and kind of treat it as a pleasant surprise that breaks up the Christmas anticipation. December is a fun month for me; any reason to celebrate is welcome during the darkest time of the year. If you know anybody born in December, go out of your way to wish them a happy birthday separately from Christmas. I’m sure they’ll appreciate it!

http://thechristmasemporium.com/

heartbreakerkidd

Though I often receive condolences from friends that discover I have a birthday that falls exactly a week before Christmas Eve, I’ve never felt particularly cursed by the day of my birth. In all honesty, I always thought that having a birthday so close to Christmas was a blessing in disguise. It’s a commonly known fact that as a child, the worst part of Christmas is the waiting, the tallying of days, the pained glances at the calendar. With how early the Christmas season starts nowadays, we spend a good month and a half earnestly anticipating jolly old Saint Nick’s arrival. Having a birthday directly before Christmas was always something to hold me over before December’s main event. It was like pre-Christmas, almost as if I got to open a few of my presents before everyone else. Of course, this always relegated my birthday to the status of a “second class” holiday that was almost always overshadowed by normal Yuletide celebrations. I, myself, actually forgot the exact date of my birthday one year, writing in large letters “MY BIRTHDAY!” surrounded by balloons on December 8 instead of on December 17. For the most part, I accepted that my yearly birthday celebration would consist of a night out to a Chinese restaurant with my family. By fifth grade, I was will-

ing to be done with the stress of the Herculean task of scheduling a December birthday party that didn’t overlap with any holiday parties or travel plans. The only time I truly felt the sting of jealousy was when my younger brothers’ birthdays rolled around. They both had the good fortune of being June babies, which of course meant pool parties and cake-eating in the sun. Maybe I’d be more envious if I knew what having a non-

Black

While most college students enjoy the holidays because they get to go home and open gifts galore instead of going to class and doing homework, it’s one of my most dreaded times. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy getting time off from school to go home and see my amazing little brother and sister, all the while not feeling guilty about the horrific amount of calories I ingest with a single bite of freshly made cookies. However, when it comes to going home, I don’t exactly enjoy the big ol’ family reunions. Aunt who and which cousin did what now? Now, since I have a really big family, it’s extremely difficult to keep track of who I’ve met, what their names are, and what their relationship to me is, yet I’m expected to make conversation with an uncle who’s creepily mentioning how

grown-up and ladylike I am as he makes eye contact with my chest. I’m totally supposed to like the drunken and off-key karaoke in the background as I get barraged with a different scent of stale, cheap perfume with each hug. Not to mention, there’s also the really fun game of 20 questions…with the same 20 questions, over and over and over again for every, and I mean EVERY, relative. What are you going to school for? How are your grades? What do you want to do when you get out? Are you dating anyone? When are you going to get married? It’s enough to make me want to stay home and avoid any celebration this holiday season. No, I’m not going to pull a Grinch and take away all of the holiday decorations, delicious food, and glorious presents…as long as I just get left alone in the corner with the cheese platter.

Birthday bah-humbug

Cyan Magenta

Jesiree Carrera Opinions Editor

sit, and the line will never end! You think it’s annoying to wait in the line! Imagine standing there for hours talking and answering endless questions about things you really could care less about. Then there’s always the asshole boss who makes you stay overtime. Then there’s also the fact that they probably had to work on Thanksgiving, and maybe, just maybe, they will have to work Christmas, too. So next time you start to get cranky in line and think it’s okay to take it out on the cashiers, think again! Most likely, they’re suffering more than you are.

ww.RocketCityMom

As a cashier, I have seen a lot of unsavory personalities throughout the holiday season. Obviously, the holidays bring stress upon everyone for a number of reasons, but that’s not an excuse to take your frustrations out on cashiers and salespeople. Now, not everyone does it but there are a select few that bring their Grinch out while shopping this time of year. As a cashier you have to smile and ring a never ending line of people up, saying the same monotonous phrases

Kindness for Cashiers

The coffee pot gurgled out a low tune, holding me enraptured. I leaned into my elbow propped on the granite kitchen counter, and my chin sagged into my palm as I listened to the music. The coffee pot puttered and dripped, flowing and building until it reached a hissing climax that fell through the air like a sigh. I gave my own sigh, and my chin slipped from my palm. "Play that tune again?" I asked. "No." "But that was perhaps your best yet!" "You say that every time." "Please?" The coffee pot growled at me. "You have to drink what I've already given you first. I don't want to make a mess again from overflowing. That's just embarrassing." I stuck my tongue out at the pot, but reached for a mug from my collection anyway. I took the pot by its black handle, and the pot growled some more about being gentle with him as I poured myself a full cup. "Now just do that three more times...and maybe we'll talk about an encore."

"'C h

Laurelann Easton Staff Writer

"Symphony of Darkness"

Co am t rist h m nt rib an e Fa as ut th rn On in a " gP L ho or to gr ing ap he r

creative

Co M 'Mo nt eg un rib a ut n t Ho in P o g P al d" ho m to gr er ap he r

Bryan Creevy Editor-in-Chief

"A Star Shines Bright"

Samantha Loring Staff Writer

Jesiree Carrera Opinion Editor

Hang up the colorful lights, Oh boy. Sing carols all through the night! Oh… joy… Find the largest Christmas tree! Oh- oh my. Make the house as bright as can be. Uhh… why?

Pray for a bunch of snow! No, no. Make sure airplanes can see us glow. Whoa… Bask in Christmas cheer, I won’t. And get ready for the new year! No, ugh, don’t!

booksforkeeps.org

If you would like to submit your work to The Creative Section, please email katerina.wilhelmi@snhu.edu

The room is full of people, The aroma of food fills the air, Christmas laughter and music resonates Throughout the house. Everything anyone could want is here, But it’s still missing something… You. The room starts to empty, The plates of food dwindle, As the music and laughter dies down But no matter where I go, No matter where I stay, and No matter what I do, When I look up in the sky, Our star is always shining.

Black

"Christmas Cheer"

We are living in the Invincible Age. Our recklessness is not just a phase. We drive too fast and drink too much. We parkour up buildings, down staircases, and such. But we do know our lives are fragile; Our self- pity is just in exile, From our minds and our hearts. We mark up our arms and call it art, Art that’s etched into our veins, Hiding us from our internal pain, That we no longer have the capacity to cope with. A solution? Buy some dope and take a whiff, And collide death into your lives. We find being close to the end gives us a new kind of high. We no longer care if we rise or fall, Whether at the edge of a blade or from the other side of a call, That tears our heart’s four chambers apart, Our secrets now pierced against the wall by a dart, As they fire blindly at everything you are, Criticizing and belittling and leaving new scars, That imprint their words upon your soul; Throw your heart into a freezer to make it cold, Because a warm heart attracts the heat-seeking missiles, Tearing through the air like a violent whistle, That only you can hear. Death is not that we fear. It’s living in a world that excels at standing against you. It holds a gun to your head and you tell it to shoot, Because we live in the Invincible Age, And this is no longer just a phase. It’s what we call our comfort zone, And, together, we suffer here alone.

Cyan Magenta

"The Invincible Age"

HAPpy holidays from A&E Arts and ENtertainment "Nice" list Addison Thyng I always add the Holiday Music station to my Pandora playlist. Gets me ready for the holidays all month long.

Annie Boghigian I don't usually like Christmas music but when "I'll

Be Home For Christmas" comes on the radio, I really get into the Christmas spirit!

Brianna Ouellette

I always enjoy watching "The Grinch" around Chistmas time. It is just something that will always have to be apart of my holiday.

Here at the Penmen Press, we love bringing you the news. We don't always get to bring you our opinions, so this holiday season, that is our gift to you! Please enjoy this Arts and Entetainment "Nice" List featuring favorite holiday media from our staff. From the Penmen Press, we wish you a

Happy Holiday!

Bridget Downy The first snowfall always makes me think of Christ-

mas, mostly because I think that's the only day snow is acceptable. But the snow, a fire, and Johnny Mathis' Christmas album is a telltale sign that I'm ready for Chritsmas.

Bryan Creevy

I can't go a year without watching "National Lampoon's: Christmas Vacation." It's a holiday classic, and always will be.

Gabe Carrio I don't really have any holiday media favorites or any-

thing, so every year when we get closer to Christmas I just sit in my pjs and play RPGs all day. Fallout, Witcher, Dragon Age, boy oh boy. Cyan Magenta

in December that I hear Bruce Springsteen singing "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" on the radio.

Kayla Durant

December isn't December without driving down a winding road listening to "Baby Its Cold Outside" and critiquing Christmas lights.

Dr. Seuss

Cyan Magenta

Jon Boroshok For me, the holiday season officially starts the first time

Katerina Wilhelmi I love watching "The Year Without a Santa Katie Leonard "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" is my favorite holiday movie because it puts me in the holiday spirit!

Kevin Guimond What gets me excited for Christmas as far as holiday media goes would have to be "How the Grinch Stole Christmas". Both the live action and animated one are good.

May Mullen I like to watch the holiday specials of "Gintama". Lexi Emerson Nothing puts me in the holiday spirit more than lis-

Busted Halo

tening to 'Silent Night' played in a constant rotation on the radio 40 times a day.

Megan Palmer "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" really gets me ready for the holidays. Nothing like that good old stop motion and putting one foot in front of the other to make it feel like Christmas.

Nicole Clark I love the movie "ELF!" It puts me in the holiday spirit and it always pairs well with hot chocolate and cookies!

Samantha Loring "The Santa Clause" with Tim Allen always gets

me in the spirit when it's the Holiday season because I use to watch that movie every year as a child and continue to do so up to this day.

Rebecca LeBoeuf

I love ABC's 25 Days of Christmas. They cycle through all of the classics and it makes for the perfect bonding time between me and my roommate as we suffer through the end of the semester.

Tyler Leighton For the holiday season, I love watching all the Christmas specials of "Community".

alternative reel

Black

Claus!" The Heat Miser is my favorite.

Arts & Entertainment “The Night Before:” Comedic Christmas Lessons

Gabriel Carrio Staff Writer

graymattermovie

doing karaoke in a local bar, all while clad in ugly holiday sweaters. On Christmas Eve 2008, the guys encounter a group of people who have just left the city’s craziest Christmas party: The Nutcracka Ball. They’re told the Ball is the most exclusive and awesome party in the city, and you can only find it if you have a ticket. For the next few years, Ethan, Isaac, and Chris try to get tickets to no avail, until

Christmas 2015 when Ethan happens to find three (which he promptly steals) while working as a coat taker at a holiday party. The rest of the film follows the trio as they complete each activity on their list of things to do on their way to the Ball, and along the way we learn more about the issues each guy has. Isaac is under enormous stress because of his incoming daughter, and is afraid that

Tyler Leighton Editor in Chief

Addison Thyng Staff Writer

fanpop

Before we start this journey together, I know. “Scrooged” is not currently on Netflix. A point we are all very sad about. However, it’s a holiday staple. “Scrooged” is a version of the Charles Dickens classic, “A Christmas Carol,” but before you decide to skip over another version, you should hear the twist. The movie is about a television station putting on a live version of Scrooge on their television station Christmas Eve. Frank Cross (Bill Murray), the station’s president, is as cruel and unhappy as the character that their network is trying to portray. So it's only fitting when real life starts to imitate what’s happening on stage when Cross gets visits from the Ghost of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. Now, “Scrooged” should already be waiting in your Netflix queue from last but if you're still looking for reasons to watch it, I have one. His name is Bill Murray. He could easily be crowned as one of the funniest men ever and his role in “Scrooged” is only more evidence to that fact. Not only can he deliver even the

The good Dinosaur: A Good Review

most serious lines in a side splitting manner but his speech at the end of the film about how special Christmas is is so full of emotion and improv that you can't help but be tossed into the holiday spirit. “Scrooged” is the antidote to Christmas movies. It's covered from head to toe in cynicism for the television and the holiday season. It constantly cracks jokes at the sappy and soulless crap that networks continue to pump out when the weather gets cold. What makes the movie a must-watch film this time of year is how it

can poke fun at everything that makes us hate the season while still showing us the reasons that we look forward to it every year. So if you're taking a break from studying for finals. If you're home for break wondering if you're actually related to people around you. If you just don't want to go outside because it's too damn cold and there's too much snow, then give “Scrooged” a watch. There's a chance it might warm your icy heart, but if not, maybe it will remind you what this holiday season is all about.

Pixar hit a home run earlier this year with the release of their first original picture in ages: “Inside Out”. It was met with almost universal critical and audience praise showing that Pixar was back on top. This led to more pressure being put on their next original film “The Good Dinosaur”, to live up to the high bar set by “Inside Out”. While “The Good Dinosaur” may not be as great as “Inside Out” it does deliver a good, old story that’s portrayed differently enough to still be entertaining, while having some good emotional moments as well. “The Good Dinosaur” tells a very basic story, much like “A Divine Comedy” or “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”. It's a road trip movie, a story about one or two people on a basic journey and just the weird and interesting things they come across along the way. Like Pixar's

own “Finding Nemo” it's just about a character going from point A to B who is trying to stay alive in the process with their new friend. While it is a “boy and his dog” story it is done very well; both the main two characters do genuinely work well together and one of the highlights of the film is seeing their relationship grow throughout their journey. This leads to a couple good emotional scenes, leaving most people in my theater sniffling or even crying, and the ending will leave even the grouchiest sour-pusses a little shaken up. The film is an entertaining ride with enough emotional drama to make up for what it lacks in story. “The Good Dinosaur” may not reach the heights as “Inside Out” did, but it manages to just be so pleasant that is should by no means be skipped. It’s a great film for anyone who wants a movie with a lot of good visuals, music and heart.

Black

NOT-FLICK OF THE WEEK: SCROOGED

he’ll fail as a father. Chris is alienating his friends and family due to his success as a steroid-using football star. Ethan is incapable of moving past his parents’ death and growing up. On the way to the Ball, the boys buy pot from their old teacher/dealer: Mr. Green. He sells “the weed of Christmas Present” and “Future”, to Chris and Isaac respectively, and it gives them both visions

Cyan Magenta

“The Night Before” is the seventh film by director Jonathan Levine (“Warm Bodies,” “50/50”). Released on Nov. 20, “The Night Before” stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt (“Looper”), Seth Rogen (“The Interview”), and Anthony Mackie (“The Hurt Locker”). The film centers around three best friends: Ethan, Isaac, and Chris (GordonLevitt, Rogen, and Mackie), as they embark on their final installation of a longstanding Christmas Eve tradition. After Ethan’s parents were killed near Christmas in 2001, he, Chris, and Isaac decide to wallow in sadness and instead have an epic night on the town. Thus begins their annual tradition of visiting the Rockefeller Christmas tree, playing a department store floor piano “like Tom Hanks in ‘Big’,” and

of their lives a la “A Christmas Carol.” Ethan gets his own vision near the close of the film, focusing on his past and his fear of losing his friends. Overall, “The Night Before” is definitely a funny film. The humor is more geared towards guys and stoners, but there are moments that can be laughed at by everyone. Apart from the comedy, the messages given in the film are actually pretty good ones, such as not being afraid of the future and having confidence in yourself, appreciating your friends and family and being honest with yourself and the world, and growing up and knowing when it’s time to take things seriously. Laughs are had, lessons are learned, and many drugs are done by Seth Rogen. I enjoyed this film about as much as I thought I would. “The Night Before” gets a 7/10. Maybe an 8/10 because of the soundtrack.

Arts & Entertainment Krampus: 80's Horror with a christmas twist

Addison Thyng Staff Writer

Slashgear

Cyan Magenta

“Krampus” does not fit the mold of modern day horror films. It isn’t a ghost story, it isn't shot like a home video, and it doesn’t try get screams by over using jump scares. “Krampus” takes the old 80's horror genre of films, the slasher/monster movie, and adds a bit of Christmas flavor. While this may sound ridiculous, let me assure you that “Krampus” is a great time as long as your expectations are correct. It is just enough campy to be enjoyable while the Christmas adds a fresh feel to the genre. The film is by no means a serious movie. In the beginning, there is very good build-up and the first half of the film does a good job of setting up characters and reasons for what is to come. It plays it very mysterious and can even get genuinely creepy.

As said before the setting does give it its own identity as not many horror films are about Christmas. But once the first kill happens, it becomes very clear what the film actually is: a horror-comedy that is mainly there for entertainment and not to really scare you. If you can accept this and just enjoy the ride, then “Krampus” will be a great time with some good laughs and great buildup. The only real upsetting part for me is the last 30 seconds of the movie. Without spoilers, I’ll just say that the ending is not quite clear, and if it had stopped one minute earlier then it would have been a much stronger movie overall. But don’t let that stop you from seeing the film because the rest is worth it especially with the correct mind-set going in. All-inall if you are looking for a film that will scare you out of your seat and keep you up at night, I suggest looking elsewhere.

"punk goes Christmas:" a rock and roll holiday album

Black Kerrang

Gabriel Carrio Staff Writer Let me clear this up, this is not a rock and roll holiday album, and these are not rock and roll bands. I just liked the title. I wouldn’t lie to you. Anyway, released on Nov. 4, 2013 by Fearless Records and Shock Entertainment, “Punk Goes

Christmas” is the fourteenth compilation album in the “Punk Goes…” series, preceded by “Punk Goes Pop 5.” It features bands like New Found Glory, All Time Low, The Ready Set, and – two of my personal favorites - Crown the Empire, and Set It Off. As implied by the title, these bands perform

Christmas songs, five being covers and seven being original songs. Unlike typical “Punk Goes…” albums, this album is quite tame, trading heavy and growling vocals, screams, and aggressive instrumentals for clean vocals and calmer instrumentals; Set It Off being a notable exception with their song “This

Christmas (I’ll Burn It To The Ground),” a Grinchinspired song. Nu-metal artist Crown the Empire (my favorite), for example, keeps it light with clean vocals, string instruments, and echoing percussion. For those more interested in the covers on this album, Man Overboard performs a cover of “Father Christmas” by The Kinks, The Summer Set performs “This Christmas” originally by Donny Summer, Yellowcard, arguably one of the better known artists on this album next to New Found Glory and All Time Low, performs “Christmas Lights” by Coldplay, Issues (another band I really like off this album) performs “Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays” by ‘N Sync (straight outta the 90’s), and William Beckett performs the most classic song on the album: “Do You Hear What I Hear?” by The Harry Simeone Chorale. While these covers are present, the originals songs should not be ignored. Set It Off’s song, as mentioned above, is a very

fun, more hardcore song with a humorously pessimistic view of the holiday. Crown the Empire’s original is an emotional track about losing love near Christmas, and then not feeling like it’s even a holiday anymore. All Time Low does a good job with their song “Fool’s Holiday,” talking about being a bad guy, but being a nicer guy for the holiday for the sake of love. This album is definitely not for everyone, given that these bands are all known for their edgy, hardcore punk music (apart from New Found Glory, All Time Low, and The Summer Set), but for those who enjoy these bands, are interested in these bands, or enjoy the musical background they come from, then this album is worth a listen. Or just listen to it for the Christmas theme, which is kind of the point of the album. “Punk Goes Christmas” can be streamed on Spotify, or purchased on iTunes or Amazon for $9.99. It gets an 8/10 from me. Give it a listen and see what you think.

Health & Wellness DON’T FRET FINALS: LEARN TO CONQUER TEST ANXIETY

Annie Boghigian Health & Wellness Editor

for students to feel more comfortable. Students can also try to tune out distractions. “You can’t control everything that will happen there, but you can help minimize the distractions you might encounter,” said ETS. They suggest students dress comfortably and have a strategy in their mind of what to do if they are faced with a distraction. “Test anxiety feeds on the unknown; the more you know about the test, and the more you know about your own anxieties and how to conquer them, the less test anxiety can control you,” ETS said.

Cyan Magenta

Simple Servings In the Dining Center Kayla Durant Staff Writer

Black

use your noggin this holiday season Kayla Durant Staff Writer A popular American seasonal beverage is now lining store shelves and waiting to be consumed during holiday festivities. Eggnog is back for the holiday season! Made with cream, sugar, milk, whipped eggs, and sometimes

babble.com

Recently, in a collaboration with Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), Sodexo now offers allergen-free dining options to students with allergies to peanuts, wheat, soy, tree nuts, dairy products and much more. “Simple Servings is our new resident dining option, providing safe and appetizing food choices ‘ready to go’ for our customers with food allergies, gluten intolerance, or those who prefer plain and simple foods,” according to Kerry Cameron, SNHU’s campus dietician. Simple Servings offers food without gluten during lunch and dinner and will always offer a gluten-free pasta option. Gluten intolerance, or Celiac disease, is a “genetic autoimmune disease” that obstructs the body’s ability to absorb certain nutrients, according to the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA). As stated by the NFCA, one in 133 Americans have Celiac disease, and the only cure is a 100% gluten-free diet. Simple Servings is beneficial to students with such allergies because it enables them to be confident when receiving food, knowing

that it is safe and allergen free. Sodexo guarantees that all of these products are prepared with separate cooking utensils to avoid cross contamination. “Simple Servings is also a great offer for those students who are looking for a healthy option,” Cameron said. “I always recommend students to try this station if they are looking for healthy choices. Because we cannot use ingredients that contain any of above listed allergens or gluten, it really turns out to be a great "clean eating" station. It's always my go-to station.” Simple Servings is an innovative new dining option for students with allergies to enjoy grabbing a meal on campus with friends. “The Sodexo staff has gone through a training program called, AllerTrainU, which is a training specifically focused on serving students with food allergies and Celiac disease in college or university setting,” Cameron said. In this way, SNHU’s Dining Center can provide a safe and healthy meal for all students. Any further questions can be addressed to Kerry Cameron, campus dietitian, at kerry.cameron@sodexo.com, or at her office telephone 978-837-3599.

University of Michican, University Health Service

No concentration and sudden forgetfulness? Nausea and sweating? These are all signs of testing anxiety. With final exams approaching, there are ways for students to avoid testing anxiety. The Educational Testing Service (ETS) has created an online booklet to help students reduce anxiety through recognizing it, coping with it, and pushing through it to succeed. Anxiety can affect students mentally and physically. According to ETS, “mental blankouts, racing thoughts, difficulty

concentrating, negative thoughts about past performance, consequences of failure, and how everyone else is doing” are all symptoms of test anxiety that happen within someone’s mind. Different symptoms of test anxiety that affect the body are “nausea, cramps, faintness, sweating, headache, and dry mouth,” according to ETS. There are many different ways for students to cope with anxiety and prepare for a test. Getting to know the test beforehand, whether it is asking the professor how much time is available to take the test or what topics will be on it, is important

alcohol, this holiday beverage reigns in numerous calories. In a four ounce serving of Hood’s famous Golden Egg Nog, there is about 180 calories and nine grams of fat. Imagine going back for a refill, and indulging in eight ounces of eggnog with 360 calories and 18 grams of fat. Those 360 calories account

for one fourth of recommended daily calorie and fat intake. Believe it or not, eggnog has the potential to be healthy, according to the FitDay website. With the simple substitution of low-fat cream and even a sugar substitute, drinking eggnog may garner many nutritional benefits. Eggnog has an exuberant amount of calcium and protein that makes for a beneficial concoction. FitDay also suggests using eggs that are pasteurized to avoid diseases related to consuming raw eggs. Due to the low demand, eggnog is only sold three months out of the year, beginning at the tail end of October. Matthew Schwartz, a graduate of Georgetown Law, notes that eggnog sales have more than tripled over the last 50 years, yet eggnog is still only sold seasonally. The central reason for this is because it is not cost effective. The amount of money it takes to produce eggnog is only reasonable during the holidays when people actually want to drink it. If eggnog was sold year round, companies that produce it would lose money in the long run. So, this holiday season, remember that unhealthy favorites can be healthy with simple substitutes. Happy Holidays!

health & wellness Annie Boghigian Health & Wellness Editor

“playing lots of games like board games, videogames, card games, etc,” said Gaming Club president Brendon DiBiasio. Following the event will be a Cosplay dance cosponsored by the Animation and Art Forms Club from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. The dance will be in the Last Chapter Pub with pizza and music. “[Animation Club] will have a makeup table for face paint and people will dress in their cosplays and dance,” said DiBiasio. DiBiasio and the rest of the Gaming Club are “looking forward to our annual dance event as everyone always seems to have a good time.”

Gaming Club

Students from Southern New Hampshire University’s (SNHU) Gaming Club have given students the opportunity to help manage their stress in their D-Stress Event taking place on Dec.13 from noon to 8 p.m. The event will be held in the Corcoran room in the Student Center. “Come join us throughout the day as we plan lots of fun events to help you D-Stress during finals week,” said the Gaming Club on their Facebook page. Students at the event will be

d-stressing with gaming club

Gaming club plays Mario Party 8 at an earlier club event.

Josh Manganaro Staff Writer

men or nibbling cookie dough. Now it is now time for the ultimate test and largest pit fall of most: the big sit down family dinner. Do not worry. There are ways to make it through without feeling like a stuffed turkey again, like last month. You can start by downsizing your dishes. Studies have shown that people who eat off of smaller plates consume as much as 56% less than those who do not. So, make a small plate and if you are still hungry afterwards, get a little more! Just do not load up in one siting. Lastly, have a fitness-filled holiday so when you come back to SNHU you are feeling great.

Sheknows

Black

‘Tis the season to be jolly but that does not mean it is time to ruin the great results you have worked hard for over the past few months. But when it comes to the high-calorie bounty, do not opt out of it because of that. Life is short. Enjoy yourself, but have a little self-control. The holiday season consists of nearly two months of celebrating and eating extremely carb-rich food. By the time Christmas rolls around, the idea of healthy eating and daily fitness has dwindled up the chimney. It is inevitable that you will

attend a few soirees during the holidays, whether it be an office party or the annual Christmas Eve get-together. The key to attending these festivities is to be smart and follow a few tips. One tip is “Work the Room,” which means to walk around and socialize. Do not spend the party sitting at the food table because you will be likely to irresistibly shovel chips, cookies, eggnog, and other seasonal treats into your mouth. There would not be any food left for Santa Claus himself. Hopefully you have navigated your way out of parties and other gatherings without consuming large gingerbread

Cyan Magenta

Fit tip: ho ho hold up!

Sports WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: HOT START

Matt Martin Sports Editor

snhupenmen.com

bounds. Friday, Nov. 20 was opening night here at SNHU for the women’s hoop squad. The Penmen hosted Molloy and achieved yet another win. Stinson had a double-double tallying 14 points and 10 rebounds. Both of those stats led the team during this game. Also adding 10 rebounds was Sara Ryan. She finished the game with nine points. Shelp scored seven points in this game and added eight rebounds. Lorenzen would continue her hot rebounding with eight. The final score was SNHU with 49 and Molloy with 36. The wins kept coming

for the Penmen after that. On Tuesday, Nov. 24, SNHU Women’s Basketball traveled to rival Franklin Pierce University (FPU). Once again, the Penmen came out on top, defeating the Ravens of FPU, 6758. Ryan scored 17 points in this game with Conrad adding nine and Doherty adding seven. But, yet again, Lorenzen made a name for herself, leading the team with 18 points and six rebounds. This young player is on fire. Also big off the bench was Camara who finished the game with five points, four rebounds, and seven assists. For their sixth win, the Penmen destroyed the Eagles

MEN’S BASKETBALL KIcks off season

Jim Stankiewicz

David Sinclair Photography

Junior Christ Walters hanging out on the rim. Bridgeport for a mini tournament. The men held their own and lifted their heads high, walking away with two wins. The Penmen set the tone for the mini tournament, gaining a 91-81 victory over Bridgeport in their first game. Senior Rodney Sanders had a great game with 32 points, leading the team. Sanders also helped

the team in assists with five. With their regular season off on the right foot, the Penmen had a 1-0 record for their ninth consecutive year, only to better it to 2-0 against Dominican with an 85-56 win. Sanders and Andrews both added 17 points in the game and Walters posted 12. With a loss at Saint Anselm,

Junior Senior Rodney Sanders with a jump shot at St. Anslem SNHU’s inner-city rival, the squad returned home and achieved a 74-69 win against Holy Family. Junior Devin Gilligan recorded his second career double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds. A double-double is when a player attains double digits in any two combinations of points, assists, rebounds, steals, or blocked shots.

With losses against Philadelphia and Franklin Pierce, the boys are ready to get back on track during the month of December. Come support them in the Field House for their next game on Wednesday, Dec. 9 at 7:30 p.m. Men’s Hoops will be hosting Merrimack on Ugly Sweater Night here at SNHU.

Black

sists, and nine rebounds. Off the bench, freshmen Brianna Camara added eight points. On Wednesday, Nov. 18, the women’s basketball team opened up NE-10 play with a game at Saint Anselm. The Queen City Battle resulted in a 74-65 win for SNHU. The Penmen filled the stat sheet with points and rebounds galore. Ryan once again led the way with 17 points and added seven rebounds. Conrad scored 15 points and Doherty tallied 10. But, the big story once again was Kylie Lorenzen. The freshman recorded her first career double-double scoring 15 points and grabbing 13 re-

Brianne Torre Staff Writer The Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) Men’s Basketball team has kicked off their season, hosting only two of six games, making it a busy past two weeks. Traveling to Maryland, Bridgeport NY, Saint Anselm, and Franklin Pierce, the squad has had three wins and four losses, which is a rocky start for coming off from a visit to the NCAA Elite Eight last year. In an exhibition game to start off the season, the team lost to Maryland, a top D1 team, 91-55. This loss does not affect their record because the game was not a part of their regular season. Senior BJ Cardarelli led the Penmen with 13 points. Junior Chris Walters racked up the most rebounds with eight. Freshman Daquaise Andrews helped the Penmen with three assists. With over a week of practicing, the team then headed to

Senior Doherty scores on a breakaway against Molloy.

Player of the Week: Lorenzen

Cyan Magenta

Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) Women’s Basketball is off to a red hot 6-0 start this young season. Over the current six-game win streak, the girls are shooting 41% from the court and are averaging 67.5 Points per Game (PPG). This is the best start they have seen in 27 years. The Lady Penmen’s first game was against Bridgeport on Saturday, Nov. 14. Junior Sara Ryan and sophomore Jennifer Shelp led the way, scoring 18 points each. Sophomore Olivia Conrad led the way in rebounds with nine and senior Erin Doherty added seven boards during the game. In her first career game, freshman Kylie Lorenzen added 10 points and five rebounds off the bench. The Penmen won the game 84-70. The next day, Sunday, Nov. 15, the lady ballers of SNHU pulled out another win against the University of Sciences at Bridgeport, CT with a final score of 57-40. Sophomore Cat Stinson led the way, scoring 11 points and Ryan scored nine. Shelp added six points, five as-

of Post University, 74-47. Doherty led the starters with 12 points. Behind her was Conrad with 10 and Ryan with nine. Off the bench, Camara had eight points and five rebounds. And it’s déjà vu with Lorenzen where she shined scoring 12 points and pulling down eight rebounds. Lorenzen’s play has not gone unnoticed. Over the last two weeks, she has been the recipient of the NE-10 Rookie of the Week Award. The freshman guard has averaged 10.8 PPG, 7.7 rebounds per game (RPG), and 2.5 steals per game (ST/G) over the past two weeks. She has averaged a stellar 52.9 shooting percentage and ranks high among rebounders in the NE-10. “It’s a really nice honor, but it’s not just me,” Lorenzen said. “The whole team is playing really well. We have great team chemistry on and off the court and that’s one of the reasons why we’re off to a great start.” Join Lorenzen and the rest of the red hot lady Penmen when they host Merrimack College on Ugly Sweater Night in the Field House on Wednesday, Dec. 9 at 5:30 p.m. in an NE-10 Matchup.