Issuu

Volume XXVII

Issue 6

March 5, 2021

penmenpress.com

THE

PENMEN PRESS Writing SNHU’s Story

SNHU Reflects on Fall Semester Performance

Spring Athletes Return to Campus

Debt Relief, Grants And Free Community College

2 | News

MEET THE

STAFF Co-Editor-in-Chief Grace Mage

Co-Editor-in-Chief Daniel Hopler

Business Manager

Events Manager

Marketing Manager

Sports Editor

Senior Copy Editor

News Co-Editor

Lifestyle Editor

Layout Editor

Online Manager

A&E/Opinion Editor

Faculty Adviser

Julie Armstrong

Bailey Arnold-Fuchs

Hailey Tremaine

Eliza Fandel

Stefan Karlberg

Ryan Barrett

Kyle Griffin

Andrew Wilson

Now Hiring!

Sofia Barassi

Now Hiring!

Jon Boroshok

The Penmen Press | 3

THIS MONTH’S

EVENTS

Tuesday, March 2

Tuesday, March 16

Wednesday, March 24

CAPE Late Night Podcast

CAPE’s Weekly Bingo

Come join CAPE’s first student Podcast! With your host Leo, Nick and Justin introducing themselves, why they chose SNHU and their SNHU experiences.

Come to Bingo for a chance to win some awesome prizes!

Wednesday, March 3

Wednesday, March 17

CAPE’s Weekly Bingo

Come to Bingo for a chance to win some awesome prizes!

Tuesday, March 9

OMEP & Steam Team Game Night

10:00PM - 11:00PM

8:00PM - 9:00PM

10:00PM - 11:00PM

8:00PM - 9:00PM

6:00PM

CAPE Late Night Podcast 10:00PM - 11:00PM

Come join CAPE’s first student Podcast! With your host Leo, Nick and Justin introducing themselves, why they chose SNHU and their SNHU experiences.

Wednesday, March 10 CAPE’s Weekly Bingo 8:00PM - 9:00PM

Come to Bingo for a chance to win some awesome prizes!

Friday, March 12 Jackbox with SNHU Gaming 2:00PM - 5:00PM

Mess around in various Jackbox games with Gaming Club! Even if you’re not big into games, Jackbox is always a good time, so don’t be shy and swing on by!

Saturday, March 20 SNHU ASCD Virtual Conference 9:00AM - 11:30AM

This event will consist of 3 sessions of professional development surrounding educational topics. We will also have a special keynote speaker.

Tuesday, March 23 CAPE Late Night Podcast 10:00PM - 11:00PM

Come join CAPE’s first student Podcast! With your host Leo, Nick and Justin introducing themselves, why they chose SNHU and their SNHU experiences.

8:00PM - 9:00PM

Friday, March 26 CAPE Movie Night

11:00PM - 1:00AM Come and watch movies of your choice CAPE! Bring food and friends to enjoy watching this movie with us!

Tuesday, March 30 2000’s TV Jeopardy 6:30PM - 7:30PM

Join Penmen Press and Kappa Chi for an awesome game of 2000s TV Jeopardy! Play for a chance to win amazing prizes and test your TV knowledge!

CAPE Late Night Podcast 10:00PM - 11:00PM

Come join CAPE’s first student Podcast! With your host Leo, Nick and Justin introducing themselves, why they chose SNHU and their SNHU experiences.

Wednesday, March 31 CAPE’s Weekly Bingo 8:00PM - 9:00PM

Come to Bingo for a chance to win some awesome prizes!

4 | News

News

The Penmen Press | 5

SNHU Reflects on Fall Semester Performance Joshua DiNapoli Staff Writer With the fall semester now months behind us, the SNHU administration has been evaluating student performance to plan for the future. “One of the things that [was] unique about the fall is that we saw some students that were high achieving that had really low grades this semester,” said Leah Richards, Assistant Dean of Student Success. Richards also chairs the Scholastic committee, an administrative body at SNHU that reviews students whose GPA has fallen below a 2.0 score. If this happens, the committee has to put the student under academic suspension. However, the student can appeal their decision by writing a letter addressing the reasons they fell behind. “A few themes emerged. [T] he most obvious is that students are finding it harder to manage balancing their academics in a virtual environment…[C]ertainly the actual way of learning is impacting it,” said Richards. The administration has emphasized that they understand how different this year has been for students and realize how the changes caused by the pandemic can strain student performance. While a fair amount of the stress caused by the pandemic is out of the administration’s control, Richards did mention some solutions the staff was hoping students would take advantage of this semester. One of the main priorities is making sure students take full advantage of the help and office hours the teachers make available. Richards mentioned how while some classes have built engaging communities, others struggle to contact students who are having trouble with their work. The scholastic committee has also taken steps to monitor student activity on websites like Brightspace to evaluate engagement. “We are

proactively looking each week for any student that has not logged into Brightspace, and we are calling them.” Another source of aid specifically for first-year students is the Success Coach Program. Success Coaches are assigned to first-year students and are available to review their assignments, help with time management and ensure their academic progress. This program’s success has been prevalent, with Richards mentioning how in the last couple of semesters, students who use academic coaching are usually more successful academically. Other resources available through the Learning Center include academic support that has 24/7 drop-in availability. Beyond providing tools to students, the administration continues to try to help adjust its students to this learning experience. “We are trying to

reassure people this is not a normal time…that it’s okay to commit to two or three classes instead,” Richards noted. For many students, this search for normalcy has been stressful as many find it harder to take the same amount of classes they would take in-person, online. The administration is also committed to making sure faculty are confident that their teaching is effective in this new learning environment. To address concerns that student engagement was low in online meetings, Vice President of Academic Affairs, Michael Evans, sent out an email outlining new guidelines that students should follow, reflecting a more engaging environment. However, ultimately the administration has not sought to enforce these guidelines on a universal scale. The faculty has the final word on what procedures they feel are needed for higher student engagement.

SNHU Green Space. (image courtesy: SNHU External Affairs)

6 | News

Barring the Catastrophic, SNHU Will Return to Campus in the Fall Andrew Wilson News Co-Editor

President Paul LeBlanc. (image courtesy: Education Writers Association) “September.” Said SNHU President Paul Leblanc, “I’m super confident we’ll be back in September.” While SNHU staff and faculty are working to ensure that students will be returning to campus in the fall, SNHU has yet to make a public announcement regarding the decision to return to campus. Despite this, President LeBlanc mentioned the previous statement in an interview on February 23. When asked to elaborate, Leblanc stated “We are operating on the assumption that, barring the catastrophic, we will be able to be back on campus with some relative version of normalcy.”

A few of the catastrophes that would prevent students from returning to campus include vaccines not working or a new strain of the virus rendering them ineffective. Leblanc expressed his doubts that these disastrous events will occur and that he “suspects that we will be back on campus,” in the fall. “Three things have happened; we’ve gotten really good at testing, which wasn’t true this past fall; we have vaccines and most of America will be vaccinated by September; and because of campuses that did open, even though they have lots of struggles, we’ve learned what has to happen.

We may need some quarantine beds in case someone gets sick, we may need to go into lockdown from time to time, but I don’t think so, I think it will be pretty normal.” Leblanc also brought up a question that is currently being debated in the college and academic community as a whole, “Can you require [vaccinations]? What if someone says ‘I object’? We have to accept medical and religious exemptions, but beyond that, it’s not clear.” The question of whether vaccinations can be mandated will have to be answered before SNHU’s possible return in the fall.

The Penmen Press | 7

How The Reduction In Tuition Will Affect Students Taylor Posik and Callie Gibbs Staff Writers Changes to SNHU’s tuition are being put into effect beginning in the fall 2021 semester. As stated in an email from President Paul LeBlanc in December, it informs students of new cost plans, as well as an introduction to a new program being offered. Meanwhile the cut in costs have brought up many questions regarding eligibility for scholarships. This new structure was originally planned to be carried out in the Fall of 2023. Due to the pandemic, it has been pushed up to the Fall 2021 semester. In previous years, the starting tuition came at a rate of $31,000 per year. With this new plan, it will be reduced to $15,000, over a 50% price reduction. Previously, merit scholarships were one of the many ways to help reduce tuition costs. They were awarded to students that have maintained a high grade point average (GPA). Additionally, they were given to students that fit various circumstances, such as having enrolled siblings or alumni in the family. “Prior to the transformation…firstyear students [were awarded] merit scholarships...upon applying to the

institution. [First-Year Admissions] would review your transcript, we would read through your application; it was predominately [based on]… your cumulative high school GPA. We would recalculate to a 4.0 standard, and that would drive the amount of merit scholarship you would receive,” says Tim Whittum, Assistant Vice President of First-Year Admissions. However, merit scholarships will be withdrawn come the 2021 fall semester. Instead, SNHU is switching to need-based scholarships. Students who relied on receiving merit scholarships are concerned that they are going to end up paying more than they did in previous years. “No student is paying more out of pocket than they were before,” says SNHU President Paul LeBlanc. Athletic scholarships will remain. Additionally, the Named and Endowed Scholarships will continue to be offered to students. Students can also apply to other non-institutional scholarships. The Experience More Program is also being put into effect for incoming freshmen and sophomores and will cost $10,000. This new program is

going to be more structured and create more online, experiential and projectbased learning, making a more fluid connection between SNHU’s online and campus experiences. The program will also include opportunities for internships and workplace experiences. It will allow students the opportunity to choose courses where they can learn at their own pace. Some majors that will be included in the program are Communications and Construction Management. They will follow the general format of the Inkwell Studio, SNHU’s in house game development studio. It functions as a way for students to receive credits while also getting hands-on experience in the field of game design, as they work as a team to finish student projects. These other programs will be modeled after the success of Inkwell. Upperclassmen will be ineligible for the program, and instead will continue the class structure they began with. Students with questions and concerns about financial aid can contact Student Financial Services at sfscampus@snhu.edu or 603-645-9640.

Financial Aid Application. (image courtesy: Buzzle Media)

8 | Sports

Sports

The Penmen Press | 9

Spring Athletes Return to Campus Sofia Barassi Sports Editor

SNHU Softball making plays. (image courtesy: Union Leader) SNHU spring athletes will return to campus on March 1. With the NE10’s recent announcement that spring sports will be returning for the 2021 season, many students questioned whether SNHU Spring Sports would be resuming play since the decision to return is ultimately up to the individual school’s discretion. With this great unknown, the new information acquired from athletes has provided new clarity in SNHU’s unannounced decision on the fate of spring sports. According to softball member Abigail Gray and even a post from SNHU Tennis, the return of spring athletes at SNHU will begin in the weeks leading up to March. Studentathletes from around the globe are currently headed back to campus at the time of this article’s publication. In a post from the NE10, the Council of Presidents met and

decided on “approved policies and protocols that support the resumption of NE10 competition this spring.” Face coverings, health protocols and vigilance are the main focuses of the NE10 and their hopes of safety for all students and staff involved in this long-awaited opportunity. Competition is set to begin midMarch according to the NE10. Gray states that they are ready to return on March 4 to practice 5-6 times a week. They will all be living in Tuckerman Hall on the same floor. “Each team gets a floor in Tuckerman, so we are safe distance-wise and SNHU has worked extremely hard to ensure we are comfortable and safe with everything going on. We room with a teammate on the other side of us,” said Gray. They will also be getting a COVID-19 test twice a week to ensure safety for practices and games.

“As a team, we have a short time to really click with new teammates so it’s really important for us to gear up and work out little things so we can all grow together and play as one! I think this year will be great. Our season was cut short on our Florida trip last year and we’ve been eager to play since last March. Getting back together will be the best feeling,” continued Gray. With games being more local for the softball team to cut travel and hotel visits, they are very grateful for this opportunity to play. “The team sports schedules for baseball, softball, tennis and lacrosse have undergone significant revisions that maximize contests while minimizing time off campus to travel and address current interstate travel restrictions,” according to the article. After almost a year of dormant SNHU sports, this is the first return back to campus for athletes.

10 | Sports

How are Athletic Scholarships Affected by the New Tuition Cut? Christopher Kelly Staff Writer Recently, SNHU announced a lower tuition rate for all incoming students. Which begs the question, how this will affect the athletics department? The department spends a million dollars every year on equipment, maintenance and scholarships. Anthoney Fallacaro, the Athletic Director, when asked how the athletic department will be affected said, “We normally have around 65 scholarships that we break up amongst 450 athletes. We are going to do that same ratio for the scholarships. So really dollars have been reduced but they’ve been reduced at the same percentage.” In short, they will have the same number of scholarships but each will have a lesser value. The change in tuition has removed merit scholarships, otherwise known as academic aid for every student. This means that athletic scholarships will now be based on athletes’ abilities rather than the current system of both academics and athletic qualifications. “When they did the analysis, what we realized is that if we were to take athletic scholarships away, we would end up spending not as much, but a lot of it, on needbased scholarships, and in fact, our [athletic] scholarship program helps us have a more diverse student body. So we have more students of color as a result,” stated SNHU President, Paul LeBlanc. Essentially, keeping the athletic scholarships is cost-effective and supports more diversity. The cost of schooling is largely placed on the athletes since there are very few full athletic grants, therefore the tuition change makes the overall cost of school lower for both athletes and non-athletes. Athletes will receive lower scholarships but with lower tuition therefore not requiring a greater cost, Fallacaro explained. “Almost none of the 80,000 student-athletes competing in

Cutting Down Tuition. (image courtesy: University Business) Division II this year will receive a full athletics grant that covers all of their expenses, but most of them will receive some financial aid to help them through school,” according to Penmen Athletics on Division II sports. The change in tuition is slated to open up new opportunities for athletes who might not have been able to pay SNHU’s prior tuition and should make SNHU’s financial packages more appealing to those with offers from multiple schools. “Our coaches can now go out into a bigger scope of students to look at because they can now afford

it...where some couldn’t,” Fallacaro continues. Students will be able to come to SNHU with lower loans and easily compare that to other school offers to not only find the best fit, but also the best price. Even with the sudden price drop, SNHU’s Athletics Department is committed to maintaining the current facilities at the same level they always have been at, according to Fallacaro. The tuition cut is allowing SNHU to not only reduce the overall cost of education, but it will also allow athletes to continue to play their desired sports.

The Penmen Press | 11

SNHU Student-Athletes Set Record for Academic Honor Roll Accolades Christopher Kelly Staff Writer 288 SNHU student-athletes made the NE10 Academic Honor Roll for keeping a 3.0 or better GPA during the fall semester. 75% of the studentathletes at SNHU are on this list which makes them ranked 5th in the conference. SNHU led the conference in 4.0 GPAs with 69 students hitting that threshold. Given the current online environment, it’s easy to lose focus on grades and school. However, there are those who go above and beyond who deserve recognition for their deeds, such as the student-athletes. Because it spans the entire conference, this achievement differs from the President and Dean lists that the university offers to every student meeting the criteria. The NE10 offers the Academic Honor Roll with three distinctions:

Academic Excellence (4.0 GPA), Academic Distinction (3.50-3.99 GPA) and Academic Honors (3.00-3.49 GPA). A predominant theme of success from the student-athletes was staying organized and utilizing communications with faculty throughout the semester. “Professors have been easily reachable if I had questions...it was very helpful because it was the first time I attended English classes, so I accomplished this thanks to the help of my professors and by being organized,” said international men’s tennis player, Thomas Carsana, who received a 4.o GPA and a spot on the Academic Excellence list. When asked what effect they thought the transition to online had

on earning this award, some athletes said it made school easier being able to dedicate more time towards studying or even getting work out of the way entirely. Contrarily, men’s cross-country captain, junior Andrew Derry, says that the transition made things difficult. “If anything, not having a team practice would be a detriment towards getting an award like this or...impedes progress. Having team practice or structured time just aids me. I know it aids my discipline, so I will be focused on practice time then focused after practice when I need to do my schoolwork moving forward,” continued Derry. Although there are mixed reviews on how this award was achieved, the student-athletes set a record for SNHU and the NE10.

What SNHU Needs For a Swim Team Steven Covey Staff Writer With all the athletic opportunities SNHU has to offer, how would the university support a future swim team? “All sports are supported by a university budget, just as many different areas on campus are supported,” said Anthony Fallacaro, Director of Athletics and Recreation, when asked about how SNHU would pay for a team. “We do offset some of the costs with alumni donations to athletics and revenue from the rental of athletic facilities.” If funding was received for the budget, the university would have to recruit coaches and players for the team. “Any time we do a search for a head coach, we conduct a national search. We would post the position through many of the outlets that support athletic searches, such as the NCAA career page.

The athletic administration, along with human resources, reviews those and selects roughly 10-12 candidates for phone interviews. Following those, we would narrow the search to about five for on-campus interviews. From there we would make our selection. Once the head coach is selected they would conduct searches for their assistant coach roles,” said Fallacaro. Once the university has a coaching staff, they would then begin searching for athlete recruits. The future team would be instructed to follow the NCAA obligations and rules which include Title IX policies. This would ensure an equal amount of spending opportunities would be offered for both male and female teams. According to Fallacaro, “A club swim team has tried to get off the ground, but we did not see a great deal

of participation in it, which would make starting a program like that a little more of a task. Currently, our pool is adequate for rentals and high school swim meets, but might need an upgrade to support a college swim program.” According to NCAA standards, “For facilities (those with architectural plans dated after September 1, 1996), it is preferred that the racing course be 50 meters in length by 75 feet in width, providing for eight, 9-foot lanes with additional width outside lanes one and eight.” SNHU’s current pool only has six lanes, making it ineligible for NCAA competition. There are many pieces that are needed to form a collegiate team which makes the tasks a drawn-out process. It is not impossible, but not likely for SNHU at the moment.

12 | Lifestyle

Lifestyle

The Penmen Press | 13

Debt Relief, Grants And Free Community College Elizabeth Lemieux Staff Writer

President Joe Biden’s Education Plan. (image courtesy: joebiden.com) The Biden Administration has settled into the Capitol and college students, prospective students and alumni across the country wait for the roll-out of President Joe Biden’s higher education plan. President Biden was sworn into office on January 20. He previously laid out his plan for higher education on his campaign website and has been vocal about his aspirations to improve the American education system. In his plan, Biden focuses on reforming the student loan repayment process and making college more affordable for low-income families. If approved, the Biden Admin istration will cut payments on undergraduate federal student loans in half. Alumni will only have to pay 5% of their income “minus taxes and essential spending,” according to joebiden.com. Their payments won’t be taxed, and after 20 years of paying student loans responsibly, their federal debt will be forgiven in its entirety. Not all alumni will be required to pay their student loans. Those who make $25,000 or less a year

will not owe or accrue interest on their undergrad federal student loans until their annual income grows. This would take the pressure off alumni and future graduates to repay their loans when they can’t afford them. Miguel Cardona, the Department of Education Secretary nominee for the Biden Administration, has stated that he supports Biden’s plans and aims to prioritize student loan forgiveness and student debt in America. “[I will] work with our Senators and our Congress folks to support a plan that provides some relief to our students in higher education,” Cardona said in an interview with Connecticut Public Radio. In addition to reforming the federal student loan repayment process, the Biden Administration plans to make college more affordable for low-income and minority families. If approved, Biden will double the value of the Pell Grant, a grant specifically made for those who need financial aid the most. He also wants to support minority-serving

institutions by building research labs and abolishing inequalities in funding, says joebiden.com. By doing this, the Biden Administration aims to make attendance and graduation from college a more equitable experience for all students. Biden also aims to make public colleges tuition-free for families who make less than $125,000 a year. This policy stems from Bernie Sanders’ and Pramila Jayapal’s proposed 2019 College for All Act. It is estimated that millions of people would be able to continue their education if this notion is put into place. It is likely that not every aspect of these plans will come to pass. Each policy requires a big budget and may have difficulty receiving bipartisan support. For example, Biden’s freetuition policy may not come to fruition as it’s highly debated and lacks bipartisan support. However, his plan to increase the value of the Pell Grant is more likely to pass because it has received support from both parties, as well as backing from over 80 educational organizations.

14 | A&E and Opinion

A&E/ Opinion

The Penmen Press | 15

Upcoming LEGO Game Meets Mixed Reactions Devin Pouliot Staff Writer

Cover Art for LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. (image source: xbox.com) After many months of delay, the developers at Traveller’s Tales, Lucasfilm and TT Games have announced the release of the next installment in the LEGO Star Wars game series: The Skywalker Saga. According to starwars.com, the official site for Star Wars games and movies, this game will feature all nine films from the Star Wars saga as playable levels with the same amount of puzzle-solving, environment destruction, stud collecting and LEGO humor expected from the franchise. This game will also feature a new, open-world element as shown in the gameplay trailer released on LEGO’s YouTube channel. While most LEGO Star Wars

games have followed a model of strict linear progression with minimal exploration of the environment, The Skywalker Saga aims to provide a larger world for replayability while maintaining linear progression for players more invested in the story. This element of the game has been met with praise, with one consumer saying they were happy the developers were crafting a game for two different types of players. However, The Skywalker Saga is subject to mixed feelings. Some players are concerned about the developers working on the game. One SNHU student claims he will refuse to buy the game because of the developers working on it.

Another SNHU student claimed they had no interest in playing the game because of their dislike for the new trilogy of Star Wars movies: Episode VII, Episode VIII and Episode IX. Others, like myself, will buy this game regardless of the mixed feelings other players have expressed. For many, it’s a matter of nostalgia to play this game. By playing, we remember the countless hours of hunting down Minikits, customizing and creating our own characters and the joy of spending time in our favorite franchise. LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is set to release this Spring on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, and for PC.

The Penmen Press |16

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 monthly during the academic year and is printed on campus by Copies Plus. To contact the newspaper, please email us at penmenpress@snhu.edu