SBP elect Rob Wilson continues to ruffle feathers

Not too long ago UNH held it's annual student body elections. Rob Wilson was the victorious candidate for the position as the new Student Body President for the next school year. Sadly, it appears that Mr. Wilson has been anything but the graceful winner. You know the old saying "act like you've been there before"? Due to recent actions, this can not be said for Wilson.

Following his victory Wilson refused to do an interview with TNH because they had written an editorial supporting another candidate. Real mature Mr. Wilson. I don't know what your future plans are, but politicians have to deal with critics everyday of their lives. Unless, of course, you don't plan on being a politician and you just wanted to be elected to pad your resume. Which would be totally acceptable because the student body president (and entire senate) is basically a sugar pill provided by the administration so that they can say that we have a voice. Let's face it, the student senate would never get anything done that the administration wasn't okay with.

Anyways, to get back on track. Wilson finally did agree to an interview with TNH, but only if it was with a reporter he knew. Because, of course, rejecting an interview with the one publication that most students read is the true sign of a leader. Along with that article,  TNH also published a second editorial saying:
 
But what was especially noteworthy from my short conversation with Wilson was his continued exaggeration and illusion of what he had accomplished at student senate. He still maintains that he has more experience than his counterparts, which is true if you don’t discount the semesters and meetings that he did not participate in.  


As 2010-2011 president Richard Peyser said of Wilson one year ago in this newspaper, “Wilson seemingly held his participation in the billiards club to be more pressing than representing his constituents; he frequently left and failed to show up at student senate meetings to attend his billiards club. That, however, is not the core concern I have. I take great offense to his statement that he has been working on medical amnesty since ‘it’s inception,’ when in fact he has not contributed to that pilot program in any capacity whatsoever.”

Clearly Wilson has tried to take credit for other students work, lied about his past, and blown off interviews and meetings. Actually, he sounds more and more like a real politician the more I think of it.

I wasn't planning on getting involved with this issue (because the student body president position is absolutely meaningless) but I was leaked more information about Wilson today that only continues to show his poor decision making and egotistical personality.

Apparently Wilson changed the door code to the Student Body President, locking out current President AJ Coukos who should have the office for the remainder of the semester. Reports say that Coukos "looked pissed" upon noticing he was locked out. Coukos' name was also removed from the door. Is Mr. Wilson looking to move in early? Renovate it? Or am I simply making nothing out of something because it's raining out and I don't feel like working on my final paper right now? 

All I know is that this (meaningless) victory for Mr. Wilson has clearly gotten to his head and he has only furthered to strain his relations with his own student body and student senate.

Stay classy, not UMassy.
 

Vote! Everybody Vote!

Yesterday just got the following reader email:

Saw UNH's Tweet about student elections, and on a lark decided to see if my old account is still active. I graduated 3 years ago, but I can still get into Blackboard (not my UNH email though).
Turns out that even though I'm not a current student. I can still vote. Screen shots added. 
Don't worry, I didn't vote for any of the real candidates. Just my favorite perpetual write-ins.

Well it appears as though at least semi-recent alumni are still able to vote in the student body elections. Maybe UNH did this on purpose to help get more than just a few hundred votes. Last year I endorsed myself at the last minute as a small form of protest because the student body president has never really accomplished anything noteworthy during my time here. TNH endorsed a candidate, but I think a few votes for good ole' New Hampshirite could really do this campus some good. Who knows, with enough votes cast my way, maybe I'll stick around next year...

Huddleston's Twitter Hiatus

UNH President Mark Huddleston has been a force to be reckoned with since he joined twitter. He has used the social media network to spread news, talk about his personal life, post creepy pictures of Philip Seymour Hoffman sleeping on a train, and have epic twitter-wars and battles (twars? Twattles?) with his impostor Prez Huddleston. But the real Mark Huddleston has been on a Twitter hiatus since April 24th, over a week without one single HuddleTweet.

Wednesday morning I reached out to readers to see what you think President Huddleston might have been up to during this time away. I didn't get the responses I hoped and some weren't really that good, but here is list of my own and the best user submitted ideas to try and find the one true answer to this question. Where is Huddleston and why isn't he tweeting his every action?

• He is coordinating an attack against the Maine Black Bear, Bananas #OperationRivalryOver 
• Flying his plane around the world
• Killing Osama bin Laden
• Flew the helicopter during the Osama raid
• No one knows, air traffic lost contact as he flew through the Bermuda Triangle
• Wire tapping AAUP emails and phone calls
• Trying to bribe officials in Concord, which was counteractive because he was using UNH's money
• Huddled up in the corner of his T-Hall office because he lost complete confidence in himself
• Lost total confidence in is tweeting ability 
• He was at the Royal Wedding, consoling the British over their loss of money due to the high expenses the wedding cost the public. He's very familiar with having to explain poor spending habits.
• Finding ways to increase our tuition without letting us know
• Overseeing architectural  plans to renovate Ham-Smith and Nesmith (just kidding!)
• Preparing to announce that he will be Donald Trump's running mate
• Working on his own Wikipedia page 
• And his own imposter Prez Huddleston said: "I've been eating a lot of comfort food. That A-A-f'ing-U-P things wasn't good for the ol' self esteem."

One final thing on Huddleston, if you go to his UNH page, there is a link to "download a high resolution image of Mark Huddleston." It's only a little creepy. I might print it out and keep it on me and have him autograph it if I ever bump into him around campus. Seriously, what is the point of that picture? Do they think students are going to print it out and put it on their desk? Seems weird to me.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Update:
President Huddleston has broken his twitter silence to me! Twice! He wrote:

@UNHblog Sorry. Stuck in Royal Wedding after-parties. Back in time though to accept new PTP offer to match up to $100K in 2011 class gifts.

@UNHblog Also just accepted today nice gift of $100K for UNH library from Barnes & Noble.

Not too shabby President Huddleston. You get a pass on this one.

Thoughts on Huddleston

I just want to start this off by apologizing for my light posting as of late. These past two weeks have probably been my busiest time at UNH and it sucks because there has been some juicy stuff on campus recently, and I'm not talking about the dude I just saw dressed up in a full Ghost Buster costume.

As most of you have probably heard by now the AAUP held a "No confidence" vote on President Huddleston. 202 out of the 420 faculty members who were eligible to vote casted their ballots. There were 129 votes of "no confidence" and 72 votes of "confidence." I am really split over this entire thing. Part of me says, look UNH is about to lose a heck of a lot of money from the little state funding we get, the entire business school fundraiser was a complete and miserable fiasco and this school has absolutely terrible spending habits... all under the watch of President Marky Mark, who was hired with the intentions that he is great at raising money. Usually I tend to side with the faculty, I have has some unbelievably great professors here who changed my life. Others kind of sucked, but on the whole UNH has some great professors.

So, then I look at what the AAUP was complaining about in President Huddleston's speech to the New Hampshire state finance committee.

He said:
"We still too frequently convey information in 50-minute lectures delivered by a ‘sage on the stage' to largely passive recipients in the audience three times a week for 15 weeks a term — as if that schedule were Biblically decreed and as if that were the way that ‘digital natives' actually learn today. Worse, we remain wedded to a credentialing regimen of courses and majors and degrees that mainly reflect ‘seat time,' rather than what students actually learn or need to learn."


I'm not gonna lie, I agree with Huddleston on this. Sure, it probably could have been said better, and it doesn't reflect UNH in the best light, but the he has a pretty decent point. Although, it should be included that because of the moneymaking scheme UNH calls "J-Term" the spring semester is a week shorter.

However, I think the majority of the administration is to blame on for this, which probably includes Huddleston.

"Largely passive recipients in the audience."
(Read: Lazy students who don't give a shit).

 Ha! You can say that again, maybe if our classes, professors and yes, even the administration were more interactive and allowing for more personal freedoms and choices within the registration process students would take more interest in their classes. I don't know about you, but I don't see how I'm ever going to need to be able to name which Beethoven symphony I'm listening to after just 15 seconds. Sorry, but Music 401 was probably the biggest waste of time and money in the history of my short life and student career. But put me in a class where we're discussing the causes and effects of the problems in Libya and I'll be completely tuned in. Others may not be, but I will, because I want to be there. There are classes that I go to everyday that I look forward to them because they are in my field of interest, bullshit gen eds will put anyone to sleep and changing those requirements is the first step in improving student interest.

I mean, I appreciate that I got an "A" and a GPA boost from taking Germs 101, but I already knew that washing your hands or wearing a condom is a good idea. GPA boosters are nice and all, but we aren't learning anything useful, which translates to a waste of time and money. I have a lot more to say on this issue of Huddleston and how it ties to a lot more that is wrong with UNH and the college system as a whole, so I think it might save it and spend some time putting it together for my next TNH column.

Have a nice weekend, party on out there and enjoy the weather!

PS: Friend of the blog "John That" has his new EP streaming here. Check it out! He'll also be at The Knot tonight at 9:30 and I'm planning on being in the crowd. Stop by for some good tunes and I'll buy you a drink buy me a beer.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

The SBP results are in...

The Student Body President and Student Board Representatives results are in... drum roll please...

With 931 votes the ticket of Andrew Coukos and Jessica Fruchtman took the election. They beat out Rob Wilson and Kehan Connors, who had 841 votes, and Kaitlin Scheerhorn and Timothy Mitsopoulos who finished with 242 votes, respectively. (Now I just need to figure out which team has connections to, and/or paid off UNH Dining to release those statements about me. Dirty politics make me sick.)

As for me, I finished with 10 votes for President and another five for Student Board Representative. Considering I announced my candidacy about four hours before polls closed, I'll gladly take the votes. Thanks to anyone who voted for me, but since I didn't win I won't buy you beer. I'm a true politician, already breaking my first campaign promises.

My fellow candidates ran a clean and competitive campaign and I would like to congratulate them all, especially the winners Andrew Coukos and Jessica Fruchtman. Hopefully they prove me wrong and really do make a difference on campus.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Romney Video Hits Home

The other day Mitt Romney spoke with UNH students and later made a video on campus in which he announced his run for presidency. I must admit, even though I am more liberal the video really hit home for me and proved something I've been saying for the past few years. Take a look:

Did you see it? Did you see what I saw? It's so obvious that there is a subliminal message behind this video.

Look!

Notice how the video is taken from the top of Cowell Stadium with the football field as the backdrop? This is clearly subliminal propaganda release by UNH saying that we need a new football stadium. They're hiding that ugly thing and keeping it out of view. If we were proud of the stadium, Romney would have been featured walking towards the camera as it slowly zoomed out with the stadium appearing as the backdrop. Nice try Huddleston, but I'm on to you, you clearly allowed this video and visit for one sole purpose. The message here isn't that Romney is running for president (I mean come on, we all know that Donald Trump is going to get the Republican nomination with his main campaign slogan "Obama isn't American!") but the real message here is that UNH needs a new football stadium. Think about it! It is so obvious!

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Student body election results

From TNHonline: Richard Peyser and Christina Caiazza were announced as the incoming student body president and vice-president on Friday, April 23 at noon in the student senate office. The pair received 747 votes, beating out four other pairs of candidates in the election. Voting was held Tuesday through Thursday on Blackboard. Students Jeffrey Jett and Gregg Moody received the second-highest total number of votes with 567. Other candidates were Sarah Kelley and Chris Chagnon (546 votes), Bekah Hawley and Michael Sanchez (393), and Jeff Moyer and Robert Wilson (391).


I'm not here to brag, but maybe I have a career in covering politics, because that is pretty much the exact order I predicted earlier this week. Okay, I didn't list an exact outcome, but I did say it would come down to Peyser/Caiazza and Jett/Moody.  I also said that Kelley/Chagnon were the third best option due to their poor goals. I indirectly said that Moyer/Wilson and Hawley/Sanchez didn't have chance.

I would like to congratulate Richard Peyser and Christina Caiazza for their victory. I wish them the best of luck next and I hope they can continue what Richard started this year as VP.

Also, the blog now has a fan page on facebook. Check it out, we're hoping it will help provide a source of communication and connection to our readers. We are trying to get a better feel of our audience and the campus as a whole.

That is all for now, I'm off to Boston for the Red Sox game tonight. Have a good weekend UNH.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Student Body Elections

Today is 4/20, which means one thing... don't forget to vote in the student body elections! If you do forget to vote today that is okay because you can vote tomorrow too. It is really easy and only takes a few seconds. Plus voting is online via blackboard so you really don't have an excuse to not vote. Today TNH ran Q&A's with all the candidates. Remember this is a blog, I am not here to tell you who to vote for, I just want to voice my opinion on the various candidates.

**PLEASE NOTE: I do not know any of the candidates. This is just how I feel from reading about their stances.

I watched the videos from TNH and read the interviews and quite honestly most of the candidates had pretty similar responses and goals. There was not really one specific group that jumped out at me. All of the teams either have a senate member or an RA or both which is good because thats means they have experience leadership roles. When it comes down to it I really feel like the final decision is between the following two teams: Peyser/Caiazza and Jett/Moody. Here is why:

Sanchez/Hawley: Simply, although Sanchez is a senate member, he is only a freshman he hasn't been here long enough to truly understand what UNH needs. Hawley is in practically every activist group on campus. Although they both support the medical amnesty policy they also have quite a few turn-offs.  I think it is great that Hawley stands up for what she believes in, but I feel she might have trouble separating her personal beliefs from what would benefit the university as a whole. (see: porn burning). A true leader makes decisions to better the community, not necessarily their personal beliefs... And that's why LBJ was one of the best domestic presidents ever! (Sorry, that's the history major in me.)

Moyer/Wilson: They asked me to sign their petition so they could run. When I asked them what they wanted to do they seemed confused and didn't give me a straight answer. No communication skills. Nope.

Kelley/Chagnon: Neither has any senate experience, but they are both RA's. Although I have shit on RA's in the past it is a very tough job and takes a strong person to be one. They could be serious contenders if not for their goals... extending MUB hours on the weekends because there is nothing to do on the weekends and that's why students make poor decisions. What? I make bad decisions because bad decisions are fun! There are much more important things than expanding MUB hours.

Peyser/Caiazza: Peyser is the current VP and this year's senate and officials have made great improvements and his experience is essential. Peyser is a poly sci major and Caiazza is a history major, which shows that they might actually have an idea of what politics are all about. They support expanding the gym to the New England center and Peyser has been involved with the advancement of the Medical Amnesty/Good Samaritan policy (which unanimously passed in the student senate this weekend!)

Jett/Moody: Jett has been in the senate and an RA for two years. Moody was a founding brother of the SAE fraternity, which is one of the most well respected fraternities on campus. (Their house is like the Congreve of frats.) Like Peyser and Caiazza they support expanding the gym, more wireless and the Medical Amnesty Policy. Jett played a key role in expanding library hours this year. They have good experience and solid goals.

So for those reasons that is why I believe the real decision comes down to Jett/Moody and Peyser/Caiazza. If you think Peyser has done a solid job then he should remain, if you think he didn't do enough than it is time to go in another direction. Out of the other four teams I feel as though Jett/Moody combine to have the best experience, goals and leadership skills.

Please remember to vote and actually think about which candidate would most benefit the university.
Stay classy, not UMassy.

Conversion of Smith Hall

If any of you are in the 2009-2010 UNH facebook group you may have received this message from our student body President and VP:

Hello Everyone,  

There are plans in action to convert Smith Hall into an administrative building. In order for us to change their plans we as students need to make a strong, united stance on this topic. Please tell us how you feel about this, if you are for or against it and why. Also please make sure to tell us which dorm you live in or if you live off campus. Thank you for your input!

- Charlotte and Richie

I think that it is an outrage that the UNH administration would be willing to change the rich tradition of Smith Hall on campus. Smith Hall is the oldest residence hall on campus and it has been home to the International Living Theme for years now. Smith Hall was finished in 1908 and was originally built as an all-female dorm. It may not be the nicest dorm, but every year students choose to live there because of the tradition and diversity of the International theme.

Smith Hall circa 1915

The Smith Hall we know today.

Turning Smith Hall into administrative buildings would just be another step that UNH would take to ruin it's rich history. UNH needs to be able to recognize and appreciate it's century old history. New buildings and dorms are always nice, but there should be a good balance of new and old to remind us how UNH has grown over the years.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Student Body Election Results Rigged, Blog Readers Outraged

After viewing the results of this years student body elections I have come to the conclusion that the election was rigged. If you look at the figures it is quite obvious that foul play was conducted. According to today’s article by Michaela Christensen in TNH about the election, only 1,958 out of 11,720 students voted. At the time of the election this blog had recorded over 1,000 faithful visitors. Over the past week I wrote two articles not only encouraging students to vote, but also expressing my candidate of choice, Chris McGown. However, McGown and his running mate Brendan Jones only recorded 413 votes, which was good for a third place finish. (At least they beat the kid who wore the sweater vest; I told you that wouldn’t end well.) I know my readers, and they would jump off a bridge if I told them too. So how could they not vote for the candidate I backed? This leads to two possible explanations:

1. Blackboard malfunctioned and gave votes to the wrong people.
2. The university realized that my blog single handedly decided who would win the election. They didn’t want me to realize my influential power so over 600 votes weren’t counted. That’s voter fraud, bitches.

Either way, that means that I was responsible for over half the voters in this year’s election. You’re welcome, I know that the voter turnout was low, but without me it would have been an epic fail. I would like to congratulate Marie Charlotte Noreng and Richard Washburn Peyser III on their victory, but I have my eye on you two, so you better not screw up.

Stay Classy, Not UMassy. 

Vote or Die

To all UNH students,

I know every single one of you reads this so I feel it is my responsibility to remind you all to vote for the student body elections. Polls are open today and tomorrow on blackboard, but go do it now so you don't forget. It is very easy and if it takes more then 2 minutes I don't know how you go into college. Or even finished middle school for that matter.

Simply go to Blackboard, click on the webcat student services tab, click the continue button to access webcat, click the student elections link and vote. I just casted my vote for the Chris McGown/Brendan Jones ticket. I made a difference and so can you! I can't wait to be roaming the streets after the votes are tallied exclaiming my excitement for our new student body president. 

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Talking Politics

I would like to take a moment to discuss the up coming student body election here at the University of Nonsensical Happenings. First of I all, I have never met any of the candidates running for President or Vice President. My opinions are solely based on the articles presented to us in the school paper. There are four different pairs of candidates running for the President and VP positions. Although I haven’t been able to make it to any of the debates, I have been keeping up with the election via the articles printed in TNH. After today’s issue of the paper I have decided whom I will be voting for on April 21 or 22 on Blackboard.

I declare that The New Hampshirite is officially backing the campaign of Chris McGown and Brendan Jones for student body President and Vice President. I really appreciate the honesty and straightforwardness presented by these two gentlemen. McGown and Jones aren’t afraid to hide the fact that neither of them have been a part of a student government before. In fact, only one of the eight candidates, Ryan Deziel, has attended a senate meeting this year.

Here are my other reasons for choosing to support the McGown/Jones ticket. Take a look at the front page of today’s TNH. Look at the hat that VP hopeful Sam Bennet is wearing. I’m sorry, but student body VP is a serious position and he looks more like he is out to get a laugh. Bennet is a member of Theatre Sports, and the last time I checked actors don’t make great politicians. I’m sorry for his Presidential running mate Jacquesline Walker, but you’re out. Next we have the Charlotte Noreng and Richard Peyser tandem. Look it how Mr. Peyser is dressed. He is clearly trying too hard, lay of the ties and suit coats buddy. Also Ms. Noreng is only a sophomore and I believe that the president should have more experience. Mr. Peyser has not only switched schools, but also his major several times. I want someone who can make a decision and stick with it in office, not a “flip-flop.” Ms. Noreng and Mr. Peyser, you're fuckin' out.  The final team is Ryan Deziel and Dustin Schoenbrun. Like Sam Bennet, Ryan Deziel is also a member of Theatre Sports; we need a leader, not a comedian. In the picture Mr. Deziel is wearing a sweater vest (skip to 2:20). He clearly can’t make good decisions.  Now take a look at Chris McGown and Brendan Jones. They aren't trying to impress you with fancy clothes or a huge fake-friendly smile. They just appear to be themselves, trying to make UNH a little less Nonsensical and a little more efficient. 

So those are my opinions on our up coming election. Think about your choices very carefully. I am not telling you who to vote for; I just wanted to let my opinion be heard. I mean I do write a blog. I apologize if I have offended any of the the candidates and I wish them all the best of luck. 

Stay classy, not UMassy.