Student Activism and Participation

Last week UNH held the annual student body president and representative elections. I was pretty sad to see that there were only three different pairs of president and vice president candidates on the ballot when it came time to vote.

During my time in Durham, I have noticed that UNH seems to be a very inactive campus. As a history major I often read about the student rallies and strikes that took place in the 1960s and 70s over Vietnam, Civil Rights and other issues.

Nowadays it seems as though the old fashioned student protest is completely absent from college campuses, particularly UNH. Even back when college protests were common, UNH only had one major strike. It was in 1970 following the Kent State shooting and the Chicago Three's rally at Lundholm Gymnasium. Despite the last two weeks of classes being turned into voluntary workshops and finals being cancelled, UNH still denies that there was ever a strike.

Even with many student organizations that deal with common strike-able issues, most of those topics slip between the cracks of daily conversations. Outside of those organizations it seems as though nobody truly cares what is going on in the news nationally, worldwide, and even right here on campus.

In those student elections I mentioned earlier, the one with only three presidential candidates and a representative running unopposed, only 2,098 students voted. That is roughly 16 percent of the undergraduate population.

Those numbers tell me a few things.

The first is that the vast majority of students did not vote. But let's look at that a little bit further. Why wouldn't students vote in their own election? The simplest and probably the lamest excuse is that they did not know about it. We all got emails, we had two days to vote and there was a voting reminder and link displayed right on the blackboard homepage.

The second reason might be that students do not care about who our president and student representatives are. This makes a little more sense, but much like I tell people who do not vote in the state and national elections, if you don't vote, I don't want to hear you complain about anything. You had an opportunity to make your voice heard and you blew it out of pure laziness and carelessness. While it might seem like a lack of voting is due to a poor choice of candidates, maybe it actually shows how students view our administration.

I have been here for three years, and between writing this column and my blog I have been a pretty active student when it comes to keeping up on UNH news and events. I'm probably up there with the editors of this paper for students who follow and read about all of UNH's activities.

Over those three years I can't name a single thing the student senate has done apart from medical amnesty, which is still in its test phase and it was only allowed by the administration after it was stripped down so close to nothing that it is practically worthless. I do not mean that against any of the students who worked tirelessly on that project: I tip my hat to them and I thank them. I mean that against the administration.

Our administration has such a tight and firm grip over the student body and senate and they have such a determined agenda that there is no way the student senate and president could actually get anything passed that would actually benefit the student body in ways that the majority of modern college students would actually care about. When I enter most of my classes, I don't hear students talking about what the student senate is working on or the three wars that we're in or human rights violations. I hear them talking about the awesome party they went to or how drunk they got at Libby's on Thursday night.

If our student electives really had any power, UNH probably would not have a zero tolerance policy, which of all the policies at UNH right now, might be the most ludicrous. This also reflects New Hampshire's internal possession law. Following the concert two weekends ago there were 48 arrests on campus. The same concert tour was at Rhode Island the night before and there were only two arrests.

I don't think that the voting turnout was low because of bad candidates or that students don't care. It was low because it doesn't matter who is running since, deep down, we all know that student senate is run by the UNH administration.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

4 Student Orgs You Pay For, That Will Let You Down [And Why It's Not [Entirely] Their Faults]

CAB: The Campus Activities Board, they couldn't have said it better themselves on their website, "might as well come...you've already paid for it!" With a budget of $107,500 (making it the second highest SAF subsidy behind SCOPE's), you may be asking yourself, how could CAB ever let me down? Now don't get me wrong, CAB puts on some damn good events throughout the year--Stress Relief, Comedians, Outdoor Movies, and even BINGO games (never been to a BINGO game but heard they are quite fun and plan on checking it out this year)--but it's not it's programming that I have a huge problem with but it's scheduling and date choices. In CAB's concept it states that CAB's purpose is to put on "alternative programming," this is something that really grinds my gears. As The New Hampshirite has repeatedly pointed out, and UNH Health Services has even admitted themselves, the majority of this campus drinks. That means that Thursday, Friday, and Saturday most UNH students are out trying to relieve some of the stress from the weeks tasks and tests--I think we can all agree a few drinks to take the stress off is better than letting it build up and stringing oneself from the rafters. So when does CAB decide to schedule most of its "alternative programming?" Right in the middle of most peoples nights out! WHY???? CAB brings some hilarious comedians, and stress relief is one of the best events to attend come finals week, but the organization makes it impossible for the majority of the student body, the PAYING students who buy into the STUDENT ACTIVITY FEE, to attend it's events. Maybe I'm fucking crazy here but wouldn't it make more sense for CAB to put on events on weeknights, when every member of the university has an equal opportunity to attend them? Or are weeknights when Englehart residents and Res Life members are caged up in their rooms beating it/doing homework/playing farmville/watching reruns of Greys anatomy? My 2nd qualm with CAB is that thus far they have failed to create any meaningful traditions at UNH. Has anyone ever even been to the Homecoming Parade? I can't say I have! It seems to me like in the year since Communiversity (not even a SAFO org) has existed, they have already showed CAB up at it's own gig, organizing flashdances during finals weeks and lets not forget the Homecoming Bonfire, that is bound to be a tradition that carries on for years to come. My last issue with CAB is it's lack of advertising. So what if CAB chalks at the entrances to the MUB and hangs up a few posters near the GSS Boxes, not everyone is a MUB rat, some of us live of campus and have things to do during the day besides walk around the fucking MUB. Maybe if I would know for once when a comedian was coming I'd be able to take a break from drinking, attend one of these Saturday at 9pm "alternative" events, laugh my balls off, and then get back after it downtown trying to forget my own name.

Maybe I'm just the only crazy one here?


Next Time: Find out why SCAN will probably let you down.

*thanks to those who provided the information that made this series of articles possible (you know who you are)

and as always, Live Life Lifted

4 Student Orgs You Pay For, That Will Let You Down [And Why It's Not [Entirely] Their Faults]

Student Senate: Drawing about 105 thousand dollars from your student activity fee fund, Student Senate is the org you pay for that is MOST likely to let you down. Before you start wondering what the hell Student Senate could possibly blow 105k a year on, I'll break their budget down a little further. The largest portion of Senate's budget, about 72 thousand dollars, goes to paying the Student Legal Services lawyer. If you don't already know what this is, you are probably one of the lucky few that have yet to be arrested by UNH's finest. Student Legal Services is an excellent resource for ALL students on this campus. Services are free and Joanne Stella, the lawyer, is extremely knowledgeable and helpful with all cases involving the trouble one is likely to get into on an average weekend in Durham. This is probably the ONLY reason Senate is worthwhile, and in actuality the two's only tie is that Senate is using your money to pay for her--I can't give them much credit there.

In theory Student Senate is a great idea: give students the power to perform checks and balances over University policies and actions. In practice it's a whole different story. The biggest fundamental problem with Student Senate is that THEY HAVE NO ACTUAL POWER. I've heard the rhetoric, "We have the voice of the student body." Bottom line is, THAT. MEANS. NOTHING! Senate goes about their weekly meetings commending or condemning certain polices or vowing to work with the University to find common ground, but at the end of the day the University can and will do whatever it pleases. Senate can pass bills until its blue in the face and Administration doesn't have to change a thing. IF you don't believe me, look into the housing policies of late that make University housing through the Residential Life Regime just about a step up from living in prison--say so long to personal rights. The reality is that the Administration doesn't have to listen to a single thing senate says or does, that's when Senate's even standing up for us and saying or doing anything.

The second core problem is that in recent years Senate has been composed of "YAY" saying administration supporters--not to mention ex or current residential life members. This is a vital failure in checks and balances! Viewpoints of senators have already been so skewed by member's ties to the Administration it is impossible to expect change or even fair results. When the usual turnout is less than 1000 students for the yearly Student Body President, VP and Trustee elections, I question the legitimacy of Senate at even its very foundation. It seems like the ultimate win for the Administration: Take all the students who are motivated and looking for change, allow them to have something to keep them busy, and continue on doing what it was going to do in the first place.

But hey, just my thoughts.... (I'd love to hear yours!)



Next Time: Find out why CAB is likely to let you down.

*thanks to those who provided the information that made this series of articles possible (you know who you are)

and as always, Live Life Lifted

4 Student Orgs You Pay For, That Will Let You Down [And Why It's Not [Entirely] Their Faults]

For those of you that let Mommy and Daddy pay your UNH tuition you probably have ABSOLUTELY no idea where that money gets specifically allocated. There are certain fees added on top of the basic charge for classes at our fine University. For example, The Health Services fee, Athletics fee (a whole other issue for another day), Technology fee and a lesser known, often overlooked Student Activity Fee, of which I'll talk about today. Every undergraduate student this year paid $96 dollars as their Student Activity Fee, creating a fund of just over a million dollars to be dispersed amongst the 14 prominent student organizations. Of these 14 orgs, it looks like this years top disappointments will come from SCOPE (Student Committee of Popular Entertainment), Student Senate, CAB (Campus Activities Board) and SCAN (Student Cable Access Network). Here's Why:

SCOPE: Drawing a 139k subsidy from the Student Activity Fee fund, SCOPE has the largest budget of any student organization on this campus. With SCOPE already bringing two of my personal favorites this homecoming, Lewis Black and Passion Pit, how could they ever let the campus down? The answer is simple: Outside forces will always prevent SCOPE from pleasing everyone. For starters with only 139K it is unfeasible for the organization to bring the big names that everyone expects them to, instead they must look to book rising or falling stars (big name acts can range from 100k a performance and up, way up). The limited budget also makes it next to impossible to draw acts to UNH without them already being on tour or in the area at the time. This forces SCOPE to find tours that are passing through New England, that not only have open dates available but are also looking to play college shows. Lastly, SCOPE must put up with the UNH Athletics Department in order to book any big shows, as Athletics have priority in both the Field House and the Whittemore Center, SCOPE's largest possible venues. Unfortunately for SCOPE the Athletics Dept. holds a firm belief that Athletes run this campus (if you don't believe me, look into the Athletics Fee you pay, believe me you won't be happy) and fail to realize that STUDENTS in fact run this campus. That being said, the Athletics Dept. gives SCOPE an extremely limited amount of dates for which they are free to use both venues. I hope you are beginning to realize the scope (pun intended) of the problem and the challenge at hand for this organization. The stars literally have to align for them to nail down a huge campus pleasing act like Snoop Dogg--even if you're not a fan of rap music you should have been at that show. SO, despite the fact that SCOPE will most likely let you down this year--by either not representing your favorite genre (sorry country fans) or not bringing any huge names--my hat goes off to the organization and all that they have pulled together so far this school year.


Next Time: Find out why Student Senate will MOST DEFINITELY let you down.

*thanks to those who provided the information that made this series of articles possible (you know who you are)

and as always, Live Life Lifted

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.

UNH Monday Updates

UNH has new famous alumni... and it is Rachel Uchitel, one of the women Tiger Woods supposedly had an affair with. Uchitel graduated from UNH in 1996 with a degree in psychology. Good to see she's putting her education to work with her job as a hostess in New York City.  I'm not sure if she is at the level of Jackie MacMullan, Jason Krog, Mike O'Malley or John Irving, but she is making her case. No word yet on how many professor Uchitel slept with to get her degree, although it can be assumed that a 9 iron was involved. (Bad joke of the day: check)

In other news, last night a 6 hour student senate meeting took place where Smith Hall residents and supporters were able to voice their opinions on the repurposing of UNH's oldest dorm. The student senate passed a resolution condemning the actions of President Huddelston. Students are still hoping that they can change the administrations mind over the decision to turn Smith Hall into the new admissions office... if only a famous alumni who lived in Smith would speak on it's behalf... Hey, Rachel, where did you live on campus?

I would now like to explain a few things about this blog. I have been writing it for 8 months now (counting the summer even though I barely wrote) and a few things have come to fruition. First of all, I realize that I have built a dedicated fan base of regular readers. That is awesome, thank you so much. Every week it seems as though more people have been reading and that really is an honor. I have also been receiving more campus tips via email, facebook and twitter, which is awesome. Those people know who they are and they are the best. I would love to be able to continue this growth through the support of fellow students. If you have an issue or tip about a campus happening let me know. Even if it is something small like your band is playing at Panache, I can write up a quick preview or something.

Secondly, I realize that other people don't like the blog, which makes sense because you can't please everyone. I'm not going to try and win those people over or explain myself, but I would like to say a few things. Not everything on here is meant to be taken 100% seriously. Most of the negative feedback I get comes form people who seem to be missing the bigger picture. This is a blog, not a textbook, which means I don't have to have sources and I can make up ridiculous statements for comical purposes. Sarcasm and irony can be very difficult concepts for some people. Also, if you don't like this, then don't read it. Nobody's making you.

A quick note my final TNH column of the semester will be in tomorrow's paper and it is awesome as always.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Good Samaritan Law at UNH

After talking with several friends today, we decided that a Good Samaritan Law would be excellent for UNH. The student senate has already discussed it and with your support we can make it happen! The students of UNH have the power to make a change. State funding is down, which means that our tuition makes UNH run. This means that we have the power. Join the facebook group to Bring a Good Samaritan Law to UNH. Making this a reality could save a life. If you oppose this idea think about this: students will not stop drinking if it fails, we already drink without it! So why not support it?

Think about it.
Bob Dylan says it best:

Stay classy, not UMassy.