May 3rd, 2012

From Jackie Hooper, Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery:

Keene State College senior art major Rachel Mangean was voted the winner of the People’s Choice Award for Coral Reef Warming, a sculpture displayed in the Emerging Art exhibit, presented by the KSC Art Department through Saturday, May 5, at the Thorne.

During the first weeks of the annual Keene State art students’ exhibition, visitors were invited to vote for their favorite work of art. Mangean won the majority of the 395 votes cast. She will receive a $100 cash award from the Friends of the Thorne along with a People’s Choice Commendation.

The ceramic, wire, and fabric sculpture installation shows the effects of coral bleaching caused by acidification of the oceans. The piece replicates the brilliant colors of a living color reef and then fades into the gray and white colors of a dying reef. Mangean, who has never seen live coral in the ocean, learned about this ecosystem during a biology class at Keene State. She now belongs to an international Coral Reef Alliance that works to save coral reefs throughout the world.

Mangean is one of 13 B.A. and 11 B.F.A. students who will be graduating May 6 whose works are on display in Emerging Art.

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From Genny Alexander, Development:

A huge thank you to everyone who made this year’s Close to Home faculty/staff campaign such a success!

We celebrated at the annual Thank You! breakfast with the exciting news that 23.12% of faculty and staff have donated over $60,000 to students and programs on the campus this fiscal year. That is 1.5% more in participation than last year, and over $16,000 more in gifts. Wow!

Thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s campaign!

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Thank You KSC Student Employees!

In celebration of National Student Employment Week (April 8-April 14), the KSC community:

• appreciates your hard work,
• recognizes your dedication, and
• values your many contributions.

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From Stuart Kaufman, Sports Information:

Keene State College is the top academic institution in the Little East Conference, according to the 2010-11 Presidents Cup standings released by the conference office. The Owls sported a cumulative grade point average of 3.06 to outdistance themselves from Eastern Connecticut State University (2.96).

“It is a remarkable achievement that Keene State College has garnered the Commissioners Cup and Presidents Cup in the same academic year,” said Commissioner Jonathan C. Harper. “This is a rare accomplishment in this day in age to have one institution achieve a conference’s highest honors in both athletic and academic prowess.”

The Presidents Cup trophy measures the highest cumulative grade point average of all institutions in the Little East Conference. Each athletic department calculates its student-athletes’ cumulative grade point average in the conference’s 19 championship sponsored sports. Plymouth State University (2.91), University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (2.85), and Western Connecticut State University (2.85) complete the top half of the 2010-11 Little East Presidents Cup standings.

Three Owl student-athletes were bestowed with national and regional academic awards during the 2010-11 academic year. Senior Tim Pipp (Keene, N.H.) was recognized on the 2011 U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches’ Association All-Academic Cross Country Team, earning the honor by posting a 3.30 cumulative grade point average and placing within the top 35 at the NCAA Regional Championship. Senior Katie Bradford (Lebanon, N.H.) was named to the ESPN Academic All-District Women’s Soccer Team, and junior Haley Chandler (Wakefield, Mass.) was selected to the Capital One Academic All-District Softball Team. Furthermore, the Keene State field hockey team earned a spot on the National Field Hockey Coaches’ Association National Academic Team after boasting a team cumulative grade point average of 3.10. The Owls were well-represented on the 2010-11 All-Little East Academic Teams with a total of 75 honorees. The Keene State women’s indoor track and field team (10) and women’s soccer teams (8) set the standard among its 16-conference sponsored sports.

View the full story with more quotes at keeneowls.com.

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From Amy Proctor, President’s Office:

March is Women’s History Month; every year, Keene State coordinates with the National Women’s History Project’s theme to name four Outstanding Women of New Hampshire. This year’s theme is “Women’s Education – Women’s Empowerment.”

Please join us in congratulating this year’s honorees:

• State of NH – Mary Ellen Jackson
• Monadnock Region – Melinda Feola-Mahar
• KSC Student – Dorian Petranech
• KSC Faculty/Staff – Nona Fienberg

Awards Ceremony & Reception
Wednesday, March 28, 2012 at 7 p.m.
Mabel Brown Room
Free and Open to the Public
Sponsored by the Campus Commission on the Status of Women

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From Margaret Walsh, Honors Program:

The Honors Program is pleased to welcome 18 outstanding Keene State College students into the program for Fall 2012: Cori Bailey, Jessica Bowen, Nicholas Cobb, Shaelyn Cole, Myles Dumas, Hannah Goulis, Natalie Kocurek, Michael Kolodziej, Lauren Medeiros, Kassy Montgomery, Leighanna Moore, Dylan Morrill, Kevin Murphy, Erika Nichols, John Oliver, Hersch Rothmel, Taylor Thomas, and Maegan Williams. Congratulations to all of these remarkable first-year students!

The benefits of participating in Honors include academic enrichment, a travel/study course, the option of a living/learning community, and scholarship support. Students joining the Honors Program as sophomores will participate as full members, completing five honors courses in the next three years.  Fall electives include courses in Women’s and Gender studies, Economics, and Holocaust and Genocide Studies.

Thank you to all of the faculty and staff who submitted nominations, encouraged students to apply, and wrote letters of recommendation.

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We all know that cuts to the USNH budget will affect students. It seemed like time to remind ourselves that there are Keene State alums who are looking out for their successors and the college — and advocating publicly to do so.

Case in point: This outstanding letter to the Concord Monitor from a member of the class of ’52.

From the letter (and please read the whole thing if you can):

I would like to ask each legislator to join us and send $100 to Keene State College and earmark it for the Class of 1952 Scholarship Fund. These gifts will offset the cuts that have been made this year, and you will know the joy of assisting students complete their education.

Along with the legislators, I encourage Keene State College graduates to send checks to our scholarship fund. The class of 1952 would be so grateful, and we will let you know how much every gift sent is appreciated.

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From Stuart Kaufman, Sports Information:

The Little East Conference office announced its annual Little East Spring All-Academic teams, honoring student-athletes in baseball, men’s and women’s lacrosse, softball, men’s tennis, and men’s and women’s outdoor track and field.

To earn a spot on the all-academic teams, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore academically and athletically, have a cumulative grade point average of 3.3, and be a full-time member of a varsity team.

Here are the 26 Keene State College Student-Athletes who were honored:

Baseball

• Kyle Morrill, Education/History
• Adam Stanclift, Biology
• Kyle Underwood, Graphic Design

Men’s Lacrosse

• Matt Schairer, Political Science
• David Shaw, Film Production
• Alex Tress, Biology
• Kyle Lasher, Health Science
• Matt Crimmins, Safety Studies

Men’s Outdoor Track

• Tim Pipp, Graphic Design
• Bryan Kolacz, Physical Education
• Richard Scappaticci, Management

Women’s Lacrosse

• Liz Riegert, Elementary Education
• Brittany Bastarache, Psychology
• Nicole Curry, Athletic Training
• Alyssa Marinaccio, Computer Science/Math
• Lindsay McManus, Athletic Training
• Jamie Albert, Communication/Journalism

Softball

• Samantha Pratt, Graphic Design
• Laura Chandler, Athletic Training
• Courtney Savoie, Biology
• Sara Stocklinski, Graphic Design
• Jess Fiorenza, Undeclared
• Maura Bergan, Health Science
• Haley Chandler, Spanish
• Katie Bradford, Nutrition

Women’s Outdoor Track

• Chelsea Mellin, Political Science

 

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Dirtworks, PC, received one of 2 Honor Awards in College and University Design from the Boston Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (BSLA) for the Courtyard and Outdoor Learning Environment for the Natural Sciences at Keene State!
According to a release from Dirtworks:

The Natural Sciences Courtyard at Keene State College redefines the landscape of education — motivating students to think in the greater context, making them more acutely aware of their surroundings, their place in the community and in the natural world. Enclosed on four sides by a dynamic three-story brick and glass building, the courtyard is aesthetically pleasing, functional, and responsive to the college’s commitment to service learning. Nature is more accessible, more exciting and real to both students and community members as they enjoy the serendipity of discovery in this intellectually engaging, sensory rich garden. It is a place for education, relaxation, reflection and where kids find science “cool.”

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From President Giles-Gee:

I am pleased to share that the Keene State College Residence Hall Organization has been named “School of the Year” by the Northeast Association of College and University Residence Halls (NEACURH).

This recognition is testament to the distance that Keene State has traveled over the past three years in terms of the quality of the residential experience and its conduciveness to learning. The award also speaks to the hard work and commitment of our staff who, under the leadership of Director of Residential Life and Housing Kent Drake-Deese and Assistant Director of Residential Life Jana Jacobson, have contributed the kind of expertise and fresh ideas that help students connect with the campus and thrive.

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From the IT Group:

Great News! As of March 1, the IT Group project to provide wireless network access in all classrooms is now complete. This phase of the overall campus wireless project provides a more robust network, greater coverage area and increased network speed. The Campus wireless map (opens as a pdf) is being currently being updated to reflect the extended coverage.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this or any other technology issue, please feel free to contact the HelpDesk at 358-2532, e-mail helpdesk@keene.edu or stop by our office on the 2nd floor of Elliot Hall.

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From Francis Brush, Bookstore, Print, and Mail Services:

KSC students have found a way to reduce the stress of semester startup this spring. Almost one third of the student body ordered their textbooks online from the Bookstore’s state-of-the-art Webstore. 1,636 students, a 22 percent increase over last spring, took advantage of an easy way to start class without the time-honored tradition of waiting in line to purchase books. With just a few clicks their books were picked, packaged, and paid for.

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From Jackie Hooper, Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery:

Nine artists from New Hampshire and Vermont received jurors’ awards at a Friday, February 4, reception opening the 2011 Biennial Regional Jurors’ Choice Exhibition at the Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery.

Jurors Margaret Burgess, associate curator of Modern and European Art at the Portland (Maine) Museum of Art, and Britta Konau, a writer and independent curator of contemporary art, chose three top awards and six honorable mentions. Burgess and Konau also chose 81 pieces by 74 artists for the regional exhibition. The works range from traditional landscape paintings and photographs to contemporary sculptures and montages.

Lulu Fichter of Peterborough, N.H., won the Jurors’ Best of Show Award for Fossil Dream Sequence, seven shell-like pieces made from porcelain. The $500 prize for this award is sponsored by the Friends of the Thorne.

James Gilmour of Swanzey, N.H., received second place of $300 for Wragge Farm, Washburn, Illinois, a color photograph.

Ronnie McClure of Canterbury, N.H., was awarded third place of $200 for Aluvia, an ink and colored-pencil drawing.

In addition to the three winners, the jurors also selected six artists for honorable mention, which each carry a $25 cash award.

Visitors to the regional jurors’ exhibit are invited to vote for a People’s Choice Commendation. The artist winning this $100 prize will be announced February 24.

For more on the exhibition, which runs through March 10, or the exhibitors, visit the keene.edu news page or the Thorne’s own site.

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From Margaret Walsh, Honors Program:

The January snow days were put to good use setting up new space for the College Honors Program in Carroll House, next to the Alumni Center. Students will continue to add finishing touches, and will assist with staffing during the week. Please come by and take a look. If you wish to co-sponsor an academic event or activity with the honors program, contact Margaret Walsh, director, at 8-2905.

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From Irene Herold, Mason Library:

“Where the magic happens” was the catch phrase for the library’s new student orientation sessions, but applies to the physical transformations the library has undergone in the past year. The most significant is the beautiful new Archives & Special Collections room.

The collections room went from this:

To (“Presto!”) this:

Attend the library’s grand opening celebration at 2 p.m. on October 2 during Homecoming Weekend for a ribbon cutting ceremony and reading by New Hampshire Poet Laureate Emeritus Patricia Fargnoli. This event will be held on the Library’s first floor, west wing. The ceremony and reading will be followed by a reception with tours of the Archives and Special Collections room. If you think you know what the Archives and Special Collections contain, come meet Archivist Rodney Obien and prepare to be further amazed!

The microformats, microfilm and microfiche, collections and readers have moved. They are now on the first floor, adjacent to the interlibrary loan office in room 119. Last year the library added two digital readers, so you can save your articles to a USB/flash drive. There is still one reader that allows you to make a paper copy for ten cents.

Our sincere appreciation goes to the Maintenance staff who worked with Westfield Construction on the building of the Archives and Special Collections Room, and who expended considerable efforts in painting and moving the heavy microformat cabinets to their new location. Thanks to UNICCO’s staff who contributed through carpet cleaning.

Our gratitude also to the Facilities Planning Advisory Committee, the Planning Council, the Budget and Resource Council and the President’s Cabinet for supporting our vision for the new Archives & Special Collections room. In FY10 these groups supported a related project, new digital asset management software. This means, as we open our new facility, the Library is also rolling out new digital collections. “Like” the Library’s Facebook or follow us on Twitter and learn about new collections as they are published.

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