Category Archives: Uncategorized

Open House at KSC’s New Nursing Simulation Lab

January 14, 2014Uncategorized

MediMan — This high-tech mannequin, a remarkably realistic simulated patient (shown here in the intensive care simulation room), blinks, talks, coughs, groans, secretes bodily fluids, has a pulse in all its limbs, and can be programmed for up to 100 different health care scenarios. (Mark Reynolds photo).

When they return to class later this month, Keene State nursing students will have access to a state-of-the-art training facility. According to Mary Ellen Fleeger, director of the nursing program, KSC’s Nursing Simulation Lab is the newest and best organized cutting-edge facility in New Hampshire. Once it’s integrated with other programs at the College, the high-technology at the facility will enhance the interdisciplinary approach to teaching that makes KSC’s unique among other nursing programs. There will be an open house and tour of the Lab on Monday, February 3, from 2:30–4 p.m.

The $1.2 million facility, located in the former computer lab in Rhodes Hall, is organized into two areas: The Nursing Fundamentals Lab features five patient areas and a nurses station that are set up just as they would be in the most current hospital environment. And the Simulation Lab includes two intensive care rooms that are monitored from a common control room. High-tech mannequins, including a birthing mother and baby, can be programmed for up to 100 different health care scenarios. Students using the facility will have extensive opportunities for realistic, hands-on learning that greatly strengthens traditional teaching models.

Photos of Chris Bell ’11’s Holiday Display

January 14, 2014Uncategorized

Remember how last month we told you about Christopher Bell ’11, the Design and Technical Theater major who was creating the holiday window display for Bergdorf Goodman, the luxury-goods department store on Manhattan’s Fifth Ave.?

Because Bergdorf Goodman wanted to keep the display top secret until it was ready for public view, we couldn’t show you photos at the time, though several of you wanted to see them. But now the embargo’s been lifted, and Chris sent us some shots of his remarkable work, which you can see in the special gallery we created.

Mark My Words—a Graphic Design/Writing Student Collaboration

January 14, 2014Uncategorizedart, graphic design, Student Standouts, writing

Last fall, Melissa DiPalma, a lecturer who teaches a course in book and magazine design in the Graphic Design program, approached English Department Chair Kirsti Sandy and asked if Dr. Sandy’s writing students would be willing to submit pieces of short fiction or nonfiction for a journal the graphic design students were creating. Dr. Sandy enlisted the help of Associate Professors of English Kate Tirabassi and Brinda Charry, and they offered students in their upper-level fiction and nonfiction classes the opportunity to submit work. Out of many submissions, 13 were selected to appear in the journal. “Each author was paired with a graphic designer, and they worked as a team to explore the themes and content within each piece,” DiPalma explained.

“What made the collaboration particularly exciting was that most of the writers and graphic designers had a chance to meet and discuss the work and the process. In one instance, the graphic design student used the writing student’s photographs as part of the finished piece. Another used one of the graphic design student’s original watercolor paintings,” Dr. Sandy said.

The finished product, Mark My Words, is now online and open for enjoyment.

John Ratliff Named to Fisher Cats Foundation Board

January 14, 2014Uncategorizedsports

Keene State College Athletic Director John Ratliff has been added to the board of directors of the Fisher Cats Foundation, the charitable arm of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. He joins a Foundation that has surpassed $3 million in giving and recently saw its marquee event soar past $1 million raised for charity.

“We are excited to have John join us on the Fisher Cats Foundation Board of Directors,” said Fisher Cats owner and Foundation Board Chairman Art Solomon. “He shares a belief in the core principles that make up our Foundation, and he brings a vast knowledge of the people and places in Keene and the entire Monadnock region. His ideas and enthusiasm will help us continue to make an impact on the people and towns in his community.”

“The Fisher Cats Foundation has done so much outstanding work across our state, and I am excited to join in the mission,” Ratliff said. “The Foundation places a huge emphasis on education, something that has driven me throughout my administrative career. I look forward to working with my fellow board members to continue the great programs in place while adding new ideas to expand our impact in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.”

Ratliff joins a Foundation that wrapped up a banner year in 2013. In June, the Foundation held its first charitable golf tournament, and it recently celebrated the sold-out 2013 Granite State Baseball Dinner on Nov. 23. That event raised more than $163,000 for the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock, the Ted Williams Museum, and the Fisher Cats Foundation, and surpassed $1 million in giving since 2007. The proceeds will support the Foundation’s overall work, but specifically its scholarship program, which awards $30,000 to 12 graduating high school seniors each spring.

Welcome Back, Abe Osheyack ’06

January 13, 2014For Alumni, UncategorizedAlumni achievers, sports

Abe Osheyack ’06, former sports information director at Smith College (Northampton, Mass.), is returning to Keene State to serve as our SID. He takes over the position from Stuart Kaufman, who spent the past 21 years in the role and was KSC’s first full-time SID. Kaufman is moving into a role as a writer/editor in the College’s Marketing and Communications Department.

“I’m unbelievably thrilled to be coming back to Keene State College. Not many people get the chance to return to their alma mater, and for me, it’s a humbling and exciting prospect,” said Osheyack, who stepped into his new position on Monday, January 27.

While at Smith, Osheyack revamped the office of sports information, bringing in such innovations as an enhanced website and social-media presence, live statistics, video interviews and highlights, and online broadcasts of home athletic events.

Alumni Gatherings in Florida

January 13, 2014Uncategorized

It’s cold up here in New Hampshire, so we are heading down south in February! Join us for a Keene State College Florida Gathering! Meet President Dr. Anne Huot, visit with friends, meet new ones, and share memories! If you plan on attending one of these events, please RSVP to alumni@keene.edu or via phone at 603-358-2300. For more information, please visit the Alumni Events Website.

Nokomis – February 11, Noon – 3 p.m.
Saltwater Cafe, 1071 Tamiami Trail N., Nokomis, FL 34275
Menu prices apply – all will be individual checks. Please RSVP by February 5.

Tampa – February 12, Noon – 3 p.m.
Bahama Breeze Restaurant, 3045 N. Rocky Point Drive East, Tampa, FL 33607
Fixed Menu – Choice of an entree (in advance): pasta with chicken, pan seared salmon pasta, or wood-grilled Angus cheeseburger, includes salad. ($18.00 payable to Keene State College at the event)
RSVP by February 5

The Waterfront Home of Hank Maier ’75 — February 13, 6 p.m.
Keene State College President Anne E. Huot and KSC Alumnus Henry (Hank) Maier ’75 warmly invite you to join them for cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, lively conversation, and a spectacular sunset in Sarasota, Florida. The event is limited to the first 50 people to RSVP. Please RSVP to Laurie Alden by Monday, February 10. Phone: 603-358-2372.

The Villages — February 14, Noon – 3 p.m.
The Legacy Restaurant at the Nancy Lopez Country Club, 17135 Buena Vista Blvd., The Villages, FL 32162
Fixed Menu. Choice of entree day of the event: tea sandwiches, turkey & swiss, or classic burger. Includes salad, homemade chips, cole slaw, & dessert. ($18.00 payable to Keene State College at the event)
RSVP by February 10.

Burlington, Vermont, Networking Event

January 13, 2014Uncategorized

Thursday, January 23^rd, The Keene State College Alumni Association will be hosting a Networking Event at The Windjammer Restaurant in Burlington, Vermont. The event begins at 5:30, but feel free to drop in when you can! We’ve been gathering members of the KSC community near and far this past year—join alumni in Burlington at the KSC Connections in Burlington event! KSC Connection events are a great casual way to connect with some of your fellow alumni. Hearty appetizers sponsored by the Alumni Association, and there will be a cash bar. Guests Welcome!

Email Sara Telfer or call 603-358-2425 to let us know you plan to be there.

Winterfest!

January 13, 2014Uncategorized

Mark your calendars! Winterfest 2014 is just around the corner! Winterfest will take place on campus Friday, January 31, and Saturday, February 1. This year there are many different events for alumni, students, family, and friends of the college. Friday night kicks off with Fire & Ice and Saturday is full of activities such as breakfast in the dining commons, inflatables, crafts, sizzlers, and more in the Mabel Brown Room, bingo, a Keene State College networking event downtown, and more! Be sure to check out the schedule here. See you at the end of the month!

Josh Luft ’10’s camJAMR Getting Media Attention

January 10, 2014For Alumni, UncategorizedAlumni achievers

Josh Luft ’10 with his camJAMR-protected smartphone.

As a computer science major, Josh Luft ’10 is well aware of computer security issues, including a little-known webcam problem he realized when he was Skyping with a friend: “What would it take for someone to intercept this streaming video?” Josh wondered. “Could my webcam be accessed while I’m not using Skype? After some short research, I was shocked at what I found. Not only were there ways to remotely access people’s webcams, you could even disable the indicator light that lets you know your webcam is turned on. I was shocked, and honestly I felt a little creeped out that someone could be watching and/or recording me.” Not convinced? Check out this CNET article.

So he started sticking Post-It notes over his webcam, which worked for a while, but soon fell off after he’d opened and closed his laptop a few times. And the adhesive left a residue on his camera lens.

A protected iPad Mini, with Moustache Pack — A protected iPad Mini, with Mustache Pack

After some trial-and-error product development, Josh came up with specially designed stickers that are removable, reusable, durable, and don’t leave a residue—printed with color images to make them more fun and trendy—that he calls camJAMR Webcam Covers. This simple, yet effective device has been reviewed in the Washington Post and in The Journal News (White Plains, NY).

A pack of 12 camJAMRs (pronounced “cam jammers”) comes on a business-card-sized sheet, in 13 different styles, and fits over the camera lens on such devices as laptops, iPads, iPhones, iMacs, MacBooks, desktops, smart TVs, Xbox One (or Kinect), and cell phones.

“There are tons of news articles about webcam hacking on both our Facebook page and our website,” Josh said. “We recently posted an article exposing how Facebook had to patch an exploit that allowed hackers to access webcams. Even the FBI addressed how serious this issue is and encourages people to cover their webcams.”

In Memoriam: Coach Glenn Theulen

January 9, 2014Uncategorized

Glenn Theulen photo — Glenn Theulen in 1997, when he was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame

Glenn Theulen, who played a pivotal role in the growth of the Keene State College athletic program and spent 16 seasons as the charismatic and colorful coach of the men’s basketball team, died on December 30 in his hometown of Perry, Iowa. He was 88. Theulen first came to Keene State in 1968 and returned in the fall of 1997 to be inducted into the College’s Alumni Athletic Hall of Fame. Along with long-time men’s soccer coach Ron Butcher and Ted Kehr, Theulen elevated the Owl athletic program to become a major source of pride for the College.

Murray Mast and Christopher Swist Perform on Premiere Recording of Inuksuit

January 8, 2014Uncategorized

Chris Swist photo — Christopher Swist at the Morningside Park performance of Inuksuit.

Music Lecturer Murray Mast and Resident Artist Christopher Swist were performers on Cantaloupe Music’s premier recording of Inuksuit by John Luther Adams. This recording has made NPR Classical’s 10 Favorite Albums of 2013, the New York Times’ Favorite Classical Recordings of 2013, the Boston Globe’s Best Albums of 2013, The New Yorker’s Notable Classical Recordings of 2013, and the New Music Box’s 2013 Staff Picks. This piece is scored for a battery of percussion instruments (from nine to 99 musicians) dispersed throughout a large space. Each performance of the work varies depending on location and number of instruments: This version was recorded in the woods in Guilford, Vermont. KSC Percussion Ensemble staged Inuksuit on Appian Way back in 2011, and it will be performed again this year around Brickyard Pond on May 2.

Murray Mast photo — Murray Mast at the Morningside Park performance of Inuksuit.

How did these two faculty members become performers on the recording? Swist first played in the piece at its New York City premier at the Park Avenue Armory in Feb 2011. “Inspired, I had the KSC Percussion Ensemble perform the New Hampshire premier of Inuksuit on Appian Way in April of 2011,” Swist explained. In June 2011, Mast joined with a group of 99 musicians for an outdoor performance at New York City’s Morningside Park. “Eventually a smaller group (30) was formed to do the recording at Guilford Sound in Vermont in June 2012, which included both Murray and me, and that’s how we ended up on this critically acclaimed recording,” Swist said.

Where’d I See That?

January 6, 2014Uncategorized

If you think you know where this is, please write your answer in erasable marker on a pair of K2 AMP BOLT skis and send them to Newsline, 120 Alumni Center, 229 Main St., Keene, NH 03435. Or use the “comments” link, below.

Health Science Seniors Present Research on KHS Substance Abuse to Keene Board of Education

December 11, 2013Uncategorizedhealth science, research, Student Standouts

Students presenting photo — Health Science seniors (l–r: Amanda Hall, Emily Thomas, Anthony Quintiliani) present the findings of their semester-long substance abuse study to the Keene Board of Education (Will Wrobel photo)

“If you get hooked young, it’s really hard. We’ve arrested people [in Keene] who became heroin addicts at 13. [When you’re] a teen, you’re not fully capable of making rational decisions and [drug use] becomes your culture.”
— Testimony from a detective assigned to the NH Attorney General’s Drug Task force for the Western Region, which includes Cheshire County.

A 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBS) survey reported that substance abuse by Keene High School students exceeds the state average in many categories, including use of cocaine at least once in a student’s life, the taking of over-the-counter drugs to get high, taking a prescription drug illegally one or more times, using marijuana one more more times during the past 30 days, binge drinking, having at least one drink of alcohol on one or more of the past 30 days, and using chewing tobacco. The survey shows that heroin use among juniors and seniors at KHS is twice the state average.

To understand why substance abuse is so prevalent at the high school, students in Health Science Assistant Professor Marjorie Droppa’s senior capstone course spent the semester conducting research interviews and focus groups with KHS students, parents, and staff, and inmates at the Cheshire County Department of Corrections who attended high school in the Monadnock Region and have a history of substance abuse. The researchers also looked at the high school’s Substance Abuse Policy, which hadn’t been updated since 1993. They then made recommendations for more effective education to prevent substance abuse and for changes in the school’s policy. The Health Science students presented their findings to the Keene Board of Education on December 10.

Their research report offered two strategies to support KHS in decreasing substance abuse among its students. The first recommends deeper collaborative partnerships with substance abuse organizations in the Monadnock Region to help provide additional education, support, and resources for both school administrators and families struggling with substance abuse issues at home. The second advocates for a collaborative educational conference at KSC to help bring the community together to solve the problem of teen substance abuse.

Chris Bell ’11: Open, Learning, Creating

December 10, 2013For Alumni, UncategorizedAlumni achievers, theatre

Chris Bell ’11 with the resin-cast columns he made for the Bergdorf Goodman holiday display. The columns were made to look like they're carved from ice. — **Chris Bell ’11 with the resin-cast columns he made for the Bergdorf Goodman holiday display. The columns were made to look like they’re carved from ice.**

Design and Technical Theater major Christopher Bell ’11 was recently back at the Redfern, working behind the scenes with Pilobolus for their big show in October. Shawn Ahern ’10 introduced Bell to some of the Pilobolus executives, who said they were interested in having Bell intern with them, and he jumped at the chance. “The first time they performed at Keene State in 2007, they really inspired me, and I knew how great it would be to work for them,” Bell said. “I really enjoyed their organic process and how family oriented they are. I was able to learn many different sides of the business while also channeling my own creative energy into something tangible.”

Since Pilobolus is a world-renowned company that works with artist all over the world, Bell’s work with them opened the door to many important professional connections. “I hooked into a group of artists that were creating the holiday window for Bergdorf Goodman, the luxury-goods department store on Fifth Ave. in Manhattan, and they were looking for someone of my skill set,” Bell explained. Not long into that project, it became apparent that Bell would need some help. “I mentioned Gary Beisaw [’12] to them. They had a phone interview with him that night, and Gary flew out from Texas a few days later.”

“The project involved a process called resin casting which was I was not too familiar with,” Bell recalled. “It required lots of mold making and very precise chemistry to create pieces of art to be used in the display. I never expected to be doing anything like this, but my professors at Keene were very adamant about staying open to new things and to keep challenging yourself. It wasn’t about what the degree did for you; it was about what you did with the degree.”

“When I left Keene, I took the opportunity to try everything. Though my degree is in Technical/Design, I took classes in dance and acting and even did some performing. I was constantly striving to be well-rounded. My professors always stressed the importance of collaboration. The conversation between directors, performers, designers, and technicians is vital, and I wanted to understand things from all these perspectives. That let me acquire new skills, and I was able to keep creating, which is what I most enjoy. My hope is that I will never be complacent and I’ll continue to grow and challenge myself as an artist.”

Three English Majors Living and Honing their Craft

December 10, 2013For Alumni, UncategorizedAlumni achievers, English, writing

Three recent English grads—Adam Hogue ’11, Hillary Bailey ’13, and Dylan Freni ’13—are out in the big world, using the skills they learned at KSC and living interesting lives.

Adam Hogue ’11
Adam Hogue is currently living and working in Providence, RI, and is a contributing writer for PolicyMic. Prior to coming back Stateside, he spent two years teaching English in Gwangju, Korea, where he got to do a lot of traveling around the East. PolicyMic recently named him “Pundit Of the Week.” If you know Adam, or would like to know him, you’ll really enjoy the article.

Hillary Bailey ’13

Hillary Bailey is working with AmeriCorps and currently working with flood victims in Colorado. When she tells people that she took a professional writing course, “I automatically become their proofreader and/or document developer,” she said. “My professional writing skills have allowed me to work as a media rep for my team.”

Hillary kept a blog, “The Walking Girl: A Journey Through the History of Keene, NH,” as part of her internship with the Historical Society of Cheshire County last spring.

Dylan Freni ’13
The Clare Literary Journal recently published poet and copywriter Dylan Freni’s poem, “The Sleeping List.” Dylan will be attending the MFA program at the University of New Hampshire next year and, besides his day job writing copy for a website based in Exeter, is the poetry editor for The Squalor Review. He also writes about poetry on his blog, Diagnostic.

“The Writing program at Keene helped me to find what my strengths and weaknesses are as a writer, and also helped me to realize my potential.” Dylan explained. “Now, having a career in marketing as a writer, I am experiencing success both in my professional and creative worlds thanks to the vital skills I learned from my mentors and peers at Keene State.”

NAfME and ACDA Mock All-State Audition

December 10, 2013Uncategorizedmusic

Mock Music photo — Professor Craig Silvern offers sage advice to Fall Mountain High student Abigail Allen.

By Danielle St. Amand (public relations coordinator of NAfME) and Amanda Williams (public relations coordinator of ACDA)

The KSC chapters of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) and the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) hosted the first annual Mock NHMEA All-State auditions to help area high school music students prepare for the real thing: the New Hampshire Music Educators Association (NHMEA) All State Music Festival, where they audition for a spot in an honors ensemble. This “mock” audition allowed high school students to not only go through the audition process, where they must perform a prepared piece as well as basic technical exercises such as sight-reading and scales, but also to receive feedback and advice from Keene State music faculty. The faculty worked with the students to improve their audition material and instill confidence before their All-State audition.

Professors Jim Chesebrough and Craig Sylvern volunteered to work with the students.

“It is wonderful to see these high school musicians working towards the goal of making the New Hampshire All-State ensembles,” Dr. Chesebrough commented. “Working with them reminded me that, whether they make the ensembles or not, they will be better musicians for the experience.”

“Thanks to NAfME and ACDA for organizing the mock auditions,” said Dr. Sylvern. “I think it was a good opportunity for the students to get a fresh perspective on their playing with regards to their technique, musicianship, and stage deportment.”

Overall, this event was a great success. The students showed much improvement throughout the day, and many were accepted into their all-state ensembles.