Film production assistant, actor, freelance writer, and American Studies major George Barbor ’11 appeared in the Nov. 19th episode of CBS’s How I Met Your Mother.
George was also on the first Keene State Alumni panel in the fall of 2011, sharing his professional advice and experience with students and other alums. If you know George, drop him a line of congratulations.
Under the directorship of Andy Soucy ’72, the Londonderry High School Marching Band has racked up an impressive array of awards and guest performances. For example, they’ve toured Beijing, China, and represented New Hampshire in the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade four times. Each March, they travel to New York City to march in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. And on the 21st of this month, the Lancers have been invited to Washington, DC, to perform at President Obama’s inauguration—for the second time. The band was also invited to Obama’s first swearing in ceremony four years ago.
Continue reading Andy Soucy ’72 Leads Londonderry Marching Lancers to 2nd Obama Inauguration
The Alumni Association is accepting nominations for four of its prestigious awards:
If you know of an alum who deserves one of these awards, please let us know; we’re currently accepting nominations for this year’s recipients. Visit the Alumni Awards page to see a list of past honorees, to review the criteria, and to download the nomination form. The deadline is February 8th.
The Jimmy Stewart Orchestra — featuring James Stewart ’83, and his wife Samantha ’88 — have released their new Christmas single, “There’s Nothing Like Christmas,” just in time for the holiday season. And a portion of the proceeds go to the Connecticut Humane Society!
This neo-swing song blends the likes of the Brian Setzer Orchestra, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Michael Buble, and Harry Connick Jr., and features 13 swinging musicians, two great vocalists (Ron Drago and Amanda Carr), and a group of kid singers.
Some of the better-known musicians who contributed to this recording are Joshua Levy, arranger (pianist/arranger for Big Bad Voodoo Daddy); Roger Ingram, lead trumpet (formerly with Harry Connick Jr., Ray Charles, Tom Jones, and Maynard Ferguson); and Bill Holloman, tenor sax (who has performed with Bruce Springsteen, Diana Ross, Elton John, and Les Paul). Jim plays trumpet and that’s Samantha on alto sax.
Two recent KSC graduates, Brian Watson ’12 and Anna Peterson ’12 have research papers published in the fall 2012 issue of Metamorphosis, COPLAC’s online journal highlighting outstanding work in undergraduate research.
English and history major Brian Watson’s paper, “Crossdressing, Crossculture: Conceptions and Perceptions of Crossdressing in Golden Age Madrid and Tudor-Stuart London,” explores the issue of crossdressing as a common ground on which to explore Spanish and English cultures in three dimensions: on the stage, as a literary device, and as done by actual historical figures. Brian is currently enrolled in a PhD program in Intellectual and Cultural History at Drew University in NJ.
Elementary education and communications major Anna Peterson’s paper, “The Role of Organizational Culture in Donor Recruitment at the American Red Cross,” looks at how the nonprofit sector in New Hampshire plays a significant role in “preserving and enhancing the quality of life for NH residents” and how the government has partnered with the nonprofit sector to help provide a range of services. Anna is currently a permanent substitute teacher in the Merrimack Valley School District.
Keene State College is one of 26 members of COPLAC, the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges, which champions the cause of liberal arts and sciences education of superior quality in the public sector. COPLAC institutions provide students of high ability and from all backgrounds access to an outstanding liberal arts education.
The New England Green Pastures Committee recently awarded Taylor Brothers Farms, run by Rob Taylor ’93 and his brothers Jim and Bill, the 2012 New Hampshire Dairy Farm of the Year.
Long-time NH Commissioner of Agriculture and University System of New Hampshire board member Stephen Taylor (recipient of an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from KSC in 2011) and his wife Gretchen started the farm in Meriden, NH, in 1970
Here’s the Nelson Town Library when Kristine Finnegan ’91 became library director 20 years ago. The photo (right) doesn’t show that the library had moldy books, no water, no bathroom, and the windows were nailed shut. Each of the granite steps leading up to the library was a different height and they were treacherous, especially in winter. A number of patrons would phone ahead and tell Kris what books they wanted, or they would ask her to select something for them. Then they would drive to the base of the hill below the library and Kris would go down and meet them with their books. The library definitely had a problem with accessibility.
Here’s the Nelson Town Library today (photo below), after Kris marshaled her limited resources to advocate for a new building:
As a result, the New Hampshire Library Trustees Association chose a very deserving Kristine Finnegan to be 2012’s Library Director of the Year. The award is given for professionalism, leadership, and outstanding performance to a library director who offers programs which enhance the quality of life in their community.
The New Hampshire Department of Education recently named Heidi Welch ’96, director of music at Hillsboro-Deering High School, the state’s Teacher of the Year. According to the Department of Ed’s website, “The selection committee recognized her passion for education, the excitement she brings to the classroom, and her ability to reach every student. She possesses boundless commitment to support and guide the successes of her students. She realizes that literacy is the key to being truly free and strives to engage students in this pursuit through music. Literacy through music means that her students study American history in the context of the music of people’s lives and the times, that students read the plays to which they are performing the scores, and that reading is fundamental but literacy means so much more.”
Continue reading Heidi Welch ’96: NH Teacher of the Year
Jonathan Cooper ’97 was recently promoted to Vice President Media Relations & Employee Communications at Digital First Media, which jointly manages the Journal Register Company and MediaNews Group (offering more than 800 print and online products). Before joining the corporate staff at Digital First Media, Cooper held several positions with the Journal Register Company, including leading the Ben Franklin Project, an experiment to publish 18 daily websites and newspapers using free, web-based tools, and he began work on Project Thunderdome, the company’s digital content operations center. He also launched the Journal Register Company’s Media Labs (community-focused media training centers) as well as the open-to-the-public newsroom as part of the Company’s growing audience-focused engagement strategy.
“I made the move to digital while working in New Haven, Conn., at The Register, because I saw a way to tell stories in different formats—especially video,” Cooper explained. “The ability to create and edit video was no longer reserved for television, because the tools and equipment needed were available to everyone—including our audience. Now, there is even the ability for our newsrooms to livestream news without the cost of a TV station’s satellite truck.
Continue reading Digital Journalist Jonathan Cooper ’97 Sees Opportunities for Current Students
Born in Nashua, Maggi Blanche Parker ’48 taught in New Hampshire and on Cape Cod after receiving her degree in education from what was then Keene Teachers College. But soon the big world beckoned, and the Air Force hired her to run schools in Japan and then in Madrid, Spain, and Mallorca. After that, she married and moved to Hawaii in 1964, where she co-founded the Parker-Ames Center in Honolulu, which offered psychological and educational services to emotionally disturbed children and young adults.
She also pursued her love of acting. “Love of the theater made me a good teacher.” she claimed. She excelled in both careers, landing the role of May, a secretary to Detective Lieutenant Steve McGarrett (played by Jack Lord), in the popular Hawaii-Five-O television series. She also appeared in the TV show I Dream of Jeannie; several movies, including I Sailed to Tahiti with an All-Girl Crew, Hawaii, and Paradise Hawaiian Style; and other television and radio spots.
She continues to travel the world, and her itinerary still includes New Hampshire and Keene State—she says she was last on campus in 2008.
Read more about her in Cow Hampshire: New Hampshire’s History Blog.
Prescription drug overdose kills more Americans than automobile accidents, and New Hampshire’s rate of pain-medication abuse among 18- to 25-year olds is the second highest in the country. Prescription drug abuse is a serious problem in our region, our state, and in the nation, and is the factor behind the rise in such crimes as illicit sales and theft.
Keene State students, in partnership with Monadnock Voices for Prevention, conducted a semester-long research project to study the problem in this part of the state and come up with some solutions. As a result of the importance of this study, Keene State College will host a panel discussion and presentation, “The Pitfalls of Prescribing Opioids and Other Medications: Prescriber Practices, Prescription Monitoring, and Disposal,” on Monday, September 24, from 7 p.m.–9 p.m. in the Redfern Arts Center’s Alumni Recital Hall.
Continue reading Dr. Elmer Dunbar ’73 to Head KSC Panel on Prescription Drug Abuse
The WBUR iLab (part of Boston’s NPR news station) is sponsoring a night of stories and surprises on Sept. 13 with the up-and-coming New York-based “storytelling comedy sideshow” known as And I Am Not Lying. The show starts at 8 p.m. at the Middle East Upstairs in Boston’s Central Square. Performers at this special, one-night-only event include KSC alum Adam Wade ’98, an 18-time Moth Story Slam winner and two-time Moth Grand Slam winner. Check out the WBUR site for more info.
Seven years ago, Bev Kovacs Spaven ’65, who now lives in Richmond, VA, first visited Richmond’s Sister City, Saitama, Japan, as part of a Little League cultural exchange.
“It has long been the dream of the Sister Cities to have an educator’s exchange,” Bev explained, and when the opportunity finally came, she was one of the first three chosen. “It is a wonderful learning experience from both ends,” Bev said. “I’m helping in the English classes in 4th–6th grades and sharing my school and home life in Richmond with each grade level.”
The other teachers returned Stateside on August 9th, but Bev stayed until the 18th to do some extra sightseeing and visit her Japanese friends. “I will also visit Ishinomaki for one night,” Bev said. “It’s one of the badly hit tsunami towns, where an American was killed—a young female teacher from Richmond. I will visit her school and the reading center that’s been set up in her memory. I’m sure it will be a heartfelt experience as they are still trying to clean up.”
UMass-Lowell head cross-country and track coach and former Owl runner Gary Gardner ’94 is coaching Ruben Sanca, a River Hawks track star who is representing his native Cape Verde Islands at the London Olympics.
Read all about it. …
It takes heart, determination, and dedication to create a business or to work with animals. Erik Kokal ’09, Kris Kokal, and Nik Kokal ’11, three brothers who attended Keene State College, have put plenty of these attributes into their horse training business, HorseTenders, and the HorseTenders Mustang Foundation.
Erik, the behind-the-scenes financials and computer guy, and also works at Crotched Mountain Rehabilitation Center as a counselor. Kris, a graduate of equine dentistry school and a certified farrier, is with the horses daily. Nik is entering his second year of veterinary school at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, but when he’s home, he spends every day with the horses. While each brother has a different role, each is vital to their business’ success.
Continue reading The Holistic Path to a Horse’s Heart
There are some advantages to studying film at a school the size of Keene State, where the classes are small, according to Jennifer Dunnington ’93. She brought many interests and talents to KSC, including music and dance, but eventually settled into a film major. Because of the intimate class size, she was able to try her hand at several aspects of movie making and combine her interests to eventually find her perfect niche: that of motion picture music editor. She now works closely with the composers, film directors, and picture editors of each project, constantly adjusting the music in the film as the flow of the action changes during the film editing process. “So that’s one of my jobs,” Dunnington explained, “to keep editing the music to fit the new picture while still keeping the emotional and dramatic impact that the original placement had and respecting the structure and integrity of the composition.”
“Music and dance have always been a part of my life,” Dunnington explained, “so when I had the opportunity to put them together with film, it was a perfect fit for me. The music in a film is choreographed against the images, so being aware of that connection in conjunction with the musical structure is crucial to the effect that the score has in a scene.”
She’s worked on several Martin Scorsese films and recently won two of the Motion Picture Sound Editors Golden Reel awards for her work on the hit 3D movie, Hugo, and for the HBO documentary George Harrison: Living in the Material World. And those are not the first: She’s got two previous Golden Reels and an Emmy, plus several certificates for having been nominated for other Golden Reels and Emmys.
Dunnington’s movie credits also include The Departed, Cosmopolis, Shutter Island, and Boardwalk Empire (for which she won the Emmy). She is currently working on The Hobbit.
Continue reading Jennifer Dunnington ’93 Puts the Music in Hugo, The Departed, The Hobbit …