(Photo by Elizabeth Clark)

Many clubs are having difficulty retaining membership and remaining chartered, according to Associate Director of Student Involvement Bill Beardslee.  Last semester, at least five clubs were removed from the charter.

The Democrat Club, the Jewish Student Alliance, the Public Relations Club, the Republican Club and the Students for a Better Tomorrow were some clubs dissolved last semester.  Of those, only the Democrat Club has been reinstated this semester with new members.

“People got to want to be a club,” said Beardslee, who believes commitment is most important to club survival.  “They got to want to put the energy in that will come back to them in sustained membership.  They have to be on an edge of vitality and not just sit back and kind of let things go.”

Students for a Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) is one club dissatisfied with attendance, although club President Matthew Campo feels the situation is rectifiable.  “If we actually strap down and advertise events and there are snacks, people show up,” said Campo.

SSDP’s executive board agreed that clubs whose theme is offered as a major, such as the Psychology Club and the Ecology Club, have an advantage, joking that if drug policy were a Franklin Pierce major then membership would improve.

The Education Club Senator Corbin Wolf sees some truth in SSDP’s claim.  “We have our strong core of people who attend.  It’s primarily education majors,” he said.

Dylan Richards, a member of the Anthropology Club, said that despite the university’s anthropology curriculum “Anthropology Club doesn’t get a whole ton of people.”

Vice President of Clubs Cassie DeMontigny said the number of clubs on campus has been “going down.”   Secretary of Clubs Lisa Bengiovanni added that many clubs “will be really popular for a couple years” before their eventual collapse.  They both agreed that clubs composed mostly of seniors were in danger of disbandment, because after graduation there is no one to continue the club.

Beardslee offered the Public Relations Club as an example of this problem. “Those [senior] women who started it were very enthusiastic.  They did all of that legwork.  They just couldn’t get any sustained interest,” said Beardslee.

However, not all clubs are experiencing membership problems.  The Anime Club President Erica Lowell expressed satisfaction with their numerous and enthusiastic club-goers, and Reality Check Senator Brittany DeGuisto reported 13 full-time members, which she considers adequate.

Last semester Reality Check along with the Underground Music Society were two new additions to the club roster, demonstrating that new clubs are still being approved by the Student Government Association (SGA) amid this challenging time for clubs.

Beardslee, who has seen many clubs come and go for various reasons, recommends that all clubs work to establish “a strong executive board that works together for the purpose of the club’s existence, and that learns how to communicate with each other.”  He was also concerned that too many clubs were not utilizing the advantages of having a faculty adviser.  “That person doesn’t need to be there every single meeting, but they could be helpful,” said Beardslee.

This past year, President Birge and his family resided in the A Frame.  But at the end of June, the presidential family will be moving out, and four excited girls will be moving in.

For about the past ten years, the A Frame has been housing for wellness students, but next year the property will be considered “off campus,” and will be rented directly to the students.

Current sophomores Katie Krolikowski, Emily Semo, Keryn Shannon, and Elizabeth Squire are thrilled they got the house, but said it came with a lot of hard work.

Photo provided by Liz Squire

“When the sign for rent was posted outside of the house Emily called everyday for about a week,” said Squire.  “There were four other people trying to get it, but she was super persistent and we have her to thank.”

Since the property is being rented to the students, the A Frame will be considered “off campus housing.”  This means that Campus Safety cannot come knock on the door, and quiet hours do not apply.  However, this leaves them open to scrutiny by Rindge Police.

“We are a great group, I don’t think we will have any problems,” said Semo.

The group of four friends met last year, and said they grew much closer this year while living in a Granite Suite together.

“We really became a family this year, and cannot wait to live together, hopefully for the next two years,” said Krolikowski.

The A Frame has five bedrooms, two bathrooms, two living rooms, two decks, a kitchen, and a dining room.  The girls said there is a lot of room, and they are ready to turn the place into their own.

“We move in pretty soon, so we are already planning the furniture and how we want to decorate the inside,” said Shannon.  “We are all really excited to see how we can transform this place.”

The future residents of the A Frame said they are happy with how their living situation has turned out.  The girls said they were really excited they did not have to go through housing lottery.

Squire said everyone is eager to be living on their own for the first time.  The girls plan to cook family dinners, buy a rowboat, and adopt a dog.

“We all are so ecstatic that we got this house and we can’t wait to wake up every morning in our own house on a gorgeous lake,” said Squire.

by Erica Tomaszewski
edited by Kevin Flanders

On Thursday, April 29 faculty and staff gathered in a crowded and tension-filled Pierce Hall as President Birge discussed health care benefit cuts and pension decreases for non-union employees at Franklin Pierce.

At the Town Hall Meeting, Birge gave 35 minutes of his time to faculty and staff members, delivering a brief overview of the cuts as well as answering questions from the crowd.

The president cited the low enrollment at the Rindge campus as the main reason for the benefit cuts.

“We are a tuition driven institution.  We need to build on revenue producing activities,” said Birge.

Dr. Birge at the Town Hall Meeting

Although retention in the freshmen class is up seven percent from last year, Birge said the university has a “thin margin of surplus in the budget,” and “needs to remain lean for the next few years.”

Birge stressed that faculty layoffs have not been made, but he cannot make promises that there will not be cuts in the future.

“The last few days have been very trying for the senior staff,” said Birge. “We realized we needed to look at cutting benefits instead of cutting people.”

Some faculty members were disappointed with the answers given by Birge during the meeting.   Professor Doug Ley expressed his frustration by asking, “Why should we trust you?”

Others like Professor Mary Kelly and Dr. Richard Roth asked about the fundraising the university was doing and the progress of the Capital Campaign.

Dr. Richard Roth asking about the Capital Campaign

Professor Molly Haas understands the cuts, but does not want others to carry her burden.

“I think the university has tremendous potential and great resources, but like everybody we are in hard times.  I like that our administration is paying attention to that, but I disagree with the method.  I don’t like just the staff to be carrying all the cuts,” said Haas.

Not all attendees of the meeting left with a sour taste in their mouths.  Some staff members including Experience Director Breanna Crawley, talked to Dr. Birge after the meeting, and thanked him for her job.

“People should be happy they have a job in these troubling times.  What is better, paying more for the benefits you are using, or having your friend be cut from his/her job,” said Crawley.

After the meeting, Birge expressed his gratitude that people did show up to hear the information from him instead of relying on a misleading or inaccurate source.  He said that he has mixed feelings over the cuts, but believes they are the best for the university at this time.

Dr. Birge answering questions from the faculty and staff

“If we can make decisions like this now so that we strengthen the institution, we lengthen its life and it continues to provide the educational experience for students that need it,” said Birge.

greg.org

On Saturday, May 1 at 7:00 p.m. in the fieldhouse Pierce Activities Council (PAC) will be hosting America’s Next Great Star, a new twist on the annual talent show.

The show will have an “American Idol” feel to attract as many students as possible.  There will be five-minute auditions with a panel of judges, lights and cameras, text message voting, and a $500 cash prize for the winner.

Attendees will be able to see the performers audition tapes, bloopers and outtakes, as well as their actual performance at the show.

Derek Scalia, Assistant Director of Student Involvement, said PAC wanted to revamp the talent show after the record low attendance for the show last year.

“We are trying to connect with students as best as possible this year.  We are enhancing the experience through technology and prizes,” said Scalia.

Although members of PAC believe this event will be a hit with the campus, students believe that it will not live up to expectations.  The event time coincides with the non-university endorsed “spring weekend.”

“People have to remember that they are on a college campus, and talent shows are not something students here want.  Also they did not choose a good weekend I think there will be crickets in the crowd,” said sophomore James Connelly.

Despite some critics, PAC hopes for a large crowd.  Admission will be free this year, and will be open to the public in attempts to attract as big of a crowd as possible.

This year students will be able to text their vote for their favorite performer or performing group.  The winner’s audition tape will also be sent to talent agencies in Los Angeles, Nashville, and New York.

Caitlin Smith, Travel Chair for PAC said that students on campus have a great opportunity to display their sometimes hidden talents at this event.

“America’s Next Great Star is an awesome opportunity for students to showcase their talent in a low pressure atmosphere,” said Smith.

If you would like to volunteer for the event or have any other questions please contact Derek Scalia at scaliad@franklinpierce.edu

www.franklinpierce.edu

by Erica Tomaszewski
edited by Casey Williams

The Fitzwater Honors will take place May 3 from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in Pierce Hall, and will honor two graduating seniors, as well as the anchor of CNN’s “State of the Union,” Candy Crawley with the Fitzwater Medallion.

The Fitzwater Honors occur every year to recognize an individual in the public eye who reflects the mission of the Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communication.  Director of the Fitzwater Center, Dr. Kristen Nevious, believed Crawley educated leaders of conscience in public communication this past year, and invited her to be honored at the event.

“We reached out to Candy Crawley and she responded.  She remembers our students from when she encountered them on the campaign trail here in New Hampshire, and she is also a good friend of Marlin Fitzwater,” said Nevious.

Also being acknowledged are two seniors who have dedicated their college years to engaging Franklin Pierce, as well as their surrounding communities in robust debate.

The two seniors, Robbie Michaelson and Bailey Gaffney, as well as Crawley will be receiving the Fitzwater Medallion from Marlin Fitzwater himself, who served as the press secretary to Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.

Michaelson is eager to receive his award on stage with other big names in the communications field.  He feels it is such an honor to be recognized for his work in public communication alongside prestigious figures such as Crawley.

“I am so excited to receive the honor and am looking forward to meeting individuals who have affected the field of mass communication. I have so much respect for all past recipients and have worked hard to be getting the same honor they received,” said Michaelson.

Marlin Fitzwater is also excited about the event, and cannot wait to come to campus to see what other students are doing to connect with their communities.  He said he likes to visit campus to see what the students are doing with the great resources they have at the center.

Michaelson said the guidance of Marlin Fitzwater, his peers, and his family, have all brought him to where he is today.

“Franklin Pierce University has a great mass communications program and I hope to see it grow immensely in the coming years,” said Michaelson.

photo by: townofbeloit.org

by Erica Tomaszewski
edited by Phil Enright

On April 22, students on campus will celebrate the 40^th annual Earth Day with special events coordinated by Eco Club and the science department.

In past years, there have been a few events planned to make students aware of Earth Week, but this year Ari McLean, Eco Club President, said they are collaborating with the science department to create a week of fun, informative events for students on campus.

“We thought of events that we could incorporate with the outdoors, and with different places and people on campus.  We really want to inform as many students as possible about Earth Week,” said McLean. “We have had good turn outs before. I know teachers really promote it in classes, and we hope to have lots of students attend the events this year.”

The Eco Club will be hosting their third annual plant fundraiser in the glass foyer on Monday, April 19 to kick-off Earth Week.  Members wanted to keep the plant sale tradition alive, but also wanted to include new events such as kayak races to try to get more aspects of campus involved in the Earth Week celebration.

Also this year, in attempts to attract a different crowd, Eco Club will be hosting “Low Carbon-Dating,” on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. on the Academic Mall.  The event will include music, food, and games such as Frisbee, flashlight tag, and relay races.

For the remainder of Earth Week, Eco Club and the science department have planned a gardening event, campus clean up, and speaker Sy Montgomery to talk about the environment.

Freshman Jen Connors said she has never celebrated Earth Week before, but she hopes the events next week will help her learn more about the earth.

”I am looking forward to the kayak races on campus next week.  I really like how the Eco Club is putting on an event that I can go to with my friends to learn about the environment,” said Connors.

McLean hopes that students will see the posters around campus and come to the Earth Week events.

“I have seen the advertisements around campus for Earth Week, and the events seem really great.  I bought a plant for Earth Week last year, and I am looking forward to attending more events this year,” said sophomore Mat Overdeput.

For the past three years Eco Club has planned Earth Week events, in order to make students more aware of what they can do to make their earth a better place to live.

by Erica Tomaszewski
edited by Nalina Shapiro

The Class of 2010 proposed a $1,900 budget, which will go towards prizes for a student wide egg hunt.

The senior class submitted the plan, that will go before the Student Government Association.  If the budget is approved prizes could include gift certificates, iPods, a flatscreen tv, a pair of Red Sox tickets, as well as lots of candy.

The plan is to have approximately 750 brightly colored eggs placed around campus.  Students will turn in the eggs to Pierce Hall for a raffle ticket and a bag of candy.  At the end of the night, the prizes will be raffled off, and given to students.

The event date has remained unannounced, so students do not look for eggs before the events kicks off.

Ben Goudreau, senator for the class of 2010, planned the event as a way for the senior class to give back to campus one last time before graduation.

“When Chris Johnson came before the SGA to Superfund for his Raven Egg Hunt for the children of Rindge, I noticed just how much the body wanted to see a similar event for the students.  That night when I went back to my lakeview and I began working on a way to make that possible,” said Goudreau.

Many students are excited that there will be an egg hunt on campus this year.  Danielle Russell, class of 2012 President, supports the event because it is something fun and safe for all students to participate in on campus.

“I am eager to see this event take place on campus, especially since the prizes are things college kids would like to win,” said Russell.

The senior class was happy to plan one last event for the campus.  They believe there will be a large turnout of students thrilled to act like children again.

The President of the senior class Will Clark said, “The class of 2010 is looking forward to what should be a pleasant event for everyone on campus.  We think it will be a gratifying way to give back to the Franklin Pierce community before we leave.”

The Clark Memorial YMCA held their 4^th annual International Women’s Day Fair at the Hidden Hills Banquet Facility in Rindge on Sunday to celebrate strong women in the community.

The Clark Memorial YMCA is in Winchendon, Massachusetts, and offers many programs for women’s health at their location.  The staff chose Rindge to host their event because they felt there were a lot of successful businesswomen in the surrounding areas that should have a chance to showcase their achievements.

This free event was held to celebrate International Women’s Day, which is an international holiday, held in many countries on March 8^th.  The holiday was commemorated by the UN to acknowledge ordinary and extraordinary women who have shaped history, and are still making advances today.

photo: Flickr.com

The fair had a diverse group of organizations set up at the event.  Tables included jewelry, scrapbooking, massages, realty, books, food, and fitness.  Women businessmen stood by their respective tables hoping to reach a similar crowd of women.  They were eager to answer questions about their businesses and excited to share their knowledge.

Veronika Patty, Fitness Director at Clark and coordinator of the event, said she tried to offer something for everyone that walked through the door.

“When we began planning we tried to bring in something for women of all ages.  We have kids at the Stampin’ Up table, and adults getting massages and planning spa parties,” said Patty.

The holiday brought a lot of participants to the event.  As they walked through the door, women were greeted with information about the rise of female advances over the course of history, and what local women are doing in the surrounding communities.

Attendees and volunteers alike were excited to celebrate women for the day.  Volunteer Lori Gebo said she looks forward to the holiday every year because it is the one day women are in the spotlight.

“I like to attend this event because it promotes women’s health and happiness.  There are so many strong women who attend this event, and I think it is appropriate that we celebrate women once a year,” said Gebo.

by Erica Tomaszewski
edited by Phil Enright

Arctic polar explorer and environmental educator Will Steger was featured at a Fitzwater Center special presentation on Thursday, February 18^th in the Patterson Television Studio.

The presentation was part of the Tuesday Briefing series run by the Fitzwater Center, but was re-scheduled to Thursday due to the weather.  Steger entertained the audience by recounting his 45 years of exploration throughout the Polar Regions of the world.   He also advised the attendees of the changes that need to be made to preserve these regions.

“It is important to educate yourself about global warming.  We have a lot of control over the situation, and we need to collectively take action,” said Steger.

The explorer saw ice shelves begin to melt on one of his explorations through Antarctica in 1995.  Ever since that trip, he has been traveling throughout the United States and the world educating people about the destruction of global warming to the Polar Regions.

“The possibility of losing polar bears and ice is a moral implication.  We need to do things a little smarter and live a little bit simpler,” said Steger.

Attendees of the event were very happy that Steger was so realistic in his approach.  He acknowledged that not everyone accepts the idea of global warming.  He also showed the difference that could be made by changing small aspects of their lives.

Many attendees were unaware of the destruction the ice melting had on the ecosystem as a whole.  Nalina Shapiro, the host of the presentation, was happy to see that Steger was directing his message to the younger generations.

“He has seen global warming first hand, and dedicated 45 years of his life to our environment.  He wants to educate the younger generation because they have the power to make changes in the future,” said Shapiro.

During his presentation, Steger targeted college age students, as well as other young adults that are ready to spark change in their world.  He encouraged the youth to educate the older generations about this problem, as well as tell them what can be done to save these regions were the ice melting has devastated the entire ecosystem.

“It was especially interesting that he called for us to educate the older, more naïve generations who are stubborn to see the truth.  The pressure is now on our generation to preserve the future by what we do everyday,” said Stephanie Lewis, an attendee of the event.

Lewis also saw Steger’s presentation last year, but said this year he changed his focus from simply educating his audience, to motivating them to change their ways.

“He told us not to make great sacrifices in our lives, but to change little things that could matter a lot like turning off a light or seeing where our clothes were made,” said Lewis.

Steger advocated for self-change before trying for global change.  He stated to work on you first and then look at the larger picture.

“Start small.  Focus on your own community and then change the larger picture,” said Steger.

To learn more about Will Steger, his explorations, or his advice please visit his website at www.willsteger.com