by Heather Riley
edited by Rich Raymond
Admissions will be once again hosting the Franklin Pierce Family Experience overnight stay for accepted students and their families this spring semester.
For those students who have already been accepted and have paid their initial deposit to attend, they will be allowed the opportunity to book an overnight stay with various student hosts on campus. “This is not the first year we’ve done it,” said Sarah Dorsey, the Enrollment Counselor. In recent years, the program was on and off depending on whether or not there were enough people to run it.
Students will arrive on their designated dates around 4 or 5 pm to meet with their assigned host. Dinner is provided by the school for both the students and their families. Parents are not obligated to attend the overnight stay but are highly encouraged. Accepted students will be placed with a host of similar interests or majors. This gives accepted students an opportunity to learn about clubs, sports, and even attend classes that they might be interested in. After dinner, students and their hosts can do whatever they wish which permits parents to take care of other issues regarding their son or daughter’s enrollment such as speaking with a financial aid advisor.
Students will remain with their host into the night while parents will stay at the Woodbound Inn in Rindge. This bed & breakfast is provided compliments of Franklin Pierce. With over fifty students who have called to book their stay, Dorsey says, this is a “phenomenal response so far.” The dates Dorsey is booking now are for February 13 through the 17, and February 21 to the 24.
“There has been a split response for male and female,” Dorsey said. She said her primary goal in having this program is to create a sense of community with the incoming students. She wants the accepted students as well as their parents to feel as though they have made the right school choice. There is the hope that this program will also increase the enrollment rates for the upcoming years.
In the past, Mary Gowdy has run the program. “I have big shoes to fill she’s done such a great job,” said Dorsey. Dorsey gives credit to the faculty and staff who helped put everything together. “They played a critical role in helping [her ] choose the hosts,” said Dorsey. The faculty and staff members were asked to nominate students who they felt would be a good candidate to host the incoming students. Students who work in admissions were also good applicants for the job since they work hand in hand with Dorsey. The hosts are evenly made up of students from all grades. “All I’ve been doing the past few days is going through applications,” said Dorsey.
Daryl Jeannetti is just one of many students who have volunteered to act as a host. “This is an outstanding opportunity,” said Jeannetti. He explained how one of the first overnight calls that was booked was a student who remembered when Jeannetti had given him a tour around the campus and requested he be his host. “It allows regular students to do overnights much like athletes and for student to get a full overnight college experience,” said Jeannetti.
Anyone who wishes to participate in hosting accepted students must fill out an application and set up and interview with Dorsey. Dorsey said she plans to hold meetings so it is clear what is expected of each of her volunteers while acting as a host.
For more information contact Sarah Dorsey in the admissions office or by email at dorseys@franklinpierce.edu.
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Meet the executive board of SGA
by Heather Riley
edited by Adam Stahl
Meet the recently installed members of the Student Government Association for the 2010-2011 academic year.
The members of the SGA Executive Board (From Left to Right): Ian McGinnes, Megan Landry, Nick Kostich, Marzell Barker, Amanda Fortier and Joe Ferris
What year are you: I am a Junior, Class of 2011
What is your position on the board: I am President of the Student Senate
How long have you been involved: I have been involved with the SGA since second semester Freshman year, so almost 2.5 years to be exact.
What your role is on the exec board: I am responsible for all administrative purposes within the SGA as well as ensuring the completion of goals placed before us. I do my very best to maximize the potential of my already outstanding exec board in order to provide the students with all we have to offer, guaranteeing student satisfaction throughout this University.
What do you intend to do in the upcoming years: I plan on working extremely hard my senior year in the class room and putting every ounce of energy into the SGA, so when my time is over as President I will know I left the organization better off than when I entered it.
Otherhobbies/interst: I’ve always been an athlete, my two loves are Ice Hockey and Baseball. I like the outdoors and training. I also enjoy Modern Warfare 2.
Anything else to add: The SGA is the best avenue to improve the day to day lives of the students. We have a budget close to $100,000 for student initiatives. If you are the type of student who feels like there isn’t enough to do or insufficient events, let us know what you want. We are here for every student on this campus, it is my exec boards goal and first priority to improve the satisfaction of the students here.
Name: Ian McGinnes
What year are you: Junior
What is your position on the board: Student Body Vice President
How long have you been involved: 2 years, this coming year will be my third.
What your role is on the exec board: I am head of the capital improvements committee, I am delegated work from the president to do, and I also co-chair, the bus to Keene program with our president.
What do you intend to do in the upcoming years: Through capital improvements we already have some things in the works for early next semester, I am going to make sure that we have some kind of great improvement to our campus for next year through that committee.
What being a member of SGA means to you: I choose to be part of this program because I actually want to help the student body, I am happy to be a liaison between the students and the people that run this University. I also don’t mind public speaking to much.
Name: Amanda Fortier
What year are you: Sophomore
What is your position on the board: I am the secretary of the class senate.
How long have you been involved: This upcoming semester will be 5th semester in SGA. I have been in SGA since first semester freshman year.
What your role is on the exec board: I perform regular secretarial duties such as taking minutes of the meetings, formulating meeting agendas and sending weekly e-mails. A new thing I will be trying out next semester is creating a weekly news letter to e-mail to all students.
What does being a member of SGA mean to you: To me being a member of the SGA means doing everything I can to represent the students and have their voice be heard. I think a lot of people want to create change and don’t realize that they can make things happen if they only speak up. This campus community is very accepting of students’ ideas and very willing to use student input to create change.
Other hobbies/ interests: Other interests include being a peer leader and a women’s rugby player. I am on the executive board of the women’s rugby team and love it. I like to listen to music and be outside. I want to encourage any student with any concerns at all to e-mail me at Sgasecretary1@franklinpierce.edu.
Name: Megan Landry
What year are you: Junior
What is your position on the board: I am the executive board treasurer for 2010-2011 academic year.
What your role is on the exec board: We have many goals as a group but my most important individual goal is to change the budget cycles. Right now we go through and look at budgets every two weeks. My freshman year we did this twice in a semester and now we changed this because the planning had to be done so far in advance and when problems arose the money just wasn’t used. My goal is to find a happy medium between the old and the new. I think that if we can do budgets maybe 5 times a year we can get some happy medium.
Other hobbies/ interests: On a more personal level I think that I am very easy going, approachable and easy to talk to.
Name: Marzell Barker
What year are you: Sophomore
What is your position on the exec board: Secretary of clubs
How long have you been involved: This is my first time on the executive board but I’ve been in SGA since second semester of freshman year.
What your role is on the exec board: I make sure clubs are actually having meeting and they send me minutes from them as well as inventory. Think of me as the mother hen of clubs really.
What do you intend to do in the upcoming years: I’m only going to be on the exec board for this upcoming year and I hope to help set up a system that will help clubs stay on track so that we don’t lose any more good clubs.
What being a member of SGA means to you: It has helped me see the inner workings of the school and has allowed me to solidify some of my relations with the clubs I’m currently in. It also is presenting me with an opportunity’s I would not have otherwise had. All in all for me it means I can give back to the school that I really do love.
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Slippin' and Slidin' into summer
by Heather Riley
edited by Joseph Landini
The warm weather brought out much of the campus for the first annual field day put on by Residential Life on Thursday in front of Cheshire Hall.
As the year begins to unwind, Residential Life was looking for a way to bring the student body together once more before leaving for the summer break. Residential Life had decided to go with a field day since the weather has started to warm up. The events started at 3 p.m. and lasted until 7 p.m.
More than twenty-five staff members including CA’s, ED’s and other residential life spent about 3 or 4 weeks planning and putting this event together. All staff members were assigned different areas to supervise.
(Nothing like a slip-n-slide on a warm day)
At just 4 p.m. all of the free t-shirts were given out to the over one hundred students that had decided to take part in the festivities. “It was awesome, probably the best thing Res Life has done,” said freshman Saskia Joseph. Residential Life was pleased with the outcome of the field day events and was impressed to see how many students had shown up. “It worked out to be a beautiful day and everyone’s having a good time, which is what it is all about,” said Experience Director Chris Johnson.
The event had so much to offer the students that it appealed to everyone. “Residential Life never really has campus wide events for everyone, which is why we did this. We are glad the weather turned out to be nice,” said senior CA Kristine Thayer. According to Thayer, Residential Life is planning on holding another field day event next year in both the fall and the spring.
(The highlight of the field day events was jello wrestling.)
Overall, the event was looked at as a good time with a good turnout. There were well over two hundred students in attendance by the end of the evening. Even though the light rain showers caused the staff to close up some of the activities, many students came back for s’mores at 7 p.m. Most students thought that the idea of holding a field day was a good tradition to start. “It was a wonderful opportunity for students to come together and socialize,” said senior Simon Dreyfuss.
For more information about the field day that took place or other upcoming events, contact Residential Life at extension 4176.
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The art behind Russian doll painting
by Heather Riley
edited by Joseph LandiniRussian storyteller, lecturer, iconographer and artist Marina Forbes collaborated with the Ingalls Memorial Library to put on a workshop on how to paint Matryoshka dolls on Thursday, April 8 at the Meetinghouse in Rindge.
There were eight members in the audience ranging from ages six and up. This three hour workshop was free but anyone who wished to paint had to purchase their own nesting dolls.
The program began with a brief introduction of Marina Forbes’ background and then got right into the proper way to paint the Russian dolls. Forbes explained that when painting these dolls, “Make nice long brush strokes. Russians believe that long brush strokes mean freedom rather than short ones.” She worked hand-in-hand with her audience, and was constantly walking around looking for ways to help each of them out.
(Forbes helps participants with their nesting dolls.)
To create a more relaxed and calm atmosphere, Forbes played Russian music in the background. She also covered various painting techniques that made the experience easier for her audience. She told them that they, “Need to breathe and talk to your dolls, they speak English.” She also explained how using a small brush for small jobs is important so as to not use too much paint, “If paint is too thick then it will crack, you must smooth it out,” Forbes said, “One scoop of paint is enough, less is more.” When painting the dolls, Forbes told her participants that it is easier to make the features larger than it is to make them smaller. Forbes often showed the audience works of her own in order to better understand her advice.
One of her sections focused on the scarves outlined on each of the dolls. She told the group that in Russia, the scarves that the women wore could differentiate where they were from. She also expressed to the crowd the importance of color choice and how mixing colors is acceptable in art. “When I paint I have an artistic vision of what colors I will use,” said Forbes. One of the dolls created by a participant in the workshop was done in the colors red, white and blue. Forbes particularly liked this color choice because “not only are these the colors of the American flag, but also the Russian flag right now,” said Forbes.
(Examples of Forbes' finished nesting dolls.)
Since the workshop was so long, Forbes told everyone that if they needed to, to take a break and come back to their work. She also urged them all to be creative and not to worry about making mistakes, “the brush paints by itself,” said Forbes.
For her last stop, Forbes showed everyone how to top of their dolls with different ways to shade, embroider, accessorize and design before adding the final touches of acrylic glossy paint. “I always add about seven layers, the glossier the better,” said Forbes. Finally, she made sure everyone took pride in their work by having them each sign and date the bottom of their dolls.
(Forbes alongside Rindge community members that took part in her workshop.)
Forbes told everyone that they were great learners, “some people can recycle knowledge and some people learn,” said Forbes. The Ingalls Memorial Library Director, Diane Gardenour, said, “We just had so much fun. I liked the cultural aspect of the doll background and how she related much of her presentation back to Russia.”
Forbes began painting when she was four years old in her native city of St. Petersburg. “Painting is more hands on which allows you to learn more,” said Forbes. She began working in the United States in 1993 and now does cultural tours to Russia as well. Forbes not only enjoys painting but also finds time to get involved in various clubs and programs. She has recently visited UMASS Amherst as well as Greenfield and Richmond. She also held another workshop in Winchester along with other painters to design Easter eggs on April 9.
For more information about Matryoshka dolls, how to purchase her art or information on upcoming workshops, contact Marina Forbes at MarinaForbes.com or at (603) 332-2255. She also has a shop with all her art pieces located in Rochester, NH.
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Poetry with Paul Mariani
by Heather Riley
edited by Joseph Landini
On March 25, 2010, Franklin Pierce welcomed speaker Paul Mariani, a University Professor of English at Boston College for a poetry presentation at Cheney Hall.Mariani’s presentation entitled, “Four Degrees of Separation-From Hopkins to Howe,” covered a wide range of poems that all followed the beliefs of Catholicism. Each of the poems related to a biblical or religious concept.
(Mariani delivers the first reading.)
During his presentation he covered poems by Gerard Manley Hopkins, John Berryman and Marie Howe. These poets are among his favorites and each poem that he read had special meaning to him. He read aloud each poem to the audience and then evaluated the deeper meaning within each one. Mariani has also done biographies on each of these poets to gain more background knowledge on their lives, and the story the author is trying to portray within their writing. “I like how each poem is like a dialogue, it tells a story,” said Mariani.
When asked which of the poems is his favorite he said “The Windhover by Hopkins which was written in 1870. Each author made their piece their own.” Mariani said that he would have liked to focus his presentation on Hopkins solely but felt that would be too specialized and he should cover a wider array of poets. He has recently become interested in the works of Marie Howe. “Each poem questions beliefs,” said Mariani. “I learned how religion can have a spiritual and positive impact on poetry. The use of hidden messages and imagery enhanced the poems that were being read,” said Damola Abu, a sophomore at Franklin Pierce.
(Mariani back at Franklin Pierce after a twenty year absence.)
He has received his Ph.D. from the Graduate Center of the City University of NY. Mariani has published over two-hundred essays and reviews as well as written a total of sixteen books. Of these books, 5 of them were biographies and 6 were poetry pieces. He has also been honored with multiple fellowship awards from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the National Foundation for the Humanities.
For more information on the books, reviews, essays, biographies and poetry that Mariani has published contact him at marianpa@bc.edu by telephone at 617-552-3177 or fax 617-552-4220.
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Up all night
(Bungee Jump)
by Heather Riley
edited by Joe Landini
Franklin Pierce held their annual Up All Night event for the students in the Northfields activity center this past Saturday February 27th.
This event was held free of charge for all Franklin Pierce students and faculty members. The theme for this year’s Up All Night was roller disco. There were many different kinds of activities that took place, such as the mechanical bull, bungee jumping, DJ and dance floor, bubble machine, roller blades, laser tag and more. Front Desk Supervisor, Julie Noonan said, “I think the theme went over very well. People were rollerblading all night. As always the mechanical bull, oxygen bar and dance floor were big hits as well. It was definitely another successful event. Everyone just had a great time.”
There was also the opportunity to learn how to dance disco style. Ricki Thompson,a member of the Franklin Pierce dance team, said, “I wanted to teach everyone a disco dance.” She also helped with the preparations required to put on Up All Night, “It was really great to see everyone dressed up for a 70’s disco. I didn’t think many would, but I’m so glad they did,” said Thompson.
Many of the Franklin Pierce athletic teams as well as other programs and clubs were in attendance trying to raise money. Steve Juene, member of B.RO., said, “It was a lot of fun and we were raffling off posters and other artwork made by fellow B.R.O. member Jon Gordon.”
(Steve Jeune enjoying the festivities.)
There was a lot of hard work and preparation necessary to put on Up All Night. Brad Avenia, Assistant Director, said, “People were having fun using the inflatables and the skates had been a highlight, as well as the mechanical bull. The kids worked hard to put on a successful event that was supposed to be about everyone coming out and having a good time.”
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