Below Are Several of My Articles From The Clock, Plymouth State University's Student Run Newspaper
Becky Field and Cultural Diversity in New Hampshire
Typically, New Hampshire isn’t seen as a very diverse state. About 92% of the population is white, so when Becky Field began taking photos that highlighted the state’s diversity, few of her colleagues assumed she would find much. To their pleasant surprise, it’s been five years since she began this project and it doesn’t look like she’ll be slowing down anytime soon. It all started with an act of hatred. In 2012, the homes of four refugee families in Concord were vandalized with obscene language spray painted on their walls. When Field heard about this happening in her own town, she decided she wanted to help refugee and immigrant communities feel welcome in their new country by photographing the people who were arriving in New Hampshire from all over the world. “Think about what it would feel like. They suddenly had to leave under pressure, not taking anything with them except maybe what they could fit in a plastic grocery bag, and then getting dropped into a foreign land where they don’t know the language, they don’t know the laws, they don’t know the school system, they don’t even know where to get a loaf of bread and suddenly they have to pick up a whole new life. And they’ve left so much behind,” Field said. Field believes that one of the major hurdles these families face is discrimination based on the way they look and the way they sound. She’s met refugees and immigrants with valuable skills working in low income jobs because they couldn’t find a job in their line of work. It could be because of the language barrier or personal prejudice by potential employers. And unfortunately for the younger members of the family, especially the college students, it’s been difficult for them to pursue a higher education past an associate’s degree. Members of these communities recognize the value in a higher education and Field has worked with their leaders, as well as members of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation to create the Different Roots Scholarship Fund. They’re hoping that through donations they’ll be able to help students in refugee and immigrant families achieve their goals through a higher education with this scholarship. Over these past five years, Field has met with thousands of refugees and taken over 100,000 photos. She was able to publish a book of some of these photos called Different Roots, Common Dreams: New Hampshire’s Cultural Diversity. She hopes that her work, which she wants to continue doing for a long time, will show everyone the struggles that these people have had to endure and that while there is a lot that makes us different, there’s plenty that makes us the same as well.
Would You Walk in Their Shoes?
Last week the Alumni Commons was covered in children’s shoes. Each pair represented a child who was separated from their family at the Mexico-United States border. These shoes were part of an exhibit titled “Would You Walk in their Shoes?” Throughout the exhibit were small signposts with real stories shared by parents who had their children taken from them at the border. One story involved a father who illegally entered the U.S. with his 4-month-old. Immediately upon entry, ICE agents took the father into custody and placed the child in the hands of the Office of Refugee Resettlement. The man was then deported without his child. Another story recounts the experience of a mother from Honduras who crossed the border. She told an attorney in June that her daughter was taken from her while she was breastfeeding. The mother explained that she asked the agents to at least let her finish feeding her child, only for them to rip the child away. These are just two of the stories that were on display, but there are hundreds more just like them. In the last few months, the number of stories like these coming from the border have increased exponentially, as a result of changes to immigration and customs policies by the Trump administration. Mrs. Eva Castillo and Professor Whitney Howarth explained this change in policy enforcement at Boyd on Wednesday night. Their presentation was titled, “Human Rights On Our Borders.” Castillo is originally from Venezuela; she moved to the U.S. for college in 1975. She has spent over 30 years working with a variety of organizations that help immigrants in the United States. In 2007 she joined the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA,) a group that helps new immigrants integrate into the U.S. She is also the Director of the NH Alliance for Immigrants and Refugees. During the presentation, Howarth went into detail on how handling illegal border crossings has changed between the Trump and Obama administrations. She explained that in the past, only 10% of the people illegally crossing the border were criminally prosecuted. Instead, most illegal entries were seen as a civil matter instead of a criminal concern. And since it wasn’t a criminal matter, there was no reason to separate families; they were simply detained and deported together. But when Trump’s administration introduced a “zero-tolerance policy” in April, courts were ordered to criminally prosecute anyone caught trying to cross the border illegally. And anyone who is being criminally prosecuted is automatically separated from their children. The presentation explained how most parents trying to enter the country didn’t know they risked having their children taken from them. This new policy by the Trump Administration was developed as a deterrent measure. Jeff Sessions, the former Attorney General, declared that if parents didn’t want to be separated from their children, they shouldn’t try to smuggle them over the border. The entire policy was met with massive national and even international backlash for a variety of reasons. The most significant in the eyes of many were the human rights violations. Border agencies simply didn’t have room for the influx of detainees. They had some facilities already set up, mostly for unaccompanied minors who were young men they arrested, but it wasn’t enough for all the new people. Howarth explained how, as of August, around 700 children still hadn’t been reunited. The whole process of reuniting children with their parents has been a struggle, because tracking down parents who had been deported proved to be difficult. After completing her part of the presentation, Castillo took over and spoke about immigration and the different kinds there are. She went into detail on how challenging it is to immigrate to the U.S. and how it’s going to become even more difficult in the near future. The presentation was attended by a good number of students who shared their own opinions on what was happening at the border. The exhibit and presentation by Eva Castillo were both part of International Education Week (IEW). The week long event exists to raise awareness of global issues. This year, the event was a Clusters Initiative project that received support from the new Provost Robin Dorff. It was organized by the Global Initiatives Group (GIG), which is a collection of faculty, students, and staff. The GIG set out to reinvigorate IEW by tying the events to 15 global themed classes. It was a challenge because in the past, the Global Engagement Office played a large role in organizing events. Unfortunately that office has seen major staffing cuts, so their ability to organize IEW has diminished. The didn’t stop GIG from putting out a great series of events this year. This year’s event kicked off on Monday, November 5, at a ceremony presented by President Birx and Provost Dorff. The schedule of events included African Drumming, a Flag Parade, and a screening of the film “Behemoth,” which focuses on China’s coal industry. Overall, Professor Howarth was happy with the week. “We were really happy with the turnout, especially for the presentation by Eva Castillo.” She continued by saying, “I think overall we would probably like to see students at more events. I know some of that is simply getting the word out early enough. We were so happy the president and the provost spoke at the opening ceremony and gave their support for and encouragement to us to continue doing this global work on campus.” Howarth was also impressed with the student research posters that were displayed throughout the week. International Education Week is set to return to PSU next year. Howarth expressed her hopes that there would be more community involvement from students and downtown businesses next year.
Forza Horizon 4 Review
Forza Horizon 4 is the latest installment in the Forza Horizon Series. Since 2012, the Forza Horizon franchise has served as an open world alternative series to the original Forza Motorsport franchise. In the past three entries, Playground Games and Turn 10 Studios took players around the world, offering fictional versions of countries like Italy and Australia. Now, they’ve taken us to Britain, and to make this game feel fresh, they’ve introduced seasons. In past entries, players participated in the fictional Horizon Festival, competing to be the best driver in a series of events including races, stunts, and driving challenges. The festival always took place over the course of one season, so the world around you never really changed. But with the newest game, the world around you changes dramatically every real-world week. Britain is the perfect location for this game. With its highlands, city, lakes and forest, players are given a nice variety of locales to compete in. And as the seasons change, so does the player experience. It doesn’t necessarily become a new game as you transition from season to season, but it’s enough for you to change the way you want to play. In summer, for example, you may be more comfortable driving high speed super cars, while in the winter you may be more inclined to participate in dangerous off-road races. That being said, the season you’re playing in doesn’t restrict you from doing what you want. If you want to have a street race in winter, you’re still allowed to. By giving players the ability to do what they want, despite whatever season it is, the developers managed to avoid what could be a potential problem. The variety in races isn’t the only benefit that seasons bring to the series. This series has always been visually impressive, and the addition of seasons highlights that. Each season is incredible to look at in its own way. In the winter, you’re surrounded by snow covered mountains and in autumn the world becomes a beautiful mix of reds and oranges. Seasons are without a doubt the selling factor of this game, but there’s plenty more to praise as well. The world is around the same size as the one in “Forza Horizon 3.” Both games had distinct areas to drive through, but with “Forza Horizon 3,” the world felt flat for the most part. With this game, the world feels more layered and gives everything a grander scale. The variety in races is also great. You have your typical street races as well as exciting off-road ones where you tear through the British country side, leaving a path of destruction behind you. Despite the introduction of seasons and a more interesting landscape, it is still the fourth entry in the series, so there is plenty that veteran players will be familiar with. The main city in the game, Edinburgh, serves the same purpose as Surfer’s Paradise from the last game. There are the same drift, speed, and distance challenges that players are familiar with, and Showcase Events have made a return. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, for people who enjoy those, but I’ve personally never been too interested in them. And while seasons do make a change, the races feel very similar to the ones in the last game. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but I had hoped for a little more variety. Unfortunately, wheel spins have returned. As your character levels up, you occasionally have the chance to spin a wheel to win a prize, there’s even a super-wheel spin now that gives you three items. While it is nice to win ridiculous amounts of money and free cars, there are also some prizes that feel absolutely useless, like emojis and clothing. It’s also very frustrating when you level up or advance to the next tier in a specific type of race and get rewarded with a hat or a t-shirt that you only really notice on your player during loading screens before races. It is never as annoying or anti-consumer as some games have been with loot boxes, (because that’s basically what these wheelspins are), but it does come close to crossing a few lines. Players who don’t choose to buy the one-hundred dollar “Ultimate Edition” may also feel cheated when those who did get VIP bonuses that give them extra money and cars. It’s a trend that many games have been following, and I am not a fan. That being said, “Forza Horizon 4” is a solid game and while it doesn’t fundamentally change the series, it definitely does enough to feel like a necessary and fun entry for fans of the series and racing fans in general.
PSU Divided
This summer, Plymouth State University found itself in the crosshairs of public opinion when it was revealed that three faculty members had allegedly provided statements of support for Kristie Torbick, a former guidance counselor at Exeter High School, who was sentenced to jail for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old student. The public outrage originated from the content of letters that they provided. Lines like, “In my opinion, no benefit to society would be served by incarcerating her,” and, “She has earned my unconditional support.” Then, there was the most infamous line, “Kristie takes full responsibility for her actions with her ‘victim.’ I put this in parentheses because I am aware that her ‘victim’ was truly the pursuer in this case.” Taken at face value, statements like that, when posted in a Union Leader article on July 26, painted a negative picture. It seems like members of the PSU community were supporting a sex offender. But in the eyes of many faculty, this is an issue where most people do not have the full story, and the pieces they do have are largely taken out of context. Before that specific Union Leader article, the PSU administration had already published two press statements. The first one, which was addressed to the Union Leader, in regards to a different article, was released on July 23. It reads, “Plymouth State University respects the First Amendment rights of our students, faculty and staff to express their opinions. The personal opinions of students, faculty and staff are not official positions of the University.” They released another statement on July 25 that reads, “Plymouth State University was not aware of the private letters written during the sentencing phase of the trial by our faculty members.” The three faculty in question are Drs. Gary Goodnough, Dr. Michael Fischler, and Dr. Nancy Strapko. All three have decades of history at PSU, and all three had actions taken against them by the school administration. After the Union Leader article from July 26 was published, the administration released a third statement, on August 1. It listed the actions they planned on taking. The statement said that Drs. Goodnough and Dr. Fischler agreed to take additional Title IX training. Additionally, Dr. Fischler’s name was taken off of the Michael L. Fischler Counseling Center, where he was the director for 40 years. Dr. Strapko faced more severe repercussions, as the administration chose not to rehire her for this coming school year. Drs. Goodnough agreed to take the Title IX training; he wanted to put the issue behind him. The other two haven’t accepted the actions because they take issue with how the administration handled the situation. Dr. Fischler is a Professor Emeritus, which is a title given to retired faculty. Although he is retired, he still taught as an adjunct professor. In a letter sent to President Birx by his lawyer, Jon Meyer, some of his grievances are listed. They include: removing his name from the Counseling Center, prohibiting him from teaching this semester, and requiring him to retake Title IX Training. The letter argued that Fischler had a first amendment right to provide written testimony. It’s also worth noting that he wrote the letter before Torbick chose to plead guilty. The letter also argued that Fischler had a, “Long advocacy at PSU against discrimination based upon sex, race and homophobia.” Additionally, the letter claimed that the third statement released by the administration, which said that Fischler agreed to take Title IX training, was false. That point in the administrations statement specifically says, “Before returning to teach at PSU, Professor Emeritus Michael Fischler and Professor Gary Goodnough have agreed to complete additional Title IX Training and to work closely with PSU faculty, students, and staff to address the issues and the concerns created by the letter.” Meyer wrote that Fischler initially agreed to take the training in order to resolve the issue. However, he only learned through that press release that his return to PSU as an adjunct professor relied on him taking this class. On top of that, he then found out that he wouldn’t be allowed to attend the Counseling Center’s orientation program. The letter reads, “It is also worth considering the precedential significance of these requirements on academic discourse in general. Controversial speech is the lifeblood of academia. But who is going to be willing to express an unpopular opinion if in response to public disapproval, he or she is forced to take a class, and satisfy the concerns of their critics as a condition of continued teaching. That approach is not consistent with a school that values academic freedom.” Finally, the letter listed five demands that the administration must meet. They were: Reinstating Dr. Fischler, putting his name back on the Counseling Center and allowing him to participate in its programs, withdraw the Title IX training, apologize publicly, and to ensure that PSU responds differently to issues like this in the future. In the eyes of the PSU-AAUP and the SEA/SEIU Chapter 30, the three faculty were simply providing character reference testimony. The PSU-AAUP is the PSU chapter of the American Association of University Professors and the SEA/SEIU Chapter 30 is the Plymouth State University Teaching Lecturers Union. They released a joint statement condemning the administration’s decision. Their statement said, “Written and oral testimonies of the nature provided by these faculty members are protected as extramural speech under principles of academic freedom, which are articulated in the AAUP’s ‘1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure.’” The 1940 statement says, “College and university teachers are citizens, members of a learned profession, and officers of an educational institution. When they speak or write as citizens, they should be free from institutional censorship or discipline.” On top of that, the rights are legally binding because of collective bargaining agreements the two unions have with the administration. Jeremiah Duncan, the current president of the PSU-AAUP, has held the position for almost a year. The union itself is new, having been founded in April 2016. A main point the statement made was that the administration violated the faculties rights to academic freedom. When asked what exactly academic freedom was, Duncan said “It really is founded in the notion that a university should be a place of a free exchange of ideas, that the best education a student can get is in a place where we can debate things and we can provide opinions that may not be popular openly. That’s the best kind of education you can have, to be able to engage in a civil discourse on both sides, whether your opinion is popular or not.” The Unions also wanted to make it clear that they do not condone in any way what Kristie Torbick did. That’s a sentiment shared by everyone involved in this. Many of the faculty think that the letters, more specifically the excerpts seen by most of the public, were taken out of context. The faculty were simply trying to speak on Torbick’s character when they knew her and worked closely with her a decade prior. The main issue is that most people don’t have the full story, and they can’t get past their initial misunderstandings. Strapko’s letter is different for several reasons. For one, it was a letter meant for Torbick’s attorney and no one else, as can be seen in the header, which reads, “Dear Attorney Sisti.” Strapko worked alongside Torbick as her therapist, and wrote a letter to her attorney to provide a Sex Offender Evaluation. The problematic line where the victim is called the pursuer is followed immediately by, “This in no way excuses Kristie’s subsequent response to his aggression as she is the adult in this relationship.” Whether or not the wording in her letter is appropriate is up for debate, but there was a crucial context that was missing, in the opinion of some people on campus. To some concerned faculty, it’s not just an issue of freedom of speech and academic freedom; it’s about heightened concerns over participating in the justice system. One faculty member, who chose to remain anonymous, said, “The school had an opportunity for a teachable moment for our student body and for the public. I believe we absconded our responsibility on that front. We had an opportunity to talk about the criminal justice system, which is our most basic democratic process, and the requirements of individuals to follow their civic duty and participate when asked. We haven’t spoken about that on the administrative level. We’ve blamed and punished faculty members for participating in our most basic process.” At first it seemed like faculty were unanimous in their disapproval of how the administration handled this situation, but this isn’t the case. Philip Inwood is a Teaching Lecturer in Art History. He is also a former president of SEA/SEIU Chapter 30. He said, “While some faculty appear to feel entirely convinced that rights of academic freedom take precedence over all other considerations, I feel that it is important to recognize that for others, this issue is not that simple. This is a delicate issue. As a member of the faculty and as a union member, I feel supportive of the rights of academic freedom and free speech that are part of our contract. I understand that we, as a union, are urged to separate ‘protecting rights’ from ‘social issues.’ However, I believe that there is so much more to consider with the ‘Torbick issue.’” When asked how he felt about the administration’s decisions, he said, “I understand that the Administration was acting out of a need to protect the good name of PSU, something that is of great importance to all of us.” He also approves of the Student Senate Letter that was sent out recently, and he’s disappointed with some of the negative responses it has been getting. He said, “A group of student representatives wrote a letter expressing concern about the implications of what had transpired. They were disturbed by what, for them & others (including the Union Leader), appeared to be college professors allegedly giving supportive testimony to a child rapist (admitted & convicted). The Student Council letter coincided roughly with a combined faculty union response that had been in the works for a week or so. I was very concerned about the timing and the probable effects of this stand.” For those that don’t know, five members of the Student Senate did release a letter of support for the administration's decision. The students who wrote the letter make up the E-Board. Janet Currier, the President of the Student Body, said that over the Summer she followed the case but she didn’t see anything from the school addressing the student body about the issue. She and the other four signers also shared that they received plenty of constituent concerns, which is the primary reason for why they wrote their letter. They say they spent a lot of time researching the case, so that they could be informed as possible. Janet said, “At least on our side we’ve read as much as there is to the public that’s open to the public. We did see the Union Leader article, we saw everything else, we read the letters, we read the letters from the union representatives, President Birx’s statement, we’ve read everything we had to read.” It was a lengthy process to write the article. Jacob Shairs, the Speaker of the Student Senate, said they spent fifteen hours working on the letter. Adriana Whitaker, the Vice-Speaker of the Senate added, “We probably rewrote and redrafted this letter four times in total and if you look at the first letter versus the final letter that was sent out, it’s not even nearly the same.” One of the Senates primary concerns with the faculties involvement in the Torbick case wasn’t that people provided character witnesses. They believe that they had the right to do so. The problem was that they included their PSU credentials. They also had a problem with the victim shaming. Whitaker said, “I also feel like we had concerns with the victim shaming in the letter by the one. I think that that one was definitely really over the line.” When asked about why Title IX training was an appropriate course of action, Clayton Harbet, the Vice President of the Student Body, said “that it’s appropriate because both made statements that weren’t extremely harsh, like Dr. Strapko’s where she accused the victim as ‘clearly being the pursuer in the situation.’ However, with Fischler, you know, all he did – he signed his name and the school’s name with it. So, it wasn’t a clear attack on the victim but it was enough to warrant additional Title IX training just to reiterate what Title IX really means. And make sure that he has a clear understanding of what our expectations are and what Title IX means to Plymouth State exactly.” The Student Senate sided with the administration because of the alleged victim shaming and because in their opinions, the letters failed to clarify that the faculty was not representing PSU as a whole. They were also concerned with supporting their constituencies, the student body, many of whom expressed their anger with the school and the faculty who were involved with the case. The administration is on the same page as the Student Senate in this situation. President Birx stands by the decisions that the administration made. He said, “We sat down and tried to figure out what we could do that indicated that we took this seriously and that this is not the way we think and try to put it into context that, okay, people can say that, but honestly as faculty, there is context to where you need to be careful, particularly if it’s in a context where you have a specialty.” He said it was important to protect the right to free speech, but also noted that in his opinion, faculty and others in positions of authority have more responsibility when speaking out. He said, “Academic freedom and freedom of speech does not mean that there aren’t guidelines or context in which to use it. It’s not a club you wield, it’s the beginning of a thoughtful and open discussion.” His issue with Strapko’s involvement, which is different from Fischler and Goodnoughs, is, “She did a very good job about not associating with the University, and I commend her for that. I think where the issue came in was her statement that just popped out in the middle of her sentencing statement which said the victim was the pursuer. And that’s false, there’s no way that statement can be true. What it does is it creates doubt about what she thinks about and is teaching and monitoring interns or teaching class.” As of right now, different parts of PSU are divided, but every group said something similar. They all shared their hopes for having an open dialogue where everyone can speak freely. Right now, there is just too much miscommunication. Hopefully, in the near future, everyone will have the opportunity to share their views on the issue. Because if nothing gets done, it can only get worse from here.
PSU Divided: The Clusters Initiative
Since the Integrated Clusters Initiative was introduced by President Birx three years ago, it has been met with a combination of excitement, confusion, and frustration. While some think clusters are exciting opportunity for a new, 21st century education, others don’t understand what they are or how they could benefit the campus. When asked what the clusters are, President Birx said, “The Clusters are an idea or concept that does a couple different things. One is, it creates a focus for what the Universities about. It tries to say, ‘We shouldn’t try to be all things to all people.’” He continued and said that we should, “[F]ind the strengths that are needed in the region that we can play off of and also find our internal strengths and look at the jobs of the 21st century.” The clusters were the main reason Provost Dorff took over in his role in the summer. He said, “I was taken by the idea that Plymouth State was not just doing the Integrated Cluster Model, but to reorganize completely around making that model work or translating that model into action. I was very much taken by that.” Provost Dorff thinks that the clusters can help elevate PSU’s position as a university. When asked about what the benefits of clusters are, he said, “One is to make Plymouth State University a more attractive place to come study. To offer an approach to higher education that, by its own distinctiveness and hopefully demonstrated success, is something that students will increasingly be attracted to come to. Secondly, though, to make it a more effective administrative and business model for providing that higher education.” The administration is excited for what clusters can bring, but there are some on the faculty who feel differently. Opposition to the Clusters Professor Robert Egbert has been with PSU for forty years; he teaches political science. He is also one of the most vocal opponents to clusters because of the lack of communication surrounding them. He said, “I haven’t held back at all that I don’t like it. I don’t understand it and I think it’s created a terrific confusion.” He said that when the clusters were first introduced, it wasn’t exactly clear what they were meant to be, “When it was laid out initially, it was laid out in very general terms and then we were told to go figure it out. It seems like we haven’t done a very good job of figuring it out because there were no guidelines whatsoever in regards to how we would proceed, how we would organize, what was really expected. We’re essentially inventing it on the fly.” Egbert also thinks that the situation here is a familiar one. He said, “[T]here’s nothing terribly unique about what’s going on at Plymouth. Presidents come in and think they’re going to have a magic wand and change it into something. Some actually know what they’re doing and some don’t and sometimes some things work and sometimes some things don’t. But it’s not atypical that a president comes in and wants to make a name for himself and certainly there are places where Plymouth can be conceivably a stepping stone to something bigger and better. And how do you make stepping stones? Well, you come in and you have something to brag about.” Many on the campus are frustrated with administrative decisions, but Professor Egbert is one of the most outspoken. When he was asked about what could be done to improve communication on campus, he said, “Well I think we need some new leadership.” Faculty aren’t the only divided on the clusters, students also have mixed opinions on them. A Student Perspective Since the clusters have existed in some form for three years now, students have had a mix of experiences. Sam Papps is a History major who shared his experience with clusters. He said, “[I] worked on a history project for a client, and we gave our content to a graphic design class to design and create brochures from our content.” Papps didn’t have much to say about the project. “Based on the limited experience, it wasn't very collaborative; it was just an exchange of text and images,” he said. Papps also criticized the PSU’s communication in regards to the clusters, saying, “If I hadn't done two years of orientation training, I would have no clue as to what clusters are or how they affect my learning.” The miscommunication is something Papps feels is affecting other students. He said, “So far nobody has said much that is positive about Clusters; I think that is mostly based on the fact we don't really understand what they are.” Nick Prescott is an English major who had an experience with a cluster project last year and going into the summer. He said, “Members of my department know that I am an avid fan of Dungeons and Dragons. I was forwarded a thread from my professor and advisor from a student from the Music Theater Dance Department asking about proficient writers needed for a cluster project. The project was to put on a livestreamed Dungeons and Dragons show for twenty episodes or so, involving writers, technical designers, set designers, IT students, and actors. I applied and was accepted along with three other people to be the writers and worldbuilders of this project.” This project began near the end of Spring Semester last year, a busy time for students. He described how those involved with the project met during this time to develop the project. In the summer, Prescott was notified that the project's budget was cut and many in the project were no longer needed. “I basically added more to my bogged down schedule to sign onto a project that ended up being thrown to the wayside for me because someone way above my head decided that it wasn't going to work out, even though the project was approved to move onto the production stage. This did not feel very good,” said Prescott. Prescott feels like many students just don’t have a clear idea of what the clusters are meant to be. He mentioned his discussions with fellow students and said, “I've talked to other students plenty about it. We all seem to be on the same page: that there's little cohesion, at least from our perspectives, in the way the initiative is being implemented.” He is also concerned about how clusters may shift the power at PSU. He said, “From a political standpoint, the clusters seem like a way to integrate power up the structure of the university into fewer and fewer hands because of the dissolving of department heads. This scares me because I know that the farther a person who has power is from me, the harder it is to get their attention if something goes wrong and that they're less likely to know a good solution to that problem. Maybe this observation is incorrect, but other students seem to agree with me that it seems like movement of power upwards into the hands of the few.” Despite his criticism of clusters, Prescott does acknowledge that an effort has been made to explain what clusters are to students. He said, “I think there are plenty of good-meaning attempts to make clear exactly what the clusters are. I know they've integrated clusters into the front page of our MyPlymouths and for a time I believe there was some kind of cluster mission statement for each individual cluster. I know that each individual cluster has its own mission statement and goals, but from my experience these seem to be more of a progenitor of sorts to what they will eventually become. What I do know is that most people are lost as to what they are, what the goal of them is, why they're "better" than the traditional university model, why we're implementing them, and what it means for their academic future.” Just like every other group on campus, students aren’t in agreement over clusters. Stelios Eleftheriou is a Strategic Marketing and Professional Sales major. When asked about clusters, he said, “When it comes to the clusters here at Plymouth State University, an experience that I have with it so far would have to be related to Statement.” Statement is the t-shirt and emboridery printing business located across from Hyde. Eleftheriou said, “That is a cluster experience because it takes business students such as myself and collaborates with stakeholders such as student orgs, internal/external stakeholders such as athletic orgs, anybody else off campus such as businesses, anybody else that we might know through connections within the chapter itself, or people who want shirts. But it also takes in the graphic artists, because they are helping us design our shirts and getting their designs printed on a t-shirt, or embroidered onto a golf shirt, a regular shirt, or a jacket.” He said that the program takes two departments together to run the business. Eleftheriou continued to say, “When it started last year it was just a t-shirt business and now it’s becoming more of its own apparel business for custom apparel for anybody. So the fusion it has between two different academics shows that the cluster experience can be applied and this was actually recognized by President Birx at the Statement Open House a couple weeks ago and he recognized that this was a cluster project because of the stakeholders coming together to form this business and fulfill all these needs that the people have.” The administration is aware of the mixed reaction to clusters so far and they are willing to speak about it. Robin Dorff Provost Dorff joined the PSU community because of his excitement for the clusters. He is aware the they have been heavily criticized in the past and he acknowledges that at the root of the issue is miscommunication. “Not to be glib about it, but there’s probably very little reason for them to understand what they are and how they’re supposed to benefit from it and I think that comes then, to what can be done about it. Well, the responsibility is very much on us.” He continued to speak about communication, saying, “I think we have to do a better job communicating with students. We still have a huge communication responsibility just with faculty. And it’s not just talking, it’s about learning as we go. Learning from each other. I think we as faculty have to learn from our students what we are doing better what we’re doing not so better, what can we do to help communicate more effectively and what can we learn from those conversations with students that would help us more effectively and more efficiently get the clusters organized and really fully up and running.” Provost Dorff argued that what PSU is doing hasn’t quite been done before. There have been universities around the world moving towards interdisciplinary practices and creating their own programs, but they aren’t the same. He said, “I have shared with many of our colleagues here that one of the primary reasons for that is that we’re doing something that nobody else has done before. So there’s no manual for how to do this. There’s no “Ten Steps to Building an Integrated Cluster” model. So a lot of it is going to be a bit of trial and error.” Provost Dorff wasn’t afraid to acknowledge the criticisms that have been leveled against the administration, but he is still passionate for what the clusters can do to make PSU stand out and he thinks they are necessary, given all the changes universities are going through on a national level. He said there are, “Two things, I think. One of them falls into that whole nest of, if we kept doing the things the way we were doing them for the last, you know, fifty years, it wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that we probably as a university, and many other colleges and universities around the country, would not be around. I don’t know how many years it would take but frankly, it wasn’t sustainable. If we were building cars the same way we were ten years ago, our cars would be obsolete. If we just continued doing what we were doing it would not be sustainable.” Most important to Dorff though, are the students. He said, “I think the number one priority in all of this is student success. How can we help students learn more effectively and efficiently? How can we help prepare students more effectively and efficiently? How can we introduce students more effectively and efficiently to working with others, problem solving, internships, actual doing, related to the teaching and learning process along the way?” Clusters in the Near Future That is where Cathie LeBlanc, the Coordinator of General Education, comes in. She said, “What we’ve done now that we’ve started the Clusters Initiative, is we’ve organized those first year seminars around “Wicked Problems.” These are societal problems that are really challenging to deal with. They might be impossible to solve because every time you try to solve one another problem arises or you have some unintended consequences of some sort.” LeBlanc spoke about a course she taught last semester on fake news. She explained that her class tried to make a difference by producing something that would make a difference in the real world. “This is the beginning of what I’m calling Cluster Curriculum. It’s curriculum that tries to get students to work collaboratively in interdisciplinary teams on projects that actually impact the outside world and work on real issues,” LeBlanc said. LeBlanc also announced a plan to introduce a set of classes called Integrated Capstone (INCAP.) They are courses taken at the end of a student’s general education. The program begins in the Spring Semester.The courses are going to allow students to work on projects together. LeBlanc also mentioned toolkit courses saying, “That’s another way students can get involved in the Cluster’s Initiative, they can take these toolkit courses, which are focused on helping students develop individual skills that meet whatever their goals are.” When Dorff was asked how long it would be until the issues surrounding clusters are all sorted out, he said, “I think we can be much more effectively operational with the Cluster Model in a two year period. So that might be three years almost from the time I would arrive, but I think that we will be much better next year and the year after that. I think we will be much better, but I think that if you, by my view, that this is still going to be an evolutionary process.” The Integrated Clusters Initiative has changed Plymouth State University. Some believe that the clusters are at the root of the culture of fear people have mentioned; the culture of fear that was brought to light when PSU became involved with the Kristie Torbick case. Most people seem to hope that the clusters will work themselves out. But at this point, only time will tell.
Happy Holiday from Robert Frost
On Monday, December 3, the Happy Holidays from Robert Frost exhibit opened in the Spinelli Archives on the third floor of the library. The exhibit was created by Eryn Boissonneau, a second-year anthropology major who interns at the archives. Eryn was given the task by Alice Staples, the Special Collections Librarian and University Archivist, in October. The exhibit displays seven unique Christmas cards containing poems written by Robert Frost. The artwork on most of the cards was done by Thomas W. Nason, an artist whose work is known for being complementary to Frost’s own work. The cards were originally published by the Spiral Press. Creating an exhibit like this one is difficult, Eryn explained. “It’s a lot of work. It’s a lot of organizing. After I put together research about Blumenthal [founder of the Spiral Press], I just sat down and looked at the cards for like half an hour deciding which ones captured Robert Frost the best. Which was a struggle in itself because you want to do him justice.” In the end, Eryn chose to display the ones that best represented Frost’s style of writing. Most of the cards were donated in the seventies by Lesley Frost, Robert’s daughter. Robert Frost has a unique history within the school. He worked at PSU in 1911 for one year, teaching psychology and education. Back then, PSU was known as Plymouth State Normal School. He got his job at Plymouth State Normal School because of his friendship with Ernest L. Silver, who began his 35-year tenure as principal of the school the same year. Frost only taught at the school for one year, before quitting and moving to Great Britain with his family. When asked about what she would want people to take away from the exhibit, Eryn said, “I think a lot of people on campus view Robert Frost’s time here as sort of him not really enjoying it. But I think, as we’re looking at these cards and seeing his legacy, it would be more valuable to view his time here as the beginning of his big, giant journey and just, indicative proof that it’s okay to take those giant leaps.” The exhibit can be viewed through the archive windows and is going to be open throughout winter break and into February 28, so anyone who is interested will have plenty of time to check it out.
Open Forums on Campus
Open forums were held on September 25 and 26 to meet the need for a campus dialogue. Four constituency groups organized the event. The four groups were the PAT, the OSS, the faculty, and the Student Senate. In total, there were twenty-six faculty, five teaching lecturers, seven operating staff, forty-two administrative and technical professionals, and eleven students. Mike Nikitas, a former News Broadcaster, moderated the event. He is also the founder of Nikitas Communications. Nikitas was chosen because he didn’t have a connection to the university. The forums were held because members of the PSU community felt a need for more communication across constituencies. Topics that were discussed included: the Kristie Torbick case, clusters, communication between faculty and students, a growing cultural shift, and how everyone can communicate better in general. Jo-Ann Guilmett is the Director of Client Services and Academic Technology, as well as the PAT Speaker. She said, “At their September 7 meeting, the PATs discussed campus culture, communication and the statement put out by the Student Senate. This discussion resulted in the PATs putting forth a motion and it was unanimously approved by the group.” Guilmett contacted the administration with the proposal, and President Birx approved of it. Once they received approval, Guilmett and the speakers from the three other constituencies. When asked about why the decision was made to have multiple forums, instead of just one for everyone to attend, Guilmett said, “One of the goals for the campus conversations was to ensure that that everyone who wanted to attend could attend. This resulted in multiple sessions held at a variety of time in order to accommodate everyone’s schedules.” In total, there were 7 forums held and while notes were taken, everyone who spoke was made anonymous. Before each forum, ground rules were set, essentially saying that everyone should remain respectful and professional. One of the major topics of discussion was Kristie Torbick; specifically, her trial and PSU’s involvement. It is an issue that has divided many on the campus, so it is not surprising that there was so much discussion over it. The notes say that many felt like what happened with the Torbick Case was the tip of the iceberg for growing unrest over the past few years. The discussion on Torbick also included the sense of tension that formed between students and faculty when five members of the Student Senate released a letter in support of the administration. Some faculty took issue with the content of the letter, even going so far as to say that the student senators were coached by the administration. Students involved say they received negative letters from faculty in response and that some letters had threats in them. The response to the letter from faculty wasn’t universally negative, some were in support of the students for sending it. When it was mentioned at the forum that threats were made, a faculty member suggested that any faculty who sent a threatening letter should face some kind of consequence. The idea of creating a hotline for students who are victim to unprofessional conduct from professors was also proposed. There has been mention in the past of a climate of fear, and it was brought up again during these forums. Faculty expressed fears of losing their positions at PSU for disagreeing with the administration’s decisions around the Torbick case. Many shared their frustration and anger over how actions were taken against three faculty members involved with the Torbick case. Faculty also discussed their frustration with how the entire Torbick case was represented in the media, with many feeling that quotes were taken out of context and the story was misrepresented. Staff and faculty brought up their issues with the changes that have been made and are still being made in order to solves PSU’s financial problems. There is major concern over job security, and confusion over why some respected members of this school have been let go. On top of that many are feeling an increasing workload placed in their laps in order to accommodate for all the people who have been laid off in recent years. The loss of employees has created concern over how those who remain are supposed to serve members of PSU. One person suggested that having an updated directory would make it easier for interested parties to know where everyone is, because right now, there are many cases of emails being sent out that never get responses. This suggestion was met with praise. Concerning the economic issues, people also shared how they didn’t feel valued anymore and that many were afraid they were all seen as expendable. It should be no surprise that clusters entered the discussion. People talked about how they support the idea of the clusters, just not the execution of them so far. Some people who worked on the clusters said that when they would work on organizing clusters, the administration would not approve of all the work they did. One anonymous speaker said, “It was like being asked to draw a circle. We did and they [administration] said, ‘Well can you make it more like a square?’ So we did. Then they [administration] said, ‘We were really thinking more of a rhombus.’ And we wanted to scream, “Why didn’t you just tell us you wanted a rhombus in the first place?!” Students also chimed in on the clusters conversation by saying that they weren’t entirely sure what the clusters are, because there hasn’t been a clear explanation. This is something that many faculty and staff agree with. Despite all the venting that occured during these forums, there was also an effort to discuss how things can improve. People described a need for more forums like these ones and more two-way communication. When asked how she thought the forums went, Guilmett said, “The feedback I received from students, faculty and staff has been very positive.” Gary McCool, the Coordinator for Reference Services at the library, had positive things to say about the forums; specifically Mike Nikitas. McCool said, “I thought he was very good; I was amazed. Because he seemed to be genuinely listening to what was said and then was asking clarifying questions in a way that I thought was helpful. Sometimes people just, you know, repeat back something but you can see their brain is somewhere else.” Joseph Scala, the USNH Board of Trustees Student Body Representative, also said the forum he attended went well. As a student, he felt like his voice was heard. He said, “As a student I do believe that my personal concerns were heard. I received really positive feedback from faculty and staff that were in attendance that my additions to the conversation were valid and appreciated. I think that if students are passionate about something that concerns them, they will be heard on a larger platform, such as a community forum and respected for speaking up.” Since the forums, some progress has been made to address what was discussed. On October 15, a Town Hall Meeting was held in the Merrill Place Conference room, and Mike Nikitas returned. At the meeting, the administration announced their plan to have a campus-wide internal audit. The goal of this audit is to create better methods of communication on campus.