This past Friday, I met with Tom Beebe, the Vice President of Facilities, to discuss the progress made regarding all of the various projects on campus. He’s a very busy guy, so when I happened to see him walking through the Student Activities Office, prior to our appointment, I made sure to thank him for taking the time out of his schedule to talk to me. To this he replied that he was happy to talk to me in person, as opposed to having me get information from someone else or from the email he sent out with a progress report, even if it meant moving something in his schedule around. Although I knew that I could expect that attitude from Tom, hearing it from him made it stand out even more.

Matt Di Giovanni, Editor-in-Chief

Everyone has a different personality, and I accept that; however, I consider a simple “hello” or “how are you doing?” to be something that everyone deserves the courtesy of receiving. I’m not going to pretend that I’m perfect and never avoid looking towards someone, because I think it will be awkward when our eyes meet. But when it comes to the faculty and staff, I think it really shows a level of caring when they offer the same courtesy to students as they do to their peers.

I feel like a bit of a hypocrite saying this. Even in my interview for the editor-in-chief position, I admitted that I thought my greatest weakness was my occasional introverted nature, despite my best efforts to be more outgoing. Regardless, it won’t hurt anyone to look someone in the eyes and say hi. For all anyone knows, that simple gesture could make someone’s day.

By no means is Tom Beebe the only outgoing person I’ve met on this campus; there are too many to count. But for the few that let their shyness or whatever get the best of them, try to meet a student and introduce yourself.

I’d like to close by saying that I look forward to producing a great paper this year, and I hope that everyone enjoys picking up a copy of The Charger Bulletin and reading it every week. To any new students reading this, welcome to UNH, I hope you enjoy it here as much as I do, and if I had to pick one piece of advice to give you, it would be to get involved on campus. If you don’t, you’re missing out on so much.

Two years ago, I walked onto this campus as a freshman, with my whole life packed into my parents’ car. That day seems like it was years ago, not just a measly two. I look at my life now and think, wow, I’m half way done with college. That’s scary. My advice to everyone, whether you are just arriving here for the first time or you are here for your second, third, or fourth year, take advantage of it. Make the most out of your time here, because, this time, you are paying for it.

Joann Wolwowicz, Assistant Editor

This time around, I want to address my fellow upperclassman. Incoming freshman, you are going to be thrown into the college “world” really quickly. I could write you a long message about getting involved and making good choices, but no doubt you’ve already heard it a million times since you’ve got here, so you don’t need me to do it again. (Even though I do suggest you listen to what people are telling you, because it is good advice.) However, I do want to welcome you. So, welcome to UNH.

For my fellow returning students, welcome back. Now it’s time for the wakeup call we all desperately need. As returning students, moving back to campus has a different feel to it than it had when we first moved in freshman year. Something is missing; any idea what it is? No, it’s not that this time around we didn’t have Welcome Wagon to help us. (Though, I do have to admit that that was nice to have.) I think that the excitement that we had at our freshman move in is missing. That’s not to say that we are not excited about returning for another year, but it is not the same type of excitement. It sort of feels that we know what to expect when we come back to school, considering that we know what classes will be like, what clubs we are in, and what friends we have. As freshman, we were always excited to return after a long break, but maybe that did not hold truth for future years. Why is that? You know, freshman year is not supposed to be the only year of college that you enjoy. There are three more that follow that should be just as good, or better.

I think that one of the things that makes our remaining years at UNH significantly different than our freshman year is the great deal of complaining that we do about the school. Whether we complain about the food, classes, teachers, administration, parking, room selection, course selection, or the construction, we never seem to be happy with where we are or what we have. We need to STOP COMPAINING! That said, of course there are always going to be things on campus or about UNH that make people unhappy, but we should also be able to see the good things as well. Just look at the vast amount of improvements that were done to this campus this summer. Just step into Bartels and undoubtedly you will see that it was all worth it. Of course, there will still be people who complain about the construction and the noise, but those will be the same people who would have complained that nothing ever gets fixed on this campus. Being students we have a complete right to have a say in the way things are run. Everything is done for our benefit, whether you believe it or not. However, if there really is a problem, start by addressing the problem to someone who can fix it, not just your roommate who will listen to your complaints about it for hours. Your roommate can’t do anything about it, but the administration can. Think about that. If you need to complain, complain to the right people and especially utilize the USGA official website (www.chargervoice.com), where you can voice any complaints or comments.

I want to challenge all of you to make this year just as good as your freshman year was. Make things new and exciting again for yourself by trying some new things. Take the advice that the freshman get and tweak it to your own life. Join a club that you have never been a part of, go to more events on campus, and meet new people. Don’t assume that you know everything there is to know about this campus. If you can’t find your own excitement, look to the freshman for help because they are full of excitement both about UNH and their next four years. Get excited again and have a great year. I know with only two years left, I am certainly going to try.

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy. This is the 104th issue that I have written in and worked on for The Charger Bulletin. My, how time flies by!

Throughout the past four years, I have written about all sorts of things – both positive and negative. I’ve talked about everything from Joe Lieberman and Barack Obama to mothers who are unable to control their children in Martin Scorcese movies. Yup, I’ve covered it all.

One of my favorites was, by far, an editorial about warning labels. It went over hair driers that had the warning “do not use in shower” on it. Or how about “caution: Remove infant before folding for storage” on a portable stroller? My personal favorite was a printed message appears in a TV ad when the presenter demonstrates how strong some Ingenio cookware is by using it to beat up a regular frying pan. “Using Ingenio cookware to destroy your old pots may void your warranty.” Okay, one last one…on a packet for a moist towelette, a message was printed that stated that it “cleans and refreshes without soap or water. Contains: Water, fragrance & soap.”

To be honest, there’s nothing I would have rather done at the University of New Haven than get involved. The summer before my freshman year, around June, I contacted the station manager of WNHU and the editor-in-chief of The Charger Bulletin. I became active in both organizations, and at the end of my freshman year I knew that I wanted to do more … but which should I invest myself in!? Being a rather naive individual, I applied for positions within The Charger Bulletin as well as WNHU. The night of my interview, I received a call that I couldn’t have been happier about – I was appointed the assistant editor of The Charger Bulletin. At the end of my sophomore year, I reapplied for the assistant editor position, and got it again. Then, at the end of my junior year, I applied for editor-in-chief. As you can probably tell, I was fortunate enough to receive that position as well.

I have no idea what I will be doing a year from now. But whatever it is, I know that I’ll be involved.

The sad part, however, is seeing how many people don’t get involved. By no means should everybody – nor would everybody – want to be in charge of a university organization. But how can you really not get involved in even one club? UNH offers a ton of clubs and organizations, and certainly more than one can work for everybody. Whatever…to each their own!
It has been a pleasure working on The Charger Bulletin for the past four years, and having a leadership position for three of those four. I have met and worked with some of the best people, and that’s something that I couldn’t be happier about. As I depart from this position, please join me in welcoming next year’s editor-in-chief, Matt Di Giovanni. I feel like a mother sending his child off to preschool for the first time! (Yes, “mother” and “his.” That’s right!)

But in all seriousness, it has been an honor and a pleasure to do all that I have done. Thank you for reading the past few years, and thank you for not smoking! … even those who read while smoking …

If anyone had told me four years ago that I would be sitting here, in the office of The Charger Bulletin, writing my last editorial as assistant editor, I probably would have laughed. Not because I didn’t think I would ever be here: I have wanted to be assistant editor since the moment I first wrote an article for The Charger Bulletin about college campus suicides (yep, I still remember). No, I would laugh because I never thought this day would actually come: the day we, as seniors, say goodbye to UNH for the last time.

Erin Ennis, Assistant Editor

Welcome to the last week of classes! By the time you all read this, we seniors will be sitting in our last classes of our academic undergraduate careers. For me, it’ll be Dr. Saliby’s Advanced Inorganic: sounds ridiculous, I know, but it will probably be an incredibly sad moment. Dr. Saliby, like Professor Palmbach, has been one of my biggest mentors here at UNH…and one of the professors I will miss the most.

As seniors, we have seen an incredible amount of change, across campus since 2006. From an intense increase in freshmen, to the creation of the Rec Center, to the loss of the Bixler parking lot, our home-away-from-home has changed right before our eyes. I can’t say I regret a moment of that change: it has led to phenomenal moments and unbelievable memories.

Like Zack, I wouldn’t be where I am today without being involved. I have spent a large majority of my time the last four years being involved on campus, from this office to forensic science trips and from ALD to USGA. I can’t imagine my time here being any different: the crazy, haphazard, no-sleep-lifestyle of being an involved senior has been fantastic, despite what you may think. For those of you not graduating, take the note from both of us: get involved on campus! It is the ONLY way to have a good time and really enjoy the college experience.

At SOAR, we were all told that our college days would be the best days of our lives. I agree in some ways: my time at UNH has been the best I could ever ask for. But, after May 16, I do not see my life suddenly sliding downhill. The friends I have made (some of the best I could ever ask for), the moments I have had, the things I have learned, and the mistakes I have made will forever affect the rest of my life. While I won’t be here next year (Drexel University, here I come!) I know the experiences I have had here, both in this office and out, will be ones I will carry with me.

So, in closing, I guess I have some people to thank. To my roommates, closest friends, and the girls of the 5-6-7-8 Dance team; I wish you the best next year. Matt Digiovanni, don’t sweat it: you will do FANTASTIC next year. We have such faith in you. I thank The Chariot Yearbook for being the best office mates we could ever ask for. To all of the professors, faculty, and staff that have made this year fantastic: thank you for always believing in me and The Charger Bulletin. Oh yeah…and Zack. Thanks for always sharing my desk, the laughs, the hard times, and everything else that came with this position. But I’ll be real…I’m a little glad to not be the office b*tch anymore :-p.

To the class of 2010: best wishes in your future endeavors! Thanks for everything!!

We’ve all had them, the professors which seem to slip through the cracks and do as little educating as possible despite the fact that it’s their job. There are times where I hear people complain, but then when actually observing the students behavior, I notice that it is the student’s fault, not the professor’s. However, I am strictly discussing when it is the professor who is at least mostly at fault.

In my freshman year, I took predominantly entry-level classes as one would expect; however both semesters I ended up taking classes where at one point or another I ended up feeling very apathetic, because no matter the effort I put in to the class, my results were the same. I am by no means a perfect student, but I know when I deserve better.

This brings me to my major point. If UNH is truly concerned with freshman retention rates, why not solve one of the major problems: incompetent professors. While that may sound harsh, what could turn off a student (and his or her parents) more than poor academic programs? I’m never one to complain about the price of attending UNH, but if a student’s schedule has one or two poor professors per semester in his or her first year, justifying the price tag becomes increasingly difficult.

At this point, some may think, “that’s what CourseEval is for.” As far as I’m concerned, that is another problem. I’m about 95 percent sure that every professor I’ve taken a class with has mentioned that they take all of his or her evaluations seriously, yet only a handful have actually provided proof of this through improvements. Additionally, when I hear the number of complaints centered on a specific list of professors, I wonder how they are still teaching here if that many students are dissatisfied.

I have never regretted attending UNH, and in most student complaints, I’ll be honest, I side with the university, however; when actual hardworking students struggle and suffer despite great work, I say to myself, “what the hell UNH?”

I would like to close on an unrelated note, with a huge thank you to Zack Rosen, the current editor-in-chief of The Charger Bulletin, for providing UNH with 26 magical issues full of riveting news this year, and for passing on his baby to me, as I will be replacing him as editor-in-chief for the 2010-11 school year. I promise I won’t hurt your baby Zack!

Blue laws are absolutely stupid. Well, that’s my opinion at least. Let’s delve into the issue with some history!

Zack Rosen - Editor-In-Chief

Connecticut “blue laws” refer to any law regulating the activities of citizens on Sunday. Initially setup by Governor Theophilus Eaton in 1655, most of these laws are no longer in existence today. At their height, however, they ranged from “no food or lodging shall be afforded to a Quaker” to “men-stealers shall suffer death.”

One of the laws that remain, however, regards alcohol. In the state of Connecticut, alcohol cannot be purchased in stores on Sundays. In fact, it is the only state in the northeast that has not yet abolished this Puritan-inspired blue law.

On the second busiest shopping day of the week, liquor stores in Connecticut are closed on Sundays. Not because they want to, but because they legally have to. Due to this law, Connecticut’s state treasury loses millions of dollars in tax revenue. According to Connecticut Food Association-sponsored grassroots movement organization www.EndCTBlueLaws.org, “the Connecticut legislature’s Program Review and Investigations Committee has estimated that allowing the Sunday sale of alcoholic beverages would generate $7.5-$8 million dollars in new revenue from sales and excise taxes and container escheats.”

If you ask me, this is one of the dumbest laws in the state. I can understand not selling alcohol after 9:00pm; regardless of the fact that many dislike this as well, I can at least see – disregarding whether I agree with it or not – a reason to not want people buying alcohol at 3:00am and then having more DUI incidents. However, why not allow it on Sundays at any time of the day? Reasons given out include the fact that Sunday is a day for resting, and because Sunday is the Sabbath. Well, newsflash, people work on Sundays now – so there goes the first excuse. As for the second? Who cares … it’s bull. McDonald’s is even open on Christmas. As much as people may want to argue it, holiday does not mean “holy day” anymore.

I don’t have this opinion to defend the actual act of drinking alcohol; I do, however, defend this because many consider it unconstitutional. If the sale of alcohol is not allowed on a Sunday because it is the Sabbath, then that is causing issues with the freedom of religion. I practice a religion called SometimesItsNiceToHaveBeerOnSundays-iology, after all.

Restrict the time to buy beer to end at 9:00pm every night to help lower drinking and driving at night. Continue to enforce the legal age (which, a topic for another editorial, should most definitely be the same as the age that an individual is considered a legal adult). And continue to NOT buy alcohol on Sundays if you truly wish to relax and practice religion. But help Connecticut’s economy out and agree that these stores should not be made to close down on Sundays. Not to mention, stop thinking of only your religion. It’s unfair to those who don’t practice what you believe in. Hell, even a Buddhist would drink to that.

Until next week, kiddies!

It’s that time of year…cue the tears from seniors around campus! With only one more issue of The Charger Bulletin left before we graduate, it officially is the season for sappy editorials and goodbye letters. Well, I’m going to be saving mine until next week. I’m not quite ready to say goodbye yet. So, for all of you out there, tune in next week for the goodbye messages from yours truly. Until then, I have much more important things to talk about! As many of you know, this time of year is also accompanied by another, much more exciting event.

Erin Ennis, Assistant Editor

SPRING WEEKEND! For those of you who have yet to experience it, regardless of your time here at UNH, it is an absolutely necessary experience. In the past four years, I have seen Emerson Drive, Bowling for Soup, Yellowcard, Trapt, Trey Songz, Blue Jupiter, and Third Eye Blind perform (yes, I missed one concert, so shoot me). Every year, the concert is an absolutely amazing experience for students across campus. It’s a great opportunity to experience a free and popular show with all of your closest friends!

The carnival, held on Saturday, is also an experience of a life time! I have never missed a spring carnival in the four years I have spent at UNH, and the event just keeps getting bigger and better! From great food (dip n dots are my personal favorite) to unusual rides, the Spring Carnival offers something for everyone. Make sure you take a spin on a bathtub or toilet before visiting the big attraction of the night. Last year, it was an elephant! I didn’t  take a ride, but I’ve heard through the grape vine it is a fantastic experience!

Spring Weekend also invites you to see the comedian, Bo Burnham, and attend the drive-in movie. There is always something for everyone, so make sure  you have a safe and exciting Spring Weekend! Enjoy yourself, make good decisions, and enjoy what Spring Weekend has to offer!

SCOPE has put SO much work into this weekend and the events are sure to be fantastic!

The Charger Bulletin would like to congratulate the SCOPE office for a job well done in the planning of Spring Weekend! These individuals, along with Lisa Saverese and Greg Overend, do so much for YOU, the students, to ensure that you will have the best Spring Weekend possible and close out the semester on a high note.

If you see them around, make sure to thank Glenn Altshuler, Lindsay Lynch, and the entirety of the SCOPE staff for everything they have done to create an out-of-this world Spring Weekend line up for UNH students! I’ll see you all there this weekend: make sure to ride some rides, get some great food, listen to the bands, see the drive-in movie, and SMILE for our cameras!! We’ll see you there!

By The Other Middle Child, Anonymous

In the Apr. 14th issue, an anonymous writer by the name of “The Middle Child” wrote an editorial stating his or her feelings that both the Center for Experiential Education and the XE Club seem to be the university favorites for numerous reasons. Most importantly, the middle child cited their blatant disregard for university policies when planning and putting on their events. In the following issue, Christie Boronico, the Associate Dean for Experiential Education responded to this, and although perhaps one could agree that some university policies are inadequate, I feel that she largely disregarded every single word that “The Middle Child” wrote.

How can someone read an editorial titled “Experiential Education: Golden Boy or Spoiled Brat?” and then proceed to write things such as, “it became apparent that the issue being brought to this readership is not as much about the Experiential Education Celebration marketing strategies, but rather the author’s sense that his/her club is not allowed the opportunity to act responsibly without rules and guidelines which ensure university property will not be abused. ”

Okay, so at this point, we can check off ignoring “The Middle Child’s” point, let’s move on to a new issue in Ms. Boronico’s response: stating that it is perfectly fine that Experiential Education and the XE Club broke university rules because they did so responsibly. I think what I love most about that is the fact that it MAKES NO FREAKIN’ SENSE. Isn’t it irresponsible to break a rule in the first place, particularly when the person who breaks it definitely knew that they were breaking it?

My favorite part of Ms. Boronico’s response is when she called out “The Middle Child” for writing in anonymously, and attempted to use that as a means to invalidate his or her argument. Newsflash: an irresponsible person probably doesn’t even read The Charger Bulletin, let alone write in it. Besides that, they must be a member of a responsible club/organization because that is how they know that you broke rules. Finally, she suggested that his tone was childish, particularly the closing remarks referencing a playground and recess. Are you familiar with the concept of humor and its siblings sarcasm and exaggeration?

Oh never mind, I get it now. Ms. Boronico, you can rest assured, “The Middle Child” is not amassing an army of children to retaliate.

Voice your opinion! Email us at ChargerBulletin@newhaven.edu and tell us what you think about this issue.

By Nick Adams, Delta Chi

In the last issue of The Charger Bulletin, a writer by the name of Anonymous decided that it was his or her responsibility to shed some light on the “behind the scenes” activities that take place in the Greek community here at the University of New Haven. The information contained in the article titled “The Truth About Hazing on Campus” offended many members of the Greek community not only because the writer chose not to share his or her name, but because the information contained in the article was grossly inappropriate. In addition to our traditions that are far from acts of hazing, we all support and raise money for charitable organizations and perform countless hours of community service each semester. This response is not an attempt to begin an editorial war between the Greek and Non-Greek members of this campus community, but to inform people of the real truth about our organizations.

In the aforementioned article, a specific organization was referenced as having “demonstrated their ability to orchestrate the public hazing of their associate members.” The truth about the “coming out” event for the brothers of this fraternity is that the men involved in the “public hazing” were already initiated members of their organization. Their participation in this event in the quad is an honor for all of them because they are sharing their success in becoming a new member of a truly elite organization. If Mr. or Mrs. Anonymous were to confront one of these newly initiated members, they would become educated in the fact that the men were not only participating voluntarily, but that it was one of the proudest moments in their lives.

At this moment, many people who dislike the idea of Greek life and may or may not have been outspoken about it in the past would most likely be saying something along the lines of how pathetic they think it is that the participation in the coming out event is such a highlight in the lives of these young men. In my organization and all other Greek organizations, becoming an initiated member is something that we have all worked very hard to accomplish. The style that traditionally ethnically diverse organizations, such as the one exemplified in the last issue of The Charger Bulletin, use to show their pride in their organizations may not be something that outsiders understand. This should motivate you to ask questions, not give you the license to assume that you know what is going on from the outside and voice your opinion about it.

In the future, this non-anonymous, proud pro-Greek would like to ask that everyone on this campus take the time to learn the true facts and benefits about being a member of the Greek life here at UNH. We are a small and diverse population as a school, let alone the size of the Greeks. This makes us unique as compared to the traditional Greek life image seen on larger campuses that is wrongfully bestowed upon us. Finally, if you still choose to dislike Greek life on this campus and don’t wish to learn about the values and traditions that we’re proud to share, we respect that it’s not something you’d like to become involved in. With that, we request that you respect that it’s something that has made college life so much better for most of us and that we wouldn’t go back in time to change our decision to join, even if we could. The Greeks don’t deserve bad publicity.

When I was younger, I had the same dreams as every other 5 year old little girl. I wanted to be a ballerina, or a veterinarian, or a marine biologist. I wanted to have long blonde hair like my best friend Emily and, when I got a little older, I wanted to have the same figure as my friend Sarah. I wanted to be a member of the “popular” crowd in high school.

Erin Ennis, Assistant Editor

Let’s be honest: we all have these dreams. When we’re younger, conforming to the people around us is practically second nature. No one really wants to be “different” or “individual” because that is perceived as strange or unusual. You just want to be like everyone else.

For some reason, for a large majority of us, that changes in college. Choosing academic clubs over sports is just as acceptable as joining social organizations, Greek fraternities, and dance teams. Everyone has different majors and different dreams. Being “different” is suddenly in…and way cooler.

But, like I said, this is only true for some of us. Those of us who have grown up in college, rounded even, have gotten to experience this change from conforming to individualism. However, some people still haven’t. Some people still sit in that pre-high school “let’s be the same as person A” mindset, an aggravating and relatively sad occurrence.

Yes, it is fantastic to like the things your friends happen to like. It is a great way to bond, set up great relationships, and have conversational topics. But honestly, my groups of friends would be nauseatingly boring if we all liked EXACTLY the same thing. That is why I have multiple groups of friends; perfect outlets for discussion and varied topics. Some of us love gaming, some dance, some strange books, and other great actors (i.e. Christopher Meloni). There is no need to make yourself purposely like all the things your “friends” happen to like. Take my boyfriend for an example. He absolutely ADORES running. That doesn’t mean I like running, or I’ll suddenly take up running long miles. In fact I DETEST it. That is perfectly allowed…it actually adds to our relationship! By not allowing yourself to become an “individual”, you miss great opportunities for bonding over differences…not just annoyingly strange similarities.

Equally, don’t start doing all the things your friends enjoy doing just because you need to “fit in.” In the college atmosphere, this type of behavior is no longer necessary: in fact, its looked down upon! College provides the perfect outlet for people to do their own thing! Joining a club just because your friends are interested or, worse yet, consider it a huge part of their life, only makes you less of a “real” person. Personalities are lost in the humble and jumble to be considered “cool” and liked.

Let’s get right down to it. Conforming is a thing of the past. Trying to conform, much like the days of the now long-gone high school, only let’s YOU down. What is the point of becoming someone else? People are loved, hated, respected, and revered for the people THEY are, not for the people they attempt to copy. If your group of friends is going to “dislike” you for being you…they obviously aren’t good friends with to begin with. Continue shadowing all your current friends, and chances are they aren’t going to like you either. No one wants to be friends with a recreated image of his/herself. Learn to be your own person, stand up for the things you like (or dislike), and learn to appreciate the person you are!