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Volume XXXII • Number 3 Spring 2016 Keene State Today THE MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS Keene State Today THE POLITICS ISSUE Contents Every four years, a whirlwind of presidential politics sweeps through the state of New Volume XXXII Number 3 Hampshire, bringing with it candidates, political operatives, paid and volunteer workers, Spring 2016 and journalists from major and not-so-major media outlets. Keene State College is always part of the excitement, with candidates coming to speak on campus and at nearby venues Editor in town – offering plenty of opportunities for students to interact with the presidential Jane Eklund [email protected] hopefuls. The few months of time between the New Hampshire primary and the November general election provides a great opportunity to take a look at politics at all levels, from the Designer presidential to the personal. Tim Thrasher, Thrasher Graphics 4 Director of Creative Services and Production Laura Borden ’82 It’s All About Democracy ........................................................................2 [email protected] A column from President Anne E. Huot Photographer William Wrobel ’11 FEATURES [email protected] New Hampshire Primary ...........................................................................2 Contributors Jacob Barrett ’17, Mark Reynolds, Stuart Kaufman, Kendall Pope ’16, Michelle Green ’16 9 Office Holders .....................................................................................................7 Editorial Consultants Philip Barker, Wesley Martin, William Bendix, Michael Welsh, Political Science Department Staffers........................................................................................................................10 Kim Schmidl-Gagne, Patrick Dolenc, American Democracy Project Vice President for Advancement Activism .....................................................................................................................12 Maryann LaCroix Lindberg [email protected] Research ..................................................................................................................14 Associate Vice President for Constituent Relations Lobbying ....................................................................................................................17 Rod Miller 13 [email protected] Journalism ...............................................................................................................19 Associate Vice President for Marketing & Communications Kathleen Williams Civic Engagement ..........................................................................................22 [email protected] Acting Director of Alumni and Parent Relations Bethany Morin ’12 KSC Giving ..............................................................................................................24 [email protected] Alumni Association President Faculty & Staff Accomplishments ..................................................25 21 Keith Couch ’86 [email protected] Class Notes ...........................................................................................................26 Keene State Today is published three times a year by the Marketing and Communications Office, Keene State College. Postmaster: Please send address changes to Keene State Today, On the Cover: Presidential Politics! Design by Tim Thrasher 229 Main St., Keene, NH 03435-2701. Address change: Make sure you don’t miss the next issue of Keene State Today. Send Inside cover: Ted Kennedy at Keene State in the early 1980s. information – your name, class year, spouse’s name and class year, new address including 23 zip code, telephone number, and email address – to Alumni Center, Keene State College, Online Only 229 Main St., Keene, NH 03435-2701. Visit keene.edu/mag for special online-only content, links to more stories about political engagement at Keene State, and links to more information on the features in this issue. 2 • KEENE STATE TODAY keene.edu NH PRIMARY NH PRIMARY On New Hampshire’s Political Culture It’s All About Democracy Professor Michael Welsh has taught in Keene State’s Political ence. Most startlingly, from a professor’s perspective, the The median student voter in New Hampshire is a person Science Department for over a dozen years. He writes here inevitable moment when differences of opinion arise adds with a wonk’s knowledge of the array of candidates and a Dr. Anne E. Huot, about the impact of the New Hampshire energy instead of embarrassment to the room. Students here connoisseur’s understanding of political rallies: The late have learned that they are entitled to an opinion and to not season Hillary or Romney event in the Mabel Brown Room will presidential primary on students who President, Keene State College treat opposing opinions in others as a cause for offense. My be important and is likely to be replayed that night on TV, but have grown up in the Granite State. colleagues in political science are now used to seeing close it will be staged and carefully managed. The Dennis Kucinich ur College motto, “Enter to Learn and friendships develop between students in our major from op- or Ron Paul meeting in the Flag Room, on the other hand, will Go Forth to Serve,” and our promise of IN MY CAREER I HAVE TAUGHT posite sides of the ideological spectrum. We also know that be a chance to ask a hard question and to watch a candidate “Wisdom to Make a Difference” provide AMERICAN POLITICS TO STUDENTS O we need to stay on our toes to know what our students are provide a thoughtful response. Neither, by the way, is nearly as a thoughtful window into this issue of Keene in various other places, from large public likely to be ready to talk about. I have taught elsewhere. I likely to happen for students at similar colleges in other states State Today. With more than 104,000 hours universities to small private colleges. Keene have friends who teach elsewhere. I know that this behavior where primaries or caucuses come later. of community service annually, equating to State students are different, and that differ- is not typical. approximately $2.3 million ence has a lot to do with our first-in-the- Political analysts and commentators for years have made a in real contributions to our nation primary. It is, I have come to think, a habit learned growing up in reasonable case for permitting some other state or combination community, our students New Hampshire. Many of my students have been raised in of states to start the primary process. Were we to switch or even demonstrate their You notice it your first time in the class- households where political choices were considered serious rotate first primaries, however, one of the consequences would commitment to giving room, even when no election is under business, and political discussions were an active and regular be the slow erosion of an active and generations-old political back for the betterment way: The current events discussion moves event. Their parents put up yard signs and stickered their culture here in New Hampshire. It is a culture that infects even of the lives of others. (and sometimes even starts!) itself. Poli- car’s bumper. The incessant and irritating barrage of com- some students who have yet to vote, and makes teaching poli- cies are discussed as if they matter, and mercials and polling calls was a reminder from an early age tics at Keene State uniquely challenging and rewarding. Regardless of their as if opinions about them make a differ- that their vote mattered and was being actively sought. chosen major, by the – Michael Welsh time Keene State College Professor Michael Welsh in the classroom. students complete their undergraduate experience, they develop critical thinking, creative inquiry, For professionals who work on campaigns, New Hampshire is the By mid-March she was settled in Philadelphia and working as intercultural competence, civic engagement, and Life Behind the Scenes place to be during presidential primary season. “You meet people state field director for US Senator Pat Toomey’s re-election race. a commitment to well-being that will serve them from all over,” Bedell says, “people with all kinds of experience in as active citizens and lifelong learners. hat’s it like to be part of a presidential primary campaign? “Pretty other states working on a variety of races.” In the New Hampshire “It may look like I’m holding a series of temporary jobs,” she says, interesting,” says Allison Bedell ’14, who was a paid staffer for the Jeb primary, “the voters are engaged at a really different level. We “but this is truly what I wanted to be doing with my career. And This issue is all about politics. Yet, isn’t it really WBush campaign. “There are so many moving pieces. Especially in New have the quintessential New Hampshire stereotypes, like the town I think the flexibility that I learned to have while I was at Keene, about democracy, about government exercised Hampshire and the other early states, presidential primaries are an industry.” halls, and we have people who say, ‘Well, I’ve only met Jeb twice, and the skillsets and also the encouragements and the really by the people, about the belief that all people are so I want to see him one or two more times before I lock it in, but hands-on, very dynamic learning, all kind of set the stage for me socially equal? An effective democracy relies on Bedell, who majored in political science and journalism and minored in I’m leaning toward him.’ Where else does that happen? These peo- to be able to do this, even

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