That's So Raven

Three hours after a power outage took the college and many Goffstown customers off the grid, Public Service of New Hampshire has a bird to blame.

"Power has been restored in Goffstown/Manch," the PSNH twitter read. "The suspected cause of the outage was a raven that flew into lines connecting to a substation."

The Union Leader story: http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Brief+power+outage+hits+East+Goffstown%2C+Pinardville&articleId=75765021-9189-4b47-9dda-4a90ab878ceb

Daily Dispatch: Wednesday, September 30, 2009

THREE’S A CROWD

Good Wednesday morning.

TONIGHT AT NHIOP -- Journalist Richard Wolffe, answering the timeless question, who is Barack Obama? -- ‘Barack Obama swept into power on a wave of hope and change. But what has really changed in his first year in office, and has the job changed him or his politics? Who is Barack Obama and what does he represent? No writer knows Obama and his inner circle better than the former Newsweek and Financial Times journalist Richard Wolffe, who covered the Obama campaign for almost two years, and wrote the New York Times bestseller Renegade.’ 7 pm, NHIOP.

MEN’S SOCCER plays Franklin Pierce at 3:30. FIELF HOCKEY meets Bentley at 4.

CAMPUS ACTIVITIES BOARD meets tonight at 7:05 in Cushing.

WNM -- Wednesday Night Mass, tonight and every Wednesday, 10 pm.

THREE’S A CROWD -- The shock is that this is college policy: ‘Administrators at Tufts University are demanding that students keep their private time … well, private. Due to an influx of reports from disgruntled roommates, Tufts has created a new policy for students in campus housing: no sex allowed when roommates are present, and no sexual activity should interfere with a roommate’s privacy, study or sleep. . .’ (NY Daily News)

‘. . . the Office of Residential Life was thinking about the well-being of all students when it adopted the rule, according to university spokeswoman Kim Thurler. She said the office had received about 12 sex-related complaints in the last two years from students. ‘It really all comes down to respect and consideration between roommates,’ she said, adding that to her knowledge, no students have reported infractions so far.’ (Boston.com)

‘Some students don’t see it that way. One student told the Daily, ‘I don't think it’s necessary. I think they are imposing something that should be decided between roommates.’’ (NY Daily News)

More headlines. . . ‘Abstinence girl’ cheers Tufts’ love. . . Tufts University bans nookie if roomie ‘is present’. . . University Cracks Down On Dorm Sex

Want to ask Tufts students directly about the new policy? They'll be here on Friday, facing off against Men's Rugby.

Less Than Two Hours Into Flu Clinic, Health Services Is Out of Shots

UPDATE 7:15 PM: At 11:40 this morning, an email was sent to campus announcing the lack of additional shots.

"In the meantime, you can try your own Doctor’s Office, or the different pharmacies or grocery stores in the area," the email read.

- gww

Daily Dispatch: Tuesday, September 29, 2009

‘Hingham teen dies in Ohio after a battle against H1N1’ -- ‘Fears surrounding the swine flu virus struck close to home Saturday when a local teenager, described as healthy and full of life by his family, died three weeks after contracting the disease. Matthew Healey, 18, of Hingham became ill shortly after arriving in Ohio as a freshman at Miami University.’ (Boston Globe)

By GREGORY W. WALLACE
dispatchesfromcampus.com

Good Tuesday morning.

The SEASONAL FLU CLINIC will be held today from 10 - 2 and 4 - 6 in the North Lounge. For students, the vaccine is $12; it is $15 for faculty and staff. Health Services has not yet announced information on the swine flu vaccine clinic, expected to be in early October.

Today, freshmen vote on their class officers.

VOLLEYBALL plays St. Michael’s at 7 pm.

DIVISION II, THE MIDDLE CHILD, FURTHER DEFINES ITSELF -- ‘Balancing Act May Help Division II Define Itself,’ by Katie Thomas for the New York Times: ‘Under a proposal expected to be approved at the N.C.A.A. convention in January, Division II members plan to shorten the seasons in 10 sports, as well as cut back practice time in football. Supporters say the move sets Division II apart by heading in the opposite direction of Division I, which in recent years has lengthened the football season and has allowed basketball teams to play more games. Trimming seasons will ease the stress on students by having them miss fewer classes and giving them more time to participate in campus life. . . .

‘In addition to reducing the number of competitions in basketball, soccer, baseball and other sports, the proposal would also reduce the seasons in four sports by allowing students to report to school about a week later than they currently do. Football would not lose any games, but players would begin their preseason practice one week later. The proposal would also establish a weeklong “dead period” around Christmas in which athletes could not participate in practices or games. . . .

‘Even so, Division II athletes spend nearly as much time playing sports as their counterparts in Division I, according to a 2006 N.C.A.A. survey of athletes. While Division I men’s basketball players spent an average of 36.8 hours per week on athletic activities, for example, their counterparts in Division II spent 35 hours a week on the same activities. In football, Division II players spent more time on athletics, an average of 37.1 hours a week compared to the 35.3 hours by Division I players in the Football Championship Subdivision. (The Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, however, logs 44.8 hours a week.)’

NEW from Harvard. . . http://harvardfml.com/

AIDS Relief Administrator Was Inspired to Service When in College

NEW HAMPSHIRE INSTITUTE OF POLITICS — An HIV/AIDS administrator for Catholic Relief Services told students at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics on Wednesday that the programs she leads in sub-Saharan Africa reaches over 4 million people.

Tina Monique James, Ph.D., is Technical Advisor for C.R.S. in East Africa, where one in five persons is infected with HIV. The virus has orphaned 12 million children under the age of 18, leaving much of an entire generation without parents. As a result, some children live with family members, and others live in households where an older sibbling is the authority figure.

But her work, which includes providing medication and care for the sick, is changing the way patients receive care. C.R.S. partners with local community resources, providing training, funding, and resources for the people on the ground.

Much of the program's funding comes from P.E.P.F.A.R., President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, established under President Bush. Although her agency has been approved to continue recieving assistance under the next step of the program, P.E.P.F.A.R. 2, the program has not been funded, Dr. James said.

Among the services her agency coordinates are peer support groups, which provide social support, mobilize within the community, educate the local population, provide home check-up visits, and income stabilization. Dr. James credits the support groups, as well as the integrated holistic programming, as one reason for a treatment compliance rate much higher than in developed countries, including the U.S. The other credit, she said, is that most all in sub-Saharan Africa has seen a seriously emaciated patient, and appreciate the role of antiretroviral therapy in the recovery process.

Dr. James found her calling while shadowing an alumnus from her undergraduate institute, she said. Besides rewarding to the communities she serves, Dr. James says her experience serving others through C.R.S. is humbling.

"When I'm riding in a vehicle on a bumpy dirt road for two and a half hours. . . and driving past people walking," she said, "I have to remember that they may be walking for more than a day to receive treatment."

- gww

A Near Record, Over 255, Turn Out for Slavery Presentation

NEW HAMPSHIRE INSTITUTE OF POLITICS — The Slavery Still Exists campaign was expecting a large crowd, but did not expect over 255 students here for a presentation on human trafficking, modern day slavery.

The presentation by Not For Sale campaign founder David Batstone and Manchester native musician Brant Christopher Menswar drew a crowd unlike any other this year in the New Hampshire Institute of Politics auditorium.

Mr. Batstone told the crowd he was in the men's room before going onstage, and heard several students discussing their reasons for coming. Both said they were required to for a class.

If anyone if here against their will, Mr. Batstone said, come talk to me. "I'm an expert in human slavery." Also, he said, beware of who is in the adjacent bathroom stall.

- gww

Daily Dispatch: Monday, September 28, 2009

ABOLITIONIST SPEAKS TONIGHT AT NHIOP

Good Monday morning. Today is the first day of week five. The Dispatches website has undergone yet another minor makeover -- if nothing else, there is one reason to visit early and often.

At the New Hampshire Institute of Politics tonight, 7 pm -- ANTI-SLAVERY ACTIVIST SPEAKS MONDAY AT NHIOP -- ‘Slavery is far from dead -- human trafficking, the modern day form of slavery, holds 27 million captives worldwide and in New Hampshire, more slaves than were trafficked at the height of the trans-Atlantic trade. Slavery Still Exists at Saint Anselm College will sponsor a presentation by Not For Sale founder David Batstone and Manchester artist Brant Christopher Menswar on Monday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics. Batstone founded Not For Sale in 2007 after a trafficking victim in his community died in the unventilated apartment where she was held captive by a restaurant owner. The organization provides resources for students, teachers, activists, and businesses on their website, www.notforsalecampaign.org.’ Full blog post.

18 WHEELS, 160 CHARACTERS -- With several states, including New Hampshire banning texting while driving, Congress is considering requiring such a ban as part of receiving federal highway funding. Besides our age bracket, who is concerned that this legislation would change the way they operate? Truckers. ‘Crisscrossing the country, hundreds of thousands of long-haul truckers use computers in their cabs to get directions and stay in close contact with dispatchers, saving precious minutes that might otherwise be spent at the side of the road. The trucking industry says these devices can be used safely, posing less of a distraction than BlackBerrys, iPhones and similar gadgets, and therefore should be exempted from legislation that would ban texting while driving.’ (New York Times)

‘THE CHINESE ARE COMING’ -- We recently reported that U.S. community colleges were seeing an increase in applications from Vietnam, word today from Inside Higher Ed that China is on the list, too. But certain challenges come with this remarkable increase in applications from the world’s most populous country. ‘Even as admissions officials welcome the interest, many are concerned about a range of issues -- practical and ethical -- that come with recruiting and evaluating these students. Deans here reported that they are routinely blocked from direct recruiting in high schools, or asked by high school principals to guarantee admission (and scholarships) to a specified number of students as a price of gaining access to students. (The admissions deans say they decline such offers.)’

DEALING E-BOOKS -- ‘College Bookstores Hope to Turn Their Web Sites Into E-Book Portals,’ by Jeff Young for the Chronicle -- ‘College bookstores are taking steps to turn their Web sites into e-book portals, hoping to stay relevant as publishers make a push to electronic textbooks. A project announced this week by bookstore associations in the United States and Canada will bring a library of downloadable e-books to participating stores. A few stores in Canada are experimenting with the system this fall, and some U.S. stores will try the system starting this spring. Trying to set up an e-book-distribution operation at each college store would be difficult and expensive. So the groups -- the National Association of College Stores and the Canadian Campus Retail Associates Inc. -- have pooled their resources to develop a shared system. Each store can integrate it into its own Web site, to let students buy and download an electronic text in just a few clicks, similar to the way Amazon and other online retailers do.’

THE WEEK IN WEATHER -- Sunny today, high of 73. Clear until an overnight thunderstorm rumbles through, low of 56. Tuesday, afternoon showers, high of 64, low of 50. Wednesday, breezy and sunny, high of 63, low of 43. Sunny on Thursday, high of 61, low of 44. And Friday, for the rugby game, high of 61, low of 47 with late evening rain.

Manchester Rocks

If you get your thrills from scaling walls and cliffs, don't look back -- Manchester has plenty of rock climbing to offer, the Hippo reports.

- gww

Anti-Slavery Activist Speaks Monday at NHIOP

Slavery is far from dead -- human trafficking, the modern day form of slavery, holds 27 million captives worldwide and in New Hampshire, more slaves than were trafficked at the height of the trans-Atlantic trade.

Slavery Still Exists at Saint Anselm College will sponsor a presentation by Not For Sale founder David Batstone and Manchester artist Brant Christopher Menswar on Monday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics.

Batstone founded Not For Sale in 2007 after a trafficking victim in his community died in the unventilated apartment where she was held captive by a restaurant owner. The organization provides resources for students, teachers, activists, and businesses on their website, www.notforsalecampaign.org .

Brant Christopher Menswar is a Manchester native and folk rock musician who has joined with Not For Sale to promote awareness of human trafficking, including how individuals can report cases to a toll-free hotline.

Batstone, who is also an ethics professor at San Francisco University, will call on students and faculty to develop innovative solutions to re-abolish slavery here in Manchester and across the globe.

Slavery Still Exists is a student-led club at Saint Anselm College that is connected to a worldwide network to raise awareness of and rescue victims from the clutches of human trafficking, modern day slavery.

This press release was written by Gregory Wallace for Slavery Still Exists.

College Summit Brings Together Administrators, Faculty, Staff

ALUMNI HALL--College offices will close and phone calls will go to voicemail on Friday, as the administration convenes a camps-wide summit on the college’s financial standing.

The summit will be led by college president Fr. Jonathan DeFelice, O.S.B., executive vice president Suzanne Mellon, Ph.D., R.N., and vice president for finance Fr. Mark Cooper, O.S.B. Enrollment management and marketing vice president Bradley F. Poznanski, college advancement vice president James F. Flanagan, and Patricia R. Shuster, vice president for administration, are also involved in the agenda.

Faculty and staff were invited by email from Fr. Jonathan. The summit will be conducted “in a spirit of transparency,” Dr. Mellon said in an interview this week. Students, however, will not be invited to attend.

Financial agenda items include college debt, the endowment, and the budget, including financial aid.

The summit comes at a time of reassessment for the college. Education in Liberty and the Liberal Arts (E.L.L.A.), the academic Dean’s office, and Faculty Senate have coordinated faculty study circles to revisit the curriculum. Humanities faculty studied connections between the college’s hallmark program and mission at the annual summer seminar. Aspirations in Liberal Arts Education, a set of academic and strategic goals developed in 2005, expires this year, prompting a new strategic planning process. And a transition in governance took place last spring.

- gww

Daily Dispatch: Friday, September 25, 2009

By GREGORY W. WALLACE
dispatchesfromcampus.com

Good Friday morning. Today concludes the 4th week of the semester.

Philosophy professor Max Latona co-moderates New Hampshire Public Radio's Socrates Exchange with Laura Canoy. The program airs live at 9 am and again at 8 pm. To join the discussion on gender equality, visit www.nhpr.org.

Student Activities sponsors the FREE SKATE NIGHT with FREE RENTALS tonight in Sullivan.

Today at 3 pm, a Great Books discussion on Brave New World: "freedom or happiness?"

The weekly French table meets in the coffee shop for lunch.

HOW's LIFE holds an informational meeting at 4 pm today.

Confirming Swine Flu on Campus, President Says Impact is Smaller Than at Some Colleges

In a Thursday morning email, Fr. Jonathan DeFelice, president of the college, announced that the H1N1 swine flu has indeed touched campus.

"Fortunately, there have been few suspected cases of H1N1 at Saint Anselm and only two confirmed cases over the past four months," Fr. Jonathan announced. "Other New Hampshire colleges, however, have experienced larger outbreaks in recent days."

The president's acknowledgment was college's first statement confirming swine flu presence on campus. Patricia Shuster, vice president for administration, told a Crier reporter that information would be forthcoming.

“Communications will be coming out with more specific information with how they [students] should respond if they get the flu,” Shuster said.

- gww

Daily Dispatch: Thursday, September 24, 2009

SWINE FLU ON COLBY-SAWYER, FRANKLIN PIERCE CAMPUSES

By GREGORY W. WALLACE
dispatchesfromcampus.com

‘COLBY-SAWYER, FRANKLIN PIERCE HIT BY SWINE FLU’ -- ‘Known for their tight-knit dormitories, late-night study sessions, and other close social activities, colleges have always been a prime target for communicable diseases. This year, the spread of H1N1 flu has forced college administrators to put in place emergency plans to prevent cases from spreading rapidly. Already, only a few weeks into the academic year, at least two New Hampshire schools are seeing possible outbreaks.

‘Officials at Colby-Sawyer College in New London announced over the weekend three confirmed cases of the swine flu. At Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, 12 students were sent home over fears of a potential outbreak; all but two have since returned to class.’ (Union Leader)

Good Thursday morning. The New Hampshire Institute of Politics has been packed on two consecutive nights with speakers; last night, Tina Monique James of Catholic Relief Services spoke on the AIDS project she manages in sub-Saharan Africa.

SYNCHRONIZED FIGURE SKATING holds an information meeting this evening at 6:30 in Cushing. For those of us who can barely skate, not to menton in synchronization, Student Activities hosts a FREE SKATE NIGHT (with FREE rentals) on Friday.

WOMEN’S SOCCER plays NYIT this afternoon.

EXPANDING RECRUTIGING TERRITORY: VIETNAM -- Saint Anselm has welcomed several students from Vietnam in recent years, and students from the country have recruited their friends to apply and eventually enroll. But this college is not the only country tapping this expanding market, and community colleges are cashing in, Mary Beth Marklein reports: ‘At the New World Hotel [in Ho Chi Minh City], 700 students and their parents poured into a fancy ballroom to learn about 23 U.S. schools participating in last year's Asian recruitment tour organized by the American Association of Community Colleges. Other countries may send more students to the USA, but enrollment of Vietnamese students in U.S. colleges and universities is growing fastest. It jumped 45%, to 8,769, in 2007-2008, the latest data available. The worldwide increase averaged 7%. . . . International students contribute more than $15.5 billion in tuition and living expenses to the U.S. economy, through their expenditures on tuition and living expenses, making U.S higher education one of the country's largest service-sector exports.’ (USAToday)

DARTMOUTH-CMC AFFILIATION CONTROVERSEY CONTINUES -- ‘Clinic-CMC affiliation draws fire,’ by Madeline Sims for The Dartmouth: ‘The proposed affiliation between the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic — the multi-specialty group physician practice affiliated with Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center — and Catholic Medical Center in Manchester has drawn criticism from organizations on both sides of the abortion debate since the two medical groups announced their intention to form a partnership in February. Representatives from the clinic and CMC are now engaged in a public affairs campaign — involving open forums and an online effort — to allay concerns that their respective abortion policies will change.’

Daily Dispatch: Wednesday, September 23, 2009

FOURTH WEDNESDAY OF THE YEAR

By GREGORY W. WALLACE
dispatchesfromcampus.com

Good Wednesday morning. On this day in 1952, then vice presidential candidate Richard M. Nixon delivered his famous Checkers speech. Over a century earlier in 1806, the Lewis and Clark expedition returned. Forty years later, Neptune was discovered. Today is the birthday of Caesar Augustus, Ray Charles, Bruce Springsteen, Tom C. Clark, and Walter Lippmann. Also on this day, Sigmund Freud died.

CAMPUS ACTIVITIES BOARD meets tonight at 7:05 in the North Lounge.

FRENCH CLUB meets at 7 pm in the Multicultural Center.

MODEL UN meets at 8 o’clock in the North Lounge.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT MASS is tonight at 10 o’clock.

VOLLEYBALL is away at Southern New Hampshire.

FROM DARTMOUTH -- New president inaugurated. South Korean president sends letter of congratulations.

‘THE BOTTOM LINE Research suggests that poor sleep can increase susceptibility to colds.’ (New York Times)

WEDNESDAY WEATHER -- Warm and humid, clouds and sun, possible afternoon or evening showers, high of 81, overnight low of 65.

Daily Dispatch: Tuesday, September 22, 2009

$10,000 LOANS TO 400 RECIPIENTS IN 40 COUNTRIES

Students In Free Enterprise, SIFE, was on the Monday Union Leader front page in John Clayton’s column. Excerpts from ‘Students learn to change the world, $25 at a time:’ ‘Today, Tom [Fitzpatrick is] an assistant professor of business at Saint Anselm College, and by way of a practice called ‘micro-lending,’ he’s teaching his students to make the world a better place. ‘The ‘American Dream’ is an exceptional concept,’ Tom explained, ‘but people throughout the world have dreams. There is a Lebanese Dream, a Kazakhstani Dream, a Peruvian Dream, and today, right here in this computer lab, these students are helping to make those dreams come true.’

‘It was Tuesday, and the students in his International Business Management class were logged on to a Web site called KIVA.org. It’s an international clearinghouse that links potential lenders with ‘entrepreneurs’ who need a specific amount of money for an equally specific business venture. . . .

‘‘In just three semesters,’ Professor Fitzpatrick explained with justifiable pride, ‘the students in SIFE and in my IBM class have made more than $10,000 in loans to 400 recipients in 40 countries.’

‘Through the KIVA website, the student lenders can follow the progress of their entrepreneurs, which gives them a vested interest in a person and a place they may never see, but may never forget. . . .’

FR. JONATHAN, quoted in the article: ‘The plan is for each succeeding first-year class to be asked to make the same $25 loan. The aggregate effect of these recycling loans will generate over $500,000 in loans over the next four years. Imagine what a change it could make in the world if Saint Anselm students led every college across the country to adopt a similar program.’

Good Tuesday morning. Today is the first day of fall. Dispatches celebrates the change in seasons by sleeping in an extra half-hour.

CIVIC EDUCATION is the topic du jour on the Exchange from New Hampshire Public Radio. The Exchange airs live at 9 and again at 8 pm. In Manchester, tune to 89.1: ‘A new task force backed by retired Supreme Court justice David Souter aims to teach more New Hampshire students about how government works and what rights and responsibilities Americans have under the Constitution. We’ll hear from members of the task force and ask how and why they plan to boost the Granite State’s civics curriculum.’ LINK

‘THE ORIGINS OF AMERICAN CONSTITUTIONALISM’ -- Gordon Wood, Ph.D., speaks tonight at 7 in the New Hampshire Institute of Politics: Mr. Wood ‘will explain several important ways in which American constitutionalism deviated from the inherited English tradition at the time of the American.’

Here’s the deal: a professor with personal knowledge of Mr. Wood claims tonight’s speaker is very engaging and humorous.

And this tidbit on Mr. Wood from Wikipedia: ‘Wood was also prominently mentioned in the movie Good Will Hunting. The exchange between Matt Damon's character and an obnoxious Harvard graduate student seems to have been based mainly on an obscure 1994 New York Review of Books article by Wood that discussed James T. Lemon's writings and on a subsequent letter to the editor by Lemon rather than on Wood's more well-known writings.’

FRESHMAN CLASS ELECTION SPEECHES are tonight at 7 pm.

DANCE TEAM STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING with Jamie, 8 o’clock. We’ll let you know if Dispatches plans to make a cameo at Dance Team sometime this semester.

STEPPING STONES -- Join Think Big Think Green behind Goulet at 4 pm to make stepping stones.

WOMEN’S SOCCER faces off against St. Michael’s at a 4 o’clock home game. MEN’S SOCCER and FIELD HOCKEY are away at St. Michael’s and Assumption, respectively.

IT will be performing maintenance to the CIS portal.

DARTMOUTH INAUGURATES A PRESIDENT -- Dartmouth, One of our neighbours in New Hampshire Higher Education, officially inaugurates Jim Yong Kim, M.D., Ph.D., today as the 17th president of the Ivy League institution. The ceremony begins this morning at 11, and will be webcast live on the Dartmouth website. The Dartmouth story.

News analysis from the Dartmouth: ‘The series of events surrounding College President Jim Yong Kim’s inauguration appears to represent an unprecedented effort by Dartmouth’s Office of Public Affairs to attract national attention for an incoming president. Public Affairs officers have reached out for weeks on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and elsewhere online to create a themed inauguration for Kim, highlighting his work in social justice.’

SAME DIFFERENCE? -- The keys to distinguishing the flu, H1N1, and colds, from CNN’s Val Willingham: ‘This cold and flu season could star a cornucopia of viruses. Doctors say they worry the two flu strains (H1N1 and seasonal) could combine, further complicating the situation. Mix in colds, which are prevalent this time of year, and the immune system of Americans could be dealt a one-two punch. So, how can someone tell if those sniffles they're having is something to be concerned about? . . .

‘[T]he common cold, seasonal flu and H1N1 are all respiratory illnesses, but they're caused by different viruses. Symptoms of the cold are more common, and can make the patient miserable for three to five days. A patient usually has a stuffy nose, congestion, some body aches and a growing cough. According to the CDC seasonal flu and H1N1 symptoms consist of fever, more painful body aches, dry cough, diarrhea and severe fatigue. It's hard, without testing, to tell apart the seasonal strain of flu from the H1N1 variety.’

Daily Dispatch: Monday, September 21, 2009

WEEK FOUR

Good Monday morning. Today we embark on the fourth week of the school year.

The New Hampshire Institute of Politics, Multicultural Center, and Campus Ministry present ‘Scenes from a Parish’ tonight at 7 pm. ‘Filmed over four years, Scenes from a Parish explores the personal stories of a Catholic parish struggling to reconcile the ideals of faith with the cultural realities of a globalized United States. The film delves into the personal stories of a rich collection of characters who come to the church seeking fellowship, but face obstacles that threaten to drive them apart.’

SPRING BREAK ALTERNATIVE interviews begin this evening.

CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP meets at 7 pm.

SOCIAL NETWORKING -- Highlights from a recent Harvard Business School study of social networking, as compiled by FlyByBlog: ‘Men mostly use social networks to check out women they don’t know. . . . Both men and women spend a lot of time looking at women they do know. . . . Women have more things to say than men. . . . People mostly listen to men anyway. . . . People actually use MySpace.’
http://www.flybyblog.com/2009/09/19/as-if-we-didnt-know/

PRESIDENT OBAMA visits New York’s Troy Community College today.

THE WEEK AHEAD -- Sunny, high of 79, low of 53. For Tuesday, partly cloudy, high of 76, overnight rain and low of 62. Sunny with the chance of a shower on Wednesday, high 83, low 55. For Thursday, high of 75, low of 55. Similar on Friday, high of 70, low of 47.

Daily Dispatch: Friday, September 18, 2009

THREE WEEKS IN

By GREGORY W. WALLACE
dispatchesfromcampus.com

Good Friday morning. Today completes the third full week of the semester. Start pulling out your Saturday best, tomorrow is FALL OPEN HOUSE!

CITIZENSHIP WEEK proper wraps up today with a CAKE & ICE CREAM PARTY on the quad, 2 - 4 pm. But don’t change that channel -- there are more citizenship-related events next week!

MEN’S RUGBY tonight, 6:30 pm.

FAMILY WEEKEND COMMITTEE meeting at 3 pm in Dana.

The campus will be almost three dozen freshmen lighter this weekend because of FRESHMEN ESCAPE retreat to Hundred Acres.

Student Activities leads a trip off campus tonight to Stadium 10 pin BOWLING in Manch.

LA TABLE FRANCAISE meets at 12:30 in Coffee Shop.

WOMEN’S SOCCER is home against LeMoyne on Saturday. . . other teams are away.

FINANCIAL AID CHANGES -- ‘House Passes Bill to Expand College Aid,’ from Tamar Lewin for NYT: ‘The House of Representatives on Thursday passed legislation that expands federal aid to college students while ending federal subsidies to private lenders. By shifting to direct federal lending, the Obama administration said it would save more than $80 billion over 10 years, which would go into higher Pell grants for low-income students, new investments in community colleges, early-childhood programs and other education efforts.

‘The vote was 253 to 171. The measure, the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act, now goes to the Senate, where Democratic leaders expect it to pass.’

WEATHER TODAY -- Afternoon and evening rain, high of 72. Overnight low of 47. For Saturday, sunny, high of 69, low of 42. And on Sunday, a beautiful fall day, high of 74, low of 78.

New Athletic Director Announced

Joseph Horton, Ed.D., vice president of student affairs, announced Thursday the appointment of Jo-Ann Nester, Ed.D., as the college's new Director of Athletics.

In an email to the campus community, Horton thanked the search committee and interim athletics director Andrew S. Litz, M.B.A., for his work. The following bio was provided in the email:

Dr. Nester is currently the associate director of Florida Gulf Coast University, where she has worked since 2006, overseeing athletic compliance, academic enrichment for athletes and student athlete development. She also served as interim athletic director and worked directly with a wide variety of university departments, including the registrar’s office, admission, financial aid and all academic departments. She had direct oversight for the transition of FGCU from Division II to Division I. . . .

Prior to joining FGCU, Dr. Nester served as director of athletics at the University of San Diego. She also worked for nine years at Dartmouth College as associate director of athletics, and as director of athletics and recreation and chair of the department of physical education at Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana. She also coached basketball and tennis there.

Dr. Nester earned her doctorate in education from Temple University, after earning a bachelor’s and master’s degree at West Chester State College. Her educational background, as well as her experience as a teacher, coach and athletics administrator, will serve her as she succeeds former athletic director Ed Cannon at the helm of Hawks athletics.

- gww

Daily Dispatch: Thursday, September 17, 2009

CONSTITUTION DAY

BREAKING -- YALE LAB TECHNICIAN ARRESTED IN THE YALE STUDENT ANNIE LE MURDER CASE -- ‘Police swooped in on Yale lab tech Ray Clark today, arresting him in connection with the murder of graduate student Annie Le, whose battered body was found stuffed in a wall on the day she was supposed to get married.’ (ABC)

By GREGORY W. WALLACE
dispatchesfromcampus.com

Good Thursday morning. Today is Constitution and Citizenship Day, a federal holiday (but not day off) created to commemorate the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. In 1787, the constitutional convention signed the document on September 17. The holiday was created in 2004 by act of Congress and mandates educational institutions receiving federal funding must provide educational programming on the Constitution.

As part of CITIZENSHIP WEEK, the New Hampshire Institute of Politics today offers a NATURALIZATION CEREMONY, to start today at 2 o’clock in the NHIOP Auditorium.

Club Soccer is selling Celtics raffle tickets as a LIVESTRONG fundraiser. Tickets, which are 1 for $2 or 3 for $5, will be available in Davison between 11 and 2 today and tomorrow.

Tonight the Multicultural Center and Muslim Student Association offer a RAMADAN DINNER.

Also from the Multicultural Center: ‘During the week of September 14, canned goods will be collected to benefit New Horizons soup kitchen. New Horizons is an adult homeless shelter, a soup kitchen and a food pantry. In 2008 an average of 71 people stayed in their shelters each night, they distributed 15,393 bags of food to impoverished families and individuals, and they served 70,435 meals. Canned food can be deposited in many of the boxes throughout campus, or brought to the Ramadan Dinner.’

EDUCATION SOCIETY, tonight at7, Campus Ministry office.

IRISH SOCIETY, Dana Center Lobby, 5 pm.

CHESS CLUB, 4 pm, Coffee Shop.

SWINE SPREADING -- ‘More Than 13,000 Flu Cases Are Reported at 253 Colleges, Survey Finds,’ from The Chronicle: ‘Swine flu continues to batter colleges nationwide. For the week ending September 11, an additional 6,432 suspected cases were reported at 253 colleges participating in a voluntary survey conducted by the American College Health Association, bringing the total reported since August 22 to 13,434. According to preliminary figures released today, the number of cases of ‘influenza-like illness’ were up from 4,974 the week before. Eighty-three percent of the participating campuses reported cases last week -- up from 72 percent the previous week. The 253 reporting colleges, which represent about three million students, reported 16 hospitalizations and no deaths last week.’ (Chronicle)

LETS NOT SHAKE ON THAT -- ‘The Volleyball Rules Committee of the National Collegiate Athletic Association has recommended that players refrain from traditional handshakes before and after matches due to concerns about the spread of H1N1. Volleyball is one of the two sports in which players from opposing teams are required by the NCAA to shake hands; the other is wrestling.’ (Inside Higher Ed)

‘To friend or not to friend? College admissions in the age of Facebook,’ by Lindsey Anserson for USAToday: ‘Facebook isn't just for socializing anymore — a new survey of college admissions officials suggests students are increasingly taking care of business on the site as well. More than 70% of officials in the annual survey say they or others in their office have received Facebook or MySpace ‘friend requests’ from applicants.

‘While officials aren't sure how students think it will help their chances of getting into college, ‘What’s becoming clear is that applicants themselves are using Facebook as an essential communication medium and are expecting to use it as a medium with schools,’ says Jeff Olson, executive director of research for Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions, which has conducted the survey for the last six years. This year was the first year Kaplan asked officials about friend requests.’

SAVING FOR COLLEGE -- ‘Families, on Average, Save Less Than $3,000 Annually for College,’ By Jacques Steinberg for the New York Times: ‘While the average family now begins saving for college as a child enters preschool, more than two-thirds are putting aside too little to meet their college savings goals. These are among the findings of a survey of 1,200 parents of children under age 18 released Wednesday night by the Gallup Organization and Sallie Mae, the company that manages nearly $200 billion in education loans. Families, on average, save $2,676 annually for their children’s education, for a total of just under $14,000, the survey found. That represents 3.6 percent of their annual household income. However, households earning under $50,000 annually set aside far more than that, saving 7.5 percent of their income, annually, for college.’

A TIP TO THE WISE: DON’T SPEND IT IF ITS NOT YOURS -- ‘Notre Dame sues ex-worker over $29,000 tip,’ Charles Wilson for AP: ‘A woman who worked catering events for the University of Notre Dame says it was her lucky day when the school tipped her $29,000 in her check. But now the university is suing to get back the money she says she's already spent.

‘Sara Gaspar of Granger says in court documents filed this week that she ‘thought finally something wonderful had happened’ in her life when the school paid her a $29,387 tip on April 17. She said in court documents that she called the school's catering department three times about the payment, but didn't hear back until she received a threatening call from the school in June. Gaspar says by that point, she had spent the money on a new car and bills.

‘Notre Dame contends Gaspar should have been paid only $29.87, but was overpaid because of a typing error. The school says in a lawsuit filed Aug. 27 in St. Joseph Circuit Court in South Bend that Gaspar did not notify the school about the error, and instead spent the money knowing it wasn't hers.’

Prepare for RUGBY on Friday night. . .

CAB Scores Impressive Turnout at First Meeting

CUSHING STUDENT CENTER — It’s the typical first meeting for a club -- a dozen half interested students bring their friends, and by the second meeting, membership is down to six. But this was something else. Campus Activities Board set an attendance record (anyone have evidence to challenge this?) at Wednesday evening’s meeting.

115 students.

CAB is the programming arm of the Student Government Association. Meetings are every Wednesday night at 7:05 in Cushing.

- gww

Fire Reported on College Road Near Campus

Goffstown and Manchester fire crews responded to a a fire on College Road, next to the New Hampshire Institute of Politics and campus.

Smoke was spotted around noon on Wednesday.

WMUR-TV is following the story. . . Dispatches has class.

- gww

Daily Dispatch: Wednesday, September 16, 2009

FACEBOOK CLAIMS 300 MILLION USERS -- PIG IN A BLANKET: A SWINE STUDENT STAYING HOME FROM CLASS

By GREGORY W. WALLACE
dispatchesfromcampus.com

‘The site we all use every day [Facebook] is built by a relatively small group of the smartest engineers and entrepreneurs who are solving substantial problems and each making a huge impact for the 300 million people using Facebook. In fact, the ratio of Facebook users to Facebook engineers makes it so that every engineer here is responsible for more than one million users. It's hard to have an impact like that anywhere else.’ (Facebook Blog)

Good Wednesday morning. The Union Leader has announced a Manchester Mayoral debate to be held at the college's New Hampshire Institute of Politics. Full story.

CITIZENSHIP WEEK continues with a movie night tonight at 8 pm in the NHIOP.

FIELD HOCKEY plays at home today against Franklin Pierce, 4 pm.

DISTINGUISHING PIG IN A BLANKET FROM PIG IN A SNUGGIE -- Johns Hopkins University has published ‘The Johns Hopkins H1NI glossary for students,’ a satirical piece more likely to be seen on Facebook or in a chain email than from the University Office of Communications and Public Affairs.

‘Pig: A student ill with suspected or presumed H1N1 flu. (Variation: Piglet: a sick freshman.)

‘Pig in a blanket: A sick student complying with doctor’s advice to stay home, drink fluids and get plenty of rest.

‘Pig in a Snuggie: A student complying with doctor’s advice in a blanket with sleeves.

‘Pig pen: A sick student’s room, where he or she stays until 24 hours without fever, off of fever medication.

‘Pig sty: A sick student’s room before he or she properly disposes of used tissues and cleans doorknobs, desktops, keyboards and other surfaces with virus-killing wipes.’

And of course: ‘Pig Latin: A sick student’s Classics homework.’

CAMPUSES WILL BE INCREASINGLY DIVERSE, REPORT SAYS -- Jeffrey Brainard for the Chronicle: ‘The student body on American college campuses will continue to become more racially diverse, older, and more female over the next decade, according to new projections from the U.S. Department of Education. . . . The report estimates that total enrollment in degree-granting institutions will increase to 20.6 million by the fall of 2018, an increase of 13 percent from 2007. During the same period, enrollment is expected to grow by 38 percent among Hispanic students, 26 percent among black students, and only 4 percent among white students. Enrollment among women is projected to grow by 16 percent versus only 9 percent among men.’

FACEBOOK PROTOTYPES -- Its ‘for all the products that wouldn't otherwise have the opportunity to see the light of day’ -- From the Facebook blog: ‘We're encouraged to work on projects that inspire us and build on new ideas, but not all of these features and improvements wind up launching on the site. In some instances, they're not quite ready for prime time, are a bit esoteric or don't quite fit. Now, for all the products that wouldn't otherwise have the opportunity to see the light of day, we're introducing Facebook Prototypes.

‘Facebook Prototypes let us share the experimentation going on inside the walls of Facebook with the rest of the world. You'll be able to test any of the products and features we launch as Facebook Prototypes and then provide feedback directly to those of us who built them. To access Prototypes, visit the Application Directory and filter by ‘Prototypes.’ From there, you can activate or download any of the Prototypes listed.

‘For instance, during a recent Hackathon -- an all-night coding event that gives us a chance to build projects we just don't have time to pursue during regular hours -- I worked on an application called Desktop Notifications, for Mac OS X. The application helps you keep up to date with what's happening on Facebook. . . . Now, you can receive the same notifications even when you're not on Facebook.com or checking email by using Desktop Notifications. . . .

‘Other Prototypes include Recent Comments Filter, which allows you to sort your News Feed by items on which your friends have recently commented; Photo Tag Search, which enables you to find photos by the people who are tagged in them; and Enhanced Events Emails, which allows you to add a Facebook Event directly to your personal calendar in Google, Microsoft Outlook and many other calendar products with just one click.

‘We won't test every new product in Prototypes before launch, but we're excited about testing new ideas regularly and often.

‘We already get a lot of suggestions for new features. Keep them coming. They just might get built.’


WEDNESDAY WEATHER -- Cloudy, high of 64, overnight low of 46.

NHIOP to Host Manchester Mayoral Debate

The Union Leader has announced a Manchester Mayoral debate to be held at the college's New Hampshire Institute of Politics.

The debate will take place on October 7 at 7:30 am, according to a story on the Union Leader's website this morning.

- gww

Daily Dispatch: Tuesday, September 15, 2009

BODY DISCOVERED, IDENTIFIED AT YALE -- COFFEE SHOP, NOT PUB, TRIVIA TONIGHT -- MANCHESTER GOES TO THE POLLS

‘BODY IS IDENTIFIED; CAMPUS MOURNS’ -- From the Yale Daily News: ‘After the speeches and the prayers, Cross Campus fell silent, the faces of over 2,000 people illuminated by burning candles. Then out of nowhere a hum began. It grew until it became a tune: ‘Amazing Grace.’ Once that faded, the sound of a lone violin came out of Berkeley College, playing the same song.

‘Students, faculty members and staff from around Yale gathered on Cross Campus on Monday night to honor the memory of Annie Le MED ’13 in a candlelight vigil arranged by undergraduate organizations, cultural houses and Yale administrators. The vigil came after a day of mourning within the Yale community.

‘‘I am reminded that we are an extraordinary community, a community of concern,’ University President Richard Levin said during the 20-minute service. Levin also asked all concerned students to ‘please seek help’ during what he called ‘this horrendous trauma.’’

Also from Yale Daily News: ‘The authorities are focusing their efforts on several individuals — including a laboratory technician — known to have been in the basement of 10 Amistad St. at the time when Annie Le MED ’13 was murdered, according to three sources familiar with the investigation.’

‘In a series of interviews conducted yesterday, law enforcement experts from around the country said they were surprised and concerned that authorities did not seal the research facility on Amistad Street as soon as it became clear that Le was missing and that a crime could have been committed inside the building.’

Good Tuesday morning. On this mostly sunny day, today’s temperatures will approach 80.

CITIZENSHIP WEEK continues with COFFEE SHOP (yes, not pub, Coffee Shop) trivia tonight at 8 o’clock.

FRESHMAN CLASS ELECTION INFO NIGHT, North Lounge, 7 pm.

MEN’S SOCCER v. C.W. Post, 4 pm. Volleyball is away at Merrimack.

THINK BIG THINK GREEN hosts an informational meeting tonight at 7:30 pm in the Goulet Reading Room.

DARTMOUTH PREPARES FOR SWINE FLU -- Greg Berger, The Dartmouth: ‘Although fewer than 10 Dartmouth students have reported influenza-like illnesses amidst the resurgence of the H1N1 virus this fall, College officials expect that number will quickly rise as more students arrive for the beginning of the term, according to College Health Services Director John Turco.. . . At Dartmouth, Turco said health officials hope students remember that drinking games that involve sharing cups can help spread the swine flu virus.’

MANCHESTER VOTES -- ‘Voters in the Queen City will cast ballots today in primaries for mayor, alderman, school board and other local posts. Polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. The day is highlighted by a mayoral primary that features five candidates: Alderman and state Sen. Ted Gatsas, state Rep. Richard Komi, public-access TV producer Glenn Ouellette, Alderman Mark Roy and former state Sen. Bobby Stephen.
‘The two candidates with the most votes in today's primary will square off in the Nov. 3 general election. The other three will be eliminated.’ (Union Leader)

ALSO IN MANCHESTER -- Mark Hayward, Union Leader: ‘Catholic Medical Center and Dartmouth-Hitchcock take their plans for closer ties to the public tonight, holding the first of three forums about the future relationship between the two hospitals.’

BEST COLLEGE BLOG HEADLINE OF THE DAY: ‘Putting The ‘Bus’ In ‘E Pluribus Unum’’

Daily Dispatch: Monday, September 14, 2009

SWINE FLU DEATH AT CORNELL STARTS, CONTINUES CONVERSATION -- BISHOP JOSEPH IN HOSPITAL -- CITIZENSHIP WEEK BEGINS

By GREGORY W. WALLACE
dispatchesfromcampus.com

** As of Sunday evening, the Most Rev. Joseph J. Gerry, O.S.B., was spending the night in the hospital after being rushed from campus Saturday night. Saturday was his 81st birthday, and Bishop Joseph was rushed to Catholic Medical Center shortly before 9:30 pm. He is former bishop of Portland, Maine, and former abbot of Saint Anselm Abbey. Both Bedford and Goffstown sent ambulances.

Good Monday morning. Today is September 14, the day Francis Scott Key wrote The Star Spangled Banner. In 1975, Mother Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton was recognized as a saint; she was the first American to be so recognized.

CITIZENSHIP WEEK begins this week. Tonight, join several clubs and organizations at 8 pm for Club Voices, discussing citizenship. The rest of the week: Tuesday 9/15 8:00 pm Trivia Night; Wednesday 9/16 8:00 pm Movie Night; Thursday 9/17 2:00 -3:00 pm Naturalization Ceremony; Friday 9/18 2:00 – 4:00 pm Celebrate Citizenship on the QUAD Cake, ice cream, games and prizes!; Tuesday 9/22 7:00 pm Gordon S. Wood, ‘The Origins of American Constitutionalism.’

At Sunday’s student senate meeting, the first official meeting of the year, Alex Puglisi was confirmed as secretary of club affairs. Last week, the senate held a brief cleaning meeting.

SWINE FLU UPDATE -- Daniel de Vise for the Washington Post: ‘Swine flu appears to have spread to most of the country's colleges and universities. A weekly survey by the American College Health Association found influenza-like illness at 72 percent of schools surveyed as of Sept. 4. The flu is being contracted at a rate of about 18 cases per 10,000 students. Some colleges have reported no cases; others have counted hundreds. More than 2,000 students at Washington State University have reported flulike illness, according to the Daily Evergreen student newspaper. . . . Health officials can only guess how many of the thousands of students reporting flulike illness nationwide have contracted swine flu. Colleges typically do not test students to confirm H1N1 infection because the treatment is the same as for seasonal flu. Some schools are reporting confirmed cases of Type A flu, but not all such cases are H1N1.’

Nicholas K. Geranios, AP: ‘Washington has the highest incidence of swine flu among college students - nearly triple the rate of Georgia, the next highest state, an American College Health Association report said Thursday. With the biggest college campus outbreak in the country, Washington State University in Pullman has pushed the state's rate to 366.8 cases of swine flu per 10,000 students, far above the national average of 18 cases per 10,000 students, the association said.

‘The number of swine flu cases among students is surging across the country as more colleges open for fall classes. The report counted cases through last Friday, and the association has been getting swine flu numbers from 236 colleges that serve 2.7 million students.’

BODY DISCOVERED AT YALE, BELIEVED TO BE MED STUDENT MISSING FOR FIVE DAYS -- Harrison Korn and Paul Needham for Yale Daily News: ‘Five days after Annie Le MED ’13 was last seen, the authorities found what they believe to be her body on Sunday behind a basement wall in the Yale research facility at 10 Amistad St. The case is now classified as a homicide and will be investigated primarily by the New Haven Police Department. Peter Reichard, the NHPD’s assistant chief of investigations, said at a press conference Sunday evening that law enforcement officials have still not identified any suspects in the murder of Le, who was supposed to be married yesterday.

‘Law enforcement officials have now sealed the building at 10 Amistad St. where the body was found shortly after 5 p.m. on Sunday. Footage from security cameras shows Le entering the building at 10 a.m. Tuesday but never leaving; now the investigation will focus on what she did and where she went once inside.’

Also from Yale Daily News: ‘A prayer vigil for Annie Le MED ’13 will be held today on Cross Campus at 8 p.m. An e-mail message sent to the Yale community at around 1 a.m. today invited members of the Yale community to ‘bring a candle and join us in solidarity.’’

‘TAG! YOU’RE IN A POST’ -- From the Facebook Blog: ‘One of the most popular features on Facebook is tagging, which gives you the ability to identify and reference people in photos, videos and notes. Today, we are adding a new way to tag people and other things you're connected to on Facebook — in status updates and other posts from the Publisher. It's another way to let people know who and what you're talking about. . . .

‘Now, when you are writing a status update and want to add a friend's name to something you are posting, just include the ‘@’ symbol beforehand. As you type the name of what you would like to reference, a drop-down menu will appear that allows you to choose from your list of friends and other connections, including groups, events, applications and Pages. Soon, you'll be able to tag friends from applications as well. The ‘@’ symbol will not be displayed in the published status update or post after you've added your tags.

‘Friends you tag in your status updates will receive a notification and a Wall post linking them to your post. They also will have the option to remove tags of themselves from your posts. . . .’

STARTING CONVERSATION -- ‘CORNELL JUNIOR DIES OF SWINE FLU, ADMINISTRATION BLAMES BEER PONG’ -- Not only is the second swine-flu-related death of a college student starting conversation, but so is this blog post to Ivy Gate: by Adam Clark Estes, September 11, 2009 at 9:32 pm: ‘A student at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences has been the first to die of complications of swine flu in the recent outbreak on Cornell's campus. Warren Schor '11 of the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity passed away at the Cayuga Medical Center. He was 20 years old.

’Although approximately 450 students have presented flu-like symptoms, a representative of the Cornell Flu Line stated in a phone interview yesterday that so far only two students had been conclusively diagnosed with H1N1. Vice President of Communications Tommy Bruce now reports that number at 520. Neighboring Ithaca College has reported at least 18 students are symptomatic.

’The Cornell Sun reports that, at the behest of Gannett Health Services, the Inter-Fraternity Council had instated a weeklong moratorium on social events to help prevent the spread of the disease. But, due to a flood of flu-related visits, Gannett also has stopped scheduling routine appointments, so they may just be canceling frat parties to avoid the standard Sunday morning rush for Plan B.

’After the jump—a lesson in hygiene, and how your Atari will kill you.
Among the University officials in attendance at the IFC’s meeting was Christine Stallman, Cornell’s director of environmental and health safety. She offered the students this advice: ‘Really the best way to prevent the flu is your own personal hygiene. Make sure your houses have soap.’

‘Stallmann’s right—you should never take it for granted that a frat house will have soap. In an e-mail excerpted in the Sun, Associate Dean Travis Apgar reached out to the Greek community last Friday, demonstrating his profound knowledge of those crazy kids today with their drinking games and computernets: ‘…keep in mind that some of the more popular ways in which to enjoy a beverage, including games like pong, should be avoided…’

‘Pac-Man, however, should be fine.

‘The rest of the student body seems to be holding up okay; at the very least, they’ve found artistic expression for their pain. Get well soon, Cornell, and maybe lay off the boozing for a while.’

FOOTBALL PLAYERS PREPARE FOR SWINE FLU -- Ralph D. Russo, AP: ‘College football players are protecting themselves from more than bruising hits and tackles this season. Swine flu can flatten them, too. With outbreaks reported at the universities of Mississippi and Wisconsin, players are under orders to wash their hands and cover their mouths when they cough or sneeze, lest their teams join those who have been hit hard by the bug. . . . ‘It scares us to death,’ Texas coach Mack Brown said. . . .

Health officials say football players shouldn't be at any more risk from swine flu than other students, assuming they take precautions such as washing their hands and staying home when they feel sick so they don't infect others. But football players spend a lot of time together, and there are other factors that might contribute to swine flu spreading through a team, said Dr. William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University flu expert. Football players are not famous for their cleanliness — the spread of bacterial infections is a noted locker room problem. And the idea of staying home with flu symptoms doesn't fit the sport's tough culture.’

Weekend Sports: Cross Country Hosts Home Meet While Women's Soccer Holds Perfect Conference Record

The cross country teams hosted the annual Shacklette Invitational this weekend, with the both the men and women finishing fourth. Women’s soccer, meanwhile, defeated Pace University to remain undefeated in Northeast-10 play (and 3-1-1 overall).

The weekend’s sports action, so you can talk about the match-ups as if you were there:

Golf 2nd of 9 teams at Bowdoin Invitational -- “Freshman Brian Foley. . . improved his game by two strokes in [Sunday]’s competition, to lead the team with a two-day total of 150 (76, 74) and place him in a tie for third overall.” -- Sunday, Saturday

Volleyball 3 vs. Assumption 1 -- “Saint Anselm got off to a slow start, ceding the first game to Assumption, 25-17, but they then went on to win the next three games in a row to defeat the Greyhounds.”

Men’s soccer 0 vs. Queens College 1 -- “Queens held a slim 12-11 advantage in total shots”

Volleyball 3 vs. St Michael’s 2 -- “final scores of 25-23, 23-25, 26-24, 25-22, and 16-14” -- “two hours and nine minutes of play”

Men’s cross country 4th place, Saint Rose 1st, Bentley 2nd, Merrimack 3rd, Assumption 5th, Franklin Pierce 6th -- Drew Matthews ’11 11th, John Surabian ’12 13th, Nick Provost ’10 14th, Chris Powers ’12 15th

Women’s cross country 4th place, Saint Rose 1st, Bentley 2nd, Merrimack 3rd, Southern N.H. 5th, Assumption 6th, Franklin Pierce 7th -- Jess Marczik ’10 5th, Jess St. Laurent ’10 8th

Field hockey 1 vs. Stonehill 2 -- OT -- “Stonehill held an incredible 37-2 advantage in penalty corners in the contest and converted one late in regulation to tie the game at 1-1. . . . In the overtime, the Skyhawks had nine more penalty corners, resulting in seven saves by Saint Anselm's MacDonald in goal.”

Football 0 at Bentley 24 -- “The first half was lopsided in every sense as the Falcons outgained the Hawks 199-25 in total offense, as well as holding a 21:44-8:16 edge in time of possession.”

- gww

Burnt Popcorn Draws Fire Department To Campus Again

In an unusually busy weekend, the Goffstown fire department responded again Sunday evening, this time to a fire alarm in Building M.

Someone burned a bag of popcorn on the first floor of Building M south, referred to as H0ly Cross Hall by college administrators.

- gww

Girl Taken From Coffee Shop on Stretcher

Check our twitter feed, http://twitter.com/gregorywallace, for updates and details.

- gww

Fire Department Responds to Brady Alarm, Hours After Carr Alarm

BRADY HALL — Goffstown fire department responded to a campus fire alarm early Sunday morning -- the second time fire crews were on campus in 24 hours, and in neighbouring buildings.

The second alarm, called in at about 4:15 am, was an alarm activation on the third floor of Brady Hall. There were no indications of a fire, but a fire extinguisher had been sprayed and triggered a detector on the third floor, the fire department said.

Students had evacuated the building by the time engine six and an SUV unit arrived. Brady Hall is the lone co-ed traditional residence hall on campus; men live on the first two floors, and ladies on the third.

"We woke up and boys were banging on our door telling us to get out," a third floor resident said. Two of her neighbours said they did not see anyone with a fire extinguisher, nor residue in the hallway -- although there was no time to look around, they said.

Some of the residents had been asleep, others awake in their rooms, when the alarm sounded. After determining the cause of the alarm, the fire department and a Goffstown police officer searched the building room-by-room.

When the alarm was silenced at 4:50, shouts of joy welt up from the almost 150 students assembled on the grass outside Brady. Some ladies from neighbouring Baroody came to join their friends on the grass between the two buildings, were students sunbathe and throw footballs by day. But this night, the congregation shivered in pajamas, anxious to find out what happened -- and why it took so long to put out a fire that did not exist.

Goffstown police escorted at least five students from the building, where they were met by resident assistants and residence director Michelle Aellen. After being reunited with his friends, one shirtless male said, "of course I didn't leave, I have a room full of beer!"

- gww

This post was updated at 5:04 am and 10:36 am.

Carr Center Fire Alarm Was False Call

CARR CENTER — Five fire trucks, including a ladder truck, responded to a fire alarm activation in Carr Center Saturday morning.

After checking the building, crews used the ladder truck to check the roof, and discovered a malfunctioning piece of equipment.

Work to the main gym floor left the roof access unavailable.

The alarms sounded at 9:56 am and the fire department responded within minutes. The building was reopened at 10:35 after security took note of the malfunctioning roof equipment.

- gww

Daily Dispatch: Friday, September 11, 2009

SWINE VACCINATION IN NH BY EARLY OCTOBER -- ONLY ONE DOSE APPEARS TO BE NECESSARY -- REMEMBERING 9/11 -- RAINY WEEKEND

By GREGORY W. WALLACE
dispatchesfromcampus.com

BREAKING -- ‘SWINE FLU VACCINE FOR NH BY EARLY OCTOBER, STATE SAYS’ -- ‘State officials expect 190,000 doses of H1N1 swine flu vaccine to arrive in the state in early October, followed by shipments of about half that every two weeks. Those vaccines, which will be free to all, will be administered through hospitals, doctors’ offices and clinics, Dr. Jose Montero, state Public Health director, said yesterday. They will be targeted to the young, to pregnant women, to health care workers and to those whose health conditions put them at highest risk for complications. If the state gets between 80 to 85 percent of those in the target group vaccinated, the regular population should have vaccine available by early December, Montero said. He urged anyone who usually gets an annual flu shot to do so now in preparation for H1N1 flu shots in the fall.’ (Union Leader)

‘Defying the expectations of experts, clinical trials are showing that the new H1N1 swine flu vaccine protects with only one dose instead of two, so the vaccine supplies now being made will go twice as far as had been predicted. That means it should be possible to vaccinate — well before the flu’s expected midwinter peak — all the 159 million people that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate are in the high-risk groups. . . . The first convincing trial results from a single 15-microgram dose in adults were published online Thursday afternoon by The New England Journal of Medicine. That trial was done in Australia, but the vaccine maker, CSL Limited, is under contract to supply millions of doses to the United States government, and the president of the company’s American subsidiary said he expected its trials here to have similar results.’ (NY Times)

Good Friday morning. Today is September 11, the eighth anniversary. By act of Congress and the President, today is a national day of service: ‘In April, President Obama signed into law the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, which gave federal authorization to establish Sept. 11 as the National Day of Service and Remembrance. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is scheduled to deliver the keynote speech at Friday night's official ceremony in New York. More than 200 organizations, working through Paine and Winuk's group, My Good Deed, and through ServiceNation, another volunteer-based group, are overseeing thousands of individual and corporate projects across the country, all designed to honor the memory of those who died on Sept. 11.’ (Washington Post)

Saint Anselm will commemorate the anniversary with a remembrance at the War Veterans Memorial. It begins at 12:30 on the quad.

The BOARD OF TRUSTEES meets today at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics.

LA TABLE FRANÇAISE meets for the first time this year at 12:30 in the coffee shop.

Politics professor Rev. Dale S. Kuehne, Ph.D., will be signing copies of his new book, Sex and the iWorld: Rethinking Relationship Beyond an Age of Individualism, tonight starting at 7 o’clock in the South Willow Street Barnes and Noble.

CAMPUS ACTIVIITES BOARD hosts MAKE YOUR OWN SUNDAES today on the quad. STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION hosts a BBQ on the quad Saturday afternoon.

CITIZENSHIP WEEK begins next week. Events, as announced: Sunday 9/13 4-6:00 pm Voter Registration Drive; Monday 9/14 8:00 pm Club Voices; Tuesday 9/15 8:00 pm Trivia Night; Wednesday 9/16 8:00 pm Movie Night; Thursday 9/17 2:00 -3:00 pm Naturalization Ceremony; Friday 9/18 2:00 – 4:00 pm Celebrate Citizenship on the QUAD Cake, ice cream, games and prizes!; Tuesday 9/22 7:00 pm Gordon S. Wood, ‘The Origins of American Constitutionalism.’

The Multicultural Center is holding a Hispanic Heritage Month planning meeting at 3 o’clock on Sunday.

SPORTS -- Men’s soccer takes on Assumption today at 4 pm. Cross country hosts a home meet Saturday morning at 11. Later on Saturday, field hockey is in action against Stonehill while women’s soccer is away against Pace. On Sunday, volleyball plays St. Michaels at noon, then Assumption at 4. Men’s soccer plays Queens.

RAINY WEEKEND -- The beautiful last 2 weeks give way to chilly temperatures and rain this weekend. Expect a high of 67 today, showers this afternoon or evening, and an overnight low of 56. On Saturday, high of 68, some showers, overnight low of 57. Sunday will be the exception: partly cloudy with highs approaching 80 and a low of 56.

Visit us daily at http://www.dispatchesfromcampus.com and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/gregorywallace. The Daily Dispatch is published weekdays during the academic year.

Quarterback Honoured for Role in Five-Overtime Victory

Quarterback Michael Pierce ’13 has been honoured this week for his role in the five-overtime football win over Plymouth State last Saturday, the college reported

On Wednesday, he was won the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston Gold Helmet Award at a Cambridge ceremony. On Tuesday, he was named Northeast-10 Football Freshman of the Week.

In addition to rushing the winning touchdown in the third hour and 25th minute of the game, Mr. Pierce rushed an earlier touchdown and completed 32 of 53 passes and four pass touchdowns. His 374 passing yards and 422 total offensive yards are both single-game school records.

- gww

Daily Dispatch: Thursday, September 10, 2009

MANCHESTER: A GOOD PLACE TO GO TO COLLEGE -- LUAU NIGHT -- FAMILY WEEKEND SHOW AUDITIONS

By GREGORY W. WALLACE
dispatchesfromcampus.com

Good Thursday morning. The world survived 09/09/09, and today is 09/10/09.

Tonight is LUAU NIGHT at the Coffee Shop, sponsored by Campus Activities Board. Save a $1 off smoothies!

Auditions are tonight for the FAMILY WEEKEND SHOW, 6 pm - 10 pm in Dana. Everyone (really, with surprisingly few exceptions) who auditions gets a part.

MANCHESTER EARNS HIGH MARKS FOR COLLEGE ATMOSPHERE -- Dan Touhy for the Union Leader: ‘The Queen City is one of America's best college cities, according to a new report. The American Institute for Economic Research ranks Manchester 16th out of 124 small metropolitan areas, coming in just ahead of Portland, Maine. . . . The "College Destination Index" focuses on the Manchester region, a geographic area that stretches into southern and eastern New Hampshire. It measures the number of college students per 1,000 residents, academic research and development expenditures per 100,000 residents, and the number of people with college degrees. It also included cost of living, earning potential, and the number of cultural and entertainment venues.’

COLLEGE ANNOUNCES FALL EXHIBIT -- ‘The Alva de Mars Megan Chapel Art Center at Saint Anselm College will open its exhibition season this month with A Figural Presence, which will feature drawings, paintings and sculptures of the human figure. The show opens Thursday, Sept. 24, with a gallery reception from 4 to 7 p.m., and will run through Wednesday, Nov. 25. The reception and exhibit are free and open to the public. A Figural Presence embarks upon a new way of learning at the Chapel Art Center, with selections of significant contemporary American figurative works of art. Funded in part by a $10,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, the exhibition also will involve discussions about the art with curators and artists, as well as a commissioned musical performance and a commissioned poetry reading.’ Full announcement.

THURSDAY WEATHER -- This morning gets a chilly, upper 40s start, peaking at 70 with sunny skies. Overnight, temps drop back to the 40s.

Daily Dispatch: Wednesday, September 9, 2009

CUSHING OPEN HOUSE -- WNM -- KINDLING YOUR ACADEMIC FLAMES

By GREGORY W. WALLACE
dispatchesfromcampus.com

CUSHING CENTER OPEN HOUSE -- With shiny new offices and several new flatscreen televisions, Cushing is ready for an open house. It will be held today between 11 and 2. Games that probably will not be played: bobbing for random things George and Denise have in their lost and found, pin the tail on Cardinal Cushing.

MOCK TRIAL holds an informational meeting at 6 o’clock in NHIOP 4006.

ALPHA ZETA SIGMA holds an interest meeting at 7 o’clock.

HISTORY SOCIETY holds an open meeting at 8:30.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT MASS, tonight and every Wednesday at 10 pm.

FINALLY, A REASON TO VISIT YOUR MAILBOX -- From Deb: Visit your Campus Mail Box tomorrow. . . Find the red ticket. . . Fill in your name and box number. . . Drop the ticket at the service window. . . You could win one of four gift certificates to the Coffee Shop!!!’

E-TEXTBOOKS -- It was books on tape, then on CDs, but now a book you download from the internet could Kindle your academic flames. ‘This Could Be the Year of e-Textbooks,’ by Jeffrey R. Young for the Chronicle: ‘The trickiest part of teaching with electronic textbooks is getting everyone on the same page—or to the same part of the digital text. . . . There are no page numbers for books on the Kindle; instead, every passage has a "location number," which lets users jump to that section. Those numbers can be long, and it can be awkward to type them on the small keyboard. So when Ted Humphrey, the professor, asked students to turn to a certain passage in the Iliad, there were "some glitches," he says, as a few students mistyped the location number. . . . The increased awareness and availability of e-textbooks could make this a watershed year for the format—which has held only 2 to 3 percent of the market until now, according to the National Association of College Stores—as publishers learn whether or not enough students like the new titles and features to make them worth selling.’
http://chronicle.com/article/The-Year-of-e-Textbooks-/48305/

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT -- Are you planning on being wildly successful or important in the future? This is the time to start watching your words. Not only must students monitor the photos posted to Facebook, but the wise might hold their own academic tongue. After all, ‘What’s the statute of limitations on things we said when we were younger?’ From USAToday’s Kathleen Parker, ‘Plague of the Senior Thesis’: ‘Critiquing the college papers of politicians and their spouses recently has become custom, beginning with the 1992s presidential election when Republicans suddenly became fascinated with Hillary Clinton’s senior thesis at Wellesley College -- from 1969. Because Clinton had written about radical community organizer Saul Alinsky, Republicans were able to create the ever-lasting trope that Hillary was a socialist. This, despite the fact that she essentially disagreed with Alinsky’s tactics and has proved herself to be more Methodist than Marxist. . . . The only consolation for politicians and their spouses is that when an opponent comes for your college papers, it probably means you’re winning.’

HARVARD HAPPENINGS -- Letter from the Harvard Crimson president to readers: ‘In yesterday’s newspaper, The Crimson ran an advertisement that questioned whether the Holocaust occurred and which unsurprisingly angered many members of the Harvard community. We did not intend to run the ad—a decision we made over the summer when it was initially submitted. Unfortunately, with three weeks of vacation between submission and publication, that decision fell through the cracks. . . . We want to stress that we do not endorse the views put forth in any advertisement that runs in The Crimson, and this case was no different. That said, we do recognize that in our role as distributors we are responsible for the content that runs in our newspaper. And though we did seek to intervene in this case, we failed to see the process through to its conclusion.’
http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=528828

THE GOAL OF COLLEGE IS TO GRADUATE -- That’s no news, but these national numbers from public universities are, and are surprising: ‘Ten years ago this month. . . roughly 94,000 students arrived as first-time freshmen at 21 American flagship public universities. Four years later, 49 percent of those students had graduated from the institution where they began. Two years after that, an additional 28 percent had done so, for a total six-year graduation rate of 77 percent. At less-selective public universities, the numbers are even worse. For one recent cohort, the six-year graduation rate at the University of Cincinnati was 46 percent, according to federal data. At the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, it was 51 percent.’

Visit us daily at http://www.dispatchesfromcampus.com and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/gregorywallace. The Daily Dispatch is published weekdays during the academic year.

Daily Dispatch: Tuesday, September 8, 2009

FACULTY SENATE TO VOTE ON TENURE POLICY -- CLUB FAIR TODAY -- UNH ADDRESSES OFF-CAMPUS PARTYING -- MANY MEETINGS TODAY

By GREGORY W. WALLACE
dispatchesfromcampus.com

DRIVING THE DAY -- ‘On Tuesday, the Faculty Senate will vote on a proposal that adjusts the tenure system to account for governance structure changes. Under the new proposal, faculty under tenure consideration will proceed from the tenure committee to the college president; from there, the decision would be reviewed by a governing board tenure committee. The full board would be involved only in cases where tenure is declined and an appeal is filed, faculty members told Dispatches.’ Faculty Senate meets today at 5 pm. Full story.

Good Tuesday morning and welcome back from Labour Day.

CLUB FAIR -- The annual fall club fair, sponsored by Student Activities and Leadership Programs and Student Government Association, is today from 11 am - 2 pm in the Cushing lounge. Club tables, live music, and more.

PIZZA & POLITICS -- This year’s first Pizza and Politics beings at 6 o’clock in the Coffee Shop. R.S.V.P. for pizza.

CAN U WRITE? -- The Saint Anselm Crier is seeking student journalists, photographers, cartoonists, and editors. Do you like to make puzzles? Are you interested in selling advertising? Come to the Crier kick-off meeting, tonight at 7:15 in the new Crier office, below the Chapel Arts Center (follow the signs).

SBA INFORMATION MEETING, TAKE 2 -- The second Spring Break Alternative information meeting is tonight at 8:30 in the North Lounge.

CHINA -- A meeting will be held today for students interested in traveling to China with Professor Fitzpatrick, as well as students simply interested in earning 3 credits over Christmas break. 3 o’clock.

BBQ -- The Campus Ministry and Residence Life freshman BBQ begins at 4 pm outside Cushing.

HIP HOP DANCE meeting tonight at 7 o’clock.

RADIO FLYERS meet at 7:30 pm in Dana

Safety committee meets today at 10:30.

UNH DEALS WITH OFF-CAMPUS PARTYING -- Clynton Namuo for the Union Leader: ‘Student behavior is an issue in any college town, but particularly here in Durham, where UNH dominates the landscape. Partying is the norm for many students here, especially at the beginning of a school year, but local police say they have successfully kept things under control in recent years by working closely with the university and local landlords.

Durham police utilize a variety of techniques, including: keeping a database of how many times they're called to rental properties in town, working with local landlords to intercede before partying gets out of hand and informing UNH of problem apartments off campus where students live.’

VASSAR STUDENT ASSOCIATION VOTES FOR ACADEMIC CREDIT FOR ATHLETES -- From Mads Vassar Blog: ‘In one of the most significant VSA endorsements in some time, the VSA [Vassar Student Association] is endorsing a proposal for Vassar athletes to receive credit for their participation on sport teams. This proposal was two years in the making and was finally endorsed at last night's Council meeting.’

From the recommendation: ‘This recommendation is founded on the understanding that varsity sports at Vassar enhance the academic experience of the athletes, engendering lessons of collaboration, respect, and dedication. By enacting this recommendation, Vassar will be a leader in affirming athletics as a form of the creative and performing arts. By participating in athletics, students develop cognitive abilities that complement training in other disciplines, and in some cases discover and develop talents and interests that will shape their interested and passions.’

Vassar does offer physical education classes.

From the Philosophy department blog: THE ETHICS OF INFINITE LOVE.

Visit us daily at http://www.dispatchesfromcampus.com and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/gregorywallace. The Daily Dispatch is published weekdays during the academic year.

Faculty Senate to Consider Modified Tenure Procedures

The change of governance -- from a solely Monastic governing board to a trustee board of both lay persons and Benedictines -- raised questions about the college’s direction and standing. With many of those resolved, now comes practical questions, like how faculty are to earn tenure.

On Tuesday, the Faculty Senate will vote on a proposal that adjusts the tenure system to account for governance structure changes. Under the new proposal, faculty under tenure consideration will proceed from the tenure committee to the college president president; from there, the decision would be reviewed by a governing board tenure committee. The full board would be involved only in cases where tenure is declined and an appeal is filed, faculty members told Dispatches.

The current procedure calls for the academic department, tenure committee, and dean to review the dossier submitted by a faculty member. The college president (both a member of the governing board and a Benedictine) then presents the committee’s findings to the full governing boards, which was a small group of Benedictines.

“Tenure, or the right, after a probationary period, to hold one’s professional post continuously until retirement, subject only to termination for cause (see III (D) (4) above), is granted by the Governing Board of the College after seven years of full-time teaching at Saint Anselm College,” the Faculty Handbook states. “Tenure can be attained only by positive action of the Governing Board.”

The committee reviews several aspects of a candidate’s Saint Anselm experience in the decision process.

“The candidate has performed with diligence and professional distinction all assigned teaching and departmental duties, has the terminal degree specifically appropriate to the area of academic assignment and, in addition, has contributed significantly to the life of the College through service on College or Faculty Committees, as moderator or advisor to student groups or activities, or by other generally recognized means,” the handbook reads.

“All candidates for tenure must give evidence of significant, typically peer-reviewed, contributions to the advancement of learning in the area of their academic discipline. In addition, since Saint Anselm College is primarily an undergraduate institution, great emphasis is placed on the quality of the candidate’s teaching, the nature of the candidate’s relationship with students, and contributions made to the general academic atmosphere of campus life. Other factors bearing on the appointment will be experience and character.”

Tenure is among the most significant decisions a college administration makes, with personnel, instruction, and financial implications.

“Tenured faculty hold permanent appointment and may be terminated by the College only for cause, e.g., conviction in the courts for a serious crime, grave moral delinquency, professional incompetence or malfeasance, inability to meet professional responsibilities because of physical or mental incapacity which causes undue hardship to the College, flagrant defiance,” the Faculty Handbook reads.

The proposal was presented at a faculty meeting last Friday afternoon, several faculty in attendance told Dispatches. The proposal would then move to the governing board for approval later this month.

- gww

Daily Dispatch: Monday, September 7, 2009

UNH ISSUES ALERT FOR MIDNIGHT ATTACKER -- IDENTITY THEFT COMES TO CAMPUS -- RESEARCHERS SET THE BAR HIGH -- SWINE FLU CASES APPARENTLY DOUBLE

By GREGORY W. WALLACE

UNH SEEKING CAMPUS ATTACKER -- Union Leader: ‘University of New Hampshire police issued a campus-wide alert early yesterday [Sunday] morning after a man injured a male student in an unprovoked attack. The alert, which went out via e-mail and cell phone text message at about 1:20 a.m., said a man attacked the student at about 12:30 a.m. as he was trying to get into Stoke Hall, a large dorm just off Main Street near the center of campus.’ WMUR: ‘Witnesses could only offer a vague description of the assailant. Police described the man as white, 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet tall, with black hair. He was last seen wearing a yellow shirt and light-colored shorts.’

Good Monday morning. Off campus, Americans are celebrating Labour Day, a tradition that started on September 5, 1882 in New York City and quickly spread nationwide. It became a national holiday by act of Congress in 1894, five years before the founding of Saint Anselm College.

One professor says in a Sunday night email that she will take the afternoon off: ‘If I don't hear from you, I’ll assume you're barbecuing and enjoying time with your friends and/or family.’

FIRST HOME VICTORY SINCE 2005 FOR FOOTBALL -- Saturday’s football game was something no current student, no current player, the coaching staff, nor many members of the college community had ever seen before. After five periods of overtime play, the second-longest football game in NCAA Division II football history, the game winning touchdown was the first home victory for the Hawks in four years. Full story. Video highlights from the Union Leader's Kevin Gray. College website story. Laconia Citizen story.

The WMUR-TV website runs the college press release, but did send a camera crew and produced highlights for the Saturday newscast.

WELCOME BACK WEEK begins today with comedian Robbie Printz performing in the Coffee Shop at 7 pm. From his bio: ‘Robbie has been seen on Comedy Central, NBC, MTV, and A&E. The Improper Bostonian named Robbie Printz Boston's best Comedy Act, in their Best of Boston 2003 issue. Robbie won the 2002 Boston Comedy Festival. Robbie has performed at the best comedy clubs across the nation, as well as numerous colleges and corporate events. His performance is a reminder of childhood wonders and adulthood absurdities; delivered with high energy and a fast pace that keeps audiences laughing from start to finish.’

Auditions begin tonight for AS YOU LIKE IT. FAMILY WEEKEND SHOW auditions are Thursday.

Christian Fellowship meets tonight and every Monday at 7 pm in Campus Ministry.

SWINE FLU CASES APPARENTLY DOUBLE -- On Friday, we reported data showing 2,028 cases of swine flu on college campuses nationwide. Yesterday, news reports showed that number of cases on a single campus. NYT's William Yardley: ‘At least 2,000 students at Washington State University have reported symptoms of the H1N1 flu virus, university and local health officials said, in what appeared to be one of the largest outbreaks of the virus on a college campus. . . . So far, the cases at the university have been relatively mild, although at least two people in the area who are not students were hospitalized. The university, based in Pullman, in eastern Washington near the Idaho border, has about 19,000 students at its main campus.’

S.I.F.E. -- Students In Free Enterprise will host an open meeting tonight at 6:30 in Poisson 105.
IDENTITY THEFT -- Union Leader, ‘Identity theft can be on-campus problem’: ‘In three years, Saint Anselm College senior Scott Campbell, 21, a Belchertown, Mass., native, has had his identity stolen three times. ‘It becomes a major inconvenience in my life,’ he said in an interview last week. . . .

‘Some experts say that college students are at particular risk because they are often establishing credit for the first time, are unfamiliar with banking and reconciling their checking accounts, are likely to use debit cards over the Internet, and live in close quarters. . . . Adam Albina, chief information officer at Saint Anselm College, said the school stopped using Social Security numbers on documents eight years ago, and they are not listed on student ID cards. . . . ‘We now encrypt and protect that information even in our systems ... We don't print it on anything anymore,’ he said. identity theft is also discussed at freshmen orientation, he said, to make students aware of ‘red flags’. . . .’

SETTING THE BAR HIGH -- Researchers at the University of Florida found an excuse that many academics would probably like to use: ‘I’m going to the bar. . . for my research.’ But their study was serious, and ‘found that cheap drinks come with a high cost.’

Researcher Ryan O’Mara: ‘It may seem intuitive that cheaper alcohol can lead to higher intoxication levels and related consequences -- such as fighting, drunk driving, sexual victimization, injury, even death -- especially among the vulnerable college student population. . . Nonetheless, ‘drink specials’ and other alcohol discounts and promotions remain a common feature of college bars in campus communities in the United States. This study’s results challenge assertions sometimes made by the management of these establishments that drink discounts are innocuous marketing practices intended only to attract customers to better bargains than those provided elsewhere.’

The results: ‘The study authors found that for each $1.40 increase in the average price paid for a standard drink, the study participant was 30 percent less likely to leave the bar with a BrAC above 0.08. In other words, higher drink prices were associated with a decreased risk of patrons being inebriated when leaving the bar, the researchers concluded.’

Onward State, a student blog from Penn State, reports: ‘Now being an idiot is rationalized with research.’

A MOBILE GENERATION -- In a recent post on the Facebook blog, the company announced that 65 million people use Facebook on cell phones and mobile devices ‘actively.’

MUST READ -- From the New York Times, ‘College Advice, From People Who Have Been There Awhile,’ published over the weekend. We’ll highlight some excerpts this week.

MONDAY WEATHER -- Starting chilly, but the sun will warm the day, high of 47. Clear overnight, low of 56.

Visit us daily at http://www.dispatchesfromcampus.com and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/gregorywallace. The Daily Dispatch is published weekdays during the academic year.

Got Enough College Rankings? There's More.

Any chance you've been looking for more college rankings? Maybe Princeton Review, Forbes, and U.S. News just were not enough?

Enter Washington Monthly, a magazine that prides itself on not being "a subsidiary of some giant corporation, or a mouthpiece for ideologues. We're an independent voice, listened to by insiders and willing to take on sacred cows--liberal and conservative."

In their rankings, Saint Anselm scores 183 out of 253 on the liberal arts colleges rankings. The overall (arbitrary?) score assigned in the ranking is 27 (out of 100); only Amherst scores a perfect 100. The creative criteria includes: "Students receiving Pell grants, Predicted grad rate, Actual grad rate, Research expenditures, Bachelor's to PhD, Peace Corps, ROTC, Federal work-study funds spent on service."

- gww

SBA Information Meetings Tonight and Tuesday

Campus Ministry will be hosting Spring Break Alternative informational meetings tonight and Tuesday, director Sue Gabert announced.

Both meetings begin at 8:30 pm in the North Lounge.

- gww

Football Wins 41 - 35 in Five Overtimes

GRAPPONE STADIUM — Saturday’s football game was something no current student, no current player, the coaching staff, nor many members of the college community had ever seen before. After five periods of overtime play, the second-longest football game in NCAA Division II football history, the game winning touchdown was the first home victory for the Hawks in four years.

The game, 41- 35 against Plymouth State, spanned three hours twenty five minutes, and was the longest Saint Anselm has ever played. The win came in the fifth overtime when quarterback Michael Pierce ran into the end zone after the Panthers missed a 31-yard field goal kick.

“Its great. Its everything college football should be about,” coach Patrick Murphy told the Union Leader’s Kevin Gray. “Its two good teams, well coached.”

The Hawks have not played in overtime since 2005, and only three times in school history.

"I'm glad it came out in our favour," Coach Patrick Murphy told WMUR-TV.

The win improves Saint Anselm's record to 1-1, after loosing a 17-13 Grappone Stadium home opener with Kurtztown a week ago. This was Plymouth State's first game of the season. Last season, the Panthers finished 10-2 and won last year's match up 36-28.

The last football home win was on September 3, 2005 -- the season’s home opener -- against Plymouth State. After the 40 - 14 win, the team lost 9 games that season, plus all 20 pairings in 2006 and 2007. In 2008, the team won twice, both games on the road.

- gww

This post has been updated with bulletins posted to Dispatches at 4:33, 4:35, and 4:43; with information from the college athletics website and WMUR-TV; and to correct an error. The game entered five, not three, overtime periods, as an earlier version erroneously reported.