#University of New Hampshire

[athleticperfection1]

New Hampshire Soccer

[badolmen]

Please someone talk about what happened at Dartmouth and UNH tonight. Please drag these administrations through the mud and kill the enrollment rates. Please.

[abwwia]

Lotte Jacobi photographed by her sister Ruth Jacobi, New York 1935

Lotte Jacobi Collection, University of New Hampshire, USA

[beet1031]

Endangering UNH’s Students: a Critique of PSC and NHYM

(Side note: I'm posting this because it's easier than making a whole website for one post)

Let’s get something out of the way very quickly; I am pro-Palestine. Not only do I want this horrible, awful genocide in Gaza to end, but I want Palestine to be freed from Israel’s tyrannical rule. So I’m not writing this critique because I disagree with either of these organizations politically. Actually, in terms of core values we agree on many levels. The reason I’m writing this is because I take issue with how the University of New Hampshire branches of the Palestinian Solidarity Coalition (PSC) and New Hampshire Youth Movement (NHYM) have been conducting themselves recently. To be honest, I’ve felt this way for quite some time now. But since no one was getting hurt, up until this point I’ve kept my opinions to myself. This, however, has changed. Now, thirteen people have been brutalized and arrested by the police. Eleven of those people were students at UNH. So suffice to say, it’s time to speak out. When it comes to their political campaigns, the PSC and NHYM have a huge issue with jumping the gun and antagonizing others. This issue has exacerbated itself to the point where now people are getting hurt. In order to understand the full extent of this issue, we need to go back to April of 2023. 

NHYM and PACS:

On April 26 2023, NHYM held a protest on Thompson Hall lawn. Their protest was against UNH’s Psychological and Counseling Services (PACS) department, whom they believed were ignoring the needs of students. And the visual aspects of their protest made quite a strong statement; the group made a wooden coffin, surrounded by signs talking about the number of students on campus who had taken their own lives over the past year. During this protest, they held a mock ‘funeral’ to honor the lives of those who’d passed as well as make a statement against PACS. 

At first, I was all for this. Hearing how many people had died, how few counselors there were, and all the other tidbits of information filled me with determination. I wanted to help, I wanted things to change. I went and helped them make a few posters, and got to know a lot of the people in this group. Most of them were students, and I must admit they were all wonderful people. At the time I just assumed that their protest was against PACS, even though I didn’t know all the details of what exactly was going on. So I didn’t think to question their methods. Then about a day or two after the protest took place, I realized that I wasn’t actually sure what NHYM was trying to do. So I asked a friend in the organization, “Hey, why exactly are you guys campaigning against PACS?” and his answer astonished me: “No, we’re not trying to go against PACS, we’re trying to work with them to inspire change”. 

Wait… what? If their goal was to work with PACS, then why antagonize them? Surely if the goal was diplomacy, then bringing a giant coffin and a bunch of posters saying “how many more students have to die” to PACS’ front lawn would be the opposite of helpful. And given the fact that the school tried to have the protest shut down, I think it’s safe to say the administrators of UNH did feel quite agitated. When you look at the policies NHYM was trying to change, it’s not like any of them were openly malevolent. If anything, most of the policies just made it clear that PACS was a severely underfunded department without the means to be as diligent as their students needed. With that in mind, it’s hard to think the organization would be opposed to hearing out students who have serious concerns about them. So again, why antagonize them? And why go after PACS, when the issues you’re addressing are actually the fault of whoever makes their budget? 

Not wanting to be one who complains without understanding the full story, I went to the next NHYM meeting to get their take on these questions. And to be honest, I was not comforted by their answers. First, I asked if the organization had done anything to try and reach out to the school before protesting. Their answer was nondescript, but I was able to get some information. They said that they had in fact emailed back and forth with PACS a few times, but had been told that there probably wasn’t enough money to implement the changes NHYM was looking for. The leaders of NHYM said that there was no hostility, nor an immediate shutdown of their concerns. Just mild dissent, and maybe a touch of disinterest. Sure, it’s not the greatest response in the world. But it’s hard to justify trying to turn the entire school against PACS based on that communication alone. Diplomacy takes time, but it goes a whole lot faster if the people you’re working with actually like you. 

Although this anecdote is not directly related to the May 1st protests, it does highlight the main issue that I believe is present in both NHYM and the PSC. The UNH branches of both organizations prefer to put diplomacy to the side for the sake of garnering attention and ‘making a statement’. And while power in numbers is a powerful tool when used correctly, there’s more to politics than just theatrics. As far as I know, after the initial demonstration NHYM did meet with PACS in person to discuss changing their program. And the good news is, the two groups were actually able to make some progress towards helping UNH students. So my question is, what was stopping NHYM from just doing that in the first place? 

May 1st: 

My critiques of the PSC and how they handled the protest on May 1st aren’t as harsh as the previous section, since they tried at least a little bit to protect students. But in my opinion, there were still a few things they could have done better. Now, let me make something clear: what happened on May 1st was still entirely the police’s fault. There was no reason for them to be as aggressive as they were, and the way they treated students was completely unacceptable. That being said, it’s the responsibility of whoever’s hosting a protest to minimize the risk of that protest going wrong. And the PSC did very little to try and prevent the thirteen arrests that took place. 

Right now, the PSC is using the brutalization of students by police to fuel their political campaign even further. And of course, what happened during the encampment protest was awful. But there’s one piece of information the PSC is hiding from the public- they knew the police were going to show up. In his official statement about the event, President Jimmy Dean wrote “those guidelines, as well as repeated requests and warnings from university staff and police, were blatantly ignored”. What he’s referring to here is the fact that the school warned the PSC that doing an encampment would lead to police shutting down the protest. In the past, the PSC has always had to get a permit to do their usual protests. And while they did have a permit to be on Thompson Hall lawn from 5-7pm, they did not have a permit to be there past 7pm. In their press statement the PSC cites the fact that the UNH code of conduct doesn’t have any rules against setting up tents on campus, but that doesn’t change the fact that they knew the potential risks of their protest long before the event. 

There was absolutely no mention of potential police involvement in their advertisements for the protests. It is unclear whether the event had designated marshalls or professional peacekeepers who may have been able to deescalate the situation. During most protests, both of these people are usually marked in some sort of easily identifiable manner, such as reflective jackets. In the PSC’s defense, they did hold an optional teach-in about police safety before the encampment. But in a situation where you know the police will eventually come, why let this class be optional? Plus as mentioned before, it is unclear whether or not this professional was still around by the time the police showed up. Overall, given the gravity of the situation the PSC did very little to try and protect UNH’s students. They ignored the warnings of the administration, they withheld vital information from the public, and they did not organize well enough to minimize risk during their event. 

Conclusion:

As I mentioned before, I’ve met a lot of the people on campus who work for the PSC and NHYM. I’ve participated in multiple of their events. I was even at the protest on May 1st. Everyone working for these organizations are very nice, very motivated people, and the last thing I want is for any of them to think that I take issue with them personally. Nor do I want to cause drama, so if anyone reading this knows people in either organization, please do not treat them any differently than you normally would. The only reason I’m writing this is because I know the PSC will continue to hold protests, at least until the genocide in Gaza is over. And I want people to know the potential risks of going to these protests, since the organizations hosting them seem to be ignoring them. 

Here’s the thing; these oversights I’ve mentioned do not come from a place of malevolence. Students on campus are angry, and want to fix all the issues going on right now. Not only on campus, but in the world as a whole. I’ve absolutely been there before. But unfortunately, sometimes you have to be willing to work with the people you want change from, instead of against them. This is something that is not represented in either the PSC’s or NHYM’s actions. And if they continue to carry on as they are, I’m afraid about whether or not more people will get hurt. If you’re a student at UNH, please take this into consideration. Whether or not you agree with me, I hope you’ll at least think about what I’ve said. 

[agentfascinateur]

To protesting students:

SEIZE YOUR CENTURY

Push back against dark times ✊🏼

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

#freespeech #righttoprotest #endgenocide

[the-wolf-and-moon]

Solar Eclipse, Colebrook, New Hampshire

[andymartinusa]

New Hampshire legislators attack Andy Martin with the “Andy Martin Act”

Three crooked New Hampshire state legislators, Joe Sweeney, Joe Alexander and Ross Berry are sponsoring what they call the “Andy Martin Act” to make it more difficult, they think, to run for federal office in New Hampshire. Andy Martin, New Hampshire’s only corruption fighter, exposes their fraud scheme. Andy also exposes how WMUR and the Manchester Union Loser, as well as the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and St. Anselm’s College, have rigged New Hampshire politics against Republican candidates. Andy is in the midst of planning his return to the war in Ukraine later this year. Full story:

https://contrariancommentary.wordpress.com/2023/03/29/new-hampshire-legislators-attack-andy-martin-with-the-andy-martin-act/

[gamma-xi-delta]

University of New Hampshire: Chi Omega Recruitment Video 2022

Published by Luke Bednarek

[tomorrowusa]

At The Center for Politics at University of Virginia, the Electoral Collage ratings for three states have changed this week. All three changes are more favorable for Democrats.

Georgia moves from Leans Republican to Toss-up

Minnesota moves from Leans Democratic to Likely Democratic

New Hampshire moves from Leans Democratic to Likely Democratic

These are the first ratings changes since Kamala Harris chose Tim Walz as her running mate. It would surprise me if Wisconsin did not move from Toss-up to Leans Democratic by the end of September.

As a born and bred Midwesterner I know that northwestern Wisconsin has vibes similar to adjacent parts of Minnesota. If there's a Tim Walz effect in the Midwest, it's likely to be felt there. One might also say the same about the Upper Peninsula of Michigan – but I'm not quite there yet.

In case you're not familiar with the UV Center for Politics Crystal Ball.

[myceliumsage]

it’s time for a end of the week check in! feel free to reblog this with ur own answers, or make ur own post, just be sure to tag me in it & at least two mutuals to keep the trend going!

📚 what have i gotten done?

✦ discussion post for society & energy consumption.

✦ reading for society & energy consumption.

✦ 4/5's of my first of three parts for my final project.

📑 what have i got left to do?

✦ discussion responses.

✦ final paragraph for final project paper.

✦ next weeks reading & homework.

🧫 what am i proud of this week?

✦ i pushed myself even when all i wanted to do was give up. it's paying off, slowly but surely.

✦ i got good feedback from last weeks assignments !!!

✦ i showed up for myself when i didn't want to.

📖 what am i looking forward to?

✦ playing more final fantasy x hehe!

✦ dyeing my hair on saturday :)

✦ my birthday on monday !!!

i tag @ellies-space, @celestialstarboy, and @gemplans!!

you don't have to be a studyblr to participate, and you don't need to participate at all! i'd love to see what you guys have done with your journals, or just in your every day - your to do lists, anything! :))

thank you to @mortuarymorticia for tagging me in this <333 ilysm!

[the-riddler-that-can-riddle]

I'm going to Granite State Comicon!

[xtruss]

Eurasian magpies typically build their nests from thorny branches, but some birds have discovered anti-bird spikes work just as well—if not better. Photograph By Auke Florian Hiemstra

'The Perfect Revenge'? Birds are Building Fortresses From Anti-bird Spikes

Despite a plethora of products designed to keep birds off buildings, our feathered friends are sending a clear message: Nice try.

— By Jason Bittel | July 17, 2023

In an example of “The Perfect Revenge,” European birds are ripping anti-bird barbs off buildings and using them to build armored nurseries for their chicks, scientists say.

“They take the stuff we use to try to deter birds, and they make a nest out of it, and then make more birds,” says Auke-Florian Hiemstra, a biologist at Naturalis Biodiversity Center in the Netherlands and lead author of a study on the phenomenon published this month in Deinsea, the online journal of the National History Museum Rotterdam.

“That’s just a brilliant way to fight the system. Nice to see some birds fighting back.”

While birds are a common urban neighbor, city residents don’t always appreciate the droppings and nesting materials our feathered friends leave behind. This has spurred an entire industry of products designed to keep birds off human infrastructure, such as light displays, netting, and even sharp metal spikes.

However, a new study shows that not only are some birds unbothered by long strips of barbs, but they’re actually ripping the skewers off buildings and using them to build armored nurseries for their chicks.

In the Netherlands, two instances so far show that carrion crows coiled the strips so that the spikes faced inward, possibly serving as a base for the nest and helping to bind other nesting materials, such as twigs and dry leaves.

Scientists want to know if these nests (Pictured, One Found in Antwerp, Belgium) ​are better at protecting chicks than those without spikes. Photograph By Auke Florian Hiemstra

Eurasian magpies, on the other hand, build nests with a roof. “Magpies are very worried about crows stealing their eggs and young, so to protect them, they make this dome,” says Hiemstra. “They can fly multiple kilometers trying to look for material. However, in cities, there’s not a lot thorny branches around.”

Perhaps this is why, in three separate instances described between 2021 and 2023 from the Netherlands, Belgium, and Scotland, Hiemstra found magpie nests that incorporated anti-bird spikes in the top of the dome. And this is intriguing, because magpies typically construct their roofs out of hawthorn, blackthorn, and rose stems.

In other words, it seems the magpies are not treating the anti-bird strips as just another building material. They’re using the spikes as spikes.

If true, it would be the first such documentation of its kind.

'Magpies are Nuts'

To be clear, birds build nests from human-made objects all the time. Hiemstra has personally seen nests from various species made out of everything from windshield wipers and headphones to hypodermic needles, cocaine packaging, and condoms.

“So even the wild side of Amsterdam, you will see reflected in the bird nests,” he says. “Almost anything can become nesting material.”

However, for his new research, Hiemstra dived into the scientific literature to find examples of corvids using anti-bird spikes. The first recorded example of this behavior appears to be from 2009 in Rotterdam, but overall the scientists gathered five instances in three countries.

“So even the wild side of Amsterdam, you will see reflected in the bird nests,” he says. “Almost anything can become nesting material.”

It has also been previously documented that some species, such as cockatoos in Australia, will actively rip anti-bird spikes from their moorings.

This strip of anti-bird spikes was taken from a nest in Antwerp, Belgium. Photograph By Auke Florian Hiemstra

However, what makes this new study different is the idea that the magpies, especially, may be using the anti-bird spikes in a functional capacity.

“I’ve seen birds who built on top of the spikes,” which are also used in the U.S., says Karina Sanchez, an urban ecologist at the University of New Hampshire not involved in the study. “But this was my first time seeing the spikes being yanked off of the structure and used in nests.”

Sanchez says she’s not surprised about the species involved. “Magpies are Nuts,” she laughs. “Their nests are very elaborate. We used to call them ‘condos.’”

While the photos included in the study are “somewhat convincing,” Sanchez says that right now, the idea that magpies might be using the spikes functionally is “still kind of anecdotal.”

For one, the behavior has only been documented a handful of times. And two, it would require further experimentation to prove that the magpies recognize the human-made materials as being similar in function to natural materials, such as thorny branches.

At the same time, Sanchez says, “I don’t see why that wouldn’t be a possibility.”

According to Hiemstra, the next step will be to design experiments that can figure out if thorny materials help magpies raise more chicks. Then, they’d want to see if anti-bird spikes produce similar, or maybe even better results.

Do Animals Feel Revenge?

The study comes among two recent examples of wildlife messing with people—an otter stealing surfboards in California and a spate of incidents in which orcas are attacking boats in Europe. These incidents have spurred headlines that wildlife is finally fed up with people.

Of course, scientists can’t say—yet—whether an animal actually feels revenge, Hiemstra says.

“If the birds themselves understand the irony of the whole situation, that is of course, impossible to say. But corvids do understand a lot, are real problem solvers, recognize themselves in mirrors, [and] understand tool use,” he says.

And it’s indisputable that wildlife have figured out how to live among us, especially in cities.

“It’s really sad that we’re fighting our urban wildlife so actively,” says Hiemstra, “while actually, it’s quite beautiful that these animals are living in cities, just like us.”

“So I would really like the people to embrace that urban wildlife, instead of fighting it with bird spikes.”

[photosbyrocco]

Rindge Tinge

by Rocco

[psychmaj]

12/9/22

Hi all. New term starts January 2nd and I’m attending a new university 😄 my first class — English composition 2. In this pic right here I made an APA citation guide since I often forget how to use APA format and this will help me out. Also yes I’m still majoring in psychology (with a concentration in mental health)

So you can expect the coffee shop sit down visits and also study vlogs/blogs when they come. I’m so psyched to be continuing my education.

(I am a sophomore with 30 credits attending southern New Hampshire university)

[wutbju]

On March 1, 2023, in response to the "Urgent Open Letter," Brian Fuller pretends he is a victim of the BJU "network." He stated in the +++Positive+++ group:

Some of this same tribe of zealots on the BOT shunned, separated and blacklisted me and my family in May, 2010, because we dared to take the side of the victim and to criticize how a famous FBI pastor and BJU Board Member treated her. Dr. Bob III stood against us. FBFI ousted us. Fundamentalist "friends" treated us like we had a disease. But, an evangelist friend stood beside us and continued to love and encourage us. His name is Steve Pettit. This terror group is now seeking to do the same thing to Dr. Pettit that they do to everyone who questions their autocratic Pharisaical declarations. They despise the culture of grace and genuine discipleship that is developing and thriving at BJU. They are on a mission for the return of a culture of fear, surveillance and control. positive bju grads & friends, and BJU Faculty-Staff, let's respond to this call to action, stand-up, and let our voices be heard.

No.

You did not take the side of the victim. In no way, shape, or form, did you take the side of the victim. At all. Ever.

And none of us heard you criticize Chuck Phelps. At all.

Brian, there's video of what you did. You were NOT standing with Tina Anderson.

ABC News quoted you saying:

The church's current leader, Pastor Brian Fuller, said that the Concord Police dropped the ball 13 years ago. "Let's go to the police station, where thirteen years ago, somebody unconscionably took the reports, and put 'em away in a filing cabinet, let them gain dust," Fuller said.

That's not standing with the victim, Brian. That's shifting the blame away from the NETWORK of fundamentalist pastors.