residential life finds new way to implement alcohol policies

This summer, word spread among UNH students about a very popular annual list put out by The Princeton Review. This list declared UNH to be the seventh highest rated party school in the nation.

Coincidentally, just as the first parties of the fall semester were starting up, so were new practices of the residential life staff. While no new policies have been written, new ways of implementing rules have been put into order. Residential life is now placing greater emphasis on a policy known as “failure to comply.”

This rule states that if a resident assistant or hall director suspects alcohol consumption and knocks on a door, and the occupant either takes too long to open the door or fails to open it at all, a failure to comply charge is issued.

Another new emphasis is how far the door has to be opened. Before this year, a resident could open the door just enough to peak outside, thereby allowing a roomful of people and contraband to be hidden. Now, not only must the door open all the way, but all guests must exit into the hallway.

“What we were finding was that mature students were more likely to get significant sanctions as opposed to the students who took the time to hide things,” said Scott Chesney, director of residential life. “In the name of fairness, we’ve modified our approach.”

In response to rumors circulating about the tougher implementations coming as a result of UNH’s status on The Princeton Review list, Chesney said, “It just isn’t true. We met with lawyers in the spring before the list even came out.”
Another popular theory among students concerns overcrowding.

Tory Smith, an undeclared sophomore, said, “I’ve heard people say that they want to kick people out so that there are more places to live.”

Chesney vehemently denied this rumor, as well.

Last year alone, more than 1,300 cases were tried against students in residence halls, and more than 110 students were evicted from housing. According to Chesney, more stringent practices have not been put into place in order to pit students against authority, but to teach them responsibility. 

Silver Moon Crêperie continues to serve tasty treats

Open just under a year, the Silver Moon Crêperie, located in downtown Dover, is unlike any other eatery you will find in the area. The name Silver Moon comes from the look of the white crêpe batter as it spreads on the black griddle—silvery, like a full moon.

The interior of the restaurant is anything but nocturnal. There is a bright, sunny feel to it, made even brighter by the warmth and humor of owners Theresa and Chris Therrien.

“We’re lucky to have a loyal following who embrace our concept due to its uniqueness,” said Therrien. “Our aim is to offer food that no one else is doing locally. Everything is cooked in front of the customer. Though it can be a paradox when you strive to offer something different, like crêpes and grilled, Cuban-style panini sandwiches, and some customers ask why we don’t serve hash browns, omelettes and hamburgers.”

The Silver Moon Crêperie is a nice spot to enjoy a casual snack, dessert or meal in a warm, friendly, easygoing atmosphere. Silver Moon offers fresh, made-to-order juice—carrot, orange, apple or any combination of the three. The café also has imported, hard-to-find sodas.

Silver Moon is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. during the week and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays. You can order breakfast crêpes with an egg cooked inside all day long.

“All of our food is made from fresh ingredients,” said Therrien. “The only thing we get frozen is the wild Maine blueberries, which we use throughout the year. Our fresh strawberries and chocolate crêpe is seasonal, along with hot mulled cider and daily soup served during the colder months.”

For more information, visit www.silvermooncreperie.com or call 603-742-6150. 

Brown Bag Lunch Series spotlights holistic health

Long nights and loaded schedules are putting a damper on the laid back atmosphere that is college life. Midterms are creeping up quickly, and, if you are feeling stressed out, you should rethink the way you take care of your body.

Health care is not exactly the top priority for many college students. Getting enough sleep, eating healthy and exercising regularly do not always fit into students’ daily schedules.

For the third year running, Health Services is sponsoring the Brown Bag Lunch Series to help educate the UNH community on a few of the different branches of holistic health, such as energy therapy, Reiki, harmonic therapy and various types of meditation. The series began Oct. 9 and will run every Tuesday throughout October.

Practitioners will be volunteering their time to spread awareness about holistic health and to give students, faculty and staff a chance to see how holistic health works and is beneficial. The Seacoast community has an immense array of practitioners, and a few have volunteered to help bridge the gap between students and the holistic health community.

The sessions, which are held from 12:45 to 1:45 p.m. in MUB room 334, will give students an opportunity to try out variations of holistic health. The practitioners will be talking about what they do, the history of the art and why it is good for the body.
The first two sessions occurred on Oct. 9 and 16. As the Brown Bag Lunch Series progresses, various forms of Holistic Health will be shared. For a complete schedule, students can contact Health Services at www.unh.edu/health-services or 603-862-1530. The Brown Bag Lunch Series is sponsored by Health Services and operated entirely by volunteer efforts.