The community of Keene State College has mixed feelings about the college’s decision to pay the remainder of the Pumpkin Fest bill.
Sophomore Courtney Bethel said, “I think it makes sense as to why it’s happening, but I don’t know if it should be for every single student, because most students weren’t even on campus when it happened. Why do people who were off campus, that had to work, that went home — why do they have to pay that extra money?”
Andrea Cuzzupe, also a sophomore, said she thinks it’s a good idea but is wondering how the school is going to pay for it. She also added that if Keene didn’t hold Pumpkin Fest 2015 it would be more harmful than beneficial. Bethel and Cuzzupe both said they will be attending Pumpkin Fest 2015 if there is one.
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President Anne Huot also addressed the decision in her letter sent out campus-wide Friday, March 13, which explained how she would take money out of reserve funds to pay the remainder of the bill. She said that KSC is a leader in the community and the events surrounding 2014s Pumpkin Fest were not allowing the college to move forward and focus on more important work. Huot added that the reaction she has been getting from the KSC community on her decision is very positive. In addition, Huot thanked KSC students in her announcement to pay the remainder of the bill, as she wrote, “Thank you for your commitment to your academic experience, your dedication to Keene State College, and your role as a citizen of the great City of Keene.” She explained that, as stated in the letter sent out, the money being used will be reimbursed by the Student Conduct System fines, which will also reinforce expectations from students to follow the system. Huot added at the end of her interview that she did not want any rumors promoted and that was the purpose of her clarification message sent out on Tuesday, March 17. The clarification letter stated, “The tuition that our students pay, whether in-state or out-of-state is not being used to pay the residual of the bill. As I [Huot] described in my letter, the payment to the City of Keene will be made from reserve funds. Those funds will be repaid from fines collected from violations of the Student Code of Conduct ensuring that the burden is not distributed across the entire student body.”
Huot made it very clear that the raise in tuition next year for out-of-state students was not because of the Pumpkin Fest bill, only for educational purposes. As far as next year’s Pumpkin Fest, Huot does not know if there will be one, because it is the City of Keene’s decision. Student Body President Bobby Graham said, “I think in the end it was the right decision. It seemed like it was us [KSC students] that got the shortest end of the stick with the bill but it was the shortest end of the stick possible.”
“In the long run I think it’s going to do a lot of good things. I think it’s going to do a lot of good things for community and college relationships — that was the main thinking behind President Huot’s decision, I believe. She had make sure we’re safe in our own community too and things like that and in the end I think it was a great decision,” Graham said.
Graham said that although he thought it was a good decision Huot made to pay the bill, next time she decides to use student money in this way, students should definitely be consulted about the matter first.
Pumpkin Fest organizer Ruth Sterling was reached for a comment on KSC’s decision to pay the bill, but did not respond by press time.
Savanna Balkun can be contacted at kscequinox.com