KSC President Anne Huot visited student assembly Tuesday, March 3 to dispel any rumors about the where the money for the remaining Pumpkin Fest bill will come from.
“I want to start by saying not a penny of your tuition is going toward that, and it has absolutely nothing to do with what may or may not happen with next years tuition rates,” Huot said.
Jake Coughlin / Administrative Executive Editor
Since the announcement that the college would pay the remaining Pumpkin Fest bill there have been swirling rumors on social media correlating the rise of tuition and the Pumpkin Fest bill. “There’s nothing like an unsubstantiated rumor to get people exercising,” Huot said, referring to the rumors.
According to Huot, the money to pay for this bill will come directly from a reserve account the college has. This reserve is from the fines that are collected from student misconduct.
In other words, alcohol fines, parking tickets and other money collected from disciplinary action may be going towards the outstanding Pumpkin Fest bill.
The president continued, saying that hopefully this gesture will help mend the relationship between Keene State College and the Keene community. “Sometimes in life, taking the high road is the best course of action,” Huot said, “This community needs this college,” she continued.
Student Body President Bobby Graham expressed one concern with Huot’s quick decision, “I’m not sure that any students were consulted,” Graham said.
Huot acknowledged that her decision was made quickly without student consent and a more thoughtful decision consulting students would happen in another instance.
Huot made one thing clear in her discussion with Student Assembly, “I don’t expect to ever do this again,” she said.
Huot went on to express her distaste for Let it Shine’s proposed plan to split up the bill in the future. Let it Shine is the organization that hosts Keene Pumpkin Festival every year.
Skyler Frazer can be contacted at sfrazer@kscequinox.com
