The Student Assembly held a meeting on Feb. 24, its second to last meeting before spring break. The meeting featured guest speaker Barbara Berthiaume on behalf of Keene State’s Wellness Center.
Berthiaume, Director, Chief Medical Officer and Nurse Practitioner of the Wellness Center, described it as an “integrative department.” This means that the center offers both counseling and health services.
Counseling options are individual and group therapy, walk-in services, campus outreach and the after hours mental health emergency hotline under the phone number (603) 358-2436.
In regard to the emergency hotline, Berthiaume said, “That would be for someone having a mental health crisis after hours. Students can call the service and a counselor will pick up the phone themselves, and we [the Wellness Center] will get the report the next business day.” She continued, “We’d then follow up with that student and see if they need support, and if not, we’ll still check in to make sure they’re okay and to let them know how we could support them.”
As for health services, Berthiaume listed all of the Wellness Center’s options, including urgent care, sexual and reproductive care, assistance with prescription refills, an on-site pharmacy, registered nurse visits and mental health evaluation.
All services, whether counseling or physician health related, are available for KSC students.
The Wellness Center also has multiple campus outreach programs, such as Wellness Wednesdays, where the center’s representatives table in the L.P. Young Student Center, and thorough training of community assistants and orientation leaders.
A few assembly members asked Berthiaume questions at the end of her presentation, one being from Representative Nathan Hope, who asked if Berthiaume felt confident in the center’s abilities to meet the needs of students.
Berthiaume said, “On the mental health side, I think we have a really strong staff. I’d love to have an additional medical provider, because we did lose a full time nurse practitioner, so that has felt a little challenging at times this year especially with the flu that’s been going around. But with the resources we have, we are doing as well as we can.”
Junior Kylie Nelson and sophomore Bria Zimmerele, the student body president and vice president, announced that they would be sending out information regarding the annual Spring Carnival soon. Nelson also shared that she had worked with Beeze Tee’s to give students the opportunity to buy their own student government merch, customizable with a variety of colors and the ability to add an individual’s name and title.
Treasurer and first-year Karen Cisneros announced that the deadline for budget recommendations will be March 13, with emails already sent out to club presidents and treasurers on Feb. 13. The budget committee will be discussing and finalizing proposed budgets from March 23 to April 3, with recommendations being presented to the assembly at its April 7 meeting.
As for courtesies, the Make-A-Wish club will be hosting an event on March 27, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., which will include children visiting the campus. Junior Samantha Goldblatt, the club’s vice president, has requested that clubs and organizations reach out to her to get involved.
Additionally, DPhiE will be tabling in the student center from March 2 to March 6, in an effort to raise money for the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders.
The Equinox’s second annual Media Org. Madness will be held on March 7 from 5 to 9 p.m., alongside WKNH, Film Society, KSC Media Production, Gamers Guild, Art Collective and Bricolage.
The event will include a real-life dress to impress contest, where participants are encouraged to dress up as their favorite character from any type of media.
The assembly’s final meeting before spring break will be on March 10, featuring guest speaker Kirsti Sandy, according to speaker Amanda Rotigliano.
Sandy is the provost and vice president for academic affairs, and will be speaking about her role and responsibilities. Sandy also said she will be open to student questions and feedback, and would be willing to speak at other assembly meetings after her March 10 appearance.
Along with Sandy, representatives from the National Association for Music Education (NAFME), Rugby, and the Interfraternity Council (IFC) will be present at the March 10 meeting for the approval of their constitutions.
Samantha Menard can be contacted at
Hope is the managing executive editor of The Equinox and had no part in the editing of this article.
