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Tuesday, March 10, 2026
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The New Hampshire

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The New Hampshire

Kobziks Korner: Broadening an education

By Bret Belden · Thursday, April 21, 2016

Coming to  UNH, I expected many things. Almost all of them proved to be wrong. When I first arrived to UNH my freshman year I hadn’t a clue as to what my major would be. I can clearly remember freshman orientation. I was put in a room with all the other undeclared liberal arts majors trying to decide whether history or political science or English would be the way to go. I sat there, in a hot and crowded Hamilton Smith room with not the faintest idea as where I’d go with my career here.

The New Hampshire

Key to ending campus sexual assaults is transparency

By Bret Belden · Thursday, April 21, 2016

Choosing a college is an important decision. Each year, students spend dozens of hours discussing with their parents, teachers, counselors and coaches where they would like to spend the next few years of their lives. They pore over statistics, rankings and testimonials, trying to decide which school is the best fit. And data is everywhere: A prospective student can go online to find anything from financial aid statistics to the average class size to the number of robberies on campus.

The New Hampshire

Musing on Music: Problematic pronunciation

By Bret Belden · Thursday, April 21, 2016

Isn’t it funny how we each assume that our own way of speaking, particularly when it comes to pronunciation, is the one true “right” way? In fact, as Americans we love British accents because they sound so different and strange to our ears, whereas technically, the proper British accent should be considered as “normal” everywhere, because that’s where English was first spoken: Early Modern English, that is – I’m not going to go into all the history involved in the formation of an entire language. The problem is, that either way, the language has been so diversified and stretched, that sometimes it’s very difficult for people of different dialects to understand each other, even when they are technically speaking the same language.

The New Hampshire

Farewell Column: A collision with journalism

By Bret Belden · Thursday, April 14, 2016

You should probably write for the paper,” my dad tells me as we drive home from UNH. It’s the drive home from the spring semester of my junior year. I have only just declared journalism after several regrettable attempts at other majors. “Yeah, I’m sure we’ll talk about that in one of my classes” I say. At this point I hadn’t done any real journalism and didn’t know what it meant to write a story.

The New Hampshire

Farewell Column: Well, it’s about that time

By Bret Belden · Thursday, April 14, 2016

Time is something that I’m always worrying about. I always want more; more time to spend with friends; more time to sleep in; more time to be able to learn more in classes; more time to be at UNH, and mostly, more time to finish an article. I feel that I can always do better if I just had more time.

The New Hampshire

Farewell Column: Goodbye from the science guy

By Bret Belden · Thursday, April 14, 2016

Over these past four years this university has made me feel at home. From the late nights to frantically studying for tests, I feel like I’ve learned my fair share of knowledge that has helped prepare me for wherever my future takes me.

The New Hampshire

Farewell Column: Many thanks to many folks

By Bret Belden · Thursday, April 14, 2016

I am thankful for my four years at TNH and all the people I have had the chance to cross paths with. The newspaper has helped me build my own journalistic foundation and begin to build my brand. I am, however, only a product of those who came before me and those who affect me currently. So instead of saying goodbye, I am just going to say thank you.

The New Hampshire

Farewell Column: A warm tip of the cap

By Bret Belden · Thursday, April 14, 2016

As my four years at UNH wind down, I find myself looking back over my career here and realizing that there are far too many people that I’d need to thank to ever adequately do so. But with my last production night behind me, I figured I’d give a quick shout out to those people that made the last year and a half at The New Hampshire possible.

The New Hampshire

Farewell Column: My 3 cents

By Bret Belden · Thursday, April 14, 2016

It’s a bit curious that what I wish to write today results from what I have learned this past semester rather than my whole college track, but it is still, nonetheless, very useful and can certainly apply to the past and what I want to achieve in the future. I can reflect on my past experiences both from Denison University and UNH, but I think it would be more useful to give my learned guidance to the open-minded reader. So without further hesitation, here are my 3 cents to underclassmen and graduates alike (and I say 3 instead of two because of the three points I wish to make; I am not placing more value on my tips than anyone else’s, although I like to think that this information is indeed valuable).

The New Hampshire

Farewell Column: A lasting impression

By Bret Belden · Thursday, April 14, 2016

After picking up my cap and gown this past Tuesday, looking around seeing all my fellow soon-to-be grads, the idea of graduation officially sunk in… I couldn’t help but feel overcome with emotion… thinking about all of the connections I’ve made in the past four years, knowing how much I’ve grown as a person. I wondered if I had an impact on the people I’ve met or helped shaped this community in any way.

The New Hampshire

Farewell Column: Finding your inner beast

By Bret Belden · Thursday, April 14, 2016

"Life is hard. Then you die. Then they throw dirt on your face. Then the worms eat you. Be glad it happens in that order.” Those hilarious—but painfully accurate—words come from American writer David Gerrold.

The New Hampshire

Editorial: Rally up for Relay

By Bret Belden · Sunday, April 10, 2016

The annual Relay For Life event at the University of New Hampshire will kick off next Saturday, April 23 at noon. There will be 18 straight hours of shared support, reflection and remembrance wrapping up at 6 a.m. Sunday morning. 

The New Hampshire

Exploring Republican candidates’ ignorance, phobias

By Bret Belden · Sunday, April 10, 2016

American religious extremism has been around since this country’s inception. Jefferson saw where it failed in Europe and decided to be quite clear on how great of an idea a secular government would be. In 1802, Thomas Jefferson spoke directly of the wall of separation of church and state in his letter to the Danbury Baptists. Not only did our founders have strong opinions on this matter, but the U.S. Supreme Court has held this distinction up for more than a hundred years.

The New Hampshire

Musing on Music: Everything Changes

By Bret Belden · Sunday, April 10, 2016

Is there one project that you haven’t even started, due on the same day as your huge exam in that other class and you’re super stressed out trying to figure out how to get it all done, on time, and get a good grade? Are you freaking out because your relationship is going down the drain, in a lull or because you’re feeling horribly lonely and single? Try not to fret about these things. Although they may seem enormous at the moment, every situation changes and in the end, as Shakespeare says, “All’s well that ends well.” Tracy Lawrence’s song “Time Marches On” is all about expecting the unexpected because the only thing that doesn’t change in life is the fact that “everything changes.”

The New Hampshire

Who Run The World? (UNH)

By Bret Belden · Monday, April 4, 2016

Who runs the world? Some might say the president of the United States, the United Nations, Wall Street bankers or even the mysterious “illuminati.” Beyonce´ makes her argument via the title and lyrics of her 2011 chart-topping pop song “Run The World (Girls).” But the recent accomplishments of some UNH alumnae suggest Queen B might have been on to something.

The New Hampshire

Trump: Next president?

By Bret Belden · Thursday, March 31, 2016

Alright people get your pitchforks and torches ready. I can already hear a mob of people gathering outside my window. I’m going to make this quick so that I can find a safe place to hide.

The New Hampshire

From The Left: N.C. gender act a mistake, insult

By Bret Belden · Thursday, March 31, 2016

Charlotte, North Carolina recently made the unforgivable mistake of moving into the 21st century by passing an anti-discrimination bill protecting the LGBTQ+ community. The North Carolina state government quickly intervened and passed one of the most anti-LGBTQ+ laws in the country. The law called, “Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act,” forces transgender people to identify with the gender on their birth certificate, whether or not that’s how they identify. This law also prohibits cities and towns from passing LGBTQ+-inclusive non-discrimination protections.

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