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Campus and Student News

UNH to Induct Five into Athletics Hall of Fame

(Continued from UNH Today home page.)

Christine Huber, Basketball and Soccer, 1996-2000
The definition of a two-sport star, Huber was a four-time all-conference selection and is second in the University’s record books for scoring for the women's soccer program with 63 goals and 144 points. Equally adept in basketball, she was a three-time all-conference selection and still ranks eighth in career scoring (1,453 points) and tenth in career rebounding (764).

Cazzie Kosciolek, Football, 1997
Kosciolek quarterbacked UNH to the national championship game in his only season in the blue and gold, then moved on to a position as an assistant coach for the Chargers. Now coaching at the College of the Holy Cross, he finished third in the voting for the Harlon Hill Trophy, Division II's version of the Heisman, after passing for 3,232 yards and 32 touchdowns to lead the NCAA's highest-scoring offense (43.3 ppg).

Joe Maher, Men's Soccer Coach, 1981-90
Maher is second in program history with 108 victories in 10 seasons, including two trips to the NCAA Elite Eight (1981, 1983) and an appearance in the NCAA Final Four in 1984. He led the team to a school-record six consecutive seasons with 10 or more wins, including a school-record 17 in 1983. The team was ranked in the top 20 of the final national poll four times.

Kim Schmidt, Softball and Women's Volleyball, 1984-88
A four-time all-conference selection and an all-region pick as a senior, Schmidt still ranks among the softball program's all-time leaders in seven hitting categories. She is the program's career leader with 15 triples and is in the top 10 in career at-bats, hits, runs, doubles, RBIs and stolen bases. She helped the team to a 97-66 record in her four seasons. As a defensive specialist, she helped the volleyball team to a pair of NCAA Elite Eight appearances and one berth in the Sweet Sixteen, with a combined record of 107-21.

Robert Skinnon, Baseball, 1998-2001
The NECC Player of the Year in 2000, Skinnon batted .479 that season and hit exactly .400 during his four-year career at UNH. He is the program's all-time leader in base hits (233), led the nation in runs scored in 1999, and drove in 113 runs during his career. He led the team to a 103-45-1 record and two NCAA appearances, including College World Series in '98.

To see complete biographies of the inductees, visit http://www.newhaven.edu/athletics.

Roehampton Diary: Culture Shock

(Continued from UNH Today home page.)

Devin McDonald, a visual arts major from Columbia, Ct., is participating in the University’s new Freshman Semester Abroad program at London’s Roehampton University.

During the first week of my Freshman Semester Abroad experience, I was no doubt dealing with the constant confusion that culture shock cultivates. Every aspect of my new life in London was both cultural and chaotic. Being the guinea pigs of the brand-new program, there were some aspects that were unforeseen. Take, for example, an easy trip to the grocery store. It is not like back home with a meal plan and a mother an hour away.

My first trip to Asda, the British form of Wal-Mart, was quite the thrill. I looked out my left window, expecting to make a left turn with extreme difficulty in the rush hour of southwest London. But the double-decker No. 85 made an easy dive into Asda.

Within the next few days, I had to wonder why I had a “pound” of change in my wallet. I would pay for a $1.80 coffee with a five-quid bill and receive coins galore. Was everyone trying to rip off the dumb American girl? I soon felt renewed richness when I realized that the Brits not only have coins for one-pound pieces, but for two-pound pieces. Being unfamiliar with the foreign currency, I have to admit that my experience has been strange. By the way, what is a “p”? While I’m at it, why do the Brits complain incessantly about “q’s”?

Despite my whinings, the culture and chaos of the city of London defines the word vivacity in my life. There are still moments when I wonder if I really am living in London at age 18. Caught in a multicultural whirlwind of people on Regent Street, I stop in one of the three H&Ms in Central London and gawk at the fashion that won’t arrive in my home continent until years from now. Dashing past Londoners walking on Putney Bridge while riding on the top floor of a double-decker bus, I feel very much a part of the crowd. I stare at the architectural designs of every building, from picturesque window shops to brick, Georgian-style homes with multiple chimneys and sash windows. I cringe when a man on a scooter zips closely between two lanes of traffic, but the sense of daring makes me smile. Taking the 265 bus to Putney Bridge Tube Station, switching from the District Line to the Central Line at Nottinghill Gate, and arriving at Tottenham Court Road for the Dominion Theatre’s “We Will Rock You” or the British Museum’s Augustan Rome exhibit, is exhilarating. Along with two million other Londoners, I witnessed England’s glorious defeat by South Africa in the Rugby World Cup in a pub; and as the crowd rang out with “England till I die!” I thought, ‘is this really happening?’

The answer is yes, all of this is happening around me nonstop. But the real question is: Will I still be caught up in the culture and chaos of London long after I leave?

The answer is, of course, yes. I will always keep a part of London with me.