February 9, 2024

Volume 92 • Issue 15

Amazing avatars!

February 9, 2024

FSUgatepost.com

Maddison Behringer / THE GATEPOST (Left) Ori Gallaugher as Venti from “Genshin Impact,” Meggan Law as Poison Ivy, Jacob Sargent as The Riddler and Aili Schiavoni, Vice President of Cosplay Club, as Hato Higashikata at Cosplay Clubs Red Carpet event Feb. 7.

Vice President Dale Hamel to retire this October

By Dylan Pichnarcik Asst. News Editor At a meeting of the Board of Trustees on Jan. 24, President Nancy Niemi announced that Dale Hamel, executive vice president and chief financial officer (CFO) will be retiring at the beginning of the 2024-25 academic year.

Hamel has been a member of FSU’s executive staff for over 20 years after serving as chief financial officer for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Board of Higher Education.

Throughout his time at FSU, Hamel has served five presidents, beginning with President Helen Heineman.

As a member of the executive staff, Hamel is one of nine administrators who oversee specific departments that keep the daily operations of FSU running efficiently.

Along with serving as CFO, Hamel is the executive vice president of administration, finance, and information technology.

Departments such as Facilities & Capital Planning, Athletics, Public Safety, and Transportation all report to Hamel.

Hamel’s leadership played a central role in changing FSU’s landscape. With the addition of two residence halls, West and Miles Bibb, FSU’s footprint stretches all the way to the edge of Route 9 and beyond with the acquisition of the Dan-

forth Art Museum on Vernon Street and the Warren Conference Center, located five miles south of FSU in Ashland.

In addition, Hamel said he was a “steady hand” during the $95 million renovation of Hemenway Hall and Annex, and the construction of the stateof-the-art Hemenway Laboratories.

“We only had $55 million in state authorizations. This is a large gap and we did not just want to build the addition - we wanted to renovate the remaining portions of the facility. … My financial experience was very helpful there,” he said.

Hamel added that collaborating with the legislature is a central part of work-

News BIG BUDGET pg. 3 POLICE pg. 4

Opinions LOVE pg. 7 DUI pg. 9

Sports

See DALE HAMEL Page 5

Summit hosts equity education advocates at FSU

By Raena Doty Arts & Features Editor

By Dorcas Abe Staff Writer The Equity in Higher Education Policy Summit was hosted in the McCarthy Forum Feb. 1. This summit featured many speakers committed to furthering equity in colleges and universities across Massachusetts.

Max Page, president of the Massachusetts Teachers Association, facilitated the event. He said his father taught at UMass Amherst when he was growing up, and he remembers what it was like during those days when public

institutions were much more accessible to students.

“That’s what I feel like we are after here - is deep, intensive investment in a high-quality and truly accessible public higher education system,” he said.

Kristen Porter-Utley, the provost and vice president of academic affairs, expressed her excitement for the event and spoke on its importance.

“Our institutions must work to improve access to college to ensure that our next generation of problem solvers - our students - are equipped to work together effectively to overcome significant societal and environmental problems,” she said.

Genesis Carela, senior policy analyst

Alexis Schlesinger / THE GATEPOST for the Education Trust in Massachu- ICE HOCKEY pg. 10 setts, spoke first. Her presentation was SOCCER pg. 10 about research into how parents plan financially for their children’s postsecondary education.

She shared statistics from a poll conducted on parents of high school- and middle school-aged children and what costs associated with postsecondary education concern them, including tuition, room and board, books, and application costs.

Carela’s statistics demonstrated that parents of color, excluding Asian parents, generally show higher financial concern for the cost of college and uniAdrien Gobin / THE GATEPOST versity THE STITCH pg. 13 See HIGHER EDUCATION Page 12 OLDIES pg. 14

Arts & Features

INSIDE: OP/ED 8 • SPORTS 10 • ARTS & FEATURES 11

NEWS

2 | FEBRUARY 9, 2024

Editorial Board

Gatepost Interview

Editor-in-Chief Sophia Harris

Pam Lehmberg

Associate Editor Ryan O’Connell

Office of Wellness Education Coordinator

News Editors Kaitilin Carman Adam Harrison

By Bella Omar Editorial Staff

Asst. News Editor Dylan Pichnarcik

What is your academic and professional background?

I have my undergraduate degree in anthropology. And then I got a master’s in nursing and became a nurse practitioner, so I’ve been a certified nurse practitioner for over 20 years. In 2006, I came to FSU and worked as a clinical nurse practitioner in the health center.

I did that for a few years and then realized that my real passion is health education, so I came over to this office and have been here ever since. I focus on prevention and education. I’ve always had an interest in health and wellness.

Opinions Editor Izayah Morgan Sports Editor Adam Levine Asst. Sports Editor Riley Crowell Arts & Features Editors Raena Doty Jack McLaughlin Asst. Arts & Features Editors Bella Omar Owen Glancy

What does your current position entail?

There are a lot of different hats that I get to wear. One of them is that I run Interim Asst. Arts & Features Editor the [Support Education Action LeaderFrancisco Omar Fernandez Rodriguez ship Strength] SEALS peer health educator program, which is a paid student leadership position on campus. We’re Photos & Design Editors currently hiring for next year’s SEALS. I Maddison Behringer train them on health and wellness topAdrien Gobin ics and then they go out into peer-topeer education. They do that in tabling, Asst. Photos & Design Editors health fairs, res-programming, social Alexis Schlesinger media, and lots of different avenues.

That’s a big part of my job. The other Illustrations Editor part of my job is I meet with students Ben Hurney individually who want to talk, or I meet with students individually to talk with Asst. Illustrations Editors them about their drug or alcohol use Emily Monaco particularly if they violated the school David Abe policy. I still do a lot of prevention education on campus depending on what Staff Writers the current public health needs are. So Dorcas Abe it is really quite flexible, depending on Jesse Burchill what is going on.

N PE

@

What is something unique about your position?

I love the flexibility. I love how much I work with students. I love the content.

The topics I get to focus on. I love seeing students thrive. Yeah, I actually love my job.

TH E GA T E

O

Dante Curry Liv Dunleavy Marcus Falcão Paul Harrington Emma Lyons Andrea O’Brien Carly Paul Kyle Walker Heather Nutall Sophia Oppendisano Advisor Desmond McCarthy Asst. Advisor Elizabeth Banks

T TH EGATEPOS

100 State Street McCarthy Center Room 410 Framingham, MA 01701-9101 Phone: (508) 626-4605 Fax: (508) 626-4097 gatepost@framingham.edu

What are some resources that the health center provides that students may not know about?

So the health center provides pretty much everything a primary care center would provide. So that’s everything from sexual health, to, you know, mus@T health toSTcolds and flues. culoskeletal HEGATEPO We have a nutritionist on staff I think a lot of people don’t know about. We have a physician from Children’s Hospital that comes once a week. And then we have three full-time nurse practitioners

Courtesy of Pam Lehmberg who do the bulk of the work. And then there’s my local office, which is wellness. So that’s the clinical services over there. And then this is education and prevention in here. So the other thing people might not know is that all visits to the health center are free of charge.

And they can prescribe medication and obviously … contraception, and STI testing, and free pregnancy testing.

What do you look for in a potential SEAL? They have to have a call to health and wellness - that has to be number 1.

I look for someone who’s interested in growing as a person. I look for people who want to do the work - who would think doing outreach in a res hall, or a table at one of our fairs would be kind of exciting. I have eight [SEALS] right now - next year, I hope to have 10.

Does the health center have any upcoming programs?

Let’s tell people about Rams Refresh, which is every Thursday, in the CIE, 1:45 to 2:15. I do a guided meditation - it’s open to all students and I do it with one of the counselors upstairs. And

it’s drop-in - you don’t have to plan if you’re going to come and it’s only 30 minutes, in and out. And so that’s been a new program this year. It’s been great to collaborate with the CIE. Another thing we have coming up is Narcan training on Feb. 27, 4:30 to 5:30. That one is open to anyone - they can come and they’ll get free Narcan. They’ll leave knowing how to use it, when to use it, and why to use it. We’ll also be talking about [fentanyl] test strips. And so that’s an opportunity for anyone who may find that interesting. Another thing we have is our biggest event of the year called Fresh Check Day, on April 3, noon to 1:30. That is a suicide prevention fair and a mental health promotion space. It’s very fun, actually. We’ll have students, a lot of different student organizations having booths, and there will be lots of free giveaways and everyone hopefully will leave knowing a little bit more about suicide prevention and how to help themselves or a friend.

CONNECT WITH BELLA OMAR bomar@student.framingham.edu

Police Logs Sunday, Feb. 4.

00:26 Alarm (Fire/Smoke) Burnt food Box and system reset All units clear

@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com

Monday, Feb. 5.

11:00 Medical, Corinne Towers Transport to hospital

Thursday, Feb. 8.

11:32 K-9 Community Work Assignment complete

Thursday, Feb. 8.

17:12 Alarm (Trouble) West Hall Assignment complete

NEWS

FEBRUARY 9, 2024 | 3

SGA allocates $376,972 for FY25’s student organizations asked how the allocations were not used responsibly in the past and how The Gatepost would prevent a repeated occurrence.

Before responding, Vice President Raffi Elhoury added a point of information that identified Harris as a firstyear Editor-in-Chief.

He said, “It would be unfair to expect you to account for the … mistakes or mismanagement of funds from previous years because you weren’t involved in this role.”

Harris said, “In the past, the budget has been handled solely by the editor-in-chief, so the editorial board didn’t really have a say on what the budget would be allocated for.

“We had no idea what was going on,” she said.

O’Connell said their subscription to the Associated Collegiate Press had not been renewed since 2019.

The entire editorial staff was included in the budget-drafting process, according to Harris.

She said, “I had my entire [editorial] board vote and confirm my decisions for this budget … so everybody had a fair and equal say on what the budget is being spent on.

“I really want to make sure that every cent we were asking for was really going to a cause that we needed it for,” she said.

Senator Jacob Sargent drew attention to the $8,248 cost of their annual CMA conference visit, which covers the cost of the conference, transportation, and hotel costs for approximately six people: four students and two advisors.

Sargent asked, “With such an investment as this, do you believe that this is critical to the newspaper?”

Behringer said they already implemented strategies and techniques that were learned from the 2023 conference and they have “exponentially” improved the quality of the newspaper.

Harris reminded SGA members that attendees from that conference submitted a five-page paper detailing what they had learned and why they believed it was important to attend.

When SGA allocates an organization a large amount of money for a conference, they intend for its members to use that investment to bring back information and skills that better serve the University, according to Elkhoury.

He said, “I’m not a member of The Gatepost but I will say, as a member of SGA from last year, I definitely did enjoy that presentation and felt like you guys brought that important informa-

By Kaitlin Carman News Editor SGA allocated $376,972 to student organizations for FY25 during their annual “Big Budget” meeting on Feb. 6 in the McCarthy Center.

Student organizations must present their proposed budgets to SGA to receive allocated funds from the Student Activity Trust Fund (SATF).

The funding for the SATF is provided by student fees.

According to SGA, the current fee structure charges full-time day students $70 per semester, while parttime students pay a prorated fee depending on the number of courses they are registered for (two courses and under).

Group one organizations, WDJM, The Gatepost, and FSAB (Framingham State Activities Board) are the only organizations required to present their budgets in person.​​ Organizations in groups two through six are not.

WDJM 91.3 FM’s representatives, Kyle Walker and Jack McLaughlin, presented first.

They proposed and were allocated a total of $14,892 for FY25. The vote was unanimous.

SGA allocated them $2,600 for station events, $300 for promotional items, $1,905 for licensing and memberships, and $10,087 for station administration.

WDJM cut costs for food in order to cover more events, according to Walker.

He said, “We’re looking to invite more artists into our station to do live performances.”

The Gatepost was next. Its budget was presented by Editor-in-Chief Sophia Harris, Associate Editor Ryan O’Connell, and Photos and Design Editor Maddison Behringer.

They proposed and were allocated a total of $33,550. The vote was unanimous with one abstention.

They received $18,000 for newspaper printing, $800 for promotional items and recruitment events, $2,522 for licensing, memberships, and awards, $3,800 for office supplies and equipment, and $8,428 for the College Media Association (CMA) conference.

Harris, a junior, said the $200 increase for promotional items and recruitment is because “this budget was not utilized properly in the past” and they have been reduced to older promotional stickers.

SATF Treasurer Aimee Takouda

Weather

Alexis Schlesinger / THE GATEPOST (Left to right) Anna Risotti, Liv West, Ryan Mikelis, Evelyn Campbell, and Raffi Elkhoury attending “Big Budget” Feb. 6. tion to the University.”

FSAB, represented by Ben Hurney and Kyle Walker, was the final group one organization to present and was allocated their proposed $121,400 budget by a unanimous vote.

For on-campus events, $71,200 was allocated, along with $40,700 for off-campus events, $1,000 for publicity and marketing, $2,500 for membership and development, and $6,000 for NACA. Hurney said that FSAB would like to have a commuter table “so we can have more events focused towards commuters, especially since … the commuter student group is not a thing anymore.”

A total of $90,000 was allocated to group two organizations. BSU, B2B, Dance Team, Hilltop Players, Outing Club, and Ski & Snowboard Club were each allocated $15,000.

Group three organizations, ACDG, Anime Club, Comic Club, Fashion Club, Gaming Club, History Club, M.I.S.S., and The Onyx, were allocated $6,000 each for a total of $48,000.

In previous years, M.I.S.S. was classified as a group two organization. For FY25, they are classified as a group three organization.

SGA President Evelyn Campbell, though unable to vote, stated that SGA often collaborates with M.I.S.S. They are an active organization, and because of that, she disagrees with its reclassification.

“I still believe that they belong in group two just because they are more active and [the current president] continues to be the president of M.I.S.S. for next year - so I believe they will still be active,” said Campbell.

M.I.S.S. changed from group two to a group three because it has not spent the majority of their group two bud-

get allocations over the past five fiscal years, according to Elkhoury.

He said, “I don’t think it’s fair for us to allocate additional money to an organization specifically for us to be able to use that money in collaboration with that organization.

“If SGA wants to put on an event and collaborate with organizations, we should include that money in our own budget so that we can collaborate with organizations and not ask them to pitch up a large percentage of their budget,” said Elkhoury.

Group four organizations were each allocated $2,000 for a total of $18,000.

They are comprised of the African Student Association, ASL (American Sign Language) Club, Chess Club, Education Club, Green Initiative Club, Martial Arts Club, Math Club, Salvation Youth Club, and the Wildlife Club.

A total of $4,000 was allocated to group five organizations. AHP, Christian Fellowship Club, Pride Alliance Club, J.U.I.C.E., Knitting Club, Model UN, Marketing Club, Food Science Club, Disability Advocacy, and Cosplay Club received $400 each.

Group six organizations, D&D Club, English Club, Muslim Student Association, Neurodivergent Student Association, New Creations, Nutrition Club, Psychology Club, and Veteran Student Association, were allocated $0.

“See you next year,” said Elkhoury.

[Editor’s Note: Sophia Harris, Ryan O’Connell, Maddison Behringer, Jack McLaughlin, Ben Hurney, and Kyle Walker are staff members of The Gatepost.]

CONNECT WITH KAITLIN CARMAN kcarman@student.framingham.edu

Forecast provided by the National Weather Service www.weather.gov

Sunday night Feb. 11 Mostly Cloudy with a low around 30. West wind 1015 mph.

Monday night Feb. 12 Snow likely. Mostly cloudy with a low around 30.

Northwest wind around 10 mph.

Tuesday night Feb. 13 Partly cloudy with a low around 20. Northwest wind around 20 mph.

Wednesday night Feb. 14 Partly cloudy with a low around 25. West wind around 20 mph.

Monday Feb. 12 Chance of rain. Mostly Sunny with a high near 45. West wind around 10 mph.

Tuesday Feb. 13 Snow likely. Mostly cloudy with a high near 40. North wind around 20 mph.

Wednesday Feb. 14 Sunny with a high near 35.

Northwest wind around 20 mph.

Thursday Feb. 15 Mostly sunny with a high near 35. Northwest wind around 20 mph.

FRAMINGHAM STATE UNIVERSITY’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1932 | FSUGATEPOST.COM

4 | FEBRUARY 9, 2024

NEWS

University Police at full force

By Adam Harrison News Editor For the first time in four years, the University Police Department is fully staffed. Nine officers have joined the FSU force since April, according to Chief of Police Joseph Cecchi.

“They’ve been at very low staffing levels, and we were finally able to get it up to capacity,” he said.

Cecchi contributed some of their recruiting success to the two full-time academies he ran at Quinsigamond Community College, where he worked as a captain prior to becoming Chief of Police at FSU. The academies were focused on diversity, with both trainings attracting at least a 50% diverse trainee pool. He said it attests to his support for diversity both at Quinsigamond and at FSU. “A lot of times, it’s really hard in Massachusetts to try to get an opportunity to be a police officer … but these really gave everyone a fair opportunity to get that training and secure that employment, and we were very successful,” he said.

Some officers directly came to FSU from these academies, including Community Resource Officer Andrew Frimpong. Cecchi said when officers are recruited from academies such as this, it saves the University the expense of sending them through six months of training.

With a full staff, the police can focus more of their resources on positive interactions through community outreach events and implementing supplementary training.

“The community events have been huge. That’s something we really wanted to work on. … Just being able to do those kinds of events to really have

@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com

a one-on-one interaction with the students, staff, faculty, and the community,” he said.

Cecchi said their goal is to make the environment as comfortable as possible for students.

Students might not feel comfortable coming down to the University Police Station but sometimes when they’re meeting police through an outreach event, students will express some of their concerns at that time.

Deputy Chief Martin Laughlin said, “We just want to break down the barriers - try to get us closer together. …

That’s the goal of every police department - especially here.”

Frimpong has been able to attend several events on campus, including the MLK Commemoration and Lecture and the McAuliffe Center reopening to become more familiar with the students and staff.

“I’ve been sharing my face and mingling with the different organizations and students, and I’m really appreciative of the welcome the students have been giving me,” he said.

“We’re really just trying to build trust, legitimacy, and transparency. We serve the students, and that’s our community, and we want to make sure that this is a safe and secure environment,” he said.

Frimpong is currently working with Residence Life to organize more interactions with students through events in the dorms.

He also wants students to know he is always down for a game of foosball.

“Plus if anyone’s good at foosball - no one’s willing to challenge me in foosball,” he said.

Cecchi said there’s more opportunity for Corporal Shawn Delesky to bring out Ramsey the community resource dog because he isn’t preoccupied with

Maddison Behringer / THE GATEPOST University Police in the McCarthy Center Lobby Feb. 1. answering calls.

Ramsey has been successfully progressing in his training, according to Cecchi, and has most recently completed his Canine Good Citizen test.

He only has one more training before he is officially certified.

With the additional personnel, there is always staff on duty, and it provides time for officers to engage in further trainings. After Chapter 253 was passed into law in 2020, University Police officers are “required to be equally trained - the same as every other police officer. … So everyone is held to the exact same standard,” Cecchi said.

All dispatchers have been able to get 911 emergency communications training through the Municipal Police Institute.

He said the officers are getting sexual assault certifications and mental health training. “They’re also getting training on domestic violence, implicit bias, and response to active shooter

and hostile events.”

Cecchi has also requested a grant from the state that would refund resources already put toward defibrillators and body armor.

The incident on Oct. 12 when a bullet casing was found in the West Hall Parking Lot is still under active investigation.

“Framingham Police Department sent us detectives to assist us. … We have an open detective position that we’re currently looking at filling so that we’re able to handle those cases,” Cecchi said.

Contact FSUpolice@framingham. edu to communicate low-level concerns, and text “FSUTIP” to 67283 to provide anonymous information to the police. “But if you’re having an emergency always - always call the police department (508-626-4911),” he said.

CONNECT WITH ADAM HARRISON aharrison3@student.framingham.edu

NEWS

FEBRUARY 9, 2024 | 5

Dale Hamel Continued from Page 1 ing in public higher education, and his role as CFO for the Board of Higher Education prepared him to handle a problem such as a lack of authorized funding for the Hemenway Hall project.

President Niemi praised Hamel’s commitment to public disclosure. “Dale created a culture … where we did share [financial information], and that’s rare.”

She added, “It’s not a black box where people just assume how the money comes in.”

Hamel has also worked to secure alumni and private donations that supplement the state funds allocated to FSU. Hamel has also been heavily involved with the University’s upcoming accreditation by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). FSU will receive the report around the time he officially retires.

During his time working for the Board of Higher Education, Hamel said, “We developed the first [state] funding formula which is still in effect today - which is remarkable.”

The formula came from Hamel’s dissertation work on economic cycles in public education.

With Hamel’s retirement approaching in nine months, the Board of Trustees has begun the process of searching for a replacement.

Isaacson, Miller, an executive search firm located in Boston, has been hired by FSU to search for qualified candidates.

The firm has assigned Dan Rodas, a consultant, to work with a committee appointed by the Board of Trustees, which will be comprised of faculty, staff, administrators, students, and a trustee.

The committee has been formed and will be meeting shortly.

Hamel’s commitment to students is appreciated by SGA Vice President Raffi Elkhoury. “He has always been somebody to answer student concerns or questions. If we have something that

Dylan Pichnarcik / THE GATEPOST

Dale Hamel in his Office on Feb. 7. will fall under his area, he will always respond to that.”

He said he particularly appreciated

somebody who truly understands state education, finance, and public education because it is different than private

“He has always been somebody to answer student concerns or questions. If we have something that will fall under his area, he will always respond to that.”

- Raffi Elkhoury SGA Vice President Hamel’s participation in SGA’s biannual safety walk and Administrators’ Forum.

When thinking about a successor, Niemi said, “We will never replace Dale as a person. … but in terms of his position, we have to. … I am looking for

Dale Hamel in the McCarthy Center Forum.

higher education.”

Because FSU is a state-funded institution, a CFO must have an ongoing relationship with state legislators and the Board of Higher Education to maintain adequate funding to operate the Univer-

sity.

Framingham State is located in four legislative districts with four respective representatives, all of whom must be in contact with a CFO Niemi said that connections to legislators “need to be built so that the people who help keep Framingham [State] functioning will support us.”

Niemi said there will be no disruptions in the day-to-day operation of the University because Hamel’s replacement will be hired before his retirement, ensuring a smooth transition.

Hamel said he will not take an active role in the search for his replacement.

However, he is confident the committee will select the right candidate and he will contribute feedback if asked.

Given Hamel’s network, he is confident some of the applicants may be colleagues from past projects.

When thinking about the skills and experiences his replacement should possess, he said, “Obviously, the required trait is a financial background but beyond that, you’re certainly involved in all aspects of campus operations.”

He added, “I’m a little bit unique within the state university system due to my central board experience.”

At the beginning of his career, Hamel said he dealt with a campus computer shortage, allocating funds to expand the technological infrastructure.

Now, Hamel said he sees “AI [as] the future, and how that will impact education, in and out of the classroom.”

When he retires, Hamel said he will miss the connections he formed at FSU and in public education.

“Everything we do here is a collaborative effort and that is something I really enjoy,” he said.

“Also, students appreciate their opportunities here, which stood out to me.

I’ve been to other institutions as well and that really hit me in terms of student interest and participation” at FSU.

Gatepost Archives CONNECT WITH DYLAN PICHNARCIK dpichnarcik@student.framingham.edu

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6 | FEBRUARY 9, 2024

NEWS

Framingham State adopts food recovery program

By Sophia Harris Editor-in-Chief Framingham State’s dining service, Sodexo, recently partnered with Rescuing Leftover Cuisine to decrease food waste and methane emissions on Jan. 29.

Sodexo’s Regional Sustainability Coordinator, Rose Forrest, led the food recovery initiative and chose Rescuing Leftover Cuisine to divert excess food from landfills and make it available for those in need, said Heather Santoro, marketing manager of University Dining Services.

She said Dining Services will donate food twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays.

The items being donated to Rescuing Leftover Cuisine (RLC) are frozen food, shelf-stable items, produce, and prepared food that has not been served.

“We maybe just prepare too much of the meal. Our team can get it down to a cooling temperature, wrap it up, and make sure that we’re avoiding any food safety concerns,” Santoro said.

Primarily, the food that is being donated to the RLC is from the main kitchen, she said.

She added most of the “rescuers” who come to Framingham State from the RLC are volunteers. The volunteers will then drive straight to the donation sites, which include women’s shelters, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and food pantries.

All the donation sites are local to the pickup locations - the first week’s donation from Framingham State was donated to a women’s shelter in Middlesex County, Santoro said.

“There have been a lot of questions about food surplus and where your food goes - where our food goes.

We hope that this program will help answer some of those questions,” she said.

“We have the opportunity to feed people who may be going without a

Dylan Pichnarcik / THE GATEPOST A dining hall staff member tosses french fries at the fried up station in the dining commons on Feb. 8. meal. This is just a feel-good type of situation,” she said.

She added, “Outward looking in, we’re doing a little bit of giving back while also being proactive in terms of protecting the environment.”

Megan Mayer, nutrition professor and campus sustainability coordinator, said Dining Services shared the news of the food recovery program with her via Instagram.

She said, “I reached out to Heather immediately to see if I could learn more about the program because food waste is a huge issue. Generally, food that is decomposing in landfills emits methane and it contributes to climate change.”

She said this initiative not only benefits climate change but also contributes to climate justice.

According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), climate justice is “putting equity and

Dylan Pichnarcik / THE GATEPOST Dining Hall staff prepare lunch in the classics line on Feb. 8.

@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com

human rights at the core of decision-making and action on climate change.”

Mayer said, “Communities of color and low-income communities are disproportionately impacted by climate change.

She said both communities are impacted by the lack of fresh or healthy food and food insecurity.

Mayer said redirecting food that could have been wasted - to communities or organizations that might struggle with accessing food - is “tangential to climate justice and sustainability efforts.”

The food donation will be helping to meet people’s basic needs while also minimizing the environmental impact of that food decomposing in the landfill, she added.

Mayer said people generally waste about a third of the food they purchase or put on their plates.

“It’s a pretty significant challenge, and that has environmental impacts,” she added.

She said before the COVID-19 pandemic, Dining Services worked with a student club on campus that would recover food and take it to local nonprofits.

After the pandemic, there have been challenges with student engagement in clubs and with transmission safety, she said. “It just hadn’t ever been feasible to kind of reignite that food recovery network.” ‘“I was glad to see that Sodexo was able to establish this partnership with an organization that already exists,” Mayer said.

She said she hopes this program will bring student attention to the issue of food waste.

Mayer added, “There are lots of reasons why food is wasted, and some of those reasons we have control over, and some of them we don’t. I’m hoping that it maybe helps just get people thinking about it, or, perhaps helps to change behavior, even if it’s in small ways.”

The Marketing Director of Rescuing Leftover Cuisine, Andrew Creamer, said following the first three donations, Framingham State has provided 80 pounds of food, which is 67 meals.

A total of 187 pounds of carbon emissions have been prevented.

He said he hopes the partnership will continue with Framingham State as long as there is food to donate.

“There is not a set time for the contract or anything like that. The goal would just be to continue working together,” he said.

Creamer added, “We try to keep all the food donations local within that community where they’re being donated from. This makes it easier for our rescuers, who don’t have to travel super far with the donations, and also for food safety so that the food is not sitting in a car for a long time.”

Creamer said it’s also important for excess food from the community to go back into the community that it is from.

Sophomore Katherine Barrientos said she thinks the food recovery program is a great step forward for Framingham State.

Freshman Katherine Evers said, “I think it’s excellent. I think it’s really sad when I see people take way more food than they eat, and they just end up dumping it all on the conveyor belt. So if it’s usable, then it definitely should be put toward a better purpose than that.”

Sophomore Devon Williams said partnering with the RLC is a “good move.”

Senior Ryan Gryglewicz said he thinks it’s a good idea. “Anything that helps people or shelters in need is very important.”

Junior Azucena Thibault-Muñoz said she thinks this initiative is necessary.

“We have a huge food waste problem in this country and I think this is a good step in combating that in our community,” she said.

Sophomore Jennifer Nguyen said she has not heard much about this program but said she wants to learn more about it.

Freshman Sean Keaveney said, “I think that’s a great way to redistribute resources back into the community.”

CONNECT WITH SOPHIA HARRIS Sharris9@student.framingham.edu

FEBRUARY 9, 2024 | 7

OP/ED THE GATEPOST EDITORIAL

Healthy love on Valentine’s Day It’s always important to focus on what you love, but during the month of February, love is at the forefront of all of our minds.

But what does healthy love look like?

It doesn’t have to be a candlelit dinner on Valentine’s Day or a grand romantic gesture.

In fact, sometimes it’s better for it not to be.

Often, a relationship doesn’t require such spectacular scenarios.

What’s truly important is the love and respect that partners share every day.

Sometimes, there is a pressure to achieve that picture-perfect relationship we just described. But people can forget the important steps that make an ideal relationship possible.

In any romantic relationship, it is important to set and maintain clear boundaries between you and your partner. Open dialogue, and being comfortable speaking freely, are critical pillars of a relationship, which is beneficial from the very beginning.

One of those conversations may be about spending time by yourself.

Spending time apart can be helpful for a relationship’s longevity and health, and can help you and your partner both maintain a personal sense of identity. You don’t need to be together 24/7 to have a loving relationship.

Maintaining your individuality is also critical to your other relationships - don’t let a romantic engagement get in the way of your connections with your friends, family, and professional life.

College is a formative time and you will continue to grow and change throughout your time here, and your partner should respect that.

Take this as an opportunity to grow together. Grow alongside one another, not in-

tertwined with each other, and don’t expect to change each other.

Not every relationship is perfect, but it doesn’t mean you should excuse bad behavior.

If you notice your partner becoming over-attached or emotionally distant, only spending time with you for physical affection, or becoming aggressive, it could be time to speak with them about your concerns or talk to somebody you trust about your situation.

Even though it’s difficult, it is important to know when to end a relationship.

You are not obligated to stay in a relationship, no matter how you met the person or how long you’ve been together. Knowing if it’s time to move on is incredibly important for your growth.

Some relationships just fizzle out - there doesn’t need to be a “reason” for them to end. But if you recognize the signs above in your relationship, you might want to consider moving on.

Not every relationship is meant to last, and oftentimes, people will outgrow relationships. This is normal, and many times, it takes multiple partners to find whoever is right for you.

It’s OK to be single - there’s no requirement for a person to be in a relationship at any point, even on Valentine’s Day. Nevertheless, it’s great to be in a relationship, as long as it’s healthy, loving, and isn’t limiting you as a person.

That “relationship” might be with a romantic partner, a best friend, or even your furry companion. However, the most important relationship you will ever have is with yourself.

Marcus Falcão / THE GATEPOST

Have an opinion?

Feel free to email it to: gatepost@framingham.edu Opinions should be about 500 words.

Anyone can submit.

We look forward to hearing from you!

The Gatepost Editorial reflects the opinions of the newspaper’s Editorial Board. Signed Op/Eds reflect the opinions of individual writers.

Is love just a word?

By Dylan Pichnarcik Editorial Staff If you are sitting down reading this, there is almost a 100% certainty that you have loved something. Whether it be your dog, your parents, a significant other, or that totally awesome “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle” action figure you got on your 12th birthday. You have felt strong positive emotions toward something in your life.

But what does this mean? How can you show your love? And is saying “I love you” just a phrase? To love something is to have a personal connection to that person, place, or other subjective noun.

But how do you know what love is? Are you expected to love?

No. Far too much power is given to our words. Oftentimes, words can be empty. So, to show someone you love them is a public display of the makeup of your love.

But before you can show someone you love them, you need to understand what the word means. Love can be broken down into several emotions - admiration, respect, passion, desire, and calmness all come to mind, creating a symphony of emotions that are built into the crescendo of love.

Love can also be pain, because to feel love is to also feel loss, the stinging sensation in your heart when someone leaves you, is proof that you loved.

So while you can, buy her flowers, tell your mom you care about her, write a thank you note to your great aunt for re-

membering your birthday and tell your friends you’re thinking about them, just because.

The impact that this will have on other people will be tremendous. You will make them feel cared for, empowered, and heard. Do this for somebody. Just as you would want them to do for you. It shows your empathy as a human and your love for someone.

By no means does love need to be expressed through materials. Sometimes simply telling someone how you feel is enough to show how you feel about someone - although chocolate helps too.

Communication is key in love, telling someone how you feel consistently and them sharing their feelings. This can be hard, but it is essential to the success of your relationships with others.

It shows maturity and engagement with the involved party or parties and can dramatically improve the quality of the time spent with someone.

Find yourself in somebody else. Look for the strength that you have, and surround yourself with people who you want to care about, and who care about you.

Positivity and love go hand-in-hand, your life will be full and you will form deeper connections with those around you.

Love is an all encompassing expression of your thoughts.

Your feelings are what they are, do not be ashamed to love, do not be ashamed to hate. Your emotions are simply information.

Throughout your life, you will love. It is ingrained in the very fabric of what makes you human. You may be born to love your family, but things can and will change, you will have a first love, a last love, and whatever may fall in between.

Love is an essential part of life, and can change the way you see the world, either for better or worse.

So no, love is not just a word.

FRAMINGHAM STATE UNIVERSITY’S INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1932 | FSUGATEPOST.COM

OP/ED

8 | FEBRUARY 9, 2024

Love will open the door Emily Monaco Editorial Staff At this point in my life, many of my friends are either in relationships or actively looking for companionship.

Dating in college can be hard, especially with hookup culture and online dating where intentions can be misconstrued and are often full of people who steer away from labels.

Where is the intimacy?

Where are the people who want consistency and stability, who want someone to share their life with?

Often those kinds of people aren’t found on a phone or at a party, but where you least expect them.

For the longest time I heard people saying, “You will find someone when you least expect it,” and like most people, I thought it was just something people say to make you feel better about being single. But after a while, and my own experience, I realized it was true.

I have dated a lot of people who only wanted to be with me for physical intimacy and to feel like they had a trophy - it was not fun. I longed for the day when I met someone kind and intellectual enough to want more than just that - compatibility on an emotional level. And one day it just happened, when I least expected it.

And at that moment I realized, “Oh my God, they were right.”

There he was, in an unconventional place where I was put in a position where I had to be myself and show

off my personality. I wasn’t expecting anything other than to go to an audition and potentially be cast for a college improv troupe, but there he was.

Smiling at me, shaking my hand, and immediately matching my sense of humor.

I felt a way I hadn’t felt since I was in middle school. Butterflies in my stomach, a light feeling in my chest, and warmth in my face. I was stunned.

It feels like just yesterday that I met him, and it was organic. No apps involved.

Don’t get me wrong, dating apps aren’t all bad. I know a lot of people who have had great success with them and some of them are even married now. And if that is something that has worked for you, that is amazing.

But unfortunately, dating apps often attract certain people a few months after they first launch. Hookup culture has been running rampant in the attitudes of those who seek intimacy with another person. Earlier ideas of feminism such as owning one’s autonomy have become so misconstrued that it has made it harder for people to form true connections.

But love prevails, people aren’t alone forever whether it be romantic or platonic.

Love is found often when you aren’t looking for it. Don’t spend every day searching and thinking about when you’ll meet “the one.” If you spend too much time on that thought, you stop living.

Love requires growth - when you

meet the right person there isn’t a “happily ever after.” When you find the right person you are SHARING your lives, you are still your own person. You still have to work, go to school, and do your daily tasks.

One of the ways you’re gonna meet someone you’ll have compatibility

Em’s Gems: Sweetness of Self Love

Emily Monaco / THE GATEPOST @TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com

with is by doing something that YOU enjoy.

So do the things you love, apply for that job you want, and try new things.

You’re never gonna be alone in life as long as you have love for yourself.

When the time is right, love will open the door.

Emily Monaco / THE GATEPOST

OP/ED

FEBRUARY 9, 2024 | 9

Campus Conversations

By Maddison Behringer, Photos & Design Editor, and Kyle Walker, Staff Writer

“What is your ideal date night activity?”

“Probably getting sushi and then walking around Boston.”

“Going to an amusement park.”

“A picnic.”

- Quincy Leary, freshman

- Frida Vazquez-Gomez, sophomore

“I would love to go on a hike.”

“I would love to go bowling.”

“Going out to dinner.”

- Lexie Carlucci, freshman

- Talia Duca, sophomore

- Dante Basquiat, freshman

- Emma Brosnan, junior

High risk, low reward Sophia Harris Editor-in-Chief The legalization of recreational marijuana in Massachusetts is coming up on its eighth year.

Starting in seventh grade I began to see a lot of my peers and even some of my friends use marijuana. And I think that number only grew since the legalization of the substance.

I was in eighth grade when marijuana was legalized and since I was 12 years old I could already see the pull the substance had on my peers. I never saw the draw to it - but it seemed to overcome some of my closest friends.

They felt cool, relaxed, and would not stop talking about this amazing newfound substance. At times, it felt like a magical drug that came straight from Mother Earth.

Now being 20 years old and only a month away from my 21st birthday, the age I can legally use marijuana, I have been forced to do a lot of thinking about how marijuana affects a growing mind. I know all of you have heard this before, but your brain doesn’t fully develop until your mid-to-late 20s and if you have ADHD this can make the process longer - up to age 35, according to Kathleen Nadeau, Ph.D., Director of Chesapeake Psychological Services of Maryland and co-author of Understanding Girls With ADHD. I see marijuana as a mind-altering substance, much worse than alcohol or nicotine.

However, many of my peers do not see it the same way as I do.

It is much much more to me than that, especially when it comes to driving.

It has been my experience that driving while high is a fairly common

Matter of fact, some of the people I know who would never drink and drive do not see the danger of driving while high.

Driving while under the influence of marijuana slows your reaction time, your ability to make decisions, i m pairs your coord i nation, and dis-

torts pheyour nompercepe n o n tion, aca m o n g cording to college stuthe CDC. dents. Most marI want my ijuana users that I peers to know that know have no problem Ben Hurney / THE GATEPOST driving while high will smoking while driving still result in a DUI. or smoking right before driving.

Driving under the influence will reI’m not sure why it is not as taboo sult in a fine, a mandatory educational as drinking and driving when I think course about driving under the influthe implications could even be slightly ence, a license suspension, and a crimworse than drinking and driving. inal record.

I have always been an avid spokesperson for not drinking and driving, but I feel that my focus has to shift to not driving while high, because it is more widely accepted among college students.

It is a complicated topic to talk about with my friends because many of them have ways to rationalize this behavior.

“It’s not that big of a deal, it makes me a better driver, it has probably worn off by now.”

You could use that reasoning and rationalization to justify anything. I do not think the high is worth the risk of putting yourself, your passengers, and other drivers in danger.

If you are so dependent on marijuana that you would not be able to carry out your daily tasks without being high, there are resources out there to help you.

These resources include those found online on the American Addiction Centers website and the SAMHSA helpline which is available 24/7 for anyone struggling with mental health or substance use concerns - 1 (800) 662 - HELP. I am truly worried about my friends and peers who are risking their lives by driving while under the influence of marijuana. I think this has become a quiet epidemic among college students that not many are talking about.

You have to remember that when you are driving high, it’s not you driving, it’s the marijuana.

FRAMINGHAM STATE UNIVERSITY’S INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1932 | FSUGATEPOST.COM

10 | FEBRUARY 9, 2024

SP RTS

Men’s ice hockey ties in two tough conference matchups Sophia Oppedinsano Staff Writer The Framingham State Rams came to a 2-2 draw against the Salem State Vikings in overtime Feb. 3. The Rams are currently ranked fifth in the MASCAC. The Vikings have been an exacting opponent for the Rams over the course of the season, and managed to match Framingham across the box score in this most recent match.

“Games against Salem have always been ones we have circled on our schedule,” said goalie Trevor Stenberg.

The Rams struck first on a goal

by Scott Bugarin, assisted by Walker Smith and Kaleb Kinskey 8 minutes into the game.

Jake Barcelou went to the penalty box twice for checking and a delay of game. The Rams successfully killed both penalties, maintaining an overall

Alexis Schlesinger / THE GATEPOST Men’s ice hockey bench during 2-2 tie against Salem Feb. 3.

penalty kill percentage of 75.6%.

The second period proved tougher for the Rams as Framingham faced pressure throughout. Both teams saw big scoring chances before the Vikings scored to tie the game 1-1 with five minutes left.

The second period ended in a 1-1 tie.

“They always play with fire,” Stenberg said.

“Our conversations in the locker room about that is to stick to our game plan. Just because the plan isn’t working for 5 to 10 minutes of the game doesn’t mean we abandon ship,” Captain Patrick Colgan said.

Both teams came into the third period fighting for scoring opportunities.

The Rams faced big offensive pushes by the Vikings but managed to outshoot them 20 to 10.

Salem broke the stalemate halfway through the period, bringing the score to 2-1.

Colgan found the back of the net to tie the game 2-2 with 6 minutes left, assisted by Nathan Gines and Smith.

“It feels great to be supported by your brothers on and off the ice, especially in tough moments when we’re facing adversity. To be able to come together as a unit in tough spots is what’s going to continue to make us successful,” Colgan said.

He added the team’s “never-saydie” attitude sets them up for late third-period comebacks.

The game went into a 5-minute, three-on-three overtime period tied.

Neither team could break the draw and the game ended 2-2.

Stenberg made a key difference with 47 saves. He controlled much of

Salem’s offensive pressure and had several big stops to hold the Vikings to two goals.

Stenberg said, “As a goalie, it’s fun to see a lot of shots and make an impact on the games.”

Stenberg earned the MASCAC Goalie of the Week award on Feb. 5.

Head Coach Michael Bailey said Stenberg “has been given a chance to be the number one goalie this year and has never looked back.”

Stenberg has an overall .912 save percentage heading into the rest of the regular season for the Rams.

Framingham faced nonconference opponent Rivier University Feb. 6 in a 3-0 loss and conference opponent Westfield State Owls Feb. 8 in a 4-4 draw, marking the Rams’ second consecutive MASCAC tie.

The fourth-ranked Owls scored three goals in 43 seconds early in the second period. The Rams came back to score three goals in 90 seconds in the last minutes of the third period. Between these scoring runs, each team scored a goal.

Assistant Captain Ashton Collazo scored the first goal of the game for the Rams and had an assist on the game-tying goal by Brady Rossbach in the third period, which was also assisted by Smith.

Collazo said his line went on the ice and set up the power-play goal. “I’d say that we just wanted it more. We knew what was at stake with this game and the opportunity to clinch playoffs.”

“From there, we just had the confidence to continue pushing - they took their foot off the gas and we sensed it and took advantage,” he added.

Neither team broke the draw in

overtime and the game ended 4-4.

Collazo said the tie clinches Framingham’s playoff berth and “from here on out, it’s a race with Westfield” for a first-round playoff home game.

Framingham now holds a MASCAC conference record of 8-8-2 and an overall record of 8-12-2.

The Rams travel to top-ranked Plymouth State for a conference matchup Feb. 10 before ending the regular season with two home conference matchups Feb. 15 against MCLA and Feb. 17 against Fitchburg State.

FEBRUARY 3 FRAMINGHAM STATE SALEM STATE

2 2

FEBRUARY 6 RIVIER 3 FRAMINGHAM STATE 0

FEBRUARY 8 FRAMINGHAM STATE WESTFIELD STATE

4 4

Stats sourced from fsurams.com and MASCAC.com

CONNECT WITH SOPHIA OPPEDISANO soppedisano@student.framingham.edu

Women’s soccer welcomes new head coach Sophia Oppedisano Staff Writer The Framingham State women’s soccer team came together Feb. 2 to meet Michael La Francesca, the new head coach.

Tom Kelley, director of athletics, announced La Francesca as the new head coach Jan. 24.

Captain Megan “Moo” McAuliffe, a junior, said the meeting was “really refreshing” for the team.

“I think that the team is just really excited and I could kind of see the girls’ eyes sparkle when he was in there,” McAuliffe said.

“He is so enthusiastic and excited.

He’s like a ball of energy. It’s contagious to be around. It makes me excited,” said Captain Tori Potter, a junior.

Kelley described La Francesca as a “home-run” acquisition for the program and said it’s important for the Athletic Department to let the student athletes know they are cared for.

La Francesca was the varsity head coach at Medfield High School and spent time as an advisor to the wom-

@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com

en’s soccer program at Lasell University before coming to Framingham.

“I felt like this is a program that I can help change and improve and then move forward,” La Francesca said.

He added the Athletic Department and the students have been “wonderful and supportive” during his first few weeks, and their attitudes have shown him how “open” the University is.

Hailey Baker, a junior, served as the student representative during La Francesca’s hiring process and said the first impression she had was “just how dedicated he seemed not only to just becoming the coach of this team, but also just to the game of soccer itself.

“I think he’ll do a very good job of keeping the team together - and just strengthening the team culture we already have,” Baker added.

La Francesca said his coaching philosophy “revolves around fostering a supportive and competitive environment” where all of his players “can thrive both on and off the field.”

He added along with winning games, “You measure success by the output that the team has, but also is

the team happy - are we taking the right steps to meet the goals that we have, that we set for ourselves? That to me is achievement.”

The team has faced adversity in the last few years. Their 2023-24 season ended with a 1-12-2 overall record.

“Everyone keeps talking about how this is going to be our ‘rebuilding year,’” McAuliffe said.

She added La Francesca told the team “he doesn’t believe in rebuilding - he believes in reloading.”

“When he said that, it kind of just stopped me and I was like, ‘All right.

We’re reloading.’ I was excited for that,” McAuliffe said.

“Moo and I looked at each other and we’re like, ‘Oh my God! … This is it.’ This is the energy and attention we need and we love that,” Potter said.

As the off-season continues for the team, La Francesca said his focus right now is “recruiting, building relationships, and building a cohesive team off the field.

“You know, I do feel that we’re going to have a very successful season,” he added.

Micheal La Francesca, Head Women’s Soccer Coach Courtesy of Michael La Francesca

CONNECT WITH SOPHIA OPPEDISANO soppedisano@student.framingham.edu

FEBRUARY 9, 2024 | 11

ARTS & FEATURES

CELTSS discusses faculty contributions to ‘Families as They Really Are’

By Jack McLaughlin Arts & Features Editor The Center for Excellence in Learning, Teaching, Scholarship, and Service (CELTSS) met to discuss contributions made to the book “Families as They Really Are” on Zoom Feb. 6.

The event, which was co-sponsored by both the Education and Sociology & Criminology Departments, began with May Hara, a professor of education and director of CELTSS, introducing the four professors of Sociology & Criminology who contributed to the book.

Hara first introduced Xavier Guadalupe-Diaz, interim chair of the Sociology & Criminology Department.

His accomplishments include two published books, over 25 scholarly articles, and his appearance on the documentary series “Forensic Files II.” Patricia Sánchez-Connally was introduced second. Hara described her research as being focused “on ways that communities of color create different forms of capital to resist racism, discrimination, and oppression.”

Beth Whalley was the next person introduced by Hara. Whalley’s accomplishments include published research on incarcerated women’s mental health and sexual trauma, prison abolition, and institutional sexual assault response.

Virginia Rutter was the final person introduced. Although recently retired in 2022, Rutter still teaches courses at Framingham State related to families and research methods. She continues to do research, now in Washington, D.C. Rutter began the discussion by thanking Luis Rodriguez for his contribution to the event’s poster, which was based on the cover of the book.

Talking about the book, Rutter explained that it was written “to help our students dig deeply into family diversity and change - turns out that it’s not just students but members of our community, our families, and friends are very interested in the content of the book.”

Rutter discussed a chapter she wrote for the book, “The Case For Divorce.” She wanted to share from this section because it “gives you an inkling of the approach and opportunity of the book,” she said.

She then shared a figure that showed the divorce rate over the last few hundred years. Although still a large number, the figure showed that the rate has been steadily declining since the 1980s.

This led to discussing how the topic of divorce should be handled with a particular nuance.

“When I started this work two decades ago, there was an industry of bad social science research growing up around avoiding this fact, and

touting the case for marriage,” Rutter said.

“The simplest takeaway is that when families are distressed or highly conflictual, divorce is better than staying together. Better for the adults, better for the children.”

Rutter made the point that extending the case for divorce is not to just rebut divorce shame, but to also rebut shame on other types of family structures, in particular single-parent families.

“Family structure shaming has frequently been a not-so-lowkey dog whistle for shaming and blaming people of color, especially Black women, for barriers set up for them,” she said.

recreate a frame of reference between their native country and the United States,” she said.

She explained that creating the frame of reference for students was important, and most of the students she interviewed would talk about it.

“This work seemed significant for the book, because I wanted to highlight the contributions that immigrant families make when it comes to helping students succeed,” she said.

Guadalupe-Diaz spoke next about how his research in intimate partner violence in LGBTQ+ re-l a tionships has led him to doing more work with family scholars, despite not identifying as a family scholar.

“Family structure shaming has frequently been a not-so-lowkey dog whistle for shaming and blaming people of color, especially Black women, for barriers set up for them.”

- Virginia Rutter Professor of Sociology & Criminology Sánchez-Connally was next to speak, and she first began by discussing what drew her to want to contribute to this project. She was approached by Rutter who was interested in having a variety of different

“But of course, studying family violence is kind of how I came into the mix here,” he said.

He described his contribution to the book as “an angle that looks at the social conditions that foster or really

“Invariably, power seems to be an aspect of all of our relationships, for better and for worse. And sometimes that power can be leveraged against a partner’s vulnerabilites, trapping partners to control them, their lives, and who they are.”

- Xavier Guadalupe-Diaz Professor of Sociology & Criminology topics in the book.

“Virginia said ‘We’d like to diversify the topics of the book and provide the opportunity for folks to learn more about different communities,’” she said.

Sánchez-Connally’s contribution to the book included her experiences while working on her dissertation.

This included interviewing immigrant high school students. She noticed a primary source of motivation for them was to repay the sacrifices their parents made by staying in school.

“I ended up writing a bit about how students would retell the story of their parents’ journey to the United States, and in that way they would

create opportunities for abuse and violence between partners.

“Invariably, power seems to be an aspect of all of our relationships, for better and for worse. And sometimes that power can be leveraged against a partner’s vulnerabilities, trapping partners to control them, their lives, and who they are,” he added.

He continued to discuss relationship violence by explaining data shows partners known to transgender people are amongst the main perpetrators of this type of violence.

Guadalupe-Diaz’s research showed how abusive partners of transgender people exploit vulnerabilities caused by the trans-antagonistic culture

present in our society.

“Abusive partners can latch onto those sights of vulnerability and really make violence happen in a way that entraps our queer and trans friends and family members,” he said.

Rutter recollected editing Guadalupe-Diaz’s chapters, recalling the details made when discussing feminist history as fantastic.

Next, Whalley spoke about how they decided on the topic for the chapter she wrote. Her research primarily focuses on sexual violence, specifically institutional responses to them.

She described feeling excited about the chance of expanding this toward family literature, mentioning how her and Guadalupe-Diaz have published work together about sexual violence within the queer community.

Whalley mentioned how when discussing family sexual violence, looking at it through only sexual abuse toward children or marital rape is a “restrictive way to think about sexual violence that happens between partners.

“It really relies on understanding family as part of the state, through the institution of marriage, or through legal adoption, or through genetics and biology,” she said.

She talked about the chapter she wrote for the book, which asked, “If family sexual violence is distinguished by this betrayal of trust and safety, how do the limitations that we place on our understanding of family restrict this understanding of the harm of sexual violence and the response to it?”

To answer this question, she expands the understanding of family by including queer communities and chosen families, and by giving a deeper meaning to violence in queer relationships.

Through her research, she discovered that chosen families, or kinships, have been around since the Middle Ages, and the contemporary LGBTQ+ community adopted them.

“However, specific to queer communities, this familial language is tied back to gay men’s culture in New York, especially in ballroom culture,” she said, explaining how this became popular in recent years.

Whalley said she wanted the important takeaway for her chapter to be “What do we do with the expanded definition of family and queer sexual violence?”

Following a Q&A, Hara concluded the event by expressing gratitude to her fellow colleagues for their contributions to the book.

“I feel really lucky to be colleagues with the folks on this panel, to be part of this community,” she said.

CONNECT WITH JACK MCLAUGHLIN

jmclaughlin7@student.framingham.edu

FRAMINGHAM STATE UNIVERSITY'S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1932 | FSUGATEPOST.COM

ARTS & FEATURES

12 | FEBRUARY 9, 2024

Higher education Continued from Page 1 She said the possibility of debt-free college has become a lot closer recently in Massachusetts. “But if parents don’t know that these resources are available, they’re just not going to move the needle and students won’t benefit,” she added.

Femi Stoltz, Massachusetts policy maker at uAspire, stressed the importance of making financial aid information easily available for families.

She spoke about the difficulty families face in learning about financial aid and said most students find out about financial aid by chance.

Stoltz advocated for the Massachusetts House Bill 4269, which proposed a requirement for high school students to fill out the FAFSA before graduating.

She added completing the FAFSA

who have high unmet financial needs beyond tuition and fees?” she asked.

Akman also advocated for simplifying the financial aid process to make it easier for families to understand and use the services provided.

Rich Levy, former professor at Salem State University and co-coordinator of the Massachusetts Anti-Privatization Project & Campus Debt Reveal, presented on the ways free tuition would contribute to an increased quality of education for students.

He said if public institutions were able to pay professors more and eliminate the need to hire outside profit-focused firms, then faculty and staff would be able to serve student needs more adequately.

Levy focused on the ways this program would increase postsecondary education enrollment and services for students. “Not only would this provide

chusetts graduates who stay in Massachusetts.”

She said approximately 82% of students who graduate from community colleges stay in Massachusetts after five years, and 74% of students who graduate from public four-year universities stay in Massachusetts after five years.

Agarwal added states with higher numbers of college- and university-educated residents tend to have higher median earnings per person, and only 52.8% of the Massachu-setts population has an associates de-g r e e or higher.

“When graduates stay here, they’re going to work and invest in the economy,” she said.

Benjamin Forman, MassINC’s research director, spoke about a less common topic in these discussions - the salaries of faculty and staff in

Adrien Gobin / THE GATEPOST Femi Stoltz, Massachusetts policy maker at uAspire, speaking in the McCarthy Forum during the Equity in Higher Education Policy Summit Feb. 1. made students much more likely to attend postsecondary education.

“College should be presented to every graduating student as an option and not because someone decided, ‘I think you’re college material,’” she said.

Persis Yu, deputy executive director & managing counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), talked about the statistics of debt for students across the nation. She said Black students are much more likely to graduate with debt, and after graduation, people of color are much less likely to pay off their loans as fast as white borrowers.

“If you look at the student loan crisis, which is a really hot topic right now, it really is a racial justice topic, and it is undermining the ability of students to achieve the actual promise of a higher education,” she said.

Bahar Akman, managing director of the Hildreth Institute, focused on the difference between equity and equality in the current diffusion of financial aid, and the focus on equality rather than equity.

She said student aid does not go to the students who have the highest financial need.

“OK, everyone has [tuition] covered, but what does it mean for those

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sufficient budgets and wrap-around services,” but it would allow universities to outsource fewer services.

Jonathan Paz, policy advocate at Massachusetts Immigrant & Refugee Advocacy Coalition, spoke about the challenges immigrants face when trying to receive higher education.

He asked the audience if any of them had heard of the Tuition Equity Act, a 2023 Massachusetts bill that allowed immigrants in Massachusetts to qualify for in-state tuition if they went to high school in Massachusetts for three years.

Paz added this bill came long after other states began to pass similar bills, and lawmakers did not initially have consensus over it.

“It’s an incredible victory, but it was 20 years too late,” he said.

He added about 3,000 people in Massachusetts are projected to benefit from the Tuition Equity Act. “We now have the opportunity to really bring in the immigrant students to the fold,” he said. “Let’s get 3,000 immigrant kids to have access to these things so that we can actually achieve education equity.”

Vishakha Agarwal, education research and policy specialist for the Massachusetts Teachers Association, focused her presentation on “Massa-

Massachusetts.

He pointed out that faculty at Massachusetts public institutions were paid well below the national average, and the comparison was even worse when the focus turned to community colleges.

Forman said teachers and staff are contracted to work low-wage nonunion jobs. “It undermines the parents of our students - it undermines the income of our community,” he added.

He said the portion of student tuition that goes toward paying the school’s debt, a direct result of defunding infrastructure construction on these campuses, comprises up to 30 percent of students’ tuition.

Noe Ortega, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education, spoke last.

He began his speech by recognizing all of the different organizations and representatives in the room with him.

“We cannot create the conditions for success without being able to collaborate with folks,” he said.

He said many changes have been made in the effort to make higher education affordable and accessible to all, including a general recognition that affordable higher education is an investment, increased financial

support access for those who need it most, and decreased tuition costs for students from families making $100,000 or less.

“We still have a lot more work to do there, but it does pave the foundation for what has often been called the path to truly affordable - which is debt-free - college,” he said.

“I will end by saying that it’s not just enough to get students into our schools. It’s extremely important that they get through. That they find a way to persist and complete,” Ortega said.

After the speeches, all speakers at the summit participated in a panel discussion.

Carela said many programs exist to make higher education more accessible and affordable, but often people are unaware of these programs. She suggested educating students about their options at a younger age may help students be aware of the issues.

Page added simplifying programs may increase awareness, ease of access, and equitability.

Akman said this would also lower the need for a large-scale marketing campaign for aid programs, allowing more money to be invested into the aid itself.

One audience member asked how to advocate for not only lowered costs associated with higher education but also better investment for quality of education.

Paz said many people underestimate the impact of raising issues with state legislators, and if more people do, the legislature will listen. He added it’s important to raise these issues directly with the government and not with other citizens.

“If we’re constantly in this negotiation against ourselves as a working class, then we’re going to continue to see these patterns of institutional deficit,” he said.

Carela added legislators are much more likely to listen to people who have credible information and a diverse backing for the cause.

When asked about how students can help fight for more equitable education, the panel agreed students are necessary to advocacy groups like their own.

Stoltz said legislatures are much more likely to listen to student concerns than concerns of student advocacy groups, and students who are particularly invested can join an advocacy group or lobby with organizations at the statehouse, but even simply calling a legislator is appreciated.

Yu said students should start coalition building as soon as possible if they want to support equity in higher education.

“It’s going to take organizing and people demanding to be treated better in order to make change,” she said.

CONNECT WITH RAENA DOTY

rdoty@student.framingham.edu

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ARTS & FEATURES

FEBRUARY 9, 2024 | 13

Cosplay Club couture

By Ryan O’Connell Associate Editor

By Francisco Omar Fernandez Rodriguez Interim Asst. Arts & Features Editor

‘Schiapar-alien’

By Bella Omar Asst. Arts & Features Editor A circuit board embellished cocktail dress - paired with a matching child, of course - braided horsehair silk studded sets, ample buckles, bandana motifs, and floor-length fringe were all featured in Schiaparelli creative director, Daniel Roseberry’s western, sci-fi, surrealist sensation - “Schiapar-alien!”

Since taking over the house in April 2019 as the first American to lead a French couture brand, Roseberry has consistently delivered noteworthy and creative collections that honor Elsa Schiaparelli’s legacy.

On Jan. 22, Roseberry transformed the Petit Palais in Paris into a magical amalgamation of his Texan upbringing and scifi movie aesthetics all while pushing the boundaries of craftsmanship in haute couture.

Highly structured ensembles with even higher necklines that surpassed the models’ faces opened the show, creating shapes that embodied that alien-like look and signature Schiaparelli opulence.

Pieces took on the palette of dark velvets, satins, and patent leather exclusively in neutrals, gold, and lacy white.

Continuing to play into the brand’s character, Roseberry did not shy away from the iconic keyhole shape - that was most noticeable as a cutout that amassed internet attention by not only covering the gown with feathers, but the model’s entire face as well.

Yet the most buzz worthy item was not an article of clothing but an accessory - the Swarovski crystal encrusted, cyber child. The child, and the matching dress, featured retro mother boards, calculators, and cellphones attached.

Gold hard- Marcus Falcão / THE GATEPOST ware was in abundance and made up everything - western-style belt buckles, boot tips, and even small keyhole shapes. Several looks featured pants or jackets completely adorned in these oversized belt buckles, adding another layer of drama to these already out-of-this-world pieces.

Phallic knobs of braided horsehair silk fully decorated cropped jackets and trousers while adding an incredible amount of interest to the looks.

As another homage to the human body, gold shoes molded into the shape of feet were styled with floor-length gowns.

Towering cages of satin or lace that enclosed models’ faces were reminiscent of the spaceships in nostalgic sci-fi movies that Roseberry definitely kept in mind while designing this collection.

Taking inspiration from historic couturiers such as Cristóbal Balenciaga, and as an obvious nod to the awards season, high and low volume evening gowns billowed down the runway their satin makeup catching the light.

Upper echelon pieces like these were balanced by slouchy slacks and cargo pants sported in a handful of looks - in addition to the charming detail of a pencil from the Schiaparelli studio being threaded through the lapel of a white shirt.

Long, luxurious fringe featured on jackets and even skirts was the piece de resistance in turning models into glamorous cowboys that just so happened to find themselves in Paris.

This collection truly felt like a labor of love, authentically representing Daniel Roseberry’s many eccentric inspirations and the brand’s proclivity for the surreal - making it a beacon of the spring 2024 couture season.

The newly created Cosplay Club rolled out the red carpet for a crowd of costumed students at their first event in the McCarthy Forum, Feb. 7.

Rileigh Kelley, sophomore fashion design and retailing major and president of the Cosplay Club, said the red carpet roll out was an opportunity to promote what the club is all about.

Formed in December 2023, she said the goal of Cosplay Club is to teach people skills useful for cosplay, such as sewing, styling, or building props.

She added it’s also meant to be a space for people to find their creativity and to build both confidence and success in the hobby, but also invites those who are just interested in exploring the concept.

Kelley was dressed as Mitsuri Kanroji from the anime “Demon Slayer,” a character she said she has cosplayed at least six times.

“I love this character a lot,” she said. “She’s just really funny - she’s just a really silly character. I also really like her character design. I love her hair, a lot of the reason I decided to cosplay her was because I wanted to style this wig.”

She said she has been cosplaying for over eight years, since she was 12, but really became invested in the hobby only three years ago, at 17.

She said in the past she has cosplayed Kokomi from the videogame “Genshin Impact,” Serena from the “Pokémon” franchise, and Tohru from the anime “Fruits Basket,” among other characters.

Kelley said she started the Cosplay Club because she knew there had been public interest in it before, and wanted to create a space for people who shared the hobby.

“One day I went up to Aili and I said, ‘Aili, we should start a cosplay club,’ and she said, ‘Sure,’” she added.

Aili Schiavoni, sophomore fashion design and retailing major and the vice president of the Cosplay Club, cosplayed Hato Higashikata from “JoJolion,” part 8 of the anime and manga series “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure.”

Schiavoni said cosplay is the reason she became a fashion major.

“I’ve been cosplaying since before I knew what the word ‘cosplay’ meant,” she said.

She added as a child, she would comb through family member’s closets, looking for clothes she could wear to resemble characters she liked - mentioning Tetra and Medli from “The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker,” or Samus Aran of “Metroid.”

“I never played a single ‘Metroid’ game, but I liked the way she looked,” she added. “So I took a pair of Christmas pajamas and I painted them to look like her suit.”

Schiavoni said she was very excited about the red carpet event, and Cosplay Club has plans to do a lot more as the semester continues.

She added the organization plans to offer workshops teaching sewing, a costume karaoke event, a cosplay showcase, a cosplay coffeehouse, a group trip to a renaissance fair, and more.

Oliver Swanson, a freshman international business major, also attended the event.

He said he has not done cosplays before but has been wanting to both try out building and wearing cosplay.

He said he has been into anime for a while and sees cosplaying as a fun way to show appreciation for those series.

He added he has some characters in mind that he wants to cosplay. He said, “I’m really thinking between these two: Sung Jinwoo from ‘Solo Leveling,’ the main character of the series, or Arthur Leywin from ‘The Beginning After The End.’ I like both of them.”

He said he’s only been to one convention so far - Comic-Con - on a trip with FSU’s Comic Book Club. He said he plans on going to two more through FSU clubs as well - PAX East, through the Gaming Club, and Anime Boston through the Anime Club.

In Cosplay Club he has also been learning how to sew. He added, “Also I’m enjoying sewing so far. I’m not gonna lie, it’s really fun. I think people need to give sewing a try.”

CONNECT WITH RYAN O’CONNELL

roconnell1@student.framingham.edu

CONNECT WITH FRANCISCO OMAR FERNANDEZ RODRIGUEZ

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CONNECT WITH BELLA OMAR

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Maddison Behringer / THE GATEPOST Oliver Swanson doing a backflip on stage at the Cosplay Club Red Carpet event Feb. 7.

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14 | FEBRUARY 9, 2024

ARTS & FEATURES

‘Suicide Squad’ kills your dreams

By Izayah Morgan Editorial Staff To say “Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League” was controversial is an understatement.

Online discourse for this game started as soon as it was announced that developer Rocksteady, which created the genre-defining “Batman: Arkham” trilogy, were now making a live service, looter-shooter game.

This brought a healthy skepticism and concern, as when a company creates something completely different from what brought them success, fans can be worried.

The game released after a yearlong delay and an alpha test that was completely hidden under non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) preventing those who played the alpha test from talking about it.

Just a few

w e e k s ago there was a private showing of the game to gaming journalists and outlets. Fans were hungry for a big gaming outlet to give their thoughts and were eager.

Disappointment followed.

IGN was the first big outlet to give their thoughts and they were not positive. Titling their video “We played ‘Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League’ and we didn’t like it,” the internet soon after went into a frenzy and discourse online was overwhelmingly negative.

Now as early access has ended and we have a global release, buyers need to know - is it worth $70?

The story follows characters Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, and King Shark, as they are captured by Amanda Waller and bombs are placed in their heads. The gallery of rogues are tasked with one mission - to kill the Justice League. The Justice League has been taken over by Brainiac, who has wiped out 99% of the population in Metropolis.

The opening act is very well done, but quickly falls from there. Facial animation and cutscenes are masterfully done and it’s clear Rocksteady put some great work and passion into these characters.

However, the story narrative moved way too quickly, as by the fifth or sixth hour players will start killing all Justice League members like they’re grating cheese.

The ending leaves much to be desired.

As a live service, this ending was probably made to leave room for future content. However, despite that the ending is disappointing and leaves long-time “Arkham” fans wondering why this game

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was part of the larger Arkham universe.

Traversal is very fun and shooting feels really good. There are different tiers of weapons - common, rare, legendary, and notorious. Notorious weapons are based on DC villains and the most creative part of the gunplay.

The open world is set in a Metropolis - brighter and open compared to Rocksteady’s older “Arkham” games.

After nine years, it does not feel much more alive than other games. Enemies patrol but there are never many.

Side missions are repetitive in gameplay, and rewards are, at most, vendor upgrades primarily used in the endgame.

Riddler challenges make a return from the “Arkham” series and are an enjoyable detour from the main story.

A problem with the o p e n

Ben Hurney / THE GATEPOST world is that while being big, due to traversal, players stay above the rooftops, never getting a chance to fight on the streets.

That’s the problem - we have two different games trying to come together.

Narrative story-driven focus that Rocksteady is known for, and a looter shooter, live service game. Two genres Rocksteady tried to bring together, but didn’t scratch either itch for fans.

As a live service game that has potential to improve, we already have Joker to look forward to in the coming months.

We already have about two years worth of content planned for the future of this game. However, looking at the state of launch, I have a skeptical view moving forward.

I wouldn’t recommend this game at full price right now.

Rating: D+ Suicide Squad: kill your pockets

CONNECT WITH IZAYAH MORGAN

imorgan@student.framingham.edu

‘The Umbrellas of Cherbourg’

By Owen Glancy Asst. Arts & Features Editor

The French New Wave of the late 1950s through the early 1960s was undoubtedly one of the most exciting moments in film history, and one that produced more masterpieces than almost any other.

Of all the legendary directors who emerged from this period, Jacques Demy is perhaps the most unique. His style is as whimsical as it is dark, and even during a moment in film history that saw the emergence of some of the medium’s greatest masters, Demy stands alone in his interesting brand of filmmaking.

No other movie speaks more to this than “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg.”

Released in 1964, “Umbrellas” follows the story of Geneviève and Guy, two lovestruck youths living out their perfect romance in 1957 Cherbourg, France. However, a combination of her mother’s disapproval and Guy’s drafting into the war effort against Algeria cause the two to spend one final night together, which ends in Geneviève’s pregnancy.

With her lover gone, and her mother’s shop going out of business, their situation becomes desperate. This is when wealthy diamond merchant Roland Cassard enters the equation and asks for Geneviève’s hand in marriage. She now must decide between love and responsibility at the age of only 18.

This conflict is such a large part of what makes the film great, with every scene toeing the line between innocent whimsy and harsh reality.

It will make you believe in love again, and then immedi- David Abe / THE GATEPOST ately dash that belief against the cold rocks of reason.

The part of the film that stands out the most is that it’s a musical, and a rather unique one at that. Rather than musical numbers, every character instead sings their lines throughout the film’s entire runtime.

I will admit, this did put me off a bit at the start of the movie, but once I got used to it, I started to really like it. By the film’s end, you’ll think that this musical style was the only way to tell this story.

Another one of the film’s biggest strengths is its use of color. This was Demy’s first color film, and if I didn’t know this going into it, I would’ve assumed he always worked in color.

The way he uses color is so masterful and vibrant that I was occasionally distracted by how pretty everything looked. It got to the point where there were certain scenes I had to watch twice because I was so drawn into the set design and the lighting.

While that may have been an embarrassing thing to admit, it’s just proof that Demy and the entire cast and crew of this film were on their A-game making this.

All that said, I have to ask myself, why isn’t this more popular? I’ve asked just about everyone I know if they’ve heard of this film, and not a single person has said they have. Even some film buffs remain ignorant to this film, as other movies from the French New Wave such as “Breathless,” “The 400 Blows,” and “Le Beau Serge” still receive heaps of praise and notoriety to this day. I think the answer to this question lies in what makes this such a unique film.

Demy managed to craft one of the most stylized, colorful, memorable, and unique films not just of the 1960s but of all time.

Because it’s so different from nearly every other film, except for maybe Demy’s later work “The Young Girls of Rochefort,” it can often alienate casual moviegoing audiences. That, alongside the baffling modern stigma surrounding subtitles, is what often leads newer audiences not to watch films like this. And that’s a real shame.

“The Umbrellas of Cherbourg” is the perfect film for Valentine’s Day, and a highly recommended watch for anyone unafraid of going outside their comfort zone. Jumping into not just this film, but the entirety of Demy’s filmography is not only rewarding, but extremely fun!

The easiest way to watch “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg” is on Max, The Criterion Channel, or to buy/rent it on Amazon Prime.

CONNECT WITH OWEN GLANCY

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ARTS & FEATURES

FEBRUARY 9, 2024 | 15

GP MIX:

Cupid’s Collection Puzzles

37. Common stir-fry green 40. French fashion monogram 41. Rim shot drum 43. Band’s booking 44. “Relative” of Bigfoot 45. So bad that it’s good, in Gen Z slang 47. Future syrup, perhaps 49. Sentry’s question 53. “You’ve got mail” co.

54. Cognizant (of) 55. “Fingers crossed!”

59 Word before “saw” or “smoker” 61. Natural sounds that the starts of 16-, 23-, 37- and 49-Across resemble 63. Great praise 64. Words per minute, for one 65. “Read ’em and ___!”

66. Country found inside Romania?

67. Commotions 68. ___ Jose

ACROSS 1. “Everything ___ Changed” (Taylor Swift song) 4. University in Houston 8. “Goodness gracious!”

12. Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn 14. Org. that approves hard hats 15. Investigate 16. Seizure of power 18. Chip away at 19. Nairobi’s land 20. Asian food store 22. ___ instinct 23. Sia hit with the lyric “Baby, I don’t need dollar bills to\ have fun tonight” 26. Put a fresh coat on 29. Covered in grease 30. Too formal 31. Female deer 33. Runs away 36. Tonic’s partner

35. What someone might do on a banana peel 37. Laments 38. Until now 39. Shrek, for one 42. Cloth scrap 44. Bull-riding cheer 46. Church bench 48. Carle who wrote “The Very Puzzle solutions are now Hungry Caterpillar” exclusively online.

49. Off-the-wall 50. Unexciting 51. Big name in hummus 52. B-D-F or C-E-G, in music 56. Bullfight cheers 57. “Guilty” or “not guilty” 58. “Monday Night Football” channel 60. OH- or NH4+ 62. ___ Moines

DOWN 1. Break into, digitally 2. Soothing succulent 3. Created, as yarn from wool 4. Fish eggs 5. Request for consent 6. Winner, casually 7. Go to, as a restaurant 8. Screw up 9. Craft items that roll easily?

10. Pop star Paula 11. Specifics, slangily 13. Surveillance device, for short 15. Become stone 17. Indian yogurt 21. Greek letter used to represent density 24. Prefix with “skeleton” 25. Not well 26. Dungeons & Dragons and Undertale: Abbr.

27. Ireland, in old poems 28. Drink that might come with a paper umbrella 32. Certain heart reading, for short 34. “Como ___ usted?”

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PHOTOS

16 | FEBRUARY 9, 2024

Valentine Messages Spread by Photos & Design Editor Maddison Behringer

Ryan O’Connell never fails to make me laugh

post <3

Gate I love The Liv West & Marlee Griffen, Roses are red, Violets are blue, oh how I love spending time with you!

- Iz Shields

Dearest Natalie, Happy 1 year of Gateposting together!!!

Roses are red, Violets are blue, Sophia me thinks that I love you Thank you to the athletic trainers… Laura, Damon, and Kristine for keeping our athletes healthy!

To the Ga You are tepost staff: all determ resilient, in beautif ed, and ul make u and you s alum s so proud <3

Alexa play doses and mimosas for my favorite valentine!!! Meet u for date nite at Knotts Island <3

I love the Dunkin ladies! They make FSU feel like home!

Dude Bro, I Love you so freaking much I’m literally the luckiest! You make me so elated!

there is no one else i’d rather spend my monday nights with, i love you more than anything emma brosnan!

I LOVE THE HORACE MANN RA -EV Maddi, Ryan, and Sophia, You are my best friends and I love being a part of the Gatepost team with you guys!

Bella, Words cannot even begin to describe just how much I love you and how much you mean to me. I am so incredibly thankful for the love, support, joy, and inspiration you bring into my life; and every second with you makes me the luckiest person on this planet. I look up to you so much and you truly help me be the best version of myself.

Happy Valentine’s Day, I love you more than anything, Luke

I love you Owen Glancy-SM

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To 608- my support system and my soulmates. Life would so be so dull without you <3

Horace Mann and Peirce Hall Council is amazing -president

Happy Valentine’s Day to my forever love who brings me joy, love, laughter and ease. You’re the best and I’m always feeling grateful you’re mine. - AMB

Sophia! Thank you for being the absolute best friend I could ever ask for. I love you so much and I am grateful every single day that I get to know you. I have been forever blessed to have found a sister. All me love

I love you, English Department <3