March 1, 2024

Comfort K-9s come to campus

Women’s basketball wins conference title in record-breaking season

By Adam Levine Sports Editor

The Framingham State Rams beat the Bridgewater State Bears 74-62 Feb. 24 to win their third Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Tournament Championship in four seasons.

Framingham’s 24-win season sets the new program record for the most wins in a single season.

The Rams dominated the MASCAC all season, only suffering one loss in conference play and ending with a conference record of 11-1. The Bears beat the Rams 56-47 Jan. 6 at Bridgewater in their first matchup of the season. In their second matchup, the Rams got

their revenge with a 59-58 victory Jan. 31 on their home court.

The Bears finished second place in the MASCAC with a conference record of 10-2, only suffering losses to the Rams and the Westfield State Owls.

Throughout the season, both Framingham’s players and coaches anticipated they would see the defending MASCAC Champions, the Bridgewater Bears, in the conference finals this season.

Framingham entered the game with a perfect 12-0 home record, but the athletes knew Bridgewater would not roll over and give up the title game.

The 2023-24 Co-MASCAC Player of the Year recipients, Bridgewater’s Kylie Grassi and Framingham fifth-year player, Captain Gwendolyn Carpenter,

headlined the battle.

Framingham’s other fifth-year player, Captain Flannery O’Connor, also headlined the matchup as a MASCAC All-Conference First-Team member and Bridgewater’s Sydney Bradbury and Framingham junior Kelsey Yelle heated up the game even more as MASCAC All-Conference Second-Team members.

Framingham’s Head Coach, Walter Paschal, earned the Women’s Basketball BSN Sports Coach of the Year this season to wrap-up the Rams’ individual awards.

The matchup did not disappoint. The Bears arrived with a fan bus and lined their student section with a sea of red.

Ike Okwara speaks about the Black Deaf experience

By Dorcas Abe Staff Writer

On Feb. 27 the Center for Inclusive Excellence (CIE) with the Department of American Sign Language (ASL) and the ASL Club hosted a talk with Ikechukwu “Ike” E. Okwara, an advocate for disability rights and former president of the Rhode Island Association of the Deaf (RIAD), to discuss the history, and unique experiences faced by the Black and Deaf communities.

Bruce Bucci, program coordinator and professor for Deaf studies made the introductions. He is a long-time friend of Okwara and stressed the importance of allyship in improving our future.

He said, “The goal for today is to be inclusive and to change the world.”

Bucci introduced others who made the event possible.

Jefferey Coleman, vice president for Diversity, Inclusion and Community Engagement (DICE), expressed his excitement, stating this was his first time being part of this kind of event.

“I hope this allows us to find ways we can further engage with intersecting identities in the various communities we interact with and are a part of,” he said.

Jerome Burke, director of the CIE, said he was excited to hear Okwara’s presentation, adding he was happy the ASL Club wanted to highlight the Deaf Black Community.

“They could have chosen any other activity or highlighted any other month, but for them to chose to celebrate the Black community - I’m really appreciative of that,” he said.

Luce Aubry, World Languages Department chair and ASL and interpreting professor, expressed her happiness to see many familiar faces.

Kristen Porter-Utley, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, said she was delighted at the large turn out for the event and thanked the CIE and ASL club for organizing it.

T. Stores, dean of the College of Arts and Humanities, and Angela Herbert, ASL/English Interpreting professor, greeted the crowd.

Maddison Behringer / THE GATEPOST

Haley Jensen and West of the Sherborn Police Department at the FSUPD “Spring Fling” event on Feb. 26.

Raena Doty / THE GATEPOST MAZGAL pg. 16

pg. 17

Asst.

Asst.

Arts & Features Editors

Raena Doty

Jack McLaughlin

Asst. Arts & Features Editors

Owen Glancy

Bella Omar

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Illustrations Editor Ben Hurney

Asst. Illustrations Editors

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Staff Illustrators

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Advisor

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Elizabeth Banks

By Bella Omar Editorial Staff

What is your professional background?

Before FSU, I worked professionally at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, where I got my graduate degree. I worked in leadership and service, so I did a lot of events. I did a lot of service work, service leadership, and education. It was more so on the student life side of things. And then, I worked for two years as an academic coach there, which was more on the academic side of the house working with strengths, study skills, time management, and different ways to succeed in the classroom. And before this job, I was at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Boston and I did academic advising there. I did that for about a year and this is kind of my first stint in career development specifically, but I think each one of those experiences brought me here. It allows me to focus on helping students get involved outside of the classroom, helping them succeed in the classroom, and then using the product of that to help them market themselves.

What does a day in your life look like for you?

So as a career counselor, that’s my primary focus. A lot of what I do the bulk of my day is student appointments. I typically see all different types of topics. I see résumé and cover letter reviews, I see graduate school inquiries, I see job interview questions or conducting mock interviews - helping students to begin their job search and their internship search. So a lot of student meetings, I think, is the bulk of my day. It’s very student-facing and then outside of that, I do the Suitable Solutions program, so I work on marketing for that. You know, doing a lot of appointment notes, and just trying to do personal research, right? I’ve got tabs up on my computer all the time about things that I’m interested in, things I want to learn more about, and just helping everybody else around the office with whatever they need.

Do you have any particularly memorable student stories?

The Strong Interest Inventory is something that I know we’re really proud of in this office. And what I always bring up is this - an alum who has been an

alum for 15 or 20 years, who was beginning a career change, and I think it was my first Strong Interest Inventory interpretation that I did. So I was really nervous because it was someone who was older than me. So there was kind of that impostor syndrome in there, but I hope that this is something that they’re going to benefit from and luckily, they were absolutely phenomenal, super open-minded to the results, what the assessment is designed to do, and they were really open to feedback. They were really open to any next steps we were willing to take with that and I thought it was validating in a few ways. It was really cool to see someone embrace that humility and say “I’m however many years old and I don’t know what I want to do, and I’m open to the idea of starting over,” and then having a tool that allowed them to start doing that was really great, and they were so receptive to what we had to say that I think on our end, we were like, “OK, so this does work. This is something that does serve multiple purposes.”

What is a piece of career advice you would give your undergraduate self?

I would say it’s never too early, and it’s never too late. So it’s never too early, meaning if you are a first-year student and you want to develop your résumé, or you want to take the Strong Interest Inventory and just find out who you are, it’s never too early. What we see a lot this semester is students who are starting to look for full-time jobs after college and they’re like, “Am I too late? Is February too late?” No, you’re not because we have the job fairs that are happening in March. If the companies aren’t even coming here until March, you’re good. It’s never too late. We all move at our own pace. And it’s never too early. So I think what’s helpful is whenever students ask that question is being able to say back to them, “You’re doing it now. The fact that you’re in here asking these questions - you’re a lot farther along than you think.” And then just kind of a reminder, reminding them that all their experiences here are qualifying them, whether it’s stuff they are learning in the classroom or in extracurricular activities, interactions with their peers, it all adds up to how they present themselves after they leave here.

What is your biggest takeaway from this position?

I think the work has been a really fun transition into this focus area. Away from things I’ve done in the past, but I think the power of camaraderie and collaboration that happens at smaller institutions has been really really cool. This is my first time at a relatively smaller school. And none of this happens without every single person in the office. So whether we’re executing a job fair, or we’re executing Career Week events, or we’re assisting with orientation we are all hands on deck for those things. So that can make for some hectic days. I think the thing I’ve learned the most is we all wear multiple hats in this office, but in a way that we’re happy to do so. We’re happy to lean on other people and have everybody have a piece of the pie at the end. What’s a really cool is getting to see how teamwork collaboration is defined and demonstrated here.

Courtesy of Framingham State

SGA addresses pro-pepper spray protest and strategic planning

By Kaitlin Carman News Editor

SGA discussed protesters advocating for the right to carry pepper spray on campus, student feedback for strategic planning, and student organization funding at their meeting on Feb. 27.

Senator Caesar Matos began open forum discussing the pro-pepper spray protesters outside of the McCarthy Center earlier that day at approximately 2:30 p.m.

Signs in hand, they were advocating for students to be able to carry pepper spray for self-defense on campus despite its current status as a prohibited item at the University.

“I wanted to have a conversation about it. … There’s always a conversation about protection using pepper spray and about the effects that pepper spray might have on the perception of certain groups of people,” said Matos.

SGA Vice-President Raffi Elkhoury said he spoke to the protestors to confirm they are not FSU students or in any way affiliated with the University. He added they are part of a group that has been protesting at other college campuses.

He said they were also trying to get signatures for a petition for students to be able to carry pepper spray.

“It’s definitely an important conversation to be having because it is a safety concern if people are allowed to have it [and] it is a safety concern if they aren’t,” he said.

Elkhoury expressed concern about the path that goes between CASA (Center for Academic Success and Achievement) and in front of May Hall.

“There’s not a crosswalk there … and a lot of times, cars are blowing by there,” said Elkhoury. He said he would contact facilities to try to remediate the problem.

Senator Jacob Sargent added vehicles have also been going the wrong way on that one-way road. He said there needs to be “additional signage” to avoid more dangerous situations.

With the addition of new campus police officers, Elkhoury said there will be more foot and cruiser patrols in that area.

Officer Andrew Frimpong introduced himself to SGA as the new community resource officer on campus.

“I just wanted to introduce myself and say how much I’m enjoying myself here. … Thank you very much for invit-

Weather

Sunday night Mar. 3

A chance of showers. Cloudy, with a high near 50. North wind 5 to 10 mph.

ing me to your meeting as well.

“My role is to be that liaison between students and the police department. … I just wanted to make myself known and also just work in conjunction with you guys and basically just start off with a new ball rolling,” said Frimpong.

Senators took turns introducing themselves to Frimpong stating their names and majors. Sargent reminded Frimpong of the chess game they recently played together.

Elkhoury turned the meeting to Ann McDonald, Chief of Staff General Counsel and Secretary to the Board of Trustees, who addressed the University’s strategic plan.

The University is required by the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education to have an active strategic plan, according to McDonald.

She said it is a “guiding document that takes into account all the goals of the college system in the commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the roles of the University that we set for us to follow for the next five years.

“Right now, we’re living off of sort of an extension of our last strategic plan … Our goal is to try to give a rough draft … to our trustees in May before they finish up their work, and then move it forward to the Department of Higher Education next fall,” added McDonald.

[ Editor’s Note: See “Board of Trustees discuss enrollment strategies” in Nov. 17 2023 issue of The Gatepost. ]

Senator Jeremy McDonald, who is also a member of the All University Committee and strategic planning board, said the University wants student feedback to better shape the future of its strategic plan.

“We’re just trying to kind of get a feel for what the University students feel. … Instead of just having one-onone conversations, these are things that we can bring back to the Strategic Planning Committee,” he said.

He added, “I can’t speak for everybody so to have more student experiences that I am able to give some insight on and reflect on is great. … Being able to read your experiences helps me to be a fuller, more participating member.”

In regard to what the University is doing well, Elkhoury said, “The new painting, the hammocks, fire pits, beautification - I think have been re-

ally effective.” He also highlighted a letter that focused on campus sustain ability.

goals of sustainability and beautifi cation, whether that is having more native plants put on campus or revi talizing the garden - something like that makes the campus sustainability appear more beautiful and also in line with our goals of being a more sustain able, climate-friendly campus.”

is an important pillar of the strategic plan. “We want to meet our mission, and sustainability seems to be one of those things that jutted out for us,” she said.

the University will be building a solar canopy in the Salem End Road Parking Lot which is expected to be completed before the start of the Fall semester.

contracts that we are working on right now. They’ll start as soon as you guys leave for summer break, and we told them they need to be out be fore you come back in August because we need that parking area. But that’s scheduled to happen now,” she said.

[ Editor’s Note: See “FSU named one of the most environmentally responsible universities” in Feb. 23 2024 issue of The Gatepost. ]

Elkhoury said not only is it important for the University to connect classroom skills and experiences to work environments, but it should also be “connecting the classroom with students’ lives outside of the classroom or their work experience with extracurriculars - with opportunities that exist like those being promoted by professors.”

Although that might not be applicable on the strategic planning level, it is important to consider how faculty work to promote student engagement on campus, according to Elkhoury.

Senator Tony Sims said the University could improve by having more flyers for events around campus where there is more “foot traffic,” particularly at the McCarthy Center.

He said, “We could install a poster board near the entrance of McCarthy … or we have a guide post board with a map of the campus - being able to put flyers there.”

Sims also suggested the University remove some resources as “the amount of websites that we have is

cumbersome and even redundant at certain points, because … literally today I heard professors say that we do

“We can just email professors and that’s how you can set up appointments … so there are resources that seem out of the way and cumbersome that can be removed and, at the very least, need significant revision,” said

According to Sims, Larned Beach could “be used in order to plant flowers and trees that could be used to help make the school look better and

“I think that it can certainly do that job much better than the art,” he said.

Caesar Matos said he wants to see the continuation of fostering relationships between students and faculty as well as employers as it provides experiences and employment opportunities for students, including himself.

“I would love to see [that] same enthusiasm from faculty for opportunities that exist outside of campus as well … [and] campus networking,” said Matos.

Jacob Sargent was concerned about food prices on campus. He said it is “incredibly important to address the pricing of food - as clearly, it’s becoming an issue for many students on campus.”

“I hear consistently on almost a daily basis of friends having to ration their guest swipes for other students so they can get a basic meal on campus,” said Sargent.

He added, “For anyone to do well, they need to be stable. And if you don’t have stability in food, how is someone going to do well in their academics?”

SGA unanimously passed a motion to approve the Veterans’ Association’s funding request for $700 to host a video gaming event, hosted by Frost Call, to connect Veteran students and the campus.

The Cosplay Club was allocated $80.10 for their upcoming fundraiser. It was passed unanimously.

New Salvation was allocated $800 by a unanimous vote for a Worship Night event. Both of the singers will cost $100 each. Additionally, $400 was allocated for a guest minister and $200 for an instrumentalist.

CONNECT WITH KAITLIN CARMAN kcarman@student.framingham.edu

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

Monday Mar. 4

Mostly cloudy, with a high near 50. Northeast wind around 10 mph.

Monday night Mar. 4

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.

Tuesday Mar. 5

A chance of showers after 11am. Cloudy, with a high near 60. North wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south in the afternoon.

Tuesday night Mar. 5

A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45. Southwest wind around 10 mph.

Wednesday Mar. 6

A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 60. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph.

Wednesday night Mar. 6 Showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45.

Thursday Mar. 7 Showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 50.

Potential gas leak ends Dance Team practice

By Dylan Pichnarcik Asst. News Editor

University Police and the Framingham Fire Department responded to an unknown smell in the Athletic Center, which caused members of the Dance Team to report feeling sick and cut their practice short Feb. 27.

University Police were dispatched to the Athletic Center after Gabriella Florio, a junior, called to report a strong odor and “hissing” sound coming from the aerobics room.

Gabriella Florio, Alexa Gibson, Kayla Barboza, Zophie Greenwald, Emma Depina, and Molly Matley, all members of the dance team, reported hearing a loud hissing sound followed by a strong smell of gas in the aerobics room.

The smell caused them all to feel unwell and “incredibly lightheaded,” according to Florio. They evacuated the space shortly after the smell filled the room.

“The President of the Dance team tried calling [University Police] and it did not go through,” she said. “So I called and told them about a hissing sound and then a minute later the [aerobics] room smelled of what we presumed was gas so we all left because we felt lightheaded.”

According to Florio, shortly after making the call to University Police, multiple officers were on scene and could also smell the odor. After determining they did not have the proper equipment, the officers called the Framingham Fire Department.

Sargeant Harry Singh, one of the officers who responded, said it is customary for the department to contact the Framingham Fire Department in instances where a possible gas leak is detected.

Singh said he remained on scene

until it was determined by the responding firefighters that there was no threat to the safety of students.

There was no formal report filed with University Police.

Alexa Gibson, president of the Dance Team, said the explanation of the smell given to her by the responding officers was “rubber belts in the ceiling” caused by the activation of the heating system.

Gibson said she was surprised by this explanation.

She said, “We’ve been in there [aerobics room] four days a week for three

years, some dancers for four [years], and that has never happened, so we don’t have an explanation.”

In an official report filed by the Framingham Fire Department, responders were on campus for approximately 24 minutes with a crew of 15 led by Lt. Chad Boylan.

The fire department used multi-gas detectors to determine if there were any gasses detected in the air. It was reported that at the time of the fire department’s investigation, the smell had dissipated from the aerobics room.

According to the report, University Police was to follow up with the maintenance department to find and repair the source of the smell.

According to a spokesperson for the Department of Facilities, University Police also reported the incident the following day. As of Feb. 28, there is no action pending from Facilities.

It was also reported by Florio that she was told by the Framingham Fire Department to file a report with the maintenance department, which she did on Feb. 28.

Members of the Dance Team expressed their concern about being in the aerobics room.

Kayla Barboza, the Dance Team publicist, said, “I have a heart problem. So I am at risk with high heart rates. … I have passed out in the past. I’m very sensitive to strong smells.”

Barboza also reported a nose bleed following the incident, something that she believes is related due to “the timing being suspicious.”

Zophie Greenwald, a sophomore, reported being “up in the air, in a lift” at the time when the dancers began smelling the odor coming from the walls.

“I don’t know why there are weird sounds and smells coming from the room,” she said.

“We’re in there almost every day and it has never happened. We were all very confused,” she added.

Emma Depina, a sophomore, who was leading the practice at the time, appreciated the police responding, but did not feel they gave a clear explana-

tion of the issue.

“They were very nice and were just doing their job … but they said there was no problem, but I know what gas smells like and I don’t really think it was a heater.”

Others on the team like Molly Matley, a junior, said she felt the police did not take the dancers’ concerns seriously.

She said, “I felt like they dismissed the whole thing.”

She added, “It probably would have gone differently if it were a man reporting a leak. They just made us feel silly. I feel like they would have been more interested if a guy called. … It’s really disheartening.”

Other students who are not on the Dance Team also expressed concerns for the overall well-being and safety of students on campus.

Sophomore Emily Crossin said, “It sounds like a pretty typical FSU scenario - we’re in poor conditions all the time. I hope everyone involved was safe.”

Crossin added she is also a member of The Hilltop Players and said that she experienced a similar issue while at rehearsals for previous drama productions.

Sophomore Abrianna Ouellette said, “There’s an odd smell everywhere. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a gas leak but it’s good that the police responded.”

Dance Team returned to their regular rehearsals the following day. According to Gibson, there was no smell reported by any of the dancers.

She added, “Safety [of the team] is very important. … We don’t want to see anyone get hurt.”

She said, “We just want safe conditions so that we can practice our talent. No one on the team wants to see something like this happen anywhere on campus.”

CONNECT WITH DYLAN PICHNARCIK dpichnarcik@student.framingham.edu

Dylan Pichnarcik / THE GATEPOST

The Fusion Dance team rehearsing on Feb. 28.

Residence hall vandalism reported in Larned & Towers

By Kaitlin Carman News Editor

By Adam Harrison News Editor

University Police are leading an investigation in Corinne Hall Towers and Larned Hall after recent reports of vandalism.

At the beginning of the year, all resident students were charged with a standard $100 damage deposit. This deposit is refunded at the end of the academic year after a damage assessment, according to the FSU website.

If any damage is found or reported, it will be deducted from the residents’ damage deposit.

In an email sent to Towers residents, Interim Area Director Chris Addario addressed the recent vandalism in Towers and said that it does “classify as damage to the building.”

He said there is no estimated cost of repairs yet, but the damages could result in a fee to repair and replace the vandalized 4th-floor elevator doors.

Those responsible have not yet been identified.

Unless the University can determine who is responsible for the damage, the cost will be divided among every resident in the vandalized buildings.

The cost to repair or replace damages will be applied to the damage deposit. If the vandalized items and/or any additional damages exceed the $100 deposit, the remaining fees will then be applied to the students’ bills, according to the email.

A vandalized laundry room door and exit signs have also been reported in Larned Hall.

University Police Sergeant Harry Singh said the department is taking the lead in the investigation and police dispatch is reviewing the cameras.

“The cameras in the residence halls are always working, and they are always recording … and we make sure everything’s always working and recording at all times,” he said.

University Police take active measures to make their presence known on campus to make residents feel safer and to discourage crimes like vandalism, according to Singh.

He said, “We have officers and patrol cars. … A great thing we have is security officers actually doing foot patrols doing building checks. Our goal is to make sure that our community feels safe on campus at all times.”

the community who has information that could be useful in these investigations to come forward and contact their Area Director.

“We appreciate the support of those in our community who speak out against this kind of behavior and treat community property with care,” he said.

He said he is hopeful the individuals responsible will come forward, or the investigation team is able to identify

“Our collective safety and security are absolutely enhanced when all residents have the opportunity and play a part in setting cultural expectations and responsibility. Our goal is to keep community damage as minimal as possible by working together,” he said.

This is “why we work to communicate issues and work with our community to help minimize unallocated damages,” said Cochran.

The damage bills are itemized, and

“There’s people who can’t pay like $100 out of pocket. … Some [students] don’t work; some are more focused on their studies. Some people just aren’t fortunate enough to have funds like that so I think they don’t really take that into consideration.”

- Estrella Barbel Freshman

the individuals. If the guilty party is located, the community will not bear the cost of the vandalism repair and/or

Residence Life offers an appeal process for students charged.

Jordayn Padilla, a sopho-

have cameras in these buildings,’ and I just don’t understand why they won’t use it to pin [the vandalism] on someone.”

Estrella Barbel, a freshman, attributed the vandalism to “recklessness and people being careless about the property in general. … They just don’t care. Like, they’re not at home.”

She said she understands why they would bill building residents, but some students might not be able to pay depending on their financial circumstances.

“There’s people who can’t pay like $100 out of pocket. … Some [students] don’t work; some are more focused on their studies. Some people just aren’t fortunate enough to have funds like that so I think they don’t really take that into consideration,” said Barbel.

Residence Life is working with University Police to investigate the vandalism and identify the individuals responsible.

Associate Dean of Students and Director of Residence Life Glenn Cochran said, “When community property is vandalized, it takes away from the community and also creates costs, which in the end, also fall back on the community.”

He said Residence Life acknowledges most students are respectful and treat the residence halls very well, and are “equally disturbed when an individual damages property to the detriment of other members of the community,” he said.

Cochran also asked any member of

Emily Monaco / THE GATEPOST

replacement.

“To the person or persons who did this, I urge you to contact your Area Director or a staff member in Resi-

more who works as a student desk attendant (SDA), said, “I think immaturity [causes] a lot of it - recklessness, too. They don’t really think about the

“To the person or persons who did this, I urge you to contact your Area Director or a staff member in Residence Life to inform them so we can work through a resolution.”

- Glenn Cochran Associate Dean of Students and Director of Residence Life

dence Life to inform them so we can work through a resolution,” Cochran said.

There has been no increase in vandalism this year, which Cochran attributes to communication and shared responsibility being prioritized by Residence Life and the FSU community.

damage they’re going to cause.

“Charging all residents for vandalism “doesn’t bother me as much because in the long run, it is probably like two or three dollars [billed] when they divide it by everybody.”

Padilla added, “I know they like to use cameras, and they always say, ‘We

She added because resident building cameras are apparently out of order, as they have not yet identified those responsible, it is impossible to find the perpetrators and hold them accountable to avoid charging all residents.

“There’s not much they can do. They can’t place the blame on anybody, but they can also update the security cameras so they can pinpoint who it is … [and have them] pay for this damage or just pay some portion of what [they] destroyed,” said Barbel.

K-la Vazquez, a sophomore, said, “When I lived in residence halls, [vandalism] was mostly [happening] in Larned and Towers - that’s where most of the freshmen stay.

… They’re definitely new to the whole aspect of living alone - and their maturity levels, of course.

“I feel like it’s a little bit unfair that they are trying to charge us all, because it wasn’t all of us who did it, but at the same time, I understand it because you are supposed to be a building community. We are supposed to support each other and everything, but yeah, it’s a mixed emotion,” Vazquez added.

Harrison Kruger, a junior, said, “I prefer to not get dragged down with the whole boat. … Making everyone suffer for the actions of the few, to me, isn’t necessarily going to dissuade anyone from doing it. … There’s no accountability. There’s no punishment for the people who do that.”

Kruger said, “I thought we grew out of this shit in high school. … There’s no payoff. There’s no kick. I don’t get where that’s coming from.”

University Police encourage students to report anything they know about these incidents. Students can also leave an anonymous tip by texting “FSU TIP” to 267283.

Students can reach the office by calling 508-626-4911, emailing FSUpolice@framingham.edu, or visiting the office located in the McCarthy Center, which is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

CONNECT WITH KAITLIN

CARMAN kcarman@student.framingham.edu

CONNECT WITH ADAM HARRISON aharrrison3@student.framingham.edu

M.I.S.S. holds open forum to discuss student concerns

By Sophia Harris Editor-in-Chief

Motivation. Intersectionality. Solidarity. Sisterhood. (M.I.S.S.) members held a meeting titled “Let’s Dish” to voice student concerns about Framingham State on Feb. 26.

According to the M.I.S.S. Instagram post, “Come join us to voice your issues within the FSU community for us to make changes. You can speak on just about anything and everything that bothers you or creates an issue.”

The group discussed the price of parking tickets, vandalism in the resident buildings, and concerns with maintenance in the residence halls.

The group agreed on ways to solve these issues, including student unionization.

John Kofi-Oppong, a sophomore, said University Police “never stops handing out tickets.”

He said this poses a problem for students who already pay $500 for residential parking because the additional ticket cost may inhibit students who are already struggling financially.

President of M.I.S.S. Tiffany Jerome, a junior, said it is hard for resident students who park off campus because many of them leave campus multiple times a day.

She added, “They keep telling us to park at Union and use the shuttle, but the shuttle is understaffed and the shuttle never comes on time.”

Jerome said Framingham State has “the highest rate for parking passes out of all state schools.”

“This is an Interesting fact because I know this very, very wise, resourceful source in SGA who told me that out of the in-state schools in MassachusettsFramingham State has the highest rate for parking passes. Five hundred dollars is the highest rate for Massachusetts schools. This is really difficult.

“We pay the very most to park 15 minutes away from our building.”

She added she has heard some students having to wait “two hours” for the RamTram.

Jerome said many students need the shuttle outside of its current operating hours and added she wishes the shuttle had a longer period of normal routes during the day and in the evening.

Tayla Alfred, a junior, said, referring to the recent vandalism in Larned Hall, it is not fair all students have to pay a fee to substantiate the cost.

“How is it that because you decide not to fix your cameras for, I don’t know how many years, you want to charge all of the students?” she asked.

Alfred stated some of the items that were broken in Larned included a microwave, exit signs, washing machines, and broken glass.

Jude Ejiofor, a junior, said the individuals who caused the vandalism should be held responsible and pay for the new equipment.

He added FSU not being able to find the individual who is responsible for

the vandalism should not cost all of the residents of the building.

Jerome said while she was sleeping in her dorm on the fourth floor of Larned, “I woke up to dirty water from the ceiling dripping on my face.”

She said the water “dripped all over my face, my pillows, my mattress pad, and on my floor.”

She said it took maintenance six hours to arrive to fix the leak.

Jerome added she was upset because if anything in her room were to be damaged, Framingham State would not reimburse those costs because of a contract students have to sign before moving into residence halls.

Ejiofor said, “This is a college campus - why does the latest place you can get food from close at 12 a.m.?”

He added the dining hall should extend their dinner hours past 7:30 p.m.

Alfred said she is concerned with how FSU allocates transfer credits.

She said FSU is “trapping us here. They know that it’s a one-credit school - you cannot transfer out unless you want to do more years.”

Alfred said this obstacle should have been announced when students started the application process.

Jerome added when students transfer into FSU, they are only given .75 of credit for every credit they transfer over.

She said this is the case for studyabroad transfer credits as well.

Jerome said this transfer system “set me back a whole semester and a half.”

Jerome asked how the group thought student life could improve at Framingham State.

Ejiofor said student life could improve at FSU if the administration took student feedback into consideration more often.

He said in terms of events on campus, there has been a “lot of stuff to do.”

He added he believes “students have been lazy” in attending these events.

“Nobody comes to clubs,” he added.

Ejiofor offered a possible explanation for the low attendance at FSU events. “I feel like there is not enough advertisement of what’s going on.”

He said Framingham State’s financial aid is “good” compared to surrounding institutions.

Ejiofor said there is a “reason Framingham State is one of the most affordable schools to go to.”

He said, “If you went to UMass Dartmouth for something, you would be crying even more. Their financial aid is terrible.

“Most people that we know who go to UMass Dartmouth, we find them at Quinsigamond Community College the next semester” because of the high cost, he said.

At the end of the conversation, Jerome thanked the participants. “This was a very eye-opening conversation.”

CONNECT WITH

SOPHIA

HARRIS sharris9@student.framingham.edu

Danforth Art receives annual funding from state

By Dylan Pichnarcik Asst. News Editor

Representative Jack Lewis of the 7th Middlesex district announced the Danforth Art Museum, located at 14 Vernon St, would receive $12,200 from the FY24 Cultural Investment Portfolio Grant (CIP) sponsored by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

In a statement Rep. Lewis said, “This grant, championed by the Mass. Cultural Council, plays a vital role in supporting cultural nonprofit organizations like the Danforth Museum.”

He added, “The CIP grant offers unrestricted operating support, acknowledging the crucial contributions of cultural entities in connecting communities through theater, music, visual art, and more.”

According to the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the grant provides funds to non-profit groups across the commonwealth to offset operating costs at institutions that “enrich Massachusetts cultural life.”

The CIP generates $27 billion each year in the state’s cultural economic structure.

According to Jessica Roscio, museum director and curator, the Danforth has received funds from the CIP grant prior to their reopening in 2019.

Roscio said she does not rely on the funds due to the “mercurial” nature of state budgets. However, given that they have received the CIP grant for a number of years, “We have come to rely on it [CIP grant] for our operating budget each year.”

The funds from the CIP go directly

to the museum and art school operations.

Recently, the Danforth expanded their permanent collection and acquired works through private dona-

tions. The funds from the CIP grant did not go toward the acquisition of new art for the permanent collection.

With the 2018 merger of the Danforth Art Museum, a Framingham

non-profit organization, and Framingham State, the museum began receiving a yearly subsidy from the University, which, according to Roscio, “Strengthens us in every way. We are very grateful for all the funding from the University.”

She added, “We’re also relying on grants, donations, and corporate sponsors.”

While the Danforth is part of Framingham State, they still operate partially as a non-profit organization.

Along with state and University funding, the Danforth receives funding from The FSU Foundation, which is an independent 501 c.3 organization that is not connected to the University’s yearly budget.

Roscio said, “The FSU foundation holds our collection. …They also hold all of our endowed funds, including holding our acquisition funds.”

The funds held by the FSU Foundation allow the Danforth to purchase new works of art that are then held in their permanent collection, including work from recent FSU alumna Jenna Bailey, who recently had a pop-up sculpture exhibition at the museum.

Members of the FSU community are encouraged by Roscio to visit the Danforth at any time. With a valid FSU ID, admission is free.

“We are really happy to be a part of Framingham State,” she said. “I know a lot of people still have not had the chance to come visit us. … Take the pedestrian bridge over or use our ample parking lot.”

CONNECT WITH DYLAN PICHNARCIK dpichnarcik@student.framingham.edu

Dylan Pichnarcik / THE GATEPOST

The Permanent Collection room at the Danforth Art Museum on Feb. 24.

OP/ED

Let women be heard THE GATEPOST EDITORIAL

March 1st marks the start of Women’s History Month.

This is a time to reflect on all of the women who have impacted you throughout your life.

This could be anyone, from your mother to a famous pop star.

It is not only a time to appreciate the women around us but also to consider some of the struggles women face on a day-to-day basis.

It is also a time to reflect on how women’s autonomy is debated politically.

A recent Alabama State Supreme Court ruling, LePage v. Center for Reproductive Medicine, found that frozen embryos should be considered children.

This means embryos, whether they are frozen in a clinic petri dish or already in a woman’s womb, will be “protected” under this legislation.

A piece of paper should not control when or how a woman decides to have children.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in June 2022 to overturn Roe v. Wade has had catastrophic effects on abortion rights across the country.

Today, abortion is protected by state law in 21 states as well as the District of Columbia.

However, it is at risk of being severely limited or prohibited in 26 states and three territories, according to the Center for Reproductive Rights.

With the overturn of Roe v. Wade, abortion policies and reproductive rights are in the hands of each state.

Women all over the country, no matter what state they are from, are frightened by these decisions.

Women on The Gatepost editorial board believe that their voices are no longer being heard.

Thankfully, as residents of Massachusetts, our lawmakers have been vocal about protecting and advocating for women’s rights.

In an article published by MassLive, Governor Maura Healey said, “We stand for civil rights and freedom. We will always protect access to reproductive health care, including medication abortion.”

Framingham State has a place in history as the first women’s normal school in the United States.

Since 1839, Framingham State has been an institution that has protected women’s rights and promoted their opportunities.

But these recent political developments have made us ask, “What can FSU do to better support women today?”

While emergency contraception is only $20 if bought from the FSU Health and Wellness Center, it costs $50 if bought at a pharmacy.

It is important to note, according to the Massachusetts ACCESS law, that you can get emergency contraception at no cost if you are on an eligible health insurance plan.

We feel that most students are not aware

of this law.

With the statewide standing order, you are able to go directly to your pharmacist or obtain a prescription from your clinician to get emergency contraception for free.

According to this law, you can even get a prescription to keep on hand just in case.

Both emergency contraception pills such as levonorgestrel Plan B One-Step and ulipristal acetate ella are included, according to the Mass.gov website.

In 2022, Boston University’s student union stocked a vending machine with a generic type of Plan B for $7.25.

We believe this is something Framingham State could explore as well.

According to a study published in 2007 by the National Library of Medicine, “Because of the higher risk for an unplanned pregnancy with unprotected sexual intercourse or contraceptive failure among college women, continued efforts are needed to enhance timely access to EC [Emergency Contraception] in this population.”

In a study published by the same source in 2024, undergraduate students “identified cost and privacy as significant barriers to acquiring sexual health products on campus.”

Pregnancy tests are also available at the health center free of charge, but the concealed cost is the invasive conversation needed with a clinician before receiving the pregnancy test.

While a cost barrier might be a reason a student visits the health center for a pregnancy test, the undue level of embarrassment that might come from taking a pregnancy test at the health center might be a reason a student delays their investigation.

We believe that along with easier and cheaper access to emergency contraception on campus, pregnancy tests should also be readily available without the requirement of an appointment at the health center.

Anything that makes access to emergency contraception and pregnancy tests easier for students should be taken into consideration by FSU, especially with the recent and ongoing political attacks on women’s autonomy.

Women on the Framingham State campus deserve to have their reproductive rights concerns heard and addressed.

We will not stop fighting for what our mothers fought for: equality.

Have an opinion?

Feel free to email it to:

gatepost@framingham.edu

Opinions should be about 500 words.

Anyone can submit.

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

Memento Vivere

By Dylan Pichnarcik Editoral Staff

Over time, we collect stuff.

Whether it be souvenirs from a memorable vacation - or a random collection of items you cram into a small dorm room.

You will have belongings - some may be treasure, others may be clutter.

Some may even be useless. Like that $13 “It’s five o’clock somewhere” wooden sign you just had to buy at HomeGoods.

Other items you own will hold more significance.

Some Catholics carry around rosary beads, as a reminder of the mysteries of their faith.

You may have an endless plethora of photographs, highlighting every major milestone in your life.

Your dad may still have thirty year old tickets from the concert that “changed his life” tucked in a box.

The list goes on.

My point is that we hold onto things for various reasonsmaybe they remind us of a better time in our lives. Or it’s an unconscious psychological trait that humans developed over time - which can be summed up as an adverse effect of a child’s safety blanket.

Everybody has something that they hold close. For me - my “something” is a ring. However this is not just any ring. My ring was given to me upon my grandfather’s passing.

I can still remember the first time I saw it.

A small gold band with a large black stone pressed over a tan hairy knuckle. It was probably the only piece of jewelry I had seen him wear.

I was about 7 years old at the time, and oddly enough I was at a bereavement for another family member. I looked down at the ring, then up at my grandfather - and in a small squeaky voice said “Grampy, that’s a nice ring you have.”

Now, none of you know my Grampy, but he was quite a smooth talker.

“Thanks, you can have it when I die.”

Sorry, you said what? To a 7-year-old? While at a bereavement? Smooth talker…

Looking back on it now, it’s quite comical as it is just not something you may expect. But at the time I remember my grandmother giving him quite a stern talking to about not scaring me.

For some reason this memory stuck with me - perhaps it was the first time I had thought about death.

But upon his passing, this memory came back to me - and it was the one thing I could think of that I wanted as a physical remembrance of him. After some time had passed and the 900 things you needed to do after someone died were fulfilled. I made my request known.

Shortly after that, the ring I had seen all those years ago was now in my possession and I wear it with pride.

Like the many items others hold close, wearing it reminds me of times shared with my family and with my grandfather.

When times were different - better.

I am not alone in this practice - families have heirlooms that they pass down through generations. High schools and colleges give class rings. They are mementos created to bring us back to our prime.

The principle is the same. The items that connect us to a certain memory or bond will always hold significance in our lives.

Never forget where you came from, and if you are fortunate enough to have something in your life that is a physical reminder - embrace it.

Courtesy of Dylan Pichnarcik

Kyle Walker / THE GATEPOST

Every thing is something

Alexis Schlesinger Editorial Staff

My whole life I’ve held a sort of pride in my soft skin, especially my hands. Some people have even told me they were jealous of it.

This winter, for the first time in my life, I’ve had dry skin.

It started sometime in October, and the current condition of my hands is sort of alarming. I have scabs across all of my knuckles. The skin that isn’t speckled brown is dotted with red, as open wounds continue to form and my skin cracks apart.

I’ve tried everything short of going to a dermatologist, which I simply don’t have time for.

It doesn’t matter if I drink tons of water to hydrate, if I soak my hands in water, if I use some sort of moisturizer. The dryness persists.

It could be the cold, but I don’t spend much time outside lately.

It could be stress, but the cracking doesn’t appear anywhere but the back of my hands - though it has started to creep in the other direction, up my fingers.

The state of my hands has been especially jarring for me, not because of the pain, the urge to scratch at them, or even because they’ve become quite an eyesore.

My hands have always felt very symbolic to me.

A lot of things in my life do.

I’ve always loved metaphors, analogies, and symbolism. I understand

Shakespeare and poetry very well. I think and feel poetically. Thoughts and feelings make more sense in an art form.

Art brings hope. It brings beautiful things to light.

Romanticism - the state or quality

And what is poetry, what is symbolism, if not their own art.

It’s the reason why we write letters. The reason we photograph moments we love. The reason we keep a box filled with every little piece of someone we’ve ever received.

of being romantic.

How do we go on with being hopeful, how do we go on producing beautiful things, if not to romanticize the lives we live?

It’s why we wish on stars, it’s why we don’t let our friends “split the pole” on the sidewalk. It’s why “third time’s the charm.”

We keep trying.

Be curious, not judgemental

Izayah Morgan Opinions Editor

This week marks the start of a new chapter in my life, for no particular reason other than that’s what I feel God wants for me. This Op/Ed may shift your perspective on others and encourage you to look, to understand, not judge.

As a boy I grew up in my younger adolescent years with no father. He passed away in 2010 due to an overdose of drugs found in his body. It fundamentally changed my outlook on life, with people-pleasing tendencies taking hold to make sure I would never lose anyone again.

I was angry at him for so long, and blamed him for ruining my life - taking responsibility from myself in the process, to make sure I wouldn’t feel that pain again, I grew into people-pleasing tendencies.

It also caused me to blame my mother in the process, creating some divide between us. It didn’t help that we were on the lower income end so stress at that time was high.

I was an angry Black boy, who often felt misunderstood by his teachers, peers, and yes, his own family.

I did not give my mother the grace to understand that she was raising a growing Black boy on her own, with limited help from the government.

Eventually, I would go to live with my uncle and aunt for a while, who are now happily married. There I learned many fundamental principles on how I

as a man must live. I took on many responsibilities, whether it was academics, sports, or clubs.

It was all a distraction to what I truly wanted, however. After I graduated highschool, I questioned all the existential dread and people-pleasing tendencies I had. I question whether

ers, peers, parents, siblings, and even ourselves. We have been taught to hide this pain throughout society, which is understandable. Which is why some left, and others stayed. But don’t look at the people who have left as evil people. They are peo-

or not I had anything to give so people wouldn’t leave.

Some left, but others stayed.

At first, I was angry at others for leaving. Now after some time of reflection, I understand it more. We as a society have been scarred by our teach-

ple who have just been hurt and who do not know how to process hurting someone else.

That is why I make it my God-given purpose to do my best to show love to my fellow Man, not out of people pleasing, self hate, or trauma. But be-

Funny thing about my hands - despite the numerous tiny wounds, and the scabs that have become more like scales, they still work exactly the same.

They aren’t soft anymore, but they still write my feelings all the same. They still hold what I love with gentleness.

They still take my photos. They still drive me to school. They still carefully clasp my favorite necklace around my neck.

The consistent stinging is only unbearable when I give it attention. It is easily ignorable when I’m doing what I love. When I’m with who I love. There is so much beauty in my life that is much more important.

Is it really worth giving the pain that much attention either way?

I do what I can to manage it. I stay hydrated and moisturize. I wear gloves in the cold. I take care of them as well as I can. It’s unrealistic to think I can ignore it completely until it goes away.

But it’s not worth trying to give it more attention than I can. If I spent all my time worrying about my dry skin, my tiny scrapes, and my scales, it would eat away the time I should be spending on the art of my life.

My hands are my greatest metaphor - they care for what I love. I hope you can find your own metaphors in life, and that you see the same beauty in them.

Make what you have your own.

Worship. Symbolize. Wish. Romanticize.

Hope.

cause that’s the purpose I’m here and for me to understand that so early is a blessing in disguise.

I must thank my creator.

You end up limiting yourself by limiting your understanding of other people. As a person when I am present with someone who hates me for being me, I don’t just hurl insults back at them, because in a way I would just be proving their point of why they have those biases in the first place.

So instead I seek to understand why they think that way, which is most likely pain and trauma. Maybe I show them a different perspective but more so I keep my integrity as a person.

That may be even under threat, insults, embarrassment, or even fear, that I still have love to give.

To end on a high note I will quote my favorite TV series of all time, “Ted Lasso,” who is an American football coach who ended up taking a long flight to coach for a European football team.

Ted is what I seek to embody as not just a man but a person. Overwhelming positivity that is still present in the face of adversity, betrayal, lies and hate. He still seeks to understand the person causing the hurt. He keeps his integrity but also the love of himself.

He often describes people as “tough cookies.”

Thinking about it, we have all met someone who is a tough cookie.

Ted would respond, “You know what you do with tough cookies right? Dip ’em in milk.”

Courtesy of Alexis Schlesinger

Courtesy of Izayah Morgan

Campus Conversations

By Emily Monaco, Editorial Staff and Paul Harrington, Staff Writer

“Who are the women who inspire you?”

“My mom. She started off at first as a single mom, and she’s been through a lot. She’s very strong. First off, coming to the U.S. here with no family, having to take care of her child here, and then somehow getting me here from our foreign country.”

-Shiba Nankya, freshman

“Jane Goodall is very inspiring for the work that she does for animals and conservation and how she helps de-stigmatize chimpanzees.”

-Ezra Berson, freshman

“My mom. She basically raised me alone, and she’s a very strong and independent woman and raised me to be who I am today.”

-Shirley Palma, freshman

“Beyoncé. She’s an amazing woman, and she’s also done so much for the Black community. She’s also donated to soup kitchens, and done a lot for the queer community, representation on stage, and so much more.”

- Gil Laurore, senior

“Rihanna. I’ve always looked up to her - my entire life.”

- Faith Wangui, sophomore

“My mother as well as my girlfriend, and professionally, my professor. Dr. Kristen Abbott Bennett inspires me to do as well as I can academically.”

-Ryan McKendry, sophomore

“My grandmother. She left with my dad when he was 2 from our home country and made a whole new life for herself.”

-Monnavi Un, sophomore

“My mother, because she’s so caring. I learned so much from my family and others around me and I want to be like her.”

-Gabby Bratcher, senior

“Either my mom or my grandmother. They are both very big influences on my life. My grandmother is like my second mother.”

-Kat Wilder, sophomore

“My mom, because she has been through a lot and she’s stayed strong through all of it.”

-Lindsey Hedlund, freshman

“My mom, because she does a lot for me and my family while working a full-time job and it was really inspiring watching how she raised me and my sister and balanced a lot of things.”

- CJ Brown, sophomore

-Will Nee, senior

“My grandmother. She emigrated from Austria toward the end of World War II and was able to make more than a life for herself.”

SPORTS

Men’s soccer bonds with newly-hired head coach

By Riley Crowell Asst. Sports Editor

Framingham State University’s Director of Athletics, Tom Kelley, announced Adam Gabbard as the new head men’s soccer coach Jan. 8.

Adam Gabbard, Head Men’s Soccer Coach Courtesy of Adam Gabbard

Gabbard said, “I had about four or five people reach out to me saying, ‘Hey, I think this is something you should definitely put in for. I think it fits your personality. It fits your vision in terms of what the school is all about, and what they believe.’

“After meeting with the department, the athletic director, the deputy of athletics, and a couple coaches, it just felt right. I just felt welcomed,” he added.

Gabbard most recently served as head coach of Bristol Community College after spending several years as an assistant coach at Curry College and Dean College.

Kelley said, “Looking at his résumé, and where he’s been, he certainly has experience. He’s ready to take over a program.”

Gabbard, a former collegiate player at Curry College, noted his experience as a player has helped him in coaching. “I have four years of experience firsthand of what it was like, and what these guys go through on a daily basis.

“The experience of having lived it and knowing exactly what my guys either have gone through, or will go through, I think it’s so valuable,” Gabbard added.

Junior defender Lachlan Forgan said he has been encouraged by working

with Gabbard. “The team is pretty fond of his tremendous focus on discipline and desire to build a successful group.

“So far, Coach Gabbard has been very proactive since being hired and has been doing things like getting the team involved in tours with new recruits and ensuring we were practicing as a team throughout the winter,” he added.

Junior goalkeeper Joseph Sturzo shares the same sentiment, stating, “The team is excited to get things underway with Coach Gabbard. The guys are showing a lot of determination to show our new coach what we are capable of.

“So far, we are playing hard and are being pushed by coach in order to ensure that we become the best that we can be,” Sturzo added.

Gabbard’s hiring follows a 2023 campaign for the Rams in which they finished with a record of 11-8-1, ending the season with a loss to Bridgewater State in the MASCAC Tournament Semifinal.

“Our 2023 season came up short of what we were capable of and it was very disappointing looking back on the experience,” Sturzo said.

Despite the disappointing end to the 2023 season, the overall outlook

for the men’s soccer program is optimistic.

“I think we have all the pieces to contend for the conference title,” Gabbard said.

“Our coaching staff is pretty confident that we’re going to bring a good product and the guys will enjoy it,” he added.

“I think the team has the potential to win the conference in the fall,” Forgan said.

Sturzo said, “This season, we expect to be battling for a MASCAC championship.

“We’ve showcased our ability to play against teams of all skill levels and are going to ensure we battle for a MASCAC title this upcoming season, and for seasons to come in the future,” he added.

Kelley said, “We always hope you take it to a different level. For [Gabbard] to take it to a different level, that means he’s going to be winning conference championships and maybe a game or two in the NCAA tournament.”

CONNECT WITH RILEY CROWELL rcrowell@student.framingham.edu

Athletic department fills position on football’s coaching staff

By Adam Levine Sports Editor

The Framingham State Athletic Department announced the hiring of Cully Curran ’22 as assistant football coach and recruiting and club sports coordinator Jan. 16.

Athletic Director and Head Football Coach Tom Kelley said the department conducted a national search for the job opening and interviewed a range of candidates.

He said Curran “came through with flying colors. He knows the institution. He was not only a very good football player, but he was a very good student while he was here. He earned everything in the interviewing process.”

Kelley said club sports “kind of got put on the backburner during the pandemic and we’re trying to get those things up and running again.” He said Curran will take the lead on this.

After graduating in 2022, Curran served as a part-time coach for the football program, specifically as the linebackers coach.

He said his new position on the coaching staff is the defensive coordinator and the defensive backs coach.

Curran said his transition from player to coach has been “pretty seamless.”

He said it has not been a problem to separate from his former teammates because “the respect level was already established.”

Curran said he first applied for the full-time coaching position when the season ended and the previous coach stepped down. “I’m already comfortable with all the people in the athletics department and they already know who I am.

“But obviously, it’s a big jump in this career, so it was exciting,” added Curran.

He said his short-term goal for the upcoming seasons is to “reestablish our defense as the best in New England.”

In the long-term, Curran said, “We’re kind of taking it step by step, putting one brick after another. Winning on a national level is something that we plan to do.”

Curran’s full-time position in the Athletic Department includes his role as the recruiting and club sports coordinator.

He said, “I want to make sure our club sports are getting an awesome experience.

“As kids get involved with athletics here on campus, I want to make sure that they have a great experience and they have as equal an opportunity as anyone else and just to bring young, passionate energy to the athletic department,” added Curran.

He said his knowledge of the campus and experience of a student-athlete at the University helps with his ability to recruit new athletes.

Elijah Nichols, a junior wide receiv-

er, said, “Cully has that aura about him that attracts attention and respect due to his work ethic and humility. Those who play with him know he gives his all in everything he does and that translates well in the world of coaching.”

Nichols said, “He had already gained respect from his peers after a stellar career here and the coaches recognized that. Also, with the changes amongst the coaching staff, a familiar face is a great first step to getting Framingham back to the powerhouse it once was.”

He said Curran will bring in talented recruits to the football program. “He will implement structure and help the young guys buy into the culture we are trying to establish here.”

Kymauny Roland, a sophomore defensive end, said, “It’s a great promotion. It’s always good to have a coach or coaches who can connect with their players with more than just football, but with life and real-life situations.”

Roland said Curran has always been “business first, fun later.

“The intensity Cully brings is unmatched and he’s part of the reason why Framingham State football is what it is,” he added.

Director Kelley said Curran will be his “right-hand man.”

“I would hope he has some ambition to move up, and hopefully not out, but maybe take over the football program someday,” he added.

Kelley said, “We need to get back to being one of the elite Division III football teams in New England, if not the East. He’s going to be a big part of that if that happens.”

Cully Curran, Assistant Football Coach and Recruiting and Club Sports Coordinator Frank Poulin Photography

CONNECT WITH ADAM LEVINE alevine5@student.framingham.edu

2023-2024 Women’s Basketball MASCAC Championships

Spread

Photos by

&

Editor Adrien Gobin and Asst. News Editor Dylan Pichnarcik

Women’s basketball

Continued from Page 1

Framingham’s fan section matched and surpassed Bridgewater’s energy. Athletes and students from all teams filled the stands.

As each team’s starting five took their positions on the court, there was not an empty seat in the Rams’ gymnasium.

Bridgewater scored the opening basket and Bradbury’s back-to-back 3-point field goals propelled the Bears to an early 8-2 lead. Bradbury scored another 2 points and her perfect shooting led the Bears to a 19-18 lead after the first quarter.

Despite their anticipated matchup, Grassi and Carpenter both had slow first-quarter performances, scoring 2 and 0 points, respectively.

The stars battled in the second quarter. Grassi led her team with 6 points, while Carpenter and Yelle led the Rams with 5 and 6 points, respectively.

The Bears once again edged out the Rams by a point in a low-scoring second quarter, extending their lead to 31-29 at halftime.

The Rams, who shot only 8 for 12 from the freethrow line in the first half, shot a perfect 9 for 9 in the third quarter. This helped them win the quarter and begin their comeback.

Bridgewater and Framingham battled for the first 30 minutes of the Championship Game, each of the first three quarters ending within 1 point. The Bears led entering the fourth quarter, but only 53-52 in the neckand-neck contest.

The Rams commanded the fourth quarter, outscoring the Bears 22-9. Ultimately, Framingham’s ability to attack the boards, recording a lopsided 13 fourth-quarter rebounds to Bridgewater’s seven, launched them to victory.

Framingham’s authoritative fourth-quarter performance captured the victory after a grueling 40-minute clash of the MASCAC titans, which lived up to the expectations with 14 ties and 13 lead changes in the game.

O’Connor was named the 2024 Tournament Most Valuable Player (MVP) and wrapped up her historic career as a Ram with her third MASCAC Tournament Championship.

She said this championship run “definitely felt the best. It really feels amazing. We put all the hard work in and we got the reward.”

O’Connor said earning the MVP award feels awesome, but “I totally think that it should have been Gwendolyn Carpenter.

“But you know what, whateverwe’ll share it together,” she added.

O’Connor currently stands as the second all-time scoring leader for the women’s basketball program, surpassing both of her assistant coaches this season. She also overcame the 1,000-rebound milestone and moved up to second on the all-time career rebounding list, moving past Assistant Athletic Director Kathy Lynch ’02.

Lisa Halloran ’89 is first on the alltime scoring list and Janice Coppolino ’03 is first on the all-time rebounding list.

O’Connor is leaving the Rams after four seasons. “The younger girls are really starting to understand. They know what Rams basketball is and I have all

the confidence in the world for them to keep going.”

Fellow fifth-year Carpenter also concludes her fourth and final season with a conference title. “I have been lucky to be a part of three of these and every year, there’s something different about it. But this one’s got to be the best one yet.”

She said, “The work that went into this and everything - our careers just kind of coming to this moment. We went into this game thinking we’re going to leave it on the floor, and I think we did that.”

Carpenter wraps up her career as the all-time career assist leader, beating out Assistant Coach Lauren Perron this season. She also holds the record for the most assists in a single season this year, breaking her own record from the 2019-20 season.

Her success extends past the MASCAC. Entering the Division III National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Tournament this weekend, Carpenter ranks first in assists per game (7.4) and second in assists (193) in all of NCAA DIII women’s basketball.

teammates.”

Tavanese said the future of the program is “in very good hands.

“Coach is an awesome coach. He knows what he’s doing. He knows how to treat his players and he knows how to win a MASCAC championship,” she added.

Regan Fein, a senior, said winning a title in her final season “gives you a lot of closure.”

She said, “The culture we’ve built has been something really special I haven’t felt anywhere else. … Just having that moment to realize, ‘These girls really accomplished something special.’ It gives you the perfect, I don’t want to say ‘fairytale ending,’ but it really is that ending that everyone looks forward to.”

Fein said as a graduating senior, she is “content” for the future of the program. “I think that they’re set for the years to come.

“They have a phenomenal coach. He’s extremely dedicated to the game, to the girls, to everything, and the girls that he’s brought in are just phenomenal,” she added.

Junior Michelle Moreno is wrap-

She said, “It’s very cool to see my name on a list of players from around the country! … I wouldn’t be able to do any of this without my teammates and I also think it shows how well we play together!

“I am proud to represent Framingham State on those lists, because most people don’t know who we are or what we do. To be able to put us on the map and gain respect for our little state school is really cool!” added Carpenter.

As she hangs up her jersey, she said she is “really excited” for the future of the program. “The underclassmen especially have really come a long way this year. They play really well together.

“I’m excited to watch what they can do next year,” added Carpenter.

Jenna Tavanese, a senior and captain, said winning the championship is “incredible.”

She added, “To be able to do this with the people I love in my last year of playing, it’s amazing and surreal and I’m so happy to be here with my

ping up her first season as a Ram after transferring to FSU.

She said her goal coming here was to “have chemistry with my team and win the championship.”

After accomplishing her goal, Moreno said, “Honestly, it feels unreal. We worked hard so I’m happy for all of us.”

Yelle scored a game-high 21 points in the MASCAC Championship Game and also recorded eight rebounds and two blocks. She averaged 15.5 points per game for the season, the second most for the Rams. Yelle also finished the season first in the conference in field goal percentage with an impressive 56.2%.

Yelle said she felt good about her performance, “but I’ve got to give credit to my teammates.

“They gave me great passes and did a lot of the work, so I’m just so happy that we won,” she added.

Yelle was a member of the 2019-20 MASCAC Championship team but said, “This one is just so much sweeter.”

She said she feels great about the

program’s future. “We have great underclassmen so I think we’re in good hands.”

Junior Katie Haselton said winning the conference title is “the best feeling in the world.

“We truly came together, especially in the fourth quarter and tied it together to give the seniors what they deserve on their way out,” she added.

Haselton added the program’s future is in “good hands.”

She said graduating fifth-year teammates, O’Connor and Carpenter, “have been the face of this program for years now. They set some good footprints for me and Kelsey to walk behind. They’ve truly shown us what it is to be a FRAMily.”

Lauren Perron ’18, assistant coach for the women’s basketball team, is in her fifth season on the coaching staff and has now won three MASCAC Championships as a coach and played for the Rams for four seasons.

Perron said winning the championship “feels great every time, but this one just feels more special.”

She said the seniors and players who came back for a fifth year helped build the team’s chemistry.

“I’m happy for the girls that we could accomplish this because it’s a big task. It’s hard to do and this one just feels special,” Perron said. She said she is “optimistic” for the program’s future. “We’ve taken it from a level that it was before to where it is now. Now we just want to maintain and exceed that.”

Reagan Mulherin ’18, assistant coach for the women’s basketball team, is in her first season as an assistant coach and played for the Rams for three seasons.

Mulherin said winning the conference tournament during her first season on the coaching staff is “probably the best feeling.”

She said the team “had an amazing season - so proud of them and just to top it off with the championshipcouldn’t ask for anything more.”

Mulherin said she is “just very proud” and “I wouldn’t ever choose to be a part of a better program.”

She added the future of the program is bright. “Our younger girls can really, really play. We have a few juniors who can really just step up to the game and I’m very excited, honestly, for the next few years. I think we’re going to be very good.”

Coach Paschal concluded his 11th season as the head coach with a MASCAC Tournament Championship and earned BSN Coach of the Year.

He said each championship is different - “each one’s special. It makes it more special for the kids you do it with.”

Paschal said, “As we say all the time, ‘This is what we do.’”

He said the program’s future is bright. “The young kids are really good. They’ve learned a lot” from the graduating seniors.

Paschal said next season will be different, but “change is inevitable.”

Stats sourced from fsurams.com, MASCAC.com, and NCAA.com

CONNECT WITH ADAM LEVINE alevine5@student.framingham.edu

Adrien Gobin / THE GATEPOST

Women’s basketball celebrating after winning the MASCAC Tournament Feb. 24.

& FEATURES

Students explore corporate readiness program at open house

By Raena Doty Arts & Features Editor

The College of Business hosted an open house event for its Corporate Readiness 101 Academy program Feb. 21. This program is designed to help students, particularly students of color, in preparing to enter the workforce in corporate settings.

The open house allowed students to learn about the program and connect with those who run, helped to develop, or formerly participated in the academy so they can learn whether it would be a good fit for them.

The program is not exclusive to students of color, but it was designed with students of color in mind, according to Denise Brown, professor of business.

“We emphasize students of color because of the fact that they are the ones who are the most marginalized, the most underrepresented, and so a lot of things aren’t put forth for them,” she said, and added the workshops are all developed with “a culturally diverse lens.”

The program is also available to students outside of the College of Business who may have interest in business after taking classes in the college, she said.

After a few minutes of mingling at the event, Brown introduced Patricia Thomas, dean of business. Brown said Thomas helped her when she first wanted to create the program.

“I’m grateful for her for being the visionary that she is - for being a humble, humble leader,” Brown added.

Thomas said this program is for the students, not the administrators at the school, and she hopes to see everyone in the program get the most out of it for themselves.

“Seize the opportunity, and we hope to see you at every session,” she said.

Thierno Sall, a finance major who finished his FSU classes in December and will be walking for graduation in May, spoke next. He’s an ambassador for the Corporate Readiness 101 Academy program and participated in it the first year it was offered.

He said the program taught him a lot he didn’t know because, as a first-generation student, he didn’t have a lot of guidance from his family about navigating the corporate landscape.

Sall added the program is set up so “the more you put in, the more you get out,” and encouraged students to actively participate and connect with the people running it.

He said the program helped him develop his career and find internships to do for class credit while still working on his degree, which led to an offer for a full-time job immediately upon his graduation.

“I came into my final semester at ease because when you’re at that final stretch, I think everyone’s biggest concern is what they’re going to do after college, so I was able to really focus on school. It was a blessing,” he said.

He added one outcome of the program is that he’s on track to gain certification as a yellow belt in the Lean Six Sigma program, which focuses on teaching increased efficiency within the workplace.

Brown said this certification will give students an edge up against otherwise equally talented candidates for jobs, and may increase their starting salaries.

Brown thanked Erastus Ndinguri, professor of business, and John Palabiyik, chair of the Management and Business & Information Technology Department, for their support of the Career Readiness 101 Academy program and in general.

She introduced Darryl A. Bonner, a mentor in the program and a senior accountant and apprentice at Liberty Bank.

He said he began his career at the United States Naval Academy as a major in political science, but when he was placed in the field of finance after joining the Marine Corps, he developed a passion for the field.

Bonner added after he left the military, he began to look into the corporate field for a job.

“That’s never a fun feeling,” he said. “You don’t know these people.

They don’t know you. And you’re handing them a piece of paper and hoping it’s good enough for them to accept you for a job.”

He said the networking he did outside of the program connected him with the CEO of Liberty Bank, who introduced him to the apprenticeship program he’s doing now.

Bonner said he didn’t want to continue his education if he were doing it through his own money, and when he looked at other companies, he didn’t find anyone willing to give him a program like the apprenticeship Liberty Bank offered.

“They were willing to invest in my career development. They were willing to invest in me as a person,” he said. “A lot of times in corporate America, it’s not about you, your name, and stuff like that. It’s aboutyou’re a warm body, and you’re going into this position, and that’s it.”

He ended by emphasizing the importance of networking, especially for people of color.

“We sometimes have to utilize it just because of the color of our skin,” he said. “Sometimes we’re not able to reach certain levels just because of what we look like. And, yes, it’s a problem, but we can’t just sit there.”

Jerome Burke, director of the Center for Inclusive Excellence, said this program is really great, and would have helped to benefit him when he first moved to the United States from Jamaica.

“I wish I had a space like this, where

I could learn and really grow,” he said. “So I’m super, super excited about being a part of this.”

Sunni McCoy, professor of business and one of the original facilitators of the Corporate Readiness 101 Academy, said the program is a chance for students to be honest about their knowledge of the corporate world.

“That’s what corporate readiness is - to fill in some of the gaps that we just don’t know - to be able to be vulnerable in a group and speak on experience to professionals that have experience,” she said.

McCoy added the students who are most successful in the program are the students who are highly engaged.

She said students who do put in the extra effort to get the most out of the program will be able to receive yellow belt certification with Lean Six Sigma.

Brown said she wants people to know the facilitators for the Corporate Readiness 101 Academy are all genuinely invested in their success as students and as members of the corporate world.

“We are genuine, and we are professionals who want to give back, and we just ask for as much support as we can get,” she said. “These are our future leaders, and they’re going to lead.

“Support can mean a lot of things,” she added. “A little bit really can go a long way.”

CONNECT WITH RAENA DOTY rdoty@student.framingham.edu

Maddison Behringer / THE GATEPOST

Thierno Sall speaking about his experience in the Corporate Readiness 101 Academy program during the open house Feb. 21.

Okwara

Continued from Page 1

Bucci also introduced Jessenia Kolaco, secretary of the ASL club and senior ASL interpreting major, Kayla Barboza, ASL club president, and Gwendolyn Schutt, vice president of the ASL Club.

Okwara said he was born and grew up in Lagos, Nigeria. He became Deaf at 10 years old, forcing him to stay home for two years, as the school he went to did not accept Deaf students.

He added his sister was able to find a school for the Deaf and he was able to continue his education in Nigeria until 1981 when he came to America to attend college at Gallaudet University.

Okwara also spoke about his time working in Rhode Island.

“I was involved in a lot of different things in Rhode Island and working with so many people in different communities - you have to take risks to take action and make change,” he said.

He also brought up the diversity of the Black community. “Black people today come from lots of different backgrounds - they might come from Africa, the Caribbean, or be born in America.

Okwara contrasted the racism Black people in America experience with his childhood in Nigeria. He said he didn’t experience race-based discrimination and oppression until he came to America.

“I grew up Black and proud,” he said.

He said while people come here for the American dream now, the circumstances which first brought Black people to America were not voluntary.

“They were slaves for so many years, working so hard, they had no rights - they were not considered citi-

zens,” he said.

He said now as a Black person life is better than back then, as Black people have lots of rights, and back then even when laws were made to give Black people rights they were not followed.

“Black people who are born and raised in America have a different experience than mine, but despite all the oppression we have not given up,” Okwara said.

He spoke about some of the amend-

Rights Act that Black people were truly allowed to vote.

“This was truly one of the most powerful laws in America,” he said.

Okwara spoke about Black people’s opportunities in society today, mentioning they have held jobs such as president, vice president, U.S. senators, CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, and the president of Harvard, when Harvard did not even accept Black students for 211 years.

“Black people who are born and raised in America have a different experience than mine, but despite all the oppression we have not given up.”

- Ike Okwara Advocate for Disability Rights

ments to the Constitution that established rights for Black Americans - the 13th Amendment which abolished slavery, the 14th which gave Black people equal rights, and the 15th which gave Black men the right to vote - a law passed in 1870 that was not fully realized until 1965.

Okwara said this law was blocked with extra barriers to voting such as poll taxes, literacy tests, grandfather clauses, white primaries laws, intimidation by job loss, the KKK, denial of credit, and threats of eviction.

It wasn’t until 1965 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting

He said that while many things have improved, there is still racism, discrimination, stereotyping, and disparities in economics and healthcare.

“There is still a long way to go,” Okwara said.

Okwara then spoke about his experiences as a Black and Deaf man. He said people used to ask which identity he considers himself first. He said when he was younger he considered himself Deaf first but now, experiencing the racism in America he says Black first because people don’t know he’s Deaf by looking at him.

He said while he shares some expe-

riences with other Black people, it is a different experience being Deaf and Black.

He spoke about the way Black and Deaf people have been excluded. He said the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), founded 1909, works for the betterment of Black people, but not Deaf people.

The National Association for the Deaf (NAD), founded 1880, works for Deaf people, but Black people could not join until 1964.

The National Black Deaf Advocates was founded in 1982, after which the NAD formally apologized for their treatment.

He pointed out that during segregation there was a law that said “separate but equal.” Black Deaf children were not allowed to go to white Deaf schools - they often had to go to other states to find Black Deaf schools which their families would have to pay for or the child would stay isolated, he said. He explained this was not equal treatment as they had more barriers to access.

Deaf clubs also would not accept Black kids, he said, and added even now, Black Deaf kids don’t see anyone who looks like them in power - there’s no “affinity.”

He spoke about how Black Deaf kids need role models and named some he has met and respects.

He started with Andrew Foster, the first Black Deaf person to graduate from Gallaudet, and added he is considered the Father of Deaf Education in Africa, and created the school that Okwara went to.

Okwara then brought up Glenn Anderson, the first Black Deaf person to earn a Ph.D., and Shirley Allen, the first Black Deaf woman to earn a Ph.D.

He then mentioned Khadijat K. Rashid, first Black Deaf person to become provost of Gallaudet University, and Claudia Gordon, the first Black Deaf woman attorney, adding that one of his daughters was inspired by Gordon to attend her alma mater Howard University, and his other daughter was inspired by Gordon to go to Harvard Law school to become an attorney.

Finally, he named Opeoluwa Sotoma, the current commissioner of the Massachusetts Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

Okwara went on to mention the barriers Black Deaf people face in the world - oppression, racism, and discrimination, specifically naming “audism,” discrimination against Deaf people. He spoke about how a lack of interpreters caused an increased impact of the AIDS epidemic.

He ended the talk saying, “We need to do more to understand the needs of Black Deaf people,” and quoted Eldridge Cleaver, who said, “You either need to be part of the solution, or you are going to be part of the problem.”

CONNECT WITH DORCAS ABE dabe@student.framingham.edu

Rachel Tolmach / THE GATEPOST

Bruce Bucci on stage at the talk with Ike Okwara in the McCarthy Forum Feb. 27.

Mazmanian Gallery talk highlights collaboration in creativity

By Ryan O’Connell Associate Editor

By Heather Nuttall Staff Writer

The Mazmanian Gallery hosted artist Lisa Iglesias to talk about her work and the importance of community in art Feb. 27.

Art Professor Jennifer Dowling began by explaining the work of the Arts & Ideas committee, who sponsored the event. They “encourage interdisciplinary collaboration with an emphasis on social, political, and cultural issues, arts, and ideas,” she said.

Dowling then turned the floor to Art Professor Tim McDonald, who described Iglesias’ background. McDonald said she was born in Queens, New York and received her bachelor’s of arts from Binghamton University, as well as her master’s in fine arts from the University of Florida.

McDonald said Iglesias also attended individual residencies at institutions in the Dominican Republic, Finland, Provincetown, and Alaska, among others. He also said she works collaboratively with her mother Bodhild and sister Janelle as part of Las Hermanas Iglesias.

Iglesias began with a land acknowledgement, recognizing that where she works - South Hadley - is the ancestral land of the Nonotuck people.

“The neighboring Indigenous nations who continue to be connected to this land also include the Nipmuc and the Wampanoag to the east, the Mohegan and Pequod to the south, the Mohican to the west, and the Abenaki to the north,” she said.

Iglesias introduced the talk as a “chronological tour” of her work, with deviations to focus on the familial connections and references that inspire her in the studio.

She said her mother was in attendance at the talk, which reminded her to show gratitude, thanking the Arts & Ideas committee, her friends, family, and “so many [other] people.

“I think that’s the main thing with making artwork - it’s a community endeavor, and I have so much gratitude to be here today and to share the work and a little bit of story with you,” she said.

She said her parents’ immigration story and her childhood in Queens, New York, influenced decision making throughout her life - especially growing up with family members in lots of different places.

Iglesias added growing up with three sisters, she’s always thought of herself within the context of a community.

She said, “A lot of the work that I make has to do with groupings and about how meaning is made through association, through grouping, and through making meanings through constellation of either proximity or repetition of imagery.”

Iglesias described her early work with concrete in 2013, partially inspired by aspects of her father’s child-

hood spent at a concrete factory. She said he once commented that she had “concrete flowing in her veins.”

She then discussed her work from 2016, where she began experimentation with different material processes following the birth of her son and mentioned American painter and sculptor Sam Gilliam as an influence.

Iglesias went on to describe her work in the Dominican Republic in 2017, where she worked with reclaimed materials - particularly family souvenirs and paperwork. She said she transformed them with a mixture of marble dust and water until they became almost unrecognizable.

“I was using this material, thinking that it was charged with this kind of familial information and history,” she said.

Iglesias also described the work she does with her sister, focusing on “Commiserates” - a project that began in 2012 when Lisa Iglesias was pregnant with her first child.

“Commiserates,” which involved Iglesias’ sister Janelle posing beside her with round objects to mimic her pregnant stomach, continued even after the stillbirth of her second child Luna in 2018, she said.

This experience inspired Iglesias and her sister to create an online spreadsheet filled with resources regarding reproductive justice, including information on miscarriages, stillbirths, and abortion access.

Throughout the talk, Iglesias stressed the influence of family on her work. While creating pieces for “Chivalry Timbers,” currently exhibited at the Mazmanian Gallery, she said she invited family members into the studio to participate in the process.

“Moving from painting to sculpture and thinking about that tactility and that kind of hand touch sensibility is what really guided the works upstairs, and I invited in my firstborn here to help make it work,” she said.

Iglesias also said her mother took

part in the project.

“In the resulting works, you can see a sort of index of the body that this is referencing, the byproducts of the family members’ marks,” she said.

Discussing the inclusion of family and images of home in art, Iglesias mentioned artist Michelle Grabner as an influence. She praised Grabner’s “cheeky response” to a review that called her a “soccer mom,” as well as a rebuttal by artist and writer Amy Sillman which she said demonstrated community between artists.

“I thought how beautiful a community that is, to risk her own work - it’s a vulnerable thing, right?” she asked.

When asked later whether she would describe herself as a feminist artist, Iglesias said her feminism embraces multiplicity. “It’s a queer feminism. It’s a loving feminism,” she said.

“So then, I guess I’m a feminist everything - like a feminist eater, a feminist artist, a feminist frisbee player,” Iglesias added.

Iglesias went on to discuss the materials used in “Chivalry Timbers.” She said she had inherited paints from artist Arnold Mesches, who was one of her professors at the University of Florida.

“I had all these paints in my studio that I was too nervous to use because he was my professor, and I’d inherited these materials, and he has since passed, and I was so nervous to use them - and so I’ve moved hundreds of miles with them,” she said.

Iglesias added that she had left the paints for so long that they were rotting, some even growing mold.

“Deciding to use them actually kind of loosened me up because I saw that I couldn’t paint in any way that illustrated anything, because the paint itself was so sculptural and resisted any kind of so-called finesse that I tried to put to it,” she said.

Color, Iglesias explained, was also a focus of the exhibition. Thinking about abstractionists’ use of color,

she discussed Palestinian artist Samia Halaby, whose show at Indiana University was canceled in December 2023 due to safety concerns.

Iglesias also referred to Scottish writer and artist David Batchelor’s book “Chromophobia,” and said she stopped using color during graduate school.

“By the time I graduated, it was all graphite on paper - I stripped all the color away. I was thinking about conceptualism,” she said.

Iglesias added, “I think that really at the time I had kind of inherited all of these biases against color, thinking that it couldn’t be conceptual or academic, and so I really wanted to invite that back.”

The use of green in some of the pieces, Iglesias explained, was a “very direct reference” to the protests of the Green Wave Movement. The movement, she said, is an abortion rights campaign whose use of the color on handkerchiefs and protest signs can be traced back over two decades to Argentina.

Iglesias said the work “Blue Hour” used color to represent the moment just after sunset - which, in the role of caregiver, they viewed daily as a period of transition from waking to sleeping.

“I was acutely aware of how those colors were changing because I was actively caring for a human and looking out the window,” she said.

To end the talk, Iglesias shared a list of resources - ways to help Palestinians in Gaza - and drew attention to the website Jewish Voices For Peace.

“There’s so many different ways that we can be helpful, and also direct what we’re feeling and thinking about,” she said.

CONNECT WITH RYAN O’CONNELL roconnell1@student.framingham.edu

CONNECT WITH HEATHER NUTTALL hnuttall@student.framingham.edu

Maddison Behringer / THE GATEPOST

Students tearing away prints at the “Chivalry Timbers” opening reception in the Mazmanian Gallery Feb. 27.

Suitemates and screamo

By Raena Doty Arts & Features Editor

For resident students, noisy neighbors are no uncommon occurrence - but for students with a love of music, keeping the noise level down in the dorm can be a difficult task, especially when they want to improve on their own abilities.

Such is the case for Brian Rmsis, a junior history major, who loves music - especially metalcore, hardcore, and deathcore, and has been learning to improve his vocals, especially his skills with fry scream, false chord, and guttural sounds.

Rmsis said, in that way, he’s lucky to live in Massachusetts, because he can go to Worcester’s concert venue The Palladium to get his hit of intense music.

His love of music is reflected everywhere in his on-campus living - especially all over the walls. Rmsis said he had so many music posters that he had to take some down in accordance with Residence Life policy that only 75% of a wall can be covered with posters.

“I used to have a fully filled wall that I tore down because, number one, I was bored of it, and number two, it exceeded the wall space capacity,” he said.

He added he doesn’t decorate his room according to any particular aesthetic, but because his main source of decoration is music posters and he tends to listen to music from certain genres that may have similar merchandise designs, the room tends to look very cohesive.

“I’ve had some of my friends call it a ‘hyperfixation room,’ which - I hadn’t thought of it in that way until it was described to me in that way, but I think that is the best way to describe it,” he said.

Even outside of his room decoration, music is a huge part of Rmsis’ life, he said.

“I’ll track my listening time, and it gets to some pretty obscene hours on a daily basis - on a pretty consistent basis as well. And that’s not to toot my own horn or anything because that’s not really something to toot your horn about,” he said.

Since this is Rmsis’ second year on campus, he was able to choose a housing situation that worked for him based on his past experience.

He added during his first year, he lived in Corinne Hall Towers, and he was supposed to get a roommate but was never assigned one, and when he chose his housing selection for the 2023-24 school year, he decided to share a suite with some friends.

Rmsis added he believes people should try to be very open with any roommates or suitemates, as he is with his.

“If we have problems, I talk to them or they talk to me directly,” he said. “I’ll be like, ‘Hey, don’t leave clothes out in the open,’ or they’ll come to me and be like, ‘Hey, can you stop singing in the shower at 7 a.m.?’”

‘Dune: Part Two’ - a sandblasted spectacle

By Jack McLaughlin Arts & Features Editor

The first “Dune” movie came out nearly three years ago, and it was the first film review I ever wrote. That review is pretty bad, but one important detail was cemented in it - I’d be anxiously waiting for the sequel that was plagued with many delays.

It was with overwhelming excitement that I got to see the followup five days early at the biggest IMAX screen in New England - which of course is in a furniture storeand it’s with even greater joy that I can say it was spectacular.

“Dune: Part Two” thrusts viewers right back into the ongoing conflict that the first movie ended on. Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) is seeking revenge against the Harkonnen family, who destroyed his family’s rule over the planet Arrakis. He unites with the inhabitants of Arrakis, the Fremen, to lead a fight against the rival house.

While this is happening, the Harkonnen are struggling to reclaim control of mining the precious spice on the planet due to Fremen attacks, so the Baron (Stellan

the bleak yet sleek homeworld of the Harkonnen, are accompanied by a sound mix that was shaking the theater for many of the scenes.

The film was shot to be screened in IMAX theaters. Seeing it in one made for a more immersive experience - not only with the massive screen, but the incredible sound.

If that didn’t make it clear enough, see this in the biggest and loudest theater you can find, you won’t regret it.

Hans Zimmer’s score may not have hit the same as the first part’s, but it still has some banger tracks that call back to the sound he established in the first film’s soundtrack.

The only major complaint for this movie is its ending. Again, without going into too much detail, it wrapped itself up very quickly and, similar to the first film, left me in shock that it was over already.

Director Denis Villeneuve is already working on adapting the next book, “Dune Messiah,” and the ending reflects that in the sense that it ends rather abruptly. While not as much of a gut punch as the first movie’s ending, it left me thinking

Skarsgård) enlists his nephew Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler) to take charge of the planet.

Unsurprisingly, the cast is still amazing. The best newcomer is easily Butler - he somehow manages to pull off being a ruthless and cruel villain without it going over the top.

The returning cast from the first film is still just as good. Chalamet is an amazing lead, and Zendaya’s character Chani gets way more screen time and has more of a chance to shine here compared to the first part.

Paul’s character arc in this installment is way more interesting too. Without going into detail, he does not have a regular main character arc like in most stories, and if you haven’t read the book it’s a nice surprise.

This film assumes viewers are familiar with the first installment, and wastes no time trying to catch anyone up. There aren’t any long scenes retelling the events of the first film or how the world works - it relies on you either watching the first one or already being familiar with the story.

This creates a breakneck pace that works to benefit the film. No time is wasted in the near three-hour runtime, and each scene almost one-ups itself in terms of how it looks or is performed.

It’s no shock to anyone that this film looks and sounds amazing. The beautiful sequences in the desert, contrasted with

it was so close to a perfect ending and it wasn’t.

This fortunately didn’t hinder my enjoyment of “Dune: Part Two” that much. This is a worthy followup that, I think, surpasses the first film in quality. The lack of a need for any context let this story hit the ground running and didn’t have any slow moments.

It was all worth the wait.

Rating: A

Long live the fighters!

CONNECT WITH RAENA DOTY rdoty@student.framingham.edu

Courtesy of Brian Rmsis

Ben Hurney / THE GATEPOST

‘The Boy and the Heron’ is Miyazaki’s masterful swansong

By Owen Glancy Asst. Arts & Features Editor

Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli are famous for their dedication to quality and whimsy in their films. Movies like “Spirited Away,” “Princess Mononoke,” and “My Neighbor Totoro” are some of the greatest films not just in their genres but of all time.

Miyazaki’s previous film, “The Wind Rises,” was believed by both the world and the creator himself to be his very last work. However, Miyazaki is back with another film known in Japan as “How Do You Live” and in America as “The Boy and the Heron.”

This is the best Ghibli film since “Spirited Away,” although it initially doesn’t seem that way. The start of this film is very slow, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it is unusual for a Ghibli movie to start this slowly.

However, this is also the perfect way to start this film. Even more so than his other works, “The Boy and the Heron” is a deeply introspective film. There are so many layers to unravel here and they all show up in the first 40 minutes of the film.

By taking the time to establish these characters, their circumstances, and their motivations, it makes that first step into the unknown that much more exciting.

The supernatural world presented by this film is unlike any other in Mi-

yazaki’s career in that it feels far more ominous. This tower is strange and clearly has some sort of connection to the afterlife, and everything in its presentation sells this.

Joe Hisaishi’s masterful score combined with Ghibli’s signature animation style makes this world seem so mysterious and whimsical, while also conveying a sense of dread as the film’s story goes to darker and darker places.

Mahito Maki, the film’s protagonist, is a young boy whose mother was killed in WWII. Shortly after, his father marries his aunt and they all move into her giant estate in the country. Before anything supernatural even happens, we’re already sucked into Mahito’s world.

Losing a loved one is hard, especially if it’s your mother, and seeing his father kiss his deceased wife’s sister while moving into her mansion only makes this situation even more difficult for Mahito to comprehend.

Then the Heron comes in.

Everything this character says and does just makes me laugh. Whether it’s the excellent vocal performances in both Japanese and English, or just the way he’s animated, he is absurdly entertaining throughout.

The English dub is surprisingly great, featuring big name Hollywood actors like Robert Pattinson, Willem Dafoe, Christian Bale, and Mark Hamill. They all give top-tier perfor-

mances that, while not surpassing the original Japanese voices, are just as good as them.

But it’s sort of a given that a Studio Ghibli film is gonna look and sound great. It’s the story that really differentiates a good Ghibli film from a great one, and from that point of view, this is one of the studio’s all-time best.

Mahito and the Heron’s journey through the magical world of the seemingly never-ending tower is as wondrous as it is heartbreaking. Mahito starts as this idealistic child - he’s very ignorant of the world and assumes that he can fix everything if he can find his mother in this tower. However, by the end, he matures and learns his lesson with the help of the Heron and the other characters he meets on his journey.

I desperately want to talk about every single minute detail of this film’s story, but it is one that is best experienced blind. By the end of the film, I was left speechless as the credits rolled. The ending is so powerful and so uplifting that even if there are pockets of the film that feel predictable, it’s worth it to get to that ending.

“The Boy and the Heron” was not at all what I thought it would be, but I loved it anyway. It was a loving reflection directed by a master at the end of his career, looking back on everything that made him so special to so

many people. Whether you’ve seen one Ghibli film or all of them, this is absolutely essential viewing.

Rating: A+

The perfect “final” Miyazaki film

CONNECT WITH OWEN GLANCY oglancy@student.framingham.edu

David Abe / THE GATEPOST

Puzzles

ACROSS

1. Playful growl

5. “Finally!”

11. Period with later sunsets, briefly

14. Frozen treat with FlaMango and LlamaNade flavors

15. “Jane Eyre” author

16. “Parks and ___” (’09-’15 sitcom)

16. Yellowfish tuna

17. *Emmy nominated actress who portrayed Janet in “The Good Place”

20. “Old MacDonald” refrain

21. Not superficial

22. Joe

23. Drinking straw, e.g.

25. “Happy to!”

27. Fanta or Pepsi

30. Carry-__ (small suitcases)

32. Org. opposed to using big cats in circuses

33. In bulk

36. Curly hairstyles

39. Road trip stopover

40. Film in a superhero franchise, or one starring the starred clues’ answers

42. By way of

43.

45.

49.

57.

63.

66.

67.

71.

in slang

DOWN

1. Roller coaster or Tilt-A-Whirl

2. South American palm

3. Used to be

4. Piano performance

5. “The Golden Bachelor” network

6. Corporate identity

7. Oral tradition

8. Aconcagua’s range

9. Rise to the occasion

10. This clue’s number

11. *”SNL” alum who played Garth Algar

12. Jewish mourning period

solutions are now exclusively online.

13. Saturn’s largest moon, or a mythical giant

18. “I know ___ are, but what am I?”

22. Ballet jump

24. Pear prick

26. Push away

27. Sink’s alternative

28. “That’s terrible!”

29. *Actor who narrates the “Wonder Years” reboot

31. Replay speed

34. Revises

35. Source of green juice?

37. “I call dibs!”

38. Fresh talk

41. Greek I

44. Instrument that may be taller than its player

46. Leave in ruins

48. Zimbabwe’s capital

51. Skate park trick

52.Pillbox hat attachments

53. “Should we?”

55. Snapshot, for short

58. Docking platform

60. Rational

61. Tiny speck

62. Award quartet for Viola Davis

64. Verbal facepalm

65. Soapmaking ingredient

Puzzle

Appreciating the Arts

Maddison Behringer / THE GATEPOST (Left) Stella Bailey and Eda Lindstrom holding prints they received at the “Chivalry Timbers” opening reception in the Mazmanian Gallery Feb. 27.

Maddison Behringer / THE GATEPOST

A tear away print book at the “Chivalry Timbers” opening reception in the Mazmanian Gallery Feb. 27.

Maddison Behringer / THE GATEPOST

(Left) Professor Lisa Eck talking with Lisa Iglesias at the “Chivalry Timbers” opening reception in the Mazmanian Gallery Feb. 27.

Dylan Pinchnarcik / THE GATEPOST Sandra Matthews’ “Unearthing” at the opening reception for the Spring collection at the Danforth on Feb.24.

Dylan Pinchnarcik / THE GATEPOST

Three contemporary paintings in the Danforth’s spring collection on Feb. 24.

Dylan Pinchnarcik / THE GATEPOST

A recently acquired scultpture now in the Danforth’s permanent collection on Feb. 24.

Maddison Behringer / THE GATEPOST Visitors in the Mazmanian Gallery during the “Chivalry Timbers” opening reception on Feb. 27.