February 15, 2013

A bloody V-Day

Hockey clawing for playoff spot

A face is worth 1,000 words

Bullet for my Valentine’s latest album - page 11

Stand three games behind Worcester State - page 14

Marc Cote’s personal exhibit on display in MazGal - page 9

T h e G at e p o s t Framingham Sta te Unive r sity’s inde pe nde nt stude nt ne w s p a p e r s in c e 1 9 3 2

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gatepost@framingham.edu

Facilities worked overtime for Nemo clean-up

By Kaila Braley Assistant News Editor

By Michael B. Murphy Assistant News Editor

A green energy milestone A student weathers a barren FSU campus during Blizzard Nemo.

Danielle Vecchione/The Gatepost

FSU, state officials celebrate opening of new eco-friendly power plant black button. in and day out to save dollars, reinvest

By Spencer Buell Editor-in-Chief

By Alex Shuman Editorial Staff

FSU President Timothy Flanagan was in high spirits Tuesday morning as he celebrated the ceremonial unveiling of the school’s new cleaner energy natural gas boilers in the on-campus power plant.

After a press conference featuring Lt. Gov. Tim Murray, as well as representatives from various energy-oriented state agencies, Flanagan took part in an on-site ribbon cutting at the plant, and took the honor of starting up one of the new boilers with the push of a small

By Talia Adry Editorial Staff

“The project has come to a successful conclusion,” Flanagan said over the dull roar of the facility after the burner kicked in. “It’s wonderful to know we’re being more responsible in terms of the environment, we’re saving money, which is important to students and so forth, and we’re embracing a new technology. That’s a really good thing for the university.”

Earlier, at a press conference in the Alumni Room, Murray commended school officials for their completion of green energy projects, touting FSU’s Energy Performance Contract as a model for other state institutions.

“This is what were trying to do day

strategically in our assets like Framingham State, and be better environmental stewards,” Murray said. “So this is a great example that we can hold up as a best practice throughout our system and throughout the country.”

The Patrick-Murray Administration recently announced an Accelerated Energy Program, designed to help state agencies comply with Executive Order 484. Signed in 2007, the directive called on state institutions to adopt green initiatives. The governor’s office is rolling out a so-called Lead by Example campaign, which aims to implement green initiatives at 700 state facilities in as -Continued on page 5

From Feb. 8th through Feb. 10th, FSU’s facilities department staff worked overtime to keep up with winter storm Nemo’s 30 inches of snow.

A total of 71 “essential personnel” worked 700 “man hours” over the three-day period, according to Warren Fairbanks, Director of Facilities.

All 71 worked on Friday, and on Saturday, “we probably brought in about 25 employees,” said Fairbanks.

By Sunday there were eight employees working.

“That’s a big investment for the university,” said Fairbanks, because many of the employees were paid overtime.

Fairbanks said it would be difficult to “put a number” on the cost of the snow removal efforts, but money is allocated in the budget for storm clean-ups.

Fairbanks observed that so far, “this has been a fairly quiet year.”

The snow removal operation was managed by Dan Giard, the assistant director of Facilities, whom Fairbanks said is extremely dedicated to making the campus safe for students.

“Dan has been doing this for many years, and his snow crew has been doing this for a long time. They do an

Student Marine recounts time in Afghanistan

During his first deployment in Afghanistan in 2009, U.S. Marine Nate Hall would wet a sock, put his water bottle in it, and hang it from a tree to catch the breeze and keep cool.

For three months, Hall slept on the ground in a sleeping bag on top of a thin foam mat. He didn’t have access to toilets or showers. When he did bathe, it was in the Helmand River - the same river where dead sheep were seen floating downstream.

For the most part, Hall didn’t seem to mind his circumstances. Not one to

complain, he said he liked bathing in the river at night because temperatures reached 130 degrees in the daytime.

“Going to the bathroom - that was not fun,” he joked. “It was always in the most awkward conditions. Like maybe little kids would be looking at you in the distance, and there’s nothing you can do.”

When asked why he didn’t take the same route as his father and uncles before him in the Navy, Hall quipped, “Why didn’t I want a cushy desk job?

Is that the question?”

Despite a common perception that -Continued on page 9

-Continued on page 3

Talia Adry/The Gatepost

Junior Nate Hall is finishing up his history degree with a minor in criminal justice at FSU.

News

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Gatepost Interview

Police Logs

Elizabeth Corea

Monday, Feb. 11, 2013 12:50 Medical - 100 State St, Framingham

1 female with head injury. Transport to

MWMC. 17:51 Hazard - Peirce Hall

Icy conditions in front of Peirce Hall.

Facilities notified.

Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2013 03:01 Civil Matter - 100 State St, Framingham

Call recevied about guest staying nightly.

Caller referred to Residence Life.

15:56 Gas Utility Emergency - Hemenway

Report of a gas leak, officers check the

area. Facilities shut off an open gas valve.

Everything checks okay.

EDITORIAL BOARD 2012-2013 Spencer Buell

Carey Scouler

Joe Kourieh

Deanna Collins

Editor-in-Chief

Copy Editor

Associate Editor

Staff designer

Kerrin Murray

Staff Writers:

Associate Editor

Arts & Features Editor

Natasha St. Amand Scott Calzolaio Avarie Cook Stacia Kindler Samantha Lockard Tom Lustig Rachellyn Makuch Bryan McKenna Craig Pease Kristen Pinto Cristina Valente Mark Wadland Shelby Wood

Interim Assistant Arts & Features Editor

Staff Photographers:

Kathleen McDonough News Editor

Kärin Radock News Editor

Kaila Braley

Interim Assistant News Editor

Michael B. Murphy

Assistant News Editor

Talia Adry

Adam Farah

Alex Shuman

Assistant Arts & Features Editor

Sarah Carr Stephanie Feleja Alexis Huston Melissa Mogauro Danielle Vecchione

Matt Cook

Advisor

Assistant Arts & Features Editor

Sara Silvestro

Sports Editor

Jess Thomas

Assistant sports editor

Samantha Rawson Opinions Editor

Allie Card

Interim Photo Editor

February 15, 2013

Dr. Desmond McCarthy Meredith O’Brien-Weiss Assistant Advisor

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

By Shelby Wood Staff Writer

Communication Arts Professor

Please provide a brief summary of your resume and educational background.

I received my undergraduate degree at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in rhetoric and public address.

Then I received a master’s degree, which took me two years. And a master’s degree at Northeastern University, in counseling psychology, which took me seven years because I did that part time. I also got a certificate in conflict resolution, because I was interested in that topic.

Why did you decide to major in rhetoric and public address?

The thing that hooked me initially was my interest in theater and acting. But in those days, women were not encouraged to achieve professionally. I became practical in what elders said to me, and so I went to education. The closest thing I could major in related to that was in the communication field.

I transferred to UMass and was very involved in theater, in the communications department.

What was your best experience in college?

It was in a class that I took by Professor Blankenship in which we learned by doing. It was a very small class.

We sat around a table and we did an analysis of the Gettysburg Address in different linguistic styles line by line. I became so excited about language and what the impact of that is.

What courses do you teach?

I usually teach the Introduction to Speech Communication and I do the internship class. Depending on the semester, I might teach Intercultural Communication as well as Interpersonal Communication.

What is the best part of your job at FSU? Witnessing the growth of students. I

@TheGatepost

can’t even put in words what that feeling is like. To just see students who are willing to engage, who are willing to be flexible and open to consider new ideas. It’s so much fun and so pleasurable for me to see that.

Are you currently working on any projects?

I have two kinds of projects. One is, I have been working/studying about energy medicine, subtle energies - seeing the impact that that has on communication. The counseling psychology part of me - I have done work with women and eating disorders. So I am also very interested in health.

What it is your favorite aspect of Framingham State?

I am excited that this is a learning community. I have always admired the faculty.

I think they work tremendously hard and are really dedicated.

The last few years have been just an explosion of different programs available Shelby Wood/The Gatepost for people to go to. I look at the array of activities on campus and I just want to do it all, but I can’t.

Do you have any hobbies?

I like to read. I love to read mysteries and I just joined a book club. I just read “Death Comes to the Archbishop,” which I had never read. I got so excited because I have been away from pleasure reading for so long.

Do you have any advice for students?

There is hope when you are having issues with your life. Your thoughts can actually change the structure of the brain. So if you have negative thoughts, they are bad for you. It’s very important to pay attention to your thinking.

It seems like there is a lot of negative things coming up in the world. It’s good that the bad things are visible in reality. You need to be conscious about what your thoughts are. It’s important to mine the gold that’s here on this campus. Be compassionate to yourself and to other students. It can create a really strong community.

News

University preparing for NEASC re-accreditation

February 15, 2013

By Kathleen McDonough News Editor

FSU President Timothy J. Flanagan announced last Wednesday, Feb. 6, at the All University Meeting that Gov. Deval Patrick’s recently proposed budget is “very, very good for public higher education.”

The proposed budget includes a $100 million increase in student finan-

tuition and fees at public universities 10-12 years ago, but has decreased significantly, funding under 15 percent this year, according to Flanagan.

The governor’s proposal will nearly triple Mass Grant support, which is “extraordinarily beneficial to higher education” and “an extraordinary endorsement of the work that we do,” he added.

Next spring, the New England As-

Allie Card/The Gatepost

NEASC re-accreditation Steering Committee Co-Chairs Elaine Beilin and Susan Chang are working on a self-study report for FSU. cial aid, which Flanagan said is important because the state’s Mass Grant program, which serves the neediest students, has decreased significantly in the last decade.

Mass Grant funded 80 percent of

sociation of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) will visit FSU to assess the university in terms of its 11 standards and determine whether it will re-accredit the school, which happens every ten years.

3

NEASC accreditation, which FSU has had since 1950, provides public trust and assures the university is continuing to evaluate its academic and professional quality, programs, curriculum and faculty.

The Steering Committee for NEASC re-accreditation, co-chaired

by Dr. Elaine Beilin, English department chair, and Dr. Susan Chang, director of assessment, has nearly 70 people working on a 100-page selfstudy report.

Beilin said the self-study report has more meaning “when we think about it as something that belongs to us, that we internalize,” such as when a faculty member assigns a research paper to students and they “grow, learn and make progress.”

The university has worked with the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education in two workshops and gotten valuable feedback, said Beilin.

Some of the recommendations are to show how the mission statement operates in every aspect of university life, to show evidence and assessment that students are actually learning what the school says they are learning, to be candid about the university’s strengths and weaknesses and to show what makes FSU a distinctive institution, according to Beilin.

Beilin said a theme of the report will be to show students’ success in the past

and the future. “This study shows us at our best because it is people from all over the university working collaboratively for our students.”

Flanagan shared the results of the most recent post-graduation placement survey conducted in January 2012 of the class of 2011 six to 10 months after they graduated. Two-hundred-thirty alumni participated in the survey.

He said just over 93 percent of survey respondents were employed and 73 percent were employed full time.

Of those employed, 94 percent were employed in Massachusetts, which Flanagan said “helps the strength of the argument we continuously make about how investments in higher education in the commonwealth with taxpayer dollars reap rewards … and contribute to the economy.”

Flanagan added that it is “encouraging” that 51.3 percent of respondents completed an internship or practicum.

“I would like us to have a goal for every student to have an experience outside of the traditional classroom.”

One student, in an open response section of the survey, said, “I wouldn’t be who I am or where I am today without FSU.” Flanagan said to the faculty and staff at the meeting, “Thank you for the contributions that you make that produce that kind of feedback from our alums.”

Facilities: FSU “did a good job predicting” Nemo severity

-Continued from page 1

exceptional job. If you look at our sidewalks and our roadways, and you leave campus and look at the town of Framingham - which also worked very hard and did a good job - you’ll see the difference,” said Fairbanks.

Because of this dedication, Giard spent Friday and Saturday nights sleeping in his office, according to Fairbanks. He said because Giard was busy clearing snow on campus, “he had to pay somebody to plow out the driveway at his house.”

Other employees also spent the weekend away from home, “sleeping on mattresses down in the warehouse on the floor,” Fairbanks said. “It’s not like we were putting them up in the Sheraton.

“The good thing about this storm was that it was anticipated,” said Fairbanks. “They did a good job predicting it and timing it.”

The early knowledge of the storm’s severity contributed to the preparedness of the snow removal crew on campus. Fairbanks said that it was imperative to begin clean-up immediately as the storm started on Friday.

“We did have 600 students stay on campus over the weekend,” he said, “so we have to make sure that they can safely get back and forth to the McCarthy Center and the Athletic Center and across campus, so you can’t wait until the storm is over.”

Of the 600 students who weathered the storm on campus, some stayed indoors and some ventured out.

Megan Morris, a junior communication arts major said, “I am going

700 “man-hours”

600 students stayed on campus during the storm

71 workers in total cleared the campus 90 percent of snow cleared by Sunday

to practically hibernate for the weekend.”

Nicolette Carlson, a sophomore fashion merchandising major, said she and her friends had been spending their time “sledding, watching movies, spraying an immense amount of Febreeze because there are so many people in our room and it’s kind of like a wet dog smell.”

“I’ve done nothing. I’ve been lying in bed, doing laundry,” said Molly Matthei, a junior nutrition major.

Kelly Miller, a freshman history major said, “I went sledding last night and we weren’t stopped” by Campus Police.

Fairbanks said Facilities staff understands that students want to enjoy the snow. “When it snows, it’s fun.

So that’s not a problem for us. We may have to tell them to get out of the way but I thought the students were really good.”

Fairbanks commended President Timothy Flanagan for cancelling Friday’s classes. “That gave us time to

get ready for it. The fact that most of the students went home and the lots were empty made the snow removal go smoother for us,” he said.

Students were sent multiple emails from Melinda Stoops, dean of students, and Susanne Conley, vice president for enrollment and student development, informing them when and where to move their cars in or-

der for the resident parking lots to be cleared.

The students who had cars parked in Union or Athletic 1 lots were asked to move their vehicles to the Maple or Maynard lots so that the plows could remove the snow more effectively.

Fairbanks said, “we start plowing all the lots as soon as it starts to snow.”

According to Fairbanks, this is the procedure for cleaning the lots when there is snowfall of more than eight inches. “The only thing that was a little bit different on this one was we wanted them to move the car and then four or five hours later go back and move it again.”

“And the students,” Fairbanks said, “I thought they reacted very well. They were very cooperative.

Almost all of the cars were moved.”

One “glitch” in the process, in Fairbanks’ view, was the “miscom-

-Continued on page 6

Allie Card/The Gatepost

An FSU Facilities employee snowblowing in front of Dwight during the storm last weekend.

News

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By Kärin Radock News Editor

February 15, 2013

Administrators Forum sum-up School officials talk Wi-Fi, tobacco-free policy, internships

Administrators answered student questions regarding FSU’s wireless internet, the not-yet-implemented tobacco-free campus policy, and school credit and on-campus parking for student interns at the February 5 Administrators Forum.

The meeting was held in the McCarthy Center Forum and officiated by FSU’s SGA, who asked participants to write their names and the topic of their questions on sheets of paper.

FSU President Timothy Flanagan, along with nearly every other member of the school’s administration were present. The meeting ran well past the administrators’ planned time limit, however several students were able to ask questions and offer suggestions before the Framingham State’s top officials needed to leave.

Wi-Fi bandwidth issues Sophomore Patrick Dempsey, a communication arts major, asked FSU officials whether campus bandwidth could be expanded to speed up what he saw as a sluggish Internet connection.

“The only times I tend to be able to get on [the Internet] are late at night, or

learned about the problem, though, “it’s not a question of bandwidth.” Rather, she said, the campus’ old buildings – with their cinderblock walls – are to blame for the slow connection speeds.

She recommended that students go to places on campus such as CASA, where the Internet is faster. The building’s layout, she said, is “wide open and glass,” and Wi-Fi is thus more accessible.

Flanagan also urged students to report on-campus locations where the Internet connection tends to be especially slow.

Upcoming tobacco ban Freshman Michael Rita, a sociology major, said he attended last semester’s forum on a tobacco ban that is slated to be put in place at FSU. He said he understands the component of the proposal which bans smoking, “because second-hand smoke has been proven to be cancerous,” but wanted to know why non-tobacco nicotine products, which could include nicotine patches, would also be banned.

Linda Vaden-Goad, vice president for Academic Affairs and an All-College sub-committee member who oversees the development of the tobacco

Allie Card/The Gatepost

Director of Facilities Warren Fairbanks answered questions about the school sprinkler system and upcoming cafeteria expansion. early mornings,” said Dempsey.

Vice President for Enrollment and Student Development Susanne Conley said IT has been making plans to upgrade the infrastructure of the campus Wi-Fi. She said the campus Internet connection, which is known among students to be notoriously slow depending on their location or time of attempted access, is a recurrent problem at FSU. Conley said that from what she has

policy, said the tobacco ban proposal is currently a composite of other colleges’ and universities’ tobacco policies and procedure statements.

“It had more things in it than we will probably end up with, but we wanted people to … have the advantage of knowing what other universities have done,” she said.

Vaden-Goad said over 1,000 students completed a survey about the

Allie Card/The Gatepost

FSU officials field student questions at the most recent Administrators Forum.

tobacco policy, which will help the sub-committee decide how best to implement it at FSU. She said that in “the next couple of weeks,” the sub-committee will come up with a statement of purpose, which will then be examined by President Flanagan.

Ultimately, Vaden-Goad said, FSU’s tobacco policy will be tailored to fit the school’s culture.

Internship accommodations Senior Sarah White, a business administration major, asked whether it would be possible to make FSU more internship-friendly, referring specifically to the possibility of receiving school credit and increasing the availability of school transportation for student interns.

White said one of the reasons she chose to attend FSU was its location on Route 9 and the internship and employment opportunities presented by the many businesses nearby.

She has had several internships during her four years at Framingham State, but said school transportation has made getting to them “a huge hassle.”

In addition, she said she has had problems registering and receiving school credit for internships.

Dean of Students Melinda Stoops discussed the possibility of streamlining paperwork for student interns in order to make the registration process simpler.

She added that FSUPD gives some closer-to-campus parking spots to interns, and suggested that, if there are “peak” times during the day when students are traveling to and from internships, maybe the school shuttles could be made more available. She said

RESIDENT STUDENTS! Housing Reservation Deposits for next year must be received by 4pm

on Friday, March 15th!

You MUST pay the Housing Reservation Deposit ON TIME in order to participate!

*Deposits are $150, and can be paid through myFramingham or at the Student Services Center! (*Deposits are non-refundable & non-transferable.)

SILD, which runs and operates RAM TRAM, is proactive about helping students.

Flanagan discussed the forming of a new committee to discuss transport issues known as the Student Transportation Advisory Team.

He said he hopes the STAT will consist of 16 students, who will help create a transportation system that “meets the needs of the largest number of students at the most responsible cost.”

Flanagan hopes to start meeting with the group this week.

Other topics discussed at the forum * Student Trustee and CASA intern Molly Goguen said CASA employees and students with disabilities are at a “technological disadvantage,” because they don’t have access to technology that would enhance student learning.

She asked if FSU administrators have recognized the need to improve the technological needs of students, especially in regard to those with disabilities, and if they have considered adding additional technology in CASA to meet their needs.

Vice President Conley said she thinks an assessment should be done on the adaptive technology available in CASA. * Carly Granville, a junior history major with a minor in secondary education, wanted to learn more about the structure of classes for education students, because she has been unable to take classes outside of her minor. She asked whether the course selection process could be made more accommodating for students.

Christopher Gregory, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Director of Advising, said the general education requirements for Granville’s major and minor have to be restrictive because of licensure for history majors in secondary ed. Because of the secondary ed minor, Granville’s free electives are used for field study and student teaching.

Gregory said that starting last year, the number of gen ed requirements for students were reduced, and that starting next year, gen eds will be more “accommodating.” * Campus Events Office Manager Erin Reilly, a senior, asked if residential space on campus could be improved for Campus Events programs.

Director of Facilities Warren Fairbanks said an expansion of the Dining Commons is expected to be completed

-Continued on page 6

February 15, 2013

News

Art Club granted additional funds for NYC trip

By Kathleen McDonough News Editor

This week, SGA granted funding requests to the Art Club and the Hilltop Players.

Earlier in the year, The Art Club was granted $10,488.46 for a trip to the New York City Armory Show, which is celebrating its 100-year anniversary.

However, the club forgot to include the cost of two tickets to the show for their chaperones and miscalculated the price of hotel rooms for two nights.

They requested an additional $60 for the chaperone tickets and $601.21 for the hotel price difference.

Senator Erin Reilly asked whether club members could travel early Saturday morning and spend just one night in the hotel.

Treasurer Ashlyn Roy said Friday night, they plan to go to the MoMAR and the MET, which are open late, Saturday they will attend the Armory Show, museums and art fairs, then visit various galleries Sunday morning before they leave. “We are maximizing our time. It’s all about art.”

SGA allocated the full request of $661.21 to the Art Club.

The Hilltop Players came forth with three funding requests, which all passed unanimously.

President John Gazard requested $1,748 for their play “Two Into One,” which will run April 11-13. Director

for the set, $450 for props, $150 for costumes, $32 for posters and $516 for a police detail for the event.

Gazard also requested $2,948 for their musical production of “The Wedding Singer,” based on the popular movie starring Adam Sandler, that will run April 18-20. The request in-

Alex Shuman/The Gatepost

SGA senators deliberating on the Art Club’s request for $661.21 for their trip to New York.

Cameron Damagni said the show is a “British comedy about a guy trying to get laid.” The request included $600

cluded $500 for the set, $600 for costumes, $300 for props, $516 for a police detail, $32 for posters, and $1,000

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for accompaniment by Nick Narcisi.

“The audience will leave with wedding bliss and probably the urge to sing a Madonna song,” Gazard said in the funding request.

The club was also granted $2,000 for a co-sponshorship with the Student Union Activities Board to bring the Frangela Comedian Show to campus on March 13.

The show will consist of two comedians known for popular weekly Internet videos such as “Idiots of the Week.” Since the skits are “very theatrical,” Gazard said they want to pool resources and help SUAB with funding.

In other news: • SGA is sponsoring a blood drive on Monday, Feb. 25 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Phenomenal Woman nominations are due Feb. 21 by 4 p.m. to Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Multicultural Affairs David Baldwin.

• Mike Reda was voted senator of the month.

FSU, state officials celebrate unveiling of new eco-friendly power plant

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many days.

In an effort to comply with the governor’s order, FSU officials entered into the AEP with the state. The university partnered with the Massachusetts Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance, or DCAMM, and NSTAR, FSU’s private energy partner.

“From day one,” Flanagan said, “we knew that the biggest step toward accomplishing our goal was converting our power plant from number 6 fuel oil to natural gas.”

In addition to replacing the boilers, school officials will install over 7,000 energy-efficient LED bulbs and add insulation to pipes across campus, replace old motors and construct a high-efficiency steam-chiller in the library in an attempt to drive down energy consumption.

The power plant facility, tucked into the back end of campus between the Whittemore Library and Dwight hall, has actually been operating with the

$6.3 million

total cost of converting FSU’s power plant to run on natural gas new equipment since October of last year, after the site’s 51-year-old burners were replaced. The two enormous pieces of equipment run on natural gas, which produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions when burned than the number 6 fuel oil the old boilers used. Two older boilers were removed from the building to make way for the new equipment, while a third, 34-year-old boiler has been converted to run on gas.

The project, first proposed in the school’s Climate Action Plan in 2007,

Spencer Buell/The Gatepost

FSU President Timothy Flanagan led a tour of the on-campus power plant, where two new natural gas boilers are now operational. is expected to slash FSU’s carbon footprint output by up to 30 percent, as well as save an estimated $800,000 in fuel and maintenance costs.

“Essentially, we’re saving money by implementing these projects that have a green benefit as well,” said Dale Hamel, FSU’s executive vice president, who oversees financing for the school’s large-scale projects. “This is truly one of those rare projects when it all seems to come together.”

To pay for the $6.3 million project, Hamel said $2.7 million was financed through FSU’s general obligation bond and the other $3.6 million came through debt service funding, for which FSU pays $250,000 per year and will later receive $460,000 in rebates.

DCAMM Commissioner Carole Cornelison commended FSU for “its awesome leadership in leading the spirit and letter of the Patrick-Murray Administration’s commitment to reducing the carbon footprint at state facilities, and kudos for your proactive Climate Action Plan and overall green team approach.”

The EPC, she said, “is truly a milestone on that journey and we’re delighted to be your partner now and for the

future.”

The power plant provides energy for 17 buildings on campus, heating and cooling a total of 1.2 million square feet, according to statistics complied by DCAMM. Power plant Foreman Mark Doray, a 16-year employee at the facility, said the newly installed boilers will require much less maintenance than did the older ones, whose water tubes required yearly tune-ups and underground oil tanks needed periodic cleanings. Old motors required to pump the fuel into the tanks needed to be replaced often when they would burn out. New highefficiency motors, he said, last much longer.

“Everything is brand new,” Doray said. “Everything is, basically, overall, way more efficient. … This is supposed to be the best-of-the-best.”

A drawdown on required maintenance, however, will not require fewer on-site power plant workers or fewer labor hours, Doray said. The state requires that the machines be staffed 24 hours per day, and employees monitor and maintain the equipment as needed.

The new boilers make maintenance

“much easier,” Doray said.

“But hopefully not too easy,” he added with a laugh. “I like to have things to do.”

Geography Professor and advisor for FSU’s Green Team, Carl Hakansson, first suggested developing a Climate Action Plan in 2007 and is currently FSU’s climate action representative. The CAP has been pushing for green initiatives on-campus since its formation.

“When we first put this Climate Action Plan together, a lot of people had their doubts as to whether a lot of the big ticket items would ever be addressed, and they’ve all been addressed.

That’s why credit should go out to the people who were the driving forces behind it. It’s much appreciated by me and by everyone.”

One big step Hakansson cited was the changes made to Dining Services over the past three years.

Dining Services staff have cut product waste by composting recyclable or-

$800,000

projected yearly fuel and maintenance cost savings with new energy-efficient boilers ganic materials and converted the kitchen area to use less water and energy.

“A lot of these investments, the things I thought would be the hardest nuts to crack… were actually not… The administrators had put the resources behind all this to make everything happen.”

Hakansson said he believes that the biggest struggle for fully implementing the CAP is changing human behaviors.

-Continued on page 6

News

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February 15, 2013

Facilities: FSU “did a good job predicting” Nemo severity

-Continued from page 3

munication” about whether the RAs and RDs could stay in Linsley lot or whether they had to move their cars.

Because of this, Linsley lot was not cleared until Monday.

“I don’t think it was a major thing,” Fairbanks said.

One other issue was cars in leased lots across Route 9 being “basically plowed in,” said Fairbanks.

Despite these issues, he described the snow-removal process as “real clean.”

Junior English major Scott Shea said, “I don’t think they could’ve done a better job… Though a lot of people complained that we had classes on the Monday following the storm, I barely heard any complaints about campus being hard to traverse.”

Kevin Long, junior communica-

tion arts major and RA said, “I’d say facilities did a great job with the snow removal, but there was a lack of attention to the RA lot.”

Sophomore biology major Julie Rezuke praised the facilities dept. workers. “I think they did a very good job because my car was in Union and I was expecting to have to dig it out myself but I got my car out in about five to seven minutes because they had workers with Bobcats and shovels to help.”

“I drove through the residential lots on Saturday and talked to a couple students who were digging out their cars, and they were in pretty good spirits,” Fairbanks said. “They weren’t throwing snowballs at me, so we couldn’t have done that bad.”

Allie Card/The Gatepost

One of the many plows used by the school facilities staff to clear parking lots.

New natural gas boilers to reduce FSU’s carbon footprint

Spencer Buell/The Gatepost

Geography Prof. and green energy advocate Carl Hakansson joined President Flanagan at the updated plant’s ribbon cutting.

“It’s hard to sustain interest in anything because people think they don’t make a big enough difference.”

The CAP has been an extensive project for many years, and involvement has been gratifying for its supporters.

Hakansson and several administrators have been involved with implementing a “green campus” for many years now.

In May 2007, FSU became a member of the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment, which promotes environmentally friendly ways of reducing the carbon emissions output from daily campus operations of involved institutions.

FSU’s CAP is updated annually and

Forum

-Continued from page 4

by late September. The project will include the construction of a multipurpose space. It is being designed and furnished so that during the day, it will provide an additional 200 seats for student diners, and at night, can serve as a function venue. He added that it will be bigger than the Forum.

describes courses of actions leading up to 2015.

Additional on-campus energy efficient proposed projects include adding solar panels to O’Connor Hall and making all campus buildings Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified. Currently, North Hall is FSU’s only LEED-certified building.

Renovations have also been undertaken to implement heat-controlling systems in the McCarthy Center.

According to Fairbanks, until recently, the heat and air conditioning systems had no set temperature and ranged from about 65 to 75 degrees.

This monitoring system now keeps the building at one constant, comfort-

* Sophomore Nicolette Carlson, a fashion merchandising major, asked if the plastic cups used by Dining Services to hold ingredients for omelets are disposed sustainably.

Director of Dining Services Ralph Eddy said the majority of plastics Dining Services uses are compostable, including the cups used for omelets. * Freshman Benjamin Martin, a history major, said he noticed the on-cam-

able temperature, which noticeably decreases energy expenses.

According to Fairbanks, all resident students are encouraged to use energyefficient light bulbs, which use 30 percent less energy than traditional light bulbs. He invites any students who have traditional light bulbs to visit the Facilities office and trade the bulbs for energy efficient ones at no cost.

Fairbanks said he has also noticed a large number of resident students tend to leave dorm room lights on when they leave for the weekend, which is an unnecessary energy expense. According to Fairbanks, since motion-sensor lighting in dorm rooms isn’t an ideal option, students should work to turn off lights when their rooms are unoccupied.

Fairbanks said he believes it is difficult to get everyone on campus into being aware of energy efficiency.

“It’s not a hobby,” said Fairbanks. “I think, for college students, this is a significant problem.”

Part of the CAP is a “Greenhouse Gas Inventory,” which collects data and creates trends about “fuel consumption, electricity purchased, transportation habits and other categories,” according to the report. The data retrieved determines FSU’s “carbon footprint.”

FSU facilities’ total net emission of eCO2 in FY 2011 was approximately 27,531 metric tons, according to the report, which takes into account greenhouse gas contributors such as purchased electricity and emissions from student and faculty commuter vehicles.

Elena Ivanova, a sophomore psy-

chology major, said, “I think it’s good for the environment that they are using a cleaner fuel source,” referring to the power plant conversion to natural gas.

“The school can use the money for other things.”

Kelsey Sanders, a freshman nutrition major, said, “I think FSU needs to consider more eco-friendly options.

For one, I work at a couple of the food facilities on campus and seeing how much paper and plastic we throw out a night is upsetting. Also all the lights in the classroom buildings are on evenings and weekends.”

Tim Fredette, a junior computer science major, said, “The environment is an important aspect that everyone should be aware of. … Pick up your trash people - leave no trace that you were there.”

Dana Carson, a sophomore English major, said, “I’m really glad to hear that FSU is making strides to become more eco-friendly.

“I can see students wanting to become more involved when they hear about all of these improvements.”

pus sprinklers spraying water on both sidewalks and students last semester, and wanted to know if the sprinkler system could be adapted to conserve water.

Fairbanks encouraged students to report to Facilities if they spot inefficient sprinklers.

“We pay attention to it,” he said.

“Sometimes Facilities personnel may be walking around and didn’t walk

right by” an inefficient sprinkler.

Martin also asked if change machines could be added to residence hall laundry rooms, in addition to the Ram Cash debit machines in use there now.

Fairbanks said, “The issue with change machines on campus is basically a maintenance issue. They have to be filled, emptied – it involves transportation of cash. So, that’s why we don’t do it.”

30%

expected reduction in FSU’s carbon footprint

February 15, 2013

The Gatepost Editorial

Flanagan’s green energy legacy As President Timothy Flanagan flipped on “boiler #2” in the power plant on Tuesday, he officially ushered in a new era of energy efficiency at Framingham State. After years of a full-throttle push from FSU community members to update the facility, the new boilers are finally a reality, and Framingham State is a better, greener institution for it. The switch to operating on natural gas, as opposed to the filthy number 6 fuel oil - which, by most eco-analysts’ assessments, is a disgusting greenhouse gas-spewing sludge - represents a great triumph for Framingham State, and will no doubt be a highlight of Flanagan’s presidency, along with the construction of North Hall and the Hemenway Hall expansion and renovation project.

Progress on the green energy front has involved the contributions of many in the FSU community over the last six years, as faculty, staff and administrators have teamed up to make the university more sustainable.

Student members of the Green Team, alongside Geography Professor and green energy advocate Carl Hakansson, have invested a great deal of time and effort analyzing the school’s energy consumption and bringing some ambitious ideas to the table, including the installation of the new boilers, ramping up purchases of electricity from alternative energy sources and erecting solar panels on school buildings. Thanks to their efforts, the new power plant will slash Framingham State’s carbon footprint by an astonishing 30 percent, while cutting costs for fuel and maintenance.

FSU has provided evidence for businesses and state institutions that becoming more eco-friendly can be cost-effective, and will hopefully inspire others to pursue the same kinds of initiatives. Although the impact of FSU’s commitments here is small when held up against the far-reaching impact of global warming, the school’s efforts here can be seen as a model not only for other institutions across the state and around the world, but for those who will study here in the years to come. Students should be proud to know that their school’s administrators don’t just talk about climate change - they are doing something about it.

Not only has Framingham State earned a reputation for graduating top-notch public educators and industry-ready workers for nearby science, technology, engineering and mathematics jobs, but it is now known for being environmentally conscious - in 2011, the Princeton Review listed FSU as one of 20 “green colleges” in Massachusetts. How each of us contributes to the international dialogue about global warming after graduation will help shape the future of energy production and consumption worldwide. So far, going green has worked at FSU. It can work elsewhere, and students should carry that knowledge, and the pride that comes with it, with them.

FSU’s energy-efficient boilers, its solar panels, its LEED-certified residence hall, its single-stream recycling system, its water-conserving dishwashers and its composting machine will remain fixtures on campus for many, many years. And Flanagan’s legacy as Framingham State’s green president will live on.

Op/Ed

Op/Ed

7

Opening FSU on Monday put commuters’ safety at risk

The so-called Winter Storm Nemo hit Framingham State hard along with everywhere else in New England this past weekend, and I think I can speak for us all when I say we were still a little shocked when we woke up Saturday morning to see almost three feet of snow.

It was a crazy Friday night for people who worked as SDA’s. I can’t imagine having to brave the storm at midnight, trying to pry doors open, sitting at the front desk of a res hall and watching the snow accumulate. The next day, Facilities did a great job going to work. They plowed roads, cleared sidewalks and salted and sanded the brick walkways for residents who braved the storm on campus while traveling to and from the Dining Commons. But even with the hard efforts of Facilities, who helped make moving around campus possible on Sunday, it was not safe for administrators to decide to open the school for classes Monday morning.

The walkways on campus were sheets of ice, and so were the roads.

Framingham State has a large population of commuter students, many of whom live as far east as Boston or as far west as Worcester, if not further. I’m not sure I understand how administrators could have even thought it was safe for faculty, staff and commuter students to drive to school. Framingham High School was closed on Monday due to road conditions, so if bus drivers don’t have to drive on icy roads, why should students?

I am extremely disappointed in the decision to have FSU open, because it shows students here that administrators do not care about their safety. On Monday, I couldn’t even walk outside my dorm without slipping!

Congratulations, Framingham State. You have successfully ticked off the student body, yet again, for your failure to look out for the safety of commuters.

Alexis Huston Staff Writer

“Pro-life” label misleading

(In response to last week’s letter, “March for Life, 2013”) I think the “pro-life” label of anti-abortion tion does not come to this decision lightly. It is supporters is a misleading one. By naming their something she will carry with her for the rest of movement “pro-life,” they are insinuating that her life - it is not a selfish act. She recognizes “pro-choice” supporters are anti-life. This is far that she can’t provide a good life for a child at from the truth. I find pro-choice supporters to her current point in life. As of Sept. 30 2011, be the most caring and compassionate people, the US Department of Health and Human Serunderstanding the true preciousness of human vices stated there are approximately 400,540 children currently in the foster care system. life in its entirety.

When abortion was criminalized throughout If abortion was made illegal again, it is not so the U.S between 1800 and 1973, an estimated simple a solution as “putting them up for adop5-10,000 woman died each year from “back-al- tion.” Adoption is not most people’s first option ley” abortions. Despite the dangers, millions of - people would rather pay tens of thousands for women during this period obtained abortions. in vitro fertilization or a surrogate. In fact, I The right to choose to have an abortion saves hope to adopt a child someday, yet everyone women’s lives each year because they can go to I tell this too tries to talk me out of it - “Don’t a safe, clean practice where a medically certi- you want to have one of your own?” is a common question. No, I don’t, not when there are fied professional can do the procedure.

UNICEF reported that, last year alone, 2.6 too many children out there who are already in million children under the age of 5 died from need of a good home.

The first recorded induced abortion occurred malnutrition just, which does not factor in the millions of other children right now who are in 1550 B.C.E. Women have been undergoing currently dying or going hungry every day- abortions for a long time, and will continue to even in the United States. This is the devas- undergo them. The pro-life movement is not tating reality our world is facing: not having going to change that, whether abortion is illeenough food to feed all our children. By having gal or not. This is not just a women’s rights isabortion legalized, it gives the chance for mil- sue - this is a human rights issue. lions of other children to have enough food on their plates so they do not have to go hungry.

Natasha St. Amand A woman who decides to undergo an aborStaff Writer..

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Op/Ed submissions reflect the opinions of their authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of The Gatepost or its staff.

Op/Ed

State of the Union 2013

8

A matter of common sense Joe Kourieh Associate Editor I seem to be getting more of what I and many other supporters have wanted for years: an aggressive Obama. The president’s diction in his public appearances is gradually revealing a growing frustration with his opposition. And he is becoming increasingly vocal and forthright about this frustration.

What I witnessed during the course of the State of the Union address was simplification - a boiling down of the convoluted and, quite frankly, disgusting state of our political system. Though I do believe that one half of our bipartisan government is mostly to blame for this, I won’t go so far as to name any parties or make any accusations.

This political nonsense only gets in the way of what is truly important, as suggested by the president early in his address: the needs and expectations of the people.

The president’s aims and initiatives for the country are not outlandish. In fact, his direction for our nation is, in keeping with his address, beautifully simple. What President Obama utilizes in his politics, and what seems to drive many people away, is common sense.

Why shouldn’t we invest in public and higher education? Why shouldn’t we support technology and alternative energy companies to bring, not just jobs, but the most cutting-edge and innovative jobs, back to the U.S.? Why should tax loopholes stay open while Social Security, education and so many other benefits and opportunities crucial to the American standard of living are threatened? As the president succinctly asked, “How is that fair?” These are common sense questions. The Obama administra-

tion has repeatedly made clear a serious, mature, and sensible plan for long-term success.

This administration is progressive. This kind of progress can be scary to some, but it is necessary.

Anyone who is against the intelligent and responsible progression of this country in the changing world has a reason to dislike President Obama.

What I see from this address is a direct and unabashed president who is tired, as we all surely are, of stalemate and dysfunction in Washington. I see an opportunity for a long-term recovery and growth effort on the cusp of being ruined by shortsightedness and ignorance.

Only an active and responsible government can come back from the kind of economic disarray into which we’ve fallen. As the president said, “We can’t just cut our way to prosperity.” And although people seem to make sport of blaming the President for everything that has gone wrong or hasn’t gone at all, he only has so much power.

Actually, he doesn’t have that much at all. It takes all of the branches of government working together to do real good. You may notice that, throughout the speech, the President doesn’t speak nearly as much to the viewers as he does to those in the room with him – a good lead for the American people to follow.

Now is the time to direct our collective attention to the full spectrum of our governmental system, holding all accountable. If you’re as tired of Congress dragging their heels as President Obama and I are, I urge you to get involved and get active.

The American people have every right to expect their president to do the right thing, but they cannot expect him to do everything.

February 15, 2013

Photo courtesy of www.whitehouse.gov

A matter of overspending Kerrin Murray Associate Editor President Barack Obama delivered an idealistic and generic State of the Union address severely out of tune with today’s political needs to members of Congress and the nation at Tuesday.

Agreeably so, Obama’s primary focus is to “reignite the true engine of America’s economic growth - a rising, thriving middle class.” However, his plan for this future economy calls for higher spending on infrastructure and energy.

In a perfect world, our current economic environment would allow for such needed improvements, but Obama needs to prove that this is possible without having Americans spend more and receive less.

As a college student who believes in the importance and value of education, Obama’s demand for higher spending is one with which I strongly agree. But, his approach is less than ideal.

He challenged America’s high schools to redesign their curriculums to provide future graduates with the tools they need to compete in today’s high-tech economy.

“We’ll reward schools that develop new partnerships with colleges and employers, and create classes that focus on science, technology, engineering and math.”

Creating a federal initiative to get America’s schools to provide a more up-to-date curriculum is easier said than done. In order to invest in these provisions, states need money - money that has disappeared in the whirlpool of budget deficits.

If states do not have resources to distribute, education is the recipient usually at the bottom of the budget list.

“Our work must begin by making some basic decisions about our

budget - decisions that will have a huge impact on the strength of our recovery,” said Obama.

With all due respect, Mr. President, there is nothing simple about our current $16.4 trillion and climbing debt. Your “basic decisions,” which include a proposed “balanced” plan - pending cuts and new tax revenues - will keep our economy stagnant.

If left stagnant, the economy will continue to plummet despite the end of the 18-month-long recession in June 2009. The final quarter of FY2012 showed negative growth and the unemployment rate, at 7.9 percent, has only improved marginally.

Along with a strong emphasis to boost the middle class, Obama wants both sides of the aisle to come together in partnership in order to move America forward.

Forward means accelerated job growth, especially for small independent businesses.

“The American people deserve a tax code that helps small businesses spend less time filling out complicated forms, and more time expanding and hiring,” said Obama.

The existing taxes and health care regulations on small businesses prohibit their ability to create what this country needs most: jobs.

If we continue with Obama’s plan to impose even more taxes on these independent businesses, it is nearly impossible for them to be rewarded for their individual initiatives.

In order for Obama to ensure this “government works on behalf of the many, and not just the few,” he needs to explain how these policies he is proposing are any fairer than the current ones in place - all of which amount to heavy government interference and do not promote a healthy economy free from strict regulations.

Op/Ed submissions reflect the opinions of their authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of The Gatepost or its staff.

February 15, 2013

ARTS & FEATURES

9

Student and Marine recounts time in Afghanistan

-Continued from page 1

Marines are “hardcore” or even a little reckless, Hall has a relaxed demeanor more akin to a surfer than a soldier. At a little over 5 feet 9 inches with kind eyes and a wily smile, Hall is a chameleon. He easily transitions from one endeavor to the next without much anxiety.

Now back to being a full-time student at FSU, Hall is finishing up his history degree with a minor in criminal justice.

He plays defensive mid-field for the soccer team, spends time with his 13-weekold puppy Athena, and said if anything, his time in the Marine Corps taught him to appreciate life because, “you only live once.”

After spending a year at Springfield College, he made the quick decision to transfer to Arizona State, spending two years there before dropping out the winter of his junior year to join the U.S. Marines, a detail his parents were none too pleased about, but eventually supported.

Hall, who served in the Marines for four years from January 2008 to March 2012, said that his time as a combat soldier taught him the importance of valuing the moment.

“You have to understand what an average combat person goes through,” Hall said. There’s an average, he said, and some people are below it - the “lucky” and some people are above it - the “less fortunate.”

The day his compound was compromised in his second deployment in March 2011, within minutes three of his men were wounded. Hall suffered massive hearing loss which he now needs hearing aids for and also deals with “tinnitus,” a constant ringing in the ears that will never go away. It was the first time in his four years in the Marines that he was injured, and compared to some his friends who were wounded while serving, considers himself one of the “lucky.

“With me, I’m here, and I’m one of the lucky ones, because throughout my four years, throughout my two tours, I

kept everything,” Hall said. “My personality, who I am - nothing’s changed.”

Sophomore Kevin Conley, Hall’s roommate, spent a year in Afghanistan.

While Conley served in the Army and

By Adam Farah Asst. arts & features Editor

also garnered quite a bit of love from the crowd.

By the end of the set, a handful of audience members were asking the band for an encore. The band played an untitled track

Hall was a Marine, Conley said their combat experience was not that different. He noted their most striking similarity that made them great roommates: neatness.

“That’s probably why we get along so

Photos courtesy of Nate Hall

Above: Hall poses in front of a truck during his first deployment in Afghanistan. Hall spent four years serving in the Marine Corps from January 2008 to March 2012.

Left: Hall, seen here with his parents, returns home from his time spent deployed. Hall said his best day during his two deployments was the day he came home.

well - we like to keep our place clean,” Conley joked.

Conley said that probably the most noticeable quality in Hall is his unabashed friendliness. “You would never know he was a Marine, you know?” he said.

“He has a lot going for him,” Hall’s friend Sophomore Billy Levitsky said.

“He’s the guy you want to be around.

When you’re going out to party, he’s the guy you want to roll with because his personality attracts people.”

Levitsky said that while he’s not sure if Hall’s time in the Marines was the defining factor in his maturity as a person, whatever got him to where he is today, “he’s someone you want to strive to be like.”

Recently, Levitsky said he and Hall were looking through photographs of Hall in Afghanistan. Hall showed Levitsky an article he had read that photographed soldiers during different stages of their time in service. The changes were clear in the resetting of the jaw and more serious face, but most prominently was the “look in their eyes” that changed, said Levitsky. A “look” that was “readyto-kill.”

When Levitsky saw his friend during his time in the Marines, he saw how even the most carefree guy can change in the face of war.

“One of the greatest things I think I can say just knowing you,” Levitsky told him, “is that you didn’t keep that look.”

With no regrets, Hall said now more than ever he appreciates life, school, and the small things that mean the most: having a beer, spending time with his family, and sleeping in. He assimilated back into his role as a student with the utmost ease, making new friends wherever he goes.

When asked what his best day during his two deployments was, Hall sat back and ruminated a second before his face broke out into a wide grin.

“The day I stepped off the bus and came home.”

Texas tunes take over Ecumenical Center

The Heinemann Ecumenical and Cultural Center was rocking this past Monday as students watched “Willie J Laws Band” perform an array of original compositions.

The center was full of excited students ready to have a piece of Texas music brought right here to campus.

Members of the band include Willie J. Laws, lead singer and guitarist, Ephraim Lowell, drums, Malcolm Stuckey, bass and Bruce Manson, piano. The band is known across the country for performing original, traditional and contemporary blues, funk and rock ‘n’ roll songs.

One of the first songs the band performed was called “Stand In The Rain.”

Light drum hits marked the start of the song with the piano and bass sweeping in to provide pleasant melody. Laws vocals and guitar burst with soulfulness, altogether producing a passionate performance.

During the next song, “Trying to Lose These Blues”, Laws showcased his spectacular guitar playing, at one point playing the strings with his tongue. The audience cheered once they recognized what he had done. Solos by other members of the band

that they had been working on, performing it live for the first time. The camaraderie and cohesiveness on stage was apparent as Laws and the other members signaled each other for solos with com-

Alex Shuman/The Gatepost

The Willie J. Laws Band played some bluesy, funky jams in the EC.

plete organization.

Thinking on the fly is important to this band. When asked what it is like playing in the band, Laws said, “ It is a truly awesome feeling. We have a chance to communicate without words when we are on stage. It’s great to be with these guys.”

Students who attended seemed to thoroughly enjoy the performance. Sophomore Andy Lincoln said, “ I am a big fan.

The entire performance was pretty infectious with the energy.”

He continued, “Blues isn’t usually my favorite genre but they made me a new fan.”

Freshman Anthony Garcia said, “Yo I never heard this type of music but I thought it was real interesting, they did a good job.”

Olivia Panacy, a freshman said, “I thought they were pretty cool. The lead singer was using his mouth to play the guitar, and I’ve never seen that before.”

Sophomore Tevin Jones said, “I liked it. The dude was doing his thing while he was up there.”

Freshman Abbie Nelson said, “I loved the piano. He was playing it with enthusiasm, and the singing was perfection too. I thought it was good overall.”

10

Arts & Features

February 15, 2013

3rd Annual Career Conference Friday, February 22, 2013, 1-5 p.m. McCarthy Center The Career Conference is an opportunity for you to interact with and receive advice from real employers.

Organized in several different “sessions,” the Career Conference gives you the opportunity to seek answers for your most important questions.

Keep in mind. . .

• Students and alumni can attend any session at the Career Conference.

• Dress professionally and bring your resume.

• Come prepared with questions you may have for employers.

• Although you may arrive to the conference at any time, try to make the necessary accommodations to attend the full four hours.

Keynote Speaker: Dr Thomas Denham, “The Secret to Success” http://careersintransitionllc.com/ Co-sponsored by the office of Multicultural Affairs Breakout sessions include: “Networking Beat NOTWorking” “What Employers Want to Tell you About your Resumé” “Internship Panel” “How to Find a Deliriously Satisfying Career” “Exploring Diversity Opportunities” “Exploring Local, State and Federal Gov. Opportunities” Employers Include:

The Paper Store Commonwealth of Massachusetts Massachusetts State Police

Natick ARMY Labs Framingham Police Department OpenMobile Worldwide

MediTech Danforth Art Museum Staples

Comfort Keepers Department of Corrections . . . and many more!

Arts & Features

February 15, 2013

11

An exhibit of many faces

Photo by Allie Card/The Gatepost

Art Professor Marc Cote showcases personal works in Mazgal

By Joe Kourieh Associate editor The pertinently named “About Face” art exhibit is currently on display in the Mazmanian Gallery, featuring works by Art Professor Marc Cote, all revolving around a theme of the human face. The 14 works have been developed over the past three years, most with the “About Face” concept central to their design.

“The idea of incorporating the face into my body of work is not a new one,” said Cote, a life-long fan of comic, figurative and expressionist artists who employ similar stylistic choices.

Most of the pieces featured in the show were created through printmaking, something Cote is well versed in through years of teaching courses on it. In his statement for the exhibit, he describes how the methodical nature of printmaking and its multiple steps of layering materials over one another onto textured wood blocks helped to create the visual style he wanted for this series.

By Matt Cook Editorial staff

Cote explained how this project was focused less towards recreating life-like replicas of the face, but rather, exploring the raw pieces that make them up, such as lines, textures, shapes, and colors, with the face acting as the canvas upon which they

In his series “About Face,” Art Professor Marc Cote explores the lines, textures, shapes and colors that make up the human face.

all coalesce.

“In this way, the face becomes more symbol than equivalent,” Cote says in his artist’s statement. “Rather than forcing a correct representation, I am looking for the idea of character to emerge.”

Although most of the pieces of “About Face” are not intended to purvey “grander meaning beyond [their] visual interest” and seem to stare blankly out like Frankenstein monsters of vibrant color and odd geometry, some do inescapably garner specific and personal stories.

For instance, “Here Comes the Sun King,” mounted on the gallery’s back wall and blithely displaying an open-mouthed excited face followed by a segmented trail of flames, is a reaction to Cote’s trip to Japan, during which his tour guide provided descriptions of the gods and demons of Japanese mythology.

Beyond this, there is even some influence in the piece from the films of famed Japanese anime artist and director Hayao Miyazaki, in which, Cote said, “the line of separation between human, spirit, and ani-

mal is fuzzy.” Cote admitted that he added a western flare to the piece, as some may gather from the Beatles-inspired title.

There is also specific imagery and narrative in perhaps the most eye-catching piece of the exhibit, titled “Colonial Snake.” The snake, composed of eight segments – one head and seven body segments with hands acting as marching centipede feet - alludes to a woodcut by Benjamin Franklin titled “Join, or Die,” representing the colonies, with New England combined as the head.

Chains connect the segments, representing, Cote said, what could possibly be either strong national unity, or the evils of slavery.

Of the “About Face” project, Cote said, “Other than time commitments, the actual work was invigorating and enjoyable, with one piece suggesting others.”

Future works from Cote may come sooner rather than later, as he added, “I find that a concentrated flurry of activity can yield numerous, branching ideas. And, indeed, I now have a backlog of concepts that need to be created!”

Music Review: Bullet for my Valentine

The Welsh four-piece Bullet for my Valentine released their highly-anticipated fourth studio album on Tuesday, titled Temper Temper. But the problem was, the band didn’t exhibit the “temper” they were best known for on electrifying hard rock efforts such as The Poison or 2011’s Fever.

The CD as a whole brought with it exceptional solos, bridges and meaningful lyrics, but lead singer Matt Tuck shied away from the screaming and heavy singing that has brought the band to this level.

One of the more exciting songs on Temper was the second part of “Tears Don’t Fall” that was released in 2005 on their debut album. Eight years later, the song opened with a melodious, AvengedSevenfoldesque guitar solo to introduce the song. And instead of Tuck screaming “Let’s go” to open, it was “Let’s go again.”

It had a nice, heavy bridge and a pretty good solo, but it wasn’t captivating.

“Truth Hurts” started to sound like classic Bullet as the opening resembled “Your Betrayal” and “Waking the Demon,” but it eventually tapered away. I think that was one of the songs that should have been heavier, and it would have made the song sound a lot stronger.

Lead guitarist Michael Paget still displayed his excellent talent, especially on the track “Saints & Sinners” that elicited a stellar vibe and was a nice, clean, classic, hard-rock song. If more solos sounded like that one, the album would be much more appealing.

Temper also had its fair share of emotional lyrics, something Tuck has been successful with. On “P.O.W.,” his voice sounded emotional and his words only strengthened that. The song opened with, “In my darkest hour/A place where there’s no light/I’m trapped here in this nightmare/

Photo courtesy of bulletformyvalentine.com

And there’s no end in sight.” Diehard fans of BFMV think of “Bittersweet Memories” after this impressive ballad.

The band was also able to combine catchy riffs with bone-crushing, heartstopping intros. The bass drums came to life and the guitars sounded clean yet dis-

torted, and extremely empowering.

“Dead to the World” is another classic ballad that opened sounding like a classicrock song, but then a melodious guitar coupled with a slow, simple drum beat brought fans through a whirlwind of emotions. It picked up heavily in the bridge, increasing the tension, and Paget included a killer solo.

The best song on the CD is “Breaking Point.” Tuck grabbed the listener with both hands from the get go, screaming his way into a heavy intro. The guitar sounded pristine and the solo was mind-boggling.

If the album was more like “Breaking Point,” Temper Temper would be a magnificent compilation of ear-piercing performances. It’s not terrible, but there were ample opportunities for Bullet for my Valentine to up the ante and really bring the heavy-hitting. They chose not to, however it still turned into a solid hard-rock album.

12

Arts & Features

February 15, 2013

Campus Conversations

If you could, what advice

By Mark Wadland w o u l d y o u g i v e P r e s i d e n t O b a m a ?& Adam Farah “I think he’s doing a good job. I mostly agree with his gun control policy. He should take more action on same sex marriage” - Nora Chan, freshman

“Do what you say you’re going to do.”

- Julia Zeidman, junior

“Cut the budget.”

“I think Obama should push for his own holiday.”

-Kathryn Sexton, freshman

- Rhiannan Thompson, freshman

“Keep up the good work.”

-Jahlicia Blake, sophomore

Edited by Timothy E. Parker February 15, 2013 BUCKLE MY SHOE By Katherine Jaffy ACROSS 1 6 10 14 15 16 17 20 21 22 24 27 28 31 33 34 36 38 42 43 45 48 50

Mathematical stepping stone Lad’s sweetheart Discharge Alternative to text messages Cut and paste Showed up Leaves suddenly Fan mail recipients In the direction of Seam treasure Arizona’s motto, “Ditat ___” Juicy fruit Ashtray accumulation Cutting, as a remark D.C. bigwig All together Disparaging comments PlayStation or Xbox Clearer, as the sky Put under Prominent rock Compound found in perfume Anklebone

“Better education, more teachers.”

- Brendan Albanese, freshman

51 53 55 56 58 61 66 67 68 69 70 71

At attention Crawl from lap to lap?

Mouth piece?

Make invalid Bouncing off the walls Speaker’s mistake Scandinavian seaport “Better you ___ me!”

Had in mind Pete Rose’s team, for most of his career Does fabric repair Armor plate that protects the chest

DOWN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

Serve that doesn’t count Flightless ranch bird Ohio city on the Ohio Conqueror of matter As well Eyewear units Ruckus It can be deadly or mortal Proofreader’s notation Neutral middle vowel Hymns of praise Surface Attach, as a new muffler

Last issue’s solutions:

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Long in the tooth Author W. ___ Maugham Part of a geisha’s garb Ladder foothold Remove, as a bottle cap Cylindrical storage tower Egyptian pyramid, essentially Narrow dagger Presses for cash Tedious task Bar staple Understands Waste time (Var.) Holder of combs, perfumes, etc.

Clairvoyant’s claim Certain muscle Words of warning Add more gold plate Ages Key-changing gadgets for guitars Satisfied, as an obligation Red ___ (newts) “Touched by anAngel” co-star Downey Elbow counterpart Common title word Hem companion “Bi-” halved Martians, for short

February 15, 2013

13

Sports Teams headed in different directions

Men’s basketball end season on sour note

Women’s basketball slated for playoffs

By Jess Thomas Asst. Sports Editor

The women’s basketball squad from Framingham State downed the MCLA Trailblazers at the FSU Athletic Center on Sunday with a 74-63 victory. This game was originally scheduled for Saturday, but was rescheduled for Sunday.

In the first half, senior guard Madeleine Park buried a basket that gave her an illustrious 1,000 points in her career. These points were split between her time at Salem State and Framingham State.

“This milestone is very dear to my heart because it is both a reflection of my hard work as well as the dedication of my teammates, family and coaches,” Park said. “Being able to reach my 1,000th point on one of the best teams I have ever had the privilege of joining brings tears my eyes.”

Each team started off slowly in the first half. The Rams only shot 9-38, 23.7 percent, from the field, while the Blazers shot

By Jess Thomas Asst. Sports Editor

Brigid McCarter/The Gatepost

Junior guard Kristen Hoffman averaged 3.8 steals per game.

The women’s basketball team was 2-0 on the season against Fitchburg State and MCLA. slightly better at 36.7 percent. Despite only nine field goals, the Rams still held the lead by one at 30-29.

Park led the way in the first half with 13 points on three three pointers in addition to three rebounds and three steals.

The second half would prove much different for the Rams, as they shot 45.5 percent from the field. FSU outscored MCLA 44-34 in the half led by sophomore center Samantha Irvine off the bench.

Irvine scored 12 points and five rebounds in the second half. Overall, she dropped 18 points and snatched 11 rebounds, as well as two steals and blocks.

She said, “My coaches have been encouraging me to shoot. It helped that MCLA played mostly zone defense because that gave me more shooting opportunities.”

Senior forward Kia Minor also chipped in 10 points and seven rebounds in the half as well.

In total, the team had four double-digit scorers. In addition to Irvine’s 18, Park finished with 17, with Minor and junior guard Kristen Hoffman each collecting 14 points.

The team cut down their turnovers in this game, as they only committed 15 for the whole game. Irvine spoke about this number, saying, “Our team has really been working together, which has meant less turnovers for us.”

The team improved to 13-9 overall and 6-5 in the MASCAC with this win. MCLA fell to 8-15 overall and 0-10 in the conference, still searching for that first MASCAC victory.

On Tuesday, the Rams played another home game against Westfield State, who was one place ahead of FSU in the stand

-Continued on page 15

Brigid McCarter/The Gatepost

Senior guard Madeleine Park eclipsed 1,000 career points Sunday.

The Rams will host an openinground game of the MASCAC Women’s Basketball Tournament on Tuesday night. The team is 9-2 at home.

The team will wait for an opponent to be announced.

Come support the Rams!

The woes for the Framingham State Men’s Basketball team continued on Sunday as the team lost to a good MCLA team 66-56.

It was a close game throughout as the Rams only trailed by two after one half. The score was 30-28 in a low-scoring battle.

Each team shot in the mid-30 percent range.

Senior guard Rico DePaolis scored 10 of the 28 points, shooting 4-8 in the first half.

The second half would be the same story as FSU scored 28 points once again. Senior guard Tyrone Figueroa chipped in 11 points in the second half.

Free throws were a problem for each team, with the Rams shooting 9-16 from the line and the Trailblazers shooting a poor 15-29. The statistics for each team were very even except the rebounding battle. The Blazers outrebounded the Rams 48 to 35, as well as collecting 19 offensive rebounds to the Rams’ nine.

DePaolis finished with 17 points on 7-14 shooting and 3-6 from downtown.

Asked about his success against MCLA, DePaolis said, “Personally, I’ve always been pretty successful against MCLA, but as far as Sunday, I was able to get a few easy buckets early, which got me into a groove and I was able to play very comfortably and confidently.”

Figueroa finished with 16 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals. Sophomore forward Patrick Cuff ripped down a team-high 11 boards.

The team has mightily struggled this year with their last win coming on Jan. 8, failing to play to the team’s expectations.

DePaolis spoke about the troubles, saying, “This year, we lost two of higher scorers over the intersession, which hurt us on offense. We also just didn’t make some plays down the stretch of a lot of games. We lost almost all our games by single digits, and four or five by less than six points, and after a while it becomes a burden that’s hard to shake.”

On Tuesday, the Rams played their last game of the season.

Seniors Figueroa, DePaolis, and forward Sadick Sammy were introduced on center court to take pictures with family.

The team trailed 39-30 after one half, keeping the game fairly close against a very strong Westfield State team (20-4, 9-2 MASCAC).

Figueroa did everything he could in the first half, scoring more than half the team’s points in the half (16). The Rams stuck around for a while, but could not get close enough to give themselves a shot in the end.

Westfield won 77-59 to end the Rams’ season. The Rams finish with an 8-17 record, with only one conference win against Bridgewater State.

Figueroa finished the evening with 31 points, more than half the team’s points.

“I don’t think we had any one problem that was our downfall this season. We were very young and when games came down to the wire it showed,” Figueroa said. “A losing streak is very hard to overcome no matter what sport you play, but I’ll say this over and over, I wouldn’t trade my career here for anything.”

-Continued on page 15

Sports

14

February 15, 2013

Ice hockey flirts with playoffs Rams are three games out from the postseason

By Matt Cook Sports Editor

In the aftermath of the snowstorm that blanketed the campus and sent many residents packing, the ice hockey game was postponed on Saturday and rescheduled for Monday night.

As the hockey team had a week between games to mull over what they can do to end the season on a high note, captain and junior defenseman Bo Driscoll had some ideas.

“This is where you show your character, who you are as a team,” he said in an interview with the Gatepost. “It’s obviously not our ideal situation, but we’re just hopefully riding these last three games out. Most of the team is coming back next year. It’ll show what we’re all about if we can go out on a strong note.”

The Rams stand at 0-13-2 in the MASCAC and 2-17-2. They are three games behind Worcester State, vying for the last playoff spot.

“As of right now, we have to win three in a row,” Driscoll said. “We have to win out and they [Worcester State] have to lose out. Mathematically in, but we’ll see.”

Coming off a gritty 4-4 tie at Westfield State last Thursday, Driscoll reflected on the late comeback.

“That was definitely a game that showed us our character,” he added. “Going into the third down two goals, and to be able to fight back and score a goal in the last minute especially, was an accomplishment. It’s been frustrating losing some games we feel we shouldn’t be losing, but that’s the way it goes. It was definitely a fun one to be part of, and guys really fought hard there in the end.”

Driscoll was especially happy with the overtime period the Rams had, as they had two impressive chances early on. He noted there were a few pucks that were sitting in the crease, and that the team had a few missed opportunities.

“Going into the Westfield game, we were down seven points,” he said. “It wasn’t ideal to lose, but it gets us a point closer.”

Just last week, Driscoll was named MASCAC Hockey Player of the Week in part for his performance in the 4-4 tie. He

had a shorthanded goal, which for a defenseman, is not a common occurrence.

He said he felt honored to be recognized for his success, especially with the outstanding talent in the MASCAC. And as a captain, Driscoll said he was “shocked” to be able to wear the C on his jersey as a junior.

“To be a captain at any level is an honor,” he said. “To get it, especially this young, is very fortunate. Guys recognize how hard I work. As far as my role, guys count on me to be the leader on and off the ice. I try to just lead by example.”

With three games remaining on the docket, the Rams face Salem State Saturday at 6:20. Driscoll said he noticed the team is definitely well coached. In his two years he’s been here, Salem State has been in the championship game both times.

“They’re very competitive,” he added.

“You know you’re always going to get a good game from them. If we can show up and play the game we’re capable of playing, I think we could have a good game against them.”

In terms of advantages against the Vikings, the captain noted the Rams have great team speed. He acknowledged it’s one of their best assets.

If the Rams can skate hard and fast, and orchestrate the tempo, Driscoll said they should be able to overcome Salem.

“They’re a very talented team. We need to outwork them.”

Another thing the Rams have been able

The ice hockey team is still winless in the MASCAC, but can make it to the playoffs with three wins. to utilize is their offensive depth. Brendan McCarron, Ryan McDonald and Dan Miressi have all been key components to Framingham’s scoring game.

“Their numbers speak for themselves,”

Matt Cook/The Gatepost

Captain and junior defenseman Bo Driscoll said he is working to keep the team positive as the season concludes.

Driscoll said. “They make the game a lot easier to play. There is a lot of talent up front. They come every night bringing 110 percent. When you have three lines like that to play against, it’s pretty difficult.”

The last three games of the season, because of the postponement, are going to be grueling for Framingham. They play Saturday, Monday and Tuesday. Three hockey games in four days is a tough way to end the season.

“You’re discouraged because when you’re playing well, you just want to keep playing,” Driscoll said. “We just have to make sure we are having good practices this week, and keep doing things we have to do to get ourselves ready for Saturday, and play at our level we need to play at.”

During the offseason, the Rams will be losing forwards Ben Pacific, Eric Walsh and Peter Baldwin - all key aspects of the team’s offense. Of the trio, Driscoll had nothing but kind words.

“Obviously some good guys you’d like to have around,” he said. “With the core of guys we have coming back next year, hopefully it’ll be the team that we’ve been talking about for so long, that’ll be a playoff team and hopefully make a run. Those

Jess Sayin’

guys have some tough shoes to fill, but we’re definitely feeling confident for next year.”

In terms of players who are poised to return barring unforeseen circumstances, Miressi will be a senior and McDonald will be a junior. Goaltending will also return all players, with the three net minders coming back for their senior years.

If there was ever a season of transition, it’ll be after next year as there is potential for a multitude of players to have completed their hockey career. They include Eric Ward, Jay Nicholls, Miressi, Driscoll and the three goaltenders.

But for now, the core of players who have been with the team in the long run are expected to return for at least one final season. And Driscoll said he still has high hopes for the team come 2014.

“I’ve seen a big growth in guys caring about each other this year,” he said. “I think it’s huge. Guys are stepping up when a guy takes a cheap hit. That’s something we never really had around here too much.

As of late this past year, I’ve noticed a lot more respect for each other. That’s something that I think says a lot about our coaching, and the other guys on our team.”

Celtics rolling without Rondo, Sullinger and Barbosa

By Jess Thomas Asst. Sports Editor

“The Celtics are done, time to look forward to next year for the Celtics, and the Celtics have no chance,” are all variations of chatter that I heard after point guard Rajon Rondo tore his ACL back on Friday, Jan. 25.

The Celtics won two games without Rondo before emerging rookie forward Jared Sullinger left the game against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, Jan. 30 with back spasms. Celtics fans would find out that the man who has become known as “Sully” would require season-ending back surgery.

So now in a span of five days, the Celtics had lost their fearless leader in Rondo as well as their best offensive rebounder and hustler in Sullinger. Now everything is completely hopeless, right?

Wrong.

The Celtics went on to roll to seven straight victories with wins over the likes of the Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers and a triple-overtime thriller over the Denver Nuggets. The Clippers are the

third seed and the Nuggets are the fourth seed in the Western Conference standings.

Many players have stepped up off

The Celtics are 8-1 without Rondo. the bench in Rondo’s absence. Forward Jeff Green has turned into the Jeff Green we have all been waiting for. Green has scored over 10 points in seven of the nine games since Rondo took a seat, and has scored 17 and over in four games. Before the injury, these games were few and far between for Green.

Guard Jason Terry has also improved his play greatly. Since Rondo’s injury, Terry has scored 12 points or more in all of the games except one. He even dropped 26 points on five three-pointers against Denver in the triple-overtime game.

Guard Leandro Barbosa, who had hardly played this season beforee Rondo’s

injury, began playing 20-plus minutes in most games and scored in double digits three games in a row. Barbosa basically won the game against the Toronto Raptors, scoring 12 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter when the Celtics needed it most.

As the script seems to go for the Celtics now, Barbosa went down in a heap in the last minute of the game against the Bobcats on Monday, a game that broke the Celtics seven-game winning streak. The news we found was once again the worst.

Barbosa tore his left ACL, and like Rondo and Sully, is finished for the season.

At the moment this leaves the Celtics with three healthy guards: Terry, Avery Bradley and Courtney Lee. This puts even more pressure on Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to carry the load. The Celtics have played one game without Barbosa, winning Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls 71-69 to win their eighth game out of nine.

It is still unknown whether President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge will pull the trigger on any trade deadline

deals, but for now the Celtics are on an extremely hot streak as the All-Star break comes at an opportune time for the Celtics, as most players on the team are completely worn out. The Celtics next game comes on Tuesday night against the Nuggets.

The team could use some rest with a brutal five game West Coast swing in seven nights coming up after the break.

This team has been through quite a bit of adversity in the last two-and-a-halfweeks, and has managed to win eight of nine games. That is something to be proud of.

This team has every reason to lie down and quit for the rest of the season, but they just keep grinding out victories.

After the triple-overtime win against Denver on Sunday, in his post game interview with CSN’s Greg Dickerson, Jason Terry said it best: “Never underestimate the heart of a champion.”

Do you believe Terry? Is this team a group of champions? Stay tuned. I know I will.

February 15, 2013

By Matt Cook Sports Editor

Sports

15

What’s Cookin’

The wind is picking up in Chicago

With a condensed 48-game NHL season, teams desperately need to get off to a hot start early. A simple two-game losing streak can mean the difference between the playoffs and an extended offseason.

And no team has hit the ground running faster than the Chicago Blackhawks.

They are the only 10-win team, and having played just 13 games, that’s more than impressive.

The team has 23 points through 13 games and sits at 10-0-3. They haven’t yet lost in regulation, and at the rate they’re going, they’ll clinch a playoff spot by the end of the month.

Unsurprisingly enough, they’re numbers are also otherworldly. In the four major categories, the Hawks are basically in the top half of the league.

They are 2nd in goals per game (3.3) and penalty-kill percentage (91.5). It’s no wonder the team has won 10 of their first 13 games, considering Chicago scores over three goals per game, and allows less than two (1.9, 4th in the league). On the power play, the Blackhawks are 16th in the league with a 17.9 percent success rate.

It’s customary for people to criticize teams that are off to such hot starts. Is the team a fluke? Did they win a lot of cheap games?

Not quite.

Chicago opened the season on Jan. 19 in front of Los Angeles Kings fans who were in attendance to watch the banner be raised and the Stanley Cup rings be awarded. Well, the Hawks dismantled the Kings

Women’s Basketball -Continued from page 13

-ings. Framingham lost 71-59.

The first half was close and competitive.

The Owls took a 30-22 lead with one minute remaining in the half, but three pointers cut the lead to two at halftime, FSU trailing 30-28.

Park was recognized before the game for scoring 1,000 career points as she was given a ball in honor of the achievement at center court.

It was senior night at the FSU Athletic Center as it was the last regular season home game for the Lady Rams. The three seniors on the team are Park, Minor, and forward Patrecia Bradshaw. Each player took pictures with their family and received flowers.

Once the game began, however, sophomore guard Margo McCarthy stole the spotlight. McCarthy finished the game with a career-high 16 points on 4-5 shooting from three and 6-10 overall. She also collected five rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Unfortunately for the Rams, McCarthy was one of the only players that could find the basket. Besides McCarthy, the rest of the team shot 16-59 for a percentage of 27.

No one else shot over 50 percent from the field.

“I had been working with our assistant coach, coach Aldrich to fine-tune my shot,” McCarthy said. “Personally I believe I have improved my defensive game and as a team we stress the importance of good team defense which transitions into our offense.

We have certainly clicked as a team and are able to feed off of each other’s game.

We’ve really improved as a team from day one.”

Sophomore guard Nicole Bostic had a strong second half, scoring 11 points. She also dished six assists in the game.

5-2. Chicago’s Marian Hossa scored two goals and added a helper for a three-point night. He also scored two goals the next night in a 6-4 win at the Phoenix Coyotes.

Then Chicago won three-straight games 3-2, squeezing in an overtime victory at Dallas in the middle. Then, the Blackhawks won 2-1 in overtime against the Red Wings. The next two games were shootout losses, but they ended the first month of the season 6-0-1.

So far in February, the Hawks are 4-02, winning four of their last five games.

Oh, and by the way, remember Patrick Kane? The pretty-boy partier? He leads the team in points (20), goals (9) and assists (11).

Four Chicago skaters have 10 or more points, and their names are anything but unfamiliar – Kane, Jonathan Toews, Hossa and Patrick Sharp.

There are only three players - Dave Bolland, Marcus Kruger and Sheldon Brookbank - who have a minus rating overall. The Blackhawks’ production is coming from all walks of life, and the team has the depth needed to challenge for another Stanley Cup. Another component of Chicago’s success has been their stellar goaltending.

Starter Corey Crawford is 7-0-3 with a 1.65 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage. Backup Ray Emery is 3-0-0 with a 2.60 GAA and a .920 save percentage. You can’t complain with those numbers. It’s crucial for teams to have goaltending depth as starters will need more rest during the shortened season.

Crawford recorded a 0.94 save percentage on Jan. 22 in a 3-2 win against the Blues. He also recorded a 0.97 mark on

The big three of Park, Hoffman and Minor shot a combined 9-37 (24 percent).

The team could not shoot well enough to overcome the 51.7 percent the Owls shot from the field.

McCarthy said, “Westfield altered our usual inside post game limiting out points in the paint.”

The Rams’ final conference record stands at 6-6. This will be good enough to finish in fourth place in the conference despite the fact that they were projected to finish seventh (last).

Park addressed the playoffs, saying, “As playoffs draw near we are focusing on ball possession to limit turnovers and our intelligence and intensity within our defensive sets. The break between regular season and playoffs will give us adequate time to rest and refocus for our playoff run. We, as a team, are closer than ever, and we can’t wait to take on the challenge.”

On Thursday, the team traveled to play a non-conference opponent, Rivier, in the last game of the season, losing 79-68.

Season finale stats -------------------------Kia Minor 25 points, 10 rebounds Hoffman 11 points, 10 rebounds

Jan. 27, 0.96 on Feb. 1, as well as a 0.94 on Tuesday.

Now obviously, the team isn’t untouchable. The Minnesota Wild, the Vancouver Canucks and the Anaheim Ducks have all cracked the code, but it took shootouts to do so.

Coming up for Chicago is San Jose on Friday, a team they beat 5-3 already in

The Chicago Blackhawks are 10-0-3. the season behind two goals from Kane.

The Blackhawks then host the Kings and Canucks in the middle of a seven-game homestand that concludes after Feb. 25’s game.

What also helps Chicago is that, because of the short schedule, teams can’t afford to travel outside of their conference to play other teams. So if the Blackhawks are able to dominate the Western Conference, as they have so far, their opponents aren’t going to change, so there is a chance their record won’t, either.

At this point in time, I highly doubt the Blackhawks will conclude the season undefeated in regulation, but then again, the Bruins got off to their best start in franchise history, so anything can happen.

Regardless, Chicago certainly has the firepower on offense to push for a run for the Cup. And the goaltending is outstanding early on.

Speaking of the playoffs, why not take a quick glance at what could be, provid-

Men’s Basketball -Continued from page 13

“I also want to give a shout-out to our former coach Paul Wholey because he encouraged me and allowed me to be the player that I have become by putting me on the path to succeed,” he also said.

Junior forward Yemi Ajao finished the season with 8.9 points per game and 4.5 rebounds per game.

“It’s no secret that we were dysfunctional as a program across the board,” he said. “We lost a couple key players to eligibility going into second semester and we’ve encountered a few internal problems that broke the unity and focus of our program. We lost a few close games in a row and fell into a really bad slump. We strayed away from our identity, which was holding our opponents on average to under 62 points a game and we lacked offensively.”

Freshman forward Tim Sheridan had a very productive first year of college basketball with 7.1 points per game and 4.9 rebounds in 21 minutes per game of play.

“For next season, I hope to come back stronger and quicker with a more complete set of skills. I learned quickly how different the level of play is at the college level,” Sheridan said. “I learned that it is extremely physical and the pace of the game is much faster. I want to be able to succeed in these conditions and have a better year than I did.”

“This season, as strange as it sounds, was beneficial for the program and the younger players,” DePaolis said. “It teaches them that even though sometimes you think you worked hard, or you think you deserve it, it’s not an easy thing to be successful. Unfortunately, it was at the expense of me and the other seniors, but I

ed the season ended tonight, thankfully, though, it doesn’t?

Chicago would play Phoenix in the first round of the playoffs. Phoenix is 6-52, and are 2-2-1 on the road. Their goal differential is 0, and they aren’t the team the Coyotes once were. The Blackhawks could definitely win that series in five games.

Out in the Eastern Conference, the New Jersey Devils are in first with an 8-2-3 record. They’d play the New York Rangers in the first round, and with records aside, that would be a phenomenal first round.

But possibilities to come out of the east include the Devils, the Boston Bruins and the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Carolina Hurricanes, backed by newcomers Alexander Semin and Jordan Staal, are in third place. But I expect that to fizzle out in the end.

So here’s the scenario: the Blackhawks win the West and, say, the Bruins win the East, for local purposes.

Both teams have outstanding goalies.

The offensive depth is there, with Boston possibly possessing more. If in fact the two teams did face each other head-tohead, the edge could go to Chicago. They have young talent and speed that Boston could only match if they were able to keep the intensity and physicality for the full 60 minutes. The Bruins have been able to do that in the past, but there have also been times when they’ve been flat-footed.

Needless to say, Chicago is hot when it matters, and is showing no signs of cooling off in the near future. And they’re also showing no signs of losing in regulation.

Can’t argue with that resume. feel like this may motivate our younger players to never have to go through this again.”

Sheridan said, “For conference play next year, it is a must that we have team chemistry. As a young team it’s hard to compete with teams that are stacked with seniors that have had experience playing with each other over the years. Once that chemistry comes over time, combined with a hard working group of kids that got better in the offseason, and an urgency to redeem ourselves from this previous season, we will be top contenders in the conference.”

Ajao said, “Points of emphasis for this offseason is just for each individual player that expects to play on the team next year to get in the gym and improve in every aspect of their game and try to build some team chemistry.”

Figueroa in his senior season finished with a team-high 15.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.9.

Figueroa said, “I believe with the returning players and recruits, Framingham State basketball will be on top of the MASCAC.”

The men’s only MASCAC win came on Jan. 8, when they defeated Bridgewater State at home, 77-74.

They lost 15 of their last 17 games of the regular season.

16

February 15, 2013

This week in Photos...

Stephanie Feleja/ The Gatepost

Students in Towers fill ‘Love Buckets’ with treats and sweets.

Allie Card / The Gatepost

Allie Card / The Gatepost

Stephanie Feleja/ The Gatepost

Students have some flirty fun at speed dating in the Forum.

Sarah Carr / The Gatepost

Sarah Carr / The Gatepost