February 26, 2021

Volume 89 • Issue 16

FSUgatepost.com

February 26, 2021

IAFSA builds connections across generations Ensuring success for alumni and students for 147 years

Donald Halsing / THE GATEPOST

By Ashley Wall Editor-in-Chief

Walking along Adams Road in Framingham, one might notice number 42 - an inviting house with white and green windows and four pillars surrounded by green grass and blooming flowers.

The Alumni House, home to the Independent Association of Framingham State Alumni (IAFSA), was built

by Oscar A. Thayer in 1917. The Association purchased the home in 1971.

IAFSA has been a non-profit charitable organization since its founding in 1874.

According to Stephen Herring in “An Association of Our Own: A Look Back at 130 Years of Unity and Service,” IAFSA began as The Alumni Association of the Framingham Normal School, which would later be renamed Framingham State College.

At the time of the Association’s creation, reunions - known as conventions - were common. However, alumni wanted to form a “permanent organization” to “ensure a regular

See IAFSA page 16

The Alumni House, located at 42 Adams Road, has been home to the Independent Association of Framingham State Alumni since 1971.

News SGA pg. 3 HOMELESS PROGRAM pg. 8

Opinions

SGA allocates $391,275.15 for FY22 Organizations were asked to make budget cuts

By Leighah Beausoleil News Editor

By Ashlyn Kelly Asst. News Editor

By Steven Bonini Staff Writer

A FORECAST FOR FAILURE pg. 11 MORE THAN A NUMBER pg. 11

Sports

SGA allocated a total of $391,275.15 in funding for the organizations’ and classes’ Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) budgets during its annual “Big Budget” meeting Feb. 19.

This allocated amount is down approximately 10.5% from the FY21 allocation of $436,991.60.

Arts & Features BLACK BOYS pg. 18 A CALLING - DAVID SMAILES pg. 19

erlie, SGA does not know the amount of funds available in the SATF for FY22 because fall enrollment has not yet been determined.

“If something does drastically change, SGA will later on have to figure out where to account for that difference, but right now, we’re doing it to the best of our knowledge,” Beverlie said.

The estimated amount of funds in the SATF before allocations was $477,913 due to a $39,265 deficit that was accounted for, according to an email from Ewnie Fedna, SATF trea-

See BIG BUDGET page 4

Administration doubtful of full return to in-person classes for Fall 2021

By Jared Graf Arts and Features Editor

MEN’S BASEBALL pg. 13

All organizations are separated into five groups. Group One organizations met with SGA to present their funding requests. These organizations will not be able to request further funding during the 2022 fiscal year.

The funds from the Student Activities Trust Fund (SATF) have decreased for the FY22 budget due to declining student enrollment as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. SGA asked the organizations in Group One to revise their budgets to make up for this loss, according to Abigail Salvucci, vice president.

According to President Olivia Bev-

FSU faculty and administrators expressed uncertainty about a return to full in-person learning for the fall 2021 semester because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Since the fall semester, there has been a 4% decrease in the number of day-division courses offered either entirely on campus or in a hybrid format - meaning online with some in-person component - according to data provided by Ellen Zimmerman, interim provost and vice president of

academic affairs.

This semester, 88% of day-division courses are being held entirely remotely, compared to 84% that were held entirely remotely during the fall 2020 semester, according to Zimmerman.

“About 12% of classes are being taught at least partly on campus [this semester],” Zimmerman said. “So, 72 classes out of 615.”

These classes vary from labs, studios, and regular lectures, with “some being fully face-to-face,” but “more of them” being hybrid, Zimmerman said.

With fewer courses on campus this semester, the total number of resident students has declined more than 21% since the fall 2020 semester. There are 569 resident students on campus this semester, compared to 726 in the fall, according to Glenn Cochran, associate dean of students and student life.

“I think the number [of residents] is a product of our on-campus courses, first and foremost,” Cochran said.

Jeremy Spencer, dean of enrollment management, agreed. “The

See FALL 2021 PLANS page 9

INSIDE: OP/ED 11 • SPORTS 13 • ARTS & FEATURES 14

NEWS

2 | FEBRUARY 26, 2021

Gatepost Interview

Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief Ashley Wall

Nasim Sabah

Associate Editors Donald Halsing Cara McCarthy News Editor Leighah Beausoleil Asst. News Editors Dan Fuentes Ashlyn Kelly Arts & Features Editors Brennan Atkins Jared Graf Opinions Editor McKenzie Ward Asst. Opinions Editor Emily Rosenberg Design Editor Kathleen Moore Photos Editor Caroline Gordon Sports Editor Danielle Achin Staff Writers Maia Almeida James Barraford Patrick Brady Steven Bonini Soren Colstrup Haley Hadge Branden LaCroix Caroline Lanni Lydia Staber Advisor Dr. Desmond McCarthy Asst. Advisor Elizabeth Banks

Professor of Business

By Dan Fuentes Asst. News Editor What is your role at FSU and what does your job entail?

I’m an assistant professor of business in the department of accounting, econo ics an finance. So generall teach finance classes an also teach business statistics, so quantitative classes. That’s just from the teaching perspective. From another perspective, I have been doing some research. Then also service - I’m a committee member on different committees. This is my overall role as a faculty member here.

What is your professional and educational background?

So my professional background - my undergrad was in engineering, and then I did an MBA, then, another master’s in finance an then a h.D. in finance.

And then, I’ve joined here. So, that’s my academic background. Professionally, have wor e as an engineer for five years.

What do you like most about working with students here?

I’d say the most important thing is about their interests in the real world.

What I see a lot in my students is they want to know how the real world works especiall in finance which is in of a more math-based class. But they really like it because they can relate that with the current financial con ition of the country and the stock market. So, I like it very much that they are very practical and they can relate the learning to their day-to-day life.

Do you have any hobbies?

Yeah, so I work out. Nowadays, it’s hard to go outside as much, but other than that, I love gardening. So, in the spring and summer, I do some gardening, so there’s my other hobby.

How has COVID-19 impacted your job?

So, COVID-19 has impacted, in gen-

Courtesy of Framingham State eral our ob for a long ti e now. So first of all, we had to move to online. I really miss the opportunity to see my students in classrooms to get their interaction, to get their feedback in person. Teaching online was ifficult at the beginning because we had to move online, to the remote environment, very suddenly. It was a lot for our faculty members to cope with that. It was a lot for students to adjust with the settings. After, you know, almost one year into the pandemic. It’s been much better now in the sense that you know they’re more experienced, I have said, because they’re doing remote teaching, and some are teaching online or remote. So, these have been improved, but it was quite hard at the beginning in terms of teaching. Well, there is research about productivity in the COVID-19 pandemic. And the research shows that those who have kids at home, their productivity decreases significantl in ter s of research. ou

know, I have a kid at home - that’s what happened with me, too. The productivit ecreases significantl while ’ve been working from home. But the good thing is that we had more time to spend with the family, so this is one positive thing. ut first there was a large i pact on teaching or research and also service.

What advice do you have for FSU students?

Well, I’d say because of the pandemic, this market, the job market, will probably not be as good as it was before the pandemic. There will be fewer jobs available, but it will come back around an it will be fine. ut we have to a e sure we stick to our plans. Stay strong and work hard, and let’s see what happens in the future.

CONNECT WITH DAN FUENTES dfuentes@student.framingham.edu

Police Logs

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

Friday, Feb. 19 00:36 Alarm (Burgular) Larned Hall False Alarm

Friday, Feb. 19 02:44 Well Being Check Larned Hall Refused Transport/Clear

Friday, Feb. 19 02:45 Well Being Check Miles Bibb Hall Advised of Guest Restrictions

Saturday, Feb. 20 21:10 Found Property FSU Police Dept.

Report Taken

Monday, Feb. 23 08:42 Suspicious Activity McCarthy Center Parking Lot Report Taken

Wednesday, Feb. 24 08:06 Suspicious Activity West Hall Report Taken

Wednesday, Feb. 24 7:45 Animal Complaint Hemenway Hall Advised

Thursday, Feb. 25 14:19 Found Property Maynard RD Parking Lot Report Taken

NEWS

FEBRUARY 26, 2021 | 3

SGA has success with COVID-19 Care Bag Project

By Haley Hadge Staff Writer SGA approved an Onyx funding request for its Spring issue, participated in a Capital Planning exercise, an reflecte on their recent success distributing their COVID-19 care bags, during its meeting Feb. 23.

The Onyx Editor-in-Chief Olivia Banks requested $2,100 in order to print 100 copies of the student-run literary magazine.

“I think it’s really important for students to be able to express themselves,” said Banks.

The Onyx has been operating for 50 years, she said. It is important that it is printed so that students can bring it to job interviews and archive their published work.

Senator Emma Sullivan moved to allocate the requested additional funds.

SGA approved the request.

SGA’s senators participated in a Capital Planning exercise with Dale Hamel, executive vice president.

This exercise gave the senators the opportunity to provide “constituent input” regarding prospective projects around the FSU campus, Hamel explained.

Specificall this involves ran ing the 22 projects presented in order of importance in order to distribute the $200,000 of allocated funds, said Hamel.

Some of the prospective projects presented include exterior lighting priorities from the anticipated Safety Walk, DPAC Lighting improvements, and installation of additional lighting

to thir -floor classroo s in the Danforth School, said Hamel.

Additionally, Hamel asked SGA senators to consider projects such as upgrading furniture, priority paving, and replacing of ceiling tiles, carpeting, or windows.

Moreover, SGA has unallocated funds that may be contributed to the completion of the project requests, said President Olivia Beverlie.

During open forum, SATF Treasurer Ewnie Fedna said, “The dining hall has taken a turn for the worse.”

They have decreased their services, including reducing hours, discontinuing serving breakfast at the Ram’s Den Grille, and closing the Snack Bar, according to Fedna.

Despite these reductions in service, students are still being charged the same amount as in past years, she added.

Fedna asked, If the quality of the food isn’t improving and the locations to access food are decreasing, “then is it fair for us to still be getting charged the same amount?”

Also during open forum, Sullivan said there is an issue regarding the Education major placements in “Field III.” Half of her class has not yet been placed into a school, she said. “We need the experience - we can’t get teaching jobs without it.”

She said it is frustrating that the department is taking applications for next semester when there are still students who haven’t been placed this semester.

Secretary Lexi Kays said she is currently a student teacher, and she “was

not prepared for what the experience was going to be like.”

Senator Raffi l hour sai the COVID-19 Care Bag Project was suc-

“I think it’s really important for students to be able to express themselves.”

-Olivia Banks, The Onyx Editor-in-Chief cessful - they distributed approximately 1,215 bags to the FSU community.

Beverlie began her president’s report by thanking everyone who helped set up and hand out the COVID-19 care bags.

With supplies left over, “Hopefully, we’ll be able to do that again later in the semester,” she said.

Beverlie said she is working with SILD to send out a Google form about communal art supplies for the club rooms so that people don’t

Gatepost Archives

Weather

have to pay out of pocket.

During her Secretary’s Report, Kays thanked those who attended the “Big Budget” meeting and said she was

“proud” of everyone.

Outreach and Events Coordinator Mariah Farris said she reached out to Ben and Jerry’s for a possible fundraiser collaboration.

For Women’s History Month, Diversit an nclusion Officer aola ilbraut said she is hoping to collaborate with SILD and the CIE to conduct a movie drive-in.

SGA Advisor Sara Gallegos said Student Union Activities Board (SUAB) is undertaking a fundraiser for St. Jude’s Hospital.

“They’re raising money to have people pied,” she said.

Marcie Dineen, area director of Miles Bibb Hall and Linsley Hall, and Mike Bailey, hockey coach, have already been pied, she said. Next up is Ann McDonald, general counsel for the University.

“To cap it off, the last one is going to be Dr. Lorretta Holloway,” said Gallegos.

Holloway is the vice president for enrollment and student development.

Donations can be made on SUAB’s Instagram, she said.

For Women’s History Month, Gallegos is putting on an event about Christa McAuliffe on March 11. She said, “It’s not just about the Challenger itself - it’s about her and her journey.”

Elkhoury was the recipient of this week’s “U- Rock.”

CONNECT WITH HALEY HADGE hhadge@student.framingham.edu

Sunday night Feb. 28 40% chance of showers. Cloudy. Low near 40. Light south wind.

Monday night March 1 Mostly clear. Low near 20. NW winds around 15 mph.

Forecast provided by the National Weather Service www.weather.gov Tuesday night March 2 Wednesday night March 3 Partly cloudy. Low near Mostly cloudy. Low near 20. W winds around 5 30. Light SW wind. mph.

Monday March 1 Partly sunny. High near 50. Light west wind increasing to 10 mph.

Tuesday March 2 Sunny. High near 35.

NW winds around 10 mph.

Wednesday March 3 Mostly sunny. High near 45. W winds around 5 mph.

Thursday March 4 40% chance of showers.

Mostly sunny. NW winds 5 mph.

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

4 | FEBRUARY 26, 2021

Big Budget continued from page 1 surer.

The remaining unallocated funds after the Big Budget meeting is $56,637.85, according to Fedna.

Group Two consists of six organizations that receive a flat-rate allocation of $15,000 each, for a total of $90,000.

Group Three consists of seven organizations that receive a flat-rate allocation of $5,000 each, for a total of $35,000.

These groups have the ability to request further funding during the spring semester.

Group Four consists of 15 organizations that receive a flat-rate allocation of $500 each, for a total of $7,500.

Group Five consists of seven organizations that receive a flat rate of $0.

These groups can request further funding at any point throughout the academic year.

The flat-rate allocations for each group are based on criteria, including services provided, activity status, event risk, and organization or event size, according to Beverlie.

Any organizations that did not meet with the Finance Committee prior to Big Budget were moved to Group Five, according to Fedna.

SGA also allocated funding for the four class years - the Classes of 2022 and 2023 received $3,550 each, the Class of 2024 received $3,900, and the Class of 2025 received $4,000, for a total of $15,000.

This money is usually “pooled together” and used to fund events for Senior Week, according to Beverlie.

The organizations that comprise Group One are WDJM 91.3 FM, The Gatepost, Student Union Activities Board (SUAB), and SGA. WDJM requested $13,852.10 in funding for its FY22 budget - approximately 7.5% down from its FY21 budget of $14,979.10. The organization was allocated the full amount.

The Gatepost requested $41,168.05 in funding for its FY22 budget - approximately 15.5% down from its FY21 budget of $48,725.50.

The organization was allocated $39,568.05 after the removal of $1,600 in postage costs - approximately 18.8% down from its FY21 budget.

SUAB requested $125,000 in funding for its FY22 budget - approximately 10.7% down from its FY21 budget of $140,000.

The organization was allocated $124,300 after the decrease of $2,700 in promotional items to $2,000 - approximately 11.2% down from its FY21 budget.

SGA requested $61,055 in funding for its FY22 budget - approximately 17.8% down from its FY21 budget of $74,287.50.

The organization was allocated $66,055 after the increase of $5,000 in auxiliary expenses - approximately 11.1% down from its FY21 budget.

For each of the Group One organi-

@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com

NEWS

zations, each line of the budgets was discussed and voted on.

WDJM 91.3 FM WDJM’s request was presented by Treasurer Jill Rotatori.

In its revised budget, WDJM cut its “station events” category from $2,500 to $2,100, which was due to the removal of $300 toward line item “tables” and a $100 decrease in funding for line item “activities.”

Rotatori said, “We decreased it a little bit just because we were adjusting for the number of events that we are going to do.”

Another revision in the WDJM budget was for its “promotional items” category. This category was decreased from $1,000 to $800 due to the cut of $200 from its funding for the line item “T-shirts.”

Rotatori said the organization chose to decrease this funding because it does not need to purchase as many.

She added the organization has been brainstorming ideas for new promotional items such as masks and hoodies to get WDJM’s name “out there” because it is a smaller organization.

A motion was made to allocate WDJM its full amount of funding for its revised FY22 budget of $13,852.10, including the expense of station events, promotional items, licensing and membership, and station administration.

The motion passed 11 - 0 with one abstention.

The Gatepost The Gatepost’s request was presented by Editor-in-Chief Ashley Wall, who was accompanied by Associate Editors Donald Halsing and Cara McCarthy.

In its revised budget, The Gatepost cut its “newspaper administration” category from $33,040 to $26,740.

This category includes line items “printing,” “administrative assistant,” and “postage.”

According to Wall, before the pandemic, The Gatepost printed 1,800 copies of 24 issues to be distributed throughout campus. Each issue distribution would leave 150 to 200 copies remaining, which would then go toward archives and mailing.

Wall said this year, The Gatepost has printed 1,600 copies for each issue, but in an effort to reduce its budget, the number of copies will be 1,200 per issue for Academic Year 2021-22.

This cut reduces the cost of printing from $24,300 to $18,000.

“This really is the bare minimum we can do to be able to have enough for students, administrators, faculty - everyone who reads our paper,” she said. “And we’d also like to emphasize that as a newspaper, we’re a physical entity, and we need that printing money.”

She added, “We really ask that we

Kathleen Moore / THE GATEPOST don’t go lower than this, and we don’t cut this because this is really the funding we need to be visible and to provide our service for our community.”

According to Wall, the administrative assistant position plays an “essential role” in the newspaper, and said taking on the responsibilities of this role due to not having one this year has been “difficult.”

She added the funding for the line item “postage” goes toward mailing the newspaper to trustees, Massachusetts representatives, local newspapers, and alumni who request it.

SGA Secretary Lexi Kays asked, “Can we technically give money if it isn’t for students?”

SGA President Beverlie said, “Short answer - technically no. Long answer - basically, the Student Activities Trust Fund - the premise of that fund is that we will use the money from the fund only on students for the benefit of the students because students are the ones paying it.”

SGA Vice President Salvucci said in the past, printing the newspaper and its distribution was deemed OK with the bylaws because the paper was meant for students.

Salvucci explained when other community members get the paper, it is “just because it’s there.”

She said a similar situation would be “if we made sweatshirts and left them on the front table in [the McCarthy Center], and someone accidentally picks one up.”

A motion was made to allocate $25,140 for the category “newspaper administration” due to the removal of the “postage” line item of $1,600.

The motion passed 11 - 0 with one abstention.

In its revised budget, The Gatepost cut the funding for the category “promotional items & recruitment events” in half, resulting in a total of $600.

The Gatepost also cut the funding for the category “office supplies & equipment” to $3,800 by decreasing the line item “cameras & computers” from $2,000 to $1,500.

Wall said these cuts were all made for the purpose of lowering the overall budget.

SGA motioned to allocate $39,568.05 to The Gatepost’s FY22 budget due to the removal of the $1,600 from the “postage” line item.

The motion passed 13 - 0 with one abstention.

SUAB SUAB’s request was presented by Treasurer Alicia Donohoe, who was accompanied by President Sonia Strawn and Vice President Annalisa Marzeotti.

In its revised budget, SUAB cut $15,000 from the “off-campus events” category by removing the “Spring Fling” line item funds completely.

Donohoe said that SUAB is just taking a temporary break from holding the event.

“We just want to take some time next year to figure out how we’re going to do it because we can try to reframe it a little bit,” she said. “We just want to get a solid grasp on how we want to do it.”

SUAB moved $1,500 in funding in the “on-campus events” category from the “Pause for Paws” line item event catering and put it toward the “new event ideas” line item.

Donohoe said, “Our advisor challenged us to do more events this semester, so we’ve expanded a lot as to what we’re doing.”

SUAB announced its rebranding that will take place in the fall. The organization will be under the new name Framingham State Activities Board, according to Donohoe.

In the “on-campus events” category, the $2,000 for funding “traditional events” was relocated to SUAB’s “publicity and marketing” category for the “rebranding” line item.

“We’re going to need to get a bunch of new stuff, like merch, with our new name on it, so people can actually know who we are now because we don’t want people referring to us as SUAB anymore starting next year,” Donohoe said.

There was a discussion between SGA and SUAB concerning the increased amount of funding in the

See BIG BUDGET page 5

Big Budget continued from page 4

NEWS

priately distribute SATF funds.”

“membership and development” category for the “promo items” line item.

SGA SATF Treasurer Fedna asked what the difference was between the “promo items” and “rebranding” line items.

Strawn said the category “publicity and marketing” where the “rebranding” fund of $2,000 is located is for funding toward more advertisement such as a prize wheel, new tablecloths, decals, and other items to put their new name on.

The “membership and development” category “is going to be items for members and then hopefully new people that we can persuade to come to a meeting to eventually be a member,” she added.

A motion was put forth to allocate $4,000 to the “membership and development” category due to the removal of $700 from the “promo items” line item.

An amendment was then put forth to also remove $1,000 from the “open meetings” line item.

According to Donohoe, during open meetings, the organization will do “fun” activities to encourage students to join and to also provide a “little treat” for returning members.

The amendment was not supported and the original motion passed 8 - 5 with no absentions.

SGA motioned to allocate $124,300 to SUAB’s FY22 budget due to the removal of the $700 from the “promo items” line item.

The motion passed 14 - 0 with no absentions.

Due to an error, SUAB was not given the opportunity to respond to the cuts SGA made before the vote took place.

SUAB members left the meeting briefly before asking to return to give their response.

Strawn said, “I know we did mention that we are rebranding and that is going to take a lot of advertisement and a lot of promotional items.

We got cut that $700 and that could really go a long way as far as promotional items and advertisement go.

“I know just from event planning experience, when I got three different promotional items for the entire campus for a Sandbox … it came to a total of $6,000. So really, if you want to get in bulk, it’s like $2,000 for one item,” she added.

SGA Vice President Salvucci said that despite the error, the vote was final.

Strawn said, “It wasn’t really clear that we had the floor to argue because you guys were all just talking in the chat. We were thinking that we were supposed to leave and we wanted to argue originally before you made anything official.”

SGA President Beverlie said, “It’s hard to sit through [cuts] after you put in so much work for a budget. I totally understand that, but I will say that our senators do the best to their knowledge to accurately and appro-

SGA The SGA budget request was presented by President Beverlie and SATF Treasurer Fedna.

SGA’s total budget is broken down into five sub-budgets, including general, operations, training, benevolence, and banquet.

In its revised operations budget, SGA made cuts to its “general & operating expenses” line item.

The general budget saw a $4,000 decrease in funds, with $16,200 for FY22 - down from $20,200 for FY21.

Its operations budget saw a $10,282.05 decrease in funds, with $26,355 for FY22 - down from $36,637.50 for FY21.

The main cut in the general budget was to its “SGA outreach programs” line item.

For FY21, SGA had allocated a total of $7,500 to outreach programs, which was cut in FY22 to a $5,000 request, for a total $2,500 decrease.

Beverlie said in the past, the outreach program has been used for multiple functions, such as paying the RamTram to go to football games or cosponsor events with other on-campus organizations.

She said the decision was made to cut from this program “to keep up with us getting less money in general.”

The second cut SGA made in the general budget was to its “promotional items” line item.

In FY21, SGA allocated $500 to promotional items, which was cut in FY22 to $0.

Beverlie said over the years, SGA has tried to encourage other organizations to also cut promotional items from their budgets.

“They [promotional items] often just end up sitting in the club rooms or they don’t all get handed out, and we just didn’t want to be a part of the problem - we’re trying to stop. So, we just decided to completely get rid of that,” she said.

In SGA’s operations budget, the main cut was to its “general & operating expenses” line item.

In FY21, SGA allocated a total of $7,675 to general and operating expenses, which was cut in FY22 to a request of $5,000 for a total $2,675 decrease.

Beverlie said this section of the budget covers various office supplies for the SGA office, including expo markers, pens, printing supplies, and water.

Another cut SGA made to its operations budget was to the “auxiliary expense” line item.

In FY21, SGA allocated a total of $13,000 to the “auxiliary expenses” line item, which was initially cut in the FY22 budget to a request of $5,000 to pay overtime expenses for maintainers and police detailers, who are required at events, according CONNECT WITH LEIGHAH BEAUSOLEIL lbeausoleil@student.framingham.edu

to SGA Advisor Sara Gallegos.

SGA discussed the “new charge” due to hiring American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters for events.

Gallegos said the addition of interpreters will go toward SGA’s goal in practicing inclusivity.

Pending this new charge, the line item was increased to a total of $10,000.

Secretary Kays posed a question about this line, asking, “How much money did we actually utilize from these allocations in the previous years?”

Gallegos said in FY20, organizations used over $12,000 for police and maintainers, making the argument that adding the $5,000 would make sense.

Senator Danielle Shaw asked if

FEBRUARY 26, 2021 | 5

there was a way to specify which money went to the police and maintainers and which money was going to the interpreters.

Beverlie said it’s something she could add in her motion or have “good faith” organizations will put the money toward the ASL interpreters.

The motion for a $10,000 allocation pending $5,000 for interpreters passed 13 - 0 with no absentions.

A motion was made to allocate SGA its full funding request for its revised FY22 total budget with the $5,000 increase for the “auxiliary expenses” line item for a total allocation of $66,005.

The motion passed 13 - 0 with no abstentions.

Kathleen Moore / THE GATEPOST

CONNECT WITH ASHLYN KELLY akelly8@student.framingham.edu

CONNECT WITH STEVEN BONINI sbonini@student.framingham.edu

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NEWS

6 | FEBRUARY 26, 2021

COVID-19 by the numbers February 26, 2020

By Donald Halsing Associate Editor

By Leighah Beausoleil News Editor

By Kathleen Moore Design Editor The number of people with COVID-19 worldwide continues to increase by less than 1% weekly based on data from various sources taken Feb. 24.

Framingham State University administered 1,122 tests within the past week, and 3,383 tests within the past 30 days, according to the COVID-19 data page on the FSU website.

Two positive tests were returned within the past week, according to the page. The 7-day negative test rate was 99.82%.

One individual was isolated on campus, and two were isolated off campus.

One person was quarantined off campus.

A total of 3,313 negative, and six positive results, were returned in the past 30 days. The 30-day negative test rate was 99.82%.

Cumulatively, 6,722 Framingham residents, 9.84%, have tested positive for COVID-19.

The City of Framingham reported 1,175 active cases.

There were 126 new infections, 139 new recoveries, and six new deaths reported since Feb. 18. The number of people infected decreased by 19, or 0.29%, over the past week.

Approximately 18% of those who have tested positive remain infected.

Over 79% have recovered and approximately 3.3% have died.

The overall death rate from COVID-19 in Framingham is 0.33%.

Cumulatively, 543,696 Massachusetts residents, 7.89%, have tested pos-

itive for COVID-19.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health estimates there are 33,332 active cases.

There were 10,672 new infections, 24,056 new recoveries, and 312 new deaths since Feb. 18. The number of people infected decreased by 13,696, or 2.6%, over the past week.

Approximately 9% of those who have tested positive remain infected.

Just under 88% have recovered, and approximately 2.9% have died.

The overall death rate from COVID-19 in Massachusetts is 0.23%.

The New York Times reported that cumulatively, 1,533,534 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in Massachusetts. According to the Times, 16% of the population has received at least one dose, and 5.9% has received two doses.

Cumulatively, 28,327,996 United States residents, 8.54%, have tested positive for COVID-19.

The New York Times reported 70,768 active cases.

There were 545,085 new infections and 19,260 new deaths since Feb. 18.

[Editor’s note: Insufficient recovery data from the John Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center prevented further calculations. Recovery data from 24 states and territories was not represented by the center’s Feb. 24 data, compared to 14 states and territories Feb. 17.]

Approximately 61% of those who have tested positive remain infected.

Approximately 37% of the population has recovered, and 1.8% have died.

The overall death rate from COVID-19 in the United States is 0.15%.

The New York Times reported that cumulatively, 66,464,947 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in the United States. According to the Times, 14% of the population has received at least one dose, and 6.2% has

received two doses.

Cumulatively, 112,506,114 people globally, 1.45%, have tested positive for COVID-19.

The New York Times reported 408,761 active cases.

There were 2,633,766 new infections, 1,623,329 new recoveries, and 66,213 new deaths since Feb. 18. The number of people infected grew by 944,224, or 0.86%, over the past week.

Approximately 41% of the world’s population that has tested positive remain infected. Just over 56% of the population has recovered and 2.2% has died.

The overall death rate from COVID-19 globally is 0.03%.

The New York Times reported that cumulatively, 221,746,011 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered globally.

Data sources: Framingham State University City of Framingham Mass. population: U.S. Census Bureau – QuickFacts Massachusetts U.S. and World population: U.S. Census Bureau – U.S. and World Population Clock Mass. data: WCVB Channel 5 Boston, Mass. Dept. of Public Health U.S. data: CDC, New York Times World data: WHO, Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center Recovery data: Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center Active Cases: New York Times Vaccination Data: New York Times *Calculations for new infections, recoveries, deaths, and infected population size change are made using both data from this week and last week’s data published in The Gatepost. New data collected Wednesday before publication.

Kathleen Moore / THE GATEPOST

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Kathleen Moore / THE GATEPOST CONNECT WITH DONALD HALSING dhalsing@student.framingham.edu

CONNECT WITH LEIGHAH BEAUSOLEIL lbeausoleil@student.framingham.edu

CONNECT WITH KATHLEEN MOORE kmoore8@student.framingham.edu

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NEWS

‘Moving to College’ scholarship program set to help homeless students

By Steven Bonini Staff Writer Framingham State University is participating in the launch of a new program put in place to help homeless high school students get higher education and housing.

Set to begin next fall, the “Moving to College” pilot program will be an expansion of a previous program FSU participated in called the “Massachusetts Student Housing Security Pilot,” according to the University website.

FSU is partnering with its sister institution, MassBay Community College, on this program to help struggling students with homelessness.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s website, those who are selected for the scholarship will receive “year-round, on-campus housing, meal plans,” as well as “case management and other support services.”

The website states the scholarship does not cover “tuition & fees, books and supplies or transportation.”

Kay Kastner, coordinator of student support initiatives, said the program would open a total of five scholarship slots for students - three slots for FSU and two slots for MassBay. Kastner said the program will supply students with “housing for the whole year,” including the summer break, winter break, Thanksgiving break, and spring break.

She added the program will also supply students with access to food, “whether that be a food plan, or whether that be separate allocations for food during times when food services aren’t open on campus.”

Kastner said the expansion program will work to recruit high school students directly via guidance counselors, social workers, and youth services, who will reach out to students who qualify so they can apply for the program.

This is an update from the original program, which only recruited college students who had already completed a semester or more of classes and were in need of housing, according to Kastner.

She added a number of schools have people who are positioned to work with students who are food and housing insecure.

Those students who qualify and want to explore the possibility of higher education are guided toward the scholarship program, she said.

According to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), in order for a student to qualify for the program, they must meet HUD’s definition of homelessness in one of four categories.

The categories are: Category One Literal Homelessness; Category Two - Imminent Risk of Homelessness;

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Category Three - Homeless Under Other Statutes; or Category Four Fleeing Domestic Violence.

Applicants must also “complete the free application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), provide proof of enrollment at a participating institution no later than July 1, and main-

homeless, I couldn’t house her in the program because she comes with family.”

Kastner said although the scholarship doesn’t supply students with tuition, fees, books, and transportation, there are other organizations that students can get benefits through.

“It started as a part of the conversation we were having on the Board of Higher Education about insecurity for students. I think it was a shock for people to find out that we had homeless students in our institutions.”

-F. Javier Cevallos, FSU President tain full-time enrollment, 12 or more credits, in a degree-seeking program and maintain passing grades in order to be eligible for a renewed scholarship,” according to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education website.

According to The MetroWest Daily

She said FSU works with Wayside Tempo and South Middlesex Opportunity Council, which have youth service programs to help students.

She added the youth service providers supply additional resources for students.

“For example, I have known them

“Being a part of their family is one of the things that helps them survive.

While she was homeless I couldn’t house her in the program because she comes with family.”

-Kay Kastner, Coordinator of Student Support Initatives News, the “Moving to College” scholarship applications are due March 1.

Kastner said it can sometimes be a challenge to find candidates for the program because although some students have no parents, they may still be part of a “group.”

She discussed a student whose family consists of two sisters and a niece and nephew who would prefer to stay together.

“Being a part of their family is one of the things that helps them to survive,” she said. “While she was

to fund students who have an emergency, like they had a huge abscess in their mouth, and they needed to cover a dental expense,” she said.

“Or suddenly, their car died, and they wouldn’t be able to get to work, and would lose their job, and they provided funding for that and the University does as well.

“The University has a number of student emergency funding programs - there’s student support funds,” she added. “The Independent Association for Framingham State Alumni

also has a fund.

“We have a system so that students can apply for emergency funding - that might either come from us or from financial aid that has a certain amount of funding available.”

President F. Javier Cevallos said it’s “heartbreaking” to hear the stories of students who are looking to the scholarship for help.

“It started as part of the conversation we were having on the Board of Higher Education about insecurity for students,” he said. “I think that it was a shock for people to find out that we had homeless students in our institutions.

“I think the things that they have done to succeed, and how hard they work, and having the odds and the difficulties that they have were just truly, truly inspirational,” Cevallos said of the students who were selected for the scholarship.

Cevallos added after the initial program’s launch, the Board of Higher Education knew they could expand it.

“We started with students who were already here, but we know that we have a lot of students who are in high school who are facing a lot of insecurities,” he said. “The idea is now to help those students - make college a reality for them.

“That’s where the program is now going to recruit students, instead of just identifying the students who are already in the system,” he added.

Glenn Cochran, the associate dean of students for student life & director of residence life and housing, said students in the program will complete the housing application as usual and they will be designated a living space.

“The spaces used for the program will have been pre-inspected and approved by HUD, so we will be coordinating with that agency in advance,” he said.

“We will also be working closely with students accepted into the program on vacation housing and meal arrangements,” he added.

Cochran said overall, the program is still a “work in progress.”

Meg Nowak Borrego, dean of students, said she has “assisted with reviewing policies and documents associated with both programs and the selection of qualified students.”

She said she and representatives from other campuses presented these types of programs and resources at conferences.

Nowak Borrego added she thinks it is “wonderful our University, regional community agencies, and the state government are working together to support our students with such significant barriers while earning their college degrees.”

CONNECT WITH STEVEN BONINI sbonini@student.framingham.edu

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Fall 2021 plans continued from page 1 more classes that you have on campus, then the likelihood is that you’ll have a greater [number] of students living in the residence halls,” he said.

Cochran said the possible cancellation of spring sports impacted the number of resident students as well.

“It’s convenient for athletes to be right here on campus and be close by,” he said.

According to Cochran, a decrease in resident population from the fall to spring semesters is common in normal academic years. From the fall 2019 to spring 2020 semester, FSU experienced more than a 7% decline in resident students, with a total of 1,803 residents in the fall and 1,662 in the spring.

While Cochran said the decline in total resident population this school year has “been the same” as it was in previous years, the decline from Fall 2020 to Spring 2021 was 14 percentage points higher than the decline from Fall 2019 to Spring 2020.

“It really comes down to people’s personal situations,” he added, explaining how some students may have health issues making them more at risk, have family members who are at risk, or have a better living situation elsewhere.

“We’ll be closer to quote-unquote ‘normal’ in the fall, but we’re not expecting to be at full occupancy,” Cochran said. “We’re projecting and planning on being between where we are now and at full [occupancy].”

Robert Donohue, faculty union president and psychology professor, said, “I think there’s a really high probability we’re going to have much more significant on-campus presence in the fall.”

However, he said the vaccine rollout will have “an awful lot to do” with how much the University can ease up on in-person restrictions.

“Right now, the plan is to have at least 75% of the classes [with] some face-to-face component - so either hybrid or fully face-to-face,” Donohue said.

This means classroom capacity would be reduced from the 15-squarefoot occupancy limit per person there once was, to a 25-square-foot occupancy limit. Mask wearing and social distancing are still expected to be enforced, according to Donohue.

“I think we’re going to have a higher percentage of courses being offered face-to-face, but whether we hit that 75% target - I’m not sure,” he said.

Marc Cote, dean of arts and humanities, said a full return to in-person learning next semester is the current “trajectory.

“We’re really hoping by that time, we’ll have a pretty fully vaccinated campus,” he said. “We’ve been asking faculty and departments to plan for about a 75% return to face-to-face to some capacity.

“We’re doing a good job thinking

through possibilities,” he added.

Although Zimmerman does believe more students will be able to return to in-person classes for the fall 2021 semester, she said, “A lot of that is going to depend, of course, on how the vaccine rollout goes.

“I would say it is a hope [to fully return in the fall] … but is not at all a certainty,” she added.

Lorretta Holloway, vice president for enrollment and student development, called the possibility of a full return to in-person learning for the fall semester “a great dream.

“We’re living in a bizarre time,” she said, comparing COVID-19 and its death toll to a sci-fi movie because of how “unfathomable” the past year has been.

“I’ve never been a betting person, and with the craziness that’s happened just in the last 12 months, I wouldn’t bet on absolutely anything ever again,” Holloway said. “I’m not trying to be evasive at all. I can say Courtesy of Framingham State what I hope for, but who knows?”

Lindsey Rimella, a freshman Lorretta Holloway, vice president for enrollment and student development. health and wellness major, believes “There’s still a lot of questions there should be more in-person University will update us early on classes next semester, but admitted and continue to update us often on that need to be answered, but we aptheir plans for a return to in-person preciated their flexibility in meeting that a full return would be tough. with us when we asked them to,” he “I would love to have more in-per- classes in the fall,” Ward said.

She credited the University’s cursaid. son classes because it helps me learn rent efforts to keep students and facAccording to Donohue, professors better,” she said. “But we have to ulty safe. have mixed opinions about a full rekeep people safe.”

“They have been doing their best turn to in-person learning for the fall Isabella Lahey, a sophomore Ento make sure every student who is on 2021 semester. glish major, agreed.

“Some faculty are desperate to get “If [opening fully] is done safe- campus or has in-person classes is ly, I would prefer it, because I’m not staying healthy by providing weekly back in the classroom interacting testing and allowing faculty to ask with students,” he said. “Other facullearning well online,” Lahey said.

“I think it’s probably not going to for students to show a negative test ty are really, really concerned about it being healthy - not only for thembe possible for a full return, just be- result,” Ward said.

Donohue said “so far,” the adselves, but everyone there.” cause not everyone is following safeministration has done a good job of Donohue believes that if faculty ty protocols,” she added.

Holloway said that a full return trying to accommodate the needs of and librarians could get vaccinated before the fall, then they would “feel to in-person learning depends on students, faculty, and librarians.

“We’re hoping that will continue much more comfortable about being “how people are behaving now,” and present on campus.” whether they’re complying with reg- to be the case in the fall,” he said.

Zimmerman confirmed that the However, he admitted that it’s ular testing, safety guidelines, and ideal goal is for 75% of classes to be tough to decide whether the vacthe state’s vaccination rollout. held at least partially on campus in cine should be made mandatory for Spencer said he is “optimistic” about some sort of return to in-per- the fall, but acknowledged that could in-person learning.

Zimmerman said, “We can’t really son classes for the fall semester, but change depending on the state’s vacmake the vaccine mandatory unless is unsure about the possibility of a cination rollout.

“We are asking department chairs it’s universally available.” full return. to schedule fall classes with that Holloway agreed. She doesn’t “I certainly don’t believe that goal in mind and are asking faculty “think there’d be enough time” to we’re going to be at 100% occupanto plan to teach at least two of their make the vaccine mandatory for all cy. … There will be some restrictions, three fall courses with an on-campus students by the fall semester due to but I just don’t know [what],” Spencomponent,” Zimmerman said. statewide availability. cer said.

Donohue said the University’s “We can’t say you’re required to Spencer explained the decision to fully return to in-person learning is target-goal announcement was “not do something when we’re not offer“contingent upon herd immunity, the handled as well as it might have been. ing it,” Holloway said.

“I wish there had been more conCameron Dolson, a junior computvaccine, and COVID tracking.” versation before the decision had er science major, said he would be Student Trustee McKenzie Ward been made,” he said.

“It was initially fine if the vaccine were made mansaid one concern she has about a full communicated to department chairs. datory for students, but understands return to in-person learning is the Then, some conflicting information why others might not be. pacing of the state’s vaccine rollout.

“It’s more of a question about “Due to the slow vaccine rollout, came out from the department chairs

by September, many students and and the policy was developed before whether or not you’re comfortable faculty still may not be vaccinat- there was any kind of discussion with with it,” he said.

Micah Itkowsky, a senior computer ed - which could cause issues when rank-and-file faculty.”

However, Donohue said once the science major, agreed. it comes to in-person learning,” she union notified the administration “I think [students] should be givsaid. and academic affairs that faculty en the option,” he said. “If they don’t “As we all know, circumstances and plans are constantly changing wanted to speak with them, “they due to COVID-19. But I hope that the made themselves immediately availSee FALL 2021 PLANS page 10 able for multiple meetings.

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Fall 2021 plans continued from page 9 want to get the vaccine for any health reason, they can still take remote [classes] but not come to campus.”

Lucy Couet, a junior studio arts major, said, “It could be dangerous if the school doesn’t start offering vaccinations.

“As of right now, we don’t have herd immunity,” she added.

Holloway considered the possibility of completely opening residence halls and fully returning to in-person learning if every student were vaccinated by the summer, but said even then, “Fall ’21 is not going to be like Fall ’19.”

Holloway explained that with a majority of classes being held remotely this year, new students aren’t experiencing college life and may have a tough time acclimating. To help with this, faculty and staff have been challenged with finding new ways of supporting students.

Cochran agreed, saying the biggest challenge during COVID-19 has been maintaining contact with students.

“Probably all of us are dealing with … some level of isolation,” he said.

“We’re trying to reach out to people who don’t have a roommate to talk to all the time.”

With fewer opportunities for socialization due to restrictions, Cochran said it’s also been difficult for Resident Assistants (RAs) to create relationships with residents on their floor.

“I think we’re all anxious for the time when it can be more social,” he said.

Since last semester, undergraduate degree-seeking enrollment has dropped more than 10%, to a total of 3,026 students, according to data provided by Spencer. By comparison, from Fall 2019 to Spring 2020, undergraduate degree-seeking enrollment dropped by more than 9%, from 3,745 students to 3,382.

Holloway attributed the decline in undergraduate enrollment this semester to students’ financial issues, additional responsibilities, and the fact that some don’t want to take online classes from home.

“I think people looked at this next semester and really thought to themselves, ‘Yeah, I thought I could do it - I can’t do it,’” she said.

According to Holloway, the Office of Development and Alumni Relations raised “up to” $40,000 in emergency student support funding, knowing that it would be needed.

The student support fund is run by Holloway and includes a laptop loaner program and Wi-Fi hot spots available to those who apply. Although these resources are still available, Holloway said she’s surprised not many students have taken advantage of them.

“I’m going to be honest - I have not gotten the kinds of requests that I would have thought I’d gotten,” she said. “In many ways, it’s completely

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not proportionate to the kinds of requests I’ve gotten for that funding in the past.”

Holloway attributed this to students being overwhelmed and said it’s difficult finding new ways to help students while a majority are attending classes remotely.

“People are hunkering down, and the less they have to contact someone, the better,” she said.

Holloway also explained remote learning makes it even more difficult for faculty to tell if a student is struggling or in need of help. “I [used to] have professors … referring people to me,” Holloway said.

Now, she believes students are “suffering in silence” due to different pressures or concerns the pandemic has caused.

Despite this, Holloway also said her office has “been able to help more students” with financial aid than they were in previous years.

Spencer said the amount of financial aid money the University can give students has not changed, but fewer new students are submitting FAFSA forms - which is the official form families must use to apply for federal financial aid.

As of Feb. 5, Spencer said the University has received 5,445 FAFSA forms, compared to the 5,982 forms that had been received at the same time last year.

Holloway explained since there are fewer students requesting support, those who do are receiving more financial aid money because the funds are “spread out” equitably among those who request it. Some of this financial aid money came from the CARES Act, which is a federal COVID-19 relief bill.

To assist with student support and other COVID-19-related challenges, FSU created multiple continuity teams - all of which are subgroups of the University Emergency Planning Committee. A total of seven continuity teams began convening regularly in May 2020 to focus on “strategic crisis planning for the fall 2020 semester,” according to FSU’s website.

As head of the Enrollment Management Continuity Team, Spencer said the teams discuss “everything related to COVID.” Leaders of each team meet on a weekly basis to consider future plans for the University and to review any new COVID-19 developments.

Spencer said the continuity teams have been helpful because “all the key players” are involved in making health- and safety-related decisions, allowing for a wide variety of input.

“We’re very cautious as we go forward with making sure the decisions we make don’t have potential deleterious effects,” he said.

Going into the fall 2020 semester, Spencer said FSU had “record numbers of accepts,” with a total of 5,072 between both first-year and transfer students, according to his data.

“Everything was looking really good. Then, COVID hit and things just got turned upside down for students who were questioning whether they wanted to enroll in a remote format [or live on campus],” Spencer said.

Although first-year students accounted for over 90% of fall 2020 acceptances, with a total of 4,577, only 614 matriculated, or actually decided to enroll, according to Spencer. Of the 495 transfer students accepted in the fall 2020 semester, 276 matriculated.

“Spring is always somewhat challenging [in terms of enrollment],” Spencer said, as a majority of firstyear and transfer students enroll in the fall when the school year begins.

This spring semester, FSU received 71 first-year student applications and accepted 48 of those students, compared to the 51 applications and 22 accepts in the spring 2020 semester, according to Spencer.

He said this slight increase was “primarily from” students who deferred in the fall 2020 semester. Seventeen first-year students matriculated this semester, compared to 13 in the spring 2020 semester.

The University also accepted 164 transfer students, compared to 196 in the spring 2020 semester, according to Spencer.

“The transfer population itself is dropping,” Spencer said. Since the last spring semester, the University has experienced more than a 26% decrease in the number of transfer students who enrolled - with a total of 94 new transfers for the spring 2020 semester, according to his data.

“The number of enrollments in community colleges is dropping, and that’s primarily where we get our transfer students from,” Spencer said.

He also said that increased remote learning, limited access to residence halls, and the cancellation of fall sports affected the number of firstyear and transfer students. “All these things play a part in the [decline in] enrollment,” said Spencer.

“Everything is just different,” he said while explaining how recruiting students has been challenging. “The way that we’re trying to communicate with students is not face-to-face like it has been in the past.”

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, college fairs have become obsolete and tours of the University’s campus have been “very, very limited,” Spencer added.

Holloway said the campus tours currently offered are “small,” and only allow students to view the outside of buildings. On FSU’s website, there’s a virtual tour option that shows 360-degree views inside buildings, she added.

Spencer said the University has “been very cautious” about the decision to limit the number of “outside people” on campus for tours because

of the potential risk of bringing COVID-19 to campus.

Administrators do not travel off campus for recruitment as everything is done remotely, which increases the ability to reach students in “non-traditional ways,” Spencer said.

One of these remote recruitment methods is a bi-weekly Zoom call held by Spencer and Holloway for accepted students.

Both Spencer and Holloway said the bi-weekly event allows them to engage with students in a way they normally wouldn’t have the chance to. However, Spencer said the downside to remote events is “Zoom-fatigue” and the fact that many students’ “appetite for engaging in remote events is waning.”

Holloway agreed, and gave credit to those who attend the virtual events. “If I’m a senior in high school and I’ve been in Zoom meetings all day, the last thing I’d want to do is log onto another Zoom meeting,” she said.

In addition to virtual events, the University sends personalized emails and videos to accepted students, and Holloway said they’re “utilizing data analytics” to target people who may have a specific interest in FSU based on their online habits.

Spencer said another strategy being used to try to increase enrollment for the fall 2021 semester is “a very aggressive outreach campaign” for prospective students.

These prospects are high school students who have taken the PSATs and SATs. According to Spencer, there are “over 74,000 prospects” for the fall 2021 semester - a 57% increase from last fall semester.

“We employ a predictive model, so that of that 74,000, we know who’s highly likely to enroll, likely to enroll, neutral, less likely, and least likely [to enroll],” Spencer said.

Of the total prospects, about 32,000 are highly likely or likely to enroll, and they’ve been receiving bi-weekly postcards since September, he added.

Spencer said prior to COVID-19, higher education in Massachusetts was already a “highly competitive landscape to begin with.

“Then, you add the COVID effects,” he said, “and that sense of uncertainty is just creating a lot of volatility in the quote-unquote ‘marketplace’ for higher education.”

With ever-changing government mandates and new COVID-19 developments each day, Spencer said, “We are all navigating this doing the best that we can,” but he admitted that it’s challenging.

“We’re all trying to figure this out,” he said. “It’s just different.”

CONNECT WITH JARED GRAF jgraf@student.framingham.edu

OP/ED

OP/ ED Worth more than a number on the scale

By Cara McCarthy Associate Editor Let’s set the scene.

I’m 9 years old - sitting in the cold, brightly lit doctor’s office in my hospital gown waiting for my annual physical, knowing full well my doctor will be upset by the number she sees on the scale.

I knew exactly what she was going to say when she entered the room.

“You’re obese.”

I was immediately told to cut out juice, sweets, and anything else a normal “healthy” child enjoys.

From that day on, I began comparing myself to my friends, my sister, and any girl with a flat stomach society deems “beautiful.”

Because I - and society - did not see myself as such.

Instead, every day, I felt disgust and embarrassment when I looked in the mirror. I began to wear baggy shirts to cover my stomach.

I wouldn’t let anyone take pictures of me. I couldn’t even eat lunch at school without feeling the whole world was staring at me.

But above all, I was shocked by the comments people would throw my way at such a young age, which left me questioning myself and my selfworth.

“You would be prettier if you lost weight.”

Am I not pretty?

“It isn’t that hard. Just stop eating so much.”

What am I doing wrong?

And my personal favorite: “Here comes the beached whale.” Do I really look that big?

Suddenly, my childhood joy was overshadowed by feelings of helplessness and a constant fear of looking at the number on the scale. Instead of learning how to have a healthy relationship with food, my shame prevented me from consuming what I needed to survive.

This unhealthy relationship with food became so severe that I developed an eating disorder by the time I was 14 without even realizing it - something even the people closest to me didn’t know.

Instead, they applauded the fact that I was losing weight. I didn’t want to disappoint them by telling them their daughter, sister, niece, and friend was terrified of food.

Until today, during National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, only a handful of people knew I struggled with an eating disorder and still do to this day.

Because I was already overweight, no one saw the signs of my severe malnutrition - not even me.

According to The National Institute of Mental health, 2.7% of teenagers between 13 and 18 years of age struggle with some form of an eating disorder, whether it be anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating.

A big reason why eating disorders are so prevalent among adolescents is the bullying they receive in their youth because they do not fit society’s version of “beautiful,” according to

Behavioral Health Specialist Amy Klimek.

According to The Renfrew Center Foundation for Eating Disorders, 50% of teenage girls use unhealthy means to control their weight such as skipping meals, fasting, smoking cigarettes, and other self-destructive behaviors.

Additionally, the center says 25% of college-aged women engage in binging and purging - the first step in developing bulimia - and nearly 91% of female college students use unhealthy dieting mechanisms to control their weight.

It wasn’t until my late teens that I finally started to be comfortable in my own skin thanks to the help of my childhood best friend’s mother, who also struggled with her weight from a young age.

I will never forget the day she gave me a hug, looked me in the eyes, and said, “I’m fat and I’m happy,” and told me it doesn’t matter what I looked like on the outside. What mattered was how I felt on the inside.

I am happy to say I am in recovery, because those closest to me helped me see my self-worth when I couldn’t. But, not every young girl has the support system they need to be their best selves.

While I have been successful on my journey to self-love - even though I am still a work in progress - there are thousands of young women who still face the same scrutiny and judgment as I did - and still do.

My message to them? You are worth so much more than a number on a scale.

When I look back, I ask myself how a talented, smart, and beautiful child could be so disgusted with herself at such a young age. Because society is so fixated on the idea that women need to be thin in order to be beautiful, even young children are subject to outrageous amounts of judgement and pressure.

I am here to tell you society could not be more wrong.

I am so much more than the number on the scale, and society needs to stop putting so much pressure on young women to be “beautiful” because we all are.

Have an opinion?

Feel free to email it to: gatepost@framingham.edu Opinions should be about 750 words.

Anyone can submit.

FEBRUARY 26, 2021 | 11

THE GATEPOST EDITORIAL

A forecast for failure While over 7 million Texans boiled water and bundled in layers during last week’s winter storm, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz hopped on a plane to catch some sunshine during an untimely trip to Cancún.

Photos of Cruz and his family leaving for Mexico were plastered all over social media and left both his allies and opponents appalled at his actions.

He staged photos with his daughters while the Texas power grid went dark, leaving the Lone Star State without any electricity in the wake of an historic winter storm.

According to the Associated Press, as of Feb. 23, 80 people have died in Texas alone due to this destructive climate event.

For years, Cruz has dismissed climate change, yet when his state was faced with disastrous weather, he packed his bags for a sunnier location.

Last week in Texas, due to the ongoing lack of response to climate change, lives were lost.

This is not the time for government employees to ignore these issues or go on vacation.

Our country is not prepared for weather events of the magnitude seen last week in Texas. The situation Texans have endured goes beyond a natural disaster - it is the manmade result of the lack of climate change policies from state and federal governments.

The challenges of severe weather such as what was experienced in Texas last week are the result of climate change.

This is the reason our government needs to be investing in bettering our country’s infrastructure as it currently cannot withstand the weather conditions produced by climate change and undoubtedly, this will lead to even more devastating effects in the future.

Texas’ power grid failures happened because its power plants were not built to withstand freezing temperatures, leading to frozen natural gas lines.

According to The New York Times, wind turbines froze and nuclear and coal power plants were disrupted because of a similar lack of preparation. During this storm, controlled power outages were requested in order to prevent long-term damage to the power grid.

The storm that disrupted the Texas power grid was not an isolated incident. Weather disasters of this scale have been on the rise during the 21st century, and they revealed massive deficiencies in our nation’s infrastructure.

It is a question of when, not if, the next big storm, fire, or flood will strike - and where it will endanger American lives. We must prepare our country’s infrastructure for nature’s wrath.

Many politicians ignored blaring alarms signaling climate change. Now, they are neglecting the needs of their constituents suffering from a double punch of the devastating impacts of environmental change and inadequate critical infrastructure to protect them from it.

What our country needs now more than ever is bipartisan support for funding to fix the nation’s failing infrastructure. Our power grids, transportation systems, water management systems, and many more networks require repairs or replacement before an emergency occurs, not after.

Updated infrastructure will save money for service providers in the long run, avoiding emergency repairs made during dangerous environmental events as well as payouts to customers for interrupted services.

Repaired infrastructure will save money for governments over time, preventing the need to provide as much emergency disaster relief. If fewer people lose services, more resources can be concentrated where they are needed most.

Improved infrastructure will save lives by keeping the lights on, the heat running, and the water flowing during severe weather events. Repaired transportation networks will ensure evacuation routes are available when needed.

Investing in our country’s infrastructure now will prevent future disasters such as what happened in Texas last week.

As the old idiom goes, an ounce of damage prevention is easier to fund than a pound of disaster response.

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

OP/ED

12 | FEBRUARY 26, 2021

Campus Conversations What are your thoughts on the current crisis in Texas?

By Donald Halsing, Associate Editor

“I think it’s really unfair that they’re raising the utility prices and stuff like that.”

-Emily Teabo, sophomore

“Oh my god, I feel so bad for them because they’re not prepared for it.

Everyone’s giving them tons of crap for it. … I just hope they get better.”

-Kevin Hazelton, senior

“I believe it’s very indicative of a much larger problem. I think our network and the power grid is really outdated, and it needs advancement. Texas was unfortunate enough to be the first victim. But, I feel like if this isn’t treated, it’s just going to keep happening.”

-Arthur Doggett, senior

“Honestly, it is tragic. I wish that they had more resources available to them because they’re not like New England they don’t have occurrences like this on the regular.”

-Grace Pushor, junior

“I think it’s just a part of global warming, to be honest. I think that we should really start paying attention to what’s going on, and fighting it, because we’ve got these major places out here that don’t really have all these types of weather - and then they started experiencing all this stuff. We got a lot of people out there who are losing homes.”

-Derrick Farley, junior

“From what I’ve heard, it seems like a pretty bad situation and people need help. I think it’s our government’s job to step up and do that work - whether it’s on a state level or a federal level.”

-Raffi Elkhouri, freshman

“I think it’s really horrible. Honestly, I feel really bad for all the people that lost power - they’re freezing over - they just don’t know how to deal with it. It’s really, really unfortunate that this happened to them.”

-Olivia Renda, sophomore

“I personally think it’s a little crazy with the snow and everything, and I’m sure they’re not used to living it like that down there. It’s just a totally different world up here in Massachusetts than it is down there in Texas.”

-Jake Normile, junior

“Well it’s awful, especially since on social media, some people are making it into a joke because ‘North bashes the South.’

I’ve been seeing some people reaching out to others in Texas with tips and tricks about how to handle the snow since they haven’t had to do any of this. I think it’s great that we’re helping them out as well because it’s what they really need.”

-Emily Atherton, sophomore

Ed su missions re e t the o inions of their authors onl and do not ne essaril re e t those of he ate ost or its staff. @The ate ost | FSUgatepost.com

SPORTS

FEBRUARY 26, 2021 | 13

SPORTS ‘The snow can go!’ says FSU’s baseball team

By Danielle Achin Sports Editor Framingham State’s spring season is in full swing and seniors Bobb iggins an n rew aulfiel are more than ready to run the bases once again.

Last year, the team’s season was cut short due to the coronavirus outbreak, leaving the men only playing four games total.

“Our 2020 season being canceled was devastating for me and my team,” Higgins said. “It was something that’s never happene before an the first spring I wasn’t playing baseball since I was 4.”

“We put so much hard work in and were beginning our season on a good note. We were crushed and in shock,” sai aulfiel .

Higgins is from Barnstable and he began T-ball around 5 years old and never stopped.

“It’s always been my favorite thing to do,” Higgins said. “My dad has been a role model of mine since I started playing sports. He was a stud athlete and has taught me a lot over the years.”

Higgins ended his 2020 season with 5 putouts, a .462 batting average, and a homerun. aulfiel is fro al en an picked up a bat as early as 3 years old.

“Baseball has been rooted in my fa il ” aulfiel sai . “ woul sa that I was born into the sport.”

He ended last year’s season with 2 homeruns, 7 strikeouts, and a .250 batting average. hile the fight against the pan-

demic continues, the men were shocked to hear they would have another year of eligibility to play. “ s ba as it felt to fin out we were getting canceled, the excitement to fin out coul co e bac overca e that pain by far,” Higgins said. “It felt like a second life, a second opportunity to live out all that I wanted to happen the previous spring.”

With practice time allowed, the team must follow rules mandating certain restrictions in order to play.

“The practice schedule is the same but we are not all allowed to practice together due to COVID restrictions.

So it’s different and weird not being able to be together as a whole team,” aulfiel sai .

“Pitchers and position players are split up between the main gym and back gym to limit exposure,” Higgins sai . “ efinitel iss seeing our team on a daily basis like last year, but right now ’ ust happ to finall be playing again.” t’s been a ifficult process a usting to the new rules that are constantly set in place as people work toward normalcy. Fortunately for the team, Head Coach Sean Callahan has kept the men up in spirits while the new season awaits.

“As an FSU alum himself, he gets us in a way others normally wouldn’t,” Higgins said. “I know I can go to him for anything - even if it isn’t baseball related. He’s just as excited as we are, too.” aulfiel sai “ hen our season was canceled, seeing how it affected him as much as it affected us really showed me that he loves us. This

Courtesy of Bobby Higgins | Higgins throwing a pitch. team is his baby and he puts all of himself into making sure we become better baseball players and, more importantly, better people.”

The men share their experience of having a season taken from them and being grateful for another chance to play.

“We were all taught the hard way this past spring that nothing is guaranteed, not even baseball. Any day that ou get to get on a fiel or in a cage is a good day and something that shouldn’t be taken for granted. It’s the little things that make the biggest

impact,” said Higgins. “ e were ver confi ent in our abilities last year. With the new freshmen that came in and all of our returners, thin we are even ore confi ent as a team and we are chomping at the bit to get bac on the fiel together ” aulfiel sai . “ oo out for the Ra s in 2021. We’re going for it all. Don’t be surprised if you’re interviewing us after we raise the MASCAC trophy!”

“We were all taught the hard way this past spring that nothing is guaranteed, not even baseball.

Any day that you get to get on a field or in a cage is a good day and something that shouldn’t be taken for granted. It’s the little things that make the biggest impact,” - Bobby Higgins, Senior management major Courtesy of fsurams | Andrew Caufield

Courtesy of fsurams | Bobby Higgins

CONNECT WITH DANIELLE ACHIN dachin@student.framingham.edu

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14 | FEBRUARY 26, 2021

ARTS & FEATURES

ARTS & FEATURES Domingo Guyton discusses the evolution of derogatory terms

By Caroline Gordon Editorial Staff Domingo Guyton, an accomplished producer, director, and writer delivered his lecture, “The N-Word From Slavery to Hip-Hop,” during a Center for Inclusive Excellence event via Zoom Feb. 23.

Guyton grew up in Boston in an urban environment. His potential to translate his life lessons shine through his many multimedia achievements.

His music has been featured on national TV, including networks such as S an he pro uce his own fil “YTF” (Yesterday, Today, and Forever).

Additionally, Guyton was a drummer for six years, playing alongside a Grammy award-winning artist.

Guyton started his talk by touching upon his experience in the METCO program. He was bused from Boston to Framingham Public Schools for 11 years. Guyton said he has a “great connection” to Framingham and thanked the audience for the opportunity to speak.

He asked the audience if they knew the difference between pronouncing the n-wor with a har “R” at the en or with an “A” at the end - which is common in rap music.

He then offered an analogy for the n-word.

“Do murda and murder mean the same thing?” he asked. e offere erria ebster’s efinition of the n-word, “Used as an insulting and contemptuous term for a member of any dark-skinned race.”

Guyton discussed the earliest use

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of the n-word in the United States.

He said the word was used in 1619 to describe slaves that came from African on cargo ships.

Guyton touched upon how slaves worked all day long and were abused at night. Their living conditions were horrendous, families were separated, and the women were raped.

Guyton said the meaning of n-word has always had a negative connotation, regardless of the time period or context it’s used in.

“It [the n-word] has always been connected to being less than,” he said.

Guyton added, “It’s an awful word.

Slaves made this country who we are today.”

Guyton explained how Black people “internalized” the word and began using it to refer to each other.

He discussed the documentar “ nchaine e ories Rea ings from the Slave Narratives.”

Guyton shared a quote from a slave, William Moore, regarding his master, Marcy Tom. “ e To was a fitting an for meanness. He just about had to beat somebody every day to satisfy his cravings. He had a big bullwhip and he would stake a n***** on the ground while making another n***** force his head down into the dirt.”

Guyton recalled another character from the documentary, a slave named January. e rea lines fro the fil “ anuar was a big fine-loo ing n the finest ’ ever seen he was ust four years older than me. When the masters began beating him, January never said a word. The master got madder

because he couldn’t make January hurt. Finally, January said, ‘Master, have mercy on this poor n*****!’”

Guyton said he chose to share these examples because he wanted the audience to hear from individuals who experienced slavery.

“After the Civil War, they got their independence but they spoke about being on the plantation and what it was like being enslaved. You heard all of them using the n-word but it was not something to be proud of - and it wasn’t a term of endearment,” he said. e t u ton iscusse the Reconstruction Era. “The Emancipation Proclamation is the first ti e in .S. histor that Blacks were treated as equals, but this is also the time the Ku Klux Klan started,” he said.

Guyton touched upon how Confederate soldiers were still walking around trying to scare Black people.

He said once Black people started voting running for office an a ing money, some white people didn’t support them.

“Some whites wanted to keep things as close to slavery as possible, so some Blacks were still seen as n****** - were still seen as bad,” Guyton said.

He then discussed the lynching of Black people.

Guyton said between 1870 and 1920 more than 2,500 Black people were lynched.

He said some white people who were considered “n***** lovers,” were also lynched.

Guyton discussed how lynchings became town events that were advertised on postcards.

“Like a Superbowl, lynchings were the event of the night,” Guyton said.

He touched upon the book, “Without Sanctuary: Lynching Photography in America,” and said we need to understand how the n-word was used during this time period.

Guyton discussed how the word is used today in the rap community and said, “hardcore gangster rap” was create b the usic in ustr . Rappers did not start using the word until 1992, he said.

“These rappers made millions and millions of dollars primarily from selling sex, drugs, violence, and a love of money with the use of the word n*****. It’s a violent word,” Guyton said.

He shared a quote from Tupac, “N**** stands for Never Ignorant, Getting Goals Accomplished.”

Guyton said in addition to the music industry, the word appeared in movies and comedians started using

it.

He explained how “whites control the media,” so Black stereotypes have become ingrained in TV culture.

“You see them [Black people] as dangerous, oversexed animals,” Guyton said.

He explained how by 2008, only 10 companies controlled the U.S. media.

“When you’re watching Black entertainment television, you’re not watching Black entertainment. It’s actually run by individuals who are not Black. I don’t think that counts as Black entertainment,” Guyton said.

He discussed how Clear-channels are particularly uneducated about Black entertainment.

“This ties in with these media outlets pushing the n-word,” he said.

He touched upon the cultural appropriation of Black music.

Guyton said hip-hop started off with the poor Blacks and Latinos in the Bronx, but it began to mix with the white punk kids.

He said whites have always been part of Black culture.

“I don’t believe whites being involved with hip-hop is a form of cultural appropriation,” Guyton said.

He said, “Tupac stated that n****** were the ones on the Rope hanging off the trees. N****** are the ones with gold ropes hanging out at clubs, will soon be dead by their own mental slavery.”

Guyton discussed how he knows some white people use the word to refer to themselves because they consider themselves to be disadvantaged and poor.

He said the goal of his presentation is for people to understand there is no difference between the n-word with a har “R” at the en an the n-wor with an “A” at the end - because the words are inherently violent.

Guyton said nobody should be using it, including people of color.

He touched upon other racist words, such as c**n.

“It doesn’t have the same sting n***** has,” he said.

Guyton said although c**n is a horrible word, n***** is used the most frequently among Black people.

He ended the lecture with a quote from Bob Marley.

“Emancipate yourself from mental slavery, nothing but ourselves can free our minds.”

CONNECT WITH CAROLINE GORDON cgordon@student.framingham.edu

ARTS & FEATURES

FEBRUARY 26, 2021 | 15

A calling: The story of David Smailes

By Steven Bonini Staff Writer David Smailes, political science professor, didn’t always intend to be in the career he is in today.

In his early life, Smailes debated the idea of medical school, but because of the heavy involvement of mathematics, he felt it just wasn’t for him.

“I had done science classes in high school, and really enjoyed them - especially biology classes. I was always fascinated with living things and how they work,” said Smailes.

“The math was completely daunting to me,” he added. “I just didn’t have a skill for it.”

At 61, Smailes is going into his fourth year of teaching at FSU - applying for the position in 2017.

“I knew Framingham State fairly well, living in Framingham, and I really wanted to be close to home,” he said. “I really wanted to teach there because I really liked the program at Framingham. And so, it was a pretty easy choice to apply for the job.

“I met Chris Latimer, and I met Joe Coelho, and I really had a good conversation with both of them. And I decided it made sense,” he added.

Joseph Coelho, acting chair of the political science department, said he ha “a reall positive first i pression” of S ailes when the first et.

“Everyone who meets Dr. Smailes knows that he’s such a personable, nice guy,” said Coelho.

“He’s just the type of person that people feel comfortable around,” he added. “He’s very knowledgeable about his fiel .”

Coelho said before Smailes applied to teach at FSU, the number of students majoring in political science was approximately 29-to30 students. When Smailes arrived, the number of students majoring in political science jumped to approximately 60-to-70 students.

“I think a lot of students are attracted to the major because of the work and effort he puts into the program,” said Coelho.

Upon his arrival at FSU, Smailes said it was a little tough being the “new kid on the block. “ spent the first ear ust tr ing to navigate the place,” he said.

“That was a challenge just getting to know people - getting sort of settled, getting to know the students,” he added. “Because, again, I’m the new faculty member. Nobody knows if I’m a nice guy or not. Nobody knows if my classes are wicked hard or wicked easy.”

Smailes began studying political science when he first went to un ergraduate school in 1977. He was accepted at the College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio - his hometown.

He said the father of a high school friend taught Middle Eastern politics at the college.

“I got into that course,” he said.

“And I got very interested in it.

“It was kind of an upper-level course, so I was in over my head to be honest,” he added. “I was kind of struggling to keep up with everything.”

Smailes said although he struggled, the course was an “eye-opener,” and he began to realize he had an interest in politics.

“I had a wonderful history teacher in high school. And I was always interested in history, but I hadn’t really thought very seriously about going in that direction,” he said.

“I decided to be a political science major, and continue on,” he added. “I did a lot of courses - quite a number of courses as an undergraduate in international relations and comparative politics, but also American politics, law, sort of the whole gambit of what political science departments offer.”

As an undergraduate, Smailes deci e to get his teaching certificate.

He took a year off and subsequently made the decision to go to the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst) in the fall of 1982.

“I had a really wonderful undergraduate professor who taught political theory, who was a UMass Amherst, Ph.D.,” he said. “I admired his stuff so much. I really liked what he taught. I was really fascinated with political theory.”

He took the drive from Wooster to Amherst, and upon arrival had the opportunity to see former Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill speak at the Student Union on campus.

“I walked in and there’s Tip O’Neill, somebody who I’d seen on TV a million times, and I said, ‘I really like it here,’” said Smailes. “I decided to come to UMass Amherst and do my Ph.D. work.”

Smailes said during graduate school he taught part time to make some extra money - “just to pay the rent” - and eventually got connected with Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley.

“It’s a women’s college, and they were looking for somebody to teach an American politics course, which I did,” he said. “Got to know the people in that department very well very nice people.”

This is where Smailes said teaching became his “calling.”

“I had a full year of teaching under belt so to spea as was finishing up at UMass Amherst,” he said. “I had started on my dissertation, and when I got the job at Mount Holyoke for the year, that was the year that I went on the job market - started loo ing for first teaching position.”

Smailes taught at Mount Holyoke part-time as a grad student beginning in 1987. He was then moved to full time from 1989-1990 when he was hired as a leave replacement for a professor on sabbatical.

While looking for jobs, Smailes took a trip to Atlanta, Georgia for a Political Science Conference to do some research on former President

Jimmy Carter for his Ph.D. dissertation.

Smailes said his dissertation was focused on presidential decision making titled, “The President as Administrator: Ideology and the Selection of Administrative Strategies.”

In his dissertation, Smailes said he argued “ideology often drove administrative decisions presidents made, rather than political calculations about what might help them get re-elected.”

At the conference, Smailes met a man named Leo Chang who was teaching at Regis ollege in eston.

“We had a great conversation,” he said. “He told me all about the school, and made me a job offer, but I applied formally to the position and went for an interview and met some other people at the school, and I was offered a position. So, I ended up going there.”

S ailes starte at Regis ollege in 1990. hile at Regis S ailes sai he faced the challenge of teaching and working on his dissertation.

“That was a very tough year while I was doing that because I was basicall having to fit it in aroun being a new faculty member teaching a fulltime load,” he said.

Smailes added it was a lot harder during the late ’80s, early ’90s because laptops had not been widely available to the public.

“In order to do the writing on the computer, I actually had to go to campus to have a computer to use,” he said. “As a result, I was spending every weekend from morning to night writing my dissertation.”

Smailes said he ended up teaching at Regis ollege for appro i atel 16 years but left after the school began to focus on healthcare.

“I enjoy teaching policy and health care policy, but I didn’t want to do that only,” he said. “I started to look around, and there was a job that opene up at estfiel State niversity.”

Smailes said he applied for the position at estfiel as well as another open position at Emerson College in Boston.

“I seriously considered Emerson for a time because it was a lot closer than estfiel woul be ” he sai . “ ut eci e ’ li e estfiel better. reall thought that estfiel was a little closer to what I wanted, and it was a bigger program there for political science.”

S ailes starte at estfiel in 2006 and taught there for approximately 10 years before taking the job at FSU. More recently, Smailes said the challenge of moving to virtual courses was not as “scary” for him as it may have been for others.

Smailes said he taught online courses uring his ti e at estfiel .

“I’ve done it mostly at the graduate level. I haven’t done it at the undergraduate level,” he said. “I knew the technology. I knew how to struc-

ture things in a way that I thought made sense for people.”

Smailes added one of the bigger challenges he’s faced in his profession during COVID-19 has been his struggle to make real connections with students as one would in a faceto-face environment. “ a ing that connection fin ing that connection, is tough,” he said.

“I think we all know, whenever you’re writing an email or a text, it’s so easy to misinterpret it or to have it come across in a way that you don’t intend,” he added. “I always have to be a little bit careful. … I want to make sure that I understand what this person’s concern is, or question is.”

Smailes said he believes it’s important to ensure all his students feel welcomed and connected in some way - regardless of the circumstances.

“You all pay a lot of money to come to college,” he said. “You deserve that time and that effort on the part of faculty to make sure that you realize how important you are to us.”

Smailes said in his profession the lowest point can be when a student fails one of his courses.

“I think when somebody fails one of my classes, I feel a lot like what I would imagine a doctor feels like when they lose a patient,” he said.

“You want to do everything you can for somebody - you want to give them every opportunity. When it doesn’t work out, and they fail a class, you kind of say to yourself, ‘What could I have done differently? Could I have done more?’”

When David Smailes isn’t doing what he loves, he enjoys reading a good book, doing a crossword puzzle, or watching a movie.

“I love doing the New York Times crossword puzzle,” he said. “That’s a good mental challenge in the morning.

“I’m a big devotee of Turner Classic Movies,” he added. “I love old fil .

“I think probably if you said to me, ‘You’ve got a free day, what do you want to do?’ I’d probably say I’m going to read this book that I’ve been waiting to read that I haven’t had a chance to read yet,” said Smailes. “I love Mark Twain. I love sort of humorous stuff. I probably tend to like the classic authors more than modern authors.”

Leisure aside, Smailes said he enjoys teaching, and he doesn’t intend to leave the fiel an ti e soon.

“I really see this as my calling. I mean, this is the thing that I really enjoy doing, and I really can’t imagine not doing it at any point in my life,” he said.

“For an artist, it’s painting or sculpting. For me, it’s teaching.”

CONNECT WITH STEVEN BONINI sbonini@student.framingham.edu

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16 | FEBRUARY 26, 2021

ARTS & FEATURES

Independent Association of Continued from page 1

renewing of old ties,” said Herring.

This led to the formation of an Association committee, led by Ellen Chandler, Class of 1864.

The committee met “to frame a constitution for a new association of Framingham graduates,” according to Herring.

In 1874, the constitution was ready, and the Association was established as a group that strived to unify and strengthen alumni ties.

The Association has been led by a long line of notable presidents since its founding. Some include Annie ohnson - the ssociation’s first president - Ellen Hyde, Henry Whittemore, an Ruth a efiel - inventor of the Toll House Cookie.

The Association, however, hasn’t always been independent from the University.

In 2002, the Framingham State College Board of Trustees voted to create a ‘Framingham State College Alumni Association’ and recognize it as the only authorized alumni group, demanding the “independent Association cease using the name Framingham State College in its name and communications,” Herring wrote.

He added, “The Association refused to comply with that demand, leading to the ollege’s filing a lawsuit against the Association in December 2002, a lengthy and costly legal battle that lasted until September 2004.”

Following the lawsuit settlement, the Massachusetts Secretary of State accepted the Association’s new name - IAFSA - and the Association worked to mend its relationship with the College.

Herring wrote, “The new role of the Association was formalized with the adoption of a new mission statement

Front of the Alumni House.

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on June 19, 2006: ‘A self-governing, non-profit organi ation establishe in 1874 by dedicated alumni, the Independent Association of Framingham State Alumni continues its tradition of service by receiving and administering funds that provide scholarship and benevolent assistance, while maintaining Alumni House and collaborating with Framingham State College in pursuit of its mission.’”

Today, the Association continues to engage with alumni, support students, and preserve the Alumni House, according to Executive Director Francesca Cerutti-Harris.

found on the Association’s website.

She added the scholarships are provided annually to students with award amounts ranging from $750 to $2,000.

According to Cerutti-Harris, the IAFSA is working to establish a new scholarship which will be awarded to a student from an underrepresente group in the ST fiel - science technology, engineering, and math.

“The idea for this particular scholarship came about this summer. A recent grad emailed me and she had received a scholarship from us in the past and she was super grateful,” said Cerutti-Harris. “She is a new gradu-

IAFSA also awards the Ellen Hyde interest-free student loan, which was established in 1898.

According to the Association’s website, the loan assists undergraduate and graduate FSU students.

The recipients are selected by IAFSA alumni members and the loan is distributed by the Board of Trustees.

Along with student scholarships and loans, the IAFSA also provides interest-free short-term loans to help alu ni facing financial ifficulties.

“We have been very fortunate that our alumni have a lot of integrity and so they make sure that those loans get

“We want alumni to stay connected to their school. It was easier in the past because the classes of students were smaller and they were very close-knit. So, it was a different college experience,” - Francesca Cerutti-Harris, Executive Director Notably, IAFSA distributes grants and scholarships to help students succeed during their time at Framingham State. The Association also provi es financial support to alu ni.

According to the Association’s website, there are currently 37 scholarships and awards available.

Association President Mary Kenney Liscombe said the IAFSA works with the inancial i Office to provide around $70,000 worth of scholarships every year to students.

The scholarships are not part of an financial ai pac age sai erutti-Harris. Students must apply for them via the IAFSA Universal Scholarship Application, which can be

ate and she didn’t have a big chunk of money, but she wanted to give back.

So, I said we will let it grow.”

Cerutti-Harris added the Association will “invite people to donate to this endeavor.”

She said, “Just shortly into the new year, I received a check in the mail and it was from the family of an alum who had passed away and it was very important to their mother that the money be used towards education.

“So, we were able to put the two together and we’re going to have a new scholarship. It’s very exciting for us.

We hope to give that scholarship this fall,” Cerutti-Harris added.

In addition to scholarships, the

Donald Halsing | THE GATEPOST

paid back,” said Kenney Liscombe. “It may take them a while, but they do.

It’s really a good program.”

The Association also collects donations for the Ra s Resource enter (RR ) ra ingha State’s on-ca pus food pantry.

“We have a board member who wor s with the Ra s foo pantr . e collect food at the Alumni House and we bring that over to the RR when we get a significant a ount in ” sai Kenney Liscombe.

A hidden gem inside the Alumni House is the fashion and art supply center, a place where students can take donated supplies. The center was founded by former Executive Director Debbie Cleveland.

“We get fabric and notions and paint supplies and framing supplies.

So, we try to be a place where students can stop in first before the have to go off campus and spend money,” said Cerutti-Harris.

She joked about the center’s large button supply, saying, “I hope a student never buys a button because we have so many buttons - it’s ridiculous.”

Kenney Liscombe said the Association is “very fortunate” to have alumni who belong to “organizations that are fabric oriented or sewing oriented” as they are always willing to donate supplies for students.

She said students come to the Alumni House as well to ask for specific supplies the nee an the ssociation does its best to accommodate their requests.

Kenney Liscombe added, “We give away sewing machines every year, too.”

On having the means to provide students with these items, Kenney

ARTS & FEATURES

FEBRUARY 26, 2021 | 17

Framingham State Alumni Liscombe said, “We are delighted to be able to do that.”

Due to COVID-19, students who are in need of supplies are asked to call the Alumni House to set up a reservation. The IAFSA is currently allowing only one student to come in per hour on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons The Alumni House also serves as a meeting place for community members.

Inside its wallpapered walls are a vintage 1970’s kitchen - always stocked with snacks, coffee, and tea - a formal dining room, a sunroom, a conference room, and a cozy living roo set with a fireplace.

The historic home, adorned with original woodwork, can be rented out for functions for up to 60 guests. Additionally, the home is used for University and Alumni events.

Former IAFSA Intern Aemilia Desy noted how welcoming the Alumni House is, saying, “It’s like my home away from home.”

“As a student, if you ever need anything, you can go there [to the Alumni House]. If you can’t afford art supplies or if you run out of thread or need to borrow a sewing machine, sometimes we have those,” Desy said.

“We have a whole pantry [of supplies] that students come and take from if they need paint brushes, canvases, or notebooks. We have books that you can reference as well - a lot of fashion books.”

She added, “Basically, if you need anything, go there and they will help you.”

Another hidden gem of the Alumni House is the Garden on the Hill which was completed by the Class of 1964 with “significant onations” fro the classes of 1986 and 1976, according to the Association’s website.

The seating area of the garden was dedicated to Patrick Mageary, Class of 1986.

“The Class of 1964 got together

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The Alumni House at 42 Adams Road.

“We try to find ways to engage alumni and keep them interested.

Because it [FSU] is such a historic school - they have this kind of shared history that brings them [alumni] together.”

- Francesca Cerutti-Harris, Executive Director and they wanted to kind of make a little zen garden that people could go to sit down, have benches, and make it really pretty,” said Kenney Liscombe.

“I’ve had lunch out there with other alumni and by myself, and it is just very peaceful and quiet. It’s very lovely.”

She said, “They [The Class of 1964]

raised the funds for it. They did a lot of work. They actually hired another alum who’s a landscape person to come and do the work.

“It’s just a fabulous little place to retreat to if you ever want a quiet study place,” Kenney Liscombe added.

One way the Association has stayed connected to its alumni is through a pen pal group.

“There are people who write to older alumni,” said Kenney Liscombe.

Every December, alumni get together an “ ust fill the house all a long writing Christmas cards for people who are the classes that graduated 50 years ago or more,” said Kenney Liscombe.

Cerutti-Harris said this past year, they sent out 2,900 cards.

She said, “In the past [before COVID-19], we had a party. Alum would come back from multiple generations. They would sit at tables, we would set up all over downstairs, and have snacks and goodies and hand address these cards.

“It was absolutely amazing. We put on holiday music, people talk, and it was just so cool,” Cerutti-Harris added.

Due to COVID-19, Cerutti-Harris

said, “We had them [alumni] sign up and we put together these packets of cards, stamps, pens, and lists, and they came and picked them up.

“So, over 40 people took packets home of at least 30 cards. So, that was kind of cool,” she added.

The Association also publishes their newsletter the Echo. enne isco be sai “ t’s fille with all of the information about things that we’re doing and stories of our alumni. … It’s a nice way for people to connect with each other.”

Looking toward the future, the IAFSA will continue to engage, support, and preserve, just as it has for the last 147 years.

“We want alumni to stay connected to their school. It was easier in the past because the classes of students were smaller and they were very close-knit. So, it was a different college experience,” said Cerutti-Harris.

She a e “ e tr to fin wa s to engage alumni and keep them interested. Because it [FSU] is such a historic school - they have this kind of shared history that brings them [alumni] together.”

CONNECT WITH ASHLEY WALL awall1@student.framingham.edu

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ARTS & FEATURES

From Berkeley to Boston Community leaders ensure Black boys are represented

By Cara McCarthy Associate Editor The Chris Walsh Center hosted a panel of educators, community leaders, and an FSU student as part of Framingham State’s Black History Month Celebration via Zoom Feb. 18.

The Zoom call, which can hold up to 500 people, was completely full according to the Center’s Coordinator, James Cressey.

The event centered around the ocu entar “ lac o s ” a fil dedicated to addressing school segregation 60 ears after the ittle Roc Nine. The discussion was moderated by education professor Chu Ly. The panel consisted of Dan Karanja, senior math major on track to be a secondary educator, Travis Bristol, a professor at University of California Berkeley, and Conan Harris, founder and CEO of Conan Harris Associates and former director of My Brother’s Keeper - an organization dedicated to creating pathways for young boys and men of color.

Both Bristol and Harris contributed to the “Black Boys” documentary and were asked by Ly why they agreed to participate in the project.

Bristol said, “At the time, I was living in Cambridge and I talked about how all of my son’s teachers at the beginning of the year saw him not as a child - they saw him as an adult.

“And, because of my own advocacy, over time they began to see him as a child, and I think that was what brought e to the fil - sharing own research as both the researcher and father to a Black boy,” Bristol added.

Courtesy of Peacock

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Harris said he agreed to be a part of the documentary because he wanted to shed light on young Black boys who may not be on the “right side of the track.” “[I wanted to shed light on] the young boys who are always disenfranchised from professional environments and school environments - the ones who are looked at as if they are going to be failures before they are going to be excellent,” Harris said.

“I wanted to shed light on the little Conans of the world,” he added.

Harris has also advised two presidents, most recently current Presient oseph R. i en an sai “ f ou would have seen my younger self, you would never have seen this [working with Biden] possible.” arris also reflecte on his e perience growing up, and how the support he received was not the same as many young Black men in America.

“I was an ordinary person with extraordinary support. But, a lot of our young brothers [people of color] are falling through the cracks just by the way in which we [society] are viewing them,” he said.

Karanja, Bristol, and Harris were asked what went into their decision to become educators and community leaders.

Both Karanja and Bristol have family members who are educators and said they played a large role in their decision to become teachers themselves.

Bristol grew up in New York City and attended what he said many would call an “apartheid school,” which is described as a system of segregation in schools.

“I had to walk through a metal detector and I had to put my bag in to be X-rayed 180 days out of the year,” he said.

Bristol also said the education he received was less about educating him and more about policing him.

“The project of schooling was more focused on policing my mind and policing my body,” Bristol said. “I wasn’t necessarily prepared for college.

“I realized that lots of Black and brown children in urban centers were being miseducated the way I was being miseducated in New York City,” Bristol said.

He said after seeing the miseducation young children of color, including his son, were receiving, he felt it was his responsibility to become a teacher. He ended up teaching in his home city of New York after receiving his master’s degree.

Harris said he decided to become a community leader because he felt he was chosen to help the little Conans of the world.

He said his journey to becoming a community leader started 26 years ago when he volunteered for Second Thoughts - an organization dedicated to helping incarcerated people of color get on the right path after being released.

Harris said the experience changed his perception of the world, and he

Courtesy of UC Berkeley began educating himself in order to better serve his community and went back to school.

“Not only do I do the work on the ground, but I get to shape and form how organizations do the work to support young people to be their best selves,” he said.

Harris added throughout his time as a community leader, he wanted to ensure he could serve as a voice for the voiceless.

“My goal was to be an authentic voice and an authentic person for young people,” Harris said. “I made sure they [schools without Black teachers] brought in community members so the young Black boys could have representation and people who would give them a pathway and teach them the ways of success.

“No matter where I’m at, I’m going to push the envelope to make sure our young people have the right kind of people aroun the so the can fin routes to their success,” he added.

Ly also asked the panelists how non-people of color can attract Black an brown en into the fiel of being educators and community leaders.

Bristol answered Ly’s question by presenting a series of other questions for the audience to consider.

“How can you attract people who come into a profession if you disproportionately suspend and expel them?” Bristol said.

“How can you attract people to join the profession if when they enter teacher preparation programs - or when they enter K-12 schools - we on’t have a curriculu to reflect them?” he asked.

“How can we get people to enter into the profession when we pay them very little and expect them to pay for the college tuition of their master’s program?” Bristol asked.

He added in Massachusetts, schools disproportionately expel and suspend

Black and brown children.

“We don’t give them an opportunity to enter college because we shut off the pipeline so early,” he said.

Harris applauded the principal of a school he used to volunteer at through My Brother’s Keeper because “she was not going to have a school that did not have Black males in it.”

He said this principal put an emphasis on the importance for Black and brown children to have appropriate representation whether it came from Black and brown educators or community members.

“That school became a turnaround school because she did not let estructions of the s ste efine herself and what she wanted to see for her students within that school,” Harris added.

Additionally, all of the students of color Harris and My Brother’s Keeper aided in that school earned A’s and B’s on their report cards. ’s final uestion as e what co munity members, parents, and other non-people of color can do to hold each other accountable.

Bristol said one of the most important aspects a community can introduce is to bring people of color into their schools as educators and mentors so that not only do Black and brown children receive representation, but also so the white-washed education system is wiped out.

“It’s essential that we reframe this idea of teachers of color and Black teachers in white communities,” he said.

“It’s crucial to your wholeness that you have somebody who looks like me.”

CONNECT WITH CARA MCCARTHY cmccarthy8@student.framingham.edu

ARTS & FEATURES

FEBRUARY 26, 2021 | 19

Don’t Enjoy ‘The Little Things’

By Patrick Brady Staff Writer Despite having a well-executed, suspenseful opening, “The Little Things” was a complete disappointment. Although the movie has a promising premise, the execution of the plot is odd.

The fil was written an irecte

by John Lee Hancock, who worked on blockbuster hits, such as “The Blind Side” and “Saving Mr. Banks.” While ancoc has been in the fil in ustr for a while his fil s are usuall hit or miss.

It was released on HBO Max Jan. 29.

The fil stars Den el ashington as oe Deacon Ra i ale as i Baxter, and Jared Leto as Albert Sparma.

Deacon, a Kern County deputy sheriff, is recruited to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in order to collect evidence about a recent murder. After learning of a L.A. murder, Deacon accompanies lead detective Baxter to the crime scene.

After observing the room in which the killings took place, Deacon noticed similarities between the killing and an old serial murder case he was unable to solve. During that same night Ron a Rathbun a ogger was followed by a car and reported missing the following morning.

Upon learning about other victims who were stabbed to death as well, Deacon and Baxter began investigating Sparma, a suspect working at a repair store near where the murders occurred. nli e ost cri e-thriller fil s “The Little Things” doesn’t contain a lot of violence. Even though the MPAA states the movie has “violent/ disturbing images,” there is little in the wa of ph sical har inflicte onto others.

For the most part, the movie is overly ambitious and doesn’t live up to the plot’s high expectations.

While the cinematography and score were phenomenal, the script and acting were sub-par. Instead of following the conventional murder story, Hancock decided to take a route less traveled. ain proble with the fil is the first thir of it - the scenes ove by way too fast. Due to the fast pace, there were a lot of unnecessarily short conversations between characters.

In fact, there is one incredibly quick scene which slightly resembles the infa ous “The Roo ” convenience store segment. I won’t spoil it, but I was completely expecting Washington to say, “Oh hi, Malek!” n along with the first thir of the fil being incre ibl rushe there were a lot of cringe-worthy exchanges sprinkled in throughout the

ACROSS 1. Big Apple computers 6. Take heavy steps 11. “Call the Midwife” network 14. Automated worker 15. Cowboy’s contest 16. Become inedible 17. Solo 18. Ask too much for 20. Was useful to (unscramble letters 5 to 8 in this answer) 22. Dutch cheese 23. Certainly not animated 24. West Africa’s Sierra ___ 26. Unexpected response to “Are you asleep?”

27. Crew team member 30. Trims the grass 33. Ouija board activity 38. Dot follower, in a college’s URL 39. Had tandoori chicken, say 40. Roosevelt’s Depression-fighting plan (2 to 5) 41. Food staple with a jumbo size 42. Word after “hot” or “lightning”

last hour. On numerous occasions, I found myself wincing at the awkward long pauses in between the spoken dialogue and poorly written character motivations.

While I do have respect for both Washington and Malek as actors, they were completely miscast. Since neither of them melded well with their characters, it left for some unintentionally hilarious scenes.

In particular, there was one incredibly brief exchange between Washington and Leto which left me gasping for breath after laughing so hard - it was that bad.

But I’ll give Washington and Malek some slack, since Leto’s performance was honestly horrendous. Due to his lack of emotion, I truly believe he gave Tommy Wiseau a run for his money.

Despite all of its shortcomings, the fil ha a few en o able aspects. or instance, the stalking sequences were really well executed and surprisingly suspenseful.

Along with the suspense, the movie moved quickly, which made it interesting yet rushed. Throughout most of it, I was never bored, but rarely engaged with the story.

While “The Little Things” is certainl not a great fil it oes tr new ways to revamp a formulaic murder mystery. Hancock deserves credit for this, but falters when it comes to his

43. Like always 44. Hawaiian strings, informally 45. Oteri who was on “SNL” 47. Ending for “Hallow” 49. Shrub whose flowers are often purple 52. Puts to rest, as fears 55. During 57. What may cross a highway, or a theme hint 60. Golfer’s midrange club 62. Not much of a part 63. “I’m Nobody! Who ___ you?” (Dickinson) 64. Still kicking 65. Long journeys 66. For each 67. Control the direction of 68. Have a feeling DOWN 1. Roth and SEP plans 2. Some plants or garden pests 3. Stop before launch 4. Groups of vehicles 5. “Remington ___” (‘80s TV show) 6. Group of people 7. February 14 emotion 8. Browns wide receiver Beckham Jr. 9. Country’s Haggard 10. Palindromic music genre 11. Time for a colorful parade (4 to 7) 12. ___ Raton, Florida 13. Blossom holder 19. Nevada gambling mecca 21. Says mean things about 25. Longtime hurler Hershiser 28. Outer limit 29. Throws and runners 30. Painter Chagall 31. Texter’s “However ...”

32. Pizza parlor phrase (1 to 4) 34. Ram’s partner 35. Word such as “happily”: Abbr.

36. Born as 37. Steve of “The Office”

directorial and screenwriting skills.

Plot holes, prolonged pauses, quick scenes, and off-putting dialogue littered the script. And based on nowle ge of the fil in ustry, the screenplay is the central part of whether the movie will be good or not.

“The Little Things” is easily the ost isappointing fil ’ve seen this year by a long shot. After witnessing the true potential of HBO Max’s original fil s was e cite to chec out the movie.

While I wish I could recommend “The Little Things,” I simply cannot.

The fil was essentiall an O a train wreck doomed to happen.

ADMIT ONE

Grade: D+ Maybe sell the script to Wiseau Pictures next time around.

ADMIT ONE

CONNECT WITH PATRICK BRADY pbrady@student.framingham.edu

40. Hit squarely 44. Without a clue 46. Travel by streetcar 48. Votes into office 50. Slanting 51. Marie who won two Nobel Prizes 52. “Li’l ___” (classic comic) 53. Country by the Gulf of Aden Puzzle solutions are now 54. Personal ad verb exclusively online.

55. “Stat!”

56. Trifling 58. Change location 59. Prescribed amount 61. Lil ___ X (“HOLIDAY” rapper)

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