Volume 90 • Issue 17
FSUgatepost.com
February 25, 2022
Suit Jacket Posse says, ‘Yes and...’ to a new semester
Maddison Behringer / THE GATEPOST
(Left) Beta Cojocaru, and Eric Qua performing ‘Blind Freeze’ at the Suit Jacket Posse show Feb. 23.
Day School Collective Bargaining Agreement awaiting legislative approval By Danielle Achin Sports Editor By Dallas Gagnon Staff Writer The 2020-23 Day School faculty and librarian contract was ratified Oct. 22, and awaits legislative approval. Contractual changes include pay increases and paid family and medical leave (PFML). Pay raises consist of a 2.5% increase for Fiscal Year 2020, and an additional 2.0% increase for the remaining two years of the contract,
expiring in 2023. Massachusetts State College Association (MSCA) Day Bargaining Chair Maria Hegbloom said, “We receive a 2% pay increase for July 2020, a 2% increase for July 2021 and July 2022.” The additional .5% pay increase for 2020 was a compromise between the union and management, provided that the union dismisses court charges. In 2018, Gov. Charlie Baker signed into law what is known as the “Grand Bargain,’’ which includes a new family and medical leave program in Massachusetts.
ghost-busting officer for the P by night - and an actual police officer by day. n actor, a chef, and an officer of the law - three passions rolled into one self-proclaimed life-long learner. This describes John Santoro, who was named the University’s new police chief by the Police Chief/Director of Public Safety Search Committee and announced in an email Dec. 20. He beat two outside candidates for the position. Outside of the police station, San-
toro has acted in a range of theater performances from local to Hollywood productions. ou may catch him as an P police officer in the reprise of “Ghostbusters.” He said acting provides him “a sense of relief. “It’s something to do to take me away from the stresses of everyday life - to get lost, if you will, and to step out of my realm.” Santoro added though his experience as an actor is limited, it has helped him gain confidence from a young age. This has helped him be more recep-
MILLIE GONZÁLEZ FORUM pg. 6
As a result, employees must pay ANNA SARNESO FORUM pg. 7 into that program. Hegbloom added, “The employer is really required to pay a certain amount into this fund … but then, the employers can kind of push some of that cost onto employees. “The Board of Higher Education pushed the full amount of that onto our members without negotiating that with us, and they are required to negotiate that.” Although the Collective Bargaining Agreement has been ratified, Former SEEKING ASSISTANCE pg. 8 Union President Sarah Pilkenton said HALEY’S COMIC pg. 9
Opinions
See CONTRACT page 3
Chief of Police John Santoro: A Modern-Day Renaissance Man By Haley Hadge News Editor
News
Sports
tive to “other people’s suggestions and ideas,” he said. His tempo quickened with enthusiasm as he recalled his time spent learning and developing his culinary skills - an enthusiasm equal to when discussing his other love in life - policing. Gatepost Archives The first higher education degree Santoro earned was an associate’s in ICE HOCKEY pg. 10 Culinary Arts at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. But it was from a young age that these two passions were formed. From the young age of 8 he began ‘SCREAM 5’ REVIEW pg. 12
Arts & Features
See JOHN SANTORO page 13
DRAG BINGO PHOTO SPREAD pg. 13
INSIDE: OP/ED 8 • SPORTS 10 • ARTS & FEATURES 11
NEWS
2 | FEBRUARY 25, 2022
Editorial Board
Gatepost Interview
Editor-in-Chief Donald Halsing
Lisa Thomas
Associate Editors Leighah Beausoleil Kathleen Moore
Nursing Professor
By Brendan LaCroix Staff Writer
News Editors Steven Bonini Haley Hadge Ashlyn Kelly Asst. News Editor Sophia Harris Opinions Editor McKenzie Ward Sports Editors Danielle Achin Tyler Wahl Arts & Features Editors Caroline Gordon Emily Rosenberg Asst. Arts & Features Editor Ryan O’Connell Design Editors Maddison Behringer Emma Lyons
What is your role here at FSU and what does your job entail? I coordinate the graduate studies for the ursing epartment. e have three concentrations for master of science in nursing, and we have four certificate programs. What made you want to become a nursing professor? I did it for lifestyle - I needed a different schedule. So I went into academia - away from practice. But what I learned as I made that switch is how much I love doing education. I just love it. When I see a light bulb go off in a student’s eyes when they finally make the connection when they get it - I think that’s my drive to continue in education. I’ve always loved teaching, though. As a practicing nurse, I precepted students. I loved working with nursing students or taking a step into academia, and doing that full-time was a good path for me.
Copy Editor Patrick Brady Staff Writers James Barraford Jackson Clyde Dan Fuentes Dallas Gagnon Mark Haskell Stefano Hernandez Christy Howland Branden LaCroix Sage Lorenzo Johan Perez Nathan Rogers Multimedia Critics Sean Cabot Jack McLaughlin Ryan Schreiber
What do you enjoy most about your work? Teaching. There’s a lot of administrative stuff with the coordinating, but what I enjoy is making those connections with students. So, although my classrooms are on Zoom right now, I enjoy being in the virtual classroom engaging with students. Our class sizes
Advisor Desmond McCarthy
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TH E GA T E
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Asst. Advisor Elizabeth Banks
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What is your educational and professional background? I’ve been a nurse for 32 years. I started my career at Children’s Hospital Boston, and worked there in pediatric oncology for a number of years. Then, I went back and I got my master’s degree at ortheastern University and then became a nurse practitioner. I went into pediatric primary care for about 10 years. Then, I stepped back into pediatric oncology, worked with the Jimmy Fund Clinic as a nurse practitioner, and then started my sort-of journey in academia in . So I’ve been doing academics since then. I started in an Program - associate degree program - and then worked in a bachelor’s degree program, and here I am in the master’s program. So I just kind of stepped my way up.
T TH EGATEPOS
100 State Street McCarthy Center Room 410 Framingham, MA 01701-9101 Phone: (508) 626-4605 Fax: (508) 626-4097 gatepost@framingham.edu @TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com
Courtesy of Framingham State are small, so it’s nice to have that. I love working with this level of nursing students because they’re practicing nurses, so they bring a lot of their clinical practice into the classroom. I enjoy working one-on-one with students, so my office hours are usually pretty full - where I’m meeting with students and either talking about advising issues or course questions. And I teach the capstone course, so developing their capstone projects and so forth. What are some of your personal hobbies? I like to ski - downhill skiing. For the warm weather, I’m a beach person and ocean person, so I’m oftentimes at the beach in the summertime. And then I like to read, walk, and snowshoe - I’m
pretty active. Do you have any advice for FSU students? I got my undergraduate education at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, so I really believe in state education because it opened so many doors for me. So, I think, take advantage of your education no matter what level you’re at. … Really experience everything that your college experience can offer you and do the extras.
CONNECT WITH BRENDAN LACROIX blacroix@student.framingham.edu
Police Logs @T HEGATEPOST
Monday, Feb. 21 04:04 Larceny West Hall Report Taken
Tuesday, Feb. 22 12:51 Harassment West Hall Report Taken
Tuesday, Feb. 22 17:56 Medical Athletic Center Transport to Hospital
Wednesday, Feb. 23 16:09 Larceny FSU Police Department Report Taken
Monday, Feb. 21 12:22 Larceny McCarthy Center Checks OK
Tuesday, Feb. 22 12:26 Larned Hall Fire Lane Trespass Tow Citation Issued and Towed
Wednesday, Feb. 23 15:48 Medical Hemenway Hall Refused Transport
Thursday, Feb. 24 13:31 Arrest West Hall Arrest Made
Contract Continued from page 1
the legislature hasn’t “even started moving it through the process.” Faculty and librarians have not received these pay increases and do not know when they will. According to Ann McDonald, chief of staff and general counsel, prior to bargaining, “The negotiating team receives the authorization to negotiate within certain parameters” by the Department of Higher Education. She said these parameters are in place because “ultimately, the legislature has to fund it - either through our budgets or through a separate funding line. “So, they give the bargaining team - which is represented by the Department of Higher Ed - parameters,” McDonald added. The union initially proposed pay increases of 5.5%, 5%, and 5%. Kate Caffrey, a communication, media, and performance professor and union chapter president (FSU), said these proposed raises were “just to keep up with inflation.” Faculty contracts are in effect for a three-year period. Luis Rosero, a bargaining representative, said negotiations on a new contract start “before the expiration of the prior one.” The last contract was in effect 2017-20, “then we had COVID to deal with,” said Rosero. As a result, both parties agreed to a one-year contract with changes that included faculty accommodations for teaching online and a 0% pay increase for that year. Caffrey said, “When we have a zero year, it affects us that year, but also down the line because a lot of things in our salary are cumulative and have to do with percentages.” A series of Memorandum of Agreements (MOA) and Health and Safety guidelines also went into effect in lieu of the 2020-21 temporary contract. In addition, a 1.5% bonus was awarded to union members in response to the 0% “bridge year” as part of an MOA. The 1.5% bonus is a one-time provision that is based on faculty and librarians’ base pay. Both parties voted in favor of continuing the pre-existing MOAs that were in place from the temporary contract. Some measures include on-campus COVID-19 testing for union members, offering remote office hours at faculty discretion, vaccine
NEWS
and mask mandates, and adhering to social distancing. Despite the COVID-19 protocols that are in place, some faculty members believe MOAs are not being entirely complied with. An area of concern is classroom capacity. Bargaining Alternate Mirari Elcoro said, “There’s no way we can social distance in here [the classroom].” Elcoro said she was “petrified” to move around the classroom at the beginning of the fall semester, adding, “If our working conditions aren’t safe - yes, it affects my professional working conditions - but it also affects my students.”
FEBRUARY 25, 2022 | 3
devoted to looking into promotions, faculty retention, and career progression for faculty and librarians of color. She said this committee will investigate “potential inequities that may exist on our campus” and address “how we can do a better job of recruiting and retaining faculty and librarians of color.” The other committee is tasked with advocating for state legislation “that benefits students and public higher education in general, particularly issues of funding,” said Hegbloom. Silent Bargainer and Student Suc-
“If our working conditions aren’t safe, yes it affects my professional working conditions but it also affects my students.” -Mirari Elcoro, Psychology Professor and Bargining Alternate
Another area of concern that surfaced during negotiations was student evaluation bias and the impact it has on faculty promotion. According to History Professor Joseph Adelman, there has been significant evidence that student evaluations, in general, tend to reflect less about the quality of the course and more about student assumptions about the professor. Adelman said, “Faculty of color, non-cis-gendered men, for example, all score lower. “Right now, we’re still using the same version we have been using, but we’re in the process of reviewing them [student evaluations] and trying to come to an agreement on whether or not there’s a better way.” Elcoro added, “When you start thinking about evaluations, you want to give students an opportunity to voice strengths and areas of improvement about faculty. But hopefully, those are opportunities for growth - not - you either keep your job or you don’t.” Two joint committees have been established between management and the union to discuss common interests between both parties. Hegbloom said one committee is
Weather
cess and Assessment Librarian Hedda Monaghan said each time the bargaining process begins, management introduces proposals that “we feel would weaken our union … massively.” One proposal management put on the bargaining table was to discontinue post-tenure review and offer faculty a one-time bonus. According to Rosero, “Once you reach professor, the only way you can see an actual increase in your salary other than the cost of living adjustments is if you go up for post-tenure review.” Rosero said offering post-tenure review provides an incentive for professors to continue working on teaching and research skills. “ ot that people always need an incentive. People do it because they care, but it is an incentive so from that perspective, it works,” said Rosero. He added, “It’s also a way to create some sort of career path, so you don’t just reach professor and you’re done.” McDonald said, “The way the state operates is you base your retirement on your highest three years of your salary.”
In eliminating post-tenure review, benefits based on faculty base pay and percentages would be impacted one benefit being retirement. Caffrey said, “We were not convinced we were going to be able to settle the contract. “But this time, we had something management needed, which was the agreement for vaccination, and they needed that fast,” said Caffrey. Rosero said he also thought “somebody was going to walk away,” until the health and safety guidelines came into the conversation. Overall, faculty members agreed this contract was more “status quo” than past contracts. Monaghan said this contract consisted less of “major changes,” and the process revolved more around “holding on to the things that are important to us.” They added, “Things like maintaining good workloads for faculty and librarians, like making sure we get the cost of living wages every year. The cost of living wages always feel like a nice win.” Ellen Zimmerman, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, said, “I think it’s very fair. “I was very happy that the increase of pay was approved because I think that our faculty, especially, you know, they always work very hard, but to work under the circumstances of COVID and then not get that pay approved would have been extremely painful.” President F. Javier Cevallos said, “I’m happy about it. I think that it is a fair contract. It has a nice economic incentive for all of the faculty and it’s a nice package. … It will allow us to spend the next year without having to worry about a contract.” Caffrey said, “I think the agreement was the best we could get at this time, but it was slim. “A lot of people focus on the money, but I think it’s important to look at things other than that,” she added. Caffrey said, “I think we all want the same thing. We want the schools and students to succeed, but we don’t always agree on the best way for that to happen.”
CONNECT WITH DANIELLE ACHIN dachin@student.framingham.edu CONNECT WITH DALLAS GAGNON dgagnon@student.framingham.edu
Forecast provided by the National Weather Service www.weather.gov
Sunday night Feb. 27 Partly cloudy, with a low around 10. Wind around 10 mph.
Monday night Feb. 28 Partly cloudy, with a low around 10. Wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday night March 01 Mostly cloudy, with a low around 25. Wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday night March 02 Partly cloudy, with a low around 20. Wind around 5 mph.
Monday Feb. 28 Sunny, with a high near 25. Wind around 10 mph.
Tuesday March 01 Partly sunny, with a high near 40. Wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday March 02 Partly sunny, with a high near 40. Wind around 10 mph.
Thursday March 03 Mostly sunny, with a high near 40. Wind around 10 mph.
FRAMINGHAM STATE UNIVERSITY’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1932 | FSUGATEPOST.COM
4 | FEBRUARY 25, 2022
NEWS
SGA considers three funding requests Changes made to constitution and bylaws By Steven Bonini News Editor SGA received three funding requests for Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) from organizations, including Gaming Club, Comic Book Club, and Motivation. Intersectionality. Solidarity. Sisterhood. (M.I.S.S.) during its Feb. 22 meeting. The first funding re uest was made by Audrius Sebeda on behalf of the Gaming Club, which requested , . for a Super Smash Bros. game tournament event. Sebeda said $3,000 of the request would go toward a company called “ ext evel Gaming,” which would supply four large digital screens, one other screen, a crew of people, and other equipment for the event. The rest of the money requested would go toward food for the event as well as pri es for first, second, and third place winners of the tournament, he said. Senator affi lkhoury asked Sebeda if this event had been done before, and if so, what type of turnout was seen.
of $7,500, which would be used for a virtual event with Voice Actor Rob Paulsen. He said the Comic Book Club ran this event in the past with Paulsen appearing in an open forum over Zoom, adding the event was very successful with “approximately 40 people” attending the virtual event. Sargent said during the event, Paulson discussed his career and also held a question-and-answer session. “We’re hoping to run the same event again because it generated a lot of interaction during a period where there was exceedingly less interaction,” said Sargent, adding, “We’re hoping to continue this tradition.” Senator Sam Houle asked Sargent why the organization decided to go with Paulson for a second time instead of trying to get a new speaker in the same field. “We have attempted other speakers in the past such as Tara Strong, but we’ve had consistent communication with Rob Paulson and his agent. So, it’s been a more streamlined process,” said
stentions. Barros put forward a new motion to “not fund Gaming Club for their Rob Paulson meet and greet,” and the motion passed 7-0 with no abstentions. The final funding re uest came from M.I.S.S., presented by Mariah Farris. Farris requested $9,127.49 for their event, “M.I.S.S. Madness,” which takes
event. “Any of our e-Board in SGA isn’t going to be eligible to win … any of the prizes because we’re the ones who pay for it [and] picked it out,” she said. President McKenzie Ward said the decision to request the elimination of the 15-signature requirement to nominate somebody as a senator came on
Gatepost Archives (Left) Student Trustee Hillary Nna and Diversity and Inclusion Officer Dara Barros at a previous SGA meeting. place during the last week of March. She said the event is spread out across the week and includes a carnival on that Friday, adding some of the functions will be in collaboration with affinity groups. A motion was put forward in favor of the event with no debate and the motion passed 7-0 with no abstentions. Following the funding requests, SGA requested changes to its bylaws and its constitution for this semester and going forward including
Gatepost Archives (Left) Vice President Emma Sullivan and Secretary Sam Houle at a previous SGA meeting. “This event has been done before by the previous Gaming Club,” said Sebeda. “They had this sort of tournament idea a couple years back.” This would be a “wide-open event” he said, adding an estimated 50 people would be in attendance, including the staff sent by ext evel Gaming. Sara Gallegos, advisor for SGA, said she recalls a big turnout for the event in the past and the funding for the tournament is an all-or-nothing situation. Senator Mark Haskell asked when the event would take place, and Sebeda responded the tournament would be held on pril from to p.m. in the McCarthy Center Forum. A motion was taken in favor of the event and no debate occurred. The motion passed for the full amount requested 7-0 with no abstentions. The next request was presented by Jacob Sargent from the Comic Book Club. Sargent brought forward a request
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Sargent. A vigorous debate was held about the proposal. iversity and Inclusion Officer ara Barros said she didn’t believe granting the full amount of $7,500 made sense given the fact the organization drew only 40 participants at the last event. “The turnout doesn’t seem to be a huge event,” she said. Elkhoury agreed with Barros’ argument and said it’s a “big chunk of change” to spend for an event that’s been done before, adding he’d be more comfortable funding a new speaker. Sargent said while they did see only 40 participants previously for the event, that was “in the midst of COVID where everything was online.” With more people returning to campus, “the capability of advertising through Gatepost or the electronic sign outside McCarthy, there’s a much higher chance of reaching a much larger audience,” he added. A vote was taken on the motion, which failed to pass 2-5 with no ab-
• • • •
•
Funding abilities for Group Three organizations e-Board members of organizations winning prizes at their own organization’s events Elimination of the 15-signature requirement to run to be a senator Making Administrators Forum a duty of the vice president and the Campus Safety Walk a duty of the president Allowing the president and treasurer of each class the ability to re uest funding through the finance committee and senate.
The requested change to Group Three organizations will give them the ability to request funding during the fall semester “if they have spent a minimum of of their budget and have a plan for how they will use the requested amount and remaining 40% of their funds,” said Vice President Emma Sullivan. Regarding the change for e-Board members at their own events, Sullivan said the change came on “moral” grounds and used the example of SGA members attending the “Drag Bingo”
the basis that the requirement isn’t “equitable.” She said this requirement is especially difficult for freshmen who “may not know a ton of people on campus,” adding, “Trying to go up to random people to get signatures can be intimidating.” In terms of the decision to request Administrators Forum be a duty of the vice president and the Campus Safety Walk a duty of the president, Ward said these events are currently designated to the student trustee, but “to alleviate the work of whoever the student trustee is, we’ve decided to designate these two different people.” Additionally, Ward said the vice president and president are better aligned to lead these events. Lastly, Ward said the decision to allow class presidents and treasurers the ability to request funding through the finance committee and senate will be fair as classes will be treated like organizations in the funding process. Allowing the president of a class the ability to participate in the funding request process is also important, said Ward because sometimes a class doesn’t have a treasurer to speak on the classes’ behalf. All SGA requested constitution and bylaw changes were passed. Student Trustee illary na passed the “U-ROCK” to Houle. The “U-Rock” is presented to recognize a senator’s accomplishments during the weeks between meetings.
CONNECT WITH STEVEN BONINI sbonini@student.framingham.edu
NEWS
COVID-19 by the numbers
FEBRUARY 25, 2022 | 5
By Kathleen Moore Associate Editor
Data collected Feb. 19
Data collected Feb. 24
Data sources: U.S. Census Bureau, CDC COVID-19 Data Tracker, Johns Hopkins
[Editor’s Note: The Framingham Public Health Department is no longer reporting the number of COVID-19 cases in the city as of Feb. 2, 2022.]
[Editor’s Note: The number of tests administered does not indicate an outbreak of COVID-19.]
Data source: Framingham State
Data collected Feb. 24
Data sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Worldometer, City of Framingham
FRAMINGHAM STATE UNIVERSITY’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1932 | FSUGATEPOST.COM
6 | FEBRUARY 25, 2022
NEWS
Millie González, library dean candidate, emphasizes outreach and engagement By Sophia Harris Asst. News Editor The search committee for the new Henry Whittemore Library dean held an open forum for candidate Millie González, interim library dean, Feb. in a hybrid format. Attendees raised questions about funding, how the library supports diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and how it engages with faculty and students. This was the second of two open forums that were held for members of the community to ask questions to the candidates for library dean. González opened the meeting by discussing her educational and professional background. She earned her bachelor of arts at Hamilton College with a major in comparative literature. She then advanced to a master’s in business administration and a master’s in library and information science from Simmons University. After college, González said she worked “at a number of different libraries.” She listed Framingham Public Library, Mass Bay Community College, a pharmaceutical library, as well as a consortium that “traveled all over Western Mass and visited libraries.” She added, “It was a wonderful experience because I got to learn all about different types of libraries, and that experience informs me now. So I love bringing a little bit of a public library experience within the Whittemore Library.” González has served as interim dean of the library for approximately
a year and a half and has worked at Framingham State since 2007. Prior to serving as interim library dean, she was the interim chief diversity officer for inclusion and community engagement for two years. While working at Whittemore Library, through her tenure, González served as the emerging technologies and digital services librarian as well as the reference librarian in the electronic resources library. Halcyon Mancuso, founder/executive director of the Mancuso Humanities Workforce Preparation Center, asked, “How would you prioritize library initiatives and what might some of those initiatives be for the next three years, given that FSU, like many higher ed institutions, is facing declining enrollments and financial pressure?” González said she is “very aggressive in terms of looking for grants,” and she is always trying to increase funding. She added her priorities right now are to “support whatever we have done before.” González said in the longer term, with the help of more funding, she would like to see more diversity and inclusion within the library resources, such as print books, in order for the library to “align itself with the priorities of the institution.” Robert Awkward, professor and coordinator for the Master of Human Resources program, asked, “What efforts have you undertaken to gain more resources in order to carry out your vision for the library?” González said she is “not shy about advocating for the library.” She add-
ed, “If I have to knock on every door She said along with support and for funding or extra funding, I’ll do training, faculty also need to be givthat.” en a stipend for the work that they She said they are also forming a do. new program called “Friends of the She added the “next level” is formLibrary,” which should not only in- ing a task force to “learn about faculcrease funding, but also form a closer ty who may be exploring, or are inaffiliation with alumni. terested in learning about OER.” One attendee asked what the liGonzález said the library received brary’s role is in addressing and sup- a three-year grant and expects to deporting the DEI agenda. velop 78 textbooks free and accesGonzález said the library has an sible online “within the six instituimportant role in supporting an- tions.” ti-racism and social justice efforts. Mancuso asked, “How should the She said the library looks at op- library engage faculty and students? portunities where it can support DEI What have been the best modes of initiatives. This includes purchasing communication to these two constitresources that are inclusive or host- uencies?” ing events, posting bulletin boards, González said, “There’s not one or focused discussions that align blanket approach we have - it’s a with heritage months. more nuanced approach.” She added the library partners She said social media and the liclosely with the Center for Inclusive brary’s newsletter are great ways of Excellence and supports their initia- informing faculty, staff, and students tives such as, “courageous conversa- of “the exciting things that are haptions or anti-racism conversations pening in the library.” within the staff.” González said the library hired a González said, “My intention is for student engagement coordinator. students or anybody that works in She added compared to “sister inthe library, or walks into the library, stitutions,” Framingham State is the to feel welcomed - to feel that it is an only institution to have a student eninnovative, inclusive library.” gagement coordinator. Awkward asked, “What do you González said in regard to faculsee as the role of the library and the ty, they hired a scholarly communidean of the library to assist faculty cations librarian to focus on faculty who wish to use open educational re- needs and faculty research. sources (OER) as one of our teaching “All the stuff that we’re doing at and learning tools to address student the library - it’s just really engaging,” access, affordability, and student González added. “It’s our mission to success?” make sure that they [the FSU comGonzález said she is proud the li- munity] understand all of the differbrary leads the OER initiative. She ent things that are happening.” added she has been working on it for CONNECT WITH SOPHIA HARRIS “a number of years.” sharris@student.framingham.edu
Framingham State’s fundraising campaign minimally impacted by COVID-19 By Patrick Brady Editorial Staff Every year, FSU alumni, parents, friends, and current students choose to support the University. Whether it be donating to athletics or supporting student scholarships, there are multiple ways to give back to the community, according to Framingham State’s website. Annual gifts are used to provide emergency student assistance, pay for computers and laboratory resources, fund scholarships, and assist faculty development, according to the website. Once the pandemic began, the fundraising department had to limit its number of in-person meetings with donors. Along with implementing safety precautions, Framingham State employed new tactics to bring in donors. Eric Gustafson, vice president of Development and Alumni Relations, said S raised . million from private organizations and individuals between July 2020 and July 2021. “That does not include government grants,” he added.
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Gustafson said COVID-19 impacted FSU’s fundraising tactics. In order to “stay in touch” with people, the Development Office staff have been sending out lots of emails, conducting Zoom meetings, and engaging in numerous phone calls. “We were doing all of our alumni
said. “I think they wanted to make sure that students had the support they needed, especially, I think, they were concerned students were losing jobs.” He said in recent years, the number of grants received by the University has been on an “upward trajec-
“[It was] a very, very unusual year - which no one anticipated, but so many new crazy opportunities came up because of the pandemic.” -Patricia Bossange, Director of Grants and Sponsored Programs events and gatherings virtually via Zoom or other platforms,” he said. “It was a big shift for … alumni, but it works.” During the “early days” of COVID-19, the University saw an increase in alumni generosity, he
tory.” The University is in the early phase of a “comprehensive fundraising campaign,” Gustafson added. “Within the next year, [we hope] to announce the goal and go public.” Despite changing their strategies
and tactics during COVID-19, the campaign itself hasn’t been influenced by the pandemic, he said. “We’re always trying different alumni engagement events,” he said. “We’re really focused on rebuilding the program we had in place when COVID hit and shut us down from in-person attendance. “We’re really starting to bring back our … signature events that are a big part of what we do, like Reunion Weekend, Homecoming Weekend, the Children’s Literature Festival major events for the University and our alumni and friends of the community,” Gustafson added. He said donors can contribute to anything on campus they’re “passionate about.” Aside from contributing to athletic teams, academic departments, and student clubs and organizations, donors tend to support student scholarships most of all. “I think many of our alumni were in similar situations to our students today - where it’s always hard to figure out how you’re going to make that next tuition payment,” he added. Gustafson said alumni want to
See FUNDRAISING page 7
NEWS
FEBRUARY 25, 2022 | 7
Anna Sarneso, library dean candidate, emphasizes OERs and collaboration By Haley Hadges News Editor
The University is searching for a new dean of the Henry Whittemore Library. The search committee held an open forum for candidate Anna Sarneso in the McCarthy Center’s Alumni Room and by Zoom on Feb. 15. Sarneso earned a bachelor of arts degree, master of arts in English literature, and master of science in library and information science. She is working toward her Ph.D. in library and information science. She has been the library director at Lasell University’s Brennan Library for the past three years. Her focus at Lasell has been to develop Open Educational Resources (OERs) to “restructure” their departments and “increase” faculty engagement with their librarians, she said. She added her goal is to “develop cross-campus collaborations.” Sarneso said she is “heavily involved” in the M network and serves as a member of its board of directors. “The Henry Whittemore Library is part of the Minuteman ibrary etwork M - which is a consortium of libraries with locations serving the communities of MetroWest Massachusetts,” according to the M ’s website. When asked what she would do to contribute to the University’s commitment to anti-racism, Sarneso said, “Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) should be at the forefront of librarianship.” She said when the librarians are building their collections, they need to be actively thinking about how
they can build an “equitable collection” that reflects the student body population. “Are we making sure that our books by authors of color are in every subject matter, and that we have those diverse voices across every department?” she asked. Colleen Previte, special collections librarian and archivist, asked Sarneso what role she sees the University’s archives and history playing, and how she would support them. Sarneso said, “In order for a university to be able to make strategic decisions moving forward, it needs to have a really clear sense of its past.” She added having this knowledge accessible to the community instills “pride to be able to look back at how far their university has come.” A “robust” archive fosters outreach opportunities, she said. It allows the library to “meet people where they are.” She said the archives “Special Collections” are the “jewel” of any collection, and “a lot of work goes into keeping them accessible and usable.” She added proper signage indicating where the restrooms are located, where charging outlets are, and what can be checked out at the front desk are simple and effective ways to decrease stress and increase usability for these patrons. Halcyon Mancuso, founder/executive director of the Mancuso Humanities Workforce Preparation Center, asked Sarneso what she has done to increase library use among faculty and students. Regarding faculty, Sarneso said she “meets them where they are” and builds a rapport with them. She said this familiarity helps faculty feel more comfortable conducting research in the library.
She added OERs are also a great “outreach tool” that equips professors with easier access to knowledge for their students. “With students, I think we always need to think about their point of view,” she said. Sarneso said she created a position for “user experience.” This librarian conducts “usability studies” on their website and tracks students while they are completing tasks. She said they are “tracking their eye movements [and] their mouse movements.” This study showed that databases they assumed were easy to use were “actually quite limited.” Sarneso said with this new information, her department was able to make the changes needed to increase usability and improve student education. Mancuso also asked how Sarneso would prioritize library initiatives during “declining enrollment and financial pressure.” Sarneso said the library initiatives could be part of the solution. “The library can see where different departments across campus have similar, but not exactly the same resource needs,” she said. As librarians, “We merge those together to best fit into some common ground.” The library can fulfill the needs of two departments for the price of one, she said. Joseph Adelman, professor of history, asked how she would navigate operating under the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic while planning for a new normal. Sarneso said she has made sure her staff is able to balance their work and home lives with vacation time as well as reassurance that when they go home, they can “really go home. “A lot of times, I think people can
really feel like if they have a specialty, they shouldn’t leave because we want to serve a patron’s need the moment it is expressed,” she said. Team communication, collaboration, and task prioritization allow for this flexibility, she added. When asked about the role of the library in providing information literacy, she said it is “one of the most important things that a library staff can do to help students grow in their time at a university.” Marc Cote, dean of arts and humanities, asked, “What do you feel the role of a university library is in the city community?” Sarneso said since Whittemore is a Minuteman Library, “the greater Minuteman community should feel welcome.” She added while the primary audience of students and faculty should be prioritized, the outside community should also be considered. When asked why she wants to come to FSU, Sarneso said, “It’s really hard” to see so many students unable to continue their education at the private institution she is currently working at due to inflexibility in tuition cost during the pandemic. She said she had to ask herself, “Should I be encouraging you [students] to stay here if you don’t have the money to do so?” She said, “It’s so important” that Framingham State has frozen their tuition for the next year, and she wants to “move back into the public university sector” because of the greater flexibility to aid students in tuition costs.
ever reason - be it mental health or situational.” Steven Hyland, a freshman environmental studies major, said people who “aren’t as lucky” to afford college should be able to get money for a good education. “They deserve to get grants [and] money so they can come here,” he said. Ryan Glewicz, a sophomore hospitality and tourism management major, said everyone should have an opportunity to benefit from financial aid. “[Grants are] good for students,” he said. “They give people opportunities without having to worry about losing a good amount of change in [their] wallet.” Patricia Bossange, director of grants and sponsored programs, said the University’s main fundraising goal was to increase the “number of proposals” they sent out the door in order to improve the “rate of success. “[It was] a very, very unusual year - which no one anticipated,” she said. “But so many new crazy opportunities came up because of the pandemic.”
Last year, the University sent out 100 proposals and 50 of them were funded, she said. “Whoever is judging [the proposal] is judging it by their own merits.” She said the University has brought in “millions” from the federal government and “other sources” for their COVID-19 Relief Program. Every public university gets a certain amount of money based on how big they are. “The problem is that enrollment is so far down that in the future, it’s going to be a problem,” Bossange said. Over the past five years, the University has received numerous big grants, she said. The more recent ones include the ational ndowment for the Humanities grant and half-a-million dollars from the Strengthening Institutions Program. “We have so many big ones pending,” she said. “We’re constantly doing ational Science oundation proposals, but we just haven’t scored yet.” She said the grants department does the research, finds the funders, and tries to send out an application. “We do like to do a lot of outreach
on campus so that people know what we’re doing and how to go about getting grants.” Her department’s fundraising tactics have been the same since COVID-19 began, aside from meeting face-to-face with donors, Bossange said. In addition, they’ve been looking at a lot of “diversity-related” funding as well. She said, “We got a grant from the Department of Higher Ed for diversity trainings over the summer. “Otherwise, we’re just trying to think of specific initiatives,” she added. Bossange said she enjoys working at Framingham State because she likes working for students who need the money. Unlike her previous job at Boston College, FSU doesn’t “generate” a ton of money. She said, “Besides the diversity-related issues that are coming up lately, I think we’re generally plugging away in support of the students.”
CONNECT WITH HALEY HADGE hhadge@student.framingham.edu
Fundraising Continued from page 6
help make a “premium state education” more affordable for students. In addition, alumni are passionate about supporting emergency financial assistance. He said alumni want to make sure no student is unable to complete school, even if they are struggling with food or housing insecurity. Whichever department the donor decides to give to, that’s where the money goes, he said. Gustafson said, “We don’t necessarily have control over the gifts in deciding where they go - the donors decide.” Brenna Fehan, a senior child and family studies major, said she isn’t aware of any fundraising opportunities at the University. Framingham State should do a better job at promoting ways to get involved, she added. Olivia Patman, a freshman early childhood education major, said she believes Framingham State’s grants will benefit the “less fortunate. “So, anything really helps,” she said, “especially if you didn’t really do your best in high school for what-
CONNECT WITH PATRICK BRADY pbrady@student.framingham.edu
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OP/ED
THE GATEPOST EDITORIAL
An appreciation of our essential employees When the University closes due to snow or other unforeseen circumstances, everyone cheers for an unexpected day off. However, it’s not a day off for everyone. Essential workers make up the foundation of this University. For example, Facilities and Sodexo workers are always on campus, even on our days off. Facilities workers shovel our sidewalks and give us safe paths across campus. If you see a maintainer shoveling or sprinkling salt during a snowstorm, be sure to thank them! Facilities workers keep our campus clean and safe. Sodexo workers keep us fed. During a snow day, when you’re enjoying a nice hot meal in the Dining Commons - think of who prepared it for you. Just like Facilities, Sodexo, too, has a job to do when everyone else wants to stay inside and bundle up. In March 2020, the campus closed and spring break was doubled. Only approximately 30 to 40 students returned to campus to complete the semester. Both Facilities and Sodexo also had to be here to help support the students who needed to be in emergency housing during such unprecedented times. Since the start of the pandemic, Sodexo has worked hard to adapt its policies and food programs in order to accommodate students’ needs on campus. Each semester, Sodexo has implemented new ways to allow meal times to become more efficient, including the mobile ordering system. This semester, more students are on campus since the pandemic began. Policies implemented this time around include making reservations for sit-down meals in the Dining Commons, and a Green To-Go Container Program was offered. These programs were not perfect, but we as students understand why they were implemented - to keep us safe and fed, even during a pandemic. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, students had to pay to opt into the Green To-Go Program. As of the Spring 2022 Semester, students could enroll in the program without any additional upfront costs and sign out a to-go container. The Green To-Go Containers conveniently allow students to take food from the Dining Commons. Now, students can still eat a full meal without being restricted to sitting only in the Dining Commons. The containers also reduce waste, as students can only fit a certain
amount of food in the containers that they are more likely to eat than throw out. Though it was difficult at first for students to carry the empty plates to the dish conveyor belt while also carrying their containers, they adapted. Another program implemented by Sodexo is a re-introduction of the reservation system used during a previous semester when fewer students were on campus. Students were required to sign up for half-hour time slots to sit down and eat a meal in the Dining Commons. Reservation sign-ups were available on the Framingham State Dining Services website. The dining reservation system has since ended. Sodexo saw the difficulties it caused for both staff and students with such an increase in the number of people on campus. When students swiped into the Dining Commons, they had to give their names and their meal reservation order numbers to the cashier. At busy mealtimes, the line of students waiting to swipe in stretched past the Snack Bar. Students who had forgotten to make a reservation before arriving at the Dining Commons crowded the hallway as they stood off to the side trying to sign up at the last minute. Despite the good intentions that prompted the reservation system, it was clear there were better ways to enforce social distancing within the Dining Commons. Sodexo is constantly looking for feedback and always wants to hear input from students. Student responses are incorporated in future changes within Dining Services. At the time of this editorial’s publication, Sodexo will be here on yet another one of our unexpected days off. Sodexo has worked hard through tough times to support this University. March 3 is National Employee Appreciation Day. FSU Dining Services regularly shows appreciation for staff on Instagram - namely, the Feature Fridays series. We at The Gatepost want to thank Sodexo for all they have done for us and our fellow campus community members. Your efforts have not gone unnoticed. FSU Dining Services can be found on Instagram @fsudining.
Have an opinion? Feel free to email it to: gatepost@framingham.edu Opinions should be about 500 words. Anyone can submit. We look forward to hearing from you! @TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com
Not everyone is comfortable seeking assistance By Mark Haskell Staff Writter Some people are afraid to ask for help as they may feel incomptent. Are you one of those persons? What is there to fear when asking for help? The reason people may fear asking for help is because it is a moment to be vulnerable, and it is a part of the human experience that people may not like. There is nothing wrong with being vulnerable. Vulnerability should be valued because someone - you may or may not know - is opening up about themselves. Adults, like myself, choose not to ask for help because they fear what social repercussions will follow. When I was younger, I did not know how to ask for help because I always worried about how people perceived me. However, as time went on, asking for help felt natural to me and I did not care what people thought. Kayla Good and Alex Shaw, authors of the Scientific American article, “Why kids are afraid to ask for help,” wrote that, “New research suggests young children don’t seek help in school, even when they need it.” Good and Shaw said psychologists assumed, until recently, that children do not care about how their peers perceive them until age 9. “But a wave of findings in the past few years has pushed back against that assumption,” they wrote. Good and Shaw said research has revealed 5-year-old children actually care deeply about the ways others think about them. “In fact, kids sometimes go so far as to cheat at simple games in order to look smart.” More importantly, the research suggests 7-year-olds act incompitent in front of others to gain attention when they need help. “Their concern about reputation may have significant consequences, particularly when it comes to education,” they wrote. Good and Shaw said every child struggles in the classroom at some point. “If they are afraid to ask for help because their classmates are watching, learning will suffer.” They suggested teachers and caregivers think about methods to make children more comfortable with seeking aid. Asking for help can be seen as socially desirable and it does assist the seeker. It also helps the other persons who are looking for answers and assistance. Adults encourage and praise students for seeking assistance. This response signals they value a willingness to ask for help, which is not a fruitless effort. What children struggle with the most is figuring out whether asking for help is beneficial or detrimental to their learning. Over time, educational researchers and licensed professionals should consider evaluating recommendations and developing new strategies that give children of all ages the drive to push past their fears about peer perceptions. Professionals, as well as primary and secondary caregivers and teachers need to keep one thing in mind - children think and care so much about their reputations. They manage them more than some people might think. Whether you are a student or just experiencing what life has to offer, there should not be any discomfort in asking for help. Regrettably, society has decreed that reputation matters wherever you go, which makes asking for help more difficult for those who truly need it. For those who wonder whether reputation is beneficial or detrimental, it is and it is not, but it does not mean you cannot still live your best lives. Do not let your reputation stop you from being you.
OP/ED
FEBRUARY 25, 2022 | 9
Campus Conversations What is your favorite banned book? By Emma Lyons, Editorial Staff and Christy Howland, Staff Writer
“‘The Color Purple.’ That’s amazing. Not surprised they banned that.” -Rain Cormier, junior
“My favorite banned book is probably ‘Drown’ by Junot Diaz.”
“I’d say ‘To Kill a Mockingbird.’”
“The two that come to my mind that might be banned would … either be ‘The New Jim Crow’ by Michelle Alexander or [‘Between the World and Me’] by Ta-Nehisi Coates. That’s a really good one about racial progress in society.” -Mabel Grace Mathias, senior
-Collins Mungai, sophomore
-Leo Jalali, junior
“I don’t really read, but in high school, we read ‘Fahrenheit 451.’” -Peyton Coonan, sophomore
“I can’t think [of any] off the top of my head.” -Vanessa Guerrero, senior
Keep Calm and Waffle On
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What happens after high school graduation? That is a big question! But you don't have to answer it alone!
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Navigating the Transition Process Join us at the Chris Walsh Center as we bring together a small group of 6-8 parents and caregivers for a six week virtual support group. Dates: Thursday, March 24, 2022 Thursday, April 28, 2022
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S Men’s Ice ockey closes Men’s Basketball season regular season with - loss comes to a close vs. Salem against Salem State State 101-55 By Danielle Achin Sports Editor
By Tyler Wahl Sports Editor
The Framingham State Men’s Ice Hockey team suffered a hard loss against the Salem State Vikings Feb. 22. In the first period, the ams and ikings were on their top defensive game, blocking the flurry of shots sent from both teams. fter an almost scoreless period, Salem State made it on the board in the last seconds of the frame for the 1-0 lead. The ikings extended their lead early in the second when Billy alter sniped in a shot just over the glove of ams goalie Trevor Stenberg to push the advantage to 2-0. espite his efforts, Stenburg managed to save four shots in the net for the ams before the iking’s broke through S ’s defense again in the th minute, after oe Smith sent one into the cage advancing the lead - for Salem State. ust over two minutes later, the ikings pushed their lead to - when evin Stoya finished off a pass from ichard Coyle and yle aldusky for the assisted goal, sending the team into the third. fter another handful of saves by Stenburg, Salem State picked up a third period goal just nine minutes in on an unassisted uke ay goal for the - lead. ess than two minutes later, after Stenburg blocked a shot at the left point, uke Pepin came and cleaned up a rebound from eagan O’ onoghue to extend the lead to 6-0. In the final minutes, the ams were finally able to sneak in a shot, scoring the lone S goal for the - result to reach the final margin. espite this hard loss for the ams, Blake Carlson praised his team for the dedication and hard work it takes to stay motivated through tough times. e said, “ espite losing, we do our best to address our shortcomings so that we can fix them for future games. Practices after hard losses generally have a little more energy to them as we try to battle back from the loss to regain some confidence. “It has been difficult to bond this year because of all of the losses, but because of that I feel like we have, for the most part, developed a sense of empathy for one another. e all understand the situation we are in and have learned to pick each other up rather than degrade each other for our mistakes,” he added. Carlson said the biggest takeaway for the team was learning how to battle through adversity. o matter the final score of the game, he said each person brings their own uni ue perspective to the game and life. “ ll of the players on the team are skilled individuals who can play at this level, but with a lack of assistance and structure from within, it renders us helpless in our goal to win games and compete in playoffs,” he said. “ e, as a team, need support and empathy from our peers in the worst way because we want to get better and be better. e are just still searching for the tools to do so. “Our record does not reflect how hard we work at all. Most people outside of the hockey world do not uite understand how difficult and competitive hockey actually is,” he added. The men’s Hockey team look to capitali e in their remaining games starting with itchburg at the M SC C uarterfinals Saturday afternoon, eb. .
The ams Men’s Basketball team fell to the o. seeded Salem State ikings in a - playoff battle eb. . Salem State had home court advantage and put that to use in this playoff matchup. They went on a - run to start the game and had their home crowd bu ing with excitement at the start of the first half. ollowing a timeout from the ams after the - run, ramingham State finally got on the board with a ferocious dunk from graduate student forward Josh Dumay. The iking’s offense was on fire, however. espite S ’s best effort, Salem State ran off to a point lead with under eight minutes remaining in the half. three-point jump shot from senior small forward eith ollman showed the ams still had some fight left in them - they closed the lead to under as the half progressed. The ams put points on the board by the end of the first half, but it was no match for the iking’s fre uent scoring. The final score at the half was - in the ikings favor - and the statistics for the first half showed why the ams were down by such a large deficit. ramingham State shot an underwhelming . from the field in the first half while Salem State shot an efficient . . Salem State played well throughout this first half - and the entire game - because of their pesky defense and care of the ball on offense. They caused turnovers and only gave up four to S during the half. ramingham State was also out rebounded by a small margin going into the second half. hile S managed to put more points on the board during the second half, Salem State was able to keep up their offensive pace and run away with a lead. The ams finished with a respectable points on the half, but Salem State’s points made the final score - bringing the season to a close for S . espite the hard loss and rough stretches the team endured throughout the year, senior Trevor Maniak reflected positively on his time as a basketball player at S . e said, “The biggest lesson we took away from the season as a team was that you’re not going to win every game. ou go out and play, but one thing you can make sure you do is get better each and every day you step on the court.” Maniak also talked about the S basketball program as a whole after the game. e added, “The basketball program has had its moments of bad and good. I played for three different coaches in my time here and each taught me something different.” espite the struggle to win games this season, Maniak also has hope for the program going forward. “I learned a lot in my years here and I believe the basketball program can turn things around in a couple of years. They are on the right track to being great,” he added. unior small forward aylen Swan also spoke about the season and the program after the game saying, “I feel great about our program regardless of the way our season went. e never gave up on each other and our coaching staff didn’t either.” e also spoke on the development and average age of the team adding, “ e have a bright future ahead of us especially since most of the team is made up of freshmen and sophomores, so we are only going to get better. I am extremely proud of us this season - those are my guys until the end.” The men’s basketball team will resume Gatepost Archives play at the end of this upcoming fall as they look to prove their competitiveness in the M SC C conference.
Gatepost Archives
SALEM STATE FRAMINGHAM STATE
6 1 CONNECT WITH DANIELLE ACHIN dachin@student.framingham.edu
SALEM STATE FRAMINGHAM STATE
101 55 CONNECT WITH TYLER WAHL twahl1@student.framingham.edu
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ARTS & FEATURES
ARTS & FEATURES
‘Scream 5’ - not the biggest scream Multimedia Critic
Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and David Arquette brings a smile to my face as the original cast members come back to try and save their little town. These actors and actresses did an amazing job which I expected nothing less. They also brought back some dead characters in the form of pictures or an urn. The cons of the movie were the main character, the introduction of Ghostface, and the number of important characters who died. The main character is Samantha Carpenter played by Melissa Barrera. I found her lacking in emotion, a quality which would have made the movie more interesting. I actually believe Tara Carpenter, who plays her sister, would have done a much better job as the lead character rather than the character who was laid up in a bed. Tara Carpenter fought for her life throughout the entire film battling Ghostface, especially while in the hospital, which made her that much more interesting and exciting to watch. When it came to the introduction of Ghostface, I feel the movie flopped in bringing back a character who was
already dead and a ghost. There was no real point to it. I was also disappointed in the number of important characters who were killed off and some of the more unimportant characters who lacked in acting skills made it to the end of the film. Their inexperience made the film mediocre at best. After all this you would probably not imagine that I would go see this movie again the next day, but I did. I honestly liked it better the second time as I caught all of the small throwbacks. The second time I saw “Scream 5” I liked it more, but still felt the main character was not much to desire for. I am pleased with what Kevin Williamson, James Vanderbilt, and Guy Busick have created and am eagerly anticipating the next movie.
Grade: B Wes Craven would be proud.
ADMIT ONE
I first came upon the trailer of “Scream 5” getting ready to dive into the movie “Spiderman: No Way Home.” As I watched the trailer I immediately got excited because Scream is one of my favorite horror franchises. In the days leading up to the movie’s release, I attempted to buy tickets for opening night. But to my surprise, all showtimes were sold out. It wasn’t until four days after the release day that I was able to see the movie at a local theater. As I walked into the theater I had high expectations of this being a great horror movie. I was extremely excited as I walked past the usher and joined the line of eager people waiting to get their popcorn while enjoying the thrills of the movie. In my mind, if this movie is like the rest of the Scream movies, it was going to be exciting. After getting my popcorn and drink, I was ready for the chills and thrills. I got comfortable in my seat and was ready to watch. After watching the movie, I think my expectations were too high - that
this was going to be an exciting thriller. As I walked out of the theater slightly disappointed with most of the movie, there were some things that I really enjoyed. The pros of the movie were the exciting and thrilling scenes, the return of the original characters, and the movie’s soundtrack. The slasher scenes were better in this movie than in the past ones. Some of the scenes you could see coming, but what made them better was the way the victims were killed and the extent the killer went to. One victim was slashed in the stomach and the back, while another was slowly getting stabbed with a knife to the throat. The worst one yet was when a victim was going through the absolute ringer by getting burned, stabbed, and shot. All the while you were hearing the exciting and thrilling music from the movie’s soundtrack. Some of the amazing songs that were played were “Red Hand Man” by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds and “Fall Out of Love” by Salem featuring Carlie Hanson. Another positive for this movie is the way it brought back the original characters from 26 years ago. Seeing
ADMIT ONE
By Ryan Schrieber
CONNECT WITH RYAN SCHRIEBER rschrieber@student.framingham.edu
SEAN’S MEDIA MAYHEM
‘Peacemaker’ - a taste of ‘peace’ By Sean Cabot
Multimedia Critic “Peacemaker” is a DC Comics character formerly owned by the defunct Charlton Comics Company. His biggest claim to fame for many years was that the cavalcade of Charlton Comics pastiches in Alan Moore’s “Watchmen” included a reference to him in the form of the Comedian. But now, coming off of his absolutely delightful work on “The Suicide Squad,” James Gunn has turned to HBO Max to give John Cena’s standout rendition of the character the spotlight. The result is “Peacemaker,” a show that maintains many of the strengths Gunn displayed with his ensemble piece last year, but also introduces a few noticeable weaknesses. The series follows Christopher Smith (Cena) - a self-proclaimed superhero who has dedicated himself to the goal of peace at any price. Even the lives of innocent men, women, and children are forfeit if they will help forward this ideal. After his less-than-successful tenure on Task Force X in “The Suicide Squad,” Smith is contacted by the federal agency A.R.G.U.S. to once again conduct a covert mission called “Project Butterfly” in exchange for a re-
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duced prison sentence. He is aided in his mission by commanding officer Clemson Murn (Chukwudi Iwuji), tech expert John Economos (Steve Agee), handler Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland), new recruit Leota Adebayo (Danielle Brooks), and Adrian Chase a.k.a Vigilante (Freddie Stroma), who just sort of tagged along. However, the operation quickly goes off the rails. Making matters worse, Smith’s father Auggie (Robert Patrick) - an infamous white supremacist known as the White Dragon, quickly sets his sights on the group. From there, the situation rapidly and clumsily escalates in a barrage of brutal violence and scatological humor. “Peacemaker” is a very funny show. The actors have great comedic chemistry and the jokes, although immature at times, manage to be funny while also maintaining the cast’s core aspects. The performances are similarly strong, particularly from the supporting cast. Iwuji, Brooks, and Stroma in particular feel right at home with the material. But perhaps the biggest surprise is WWE face Cena turning in a performance that is at once affecting, hilarious, and genuine with a character as
outsized and ridiculous as Peacemaker. Christopher Smith’s childishness and penchant for brutality underlies a man whose conflict with his own ideology is tearing him apart, and Cena himself disappears portraying it. All things considered, “Peacemaker” seems like a home run. But there are a few things that hold it back from reaching “peak fiction” status. To start, the treatment of Adrian Chase bugs me. His original concept - a crusading lawyer driven to vigilantism, is replaced with a more goofy, Deadpool-esque affect that, while funny, also doesn’t really serve to address his admitted tendency to joyfully murder even the most harmless kinds of criminals. To be fair, that’s probably the most subjective gripe I have with the show. The bigger problem is how the violence inflicted by Peacemaker and the rest of the cast is contextualized. While Smith is rightfully called out as a man-child within the show, his and A.R.G.U.S’ violent actions are remarkably uncomplicated by comparison. Much of the violence they engage in is treated as being morally justified. There are a few exceptions, but they actually concern Harcourt more than Smith, who seems rather reluctant to commit excess violence in
spite of his deliberately ironic oath. While part of this may be owed to his actions in “The Suicide Squad,” it still feels odd that the character who was introduced as a parody of American jingoism can’t fully commit to more focused satire. That being said, the show as a whole is still strong, and the themes present about the folly of American exceptionalism do have a sufficient degree of substance. “Peacemaker” does have shortcomings, but its strong cast and humor are more than enough to make it worth watching. At the very least, you need to watch the absolutely transcendent opening dance number.
Grade: B-
brutal, blemished, and bonkers
CONNECT WITH SEAN CABOT scabot@student.framingham.edu
ARTS & FEATURES ARTS & FEATURES
13 | FEBRUARY 25, 2022 FEBRUARY 25, 2022 | 13
Drag Bingo Maddison Behringer / THE GATEPOST (Left) Juniors Dara Barros, Aykera Jean-Jacques, Freshman Christina Galvao Amado, and Junior Angelina Galvao waiting to play bingo Feb 24.
Emma Lyons / THE GATEPOST Mayhem Miller announcing number at Drag Bingo Feb. 24.
Emma Lyons / THE GATEPOST Freshman Melissa Roake accepting bingo prize from Mayhem Miller Feb. 24.
Emma Lyons / THE GATEPOST Students waiting to play bingo at Drag Bingo Feb 24.
Maddison Behringer / THE GATEPOST Ashlyn Kelly / THE GATEPOST (Left) Sophomores Olivia Copeland, Christina Chinetti, Mandy Mayhem Miller answering audience questions at Drag Bingo Taylor, Abby Quinlan, and Madison Herries waiting to play bingo Feb. 24. Feb. 24. Spread by Maddison Behringer and Emma Lyons, Design Editors / THE GATEPOST
| FSUgatepost.com FRAMINGHAM STATE UNIVERSITY'S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER@The SINCEGatepost 1932 | FSUGATEPOST.COM
14 | FEBRUARY 25, 2022
ARTS & FEATURES
John Santoro Continued from page 1
seasoning his culinary skills by “working in the field. “I would help them load and unload the trucks and cut cucumbers and lettuce and wash dishes, and just be around and watch it all,” he said. He embraced the family motto “food is love and love is food.” For now, the curtain has closed on Santoro’s culinary career, and a new scene has been set. “Now, I’m the one sitting in the chair in the dining room, getting waited on, and enjoying the meal,” he said. In the fall of 1986, following culinary school, Santoro decided to explore volunteer police work, the same way his father entered the world of policing. He worked on a volunteer basis for about three years while he continued employment in the restaurant business. “I really took a liking to it. And I said, ‘You know, I think it’s time for a career change.’” Santoro earned his master’s degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Western New England University. In the summer of ’89, he began fulltime policing within different departments, embarking on the path that has led him to the position of chief of police at the University.
to the detective division, the Mayor’s office, and eventually was appointed director of Emergency Management. He served at Somerville Housing Authority for about two-and-a-half years, Methuen for 20 years, as deputy chief of FSU for the past 10 years, and has acquired a total of 33 years of law enforcement experience. “I’ve enjoyed my time here for the past 10 years, or 10 and a half years now. And I wanted to continue to stay here and continue to provide leadership to the members of our department,” he said. Santoro said this semester the department is running a student intern pilot program. Part of this program includes participating in “ride-alongs.” He said he hopes the intern learns there are “multiple hats the officer has to wear. And sometimes those hats are all on at the same time. “We have to be a communicator, we have to be a filter, answer medical calls, mental health calls, handle civil calls, we have to keep people calm, and keep people safe.” Now, as police chief, one of Santoro’s main goals is to change the FSUPD’s perception among students. He expressed his hope for students to eventually feel comfortable approaching his officers. “We’re not here to hurt anybody. We’re here to keep everybody safe.” SGA President McKenzie Ward said
Courtesy of IMDB in open forums held for each candidate. She added, Santoro’s unwavering “student-first mindset” throughout the interview process was also appreciated.
“I’ve enjoyed my time here for the past 10 years, or 10 and a half years now. And I wanted to continue to stay here and continue to provide leadership to the members of our department.” - John Santoro Framingham State’s New Chief of Police
Santoro worked in both fields until 2019, when he and his wife sold their restaurant of nine years, “Good Day Cafe,” in North Andover. “It was an empty shell. We designed it, built it, menu planned - everything. And built up a very successful business that grew and grew every year,” he said. One of Santoro’s first gigs as a parttime officer was at the Somerville Housing Authority Police Department. He then moved on to the Methuen Police Department. There he worked his way up to a full-time officer, then
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that’s what campus police officers are here for - “making sure that students feel safe and heard on this campus.” The ideal police chief to Ward is “someone who prioritizes students and sees them as their first and main concern.” Upholding her own vow to “make sure that student voices are heard on campus,” Ward has spoken with Chief Santoro about the FSUPD cultivating more “community connection with students.” She said she highly values the efforts made by the search committee to ensure student voices were heard
Dr. Lorretta Holloway, vice president of student enrollment and student development, served as the committee chair in the police chief/ director of public safety search. She said what differentiated Santoro from the other candidates was his breadth of “experience with emergency preparedness.” This includes his ability to work with local officials, host tabletop exercises, and organize exercises with Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) where they run through scenarios that require quick thinking and de escalating action, she
said. Holloway added, “Policing has a tendency to be one of two kinds … there’s the ‘warrior’ mentality and the ‘guardian’ mentality.” College and university campuses need their police to follow the creed of the guardian mentality, she said to serve and protect. Due to “the increased militarization of policing over the years,” Holloway said she sees more “warrior-type people than guardian-type people” entering the force. Therefore, it was “essential” for all the finalists in the police chief search to operate under the guardian mentality, she added. Santoro said, “I do take my job home with me. … I’m on call 24/7, 365 - so, my phone is at the ready at all times. “We’re not just employees, but we serve in a variety of roles as members of the community.” He reminisced on an outreach event the department held where they handed out slices of pizza, coffee, and doughnuts to students. He said the COVID-19 pandemic put a halt to this type of face-to-face connection, but the department has plans for future outreach as the pandemic allows. He encourages students to reach out “to any one of our officers, anytime, email us, call us, stop by and visit us.” [Editor’s Note: Students can contact the FSUPD at: 508-626-4911. McKenzie Ward is Opinions Editor of The Gatepost.]
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Puzzles
ARTS & FEATURES
ACROSS 1. He has the weight of the world on his shoulders 6. Recurring theme 11. Naughty 14. Babbling waterway 15. Savory taste 16. A two may beat it 17. Appliance for a stylist 19. Fuming feeling 20. Date 21. Can’t help but 22. In pursuit of 24. ___ Castellaneta, voice of Homer Simpson 25. Caesar wrap 27. Go for broke 32. Cozy spot 36. Norwegian name whose last letter is often “f ” 37. Gentle winds at the beach 39. Clog bottoms 41. Physician’s org. 42. Michael’s surname on “The Office” 43. Eagles enthusiasts, e.g. 46. Pay for a poker hand 47. Nosy people 48. Many grandparents 50. Seeing things? 52. Like Sen. Sanders, for most of his career 53. Eagles and falcons 56. Relative of a stadium 59. End of USC’s URL 62. Edson Arantes do Nascimento, ___ Pele 63. Causing trouble, or emulating 17-, 37- and 43-Across? 66. Hawaiian souvenir 67. Change, as a law 68. Like Simone Biles 69. Word before “joke” or “bod” 70. Pucks’ shapes 71. Speaks angrily
FEBRUARY 25, 2022 | 15
DOWN 1. Basics 2. Word before “blue” or “colors” 3. Tales of old 4. “You’ve got mail” co. 5. Cap worn with a heavy jacket 6. Faces, in slang Puzzle solutions are now 7. Neglect to include exclusively online. 8. Fortunetelling deck 9. Texter’s “Personally ...” 10. Deviously obtains 11. Switch’s partner 12. Part of a plot 13. Animal that may be XING 18. Grannies 23. Queen or jack 24. Changed the course of 26. Rower’s need 27. Like a controlling older brother 28. Have a Vegas wedding, say 29. Avian claw 30. Maple ___ (Canadian symbol) 31. 2019 NFL MVP Jackson 33. Its chemical formula is O3 34. Mustang alternative, informally 35. ___ Park, Colorado 38. Thorn in your side 40. Holds a grudge 44. U-turn from NNW 45. Jellyfish defense 49. Kinda sorta 51. Sushi bar beverages 53. Like some eagles 54. Place to buy a FNISS or a plate of meatballs 55. Insecticide brand 57. Where to watch the Ducks play the Blues 58. Finishes 59. Malicious 60. Farmer’s place, in song 61. Takes advantage of 64. French friend 65. Datum for a bouncer
FRAMINGHAM STATE UNIVERSITY'S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1932 | FSUGATEPOST.COM
16 | FEBRUARY 25, 2022
PHOTOS
SJP Shenanigans
Maddison Behringer / THE GATEPOST Maddison Behringer / THE GATEPOST Maddison Behringer/ THE GATEPOST Tadiwa Chitongo performing at SJP show Feb. 23. Suit Jacket Posse members posing for photo Feb. 23. Meeghan Bresnahan performing Feb. 23.
Emma Lyons / THE GATEPOST Hilltop President Ashlyn Kelly and Vice President Sabrina Grammatic at SJP performance Feb. 23.
Emma Lyons / THE GATEPOST Suit Jacket Posse members performing Feb. 23.
Maddison Behringer / THE GATEPOST Maddison Behringer / THE GATEPOST Maddison Behringer / THE GATEPOST (Left) Tadiwa Chitongo and Ryan O’Connell Suit Jacket Posse members performing Feb. 23. (Left) Beta Cojocaru, Emily Monaco, Matthew performing Feb. 23. Donahoe, and Olivia Heafey performing Feb. 23.
Maddison Behringer / THE GATEPOST Suit Jacket Posse members performing Feb. 23 [Editor’s Note: Ashlyn Kelly is News Editor and Ryan O’Connell is Asst. Arts & Feature Editor for The Gatepost.]
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Maddison Behringer / THE GATEPOST Audience members watching SJP performance Feb. 23. Spread by Maddison Behringer and Emma Lyons, Design Editors / THE GATEPOST