February 21, 2020

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THE GATEPOST Framingham State’s award-winning independent student newspaper since 1932

Volume 88 • Issue 16

FSUgatepost.com

February 21, 2020

Chris Walsh Center opens at FSU

Thomas Maye / THE GATEPOST

A ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrated the grand opening of the Chris Walsh Center at FSU Feb. 13.

News SGA pg. 3 RAMS 101 pg. 5

Graphic by Kathleen Moore

Opinions VEGETARIANISM pg. 6 “GUN GIRL" pg. 7

Arts & Features “FUNERAL” REVIEW pg. 8 GREEN DAY REVIEW pg. 10

Sports

Donald Halsing / THE GATEPOST WOMEN’S BASKETBALL pg. 13 PLAYERS OF THE WEEK pg. 17

By Thomas Maye Opinions Editor Parent advocates, administrators, faculty, and local legislators celebrated the grand opening of The Chris Walsh Center for Educators and Families of MetroWest Feb. 13. The center was created after a group of parents went to Rep. Chris Walsh in 2015 to voice concerns about the difficulties of navigating the special education system, particularly for gifted students, those with disabilities, or those with unmet needs. At the unveiling, speakers commended Walsh’s tireless efforts spearheading the project, which col-

leagues said he devoted himself to until his death from cancer in 2018. Sheryl Goldstein, a parent advocate, said she felt overwhelmed by the complex system for special education students. She said she received significant resistance from administration at her child’s school, and did not know where to turn for help. Fellow parent advocate Gail Palmer said she had to learn the process of having her child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) implemented “the hard way. “[Many parents] don’t understand some of the basic rights your children have with an IEP,” she said. An IEP is a legally binding docu-

ment. “The idea [of this center] is that now, not every parent has to learn the process themselves. … The road won’t be so bumpy.” A group of parents with similar concerns led by Goldstein and Palmer came together demanding change. James Cressey, coordinator of the Walsh Center and professor of education at FSU, said Walsh had an active role in the project from the moment these parents put their issues on the table, consistently participating in meetings and striving to educate himself on topics of parental

See WALSH CENTER page 4

Dirty Cleats: The Quest for a Four-Peat By Liam Gambon Sports Editor

Winning three-straight MASCAC Championships is great, but how about a fourth? That’s what the Framingham State Softball team is aiming for this year. “To win the MASCAC again, everyone is going to have to be a leader no matter what age they are or position they play. Everyone on our team has an important role,” sophomore standout Laela Pepin said. “With everyone giving their best effort and fulfilling their role, we definitely could find ourselves winning a MASCAC championship.” Last season, the Rams won the MASCAC regular season title and made it through the playoffs to the

final day where they played Fitchburg State and Bridgewater State for a shot at the MASCAC championship. They won each of their first two games of the day and then played against Bridgewater for the title. The game finished with Framingham forcing the matchup to end in only the fifth inning as they won 8-0 and collected their third trophy in a row. “Winning the MASCAC three times in a row has been such an exciting experience,” senior captain Kaela Sherman said. “Last year we played three games in one day to win the ship and it was a day I probably won’t ever forget.” A standout performance from the game came from starting ace Kelsi Gunarathne who tossed a shutout.

This season, however, the Rams will be without Gunarathne as she graduated last year. So, the question that needs to be asked is, “Who takes the mound now?” “We have two freshmen, Shannon Ward and Ally Moran, and a sophomore Laela Pepin who did not pitch because of an injury,” Coach Larry Miller said. “They will see a bulk of the innings and I’m excited to see what they are going to do.” Pepin hit for a .343 average last season and stood out as a freshman due to her speed and skill as a utility player. Now with the prospect of stepping onto the mound this season, she will

See DIRTY CLEATS page 14

INSIDE: OP/ED 6 • ARTS & FEATURES 8 • SPORTS 13


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February 21, 2020 by The Gatepost - Issuu