April 21, 2023

Ten years Boston Strong!

By Sophia Harris News Editor

U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley will deliver the Commencement Address to the Framingham State University Class of 2023 at the DCU Center in Worcester on May 21.

Pressley has been representing Massachusetts’ 7th Congressional District since 2019. She currently serves on the House Committee on Financial Services.

Pressley has an inspiring story to share with the graduating class. She was the first woman of color elected to the Boston City Council in 2009 and then to the Massachusetts congressional delegation in 2018, according to Daniel Magazu, FSU’s communication

director and the chair of the Commencement Committee.

Pressley has advocated for reproductive justice, immigrants, consumer justice, seniors, workers, survivors of sexual violence, formerly and currently incarcerated individuals, and justice for individuals who have gone through trauma, according to her website, Pressley.house.gov.

Magazu said, “I think Framingham State is a community that cares passionately about social justice issues. Our anti-racism stance is in full alignment with hers. She’s a progressive voice.

“As someone who’s been willing to take sometimes unpopular stances because they align with what she believes in, I think she’s a great example of a leader who’s not afraid to speak truth

The guardians of Peirce Hall

A night with a security desk attendant

By Emily Rosenberg Associate Editor

It is 9 p.m. on a rainy Wednesday night.

The lobby of Peirce hall is so quiet, the hum of the HVAC system fills the room like a symphony. The overhead lamps are excruciatingly bright and reminiscent of an ’80s movie.

Mike passes his time adding sherbert orange bands to a rubber band ball. As the ball gets bigger, he starts to bounce it up and down on the marble desk he sits behind.

The ball, which has grown to the size

of a softball, tumbles across the wooden floor of the lobby landing next to a smaller desk adjacent to Mike’s.

Mike said he would pick up the rubber band ball, but he can’t - it is against the rules.

In fact, Mike can’t leave the desk to go to the bathroom, visit a friend, get a drink of water, or buy a snack, unless he finds another employee of Residence

Life to watch the desk while he does so.

A security desk attendant’s (SDA) job is simple. They sit at the front desk of a residence hall and watch the door and computer monitor to ensure everyone who walks in the building is a person with keycard access.

to power - a great example of a leader who’s fearless,” Magazu said.

He added Pressley is a good candidate for a commencement speaker because “in a younger generation of students, many of our students are progressive on social issues.”

The search committee consisted of Magazu; Kelly Kolodny, the faculty representative; Deborah Cleveland, the alumni representative; Peter Chisholm, an FSU government relations representative; Dara Barros, the class president; class vice president Andrew Thompson; and student representative Faith Hensley.

According to Magazu, the committee met multiple times during the fall semester. Each member had a list of potential candidates they were

Opinions

Glenn Cochran, associate dean of student and student life, said the role of the SDA is to “enhance safety and security by screening and monitoring all individuals entering the residence hall main entry, greet residents and guests, enforce policies, maintain accurate records, and refer residents and guests to appropriate staff.”

He added, “The presence of SDAs helps make residents feel more secure in their campus home. There are many residents who know individuals they would not want showing up at their door, and the role played by SDAs helps.”

Sports Arts & Features

Ayanna Pressley selected as commencement speaker

Leighah Beausoleil / THE GATEPOST (Center) Antonangelo Bragalini, a 62 year old from Trento, Italy, with other fourth-wave runners in Framingham during the 127th Boston Marathon held Patriots’ Day, April 17.

/ THE

E ditorial Board

Editor-in-Chief

Leighah Beausoleil

Associate Editor

Emily Rosenberg

News Editors

Sophia Harris

Branden LaCroix

Asst. News Editor

Naidelly Coelho

Opinions Editor

McKenzie Ward

Sports Editor

Adam Levine

Arts & Features Editor

Ryan O’Connell

Asst. Arts & Features Editor

Raena Doty

Design & Photo Editor

Maddison Behringer

Asst. Photos Editor

Zachary Sorel

Adrien Gobin

Staff Writers

Jesse Burchill

Riley Crowell

Owen Glancy

Mark Haskell

Ben Hurney

Jack McLaughlin

Emily Monaco

Izayah Morgan

Lainey Morrison

Kate Norrish

Bella Omar

Carly Paul

Wenchell Pierre

Dillon Riley

Kyle Walker Advisor

Desmond McCarthy

Asst. Advisor

Elizabeth Banks

Gatepost Interview John Santoro

Outgoing Chief of University Police

By Naidelly Coelho Asst. News editor

How long have you worked at FSU?

For almost 12 years. So I’ve been here since October of 2011. And since I’ve been here - for the first almost 10 years, I was the deputy chief of police. When they hired me, one of the plans was whoever they brought in as a deputy chief, prepare them to take over someday as chief, again not being an automatic situation. … [Two years ago], they made me the interim police chief. … while they did a search for a new police chief. And during the search process, we talked about the budget issues, including for the Comfort Care Canine, and I eventually got the position and took over as police chief.

What is your educational and career background?

So my highest degree is a master’s in criminal justice administration from Western New England University, and I have a bachelor’s degree and three associate’s degrees as well. I worked for the Northeastern University Police Department for three years. I worked for the city of Methuen Police Department for 20 years. I’ve been here for almost 12 years.

What are you going to miss the most about the FSU community?

The bond and relationships that I built with all members of the FSU community.

What advice do you have for students?

Is to be a great representation of the University and a great representation of your family, and most importantly, a great representation of who you are as a person. Do your best, and really do the right thing, and do the smart thing when it comes to everything in life.

What initiatives or projects do you hope to see your successor continue?

I want them to continue to build a great relationship with this community that we serve. And that’s the various means - from initiatives of things like the Comfort Care Canine, with the cop liaison programs, with student groups on campus, and just being great representatives - the police department with great relationships with the whole community.

What kind of message do you want to leave the FSU community?

We here at the police department want to provide a safe environment for people to learn, live and work. I really enjoyed my time here at Framingham State to be able to help others - particularly up-and-coming members of the community, those who are learning and open minded such as you and your fellow students. You folks are going to be our future leaders, our future corporate runners. You’ll be our future. Whatever it is - journalists or doctors or scientists or teachers - this is a teachers’ school. Right, so you’re our future. So, it’s a great way to help the educational process. I think University policing is part of your educational process, right?

Police Logs

Saturday, April 15 03:18

Noise Complaint

100 State Street

McCarthy Center Room 410

Framingham, MA 01701-9101

Phone: (508) 626-4605

Fax: (508) 626-4097

gatepost@framingham.edu

Corrine Hall Towers Checks ok

Saturday, April 15 13:16

Alarm (Fire/Smoke)

Towers Hill Call Assignment Complete

Sunday, April 16 Medical 01:36

Miles Bibb Hall

Transported to MWMC

Courtesy of RITE Academy

Any final thoughts?

I want to thank everyone here for all their responses - both good and bad over the years. Without getting feedback from the community, we don’t know what we’re doing, right and wrong. And again, we don’t necessarily just want to hear the good stuff. We want to hear the bad stuff too.

CONNECT WITH NAIDELLY COELHO ncoelho3@student.framingham.edu

Tuesday, April 18

Parking Enforcement 11:04

McCarthy Center Parking Lot Call Assigment Complete

Chief of University Police resigns

By Naidelly Coelho Asst. News Editor

University Police Chief John Santoro announced he will resign from his position at Framingham State University. His last day will be April 21.

At 1 p.m on April 21, he will relinquish command to Deputy Chief Martin Laughlin.

Santoro said his decision to leave Framingham State was due to obtaining a new position in New Hampshire, where he moved recently. His new job is closer to where he lives. Because of a “pre-planned vacation,” he will be leaving his position at FSU early and starting his new position May 1.

He said his mantra is that someone should never be in the same position for more than 10 years because there needs to be room for other people to also be great leaders.

Santoro said during the time in a leadership position, one of an individual’s goals should be “creating new leaders to take over when you leave. So leaving them gives them the chance to hopefully step up to those roles of deputy chief and chief and become a leader themselves.”

He said after 33 years of training and experience, “I’m able to go to a new agency and help those folks.”

Santoro added, “I’m not saying they’re not doing that already, but I’ll be able to help them and mentor them and inspire them and help them be the best they can be - while also, of course, protecting and serving the community that they work for.”

Santoro reflected on some recent initiatives.

The University Police bought their first hybrid car last June to promote the University’s sustainability campaign.

University Police decided the hybrid car was a “great” option for FSU because its low fuel consumption decreases greenhouse gas emissions, he said.

Several sister universities have also acquired hybrid cars. FSU has been testing the car this year, Santoro said.

Dale Hamel, executive vice president, said the money for the new police car came from the facilities budget.

The Facilities Department has 15 cars, including police cars, vans, and trucks, and each year, some portion of the funds goes toward replacing a car, he said.

Santoro said, “Out of the five [cars], one is hybrid. Now that we’ve had it for a year, we realize that it works well for us. And we’re going to put a proposal in to buy another one as we need to replace another vehicle.”

University Police have also adopted a new 21st-century term used by law enforcement: “Guardians of the community,” he said.

The slogan has been painted on University Police cars.

“Over the years, the mantra has changed for the country to put the [role of] guardians first. So guardians, then warriors, as opposed to warriors first,” he said.

He said the new slogan is a “great” way to show the new mindset.

“Our office has been educated and trained about it. The mindset has been [instilled] and now we’re putting the message out there.”

He said changing the slogan cost about $50 per car.

In addition to the new slogan, the hybrid car will have its own logo that identifies that it is a hybrid car.

Santoro said he thinks this will be a way for students to see that the University Police are also helping the en-

vironment as FSU has an agreement to promote sustainability.

FSU will be obtaining a Comfort Caring Canine (K-9), which is a type of therapy dog for students and the elderly. The dogs are also used in healthcare environments, according to the Comfort Caring Canines website.

Santoro said Officer Shawn Deleskey researched this option for five weeks and decided that having a therapy dog would be a great fit for FSU.

Deleskey will be the handler of the dog during this process. He will be the direct guardian, Santoro said.

During the summer, the dog will be undergoing training and having bonding time with Deleskey, he said.

The purpose of the dog is solely for student, faculty and staff comfort, Santoro said.

He added the “dog is strictly for comfort. The dog will not be used to search for drugs, guns, weapons, it will not attack or apprehend people and will not assist a police officer - any of those functions. It’s strictly a comfort care and a relationship dog.”

The dog will also be used for mental health calls, as many people find comfort in dogs, and also for the officers as well when they have traumatic calls, Santoro said.

“There’ll be protocols in place and training along with the Counseling Center and other professionals in that field on how and when to use and deploy the dog in certain situations,” he said.

Santoro said the dog will also help surrounding communities, including sister universities.

“The dog can’t handle helping 100

people. So maybe they call us and say, ‘Hey, we are your sister school. We help each other. Is it possible for you to bring a dog up to help us with our situation that we’re dealing with?’” he said.

Dairin Collazo, a sophomore fashion and design major, said having a dog on campus will help students’ mental health.

“It’s definitely needed because me, personally, I want an emotional support animal. So I think that would help a lot of students on campus,” Collazo said.

Alexia DeOliveira, a sophomore sociology major, said the dog is a great addition to FSU.

DeOliveria said that she had some questions when she first heard about the comfort care dog. “I’m questioning, ‘What are their intentions behind it?’ ‘How often is it going to be available?’ ‘Where are they going to have it?’ Or if it’s just like, ‘Oh, we’re getting a therapy dog just to make campus look good.’”

Executive Vice President Hamel said the funding for the therapy dog came directly from the police budget.

Sunday night April 23

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 46. E wind about 15 mph. 70% chance of precipitation.

Monday April 24

Mostly cloudy, with a high near 57. NE wind about 15 mph. 50% chance of precipitation.

Monday night April 24

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 41. NE wind about 10 mph. 50% chance of precipitation.

Tuesday April 25

Partly sunny, with a high near 53. NW wind about 15 mph. 40% chance of precipitation.

Tuesday night April 25

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40. NW wind about 10 mph. 40% chance of precipitaion.

Wednesday April 26

Partly sunny, with a high near 58. N wind about 10 mph.

CONNECT WITH NAIDELLY COELHO ncoelho3@student.framingham.edu

www.weather.gov

Wednesday night April 26

Mostly cloudy, with a low 40. N wind about 10 mph.

Thursday April 27

Partly sunny, with a high near 60. N wind about 10 mph.

Courtesy of Harpreet Singh

University police car with its new slogan.

Courtesy of Harpreet Singh

One of the five University police cars.

Commencement

interested in considering as commencement speaker.

A poll was sent to the senior class asking students to rate the candidates the committee had chosen as well as add their own candidates, according to Magazu.

Then, the search committee reviewed the results of the poll and chose a candidate, he said.

Barros said some of the factors considered when choosing a commencement speaker were availability, connection to the FSU community, representation of the student body, and an inspirational story to send off the class of 2023.

Magazu said, “We were looking for someone who’s got an inspiring personal story, someone who I think will leave a really positive, great message for our graduates.”

After the committee decided, Magazu reached out to Pressley’s team to see if she would like to speak at graduation, he said.

President Nancy Niemi said she is “thrilled” to have Pressley as Framingham State University’s commencement speaker.

She said Pressley is an “advocate for social justice, she advances the will of her Massachusetts constituents with courage and consideration, and she is a strong supporter for women and people of color.”

Niemi added Pressley “also demonstrates that she knows how to work with people in order to accomplish the work we need to do. I am certain she will inspire our graduates and the Framingham State University community with her presence and her message.”

Barros served as the class of ’23 secretary until the elected class of ’23 president, Malik Martin, graduated in the fall semester, when she was elevated to the position of class president for the remainder of the year.

She said one of the factors that contributed to Pressley being chosen was her story.

Barros said, “I thought she would be very inspirational to all of the students at FSU, especially the BIPOC community here.”

She wanted the commencement speaker to be representative of the diversity of the graduating class.

Barros added Pressley’s values line up exactly with what FSU’s community

stands for.

She said, “I would say we are a school where we advocate for ourselves.”

She added, “Her diversity and inclusion work, as well her anti-racist work, really just aligns with what FSU believes in and goes in the direction that FSU wants to head to.”

Thompson said he favored Pressley because of the variety of groups she supports in her role.

He said once the committee worked down the list to 15 candidates, “We had to voice why we believed a particular candidate should make the final list.”

The determining factors that set Pressley apart from the other candidates were her values and consistent support for all people.

He added her values align with his own. “In today’s day, there seems to be a major disconnect between our elected officials and those that they represent. Having someone like Ayanna Pressley who will stand up and fight for those rights is someone we all need.”

Hensley said her reason for choosing Pressley was “because as a black student and a woman, it’s very important to find representation, especially from an authority figure.”

She added, “What stood out to me was what Pressley fights for - abortion care and women’s rights are two themes I find very important, and the fact that Pressley is able to emphasize this was truly what stood out to me.”

Hensley said Pressley’s values line up with those of Framingham State because “we are an inclusive and anti-racist campus,” and this is exactly what she stands and campaigns for.

Cleveland ’73 said it is a privilege to have Pressley speak at the commencement ceremony.

work around issues of poverty, her work for healthy families, healthy children, and then also her work around trauma and sexual violence,” she said.

Kolodny added Pressley “has an amazing agenda that she is working on. … Her platform focused on civil liberties and creating positive social change aligns closely with Framing-

He added, “She’ll be a great speaker for everyone regardless of how any student may feel, because obviously, we’re a big community, and everyone has different feelings about political issues. But I am excited. I do think she’s going to be a great speaker.”

Eric Qua, a senior communication arts major, said he “thinks it is cool to have someone else with such national recognition to send us off, it’s great.”

Joshua Kole, a senior business management major, said he is “really excited to feel inspired.”

Kole said, “I just want to feel something that will wrap up the whole time [at FSU] and just make you reflect on it.”

He added, “I’m really not sure what she’s going to bring, but I’m excited and I hope it’s impactful.”

Joseph Pazzia, a senior business management major, said “She deserves it.

“It is going to be a great speech,” he added.

Brandon Adams, a senior political science major said “I’m curious to hear what she has to say.”

She added she is looking forward to hearing her speech.

Cleveland said the search process was executed “smoothly and efficiently” due to Magazu’s organization and communication throughout the process.

Kolodny said Pressley has a “very compelling story” about how she entered the realm of politics.

Kolodny said, “I really appreciate all that she stands for.

“For example, civil liberties, her

ham State University’s mission.”

Chisholm said his role is to facilitate security for Pressley during her visit to the DCU center.

He said Pressley was ranked “very high among the students, and that’s the principal reason why a speaker should be chosen.”

Magazu said he is looking forward to Pressley’s speech.

“Her message will be for everyone, regardless of how you feel about her politics. Anyone can be inspired by someone who’s used their position to help others.”

Kamaris Desroches, a senior accounting major, said, “I just want to be inspired.”

She added, “I know she has a story of her own, and I hope she incorporates that to encourage us to get over hard things, especially graduating this year. It’s the hardest thing I’m doing being a first-generation [college student]. I just want to be inspired.”

The 2023 undergraduate Commencement Ceremony will be held at the DCU Center in Worcester, at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 21.

“[She] also demonstrates that she knows how to work with people in order to accomplish the work we need to do. I am certain she will inspire our graduates and the Framingham State University community with her presence and her message.”

- Nancy Niemi President

Courtesy of Ayanna Pressley

CONNECT WITH SOPHIA HARRIS sharris9@student.framingham.edu

President

SGA election results

By Branden LaCroix, News Editor

Student Trustee

Name: Evelyn Campbell

Year: Class of 2025

Major: Marketing

Why I ran: I currently work as the outreach and events coordinator for SGA. There was a need [for people to run] for higher positions. I felt like I was qualified. … Dara [Barros, SGA president] actually inspired me a lot. … I said this during my speech, but I think my first goal, honestly, is to diversify SGA. I want everyone in the student body to be able to relate to at least one student that we have here on SGA. … I also said that I wanted to further support affinity groups. I’ve seen firsthand how they aren’t always as supported as they should be, and I want them to be heard and seen. … And I think my third big point that I want to focus on is communication. That’s within SGA itself, and that’s also with SGA and other organizations, our FSU community, all of that.

Vice President

Name: Ryan Mikelis

Year: Class of 2024

Major: Political Science

Name: Raffi Elkhoury

Year: Class of 2024

Major: Biochemistry

Why I ran: I’ve been involved in SGA for as long as I’ve been at Framingham State. So to me, it’s like synonymous with just being a part of the community here. In my time, I’ve taken on more responsibility and I’ve had really amazing role models. I’m really sad to see them all go this year, but I’m really excited to see the new team kind of pick up that mantle. In terms of my goals, I want to increase collaboration with clubs, including affinity groups. I’m trying to do that through the President’s Council and other than that, I just want to make SGA an inclusive space - a space where everybody can come, whether you’re a member of SGA or whether you’re just a student. … This office should be a space that’s welcome to everybody.

Why I ran: Funny story about me is that my first year of college was completely remote. I was really concerned about making friends - feeling connected with campus - and I was concerned about how long COVID would last. Luckily, that following summer after my first year was the first year I actually became an orientation leader. And that was the very first step in my overarching involvement on campus. Since then, I have learned so, so much, and I continue to learn, and the networking connections I’ve madethe connections with administrators - all have helped me so dramatically. … I never even considered running for student trustee until current president Dara Barros was like, “Maybe you should consider it,” and I’m like, “That actually might be something that would be really beneficial and I could learn a lot from and I could also help other students get a lot out of it.” So, I did. My goal going into this position is to work very closely with the board next year and to do my absolute best in representing the current student body, making sure everyone feels heard, seen and appreciated, no matter the club, organization, or student.

Name: Michael Trueswell

Year: Class of 2025

Major: History

Why I ran: I ran because I wanted to be more involved with the campus community and to be more active with everything. I’m still getting an idea for how it all works.

Name: Ben Boyer

Year: Class of 2025

Senator

Name: Liv West

Year: Class of 2026

Major: Psychology

Senator Senator

Why I ran: This is my first year, so I was a senator. And I just joined to make some friends and learn more stuff about the school, and being inspired by our new president, I’m taking her position, which is the outreach and events coordinator, and I just plan on following in everybody’s footsteps, making sure that other students feel welcomed and safe and comfortable, and that we’re an inclusive space and people can come talk to us.

Name: Dillon Riley

Year: Class of 2025

Major: Communication Arts

Why I ran: My goal is to create a community-based kind of environment where we are a resource, and we’re not just the face that’s kind of the dictator of everything, but people you can come to for help - for resources. Because I feel like we don’t provide resources for the organizations, and we have the ability to provide resources, and they don’t flourish the way they should, and we’re doing a disservice to them. So I think making that our mission is to serve not just the organizations, but the community, the student body as a whole.

Name: Billy Hubert

Year: Class of 2024

Major: Environmental Studies and Sustainability

Outreach and events coordinator Senator

Why I ran: I was a senator this current semester and last semester, and I find it very fun, and I like to help people and I hope to do that next year. I hope to diversify our group. Like I hope not to have entirely, all white males [on SGA]. And I hope to make everyone feel included.

CONNECT WITH BRANDEN LACROIX blacroix@student.framingham.edu

Adrien Gobin / THE GATEPOST

Adrien Gobin / THE GATEPOST

Adrien Gobin / THE GATEPOST

Adrien Gobin / THE GATEPOST

Adrien Gobin / THE GATEPOST

Adrien Gobin / THE GATEPOST

Adrien Gobin / THE GATEPOST

Courtesy of Facebook

Save our democracy

By McKenzie Ward Opinions Editor

THE GATEPOST EDITORIAL

OP/ED Always Boston Strong

On Monday April 17, known in Massachusetts as Patriots’ Day, crowds filled the streets of downtown Framingham to cheer on people from around the world as they ran their sixth mile in the 26.2 mile race to Boston.

Despite rain, community members from Framingham and beyond gathered on the sidewalks of Waverly Street - wearing ponchos and energetically wielding umbrellas - as they passed out Gatorade and water.

Only about 1.8 miles from Framingham State University, the Boston Marathon passed through Framingham for the tenth time since the finish line was bombed during a domestic terrorist attack in 2013.

Ten years ago, the people of New England and the United States were left feeling shock and terror when they learned three people died, and approximately 281 people were injured due to this devastating attack.

Current members of The Gatepost were only 11, 12, and 13 years old at the time, but we vividly remember the fear that overcame our families as the Federal Bureau of Investigation searched for the bomber.

We also remember the sadness and uncertainty that fell across our communities as we mourned the loss of the victims.

For a moment, a beloved New England tradition was tarnished.

However, a sense of pride and commitment to community felt by people across New England prevailed.

As people gathered to support and rebuild Boston, what became evident is that we are resilient.

The people of Boston and its surrounding communities did not submit to or give into the terror the two bombers hoped to instill in us.

Despite the tragedy, the marathon remains a respected, much-loved, and well-attended tradition.

After the marathon bombing, new security measures were implemented to increase the safety along the route. However, this does not dampen the spirit or overall happy atmosphere of the event.

While mandatory bag checks at stops on the commuter rail and increased police presence cause long hold ups for people coming in to watch the race, it isn’t enough to drive them away.

This year, almost 30,000 athletes registered to participate in the marathon, according to the Boston Marathon website.

One of these runners was Henry Richard, the brother of 8 year old Martin Richard, who was killed at the finish line in 2013. He led a group

MR8 runners, an organization founded in his brother’s name.

In addition, several Framingham State students and alumni also participated in the marathon.

The Boston Marathon continues to uplift spirits and bring the community together year after year as people break their own personal records and push the human body to its limits, and people run to support charitable organizations.

To answer a question asked in the April 19, 2013 Gatepost editorial published only a few days after the tragedy struck - “Can we ever feel safe joining our fellow Bostonians in this beloved, time-honored tradition again?”

The answer is yes.

Ten years later, athletes are more dedicated to preparing for and running this race than ever.

People are more excited to watch this prestigious race and cheer on and support runners every year. They wake up bright and early to crowd the streets before they close. They dress up in costumes and patriotic clothing. And they create signs with clever sayings encouraging athletes to make it to the finish line.

We will never forget the tragedy of the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013.

But just as we did in 2013, we will never al-

The Republican-controlled Tennessee state House of Representatives attempted to expel three Democratic members of the House on April 6 after they allegedly violated the chamber’s rules of decorum by participating in a gun control protest at the state capitol the week prior. The gun control protests in Tennessee began after six people, including three children, were murdered at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee on March 27, 2023.

During the protest at the state capitol, the three representatives halted proceedings and led chants using a bullhorn as legislators instituted a recess.

Two of the Democratic members, Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, were expelled from the Tennessee State House of Representatives. The third Democratic member, Gloria Johnson, kept her seat with just one vote.

Jones and Pearson were later reinstated into their old seats after unanimous votes by their districts’ councils and were sworn in again. The appointments are interim and both men plan to run in special elections for the seats later this year, according to PBS.

While both men regained their seats, this event is beyond scary and must serve as a wake-up call for the entire country. Our democracy is in danger.

This vote is just one example of the Republican Party’s effort to limit the voices of those whose beliefs do not align with the GOP.

Other examples include Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which imposes a ban on classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in all grades, and the party’s attempts to tighten voting laws that target college-aged students after a majority of Gen-Z voters voted for Democratic candidates in the 2022 midterm election.

Not only was this expulsion an attempt to silence the three representatives, but it was an attempt to silence each person who voted for Pearson, Jones, or Johnson as their representative.

An incident similar to what happened in Tennessee happened in Georgia to Julian Bond. In 1965, Bond was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives.

A few months after Bond took office, he endorsed a press release by the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, which criticized the United States’ involvement in the Vietnam War. Bond’s endorsement made many members of the Georgia House of Representatives upset and after a House hearing, Bond’s fellow representatives, led by Rep. James “Sloppy” Floyd, voted 184-12 to bar Bond from being seated, according to the First Amendment Encyclopedia.

Bond filed a lawsuit in federal court, citing that his First Amendment rights had been violated as he was expelled because of his political speech. The lower court rejected his claim and cited that Bond’s free-speech rights as a citizen were limited to a degree by his taking a seat in the Georgia House of Representatives and the mandatory oath, according to the First Amendment Encyclopedia.

low this to prevent us from celebrating Patriots’ Day the best way we know how.

We will never allow this tragedy to define the Boston Marathon.

We will always be Boston strong.

Bond appealed the lower court’s ruling and the case made its way to the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS). The SCOTUS in Bond v Floyd ruled in favor of Bond and SCOTUS Chief Justice Earl Warren stated that “while the State has an interest in requiring its legislators to swear to a belief in constitutional processes of government, surely the oath gives it no interest in limiting its legislators’ capacity to discuss their views of local or national policy.”

What happened to Julian Bond in 1966 by those who were afraid of people whose beliefs directly challenged their own, is what is happening in 2023.

The Republican Party is not only silencing citizens on topics such as reproductive health, LGBTQ+ issues, and race, but they are targeting the people who we have voted to represent us.

In my opinion, Pearson’s and Jones’ First Amendment rights were violated when the Republicans of the Tennessee House of Representatives voted to expel them, and those who voted in favor of their expulsion must be held accountable.

We have all heard the saying, “History repeats itself, first as a tragedy, second as a farce.”

We must acknowledge that history is repeating itself right now and that our democracy is in much greater danger than most of our country is willing to admit.

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

Gatepost staff and alum on Waverly Street in Framingham taking photos of the Boston Marathon on April 17, Patriots’ Day.

We need to talk about food insecurity

By Leighah Beausoleil Editor-in-Chief

While I was in foster care, I was given the opportunity to volunteer for a Backpack Program in North Carolina.

It was a program in which a group of individuals would get together once a week or so and fill backpacks with nonperishable food items and toiletries, such as toothbrushes and toothpaste.

My foster mother’s significant other helped run the program, and decided to take me and their daughter to help out.

We arrived one evening at the packing location and began to get to work filling the discrete black backpacks with all of the essentials for families in need.

The goal of the program was to provide food and toiletries to families that could not afford them on the weekends. Students would pick up the bags at school at the end of the day Fridays and return the bags the following Monday.

Little did I know that a year later, I would be one of the recipients of these bags.

At this point, I was back living with my family. We had found a nice trailer home in the next county over, but were still struggling financially.

I knew the importance of the Backpack Program and how it worked, and

therefore, felt at ease when it was introduced at my new school and I was enrolled in it.

This was until that first Friday afternoon when I was called down to the principal’s office over the loudspeaker and forced to make the walk of shame back to my math class.

Instead of a black backpack, this school opted for plastic grocery bags.

Everyone could see and everyone knew that my family could not afford to buy all of our own groceries.

I recall coming up with lies and excuses to my classmates and students on the bus when they would ask about the bag.

“Oh, I just enrolled for the snacks,” I would say.

Then came the requests for me to share, and I had to awkwardly decline, which was difficult to do when I was trying to pretend my family did not actually need the contents of this plastic bag.

Food insecurity has always been a part of my life.

It was embarrassing.

It was shameful.

It was my life, and there was nothing I could do to change it.

Fast forward to my sophomore year of college. The world is in the middle

of a global pandemic.

My grandparents are moving down South and with no other options, I spent my winter break on campus.

It was perfect.

I had just enough money to pay the additional housing fee and I felt hopeful I would be able to make it to the spring semester.

Except it wasn’t perfect because Framingham State does not provide dining for students who stay for yearround housing.

My only source of income at the time was my work study job as I had lost my job waitressing due to the pandemic. Therefore, I had hardly any money - meaning I was once again food insecure.

My advisor helped the best he could, bringing me groceries throughout the break.

Late into the evening, I would be reading a book at my desk and my phone would ping - he was there for another delivery.

Walking down to the front of Corinne Towers Hall, I would meet him and he would hand me the plastic grocery bags filled with food: cheese, bread, bagels, frozen entrées, and orange juice.

I was beyond grateful for his help

and thanked him as often as I could, but I knew I would never be able to thank him enough for the kindness he showed me that winter break.

With the plastic bags in my hands, I would make my way back to my room.

Once again, the familiar feeling of shame would settle in and I would be reminded of that same powerlessness I felt as a kid.

It was a long and hard winter break, but it did not have to be that way.

There is so much the school could have done for me and people like me who stay on campus during the breaks.

Why not keep the Rams Resource Center open?

Obviously, the dining options do not have to be at the same level as when the semester is in full swing, but anything would have been better than nothing.

The University failed me.

The institution that prides itself on being student focused and aware of students’ needs failed me when I needed it most.

I hope that in sharing my experience I can prompt the University to recommit itself to supporting students with food and housing insecurity.

Campus Conversations

“Who is your dream commencement speaker?”

By Ben Hurney, Staff Writer

“Lionel Messi. He really came from nothing, little towns. He came from a little group of people in Argentina and won the World Cup.”

-Fernando Climaco, sophomore

“I

mean, Taylor Swift was at NYU last year. That’d be interesting. I think she’s got some interesting things to say.”

-Jenna Butch, sophomore

“Jack Black, because he’s a funny guy.”

-Olivia Heafey, junior

“I’ll go with Bill Belichick. I just think it would be super cool, and he’s kind of grumpy, so I feel like it would be funny.”

-Jamie Long, sophomore

“Todd Howard, from Bethesda Softworks, because he made Skyrim and he’s sexy.”

-Samuel Kill, sophomore

“Ayanna Pressley!”

-Kristel Normil, senior

It was never about the children

By Branden LaCroix Editorial Staff

Throughout America’s recent history, conservatives have worked overtime attempting to paint the LGBTQ+ community as degenerate monsters who are above all coming for our children.

From Anita Bryant’s “Save Our Children” campaign in the 1970s, to psychologist Paul Cameron’s various “scientific studies” linking homosexuality to pedophilia, the right has continually stoked the fear of LGBTQ+ people, using children as a shield for their bigotry.

Even if you’re unfamiliar with social media or current events, you’re probably still aware of the alarming amount of paranoia, misinformation, and outright hate that is being directed toward the trans community - specifically trans women and children.

According to the ACLU, 467 anti-LGBTQ+ bills, mostly targeting trans people, have been introduced in various states, and while 86 of these bills have been defeated, 342 bills are listed as “advancing,” and 36 have passed.

These bills range from laws preventing trans teens from participating in high school sports, to so-called “bathroom bills,” to speech restrictions in classrooms regarding sexuality and gender identity, to outright bans gender-affirming care.

One of the most prominent figures spearheading this movement is Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas, who last year ordered gender-affirming care be considered child abuse and directed not only social workers, but random citizens to report parents suspected of trying to help their children transition.

Similarly, in Missouri, Attorney General Andrew Bailey, not satisfied with merely making gender-affirming care more difficult to receive, created an online form for concerned citizens to report “gender transition interventions” they’ve witnessed.

And of course, who can forget Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, in his increasingly embarrassing quest to one-up Donald Trump, expanding the “Parental Rights in Education” bill, also known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

The bill bars all teachers and school staff from discussing sexuality or gender identity in classrooms in K-12 classrooms, while also banning books covering these topics.

These bills are being strengthened by the far-right’s ever-increasing need to fuel the culture war machine.

At the forefront of this culture war is Chaya Raichik, known by the moniker Libs of Tik Tok on Twitter, a far-right “journalist” whose main claim to fame is tweeting about Boston Children’s Hospital providing hysterectomies to minors as gender-affirming care, which the hospital does not do.

Following Raichik’s tweets, the hospital received a bomb threat on August 30 and again on Sept. 9, to, you know, protect the children and all that.

She then moved on to tweeting about Drag Story Hour events, at which drag performers read to children.

Concern about these events has become a cornerstone of the anti-LGBTQ+ movement.

Multiple states led by Republican lawmakers have moved to outright ban drag shows and criminalize drag performers.

Next we have Michael Knowles, a

talking head for The Daily Wire, whose speech at last month’s Conservative Political Action Conference called for the “eradication” of transgenderism “for the good of society.”

What needs to be made abundantly clear is that these people do not care that their actions will hurt - even killpeople. And they especially don’t care about children.

These are the people who refuse to lift a finger when children in schools are gunned down again and again.

The same people, such as Missouri state Sen. Mike Moon, who think child marriage is no big deal.

The same people, such as Minnesota state Sen. Steve Drazkowski, who repeatedly vote down laws regarding free school meals for underprivileged children.

The truth is gender-affirming health care has been around for decades and above all, is life saving for people experiencing gender dysphoria, especially trans children and teens.

According to a study published Feb. 25, 2022 by JAMA Network, trans and nonbinary people aged 13 to 20 who received gender-affirming care, such as puberty blockers - the effects of which are reversible - and hormone therapy, showed a dramatic decrease in depression and suicidality.

Regarding gender-affirming surgeries, according to a study published on the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Global Open, the number of people who regret transition surgery was found to be roughly 1% of the nearly 8,000 people studied.

As for the fears concerning trans people in public restrooms, a 2018 study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law found no increase in safety risks from people using restrooms that align with their gender identity.

And some politicians are standing up to the deluge of hate.

Last year, President Joe Biden signed an executive order that withholds federal funding from organizations that still practice conversion therapy and expands access to gender-affirming care.

Nebraska state Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh, who for several weeks has filibustered the Nebraska legislature blocking yet another bill that would ban gender-affirming care for people under 18.

But more needs to be done - we need to be treating this hatred with the gravity it demands. And it’s not only trans people who are in danger, and it’s not going to stop with trans people.

Trans people are just the wedge in the door - all other LGBTQ.

The politicians who advocate for these anti-trans measures need to be called out more and removed from office when possible.

Social media platforms also need to be held accountable for allowing all the dangerous disinformation to spreaddisinformation that has put people’s lives at risk, I remind you.

Above all, we need to actually listen to trans people, including children and teens. Not the people critical of socalled “gender ideology.” Not the politicians or pundits.

We need to listen to trans people!

Put simply, trans people should not have to justify their existence to others - no one does.

SPORTS Baseball wins five in six-game stretch

By Adam Levine Sports Editor

By Riley Crowell Staff Writer

The Framingham State Rams finished up a six-game stretch that lasted April 14-19, facing off against conference opponents MCLA and Salem State and nonconference Lasell.

The Rams started off the stretch with an away game versus the MCLA Trailblazers ending in a 9-6 Framingham victory April 14.

Framingham’s left fielder, Ryan Boyle, led the way with a game-high three hits and three RBIs, collecting RBI singles in both the first and fourth innings.

Boyle earned MASCAC Player of the Week April 17. He said, “I mean, it’s nice and all, but I’m more worried about what the team’s doing than the personal aspect.”

Framingham’s shortstop, Steven Burbank, and second baseman, Cam Gilroy, also contributed multi-hit games, combining for five hits and three RBIs.

On the mound, Ram relief pitcher Anthony Panza closed out the victory for Framingham, striking out two Trailblazer batters and only allowing one run in three innings pitched.

The Rams headed back to Bowditch Field for a conference doubleheader with the MCLA Trailblazers April 15.

Framingham started off the first game of the doubleheader with an RBI single by Boyle to take an early 1-0 lead in the first inning.

In the bottom of the second inning, Ram center fielder Shane Costello hit an RBI single to extend Framingham’s lead to 2-0.

The Rams’ offense exploded in the fifth inning, scoring four runs on four hits to inflate their lead to 6-0.

Framingham’s starting pitcher, James Gilleran, shined on the mound, throwing a complete game and striking out 10 of the 32 batters he faced.

MCLA hit a three-run home run in the top of the seventh inning, but Gilleran and the Rams’ defense closed out Framignahm’s 6-4 victory by securing outs against the following three batters.

Gilleran said, “I just wanted to keep throwing strikes - not let anyone on base.

“I left the slider over the plate and he hit it well, but we got the win and that’s really all that matters,” he added.

In the second half of the doubleheader, Burbank and Boyle hit RBIs to give Framingham a 2-0 lead.

The Trailblazers’ offense answered in the fourth and fifth innings, knocking in five runs, most notably from a three-run home run in the fifth.

The Rams battled their way back to an even 5-5 scoreline by the end of the sixth inning.

A trio of sacrifice flies by Burbank, Boyle, and Rams’ third baseman, Matthew Shaver, fueled Framingham’s comeback.

MCLA regained the lead in the seventh inning on a two-RBI double, giving them a 7-5 edge over the Rams.

In the bottom of the seventh, the first four Framingham batters of the inning reached base by either a walk, error, or hit by pitch.

The Trailblazers’ pitcher hit two more Framingham batters with pitches, bringing home the Rams’ game-tying and game-winning runs.

Framingham’s 8-7 victory over MCLA capped a three-game MASCAC conference sweep.

Head Coach Sean Callahan said, “Sweeping in this league is very hard as you can see from today, so we were super fortunate to come away with it.”

The Rams traveled to take on the Salem State Vikings in a conference doubleheader April 17.

In the first game of the doubleheader, Framingham’s offense started hot. Costello walked, Boyle doubled, and designated hitter Caleb Hendrix knocked in a run on a sacrifice fly.

Neither team scored any runs for the next four innings. Framingham clung to a 1-0 lead entering the sixth inning.

In the sixth, an RBI walk by Rams’ catcher, Ryan Plocker, and an RBI single by Costello pushed two more runs across the plate for Framingham, increasing their lead to 3-0.

The Rams kept scoring in the seventh inning. A run scored on a Salem

error, combined with a two-RBI single, gave Framingham a 6-0 lead.

The Rams’ starting pitcher, Cameron Prescott, was lights out against the Vikings, allowing zero runs and striking out three batters in his six innings pitched.

Prescott said, “I control the game when I’m on the mound. I just have to stay collected and focus on getting the next out.”

Framingham’s solid offense and incredible pitching secured their 6-0 victory.

The second game of the Rams’ doubleheader with the Vikings didn’t go quite as smoothly.

Salem capitalized on early hits and walks given up by Framingham’s pitching and held a 3-0 lead after the second inning.

Burbank kept the Rams in the game with an RBI single in the third inning, bringing Framingham back within two runs.

A sacrifice fly in the fourth inning and an RBI single in the sixth inning for the Vikings extended their lead to 5-1.

The Rams rallied in the seventh inning, a Gilleran RBI double and Boyle RBI single cut the deficit to two runs, but Framingham ultimately fell 5-3.

Framingham returned home to Bowditch Field for a nonconference matchup with the Lasell University Lasers April 19. Framingham used eight different pitchers during their battle with Lasell. Callahan said this decision came down to “just the way that our schedule is set up.”

He added, “Today’s one of those days where everyone’s got to contribute, and you know, it worked out.”

Burbank and Hendrix led Framingham’s offense, combining for seven hits in their 10 total at bats.

Burbank got on base with a single in the first inning and later rounded the plate to add to Framingham’s early 3-0 lead.

His RBI single in the sixth inning got him on base, which allowed him to

score on a ground out from Boyle. Burbank contributed another two runs in a three-run inning for the Rams.

Burbank said, “It’s more about just moving the lineup for my team - doing what we need to do.”

Among Hendrix’s hits was a tworun RBI in the eighth inning. His contribution to Framingham’s four-run inning responded to Lasell’s three-run seventh inning and secured the 11-7 victory for the Rams.

Hendrix said, “I was on deck, I knew the guy’s throwing a lot of fastballs.”

He added he had to “trust myself to put a good swing on it - happened to find the gap.”

The Rams beat the Lasers 11-7 after beating them 10-5 a week earlier. Callahn said, “We kind of kept our same consistent approach.

“I trust in our hitters and in our pitchers to throw strikes,” he added.

The Rams now hold an overall record of 18-10 and a conference record of 8-3, placing them second in the MASCAC standings.

Framingham travels to Worcester State for another MASCAC matchup April 21.

Photo Credit / Frank Poulin Photography MASCAC Player of the Week April 17

Ryan Boyle

Adrien Gobin / THE GATEPOST Benjamin Respress pitching during game against Lasell April 19.

Adrien Gobin / THE GATEPOST Ryan Boyle at bat during game against Lasell April 19.

Softball remains undefeated in MASCAC

By Adam Levine Sports Editor

The Framingham State Rams swept back-to-back MASCAC doubleheaders this past weekend, outscoring their opponents 41-5.

The Rams opened their weekend with a sweep of the MCLA Trailblazers in their doubleheader April 15.

Framingham’s offense combined for 15 hits across eight different batters in their 12-0 mercy victory in the first game.

Framingham’s left fielder, Gwen Carpenter, led the Rams with three hits in her three at bats, including a three-run home run in the bottom of the second inning.

Carpenter’s three-run home run contributed to Framingham’s seven runs in the bottom of the second inning. “I just got up there and tried to hit the ball hard. I had some tough at bats the other day and just kind of getting back in the right mindset.”

Carpenter earned MASCAC Player of the Week April 17.

Framingham’s pitching duo of Ally Moran and Rylynn Witek faced 12 and 10 batters respectively and only allowed a combined total of five hits throughout the game.

The Rams’ offensive and fielding dominance helped them cruise to a 12-0 victory over the Trailblazers.

Framingham continued their pressure in the second game of the doubleheader and mercied MCLA 8-0 after five innings.

All nine of Framingham’s batters recorded either a hit or RBI to assert their victory.

Framingham’s pitcher, Olyvia Mendonca, threw for all five innings of the game and recorded her first complete game shutout of the season, only allowing three hits and striking out three of the 16 batters she faced.

The Rams led 6-0 going into the top of the fifth inning, just two runs shy of a mercy victory.

Mendonca said, “At first I was kind of nervous because I knew we had to hold them.

“I knew my team had my back, so I felt like I was still confident in myself,” she added.

Carpenter kicked off Framingham’s fifth inning at bat with an inside-thepark home run.

She said her goal was to “just get on base.” Carpenter added, “I just kept running and I saw that coach was sending me so I just put my speedy shoes on and ran as fast as I could.”

Framingham’s right fielder, Keely Scotia, drove catcher Talia Duca to home plate with an RBI double, closing out the Rams’ 8-0 mercy victory.

Scotia said the walk off RBI “felt good.” She added, “I went up just expecting to try to get a hit and move the runners. I wasn’t going up there trying to swing for the fences.”

Framingham’s dominance in the MASCAC continued with their doubleheader sweep over the Salem State Vikings April 17.

An RBI single gave the Vikings a 1-0 lead entering the bottom of the second

inning.

Framingham’s Duca kicked off the Rams’ offense with a single to center field. First baseman Kelsey McGuill followed up with a two-run home run to give the Rams a 2-1 lead over the Vikings.

With bases loaded and zero outs on the board, second baseman Brooke Grassia launched a three-RBI double to left field and the Rams quickly took a 5-1 lead.

Grassia said, “I saw that first pitch right down the middle and I sent it.

“Luckily enough, my base runners were actually really on top of their game and saw that ball in the trajectory of it so they knew to go.”

“It was just really nice to have that momentum shift,” Grassia added.

Grassia advanced to home plate on a wild pitch to cap a six-run inning for the Rams.

Framingham led 10-5 entering the bottom of the sixth inning. The offense’s hot bats continued to dominate and the Rams closed out the mercy victory by tacking on three runs without giving up an out.

Mendonca led Framingham to an 8-0 five-inning mercy victory over the Vikings in the second game of their doubleheader.

Mendonca threw her second complete game shutout and only gave up one hit to Salem’s offense.

Framingham’s offense was led by third baseman, Mikayala Rooney, who recorded a hit in each of her three at bats.

Rooney contributed to five of the Rams’ eight runs of the game, hitting an RBI double in both the second and fourth innings and scoring each time she got on base.

She said, “Three for three, I don’t usually do that.

“It feels good to be able to help the team with that win,” Rooney added.

As of presstime, the Rams split games with Johnson & Wales University April 20, and now hold an overall record of 22-10 and a conference record of 8-0, placing them at the top of the MASCAC standings.

The Rams host Worcester State for another MASCAC doubleheader April 22.

APRIL 15

12

17

Stats sourced from fsurams.com and MASCAC.com

CONNECT WITH ADAM LEVINE alevine5@student.framingham.edu

Women’s lacrosse conquer MCLA in 21-2 victory

By

The Framingham State Rams beat the MCLA Trailblazers 21-2 at Maple Street Field

Framingham dominated MCLA from start to finish. Eleven different Rams scored, three of which recorded a hat trick.

Framingham recorded 35 shots, scored 21 points, and only allowed two goals. Their game against MCLA is an improvement from their already impressive first two MASCAC matchups, in which they averaged 33.5 shots per game, 19.5 goals per game, and allowed 12 total goals.

MCLA’s only two goals were scored off their free position shots.

Framingham began the game with

a dominating performance in the first quarter. Five different Rams scored in their 10-point first quarter.

Framingham’s midfielder, Molly Lanier, led the Rams with a hat trick in the opening quarter.

Lanier said, “I honestly owe my performance to my teammates.

“Everyone else was able to get this same amount of goals well,” she added.

Framingham’s leading scorer of the game was attacker Alessia Lye.

Lye scored four goals off the bench for the Rams, which showed improvement from her two total goals throughout the rest of the season.

Lye said, “I’ve definitely seen a huge improvement since coming here.

“I’m just working hard every practice just to keep playing every game, so this is a great opportunity for it,” she added.

The Rams let up in the fourth quarter, but still outscored the Trailblazers 2-1. Framingham’s early dominance secured their 21-2 victory over MCLA.

The Rams now hold an overall record of 8-5 and a conference record of 3-0, placing them second in the MASCAC standings.

Framingham travels to Bridgewater State for another MASCAC matchup April 22.

Adrien Gobin / THE GATEPOST Mikayla Rooney fileding during game against UMass-Boston April 13.

Adam Levine Sports Editor

April 15.

Adrien Gobin / THE GATEPOST Molly Lanier during game against Babson March 30.

Gwen Carpenter

Learning to ice skate and tips from the pros

By Sophia Harris Editorial Staff

The crowd funnels in through the small doors of Loring Arena just in time for the free skate at 2:30 p.m. on a recent Sunday.

The skaters are so rushed to pay the mere $5 fee to skate, they are not even holding the door open for each other.

The younger children are already wobbling around on their skates, eager to get onto the ice.

Loring Area is bustling with chatter and laughter at 2:35 as a hockey team slowly meanders off the ice, unaware of the crowds of people anticipating their turn.

Just as people line up to enter, a quiet disappointment sets in as they watch the Zamboni crawl over the ice, leaving smooth trails in its tracks.

Once the Zamboni finishes its last lap, putting an end to what felt like hours, the chatter picks up again as people, one by one, some holding hands, some children pushing their way to the front, glide onto the ice.

Skaters on the ice join from all different backgrounds and various abilities.

Some of them are dressed in full hockey gear, likely practicing for upcoming tournaments - while others glide and twirl around in figure skates practicing technique and form, perhaps for a future competition.

Kaleb Kinskey, a junior Framingham State hockey player, has been

skating at Loring Arena for the past three years and has been playing ice hockey since he was 8.

Rebecca Gerfen, an FSU junior, figure skates for the sector of Hayden XII for Team USA.

She said her first time on the ice was when she was only 4. Six years later, she started to figure skate competitively when she was only 10.

Stepping onto the ice is one of the hardest parts of ice skating for a beginner. As surprising as it sounds, the idea of a person’s entire body weight balancing on two blades thinner than a pencil is the first fear a new skater must overcome.

The sides of the arena provide a safety net for any new skaters. A clear giveaway of a new ice skater is the loyalty they seem to have to the wall.

After a lap is made around the ice rink, gripping the sides of the wall, more confidence is gained as skaters slowly start to add distance between themselves and the rink’s walls.

A rhythmic pace sets in as the line dissipates at the entrance and people skate along the perimeter of the ice. Few people have the confidence to venture to the middle to show off

Kinskey added, “But if you don’t know what you’re doing, and you aren’t taught, you know, how to safely hit people and how to receive it, how to keep your head up, and you don’t

“The reason I love skating personally is I just love the speed that I can get and I love my teammates, and I just love that I’m able to express myself through the movements. I just

their skills.

Kinskey said he plays the forward right-wing position for the FSU Rams hockey team.

He said he loves and respects the sport, adding as long as players train properly and “learn the fundamentals of the game and how to play it the right way, then it’s safe.”

wear the right equipment,” hockey can get dangerous quickly.

Kinskey said, “I love hockey so I’m going to say it’s safe but people also realize it’s not.”

In her free time, Gerfen said she also coaches ice skating for children between 6 and 15 years old.

Her favorite part about coaching is being able to see her students’ “aha” moments on the ice, she said.

Gerfen advises novice skaters to “be very careful, and know your limits.”

She added, “Don’t try to push yourself too much. Just take your time with it. One of the big tips for when you’re feeling like you’re going to fall is you want to put your hands on your knees.”

Gerfen said part of her success as a figure skater is her love for the sport.

think it’s so fun,” she said.

An experienced skater, seeming to be in his early 30s, wearing headphones around his neck and dressed in a gray sweatsuit, coasted along the ice scanning the arena for inexperienced skaters in order to offer them his expertise.

Seeming to show off his respect for the sport, he glided backward and thoughtfully explained that in order to create balance one must put their hands on their knees.

He skated backward effortlessly in front of the first-time skater for multiple laps teaching the unspoken techniques of ice skating.

And once he felt the novice got the hang of it, he disappeared just as quickly as he appeared into the swarm of people, forcing a search to be made of him.

The ice skaters blend into each other like a school of fish, and the only ones who stand out are those gripping the sides of the rink.

Tension builds as the clock ticks down from the one-hour free skate.

As 3:25 p.m. rolls around the pace picks up, an unspoken agreement among skaters trying to gain as many laps as they can before their time is over.

The novice skaters wobble off the ice, also attuned to the understanding that their time on the ice is over.

Gerfen said she thinks everyone should try ice skating at least once.

“It’s a really good thing, especially for younger kids to do even if they don’t go far with it. It’s really good for body awareness. And learning where your limbs go and ankle control and things like that.

“I think it’s a really good thing even if you don’t stick with it, to at least try it a little bit,” she said.

“Don’t try to push yourself too much. Just take your time with it.”

- Rebecca Gerfen, Junior

Photo Credit / Kelli McClintock

Storytellers of the art department

Seniors studio art majors’ capstone projects put on display

By Raena Doty Asst. Arts & Features Editor

By Bella Omar Staff Writer

As the end of the year draws near, senior studio art majors are completing their capstone course. On April 18, a reception was hosted in the Mazmanian Gallery for four senior studio art majors with concentrations in illustration to display their capstone creations.

The name of the show, “Storytime,” was chosen by the artists. Julia Parabicoli, one of the artists, said they chose the name because all of the projects had to do with storytelling.

“All of us had to do with books or storytelling. So it was kind of a blessing in disguise that we were grouped together,” she said.

Parabicoli’s contribution was a picture book of 26 animal illustrations called “ABC Animals” - one animal whose name began with each letter of the alphabet. Her digital drawings were displayed both in book form and printed out and hanging on the wall.

She said she chose to produce a children’s book because that’s what she wants to create professionally once she graduates, and she added the most difficult part was finding all the animals for each letter of the alphabet.

She said the artists began working on their capstone pieces at the beginning of the semester, but didn’t finish until late March.

Parabicoli said she was most proud of having a finished piece to show for her effort.

“I have a physical book that was printed through a place I could publish it,” she said. “It was definitely something where, at a point … I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t know if I could finish this,’ and I got it done.”

Michelle Chea, another artist in the gallery, took a mixed-media approach to her capstone project.

She said the four illustrations she did for her capstone project were based on a poetry anthology she wrote for another class.

The poems, called “Exclusive Girls,” “Rose,” “Daisy,” and “Daycare Troubles,” were printed and displayed with the drawings.

Chea said printing the poems presented a particular challenge, because no printer could do exactly what she needed, so she had to print out, cut, and fold the paper herself to create a booklet that could be unfolded into a large print of the accompanying drawing.

She said she started her process by doing sketches until she found ones she liked, then did color tests to find a color scheme before adding the finishing details.

Shannon Ward was the only senior to choose a traditional medium for her capstone piece. She created a book of illustrations of fantasy creatures.

Rather than being drawn digitally and printed later, Ward drew direct-

Ward said she started the drawings by researching and sketching a lot of animals, then using those sketches to decide what the personality of her drawings would be.

When asked what her favorite piece in her collection was, Ward said she liked “The Rainbow Corpse” the most, which is one of the few drawings hung on the wall instead of in the book.

“The colors are very vibrant. I think … it just captures - I don’t know - some kind of essence to it that’s kind of creepy but also very beautiful. I love that,” she said.

She said her favorite part of the

rick said.

She explained how generating descriptions of these fantasy characters was an important step in her creative process.

She said that her piece “Tom & Adriana as Caelan & Minzi” was the most difficult to create due its “fancier” nature and the fact that one of the characters was morphed into a goblin.

Kendrick said her favorite part of the creation process was “collaging all the reference jewelry and clothing onto them and picking out what I wanted them to be wearing.”

This piece was also her favorite of

ly onto the paper on display. She said she had to rip the paper herself and stain it using coffee to make it look more “vintage.”

The drawings themselves were made using acrylic gouache paint, while the writing on the drawings were made with pen and ink, she said.

process was the painting, and the most difficult part was the text.

Looking back on her time at FSU, Ward said she’s become more confident about her art.

“I was very timid at first,” she said. “I’ve definitely evolved with my personality and getting my artwork out there and being involved in shows.”

Jade Kendrick created a collection of digitally painted portraits, with the theme of storytelling at the forefront.

Set in ornate gold frames with detailed crown molding, Kendrick’s capstone collection takes the viewer on a fantastical journey of character creation and video game inspiration.

Kendrick’s artist statement said, “The joy of playing video games has been a newfound inspiration for my work.”

She said the inspiration behind her collection was that she wanted “to take people in my life and do realistic portraits to morph them into video game characters.”

She added video game skins often aren’t appealing to her and her friends, so she wanted to design skins she and her friends would actually want to use while playing video games.

Her creative process began with taking photos of the subjects, “always taking reference pictures and starting with a black and white image,” Kend-

the four portraits because it was just “more fun to do,” Kendrick said.

She said she took the most pride in “completing an overall collection.” She added, “This is my first time actually hanging something in a gallery, and that’s an amazing thing.”

Paul Yalowitz, chair of the Art and Music Department, said he spent a lot of time with these artists in particular because they’re all receiving their concentrations in illustration, and he said he’s worked with all of the students featured in “Storytime.”

He said it’s interesting to see the students progress from where they started all the way to their senior year.

“It’s fun to watch, see where they go, where they started,” he said. “Some of these projects I haven’t seen too much work on and so it’s fun to see the whole thing.

“It’s bittersweet, because like I said, you work with them for a couple years to get to know them, and then they leave,” Yalowitz added. “I feel like a stone in a river, because they’re the water - students just keep flowing through and I get to stay here.”

CONNECT WITH BELLA OMAR bomar@student.framingham.edu

CONNECT WITH RAENA DOTY rdoty@student.framingham.edu

Maddison Behringer / THE GATEPOST

Community members of FSU looking at Shannon Ward’s capstone project.

Maddison Behringer / THE GATEPOST Shannon Ward looking at Julia Parabicoli’s capstone project “ABC Animals.”

Desk attendants

Continued from page 1

Mike, an SDA, will be working the desk for the next few hours.

The desk must be maintained 24/7. Therefore, SDAs take shifts at all hours of the day and night. Once they are on their shift, they cannot leave their desk unless it is an emergency or they call an employee of residence life, such as another SDA, to watch the desk for them while they are gone.

Mike said he typically watches Netflix during his shift - his favorite show is “The Walking Dead.” Tonight, he spent time talking to people in the lobby and making a new friend.

Jenna, who worked the shift prior to Mike’s, said there’s a lot to being an SDA, but what she loves most about it is talking to the residents who walk in and out of the building.

She said over the six months she has worked as an SDA, she has made three or four new friends.

Jenna only works six hours per week, but said she cherishes her time there because she can get in the zone and focus on finishing homework. Then, when she finishes her homework, she’ll move on to reading a book - right now she is working through “Our Violent Ends” by Chloe Gong.

Another woman walking through the lobby is wearing headphones and is carrying two boxes of just-add-water mac-n-cheese. As soon as she sees

Jenna, she tears off her headphones to engage in a conversation.

“What is that book?” she asked Jenna. Soon, they burst into bubbly laughter.

When Jenna and Mike switch shifts at 9 p.m. Devon, the resident assistant (RA) on duty for the night, also opened the RA Office for visiting hours.

SDAs are also responsible for signing in residents’ guests into the building by logging the resident and guest’s name and ID. While signing in a resident, Mike was asked, “So you’re kinda like the guardians of the building?”

He responded, “Yeah, I never really thought of it that way, but that’s kinda cool.”

Mike also explained an important part of an SDA’s job which is filing incident reports. He said these are

reports SDAs and RAs have to make to Residence Life when misconduct occurs.

“It’s all on camera,” Mike said, adding that when incident reports are filed, University Police need to review footage. He made a slightly embarrassed smile, realizing that that means there’s also footage of him continuously dropping the rubber band ball.

Beyond the rubber bands, Mike also revealed that there is a hammer and a doorknob in the drawer of the desk.

Throughout Jenna and Mike’s shifts, around 24 people signed in and out of Peirce Hall, while 10 walked up or down the hallway.

And there was no shortage of eccentricity in the people who entered and exited.

One group of women scurried into

- a fresh take on Dracula

By Jack McLaughlin Staff Writer

Dracula is a character that has been adapted many times over many films, but never in a story quite like “Renfield.”

Viewers follow not Dracula, but rather his assistant Renfield (Nicholas Hoult). The titular protagonist is growing increasingly tired of his servitude to his overbearing and demanding boss, so he looks to group therapy as a way to better understand his situation and get out of his toxic work relationship.

On his quest to be free from Dracula, Renfield becomes intertwined with police officer Rebecca (Awkwafina), and they work together to bring down a crime family while also dealing with Renfield’s malicious boss.

The biggest strength of “Renfield” is the writing and performances behind it. This is definitely not a horror movie like some may expect - rather it’s an action comedy that has the aesthetics of something much spookier than it actually is.

In terms of a comedy, this film excels. Most of the performances are delightful and it’s great to see an actor like Nicholas Hoult be able to show off his more comedic side.

Awkwafina, like most roles she

takes on, is also a wonderful comedic addition while also having a strong motive to be a part of the story. Her line delivery and comedic timing is amazing, and will make certain moments stand out as highlights.

But, to the surprise of no one, the best performance in “Renfield” is Nicolas Cage as Dracula. His inclusion to the story is the biggest win and loss of the movie, because they simply don’t use him enough.

This film is mostly about Renfield and the main plot involving the crime family, and this unfortunately doesn’t include Dracula that much. He gets to shine at the beginning and end mostly, with some great moments sprinkled throughout.

As a fan of the actor, it was disappointing to see him used so

Schwartz, serves that part of the film fine. He doesn’t exactly stand out and absolutely pales in comparison to Cage.

So if the main story isn’t fully grabbing your attention, it can be hard to enjoy parts of this movie, especially with how heavily advertised Cage’s inclusion was.

While Cage’s absence from most of this story is felt considerably, Renfield and Rebecca’s chemistry together is sufficient enough to carry viewers to the more entertaining pieces of the story.

The partnership they form is bizarre at first, but their teamwork is fun to watch evolve in such a short amount of time. Their action scenes together blend different types of fighting which makes the individuals both equally interesting to watch fight alongside each other.

Once Dracula is more involved toward the end, that’s when the film gets way more fun. The ridiculous overly-violent moments both he and Renfield participate in were fantastic bits of action. These types of scenes aren’t frequent, but they’re used enough to where it doesn’t get tir-

Visually, this film has such a unique style. Many of the

the building wearing bright pastel pajamas and boasting about the Eras Tour.

Another couple walked in wearing sparkling silver outfits, as if they’d just come back from a concert.

And another man, wearing a bright neon Nike T-shirt, gray sweatpants, and neon orange crocs, clanged his keys loudly through the hallway.

Two men walked by twice throughout the night at different times, but for the same reason - they were locked out of their dorm and needed an RA to unlock their room.

Mike said this rarely happens, so it was “weird” that it occurred twice in one night.

At 11:55 p.m. Mike looked tired. But now he was flipping through the pages of an online pamphlet, studying for his pilot license - determined. However, come midnight, he shut his laptop and stood up from the desk for the first time in three hours as the next SDA took the reins.

The residents of Peirce Hall were getting ready for morning classes, and most were already tucked silently in their warm beds.

But the security desk attendant would remain awake and on duty.

scenes have a distinct use of blues and oranges that make the New Orleans setting stand out and the darker lighting in many of these scenes helps sell the horror aesthetic that it’s striving for.

The camera work can be inconsistent, some of the action scenes have a jarring fast motion that can be distracting but other than that it’s fairly standard.

The effects are also surprisingly good considering the low budget it has. The blood during action scenes has a bright, almost cartoonish, style. Given how much of it you see, it’s nice to see a unique visual flair dedicated to it.

“Renfield” was not what I was expecting going in, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying it a lot. It has noticeable weak points, but it will satisfy the undying desire to see Nicolas

Rating: B

Not exactly as advertised

‘Renfield’

CONNECT WITH JACK MCLAUGHLIN jmclaughlin7@student.framingham.edu

CONNECT WITH EMILY ROSENBERG erosenberg@student.framingham.edu

“The presence of SDAs helps make residents feel more secure in their campus home.”

- Glenn Cochran, Associate Dean of Students and Student Life

Ben Hurney / THE GATEPOST

‘Suzume’ opens new doors for anime

By Owen Glancy Staff Writer

“Suzume” is the latest film from prolific anime director Makoto Shinkai, famous for his 2016 film “Your Name.” The film was released in Japan on Nov. 11, 2022 and in the U.S. on April 14, 2023.

Shinkai’s signature visual style is immediately present from the film’s first scene. His hyper-realistic background art and dynamic character movement is at its peak, making this one of - if not the best-looking anime ever made.

Pretty colors and smooth movement aren’t all this film has going for it. Shinkai really improves on his characters in this film, especially in the main character Suzume. Her personality is super infectious and her backstory is engaging and moving.

The music is also fantastic. Shinkai once again calls upon the musical talents of the band Radwimps to make original songs for the film after their success on his previous two films. Their new material is memorable and bombastic, always adding plenty of emotion to every scene.

The best part of the film is the very first scene. We see Suzume meet Souta as she is biking to school. She follows him to an abandoned hot springs town and opens a mysterious

door after pulling a strange rock from the ground that turns into a cat. As her day continues, she sees a large ominous worm in the sky seemingly causing earthquakes.

No one else can seem to see it, but she notices it is coming from the door she opened earlier. As she rushes to close it, she runs into Souta trying to do the same. As the music swells and a cacophony of colors swirls on the screen, she works together with Souta to finally close the door as the title drops.

Everything about this scene is executed so well, blending the realistic scenery and setting with the fantasy elements of the story seamlessly. The music and animation build to such a “wow” moment that it sent chills down my spine and single-handedly made the ticket price worth it.

That being said, this film also falls into many of Shinkai’s regular mistakes. Outside of the main duo of Suzume and Souta, many of the side characters are extremely boring. The conflict between Suzume and her aunt is very simple and played out, with most viewers being able to see where their conflict is going from the film’s opening act.

The story also struggles to live up to the bombastic and memorable opening scene. This premise of two young people combating a supernat-

ural force is recycled from Shinkai’s two previous films, and you can really tell.

Plot points like Souta being turned into a walking chair for the majority of the film, a cat being the main villain, Suzume running away from home, and even the fate of Japan being in the balance feel bland considering there’s no real surprise in the characters’ decisions.

The romance, while good, is overly sappy and very sudden. Souta being a chair for the majority of the film also adds to the lack of romantic chemistry between the leads, making viewers wish that they were simply friends and not romantically involved.

The film’s mes sage and depiction of the 3/11 disaster in Japan is extremely poignant and emotional, but this message tends to fall on deaf ears to those outside of Japan. It also makes the film feel unbal anced.

It doesn’t know if it wants to tell a love story between star-crossed lovers, or a sto ry about grief and moving on

Ben Hurney / THE GATEPOST

from past traumas. It tries to do both of these things at once, and while neither is done poorly, it’s the mediocre execution of both that leaves the film feeling directionless at times.

“Suzume” is a film chock-full of beautiful imagery, stunning music, and Shinkai’s best protagonist yet. However, it also features a largely unfocused narrative, a romance that feels undeserved, and side characters that no one will remember once the credits roll.

Despite all the film gets wrong, it’s still a phenomenal piece of art and deserves your full attention while it’s still in theaters.

Rating: B+

A beautifully inconsistent film

oglancy@student.framingham.edu

‘72 Seasons’ - Metallica’s eternal light shines bright

By Kyle Walker Staff Writer

The biggest metal band in the world, Metallica, has just released their 11th studio album, “72 Seasons.” This year marks seven years since their last release.

Needless to say, this album has been long awaited by many thrash metal fans, myself included.

It has been a tradition, started by my dad in the 1980s, for my family to buy a physical copy of every Metallica album on the day of release. I am proud to say I was able to carry on this tradition.

On April 14, when this record was released, I went straight to the store after work and picked up the “Midnight Violet” vinyl color variant of this album.

I must say, the packaging for the physical copies presents the record masterfully. When you open the album gatefold, it is all black with the numbers “7” and “2” cut out on each site. These cutouts allow you to see through to the inner-sleeves, which are close up headshots of all the band members. While open, the cover and back cover create a large version of the album art.

This added a whole new element to the listening experience, which unfortunately is completely absent when using music streaming plat-

forms.

The album’s title refers to the number of seasons people live through within the first 18 years of their lives. Lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist James Hetfield came up with this idea after reading a book about childhood.

Throughout the album, he discusses his own childhood and how it was not so easy.

The record kicks off with the title track “72 Seasons.” This was one of the four singles released in preparation for the album’s release. The track begins with a constant rumbling bassline and drum groove, leading directly into a heavy palm-muted introductory guitar riff.

Right off the bat, everything sounds well mixed and clean. It sounds very modern, but still characteristic of their older material from the ’80s.

This modern sound is nothing necessarily new for Metallica, but this feels right for them. This was a very powerful way for them to set the scene for the album.

“Shadows Follow” continues the album. This is definitely my favorite song on this record. It has plenty of headbanging riffs, super energetic vocals, and a killer solo. It ends with a descending riff and a final chord in which all the guitar tracks end at varying intervals. This makes for a super raw sound that I enjoy.

One thing I find really odd is how

“Sleepwalk My Life Away” and “If Darkness Had a Son” sound way too similar in the beginning. The opening guitar lines are almost one-to-one. I’m unsure whether this similarity was intentional or simply coincidental, but it seems strange to me.

“Lux Æterna” was the first single released. This track is incredible. It begins with a fast, almost jarring, descending guitar riff. This riff ends and rings out to let drummer Lars Ulrich shine. He starts playing a groove that features a constant quadruplet double-kick drum beat. This comes up a few times throughout the song. It just sounds so awesome.

To wrap up the album is the track “Inamorata,” which happens to be the longest Metallica song to date at

Hurney / THE GATEPOST

just over 11 minutes. This song isn’t very exciting unfortunately. When I first saw how long this track was, I was genuinely excited but it doesn’t really seem to build at all. It’s just the same thing over and over. It’s not terrible, but I just expected more.

Overall this album is not too bad, it’s all right. There are plenty of impressive moments throughout, but it seems dull and lacking in other aspects. I think I just expected more from this release. As I said, there are some really good tracks on here, so I think I will be coming back to revisit this album in the future.

CONNECT WITH KYLE WALKER kwalker6@student.framingham.edu

Rating: C+ Plenty of wah-wah, not enough “YEAH-YEAH”

Ben

Puzzles

37. “... more or less”

38. French word that sounds like a horse noise

39. No, in Nuremberg

40. Army physician Walter

42. Results of some rushes, in the NFL

44. Decree

48. Follows as a result

50. Segment of a journey

53. Sch. near the Getty

54. Take for your own use

55. “... you know, metaphorically”

57. About half the answers on some tests

58. “Hmm ... maybe”

59. Industrial tanks

60. Improperly rinsed, say

61. Cake ___ (item of bakeware)

DOWN

1. Watery blue hues

2. Meal to “do”

3. Earth, in sci- or Latin

4. It’s a gamble!

5. Word a er “citric” or “nucleic”

36. Cable alternative

41. Deceives

43. Replay speed

45. Require antifreeze, maybe 46. Army nurse Barton

47. Like a saved seat

49. e heptapods in “Arrival,” e.g.: Abbr.

51. Volcano with a view of the Ionian Sea

52. Sticky substance

55. Palindromic sib

56. Its inhabitants have pig tails

Puzzle solutions are now exclusively online.

ACROSS

1. Secondary social media account 4. Model airplane wood 9. Pranks 13. French-speaking resident of Montreal, for one 15. Basic font 16. Gets back into the game?

6. Entrepreneur Greiner

7. Attack on the Alamo, e.g.

8. Pompous person

9. Alums

10. What gathers dust when in use?

11. Added competitive elements to

12. Like some bed bases or blinds

14. Frat party barrels

15. Henry McCarty, ___ Billy the Kid

20. Part with few lines

22. Actor ___ Ivory Wayans

24. Shallow pond

27. What the Kepler space telescope was designed to discover

28. Leaned

30. Actor Jordan of “Will and Grace”

32. Extracts from a pond, say

33. “Seinfeld” network, once

34. Certain comedians

by Ruth Bader Ginsburg

35. “Yes, ma’am,” in Yucatan

Marathon Madness

Spread and Photos by Editor-in-Chief Leighah Beausoleil

The community gathers throughout Framingham to cheer on the runners of the 127th Boston Marathon held on Patriots’ Day, April 17.