April 18, 2019

Page 1

THE GATEPOST Framingham State’s independent student newspaper

Volume 87 • Issue 22

April 19, 2019

FSUgatepost.com

Danforth Art Museum reopens to the public following a more than $6 million renovation Museum showcases never-before-seen artwork in new location

Tessa Jillson / THE GATEPOST From left to right: Danforth Museum Executive Director Debra Petke, Framingham Mayor Yvonne Spicer, and FSU President F. Javier Cevallos cut the ribbon in the exhibition hall.

By Nadira Wicaksana News Editor By Donald Halsing Asst. Photos Editor By Thomas Maye Staff Writer The doors to the Danforth Art Museum opened once again - this time, at a new home on the Framingham Centre Common - during a ribbon cutting ceremony April 13. The museum’s collections have not had a permanent home since September 2016, when the former museum closed due to a broken boiler, accord-

ing to a press release from Framingham State University. The Danforth has since been acquired by Framingham State University and relocated to the nearby Jonathan Maynard building. Debra Petke, executive director of the museum, began the ceremony by expressing gratitude for her board, curator, collections manager, and trustees for their support throughout the complicated moving process. She also extended thanks to Framingham State University for housing the collection in the Maynard building. She said, “Thank you for taking our collection. You literally gave the Danforth Art Museum a home and a future,

so I thank you.” According to Petke, the grand opening on Saturday, April 13 drew in 250 to 300 visitors, with a special reception for longtime members and donors. On Sunday, the community open house brought another 150 people to the museum. Ed Adelman, executive director of the Massachusetts State College Building Authority (MSCBA), said there were many challenges in the renovation process, such as financing the project, working with changing boards of directors, and managing bureaucratic conflicts over Framingham’s

See DANFORTH page 4

From torn ACL to ace pitcher

By Liam Gambon Asst. Sports Editor March 30 was just a normal Saturday for most people. But for Framingham State’s senior Kelsi Gunarathne, it was a day worth remembering. The ace pitcher for the Rams’ softball team shattered the all-time strikeout record for Framingham State University on that Saturday. She walked away with back-to-back wins in which she pitched 10 innings, struck out 10 batters, gave up only three hits, and didn’t allow a run in either game. The milestone was 360 strikeouts, and she accomplished the acheivement of 361 strikeouts even with road-

blocks along the way. “It honestly feels unreal,” Gunarathne said. “My freshman year, I tore my ACL halfway through the season and was out of softball for the rest of the season. I never thought I would be able to beat any records with missing half of my freshman season.” After returning from the injury, Gunarathne went on a dominant run and cemented herself as Framingham softball’s ace. Head Coach Lawrence Miller said, “Anytime you lose a player to an injury like that - it’s tough, especially a pitcher. That was a particularly tough year for us as well.” He added, “When she came back for her sophomore season, she was defi-

News SGA pg. 3 PROVOST CANDIDATE pg. 6

Kathleen Moore / THE GATEPOST

Opinions TAMPONS pg. 8 GATEPOST GRIEVANCES pg. 10

nitely a different pitcher.” Before the torn ACL, Gunarathne had a 4-7 record with an ERA of 4.05. But after her recovery, Gunarathne went 33-15 with a sub-2.00 ERA over the next two seasons. “Tearing my ACL really did push me to work harder and overcome the injury, and I was not satisfied with my performance prior to the injury,” Gunarathne said. “I knew if I was coming back, I had to work and train harder.” Miller said, “After tearing her ACL her freshman year, [Kelsi] rehabbed and worked hard to get back on the field, and when she did, she was fantastic. She plays the game with a lot of passion, which her teammates feed off

See GUNARATHNE page 18

Arts & Features “BOOKSMART” Q&A pg. 12 LITERARY AWARDS pg. 14

Donald Halsing / THE GATEPOST

Sports SOFTBALL pg. 17 WOMEN’S LACROSSE pg. 19

INSIDE: OP/ED 7 • ARTS & FEATURES 12 • SPORTS 16


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April 18, 2019 by The Gatepost - Issuu