April 26, 2019

THE GATEPOST Framingham State’s independent student newspaper April 26, 2019

Volume 87 • Issue 23

FSUgatepost.com

Valuable items reported stolen from May Hall Faculty concerned about lack of cameras and security in academic buildings

By Tessa Jillson Arts & Features Editor

May Hall, the oldest building on campus, basks in the warm spring sunlight.

News DIVERSITY VP CANDIDATES pg. 4

Breaking records with Grace Gamache smashes all-time points record

By Liam Gambon Asst. Sports Editor

SGA pg. 5

Donald Halsing / THE GATEPOST

Opinions SEXETERA pg. 8 8.23 METERS pg. 9

Arts & Features ASHLEY FARMER pg. 11 LOGIC NOVEL REVIEW pg. 12

Sports WOMEN’S LACROSSE pg. 17 BASEBALL pg. 18

Kathleen Moore / THE GATEPOST

In late March, Yumi Park Huntington, art history professor, called FSU police to report that 11 of her 51 African arts books were stolen from seminar room 322 across from her office in May Hall.

Last semester, Dec. 12, Erika Schneider, art history professor, said she reported her laptop stolen from her office after she left for “two minutes” to microwave her lunch down the hall.

FSUPD Sgt. Martin Laughlin said theft in May Hall has “more recently” posed a problem.

Park Huntington said, “Somehow, it has become a regular routine. … We are really worried about the situation. I’ve been here for only two years, but according to other professors who have been here for decades, it has never really happened before.”

According to Sgt. Robert Barrette, in 2015, nine incidents of theft in academic buildings were reported. In 2016, seven thefts were reported in academic buildings. And in 2017, the number decreased again to five reports Donald Halsing / THE GATEPOST of theft.

As of the 2018-2019 academic year, Laughlin said, “It is tough right now to go back to 2018 and 2019. Usually, obviously, when no one is here, everything slows down, but we don’t have a high volume of thefts. Whether we be in a town or state, we are still going to ing to score. This position is solely get those calls of items being stolen.” offense. However, a midfielder plays Unlike any other academic building, both offense and defense, covering the May Hall is open and unlocked around opposing zone and their own. the clock. There is no full time security Both positions require a lot of skill for the building. and stamina, as there is a lot of runLaughlin said security officers do ning involved. regular checks and walkthroughs of “I have been playing midfield/at- the building two times per shift. “We tack since I can remember. I played have a security officer who actualsome defense in high school, but when ly goes door-to-door checking on the I got to college, the game was a lot classrooms.” more fast-paced, so my coach felt that All together, Park Huntington said I was more of an asset in the attack- she paid approximately $480 out of ing zone,” Gamache said. “I have really pocket to replace nine of the 11 stolen found my role there and love the po- books, and was reimbursed by the FSU sition.” art department.

One hundred and thirty-five goals and 103 assists.

On April 20, Grace Gamache recorded her 238th career point and became the all-time point leader in FSU Women’s Lacrosse history.

“I was shocked, honestly,” Gamache said. “I had no idea I was even close, so it’s definitely super exciting.”

Gamache, an attack/midfielder, is often right in the thick of the action.

These positions require alot of responsibility. An attacker moves around the opposing team’s area, attempt-

See GAMACHE page 17

See MAY HALL THEFT page 3

Calls for student volunteers to saddle up for children’s literacy Equine therapy helps special needs and at-risk youths

By Thomas Maye Staff Writer [Editor’s Note: The surnames of certain individuals were omitted to protect the privacy of special needs youths.]

Time moves like a sweet marmalade on the farm at Horse SenseAbility (HSA), a Sherborn-based nonprofit owned by director Polly Kornblith.

Past a sloping Christmas tree farm and guarded by a canopy of woods, there are few nosy neighbors to interrupt, save for the clucking hens and curious mares.

But in the sleepy indoor riding rink April 5, as the birds chattered and the last pockets of snow made their stubborn retreat, there was no mistaking the echo of 4-year-old Jacqueline W.’s laughter.

Looking over the balcony, onto the pocked tract of dirt, she’s a small figure. Even on Ruby the horse, the smallest and most docile on the farm - Kornblith called the mare’s breed “the labrador of horses” - the toddler seemed ready to catapult off the saddle.

Her childlike wonder seems typical

for any 4-year old - as special needs teacher and instructor Anne Wilson helps her on the horse, along with her riding assistant, a young woman named Ari - Jacqueline’s abuzz with questions.

However, Jacqueline’s autism diagnosis has given her significant challenges and delays. Her father, Carter W., said she faces difficulties with “focusing, following directions, and behaving responsibly” due to her special needs.

See HORSE THERAPY page 14

INSIDE: OP/ED 7 • ARTS & FEATURES 11 • SPORTS 16

NEWS

2 | APRIL 26, 2019

Editorial Board

Gatepost Interview

Editor-in-Chief Bailey Morrison

Matty Bennet

Associate Editors Corey McFeeley Jillian Poland

SGA vice president, candidate for SGA president

News Editor Nadira Wicaksana

By Cara McCarthy Editorial Staff

Arts & Features Editor Tessa Jillson

What made you want to get involved in student government?

I had been very interested in student government since I was a freshman, but I chose to work more, as a lot of students do on campus. But my junior year, I was able to save up enough money so that I didn’t have to work as much. So, I did a write-in campaign because I missed the cut-off to get my name in, because I didn’t realize elections were happening and I got written in as a senator. I had friends who encouraged me to join.

From there, I fell in love with it. I liked the governance of it. I liked getting to know administrators, faculty, staff, and students through it. I kind of just stuck with it from there. From there, I grew and blossomed into my role now, and I really like it. It’s a great way to get involved on campus if you’re not sure what you want to do because you get to do a little bit of everything.

Asst. Arts & Features Editors Brennan Atkins Robert Johnson Jr. Interim Asst. Arts & Features Editor Sara Senesac Entertainment Correspondent Noah Barnes Opinions Editor Lizzy Stocks Sports Editor Matt Ferris Asst. Sports Editor Liam Gambon Design Editor Cara McCarthy Asst. Design Editor Kathleen Moore

What made you want to attend FSU? I wanted to attend FSU because I liked that it was close to home. I have a lot of family in the area. When I was looking at schools, there was something about Framingham State, and they had a commitment to diversity and inclusion that I really liked that I didn’t see at other schools. I like the mixture of old buildings and new. I like the size, and going here for the past three years proves that it is a close-knit school. I’ve gotten to know a lot of people really well, and not just students. I can walk down the street past May Hall, and I can see someone and say, “Hi.” I’ve never not been able to just say, “Hi,” to someone on any given day.

Photos Editor Ashley Wall Asst. Photos Editor Donald Halsing Copy Editor Gordon Rupert Asst. Copy Editor Jared Graf Staff Writers Mikael Brown Evan Lee Tom Maye Kayla Otten Lauren Paolini Carlos Silva Caeley Whalen

What would you say is your greatest accomplishment during your time in SGA? My greatest accomplishment, I would have to say, would be the Presidents’ Council that I had last week. Prior Presidents’ Councils had been kind of poorly attended, and they hadn’t been held in the best regard. So, I went in really optimistic, hoping we would be able to get something out of it. I was so incredibly pleased with the 10 amazing club leaders that came - a lot of them had great ideas. And what I realized is that SGA is in this unique role to connect these clubs. A lot of these clubs

Staff Photographers Hannah Coco Ryan Feinblatt Advisor Dr. Desmond McCarthy Assistant Advisor Elizabeth Banks Administrative Assistant Gwenyth Swain 100 State Street McCarthy Center Room 410 Framingham, MA 01701-9101 Phone: (508) 626-4605 Fax: (508) 626-4097 gatepost@framingham.edu

able to co-sponsor events with all these great clubs on campus. We all have a lot of talent and resources, and it’s a shame if we don’t all work together.

Donald Halsing / THE GATEPOST know each other and try to work together, but there isn’t an avenue where they can collaborate if they don’t know each other. So, I think my greatest accomplishment was bringing them all together and realizing, from the clubs that did come, that there is so much beauty and talent and amazing ideas that are happening at these clubs and that they, through SGA, can get to know each other better and learn more from each other. We have made the decision to hold Presidents’ Council once a month next year to give clubs an opportunity to do monthly check-ins.

What goals do you have for next year in SGA? Next year, I want to help promote clubs. That is my biggest initiative.

I want to make sure that all clubs are having the events that they want to do.

I want to make sure that they are well supported. We’ve had a lot of issues with funding this year, so I really want to help promote fundraising and help clubs with that. So, we want to make sure clubs are able to have their events.

And it’s not just events - it’s getting people to their events. We hope that through collaborating through clubs and having clubs support each other, we will be able to have greater participation on campus. I know that for SGA, we have a line up in our budget for collaborating events with clubs, and we didn’t even touch it this year. I want to be able to do that next year. I want to be

Why do you want to be SGA president?

I think it’s the natural progression.

I think that I have demonstrated that I have a lot of great leadership qualities.

I have been extremely committed to SGA, especially in my role as vice president and supporting Ben [Carrington, SGA president]. I’ve gotten to know the job. I know the ins and outs and how you can really make a change on campus. As the president of SGA, you have a voice that not everyone does, and I want to be able to use that voice to advocate on the behalf of students. I have been doing that on the … search committee for the diversity, inclusion, and community engagement [vice president], and I have enjoyed my ability to be in the discussion. I feel that I would be able to continue that as president.

What is your favorite part about being on SGA? I would have to say the friendships that I have made. SGA is a really closeknit group of people. It’s not cliquey.

After Constitution Committee [meetings], everyone goes down and gets dinner together. We really bonded at our retreat, so we have gotten to know each other really well. I would say that we are professional when we need to be, and we are friends when we need to be.

What advice do you have for your FSU peers?

Get involved. Framingham is an amazing campus that has so many opportunities to grow your skills and develop as a person. There are 32 clubs and organizations. There are countless centers and institutes on campus. There is the most passionate faculty, staff, and administration that you will find out of any university, and you only have access to that for these four years. So, my best advice to my fellow FSU peers is to get involved, find something that you love, and run with it, because that is what I did. I wasn’t involved my first two years, and I didn’t get as much out of the campus as I could have. Now that I am involved, I don’t regret a thing.

CONNECT WITH CARA MCCARTHY cmccarthy8@student.framingham.edu

Correction

A reporter incorrectly identified Laurie Carr, Residence Life assignment coordinator, as Linda Vaden-Goad, provost and vice president for academic affairs, in the article, “FSU students show off their skills at ‘Framingham’s Got Talent.’” We sincerely apologize for this error.

Police Logs Sunday, April 21 14:45 Disabled Motor Vehicle Towers Hill Vehicle assisted up hill

@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com

Monday, April 22 10:32 Found Property FSU Police Dept.

Report Taken

Monday, April 22 23:53 Safety Escort Larned Hall Service Rendered

Tuesday, April 23 20:26 Alarm (Fire/Smoke) Towers Hall Alarm Reset

NEWS

APRIL 26, 2019 | 3

May Hall theft

The rear entrance to May Hall.

Donald Halsing / THE GATEPOST

Continued from pg. 1 The other two books could not be replaced since they are “valuable” and currently not currently available for purchase.

One of the two books that could not be replaced was an encyclopedic African arts book that was worth approximately $300 and is currently “out-of-print,” said Park Huntington.

The other book was an exhibition catalogue from the University Press of Florida, worth almost $180.

“Someone probably knows about those very expensive books and the value of those books. They were fairly new and good-quality books,” she said.

Once Park Huntington realized some of her books were missing, she said she took all of the other books back to her office, reported the theft to FSUPD, and sent an email to faculty members and students about the missing books.

An officer stopped by her office and asked for any leads, but once

Park Huntington told them she had no leads, the officer said there was nothing they could do.

Schneider said when she noticed her laptop was stolen, she immediately reported the theft to FSUPD since the laptop was FSU property.

FSUPD notified the State Police.

“They basically said that there was no way to find it, even looking at security tapes, because the person probably hid it when leaving the building,” she said.

Schneider said through the University tracking device, ITS later briefly located the laptop in Ukraine before the computer was “wiped.”

The art department used its funds to help Schneider buy another laptop, “since FSU does not have insurance to cover all the laptops used by faculty,” she said.

Although there are no security cameras located in May Hall, security cameras outside the building are located near the 15-minute parking areas in front of May and near Crocker

A side entrance to May Hall, which is often left unlocked and ajar.

The books were stolen from May Hall 322.

Hall, said Barrette.

Laughlin said he did not “have an answer … as to why” there are no cameras inside the building.

In addition, Laughlin said the security cameras outside of May “are not facing May itself, but facing it to an extent.”

Barrette said the “Crocker Hall camera can kind of see the rear entrance of May Hall.”

As for other academic buildings, Barrette said the cameras have “pretty good coverage around campus.”

Laughlin said, “We just don’t want to tell everyone where the camera angles are at. … We have over 99 cameras on campus. … I don’t know exactly where all the cameras are located.”

In early April, a student reported a “suspicious male” at 7:30 p.m. roaming the ground floor of May Hall and glancing into the studio rooms.

According to Laughlin, the male was wearing FSU colors and carrying a backpack.

Donald Halsing / THE GATEPOST

Donald Halsing / THE GATEPOST

The description of the male was “vague,” according to Laughlin. “We checked all camera angles … but we didn’t see the person described. …

Granted, just because a guy was seen on the bottom floor of May Hall does not make him a suspect.”

Park Huntington said in regards to bettering the security of May Hall, she wished the hallways had cameras.

“At least if something is missing, you can clearly see and detect the person involved. … Then, these kinds of incidents will probably be reduced and not happen ... or they can be caught.”

Schneider said, “FSU is an open campus, so there is no way to secure the grounds, but perhaps buildings should have access codes. I’m certainly never leaving my office open again, which I have done since having my office in May Hall since 2009.

I like to have an open-door policy to meet with students, but I don’t feel safe leaving my office unattended even for a minute. Hopefully, students will be more cautious than I was.”

Laughlin said a card-entrance system could “realistically” help.

He added, “Looking at the dynamics of the building - I’m not a contractor - I’m far from it. I don’t know what it would take to put it in there. You still got to keep in mind that those sheltered doors are always open. Say I scan in, you scan in, somebody else scans in, then somebody else goes through the back door - we don’t have an account for them entering the building.”

Laughlin added, “What we recommend to anyone: if something is stolen, call us right away because we have cameras. Well, hopefully, we have cameras, but it all depends on how they are located. … Our hope, to better help us serve the community, is for you to call us right away, rather than waiting an hour or 15 to 20 minutes later.”

CONNECT WITH TESSA JILLSON tjillson@student.framingham.edu

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

NEWS

4 | APRIL 26, 2019

Candidate visits for new vice president of diversity, inclusion, and community engagement commence this week Candidate shares strategies to support FSU community members of color

Candidate empathizes with students by retelling personal stories of racial bias

By Nadira Wicaksana News Editor

By Cara McCarthy Editorial Staff

Constanza Cabello, the first candidate for the position of vice president of diversity, inclusion, and community engagement, answered questions from the FSU community at two open forums April 22.

Cabello, currently at Stonehill College as the assistant to the president for institutional diversity and director of intercultural affairs, has worked in higher ed for more than a decade. She has worked primarily in diversity efforts for various institutions in New England, including University of Massachusetts Lowell and her alma mater, University of Connecticut.

She has a bachelor’s degree in human development and family studies from UConn, a master’s degree in counseling

Moise St. Louis, the second candidate for vice president of diversity, inclusion, and community engagement, answered questions from the FSU community at two open forums April 24.

St. Louis is currently the associate dean of students at Saint Michael’s College in Vermont, according to his biography on the Framingham State website. During his more than 25-year career in higher education, he has helped to create strategies and policies for addressing diversity and inclusion.

“I realized I could make an impact, one student at a time,” St. Louis said, while discussing his “passion and motivation” for working in student affairs.

He added, “I am committed to making sure that people have what they need to reach their full potential.”

Jon Huibregtse, history professor and director of CELTSS, asked St. Louis to talk about his experience working with faculty concerning issues of diversity and inclusion.

St. Louis said, “You can’t do the work of diversity and inclusion without

Donald Halsing / THE GATEPOST enjoys about FSU is its commitment to diversity and inclusion. “I feel really connected to the mission of this institution.”

She added one of her goals is to increase the amount of communication between different departments on campus. A problem she said she wants to fix is the culture of “islands of excellence,”

“I feel really connected to the mission of this institution.”

- Constanza Cabello, candidate for vice president of diversity, inclusion, and community engagement and student development in higher education from Central Connecticut State University, and a doctorate in education from Northeastern University, specializing in organizational leadership studies.

“Being from a Latin immigrant family, it was expected I would become either a doctor, a lawyer, or go into business,” she said.

Cabello’s experiences with a law internship, she said, steered her in a different direction career-wise, but her “experience in law informs a lot of decision-making” in her job.

Cabello cited her background as a first-generation immigrant from Chile and college student as one of the primary reasons she entered her field. Her parents, she said, saw the value of education, but their unfamiliarity with the system in the United States posed obstacles when she applied to schools.

“We stayed in the country because my parents saw the access to higher education as easier [than in Chile],” she said.

But her undergraduate experience was not very diverse, she said. “I saw a lot of Vineyard Vines and North Face,” Cabello joked at the student forum, “and it was a little bit of a culture shock.”

She added she “wanted to see [her] self reflected” in academia. “When I was in college, the only Latinas I saw were working in the dining hall.”

Cabello said one of the things she

@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com

in which many departments “operate as silos” and do not interact very much.

As a result, many faculty - especially those who aren’t in the humanities and social sciences - do not end up addressing racial bias and other social issues in their classes, she said.

“People don’t engage because they are afraid they aren’t experienced enough,” she said. To address this problem, Cabello said more support in the form of increased mentorship programs and resources for faculty of color are needed.

She added her leadership style is influenced by her personal and professional backgrounds. She said faculty perform a lot of “invisible labor” she would try to better acknowledge as an administrator.

“I’m not a talk-down leader,” she said. “I do a lot of listening.”

History professor Maria Bollettino asked Cabello what she would do to incorporate “the larger community” - the MetroWest area - in her diversity and inclusion efforts.

Cabello said from her own experiences and taking into account the needs of the student body, she sees “great potential” in FSU to be classified as a Hispanic-serving institution.

She said, “I believe we have an obligation to serve our local community.”

CONNECT WITH NADIRA WICAKSANA nwicaksana@student.framingham.edu

Thomas Maye / THE GATEPOST

asked St. Louis for specific examples of how he could get his upper-level colleagues and the rest of the campus community to understand and work in response to the concept of racism and other forms of structural bias. St. Louis said it is not thinking about “the cabinet” as a whole, but rather understanding the individual and trying to build a relationship of trust within the cabinet.

“It’s not just that we don’t buy it we just don’t see it,” he added.

Maria Bollettino, history professor, asked St. Louis about his ideas for building the community, stating that students have “a lot on their plates,” and so community is something they

“We can’t just claim community - we have to actualize it.”

- Moise St. Louis, candidate for vice president of diversity, inclusion, and community engagement thinking of the faculty and their impact on the classroom.”

He added he runs most of the faculty training at Saint Michael’s College.

During the open forum in DPAC, St. Louis said he had a message to share with the students in attendance.

He opened up to the audience about his experience during his first year as an undergraduate student at UMass Amherst, where he said a racial slur was written on his friend’s door in feces.

St. Louis said, “I know what it’s like to not feel safe in the places you are supposed to focus and get an education.”

He added, “I get it - I’ve lived it.”

St. Louis said when those incidents happen, he hopes the response will not come from the people who have been targeted, but that it will come from “the rest of us.”

He added, “We can’t just claim community – we have to actualize it.”

Virginia Rutter, sociology professor,

are “yearning” for, but they don’t find it on campus.

St. Louis said, “When they [the students] have a need, they need to know where to access that need and where the support is.”

At the beginning of the student forum, St. Louis had the students in attendance form a circle instead of sitting in the rows that were set up in the Alumni Room. He said he likes to decrease the distance between himself and students.

A student asked St. Louis what he believes FSU needs to work on.

St. Louis said he remembers when Framingham State was not as diverse.

He added, “We don’t have a choice.

If you want the institution to be valuable, you have no choice but to adapt to a changing environment.”

CONNECT WITH CARA MCCARTHY cmccarthy8@student.framingham.edu

NEWS

APRIL 26, 2019 | 5

Minimal campus climate survey participation discussed at SGA meeting Senate ratifies more bylaws and discusses the future of the organization

By Cara McCarthy Editorial Staff Millie Gonzalez, interim chief diversity, inclusion, and community engagement officer, presented the results of the campus climate survey to SGA April 23.

Gonzalez said, “The campus climate survey is so incredibly important because it informs so many decisions.

“We had a very dismal response rate,” Gonzalez added when discussing the results.

She said most of the students who did participate in the survey did not answer the demographic questions or write any comments.

Lexi Kays, class and club treasurer, asked Gonzalez if she had an exact number or percentage of the students who took the survey.

Gonzalez reported approximately 196 students, or 3% of the student population, took the survey.

Kays also asked how students were

informed about the survey and where students would have found it.

Gonzalez said the survey was open for “four consecutive weeks” and there were reminders sent to students’ emails every week encouraging them to take the survey.

She added faculty and staff were also sent emails asking them to tell their students to take it.

Kays said, “I don’t think I ever received an email.”

She added, “I feel terrible I didn’t take it.”

Senator Kephi Alkay said she also did not receive the survey in her email.

Gonzalez said they did not have were incentives for students to take the survey, which may have contributed to the low response rate.

Alkay suggested students may respond better to homework or extra credit incentives from professors for taking the survey.

She added, “3% is not a good representation of the student body at

Donald Halsing / THE GATEPOST Millie Gonzalez discusses the results of the campus climate survey with SGA.

Donald Halsing / THE GATEPOST SGA eBoard listens to Gonzalez discuss the results of the campus climate survey.

Framingham State.”

Gonzalez said Bridgewater State University conducts its own survey and offers free parking spots as incentives.

SGA President Ben Carrington said, “Everyone needs to be involved in the University. We’re a community.”

Gonzalez said she hopes the University will conduct another campus climate survey in the fall semester hopefully, with increased participation.

SGA Vice President Matty Bennet introduced changes to the bylaws in Article II, which governs travel and conference guidelines.

He said the biggest changes were made to section 3: the “funding and conference” section.

Bennet added, “This isn’t all new information. It’s just restructuring and the addition of some language.”

He said one of the changes in-

cludes the removal of the requirement of the travel report. Instead, clubs will be required to submit a written report to the SGA executive board.

Bennet also introduced an outline to the committee structure saying, “We outline them in the SGA bylaws, but they are not described and the makeup isn’t written down.”

He said the outline would become Article I of the SGA bylaws.

The votes to approve the changes to articles I and II were unanimous.

In other news: - Senator of the Month was awarded to Amber Magin.

- eBoard Member of the Month was awarded to Matty Bennet.

- Matty Bennet gave the U-Rock Award to Amber Magin.

CONNECT WITH CARA MCCARTHY cmccarthy8@student.framingham.edu

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Photographs by Donald Halsing/THE GATEPOST

6 | APRIL 26, 2019

PHOTOS

On April 13, the Danforth Art Museum opened at the Jonathan Maynard Building. The current galleries display works by Lois Tarlow, a variety of never-before seen pieces from the permanent collection, and a replica of Meta V. W. Fuller’s attic studio. The current displays will be up until July 14.

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

OP/ED

OP/ED A slow ride with Mary Jane

By Tom Maye Staff Writer It was 4/20 at the time of writing this, the nation’s annual festival for Snoop Dogg, our lord and savior.

Along with recreational pot use, many people self-medicate by using marijuana - but now that we’ve gotten the smoke out of our eyes and the Cheetos out of our hands, let’s take a few steps back.

Toking up may help many people relieve stress and anxiety, but for some, it may have the adverse effect, causing panic attacks and exacerbating the stress they were trying to mellow out in the first place. Smoking weed can lead to anxiety, panic attacks, and paranoia, according to The Center for Treatment of Anxiety and Mood Disorders. An NPR article goes so far as to claim that in some people, marijuana can trigger psychotic symptoms.

Self-medicating works on a person-by-person basis, and there’s no guarantee it will help everyone. I’m not interested in killing your buzz, or telling you what to do with your money - just do a little research and preparation before reading with pink eyes and raspy lungs.

From “Purple Urkle” to “Girl Scout Cookies,” the variety of weed strains can be overwhelming, but it’s subdivided between two main types: sativa and indica. Sativa is usually regarded as a “head high” that leads to energy and euphoria, while Indica tends to be a more mellow, couch-potato vibe, according to Leafly, a pot enthusiast site.

Marijuana strains affect everyone differently due to factors including genetics, biochemical makeup, and personal tolerance, according to herb.co. While your friend may bow down in ecstasy to the “Grape Goddess,” another person could find the high overstimulating, frightening, and unpleasant.

That’s why it’s so important to go slow and

steady when self-medicating - not because I want to be a stick in the mud, but because you don’t know how it will affect you at first. A medical professional will be a lot more qualified to give you the proper dose than the white guy with dreads in your dorm.

Build your way up if you’re interested, and don’t try to outdo your friends - people who’ve been smoking since middle school are going to have a much higher tolerance, so a baby dose for them could be a mind-melting experience for the less initiated.

In short: don’t have an entire plate of pot brownies your first go, or you’re going to have a bad time.

Further, check in with yourself to make sure the ganja’s really serving you a purpose. A study in the Journal of Affective Disorders said marijuana can reduce anxiety and depression symptoms in the short-term, but did not find long-term symptom reduction.

In other words, it’s not going to make your underlying problems disappear in a puff of smoke - don’t let more long-term treatment fall to the wayside.

Whether you want to smoke, dab, or eat marijuana-infused ice cream is your business - I’m not advocating for or against it. But when the conversation around marijuana legalization is divided into extremes - from being the devil’s cabbage, to God’s gift to the Earth - the middle ground tends to disappear, and with it, the practical advice for people who may otherwise feel they have no one to ask.

You probably don’t need to look far to find someone on campus whose lips are permanently attached to a bong, but it’s still worth stating the obvious - don’t rush through a ride with Puff the Magic Dragon. Wiggin’ out isn’t fun for anyone, and there’s no shame in taking a breather.

Snoop Dogg loves you, and he wants you to enjoy yourself.

Have an opinion?

Feel free to email it to: gatepost@framingham.edu Opinions should be about 500 words.

Anyone can submit.

We look forward to hearing from you!

APRIL 26, 2019 | 7

THE GATEPOST EDITORIAL

Notre Dame devastation exposes income inequality Following a fire that destroyed parts of the roof of Notre Dame, millionaires around the world banded together and raised over $1 billion for its restoration.

Galvanized by the desire to offer up their own funds to repair a historic and religious site, these wealthy citizens met and exceeded the complete cost of the renovation within a few days.

But while the world mourns the loss of some historical architecture, another fire continues to blaze among working-class citizens in France.

The Yellow Vest Protest - which began in November 2018 brought nearly 32,000 French citizens into the streets when President Emmanuel Macron enacted plans to raise taxes that disproportionately targeted lower-income families living outside of Paris.

The protests, which have grown steadily in size, have gained some attention from the media, However, they have been largely lost in the past weeks due to the fire at Notre Dame.

Protesters are demanding fairer taxation practices and an increase in social programs that would aid those in poverty.

Citizens have been forced to the streets for their demands to be heard, and many of their issues remain unresolved.

The speed with which these funds were raised has been met with skepticism by Yellow Vest protesters, who say these millionaires should be donating to organizations that help relieve homelessness and poverty.

Unrest and income inequality are not problems limited to France. Our own country struggles with a severe disparity of wealth between millionaires and the average American.

According to CNBC, the top 1% of earners in the United States own 40% of the wealth in the country. And the difficulty regular citizens face when raising money for local causes and disasters in our own country truly demonstrates the disparity between the two groups.

In the United States, three historically black churches in Louisiana were burned to the ground under suspicious circumstances. Over the course of two weeks, it took over 39,000 people to raise $2 million through GoFundMe. When Notre Dame caught fire, it only took a handful of millionaires a few days to scrape together over a billion dollars - and for a building that was already supported by government funds.

While this iconic piece of history deserves to be rebuilt, there was never a question that it would be. But for the three churches in Louisiana, crowdfunding became the only community’s only possibility for recourse.

Through pleas on social media the funds steadily grew. But, there were no millionaires pledging hundreds of thousands of dollars, no promises that government coffers would support any rebuilding.

Given that in the United States 78% of the population working paycheck-to-paycheck, according to Forbes, it becomes nearly impossible for citizens to entirely privately crowd-fund local causes that require millions of dollars.

There are shades of difference between the social situations in the United States and France, of course, but this issue has captivated the imaginations of people on both sides of the ocean, and so it provides a lens through which we can examine income inequality across the spectrum.

For the Notre Dame, one wealthy benefactor was able to donate over $100 million - nearly fifty times the amount 39,000 people were able to raise for the churches. A day later, another French millionaire doubled that donation and contributed another $200 million.

The total renovation cost for Notre Dame has been estimated at most $600 million, was met in fewer than five days from exorbitant donations.

That is income inequality.

Wealth wields power, and where the rich choose to spend their money plays a large role in the causes our society to support.

If the billionaires had been inspired by the Yellow Vest Protests instead of the Notre Dame fire, a billion dollars could have sent a powerful message and been used to enact real social change.

The head of a French trade union, Philippe Martinez, told The Washington Post, “If they can give tens of millions to rebuild Notre Dame, then they should stop telling us there is no money to help with the social emergency.”

Watching how quickly a few billionaires can secure funds drives home the reality that, if they so desired, the world’s wealthiest top tier of citizens could be powerful driving forces in eradicating hunger, poverty, and other crippling inequalities.

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

8 | APRIL 26, 2019

OP/ED

Stop & Strike Thick thighs save lives

By Kay Ann Staff Writer

Good news babes: summer is upon us!

This means no more shoveling out your car from under a metric buttload of snow or losing appendages to frostbite. It’s officially time to break out the flip-flops and head to the beach with your friends to get some sun and, afterwards, make s’mores around a fire.

And all the fun that comes with this season means people will start dressing for warm weather, so pull out your shorts, dresses, and tank tops and start paying attention to all the new trends - I’m hoping heart-shaped sunglasses will make a comeback.

Anyways, people are going to start dressing to keep cool in the blistering summer sun, and I’d just like to give a gentle reminder that you have absolutely zero right to shame or sexualize people for what they choose to wear to beat the heat.

And I get it, you don’t want people to be walking around with their sexual organs out, so let me remind you what parts of the body are sexual.

Penises and vaginas.

That’s it.

You are not allowed to sexualize things like shoulders, thighs, necks, bellybuttons, or breasts. They are all perfectly PG and do not need the censorship that society places on them.

Yeah, yeah - I hear you going, “But boobs are sexy.”

They are. I agree. But I also think that a nice smile is sexy and I don’t ask girls to go around frowning all day. My point is if looking at a person wearing summer clothing bothers you, just don’t open your eyes.

And the thing is, you can find any of these things attractive, that is fine, but do not harass or otherwise make someone feel uncomfortable for having normal body parts.

Shorts are not an excuse for you to whistle at someone from the sidewalk, and someone wearing revealing clothes is absolutely not consent to touch them.

The other day, I was wearing shorts and a stranger came up to me and said, “Your thighs looks so soft,” then proceeded to place his hand on my thigh.

DO NOT DO THIS. Our culture is obsessed with blaming sexual assault and harassment on what the victim was wearing, claiming it invites perverts and encourages assailants.

Let me tell you a secret - people get assaulted because the assailant has no control over their sexual urges and it is 100% the assailant’s fault - not the clothes.

Another thing I want to talk about is the shame surrounding summer fashion.

We tie a woman’s worth to her “purity,” so whenever we see a woman showing off her body, we immediately see her as cheap or trashy. This is absolutely not OK. A woman’s clothes do not dictate her worth as a human being.

Another source of shame is the stigma surrounding who should be wearing what kind of clothes based on their body type or gender.

If you see a man wearing a dress, just mind your business. He is living his best life. Let him do his thing.

If a plus-size girl is wearing short shorts and a crop top, let her. Don’t comment on her body. It is her body. She is dressing comfortably. Also, she probably looks cute as heck.

The fashion world will try to tell people who can wear what, but we don’t follow rules here, and you don’t get to force your views on people, because it’s their body.

And if you just can’t bear to look at a fat girl in short shorts or a man who’s wearing a skirt, then move somewhere there are no people. Not for your sake, but for the rest of us.

We don’t need your negativity killing our summer vibes.

Now if you need me, I’ll be outside in my shorts getting my jiggly thighs some sun.

[Editor’s note: Due to the unfortunate stigma surrounding women discussing sex, the author of this column has requested to use the pseudonym “Kay Ann.”]

@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com

By Evan Lee Staff Writer On a gloomy Easter eve, with heavy morning rain and sporadic afternoon showers, the workers of Stop & Shop along Old Connecticut Path gathered around a barren parking lot.

Awaiting each of them at the storefront beyond were three things - a log book, a picket sign, and another day of unpaid effort.

It was the 10th day of their strike against the company.

“None of us want to be out here, but we have to,” said Peapod shopper Martha Sawyer, one of the strikers who stood in the rain outside the parking lot’s entrance.

They had to be out there because it was the only way they could show their frustration with the company over its proposed changes to their labor contract - changes that Sawyer, the other strikers, and the union representing them all agreed were not for the better.

“Stop & Shop has only proposed drastic and unreasonable cuts to health care benefits and take-home pay,” said the five locals of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union in a joint statement over the contract proposal.

However, the company countered with their own statement, saying, “no one’s pay would be cut” by their proposed contract which also “simply keeps pace with health care changes our competitors made years ago.”

They further contended that contract changes were necessary for Stop & Shop to remain competitive in a market that’s dominated by non-unionized grocery store chains, like Market Basket, whose labor costs are far lower than theirs.

For nearly three months, the union and the company debated over their differing perspectives on the issue as they struggled to negotiate terms that could satisfy both sides. But ultimately, no compromise could be found.

As a consequence, 31,000 employees from Stop & Shops across New En-

gland all responded by walking off the job April 11th - beginning their strike against the company.

For them, it meant no pay for each day negotiations over the contract continued to stall - a struggle for those who relied on that job to pay the bills, and a reason why many of them said they had to file for unemployment by the 10th day.

But through persevering under that pressure, the strikers were able to pivot even greater pressure on the company as they dissuaded 75% of Stop & Shop’s customer base from entering the stores.

With signs asking potential customers to “please respect our line” and the fact that there was limited-to-no service within the stores, it’s obvious why most would choose to shop elsewhere.

“Look at this guy, that’s maybe $40 worth of groceries,” said Jim Glavin, meat manager, who pointed out an odd customer who did cross over.

“There’s a few of them here and there, but it’s nothing compared to what BJ’s is getting right next door,” he added.

And it being Easter eve, there were plenty of potential customers around trying to buy up last minute groceries to prepare - but just not from Stop & Shop.

Under the pressure of the strikers, a tentative agreement between the company and the union was finally struck on Easter Day. The strikers took off their signs and returned to work the following Monday, but only after the company had suffered a severe loss.

A loss which totaled between $90 and $110 million over the course of the strike, according to Ahold Delhaize the parent company of Stop & Shop.

And a loss that extends beyond monetary value as the bad PR from this whole ordeal is likely to linger against Stop & Shop for years to come as former customers may choose not to return.

It seems that in their efforts to make themselves more competitive, the company has done the exact opposite.

OP/ED

APRIL 26, 2019 | 9

The whole 8.23 meters

By Gordon Rupert Editorial Staff Recently, an op/ed was published by my colleague at The Gatepost highlighting the perceived folly of using both the Metric and Imperial Systems, and the problems when using them together.

In the article, the writer points to his personal experiences purchasing a foreign bicycle that had metric-sized parts incompatible with Imperial, or United States Customary System (USCS), sized wrenches, and the 1999 failure of the Mars Climate Orbiter, in which a miscalculation due to the use of both units resulted in the loss of the satellite.

While these may be good arguments for moving toward one global system, the most important aspects of life have already transitioned to one system the Metric one.

Switching every miniscule aspect of life away from one system to the other would result in a loss of the culture unique and identifiable to the United States.

First, let’s look at the current reality of measurement systems used in professional areas.

We can see the usage of the Metric System in every STEM field and job.

I wonder if there is even an official

STEM textbook in the United States that doesn’t use the Metric System for anything beyond the fundamentals.

Likewise, any international industry can’t use the Imperial System without risking mistranslations that could cost millions of dollars to fix.

Further, the federal government itself passed the Metric Conversion Act of 1975, which stated that the Metric System was “the preferred system of weights and measures for U.S. trade and commerce,” called on the movement to the Metric System by companies, and even stated that the government had to help with the voluntary change.

So, with the government offering to help create the change, why, over 40 years later, do we still use two systems of measurement?

Let’s ask another question - which would you rather eat, a quarter-pounder, or a 113.4-gram hamburger?

The USCS is a system engrained not in American eagerness to reject something foreign, but in hundreds of years of cultural and social identification through measurements both easy to express and easy to remember.

Cup of Joe. Footlong hotdog. Ton of bricks - easy to understand, easy to imagine, and unable to be translated into Metric.

These are the shorthands and stan-

dards of American culture.

Of my culture.

Every concession has been made where it needs to be in the professional world. Beyond that, the USCS has been designed for human use over hundreds of years.

A cup of Joe is about 8 ounces. A footlong hotdog is at least as big as my foot. A ton of bricks is too many for me to count, but I know it’s an awful lot, and it hurts when it falls on you.

Is moving to one measurement system an attack on who I am? No, that’s ridiculous. It’s an argument that has existed for hundreds of years before the Metric System.

May 3 | 7:30AM-1:30PM

“The Special Olympics is a global movement of people creating a new world of inclusion and community, where every single person is accepted and welcomed, regardless of ability or disability.”

But, the ideological ham-fisting of the Metric System into everyday life, through a call for a single, universal system, is something I can’t support.

For all my life, and my parents’ lives, and my grandparents’ lives, every measurement we’ve used has been good enough for us. Our system isn’t worried about putting people on Mars, and we know that.

But we also know how many cups of Joe we need in the morning. We know how full we feel after a footlong hotdog. And we will be damn sure dissatisfied if the Metric System hits us like a ton of bricks.

475 Union Ave, Framingham, MA

Volunteering is a wonderful way to get involved with the community. Please join the FSU community in getting

involved

and

supporting

the

Special

Olympics’ athletes with a thrilling day of outdoor sports! This event is designed for the convenience of two half shifts for volunteers: 7:30AM-10:30AM & 10AM-1PM. Prepare yourself for a day of excitement as we help cheer on the athletes and create fun memories!

Register to volunteer today using the link on RamLink!

For additional information, please reach out to Jordan Peterson in Student Involvement and Leadership Development (SILD) Phone: (508) 626-4615 Email: SILD@framingham.edu

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

OP/ED

10 | APRIL 26, 2019

Dorm infection

Comic by Gordon Rupert

Campus Conversations Did you vote in the SGA election today? Why or why not?

By Ryan Feinblatt and Kathleen Moore

“No, I did not have time.”

-Thomas Handrick, junior

“No, I did not - mostly because I was really busy and I’m leaving soon.”

-Dan White, senior

“No, because I was busy and I didn’t entirely know about it.”

-Allison Murray, junior

“No, I didn’t know it was happening.”

-Grayson Guyton, senior

“No, I did not. I had other priorities.”

-Amber Goss, freshman

“No, I didn’t go. I’m sorry - I didn’t know about it.”

-Haley Grealish, freshman

Op/Ed submissions reflect the opinions of their authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of The Gatepost or its staff. @TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com

ARTS & FEATURES

APRIL 26, 2019 | 11

ARTS & FEATURES

Women who revived the Black Power Movement Ashley Farmer starts a dialogue on the fight for gender equality

By Tessa Jillson Arts & Features Editor In her most recent book, “Remaking Black Power: How Black Women Transformed an Era,” Ashley Farmer exposed the underside of the “chauvinistic” and “sexist” Black Panther Party by revealing stories of revolutionary black women activists who fought for a more inclusive understanding of black power and social justice.

Farmer, professor of history and African diaspora studies at the University of Texas at Austin, took center stage in the McCarthy Forum April 18, discussing her book and shedding light on black women’s successes and failures in redefining black womanhood in the Black Power Era. She said, “Most of the time when you see a social movement, it’s not popping up out of nowhere. You are seeing a tip of an iceberg and there’s a much larger one underneath. So, the book is a gesture - trying to acknowledge those women who are underneath.”

Freshman Selena Sheehy, a member of M.I.S.S (Motivation, Intersectionality, Solidarity and Sisterhood), historian of race in the United States, and organizer of racial and social justice, introduced Farmer.

Sheehy said, “It is important to have Doctor Farmer here to talk to us, not only to shine light on how black women reformed the Black Power Era, but to teach us in a time where racism is still a very prevalent issue, that we can all come together to fight for the inclusion we all deserve on this campus.”

Farmer recapped renowned activist Angela Davis’ 2013 speech in London, specifying that Davis warned her audience against American triumphalism and historical closures because they only justified America’s imperialistic interests.

Later in her speech, Davis questioned how one can counteract the representation of powerful male individuals as historical leaders and agents in order to reveal the role of black women.

“I saw her as urging us to move past a conventional understanding of civil rights and black power … challenging us to think beyond this history. … The idea that the Civil Rights Movement began in 1955 with Rosa Parks and ended with the signing of the Voting Rights Act in 1965,” said Farmer.

“I also see her statement as a call for us to move past the idea that black men are the brains of black power, and

by that I mean they are the sole people who came up with the symbols, the organizations, the mantras, the strategies, the slogans that many of us know today,” she added.

In her book, Farmer reaffirms Davis’ observations by examining black women thinkers across organizations, regions, and political affiliations in the 1940s and 1950s and the groundwork they set forth - primarily women in the Black Panther Party, the Committee for Unified Newark, and the Third World Women’s Alliance.

At first, when the Black Panther Party began to form through armed police patrols and the Sacramento demonstration of 1967, the party was Donald Halsing / THE GATEPOST considered a “black nationalist organiAshley Farmer discusses sexism in the Black Panther Party. zation” - an organization constructing its identity around armed self-defense, demonstrations after Black Panther first representing himself as the “postself-determination, and to a certain founder Huey Newton was imprisoned er child” of black power sexism, calling extent, black separatism, “embracing a for life and put on death row. on his desire to sexually harass and masculine ethos bravado,” said Farm“Cleaver almost single-handed- assault both white and black women er. ly revives the organization that was in his biography, “Soul on Ice,” before Through rhetoric and imagery of limping after its lack of leadership. … revising his statement in 1969. strong black men holding guns, the Images of Cleaver in real life are mimCleaver also wrote an article elevatparty created this revolutionary male icking the images you see … in revolu- ing Ericka Huggins as a symbol of black persona. tionary artwork,” Farmer said. women’s endurance. Farmer quoted “If you look at the first images and Women soon began founding and Cleaver: “We must purge our hearts articles in ‘Black Panther Newspaper,’ heading party chapters, such as Au- and our minds of our understanding of they say that the organization is a drea Jones in Boston and Ericka Hug- male chauvinism, chauvinistic behavplace designed for ‘the cream of black gins in New Haven, Connecticut. ior, or disrespectful behavior of wommanhood,’” she added.

Literature in the “Black Panther en.”

As women joined the party, they Newspaper” started to feature women Reflecting on Davis’ speech and the recognized they held a more submislike Cleaver, Jones, and Huggins, said importance of remembering the past, sive role, she said. They began chalFarmer.

Farmer said, “Not only does this help lenging this approach working for the Furthermore, women like Candi us move past patriarchal and individBlack Panther Newspaper, writing artiRobinson and Linda Greene challenged ualistic histories of black struggle … it cles and drawing visual illustrations of the image of placing revolutionary also offers us an opportunity to reopen their ideology. women into masculine constructs, en- previously closed ideas about this era The first female artist for the “Black couraging women to remind the men and the new world that everyday womPanther Newspaper” was 16-yearin their lives of black women’s equality en tried to create and how we might old high school student Tarika Lewis, and to teach them to combat chauvin- use this to create our new world toFarmer said. Lewis drew over 40 difism. day.” ferent images for the paper in a couArtist Gayle Dickson’s work repSophomore Carlos Barbosa asked ple of years, some displaying women resented a broader range of black if she saw any parallels between the as armed and determined defenders of women. Dickson added depth and women in the Black Power Era and the the community alongside men, showcomplexity, depicting black women as women who started the Black Lives ing that black women were also capacaregivers and domestic workers, ar- Matter Movement. ble of embodying Panther values. guing that “everyday women became Farmer said, “People often think “Through her artwork, she amplirevolutionaries by being empowered movements die out. Usually what hapfied party members’ daily activities, leaders of their own communities and pens is you see this kind of iceberg such as their community protection families,” Farmer said. dip back down and come back out. … through armed police patrols, but she As female membership in the or- I think the women of the Black Lives also transformed this conversation ganization peaked between 1960 and Matter Movement have really studied by integrating women into represen1970, the party altered their own gen- and learned a lot from this previous tations of black militancy and black der politics and critiqued their “na- movement. … I think they have done power,” said Farmer. tionalist” ideology. a much better job, although gender Women who later joined the party “Panther women’s rhetorical refor- and sexuality are still problematic elepitomized the women Lewis drew, she mulation and real-life expressions of ements.” said. Kathleen Neal Cleaver, the first the revolutionary women, I argue, alfemale member of the Panther’s Centered how black men in the party untral Committee, began working on the derstood them,” she said.

Free Huey campaign, creating leaflets Farmer considered Eldridge Cleaver CONNECT WITH TESSA JILLSON and reporting on court hearings and to be a prime example of this shift - at tjillson@student.framingham.edu

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

12 | APRIL 26, 2019

ARTS & FEATURES

Logic’s ‘Supermarket’ - a friendly reminder that songwriting and novel writing are not the same

By Sara Senesac Interim Asst. Arts & Features Editor Popular rapper Bobby Hall - also known as Logic - recently debuted his first novel, “Supermarket,” which is told from the perspective of 24-yearold aspiring writer, Flynn.

When Flynn’s girlfriend, Lola, dumps him due to his laziness and inability to finish any of his work, he makes it his main goal in life to become a best-selling author and prove her wrong.

So naturally, after a long post-breakup depression, Flynn’s first novel idea gets picked up by a publishing company that decides to give him a $40,000 advance before he even writes one word.

Seriously?

Flynn’s idea for his new novel is to document the life of an everyday supermarket employee. So, he decides to get a job at Muldoon’s, the local grocery store, where he meets Frank the narcissistic, sexist jerk on whom he decides to base his entire story on.

The first half of the book is entirely dedicated to Flynn’s time at the supermarket where we get to watch him struggle to form one coherent thought about what is actually going on around him. I can’t even tell you what the second half of the book is about without spoiling the whole thing, but it’s just as choppy and ridiculous as the first.

@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com

I love Logic, and I was so excited to see him trying something new. I wanted to love this book - I really did.

Unfortunately, this is one of the worst novels I have ever read.

I can’t exaggerate this.

“Supermarket” is told entirely from the perspective of Flynn’s scattered stream of consciousness, and the reader gets to enjoy almost 300 pages of utter nonsense because of this.

While I understand being scatter-brained is one of Flynn’s main character traits, his constant irrelevant tangents take up a huge chunk of the story.

There are literally large sections of every chapter that have absolutely nothing to do with the story itself, and to me it feels like a cheap cop out for a lack of ideas on Hall’s part.

For example, there is a page in the book where Flynn says, “I mean this whole story could have been told in five minutes,” and then proceeds to summarize the entire story again for a whole page.

Also, the punctuation and dialogue in this novel are ridiculous.

There are so many quotes where the end of the character’s sentences finish with “!!!” or “?!?!”.

I hate that.

Any writer should be able to convey the tone in which the character is speaking without having to add a whole line of punctuation. It just

feels like pointless space filling.

Furthermore, read these lines: “‘Mia, let’s get out here, the store’s about to close,’ I said.

‘Chill, Flynn, we work here, and I need to find the perfect pomegranate,’ she said.

‘Mia, let’s go, I’m hungry,’ I said, pulling her forward with my arm.

‘Flynn, Jesus, okay’.”

Now, we know in this scene that Flynn and Mia are the only two talking, so why do we need to repeat their names in every single sentence?

That - along with all of the other issues I have mentioned - are simple errors that any editor or publisher should have caught. This brings me to my next point.

The language in this novel is so simple and juvenile, and there were mistakes a 15-year-old probably wouldn’t have made. So why was it published?

If you’re a loyal Gatepost reader, you would have seen a nice article the other week about the importance of separating the art from the artist.

Clearly, that didn’t happen here.

As much as I love Logic and want to encourage his passion for writing, he should have to put in the same amount of work as any other author before his book could be published.

Had he not been as famous as he is, I do not think any publisher would have even bothered finishing the manuscript.

It’s clear to me the goal here was to do something unique and get the book published as quickly as possible to debut his album along with it.

The soundtrack was so different from what Logic usually does, and it was incredible. It’s disappointing that the same amount of attention wasn’t put into making sure the novel was at least adequate.

2/5

Bookmarks

No Logic here.

CONNECT WITH SARA SENESAC ssenesac@student.framingham.edu

ARTS & FEATURES

APRIL 26, 2019 | 13

Goodreau and Ohop provide a glimpse into African cultures

By Tessa Jillson Arts & Features Editor Students and faculty alike took a journey to the east side of campus, April 23, entering through the sliding doors of the Whittemore Library, where they were immersed in the 20th-century material culture of Africa.

Juniors Libby Goodreau and Aemilia Ohop curated the student-organized exhibition, “An Exploration of African Art,” spending months ahead of time identifying the 20 artifacts in the display, researching the functions and spiritual meanings behind each piece, writing professional artifact labels, and creating the graphic designs/illustrations.

According to Goodreau, the art department received a donation of 20 artifacts last semester from collector Thomas Carroll. The artifacts donated include masks, a mother and child statue, reliquary figures, a ceremonial knife, headrests, and heddle pulleys.

Goodreau said once she heard about the department receiving the artifacts, she thought it would be an interesting project to research and create an exhibition centered around them in order to earn credit in her independent study with Yumi Park Huntington, a professor of art history.

When the department first acquired the artifacts, Goodreau said she and Ohop brushed up on African history through introductory African art books provided by Park Huntington. They used these books to identify the artifacts, determining the region, time period, and materials used, before furthering their research on the uses and spiritual functionalities.

While reading the books, Ohop said she easily spent three hours a night learning about different African artifacts. “TIme just flies because you forget that you’re actually doing work.

It’s like a little scavenger hunt,” she said.

Some of the artifacts weren’t in the books. Ohop and Goodreau said they had to look at the color and physical characteristics, such as a pointed chin or flat face on a mask, and compare it to other artifacts in the book in order to identify its origins.

Ohop said after they identified the artifacts, they had to check their findings with Park Huntington - and she either confirmed their conjectures or dropped hints to help them advance their research.

For example, Ohop said when examining the two Beete masks, she and Goodreau realized the masks both consist of horns, a triangular nose, crescent-shaped eyes, a small curved mouth, and white “kaolin pigments.”

These similar characteristics led them to conclude that both masks were from the same African cultural group - the Kwele people of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Both masks were worn for ceremonies as part of initiation, solidarity, or mourning purposes, and during services to lead people in dance, wrote Goodreau in her artifact label.

All artifact labels were written by Goodreau, while Ohop focused on graphic design and illustration.

The other masks in the exhibit included a dance mask from the Shira-Punu Vili people of Gabon, a Mukudj mask used by the Punu people of Gabon, and a mask from the Lega people in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Shira-Punu Vili people dance mask features “butterfly-shaped eyebrows, curved hairlines, and pursed lips” and was used during ceremonies.

The Mukudj mask has white “kaolin pigment” to represent the spirits of the dead and was used during funerals in a performance called mukudj, in which male dancers stood on stilts performing acrobatics in order to prove their “capabilities to possess mystical powers.”

The wooden Lega people’s mask has a long nose, an elongated teardrop-shaped face, and straight eye slits and mouth. The mask reminded viewers of Lega values and was used during ceremonies to initiate new members or celebrate members who reached higher levels of teachings.

The heddle pulleys in the exhibition were from the Guro and Senufo people of the Ivory Coast and were made of wood and metal. According to Goodreau, they were used as a “narrow-striped loom” to separate threads during weaving.

Next to the heddle pulleys were headrests from the Kambata people from Ethiopia. The headrests had three supporting columns and a curved top, designed to support the head and protect intricate hairstyles during sleep. The hairstyles symbolize an individual’s social status and identity within the community, wrote Goodreau.

Ohop’s favorite artifacts, the reliquary figures from the Mbulu Ngulu, Kota people from Gabon, were made using a wooden understructure, a brass sheet covering the wood, and a copper wire, which formed the faces. Goodreau said the figures hung on baskets that carried the bones of their ancestors to protect their spiritual powers and were often placed in homes where members of the community could pray for protection.

The mother and child statue in the exhibition was part of the culture of the Yoruba people from Nigeria. Go-

Donald Halsing / THE GATEPOST Libby Goodreau, left, and Aemilia Ohop, right, pose for a photo in front of their exhibition. odreau said the statue, made of wood and blue pigment, was a symbol of fertility and often placed in shrines so the people could ask their ancestors for prosperity.

The final artifact in the exhibition was a Yoruba ceremonial knife. Ohop said the knife was one of the hardest artifacts to identify - at first labeling it as a fan or a paddle. Goodreau said the knife is made of wood, animal bone, leather, inlaid metal, and brass wire and was used as a part of ceremonies to “enhance the power of chiefdom.”

Vertically above each artifact hangs a sketched, photoshopped, and printed small image of all the artifacts and two large charcoal drawings of the reliquary figures created by Ohop.

For the small images, Ohop said she sketched the artifacts using pen, marker, and pencil, before placing them into photoshop and digitally editing them.

“When you look into the textbooks, they would always have these field sketches of what the artifact would have looked like - and they’re really just pen and ink sketches, but I had some of them right in front of me, so, I was like, ‘Let’s just make them a little more detailed and add color,’” she said.

Ohop added while creating a theme, debating a color scheme, working with photoshop, and making posters and labels, the project, in some ways, helped her strengthen her graphic design skills.

“This not only taught me more about art history - this will actually help me complete the minor that Yumi inspired me to do. Actually, just doing all of the illustrations made me

want to create an art history book,” she said.

Goodreau said the exhibition was great practice for her because she eventually wants to work in a museum.

“It definitely made me realize correct museum practices,” she said.

Ohop said, “It’s kind of cool because she is the art history one while I’m the illustrator, but we kind of just came together and did our own thing.”

“We both have our strengths, and it kind of shows that working with other majors is really helpful,” Goodreau added.

Ohop also acknowledged Park Huntington’s effort to guide them in the right direction. “It was just really great to have her coaching us along the way,” she said.

“This literally would have been impossible without her,” Goodreau added.

Park Huntington said, “It was really nice to work with them. I was just here to give them guidance.”

Goodreau said, “The two images [of the reliquary figures] are actually placeholders for now. I’m going to do more research, make a map of Africa and talk about the different characteristics of eastern Africa and western Africa, and Aemilia is going to illustrate it. I think it will educate the public more.”

The exhibition will be on display until Sept. 12.

CONNECT WITH TESSA JILLSON tjillson@student.framingham.edu

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ARTS & FEATURES

14 | APRIL 26, 2019

Horse SenseAbility Continued from page 1 Kornblith, who has a master’s degree in special education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, described the farm as a “sanctuary,” away from the hustle and bustle of the world around them. Dealing with trauma victims - including a Syrian refugee - people with special needs, and at-risk youth, Kornblith said the farm offers young people a safe place to learn the ropes and take the reins.

Many of the young people served by the program struggle with PTSD and emotional trauma. “They have good reason not to trust people,” Kornblith said. Forming a bond with the horses allows them to process complicated emotions they may otherwise not have the ability to understand or express.

“Prey animals are hypervigilant - they’re always looking for the next thing that might hurt them. ... It takes a lot for them to trust,” similar to abused or neglected children, she said.

“PTSD is commonly talked about with veterans, but we see the same symptoms with many children in the foster care system,” she added. “In my opinion, there’s no way a child can be in foster care and not experience trauma, even if it’s just the trauma of being separated.”

Beyond forming deep bonds with the animals, horse therapy proponents advocate for riding as a tool to facilitate the learning process. For Jacqueline, riding “continues to be an outlet which has provided increased confidence and physical activity,” Carter W. said.

Patrick in the horse stall.

@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com

Ruby the horse in the indoor riding arena.

Horse SenseAbility offers a variety of programs alongside the therapeutic riding sessions in which Jacqueline takes part. City to Saddle brings underserved and at-risk urban youth to the sanctuary of the farm, for instance, while Ari’s an alum of WildStar Wranglers, which helps teach special needs adults job-training skills alongside equine therapy. Stable Moments provides aforementioned animal therapy for victims of trauma in the foster care system.

Along with the programs offered, HSA includes physical horse therapy sessions, community visits, and farm tours and field trips.

At WildStar Wranglers, “It’s been really remarkable to see their progress already, even in just a few weeks,” Kornblith said. “We treat it like a job so they know what they can expect from an employer.”

Drifting in between office work, overseeing Jacqueline’s riding, answering questions, and filling out paperwork, Kornblith makes the massive effort of managing her own nonprofit look easy - but alongside her small staff, she said she could use some help.

She’s enlisting the assistance of FSU English professor Colleen Coyne’s Grant Writing class, which teaches students about finding funding for nonprofit ventures among other projects. Kornblith is looking for Framingham State University student volunteers to enlist for her latest program: Reading, Writing, and Riding.

“The riding helps as an incentive for learning,” Kornblith said, expanding upon the program’s mission. She Thomas Maye / THE GATEPOST added riding horses, according to

Throughout the riding process, Jacqueline’s concentration hardens over time - for a rambunctious 4-year-old, she’s remarkably focused on the tasks in front of her.

Ari A., a young adult with autism, serves as testament to the power of animal therapy. Shy and largely nonverbal, Kornblith said her work as an assistant on the farm is “the first paying job she’s ever held.” She’s skeptical of the scrawling notepad and beeping camera in the background, but brushing Ruby the horse, she feels safe.

Thomas Maye / THE GATEPOST some studies, activates the same parts of the brain involved in language learning and acquisition, which can improve literacy results over time.

Kornblith said volunteers for the upcoming fall program will participate three days a week, helping tutor children to improve their reading and writing skills.

Dawn Ross, director of Career Services at FSU, said students can apply through the Pathways or Choice Program internship.

Kornblith can be contacted via info@horsesenseability.org. She will also be appearing at the May 8 employer showcase from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. to recruit more volunteers.

Applicants can look forward to an environment of warmth and support.

The love for his daughter radiates across the room as Carter W. cheered for his daughter, awkwardly taking photos on his iPad. Jacqueline’s nervous getting off the horse - it’s a long fall to the ground for her - but Wilson takes her time, encouraging her gently, and the jitters quickly dissipate.

Jacqueline may have challenges ahead of her, but as Carter W. holds her tight, brushing the horse hair off her coat, she looks to be in strong hands.

“A horse doesn’t see a child with autism who has often felt that others wanted her to be different than she is,” according to the HSA website.

“The horse just sees and accepts a child he wants to be within his herd of 2.”

CONNECT WITH THOMAS MAYE tmaye1@student.framingham.edu

ARTS & FEATURES

APRIL 26, 2019 | 15

Dangerously disappointing

By Robert Johnson Asst. Arts & Features Editor Fans of racing games rejoice “Dangerous Driving” is finally here after many years of roadblocks and development hitches.

If you’re someone like me, you grew up on the “Burnout” series of games - a Criterion Games-developed, Electronic Arts-published project that mixed driving fast with “car-fu” action, where your vehicle acts as the ultimate weapon to take out other cars.

The last “Burnout” game was released in 2008 - “Burnout Paradise.”

While that game was remastered last year, people were still clamoring for a new, destructive chapter in the series.

That’s where Three Fields Entertainment came in.

Three Fields Entertainment, a development team consisting of ex-Criterion Games talent, is still a rather nascent company. It hit the scene in 2014 and released its first game, “Dangerous Golf,” in 2016 - the first of the “Dangerous” line.

Upon starting the game, the player is greeted by a generic rock tune in the main menu, and, while it is understandable - Three Fields Entertainment is an indie game developer - it kind of stings that the game lacks

ACROSS

1. Unfortunate pants sound 4. ___ shed (man cave relative) 7. “Welcome back!” sign holders 14. Munched on lunch 15. Game with many ties 16. Native to a particular region 17. 6 for Stan Musial, e.g.?

20. Inventor Howe 21. Columbus sch.

22. “Pick a card, ___ card” 23. Field goal attempts in Miami?

28. R.E.M.’s “The ___ Love” 29. Get-go 32. Cartoon frame 35. Talk show staple 36. Cry of success 37. Salary increases 39. Can’t stomach 40. Useful quality 41. Playwright Henrik

some licensed tracks.

The game itself is heavily inspired by the likes of the pre-“Burnout Paradise” games, taking many pages from the first three “Burnout” games, as well as the later entries such as “Burnout Revenge” and “Burnout Dominator” with an emphasis on circuit and sprint races.

And, of course, this game does not skimp on its Road Rage mode, for it’s as intense and frantic as ever.

One thing that did change from the “Burnout” games, though - and I’m using “Burnout Paradise” here for comparison - are the drifting mechanics.

In “Burnout,” your car drifts like those would in other games such as “Need For Speed.” Here, in “Dangerous Driving,” it drifts like one would in Bugbear Entertainment/Namco’s “Ridge Racer Unbounded” from 2012.

Your vehicle remains straight, but you turn smoothly. It’s a little weird to get used to.

Also, continuing on the topic of weird features, we need to bring the frame rate into consideration. The demo I played at last month’s PAX East ran on an Xbox One X. I do understand how much weaker an original PlayStation 4 from late 2013 is - compared to something released in late 2017 with an emphasis on higher graphical processing.

Grade: C Might want to hold onto those sixth generation “Burnout” games for a little longer.

However, I was disappointed to see how choppy it is on weaker systems.

What’s even more fascinating is the lack of music in the game. “Dangerous Driving” features no soundtrack other than the generic rock song that plays on the main menu, leading the in-game soundtrack to become a void of engines revving and cars crashing into each other.

While it includes integration with a Spotify Premium account to play music during gameplay, it’s still a lazy way to cover up a shortcoming.

If you don’t have a Premium account, you’re basically screwed.

That, and the game has some rather pesky glitches. Let me ask you this: Do you like getting launched into the air after bumping into a rival car the wrong way?

44. Mermaid’s home 45. Dish in a lab 46. Cornfield bird 47. Tom Clancy thriller about Spygate and Deflategate?

54. Incoming flight abbr.

56. Quaint lodging 57. Resell tickets unfairly 58. Arrowhead Stadium decision-maker?

63. Ackscray isthay ueclay, aysay 64. Poke tuna 65. ___-Manuel Miranda 66. Palace casino in Vegas 67. Snitch 68. Retired JFK jet DOWN 1. Sprinted 2. “Invisible Cities” author Calvino 3. Grave risk 4. Nothing-but-net sound 5. Solo of “Solo” 6. Cenozoic or Mesozoic 7. Soldier’s utensil set 8. World-weariness 9. End of a college URL 10. President pro ___ 11. Ambassadors’ workplaces 12. French for “nothing” 13. Search a crystal ball 18. Fist bump 19. Misplaces 24. Notes in a poker pot 25. Minneapolis-to-Duluth dir.

26. Bewitching group?

27. Granny or hitch 30. “Or” follower, in an ultimatum 31. British “See ya!”

32. Roll an unlucky seven, with “out” 33. Soften 34. Cause of sticker shock 35. “Savvy?”

38. Word repeated after “que” 39. Mountain ___ (some sodas) 41. Extremely aloof demeanor 42. Cardi B’s borough, with “The” 43. Drunkard 48. Choir’s platform 49. Astronaut attire 50. One of five in many plays 51. Sends a hard copy, say 52. Presley or Costello 53. Too pooped to pop 54. “Back in Black” band 55. Perlman of “Cheers” 59. Early-rising Greek goddess 60. Medicine watchdog grp.

61. Mr. Potato Head part 62. Half a dance

“Dangerous Driving” accomplishes what it sets out to do, but, at the current moment, it doesn’t do it well.

There is little-to-no content in the game - aside from the World Tour mode the player embarks on, the performance is questionable at best on early eighth generation hardware.

Further, the music is stuck behind a “paywall,” if you want to call it that.

Feel free to get “Dangerous,” but with the $29.99 asking price, I’d wait a little more before doing so.

CONNECT WITH ROBERT JOHNSON JR.

rjohnson10@student.framingham.edu

Puzzle solutions are now exclusively online.

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

16 | APRIL 26, 2019

SPORTS

SPORTS Softball remains in first place in the MASCAC despite loss to Bridgewater State

By Liam Gambon Asst. Sports Editor

By Carlos Silva Staff Writer Framingham’s April 19 doubleheader against Bridgewater State resulted in a split.

The second game gave the Rams their 18th win of the year - and it was a crucial one at that.

Pitcher Kelsi Gunarathne said, “It was an important game to win in order to secure the conference regular season champs.”

The Rams also secured their 11th conference win and clinched the one-seed for the playoffs.

But the win went beyond that.

Head Coach Lawrence Miller walked away with his hundreth career win.

“The entire team was very excited for him,” Gunarathne said. “The seniors and juniors have been there for most of the wins and have seen how much he has grown as a coach.”

Outfielder Kaylea Sherman said, “It feels awesome. Coach really deserves this.”

She added, “He puts everything he has into this team and he makes us better every day. We really appreciate him.”

The first game of the doubleheader was a one-sided beatdown as the Bridgewater State Bears won 6-1.

The Rams only had three hits in the game - one resulting in an inside-thepark home run by Mycala Moody.

The home run was the only source of production for the Rams all game as they struggled to get anything going.

BRIDGEWATER STATE 6 FRAMINGHAM STATE 1 Twenty minutes after the loss, the Rams took the field again for the second game.

This time they fell behind again, losing 2-0 in the second inning.

But Framingham wasted no time starting a comeback as they got two runners on base in the bottom of the second with no outs.

Sherman then knocked in both runners with a single, tying the game at 2-2.

After settling herself on first base, Sherman received a roaring ovation from her teammates in the dugout.

The Framingham dugout was not just making noise for this play - they made noise all game long.

Gunarathne said, “We believe in always picking each other up and cheering one another on, because we want everyone to do great.”

She added, “We love pushing each other, and cheering is our way of bringing up people’s spirits and showing our support.”

Sherman’s game-tying hit changed the atmosphere of the game, as the Rams brought the energy for the rest of the matchup.

Sherman said, “It felt awesome to be able to step up for my team.”

She added, “This team really focuses on picking each other up when some of us are down. I was just trying to pick my teammates up.”

Sherman did not stop there when it came to stepping up for her team.

She went on to make an incredible sliding catch in the outfield and knocked in the go-ahead run for the Rams in the fifth inning.

After the run scored and Sherman crossed first base, she struggled to walk back to first as she was clearly in pain.

“I hit the inside of the base weird and rolled my ankle, but I knew I needed to stay in for my team, so I got taped up and I was ready to go,” Sherman said.

“I knew my teammates were there to back me up through the rest of the game.”

Her teammates did back her up as both Grace Caughey and Farrah Adam knocked in runs the following inning to make the game 6-2 Framingham.

Gunarathne, who came in during the third inning to pitch in relief, was responsible for shutting out Bridgewater until the final inning, when they scored a single run.

Following a game in which she allowed six runs, Gunarathne and the entire team bounced back in a big way to secure a 6-3 victory.

Gunarathne said, “Softball is such a funny game that you can lose to teams you shouldn’t lose to and beat teams that you shouldn’t beat.”

She added, “That was a team we knew we were better than and we came to play the second game after getting a reality check the first game.”

Eight of the 10 Framingham batters who stepped up to the plate in the game

@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com

recorded a hit, and each of the six runs came from different players.

Sherman said, “Every single person on our team, either on the bench or on the field, is always able to help to produce the wins.”

She added,“Our lineup is strong 1 through 9. Everyone gets up to bat and just tries to get the job done. Every game, we go out there and just try to have tons of fun and just play the game we love.”

FRAMINGHAM STATE 6 BRIDGEWATER STATE 3 The Rams put up a strong showing against powerhouse Brandeis April 23.

Brandeis is currently ranked No. 21 in the country for Division III college softball. They are currently rocking a 26-2-1 record on the season.

Coach Lawrence Miller discussed the Rams’ tough late-season matchups.

He said, “We have probably played the three best teams we’ve played since Florida in those six games - Babson being regionally ranked in the top five, Brandeis being nationally ranked top 25, Bridgewater being ranked second in the conference behind us right now.”

He added, “We are playing good teams. We schedule tough to prepare us for the conference championship and the conference tournament. We hope those losses help us become better and readier.”

The Rams’ strongest performance came in the first game with a close 3-1 loss to Brandeis.

Brandeis was able to overcome the Rams’ usually strong offense thanks to an impressive 10-strikeout performance from Brandeis’ ace pitcher Scottie Todd. She improved to a 12-2 record for the season.

On the defensive side, the Rams had a rare bad performance from ace pitcher Gunarathne as she was only able to muster two strikeouts in six innings of play.

In the first inning, the Rams made the score 1-0 after a groundout from Caughey brought in Camille Desrochers for the Rams’ only run of the game.

Brandeis was quick to answer after Sydney Goldman singled to right field and brought in Jolie Fujita for the tying run.

Later on, in the fifth inning, Marley Felder doubled to left center to bring in two runs to reach the game’s final score, a 3-1 Brandeis victory.

BRANDEIS 3 FRAMINGHAM STATE 1 The second matchup was more of a runaway game for Brandeis, as they won 5-1.

In the first inning, the Rams were once again first to score. Lauren Salisbury singled through the left side of the field and allowed Desrochers to score the first - and, once again, only - run of the game for the Rams.

In the bottom of the first inning, Brandeis quickly answered, but this time, it was Todd who reached first base on a throwing error, which led to Felder scoring and tying up the ball game.

Brandeis never looked back. They continued to score throughout the later innings and went on to win 5-1.

Miller said, “We continued to have mental mishaps and Brandeis took full advantage of it. That is what good teams do.”

He added, “I think for us, we have to execute on what we try to do and not do too much and just get back to winning games.”

The Rams are currently 11-1 in the MASCAC and 19-17 overall in the season.

BRANDEIS 5 FRAMINGHAM STATE 1

CONNECT WITH CARLOS SILVA csilva14@student.framingham.edu CONNECT WITH LIAM GAMBON lgambon1@student.framingham.edu

SPORTS

Women’s lacrosse clinches first seed in MASCAC

APRIL 26, 2019 | 17

Ferr or Foul Thunderstorm brewing in OKC

By Matt Ferris Sports Editor

Carlos Silva/ THE GATEPOST The Rams huddle up on the field postgame.

By Liam Gambon Asst. Sports Editor Framingham played their fourthstraight MASCAC conference matchup against Salem State April 20.

The game opened with a goal from Alissa Marino off an assist from Grace Gamache.

This began a 13-0 run by the Rams that bled into the second half of the game.

During the run, Marino scored four goals, all assisted by Gamache.

The two have a history of connecting for goals, and this game was just another example of it.

Marino said, “Grace and I can read off each other very well and all we really need is to give each other a look and we connect.”

She added, “I would say that we are both always ready for anything to happen when we are on the field. Coach has installed a mentality into us to always look for a better option while we have the ball.”

Gamache said, “I think Alissa does an amazing job of finding the open spaces and knowing when to cut and how to get open, so all the credit goes to her.”

She added, “I’ve just been lucky enough to find her at the right times. It’s really fun to play with her, and I think we work great together.”

From then on, Framingham scored four more goals while only allowing two. They eventually won 17-2.

Sixteen of the Rams’ 17 goals were assisted in the game.

Head Coach James Rippey said, “This was probably the best display of ball movement and passing in Framingham State lax history, starting with our defenders clearing the ball successfully and moving it ahead through the midfield.”

Gamache said, “It was awesome - it really shows how well we work together as a team. Nobody was selfish today.”

She added, “We really worked to look for the open girl and get the best shot off.”

Beyond assisting on all of Marino’s goals, Gamache recorded three goals of her own in the win.

“I would have to give the credit to my

teammates,” Gamache said. “My three goals were all off great assists and that was from just overall great team play.”

The Rams were led by Gamache and Marino, as they combined for seven goals and six assists.

Gamache received the MASCAC Player of the Week award a day later because she recorded six goals and seven assists in the week.

Tara Palermo was awarded the MASCAC Rookie of the Week award because she scored three goals in the week, one being an overtime winner.

FRAMINGHAM STATE SALEM STATE

17 2

In their next matchup against Mass.

Maritime April 24, the Rams opened the scoring. This is the seventh time in their last eight games they’ve done so.

This led to Framingham going on an 8-2 run for the rest of the first half.

Gamache said, “A huge point of emphasis is to come out hot, and I think it’s definitely super important to get on the board first.”

She added, “It gives us a lot of momentum moving forward into the game.”

The Rams scored six more goals and allowed three, securing the 14-5 victory.

Marino led the Rams again, as she scored four goals for the second-straight game.

She attributed her scoring success to “reading the defense and waiting for one of them to lose focus on defending me and then placing my shots.”

Eight different Rams scored in the game, and eight contributed assists.

Framingham is now 13-3 on the season and 6-0 in the MASCAC with only one game left in the regular season.

FRAMINGHAM STATE MASS. MARITIME

14 5

CONNECT WITH LIAM GAMBON lgambon1@student.framingham.edu

Just like clockwork, the Oklahoma City Thunder have yet again been eliminated in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

After finishing just shy of 50 wins and placing sixth in the Western Conference, many thought the Thunder would be a real threat to take down the Golden State Warriors.

But after another disappointing playoff run, the Thunder were bounced from the playoffs in the first round for the thirdstraight season.

Now, since Carmelo Anthony - whom the Thunder seemed to blame for their past failures - is no longer on the team, he can no longer be used as the scapegoat. It is time for the Thunder to take a long look in the mirror and make some changes.

The first thing that needs to happen in Oklahoma City is the firing of Head Coach Billy Donavon.

Sure, Donavon has never missed the playoffs, but he has been mediocre at best in the regular season.

In his four seasons with the team, he has eclipsed the 50-win threshold just once, and that was when the second-best player in the NBA, Kevin Durant, was on the roster.

Since Durant’s departure, the team hasn’t won more than 50 games, and that is with one of the most talented rosters in the league.

While Donavon has been mediocre during the regular season, he has been awful in the postseason.

He has only advanced further than the first round once in his four years, and again this was when he had Durant on his roster.

Something else that needs to be different in order for the Thunder to be successful is the play of their star point guard, Russell Westbrook.

Yes, Westbrook is one of the best players in the entire league and even averages a triple-double, but that only gets you so far.

Now I’m not saying the Thunder should trade Westbrook, but he needs to improve a couple aspects of his game if he ever wants to win.

The first is his 3-point shooting. Westbrook acts as if he is a 3-point sniper, but in reality, he isn’t.

He shoots almost six 3-point field goals per game and shoots under 30%, which is awful.

But what is his biggest problem?

He turns the ball over far too much.

Westbrook averages almost five turnovers per game, which was the second most in the NBA last season.

This is just unacceptable for a point guard of his caliber.

Sure, the triple-doubles are impressive and may even win him MVP trophies, but if he wants rings, his game needs to change.

The final problem the Thunder need to fix is their surrounding cast.

Yes, the Thunder have one of the most talented duos in the NBA with Westbrook and Paul George, but the rest of the team could use a makeover.

Oklahoma City lives and dies by the 3-pointer, yet they don’t have any good 3-point shooters on their roster.

They took almost 33 attempts per game this season from behind the arc and made just 34% of them.

The Thunder need to rebuild their roster in the offseason by surrounding Westbrook and George with shooters.

If they don’t make changes, the Thunder will continue to fail in the playoffs and be the biggest disappointment in the NBA.

CONNECT WITH MATT FERRIS mferris2@student.framingham.edu

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SPORTS

18 | APRIL 26, 2019

Gamache Continued from page 1 And she truly is an asset in the attacking zone, as Gamache has recorded 50-plus points every season she has played in an FSU jersey, a feat rarely accomplished by a Division III athlete.

Just last season, Gamache finished with 111 points, averaging a whopping 5.84 points a game.

With the abundance of points recorded throughout her career, she was always well on her way to securing the record.

Head Coach James Rippey said, “After her sophomore year - when she finished with more than 50 goals and 50 assists for us - it was more a matter of when rather than if she’ll break the school record.”

The fact that Gamache has recorded more assists than goals in her past two seasons makes breaking the record even more impressive.

It is very rare to be able to lead a school or team in points without being a little selfish.

But Gamache has a team-first mentality, as does the team itself, as they record an assist on 65 percent of the goals they’ve scored this season. This mentality has shaped the team into what it is now.

“Grace has certainly been one of the strongest players on our team and in the conference since her freshman year, when she won Rookie of the Year,” Rippey said. “But lax is played with 12 on the field at a time, more than any other sport, so our success and growth as a program certainly can’t be attributed to just one person. It’s a team, culture, family effort that speaks to the changes we have undergone.”

During Gamache’s time with the team, they have grown immensely, going from a last-place to a firstplace team that is looking to make it back to the MASCAC Championship for the second-straight year.

“Our offense has evolved a lot since her freshman year in terms of complexity and depth,” Rippey said. “Grace is always one of the first players to grasp the new concepts and help her teammates get on board, too.”

The year before Gamache joined the Rams, the team averaged below 10 points per game.

But since her arrival, the team has never aver-

aged fewer than 10 points per game.

They averaged 11.37 in her freshman season, 15.79 in her sophomore, and 13.88 this year.

Gamache never would have changed the team and broken the all-time points record if she hadn’t first been recruited to Framingham State.

“I saw Grace play for the first time during the winter of her sophomore year at a club tournament in New Hampshire. I started chatting with her grandfather, introduced myself, and passed along my card,” Rippey said.

He added, “That spring, Grace and her father came to FSU to see us play. They loved the campus and knew about the great reputation of our education program, but the product on the lacrosse field was lacking. It was my second year and we didn’t have any recruited players on the team yet. Grace might have been the best player on the team right then if she suited up.”

Rippey said, “She came out for an overnight in the fall of her senior year and loved the team - the family we had built.”

Gamache said , “I was looking at a lot of different schools for lacrosse, but I really connected with the team when I came up for my overnight. I also loved the campus.”

She added, “I am majoring in elementary education and the program here is the best around, so that also really helped my decision.”

As Framingham’s first Women’s Lacrosse’s commit for the 2016 class, Gamache has paved the road for new players and helped create a new standard for the team.

Rippey said, “There was evidence the program was headed in the right direction, and everything else fell into place.”

He added, “I always make sure to say ‘thank you’ to grandpa when I see him at our games.”

Gamache’s decision was made for more reasons than just lacrosse, and it showed that athletes have considerations that are important to them besides sports.

Sports often play a significant role in a students’ life.

Gamache said, “I think it has helped so much playing lacrosse in college, especially when it comes to academics. I am much more on top of my work. I learned that time management is super important, and I felt that it has really kept me in line. I have [also] met some of my best friends through this team, so I am so thankful for it.”

This season, Gamache has 34 goals and 41 assists – a total of 75 points - in just 16 games.

She has a 50.7 shooting percentage, meaning she scores on half the shots she takes.

She has also won MASCAC Player of the Week twice this season, and, more often than not, has been directly involved in a game-winning play.

Rippey said, “Grace has a high lax IQ. She’s very cerebral and understands how the pieces need to fit together on the field.”

He added, “[She’s] a fierce competitor and certainly a player that wants the ball when the game is on the line.”

With everything that Gamache has accomplished this season and in previous seasons, she has helped to make Framingham Women’s Lacrosse into a dominant team.

Gamache said, “It has been the best three years.

I couldn’t imagine playing anywhere else. The team chemistry is great - we all get along so well.”

She added, “The program has come so far in the past couple of years, and I’ve been so lucky to be a part of it.”

With only one game left in the regular season, Gamache and the Rams are getting ready for the MASCAC Playoffs.

Since they hold the top seed, the playoffs will run through Framingham, the homefield of the all-time points leader.

CONNECT WITH LIAM GAMBON lgambon1@student.framingham.edu

Courtesy of FSU Athletic Department Grace Gamache, the all-time points leader at FSU, looks to make a pass.

@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com

SPORTS

APRIL 26, 2019 | 19

Players of the week

Baseball splits doubleheader against Bridgewater State

fsurams.com

Kathleen Moore/ THE GATEPOST Framingham pitcher Anthony Panza makes a pitch for the Rams against Newbury College.

By Matt Ferris Sports Editor Framingham State hosted the Bridgewater State Bears for a MASCAC doubleheader April 19.

The Bears got off to a quick start in the first game, scoring three runs in the first inning with the help of back-to-back doubles.

In the top of the second, Bridgewater struck for 11 more runs to go up 14-0.

The Rams got a run back in the bottom of the third.

Joe Ambrosino ripped a single, allowing Aaron Williams to score from second base.

Framingham responded in the next inning with three more runs to cut the deficit to 14-4. Williams, Ambrosino, and Bobby Higgins all collected RBIs for the Rams.

The Bears struck for two runs in the fifth inning and two more runs in the seventh, with home runs from Lewis Robinson and Dominic Precopio, to extend the lead to 18-4.

An RC Goodman three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh helped cut into the Rams’ deficit, but it was too little, too late as Framingham fell 18-8.

Ambrosino played well in the loss, going 3-for-5 at the plate with two RBIs. Goodman followed right behind him, going 1-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs. Al Wallach started the game for the Rams and picked up the loss.

Framingham is now 15-14 on the year and 8-6 in the conference.

BRIDGEWATER STATE FRAMINGHAM STATE

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In the second game of the doubleheader, Bridgewater once again got off to a fast start.

With the help of an RBI single and a wild pitch, the Bears jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead at the end the first.

In the top of the second, the Bears extended their lead to 3-0. With runners at the corners, Bridgewater executed a double steal, allowing the run to score.

Framingham battled back in the bottom of the second with a Matt Fogarty RBI single, making it 3-1 after two innings.

The Rams struck for two more runs in the bottom of the third to tie the game 3-3. Ambrosino and Kyle Dembrowski both had RBI groundouts to help push the runs across.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Rams scored three

Joe Ambrosino went 5-for-9 with five RBIs in the doubleheader against Bridgewater State.

more runs to take the lead. An RBI single from Higgins and a two-run single from Ambrosino allowed the Rams to secure a 6-3 lead, the eventual final score.

Kevin Connelly picked up the win for the Rams, going five innings, allowing three runs, and striking out five.

Kevin Scerra pitched a perfect seventh inning to pick up the save.

Ambrosino again led the Rams’ offense, going 2-for-4 with three RBIs. With the win, the Rams move to 16-14 on the year and 9-6 in the MASCAC.

FRAMINGHAM STATE BRIDGEWATER STATE

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The Rams hosted Newbury College in a nonconference game April 24.

Newbury struck first in the top of the opening frame to take an early 1-0 lead. A fielder’s choice with two men on base allowed the game’s opening run to cross the plate.

The Rams responded in the bottom of the third with two runs to take the lead. RBI doubles from Higgins and Ambrosino allowed the Rams to go up 2-1.

In the bottom of the fifth, Framingham stuck again with an RBI single from Ambrosino to take a 3-1 lead.

Framingham added one more run to the lead in the bottom of the eighth, thanks to an Andrew Curtis RBI single.

Neither team scored in the bottom of the ninth, allowing the Rams to earn the 4-1 victory.

Anthony Panza picked up his first win for the Rams, going two innings, giving up zero runs, and striking out four.

Randy White came out of the bullpen to pitch the ninth for the Rams, earning the save.

Ambrosino went 2-for-3 at the plate with two RBIs, while Higgins went 3-for-4 with an RBI. With the win, the Rams improve to 17-14 on the year and 9-6 in the conference.

FRAMINGHAM STATE NEWBURY COLLEGE

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fsurams.com

Lauren Salisbury went 4-for-5 with two RBIs in a 13-9 win against Roger Williams.

fsurams.com

Grace Gamache scored three goals and had five assists in a 17-2 win against Salem State.

CONNECT WITH MATT FERRIS mferris2@student.framingham.edu

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

PHOTOS

20 | APRIL 26, 2019

Photograph by Carlos Silva / THE GATEPOST

Photograph by Kathleen Moore / THE GATEPOST

Photograph by Kathleen Moore / THE GATEPOST

Photograph by Carlos Silva / THE GATEPOST

Upcoming Baseball Games: april 27 - 3:00 pm at FSU May 3 - 6:00 pm at fsu May 4 - 12:00pm at Mass. Maritime May 4 - 3:00 pm at mass. Maritime

Photograph by Carlos Silva / THE GATEPOST

Upcoming softball Games: april 27 - 12:00 pm at Fitchburg st. april 27 - 2:00 pm at Fitchburg st. april 30 - 4:00pm at johnson and wales april 30 - 6:00pm at johnson and wales

Photograph by Kathleen Moore / THE GATEPOST

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