THE GATEPOST Framingham State’s independent student newspaper
Volume 87 • Issue 18
March 15, 2019
FSUgatepost.com
FSU community protests two hate crimes in one month By Bailey Morrison Editor-in-Chief
Bridgette Sheridan, history professor, received a Phenominal Woman nomination on March 5.
Donald Halsing / THE GATEPOST
Building a stronger FSU community
Students express their concerns amid continued racist incidents By Tessa Jillson Editorial Staff President F. Javier Cevallos and other administrators hosted an open forum March 6 in the McCarthy Center to address the recent hate crimes. FSUPD Chief Brad Medeiros updated the community on the status of the Feb. 1 hate crime investigation. That day, racist writing was found on a bathroom stall on the
third floor of Horace Mann. Using camera footage, FSUPD identified 12 females who had entered the bathroom during the timeframe they believed the crime occurred. “These cases are a little difficult,” he said. “You have a situation where we either have evidence, we have a witness, or we get a confession - and that’s how these things work. “We can’t frivolously charge 12
females who went into the bathroom and say that they all did it. Everybody’s been interviewed and nobody’s giving it up. So, this is where we sit with this investigation right now,” he said. Cevallos said, “I’ve had it with these kinds of things. We have all had it with these kinds of things. This is not a place for hate. Our community does not stand for this. He added, “We need all of us to
See COMMUNITY FORUM page 6
From the moon to Mars
Lewis and Newman explore spacesuit design in ‘Fashioning Apollo’ By Tom Maye Staff Writer Neil Armstrong’s iconic Gemini spacesuit is deteriorating, Cathleen Lewis, curator in the Space History Department at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, said at a panel discussion on Feb. 27 in the Forum. The spacesuit had long surpassed its intended “16-month” lifespan, and was at risk of falling
News
apart, she said. “No one expected it would last 50 years.” Lewis stands on the frontlines of the preservation process, utilizing cutting-edge technology to maintain the suit and other priceless artifacts from the Apollo missions for future generations. Spacesuit design hasn’t ended with the Kennedy Administration, though. Dana Newman, former NASA deputy now works at MIT designing future space suit
Opinions
prototypes for potential manned missions to Mars, improving on past technological limitations and emphasizing enhanced spacesuit mobility. She detailed her work alongside Lewis, also discussing her projections for future Mars missions, and how her research could help people with disabilities back on Earth.
See FASHION APOLLO page 15
Arts & Features
A student in Towers was the target of a hate crime on Feb. 27. This is the second hate crime reported during the month of February. At around 4:30 p.m. that day, a student reported a note to FSUPD after it was slipped beneath their door. A message was written on a napkin, which included racist language targeted at the Hispanic and Latinx communities. The note read, “Morir s****.” This is the second hate crime to occur in Towers in the last two years. Johnny Hurley, assistant director of residential education and area director of Towers, said in an email to the community that “this incident targeted a specific person who has experienced problems with a person or persons over time, and so, it is not believed to be a random act.” Sgt. Martin Laughlin said FSUPD questioned all of the students in the building the day the note was reported and though the act may not be random, the department is investigating the incident in the same manner as the other hate crimes. When asked if FSUPD had any suspects he said, “We’re working on it.” According to Laughlin, the cameras placed in Towers did not capture the perpetrator. He said FSUPD is unable to share information with students regarding the investigation because it could potentially “taint the process.” He added, “We want to tell everyone, but we have to be mindful.” Millie Gonzalez, interim chief officer of diversity, inclusion, and community engagement, said the administration is planning several events to educate the community about implicit bias and the ways the FSU community can combat racism. She said she is working with CEOAction, an organization that develops lesson plans for diversity and inclusion in the workplace to bring an interactive “tour bus” on campus and to host “interactive, immersive training.” Glenn Cochran, director of residence life and associate dean of students, said during the 2018 fiscal year, 50 additional cameras were installed in residence halls across campus at a total cost of $140,000. He said, “This doesn’t mean people aren’t going to continue to do these kinds of things. But we want people to feel safe and students really seemed to want cameras to deter these acts.” He said it’s “difficult” for FSUPD to narrow down a suspect list in regard to who slid the note
See HATE CRIME page 4
Sports
CAMPUS CLIMATE SURVEY pg. 3
EXPLOITING FEMINISM pg. 10
PHENOMENAL WOMAN pg. 13
WOMEN’S LACROSSE pg. 18
BIG BUDGET MEETING pg. 5
LETTER TO THE EDITOR pg. 11
“CAPTAIN MARVEL” REVIEW pg. 17
FERR OR FOUL pg. 19
INSIDE: OP/ED 8 • ARTS & FEATURES 12 • SPORTS 18
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Gatepost Interview
Editorial Board
Justin Turner
Editor-in-Chief Bailey Morrison Associate Editors Corey McFeeley Jillian Poland News Editor Nadira Wicaksana Arts & Features Editor Tessa Jillson Asst. Arts & Features Editors Brennan Atkins Robert Johnson Jr. 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 Photos Editor Ashley Wall Asst. Photos Editor Donald Halsing Copy Editor Gordon Rupert Asst. Copy Editor Jared Graf Staff Writers Mikael Brown Evan Lee Jon Lee Tom Maye Kayla Otten Lauren Paolini Patrick Peterson Carlos Silva Julian Vazquez Caeley Whalen Staff Copy Editors Jordan Bacci Caroline Lee Staff Photographers Ryan Feinblatt Margaret Richardson Staff Illustrator Nicholas Carlson 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
Criminology professor By Nadira Wicaksana News Editor What is your educational and professional background? I received bachelor’s degrees in political science and sociology from Western Kentucky University. I moved on to my master’s at Eastern Kentucky University in criminal justice. Then, I went to Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, where I received my Ph.D. in criminology. From there, I worked at a university in Kentucky where I’m from - for two years, and my partner got a job up here and was able to bring me on. What classes do you teach here? Right now, I’m teaching “Culture of Punishment,” “Crime and Media,” and then “Intro to Sociological Perspectives of Criminology.” How did you become interested in your discipline? What I really enjoy about studying crime, as a criminologist, is that the notions of what is criminal and what is not is defined heavily by the boundaries of our society ... understanding society and politics [and] understanding crime, and how we as a society come to define what that is. It helps to answer the bigger picture. What would you say is the most rewarding part of teaching your discipline? Sarcastically, crushing people’s dreams that this field is like an episode of “Law and Order” or “CSI.” But realistically, simply getting people to question the ideas of law and criminality that are pervasive - trying to make the idea break through that these things are political structures and impact a lot of things other than committing crime. What was your favorite undergraduate experience? Graduation was very good for me, considering that with my other two degrees, I didn’t walk or anything, so
Ashley Wall / THE GATEPOST it wasn’t really a graduation as much as it was moving on to the next stage, whereas graduating with an undergraduate degree meant a lot to my family. So, that was the most memorable moment that I had there, because of that experience. ... When I initially started school, I wanted to do something different. I wanted to do biology, but I ended up hating it and really got attracted to sociology and political science. Realizing at that moment of my life that this is what I like to do that was probably the most rewarding experience for me, taking a sociology course and realizing that this was something that interested me. What is your favorite thing to teach? The cultural ideas of criminality how crime connects to our imagination, how we imagine the criminal to be. That would be my most exciting topic, and I try to center all my classes around that. It’s what my research is focused on, as well. What are some of your hobbies? I really enjoy watching movies and trying to engage with them - again, a lot of my research and interests deal with how to tackle the imagination of
criminality, so watching [crime] movies and TV shows is something I try to do as much as possible. But it’s not really a hobby because everyone does it. I’m trying to take up gardening, too. As someone who did not grow up here, what do you think of the area? My favorite thing about this area is that it’s not laid out on a grid map, and people drive a lot more aggressively, which I enjoy. I know that’s kind of weird, but I do enjoy it. I grew up just outside of Louisville, Kentucky, so the city setting is familiar to me. What is some advice you would give to FSU students? Some advice I have for going into the field of criminology is to be educated on what exactly the field entails, because it’s a lot different than the expectations. So, if you want to go into the field, whether it’s policing or activist work or something, it’s a lot different than what we popularly think it is. Criminology is a completely different field than what television shows you, including what it means to be a police officer. Be aware of the realities of these professions. CONNECT WITH NADIRA WICAKSANA nwicaksana@student.framingham.edu
Correction
Regarding our March 1 issue, we want to clarify that both photographs of former SGA members Alex Backer and Stephanie Bennett on page 3 were taken during SGA’s Feb. 22 Big Budget meeting, not during the organization’s Feb. 27 meeting. We apologize for any confusion.
Police Logs Friday, March 8 08:35 Suspicious Activity North Hall Report Taken
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Sunday, March 10 21:36 Alarm (Fire/Smoke) Larned Hall Services Rendered
Monday, March 11 06:11 Hazard Campus Wide Call Assignment Complete
Wednesday, March 11 11:14 Motor Vehicle Investigation Dwight Hall Advised
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FSU faculty and staff feel subject to ‘unchecked’ ‘microaggressions’ from white counterparts, campus climate survey results suggest By Nadira Wicaksana News Editor According to the results of the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement’s campus climate survey, FSU faculty, staff, and students report feelings of dissatisfaction with campus culture and attitudes toward diversity. The survey results, titled “Campus Climate Quantitative and Qualitative Assessment 2018,” were released February 2019. Conducted using Qualtrics software, the survey was made available to students during April 2018 and was promoted through “email blasts” for “four weeks straight,” according to Millie Gonzalez, interim chief officer of diversity, inclusion, and community engagement. According to a March 8 email from Gonzalez, 175 students, 97 faculty and librarians, and 80 staff answered the survey. This amounts to approximately 3 percent of the student body and 20 percent of faculty and staff. “Because the response rate was so low, we’d like to use this as a conversation-starter to spark discussion,” Gonzalez said. Following the string of hate crimes during the 2017-18 academic year, Gonzalez hired graduate studies professor and consultant Barbara Holland to create and lead three focus groups for community members of color - one for students, faculty, and staff, respectively. Each focus group was comprised of 10-11 members. According to the report, each focus group spoke of different trends that have affected them during their time at Framingham State. Students spoke of their “experience[s] of recent racist incidents causing feelings of anger, uncertainty, and discomfort” and “not feeling safe” on campus. They also reported feeling a “lack of investment” and “some lack of trust in leadership.” One student wrote, “FSU tends to promote student leaders who are quite homogeneous. There are very few students of color who are peer mentors, tutors, [or] Black & Gold leaders. The representation of student leaders should be representative of our student demographics, and we’re not even close.” Another wrote, “When discussing issues of hate crimes that occur on campus, it is not the time to push that dumb ‘FRAMily’ tagline.” The faculty and staff groups reported feelings of bias in terms of their treatment by white faculty and staff members and in the different standards to which they are held. Staff of color “believed that they are held to different work performance standards than their white colleagues, and faculty of color “described a campus environment where white privilege is pervasive,
creating a permissive atmosphere that allows microaggressions based on race to go unchecked.” One respondent wrote: “In terms of campus climate, the survey seems mostly concerned with issues of racial and ethnic identity. However, it has become clear in recent years that administrators do not value the role of faculty in general, nor the role of the humanities in particular. “FSU does an abysmal job of communicating about all manner of policies and priorities, often creating problems where none would otherwise exist with the underlying question.” Another stated: “All other academic departments - outside of sociology - need intensive training regarding culturally inclusive practices.” A comment by a faculty member, written in response to possible ways the University could help them feel more welcome, was: “A signed contract. I do not feel as if the administration REALLY appreciates all the hard work we do with minimal resources. Actions speak louder than words.” The report further states, “Overall, they [faculty and staff ] are not satisfied with the institutional response, which was described as ‘tone deaf.’” According to Gonzalez, her office commissioned Michael Greenstein, psychology professor, to analyze both the qualitative and quantitative results of the survey. Greenstein used an analysis of variance “to examine how demographic factors affected four key campus climate survey dependent measures,” he wrote in the report. Demographic factors of the survey included race, sex, and sexual orientation, while the four key
Framingham State University A line graph demonstrating the disparity between the comfort levels of minority-identified students and white students on campus. for its own survey. BSU, Gonzalez said, has conducted this survey on its own campus for many years. According to Greenstein’s analysis, “notable results” included: “Women, racial minorities, and LGBT+ students feel less safe on this campus than men, white people, and heterosexual people. Those of minority religions and people with disabilities do not feel as positive about the school’s delivering content in an inclusive manner.” In Greenstein’s “Qualitative Analysis” section, his report states, “Broadly, the responses that will be seen can be summarized with a simple sentence: ‘This campus is improving, but there is a long way
“They described a campus environment where white privilege is pervasive creating a permissive atmosphere that allows microaggressions based on race to go unchecked.” - Campus Climate Qualitative and Quantitative Assessment 2018 measures were “the single-response variable of whether the people felt safe” and “the multi-item measures of welcoming environment, diverse relationships, and inclusive delivery.” Gonzalez and Greenstein followed the structure set forth by Bridgewater State University (BSU)
to go.’ “This is a hopeful message.” Gonzalez said she hopes that the next time the survey is conducted, there will be more participation across the board as a result of these surveys being incorporated into the “campus culture. “One of the challenges was the
low response rate, and seeing comments like, ‘This probably isn’t going to be taken seriously’ - when we do, in fact, take all these responses seriously,” she said. Gonzalez said another challenge is the high cost associated with conducting these surveys, saying costs totaled $40,000 to $50,000 for consultation, analysis, and survey software. “Because of that, we can only conduct these surveys every two years,” Gonzalez said. Her office analyzes the surveys during the offyear. In the March 8 email, Gonzalez also wrote that the link to the survey results is available to all campus community members through myFramingham in the “Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement” tab on the homepage. “One of purposes of a campus climate survey is to measure how the various populations of the university feel welcomed and valued,” Gonzalez wrote in the email. She added in an interview, “We genuinely want to hear what they [the community] are saying.” Gonzalez also wrote in the email, “I urge you to use this data as a starting point to have discussions with each other and within your departments.” Gonzalez and Greenstein are planning to schedule an open forum to discuss the results of this survey, but said previous dates have been cancelled due to inclement weather and the most recent hate crime on campus. In the email, Gonzalez wrote the forum will be scheduled “shortly.”
CONNECT WITH NADIRA WICAKSANA nwicaksana@student.framingham.edu
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Hate crime Continued from pg. 1 under the door. “How fast could that really be? I think in about two seconds someone could slip a note under the door. And the cameras didn’t get that. So, if there’s not witnesses, it’s hard to determine who actually did it.” He urges administrators, faculty, staff, and students to be proactive in combatting racism. “This isn’t just one person’s job.” Cochran said he and other members of Residence Life routinely receive training and education to address issues of racism. “I’m constantly learning. I will never know everything - white privilege exists and racism exists, and I think we all have a hand in ending that.” President F. Javier Cevallos said, “It is sad that a handful of individuals with their own hateful agendas are creating such a painful moment for so many students on the campus.” He added, “We must continue to
NEWS work together to reach the goal of being a truly inclusive campus. As I often say, the goal is to say that at Framingham State, we respect every single member of our community. We together create our community. It is not the job of a single person, but the collective work of all of us.” During the community forum held on March 6, Cevallos said a $5,000 reward is still available to anyone who has information regarding the hate crimes. The reward was first offered after the string of hate crimes during the 2017-18 academic year. Across campus, members of the community are using different creative outlets to express their outrage in the wake of the recent hate crime. On Feb. 28, faculty and students gathered outside McCarthy with signs that had messages such as: “No Hate” and “Professors Against Racism.” Zeynep Gonen, sociology professor, organized a protest in a response to the hate crime called “Napkins Against Racism” March 1. Students
Donald Halsing / THE GATEPOST “Napkins Against Racism” in the McCarthy Center on March 1.
and faculty members wrote messages on napkins that are displayed in the McCarthy lobby. She said she was inspired by artist Adrian Piper, who created post cards on which she addressed incidents of racism and sexism that she experienced. The cards “compassionately expressed her anger, without being disrespectful or hateful. I thought it was a powerful work.” Following the hate crime, Gonen said she felt “anger and frustration” and wanted to provide her students with an outlet to express their emotions. “So, I decided to take napkins with me [to class] and ask them to try to write directly to the person/people and tell [them] whatever they wanted to.” She added, “I think the act of expressing anger directly is powerful and healing. I hope Napkins Against Racism gave this opportunity to many students to do that, and also changes the racist narrative that students of color on this campus were subjected to.” She then brought the idea to other members of the Faculty Against Hate group, who also brought napkins to their classes and allowed students to write their own messages. Hurley said resident assistants in Towers are organizing an event in response to the hate crime. He said the event, which will occur April 3, will showcase cultures from around the world. Becca Moffat, a senior and resident assistant in Towers, said seven floors in the building will be decorated to reflect the customs and cultures of different countries.
She added, “It’s an opportunity for people to ask questions and learn about cultures they previously may not have explored.” After the recent hate crime, senior Jesús Ruelas said he needed to find a creative outlet to express his frustration with the continued hate crimes. With a camera and 35mm film, Ruelas has begun photographing faculty, students, and staff to celebrate diversity on campus. He said his project, which primarily focuses on the experiences of people of color, aims to highlight the inequity felt by people of color on campus. Ruelas believes the successes and experiences of people of color are not adequately showcased at the University. During the photoshoots with each participant, he asks them to share their experiences of “racial tension,” as well as stories of success and what they wish to see the community do in response to the recent hate crimes. Ruelas started a GoFundMe to mitigate the cost of film with an original goal of $100 and as of print time, he has raised over $400, with most contributions coming from members of the FSU community. Ruelas said he hopes to “start a bigger dialogue on campus. I want to celebrate these people. I want to eradicate intolerance. I want my community to be together. I want all my peers to live a life where they do not fear to be judged by their appearance, background, religious, or sexual orientation.” CONNECT WITH BAILEY MORRISON bmorrison1@student.framingham.edu
DEFINING HATE CRIMES ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES Monday, 4.1, 4:30pm, Alumni Room, McCarthy Center
Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, was formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to involve the private bar in providing legal services to address racial discrimination. They recently partnered with the Fund for Leadership, Equity, Access and Diversity (LEAD) Fund to conduct a study to better understand what is unfolding on college and university campuses; this study provides insight into the prevalence of hate and bias incidents on campuses. In this presentation, they will discuss: the context of the increase in hate incidents across the country and the parallel increase in hate incidents on college campuses what hate looks like, the affect that hate has on targeted communities (including the effect on the broader campus community) define the differences between hate incidents and hate crimes an overview of federal and Massachusetts state hate crime laws, and what you should do if you experience hate
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Facing pressure to be ‘fiscally responsible,’ SGA cuts student organization funding By Nadira Wicaksana News Editor SGA met to discuss and allot the yearly budgets of six organizations, including itself, on Friday, Feb. 22. The combined total requested from all organizations amounted to $344,055, leaving $99,644 in SGA’s Unallocated Fund. This fund is the total of all students’ required activity fees, which is $140 per student per academic year. The amount in the fund is contingent upon the number of students who enroll each year. According to Driana Lebron, student activity treasurer, enrollment is projected at 3,345 undergraduate students, making the total predicted Unallocated Fund $468,300 for fiscal year (FY) 2020 before budget requests. After 30 minutes of discussion, SGA members passed a motion to debate each individual line item of each organization’s request, instead of debating only the total amounts. Parliamentarian Adam Scanlon said he has been on SGA the longest and from his experience, this was the most effective method. Senator Matty Bennet - now vice president - said it “seems a lot more complicated to me.” President Ben Carrington said, “We are asking clubs to be as fiscally responsible as possible,” which he said extended to SGA itself. The first organization to be seen by SGA was The Gatepost. Bailey Morrison, editor-in-chief, and Jillian Poland, associate editor, requested $41,673.50, a less than 1-percent increase from FY19. The greatest line-item increase was for the license renewal for the inclusion of puzzles in the paper, which both members said was “very popular.” The Gatepost’s request for its “promotional items and recruitment events” line item was $1,400, $100 less than the promotional item cap of $1,500. They were allotted $1,200 for this line item, with nine senators voting in favor and three voting against. SGA members said cuts are happening across the board for this particular line item, which was seen in the final budget allotments of every club in attendance - all received a $200 deduction from their promotional budget line item, except
the Student Union Activities Board (SUAB). According to its submitted written request, SUAB combined the maximum allotment of $1,500 with $500 for office supplies to create a $2,000 line item titled “publicity/marketing.” This is a six-percent increase from FY19. SUAB request was presented by SGA senator and SUAB President Kayleigh MacMaster. SGA allocated the full amount, $140,000, a 0.25-percent increase from FY19. WDJM requested $15,946.10, an increase of approximately 23 percent from FY19. The line item with the largest percent increase, at 67 percent, was “Station Administration,” covering FCC compliance expert fees and a station inspection fee, according to SILD director Sara Gallegos. This also includes a raise for WDJM’s station administrator, who has not had a raise in three years. However, the club requested 54 percent less for “station events,” planning to move in the direction of “lower-scale events.” The Hilltop Players requested $20,000 to cover production costs and promotional items. The bulk of its budget, $16,000, will be directed toward its yearly musical production. This is a 6.25-percent increase from FY19. Dance Team requested $25,784.35, a 1-percent decrease from FY19. The majority of its budget goes toward “off-campus performances,” including bus trips to Providence Bruins and Boston Celtics games. SGA divided its budget into six different requests - general, training, diversity, benevolence, banquet, and travel and conference. These requests amounted to $99,451.45. Carrington and Lebron presented the written requests to the rest of SGA, who voted on each line item of each individual budget. SGA requested a total of $51,145,45 for its general budget, a 2-percent decrease from FY19. This request included line items such as “general and operating expenses,” “catering,” “Week of Kindness,” and the “Thomas Ames Scholarship” - a $4,200 stipend for SGA’s president. SGA senators moved to cut the “catering” line item by $300 and the “Week of Kindness” line item by $1,500. They also moved to cut “stu-
dent advocacy” by $300, a line item that provides funds for SGA members and other students to visit the Massachusetts State House. Senators also moved to cut SGA’s training budget by $1,150, having initially requested $9,856. This budget covers the SGA summer retreat and orientation. The total training budget came out to $8,706, after long deliberation about the nature of the retreat, including transportation and location. For its diversity budget, SGA senators moved to cut the previous FY19 allocation of $10,000 by 50 percent, moving the $5,000 to its general budget. SGA also cut its travel and conference budget by $1,000, making it $19,000. Senators moved to allocate the full requested amounts of the banquet and benevolence budgets - $12,700 and 1,750, respectively. Former Vice President Alex Backer, motioned to cut the banquet budget to $10,700, saying the money could better serve organizations, which have all had to cut their budgets at SGA’s request. The motion failed. Bennet motioned to fund the full amount. saying he has “worked in the banquet industry before” and has a good idea of the necessary funds for budgets. Carrington added last year, SGA had to allocate last-minute funds for this budget, as well. The amount allocated for all of SGA’s budget requests totaled $96,301.45. Due to these cuts, the amount in the Unallocated Fund is currently $104,394.60. Many senators expressed surprise that the meeting did not last as long as expected - according to the distributed meeting agenda, over five hours were divided among the six different clubs. The meeting was called to action at approximately 4:30 p.m., and was adjourned at 8:20 p.m. In other news: -Kephi Alkay was unanimously sworn in as a senator for the Class of 2021. -Patty Cooney was unanimously sworn in as a senator for the Class of 2019. [Editor’s Note: Bailey Morrison and Jillian Poland are members of The Gatepost’s editorial board.]
The Gatepost Requested: $41,673.50 Received: $41,473.50
SUAB Requested: $140,000 Received: $140,000
WDJM Requested: $15,946.10 Received: $15,746.10
Hilltop Players Requested: $20,000 Received: $20,000
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SGA Funding Breakdown General Budget
Requested: $51,145.45 Received: $49,145.45
Benevolence Budget Requested: $1,750 Received: $1,750
Training Budget Requested: $9,856 Received: $8,706
Banquet Budget
Requested: $12,700 Received: $12,700
Diversity Budget Requested: $5,000 Received: $5,000
Dance Team Requested: $25,984.35 Received: $25,784.35
Travel Budget Requested: $20,000 Received: $19,000
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Community forum Continued from pg. 1 come together, you and us as part of one community, to work together to just tell the people who are doing this that we have had it.” Glenn Cochran, associate dean of students and director of residence life, said at last year’s hate crime forum, a student made a point that she felt like the FSU community needs to make racists feel as if they’re the “loneliest people in the world.” He added, “These incidents are just so hurtful and disappointing and awful in our community. We all need to get together and speak out. I applaud everybody whose here for sending the message. “When we all come together and send messages, through our presence here and through other things, I think we move in the direction of achieving that.” A student attending the forum asked Cochran and Medeiros about the new cameras installed in the residence halls. Cochran said the University was able to obtain an additional 50 cameras last year and placed them in the best possible areas or where they would have “the most impact.” “Cameras, I think, can help,” Cochran said. “They will help someone maybe be free from getting a note under their door, but they don’t necessarily change the things in the hearts and minds of people. He added, “So, I think promptly all of us would agree that were not going to be placing cameras in toilet stalls, right? There’s a limit to them.” Cevallos said, “It’s very hard to stop somebody from putting something in the bathroom stall. … I think that we have to continue to educate people. … We do a lot of activities, but it’s never enough, and we have to do more.” He then asked the audience to help the administration develop ways to educate the FSU community about diversity and inclusion. Sophomore Carlos Barbosa said he and a couple of other students formed a group called CLEAR (Collaborative Leadership Effort Against Racism). The group, he said, created a list of demands and suggestions they will present to the administration. One idea they came up with was to create a diversity and inclusion GenEd domain that each student must take in order to graduate. Barbosa said the domain would force students “to face the topic of racism and other things in that category and force them to think about it, even if they don’t want to change their mind.” He added, “We as an entire University - we’re ready and we’re planning. The first word of our group is ‘collaborative,’ so, we’re in conjunction with you guys. We’re not against you guys. … But we’re not going to be stepped on, or lied to, or turned away from.” Linda Vaden-Goad, provost and vice president for academic affairs, said CLEAR and other students can submit their suggestions in a “governance log” and a committee will review it. Lorretta Holloway, vice president
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Students protest racial bias outside the McCarthy Center on March 1. for enrollment and student development, said if students want to see a policy in the Ram Handbook changed or reinforced, they can go through the Student Affairs subcommittee. She said, “We’re supposed to be a democracy. … You want to change the law? You got to show up, say what you want to be changed, have the discussion, and be part of that process.” Holloway added, “That’s also a way to reinforce the idea that it’s not just one person or two people making a particular rule, but it’s a community that has made a decision.” In order to prevent these incidents from happening, Holloway said one thing students asked for during the 2017 incidents is the implementation of mandatory diversity training for students and first-years to help establish inclusivity as one of FSU’s
ble. So, first and foremost, applaud yourself for being here and being a part of this conversation. … We can’t force everybody to come to these forums, but if they’re here for education, we can make sure that we teach this to them when they leave after their four years.” He added right now, SGA is working with Millie Gonzalez, interim chief officer of diversity, inclusion, and community engagement, on an anti-racism collaborative and student training. He then asked the administration for an update on the search for the new director for the Center for Inclusive Excellence. Gonzalez said the search is ongoing because the University is trying to hire the best possible person. “My hope is that we close the search by the end of the semester. That way, this particular candidate
“I think everywhere has a racism problem. … One-and-done training is not going to solve racism. It has to be a long-term commitment.” - Millie Gonzalez, interim chief officer of diversity, inclusion, and community engagement core values. The program should be orchestrated the same way Alcohol. edu or Haven have implemented. “University campuses should not be a hotbed of racism should not be a hotbed of sexism. It should be a place of education and inclusion,” she said. According to Vaden-Goad, all first-year students will have something called “a high-impact practice” embedded into their classes to teach them about diversity and inclusion. SGA President and senior Benjamin Carrington thanked everyone in the forum for attending. “We keep preaching it,” he said. “This has been happening for the four years I’ve been here. We need to have as many people come as possi-
Donald Halsing / THE GATEPOST just “highly encouraged.” In response to the student, VadenGoad said, “We are working on a retreat and kind of figuring out how that will be workshopped. We’re definitely talking about mandatory training for everyone who teaches here.” Gonzalez said, “I think everywhere has a racism problem. … Oneand-done training is not going to solve racism. It has to be a long-term commitment.” She added, “I’ve worked on diversity and inclusion since the day that I entered Framingham State, which was 13 years ago, and I can’t tell you how many trainings I have participated in, how many discussions, because I personally have that commitment. “So, what I would suggest is to move beyond mandatory training to move toward everyone committed to eradicating racism on campus, and becoming an anti-racism community. … We have to deal with racism on a daily basis and this is the ugly truth of America, unfortunately.” Vaden-Goad said this year, administrators added a “diversity statement” requirement to the University job application process. When someone applies for a position at the University, she said, they must talk about their experiences with diversity and inclusion before they are hired. She added the University is always trying to hire more faculty members from underrepresented groups. For example, the Mary Miles Bibb Fellowship program is used to hire faculty members who are interested in diversity and inclusion issues, and they come into a full-time temporary position. Junior Kiara Davis said, “I feel like I sense a lot of hostility whenever incidences come about.” She added, “It’s really unfortunate that one person can create a divide like that. So, I just want to remind everyone that we’re in this together and that the faculty and staff and administration are not against us. I know we want to take it out on someone, but in order to actually see progress, we’ve got to work together.”
can work on necessary programming in the summer,” she said. Another student said she experienced racism, not from a student, but from a faculty member who was a person of color. The student said she went to the department head about her experience and the department head brushed it off, as if there were nothing she could do. Gonzalez suggested the student should fill out a Bias Education Response form. FSU has a bias response team, whose job is to discuss bias incident reports and follow up, she said. Another student suggested to make the faculty’s bias training workshop a mandatory exercise, not CONNECT WITH TESSA JILLSON tjillson@student.framingham.edu
NEWS
MARCH 15, 2019 | 7
Three senators climb the ranks to eBoard positions By Donald Halsing Editorial Staff Due to vacancies in several eBoard positions, President Ben Carrington opened the floor to entertain “self-nominations” during SGA’s March 5 meeting. Senator Matty Bennet nominated himself for the vice president position. His self-nomination was accepted unopposed and the senate voted him into the position. Senator Abigail Salvucci was nominated for the ad hoc Publicity and Recruitment chair by Senator Lexi Kays. The nomination was accepted unopposed and the senate voted her into the position. Kays was then nominated for the Class & Club Treasurer position by Bennet. The nomination was accepted unopposed and the senate voted Kays into the position. Carrington said, “Now, we have a full eBoard!” Kays, Salvucci, and Bennet received the “U-Rock” award during the meeting. At the time of publication, both the election chair and senate chair positions remain unfilled. During the funding request portion of the meeting, Student Activity Treasurer Driana Lebron was required to orally provide the total amount listed for each request, due to a printing error in the packets. The Onyx was allocated $4,500 for the annual publication of their literary magazine and a release event to be held on Apr. 25. “The Onyx” is a literary magazine composed of works submitted by FSU students during the academic year. Onyx President Maddison Mayberry said, “It’s created a voice for those who feel that they may not have one.” Senator Kayleigh MacMaster asked if the club orders four hundred copies every year. Mayberry said, “Typically, we hope for at least four [hundred], to possibly five [hundred]... Last year we were only left with around twenty.” M.I.S.S. was allocated the full amount of their request - $53.37 for their event “Sisters’ Day Out.” M.I.S.S. Treasurer Liraniz Colon said, “We collect donations of dresses, accessories, and shoes for girls who attend Keefe Tech and Framingham High School.” Students from
Left to right: SGA’s newest eBoard members - Lexi Kays, Abgail Salvucci, and Matty Bennet. FSU will help the high schoolers try on dresses. The funds will be used to purchase supplies for “vision boards.” M.I.S.S. Secretary Paola Bilbraut said, “We just use this [funding] to empower the girls.” She added last year, 10-12 high-schoolers attended. Kays asked if the club was “aware of the fact that we [SGA] can’t really
statement, then this would still follow the guidelines.” Senator Michael Tucci asked, “If you guys were allocated more money, would you be able to have more attendees?” He added, “Maybe the Fashion Club could work alongside you guys, that they could supply more dresses.” Later in the debate, Tucci suggest-
“It’s a good way to give back to the community.” - Abigail Salvucci, ad hoc publicity and recruitment chair fund for activities that don’t pertain to students on our campus.” Carrington said, “If this is more of a community outreach type of event, in which it follows their mission
M.I.S.S. members present their funding request to SGA’s senate.
ed the extra money “could go towards food or coffee for [FSU] students.” Tucci made a motion to allocate $100, almost double the original amount. His reason was, he said, “It’s
Donald Halsing / THE GATEPOST
Donald Halsing / THE GATEPOST difficult for people who don’t have a lot of money to get prom dresses.” The motion did not pass. SILD Director and SGA Advisor Sara Gallegos gave “preliminary” and “not 100-percent guaranteed” numbers to the senate regarding money returning to the Student Activities Trust Fund (SATF). “Dale [Hamel, executive vice president] has, I think, graciously added in $37,100 back into SATF from his budget for next year’s budget. “We are going through ticket revenue from all of the SATF-funded events,” she said. “About $9,000-ish will be going back into SATF.” SATF currently holds $4,776.38 at the time of publication. During her Student Trustee’s Report, Ayanna Ferguson said, “As of February 26, we have eighty incoming freshmen and twenty-nine transfer [students].” That yields a total of 109 new incoming students so far for the fall semester of 2019. Salvucci told the senate about an ongoing clothing drive held by Framingham State’s Alternative Spring Break group. “There’s this little paper box by the pillar in the entrance to McCarthy,” said Salvucci. She added, “It’s a good way to give back to the community.” The box will be in the McCarthy lobby until after spring break. Salvucci was also chosen as senator of the month for February. Secretary Allie Flood reminded SGA members of their obligation to be available one hour per week in the SGA office. Flood told the new senators, “Everyone has an office hour.” SGA’s SILD liaison Brendan Fraser said, “We’ve gotten some feedback from some offices saying that there [are] not many people in SGA, and that the office is always closed when students need it.”
CONNECT WITH DONALD HALSING dhalsing@student.framingham.edu
FRAMINGHAM STATE UNIVERSITY’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1932 | FSUGATEPOST.COM
OP/ED
8 | MARCH 15, 2019
OP/ED No common ground By Lizzy Stocks Opinions Editor I’ve lived on campus for the past four years, and if there’s one thing I’ve noticed during my experience, it’s that FSU is majorly lacking school pride and a sense of community. According to the school’s website, “Framingham State University is a place where inquisitive, career-focused students thrive. … Our campus has much to offer - from our planetarium to our art gallery, and state-of-the-art science laboratories and dorms.” Though I agree the campus does have much to offer academically, one thing the administration seems to have forgotten about is offering students a common ground for socialization. Without a space dedicated solely for students to engage and interact with each other, it’s difficult to garner school pride as many students don’t know their peers outside of their four classes or extracurricular activities. There aren’t many common areas for students to freely gather specifically for social interaction - the keyword being freely. If one wishes to socialize with a larger audience on campus, their best bet is to head to the dining commons - but it will come at a cost. If you are a resident, your mandatory meal plan pays your fee for social interaction, but comes with a limited number of weekly entries into the dining hall. If you are a commuter, you are not required to purchase a meal plan, but if you wish to engage with the large population of residents, you must pay the $4.50 breakfast rate or $9 for lunch and another $9 for dinner. After the dining commons’ renovations
last year and over the summer, the size of the commuter cafe was greatly reduced, resulting in the seating by Toasted and the Ram’s Den Grille to be mainly occupied by customers of those dining locations with the intent to eat, rather than socialize or hang out before class. Sam DiMatteo, a junior and commuter, said “It can be difficult to find places to go in between classes.” She said, “Since the section by Toasted has been cut to widen the dining commons, it seems like people struggle a lot more to find places where they can meet up and simply hang out with other students. “Any other common area on campus is often quiet and full of students studying, so it leaves few options for a more relaxed atmosphere.” Though students can gather in areas such as the Henry Whittemore Library or Hemenway Laboratories free of charge, those areas are mainly dedicated to academics and those who wish to study in a quiet, peaceful environment. Without common grounds for socialization, not only is it difficult for students to feel a sense of community with our peers, but it’s difficult to feel a sense of pride for the school we attend, as we simply do not have the opportunity to regularly interact with the faces that make up our campus. Our school colors are black and gold - bold and flashy - and yet aside from some lackluster lamp post decor, anyone driving through State Street would never know the vibrant but subtle shades that define our school identity. In many ways, the students of FSU are much like our school colors, bold and vibrant, yet inadequately scattered throughout campus preventing passersby - even FSU natives - to truly know the glorious hues and faces that define our campus.
Have an opinion? Feel free to email it to: gatepost@framingham.edu Opinions should be about 500 words. Anyone can submit. We look forward to hearing from you! @TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com
THE GATEPOST EDITORIAL
College admissions shouldn’t be pay to play Earlier this week, dozens of celebrities and wealthy Americans were charged with buying their kids’ way into prestigious and big-name colleges. News outlets reported that these stars gamed the system through bribery, falsifying exam scores, and so much more in order to secure a slot for their kids. The ringleader of the scam, William Singer, even reportedly photoshopped a client’s kid into photos to make it seem as if the student were participating in an athletic event for a sport they didn’t even play. Dozens of examples of fraud have been uncovered in this case since the investigation, which the FBI refers to as “Operation Varsity Blues,” began in 2011, and it highlights the often competitive and spurious nature of the college application process. There is immense pressure on students to have a perfect transcript and an abundance of extracurriculars to even be considered for an interview to gain admission to those Ivy Leagues these affluent families scammed their ways into. As the sordid details of the scandal continue to surface, it’s easy to condemn the parents’ behavior. However, it raises a larger question about due process in this case - will these wealthy defendants spend a day in prison? Parents in much poorer communities are fined and even jailed for using addresses of family members to provide their children with a chance at an education in neighboring towns with superior educational systems. ABC News reported in 2011 that Kelley Williams-Bolar, a black woman from Ohio, spent nine days in jail and two years on probation for using her father’s address to enroll her child in a different school district. She was also ordered to repay $30,000 in back tuition - all for trying to give her children the education people in affluent communities take for granted. According to Variety, after Lori Laughlin was charged in relation to this case, she was released and will be allowed to leave the country for a photoshoot with Hallmark. While she hasn’t been found guilty of anything, her ability to wantonly leave the country while facing criminal charges reeks of white privilege. Williams-Bolar surely wouldn’t have been given that opportunity. Higher education has long been inaccessible for the majority of the world’s population. The privilege of any college education - let alone one that racks up a bill of hundreds of thousands of dollars - is something few will ever see. And when it comes down to it, a college education is a privilege regardless of the institution’s name, and it’s a powerful weapon to wield in the workforce. According to a 2010 survey conducted by Harvard, only 6.7 percent of the world’s population has a bachelor’s degree and a 2017 census found just over 33 percent of Americans hold bachelor’s degrees. These affluent parents, fueled by the hysteria created in the hallowed halls of Ivy League schools, believed that no price was too great to prevent their children from receiving an education at a less prestigious school - maybe even a state school - where they would’ve been admitted based on merit and not money. In the minds of these privileged few, a child’s success - and their own image - is intrinsically tied to the name on the degree that eventually hangs in that kid’s office. Closer to home, many FSU students take on student loans and multiple jobs in hopes of receiving a college education. There are many negative preconceptions concerning state schools - that they aren’t “good enough” or that the name of the university means more than the degree. But, if you think about it, a student applying themselves here at Framingham State is learning a lot more than any kid who’s partying at Yale because of a staged photo of them playing water polo. Singer called these tactics - this fraud - the “side door” for getting into universities, with regular admissions being the “front door” and huge donations and family connections being the “back door.” With such a crooked admissions system in private education, the front door is already guarded by bouncers and finding the the back door requires a map most can’t afford. A side door is just an all-access pass only handed out to those who will arrive on campus with a blank check and a credit card in their parents’ name. Everyone should be made to walk through the front door. And everyone should face the consequences for trying to sneak in through the side.
OP/ED
MARCH 15, 2019 | 9
Letter to the Editor: Broken down dorms If you’re a student living on campus, you know exactly how often an elevator breaks down or when the showers are the hottest. As a freshman student living in Corinne Hall Towers, I know how difficult it is to find time to get everything done between class (e.g. eat, shower, get homework done). This difficulty is only made worse with our broken down dorms. Others in different dorms have also told me about their elevator difficulties. Throughout the first few weeks of the second semester, Corinne Hall Towers’ elevators have broken down twice. This makes it harder for the students on the upper floors to get to classes on time because they must wait for the elevator to go all the way up and then all the way down, stopping at every single floor along the way. Although this is a day-to-day issue, usually having two elevators makes it easier for everyone to get on and get off in a timely fashion. Many students now have to leave up to ten minutes earlier than usual to arrive to class on time. Other than Towers, Larned Hall has had touch-and-go incidents regarding their elevators, and from a fellow student that lives there, “I feel like the elevators are always broken, and when they aren’t, it’s not long until they are again.” Elevators, however, aren’t the only broken parts in the dorms.
Showers are the epitome ofproblems. Whether it’s water pressure, a broken shower head, space in the showers, or shower temperature, something is always wrong. Freshman student Faith Kollien states “I don’t like the curtains because they always open, so the cold air always blows into the shower.” She believes magnets may be our best bet for fixing this problem. Kollien’s roommate, Emma Bernier, also believes this to be an issue, but is adamant about the shower temperatures, “You only get hot water for, maybe, 15 minutes before it gets cold.” Not only does the hot water not last more than 15 minutes, but if someone flushes the toilet or uses the sink, you’re stuck with five more minutes of cold water before it gets warm again. Shower space is always an issue, too. If you’re tall or muscular, you may have trouble fitting in the showers. Either the small frame of the shower causes shoulders to touch both ends or the shower head only reaching your chest or shoulders, shower space needs to be improved upon. If we have these two major problems in our dorms, how do we fix them? We always hear complaints, but we never take action. Do we make the housing fees more expensive? Do we take money from another source in the school and put it towards our dorms? Although neither issue is a safety
hazard, I (and many other students) believe our school will gain more resident students if we fix the broken parts in otherwise amazing dorms. Sincerely, Gabriella Inman
Photo of Corinne Hall Towers showerhead
Donald Halsing/ THE GATEPOST
USE YOUR VOICE! BE the difference on campus!
LAST CHANCE! Freshman and Seniors take the NSSE survey for a chance to WIN a pair of Bose wireless headphones!
EASY TO COMPLETE! The survey only takes 15 minutes of your time, and you can find the link in your FSU email.
MAKE A DIFFERENCE! The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) assesses students’ participation in academic and extracurricular life. This data helps administrators and faculty make meaningful changes on campus! Questions? Please contact the Office of Institutional Research at: (508) 626-4043
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10 | MARCH 15, 2019
OP/ED
Don’t let corporations exploit your movement By Thomas Maye Staff Writer
Tinder safety By Kay Ann Staff Writer As a single woman on a college campus, I am on Tinder. I know - it’s impossible. The sea of poorly lit mirror selfies and cringy bios can make you feel like you’re drowning, but every once and a while, you will come across a person who is average enough to go on a date or hook up with, depending on what you’re looking for. That’s where this article comes in - we are going to talk about Tinder safety. First things first: if you are going to meet up with a stranger for sex or a date, make your first stop a public place, like a Starbucks or a Target. Even if you are going back to their place for sex, you should rendezvous at a public place. This gives you time to make sure they are actually the person you met online and to snap a picture of their license plate to send to a friend. Whenever going on a date with a person you barely know, pick a friend and let them know where you’re going and who you’re going with. I have one friend I will send all the information I have. I send her a text saying, “I’m going out with someone,” and provide their name, address, picture, license plate number, where we’re going - basically anything I know about the person. This helps if the worst-case-scenario happens. Another smart thing to do is to have a friend on standby to help you make an “escape” if need be. This means if the date is going south and you need an excuse to get out of there - you can just send them a quick code word via text and boom! Your friend is calling you doing some pre-rehearsed freaking out. This gives you the OK to be all, “I gotta go, my friend lost her cat, and I have to help her find it.” Then you book it out the door and unmatch them on Tinder, never to be seen again. It’s actually good to make the same friend in charge of both the information about the person and the “escape” plan, because then they will have all the information and will understand the urgency of the situation if you text. Personally, I use my mom, because she is super reliable and understands the situation. She has been there to call me and tell me to get home right away many times when I text her and tell her a date is going poorly. She’s a badass. Another thing you have to protect yourself from is STIs. No matter how much a person swears they’re clean, they might not be. It’s important to always use protection for all sex acts during hook ups, including oral sex. I know it sounds weird, but genital viruses can become oral viruses (and vice versa) because they are both mucus membranes. I get it - you want to go out, have some fun, and have an orgasm - Tinder is a great way to accomplish all of those things. The problem is you must be safe when meeting up with strangers. Make sure people know where you are, where you’re going, and who you’re going with. This can make you feel safer and can help people find you if your encounter goes seriously downhill. We’ve all seen “You” on Netflix. We understand. So be safe. Use protection. And thank your mom, because she’s probably the best. [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
For $9.90 at Forever 21, you can buy Harriet Dyer’s “The Little Book of Feminism,” a “helpful little guide [that] will teach you… everything you need to know to become a CARD CARRYING FEMINIST.” If only they read it to the underpaid mothers and immigrant women at the factory they work at with what LA Weekly called “sweatshop practices.” With the demonstrations, speeches and celebrations of International Women’s Day each year comes the inevitable parade of corporate pandering. Disney, Nike, and H&M are all happy to inform you of Women’s Day on social media - while their factory workers make well below minimum wage in appalling conditions. But don’t be fooled. The insipid “Feminista” and “Girl Boss” merch at Forever 21 often doesn’t match up with reality. With Pride Month just around the corner, let’s have a reality check - corporations do not care about activist movements beyond turning a profit. Don’t listen to their lies. Lip service means nothing unless they walk like they talk. The problem with corporations like Urban Outfitters and H&M talking about women’s empowerment - even if they make well-intentioned donations to women’s organizations - is that their brand of feminism rarely extends beyond the first-world. Sweatshop labor works through supply chains - a company will outsource the work to a different factory, according to the Sydney Herald. Because of this, it’s easy for them to downplay conditions or turn a blind
eye. Technically, after all, it’s not H&M exploiting their workers - it’s the factory conglomerate they’re buying from. Sweatshops can disadvantage all of their workers, but women can be especially at risk. A report, described in an article by Kate Hodal for the Guardian, details an epidemic of sexual, physical, and verbal abuse to women in factories for H&M and The Gap. Not to mention, underpaid mothers struggle in the cycle of poverty, spending almost all their income on food and have few alternative places of work to turn to. So what can you do to avoid sweatshop labor? The key to getting sweatshops out of your wardrobe, when you have the ability and the means, is ensuring they’re listed as ethically-sourced or sweatshop-free. Ethical sourcing means that workers are paid a living wage and treated fairly, and that corporations do not use harmful environmental practices. But don’t take company propaganda at face-value. They’re in the business to make money - they’ll inevitably self-select the information they present to consumers, while leaving out the dirt and grime. Look to outside sources. Do your research on the companies you’re buying from and their histories. In general, a nonprofit selling feminist T-shirts or a group with a proven activist record is a lot more likely to consider labor ethics than a big-box department store. When companies promise to uplift women, make sure that includes the women thousands of miles away sewing their products. Feminism should include everyone, not just the people who can afford it.
OP/ED
MARCH 15, 2019 | 11
Campus Conversations
What is the best way for the administration to communicate with students? By Kathleen Moore and Ryan Feinblatt
“Contact them through email more.” -Justin Cordeiro, freshman
“Not email, it doesn’t do anything. But there’s no other way to hit every student.” -Owen Roy, freshman
“Are they able to communicate on Blackboard? Whenever I get a notification ... I look at it.” -Sayana Medina, freshman
“Email, but it depends.” -Adam Tackes, senior
“Direct open forums and interpersonal communication.” -Stephen Dickson, senior
“Showing up and visually saying that they’re trying.”
-Kat Robbins, freshman
Op/Ed submissions reflect the opinions of their authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of The Gatepost or its staff.
Letter to the Editor: Is FSU setting up freshmen for failure? An issue that Framingham State struggles with is the difficult process of choosing a major. Incoming freshmen tend to have a hard time navigating the school’s website in search for information about their potential major. The FSU website does not give an accurate description of the majors that are provided at Framingham State. The short explanations of each major are not helpful when one is trying to determine whether or not that major will get them to where they want to be. With possibly adding examples of the jobs that are possible with that major, or even thoughts from someone who graduated with that major, can help incoming students. Academic success advisors at Framingham State need to be more aware of the job prospects for each major so they can be aware of when a student is in the wrong major. Advisors should be able to give guidance to students who are confused, but instead, they are concerned about placing them into classes in their major they have chosen, even if they are not the right major for them. Students come to college in order to pursue their dreams and it can be frustrating when the tools that stu-
dents need are not easily accessible. Every incoming freshman has good intentions coming in, but it can be really disheartening when it feels like the school sets you up for failures by not providing you the support that you need in order to be successful. Sincerely, Alyssa Gunn
FRAMINGHAM STATE UNIVERSITY’S INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1932 | FSUGATEPOST.COM
12 | MARCH 15, 2019
ARTS & FEATURES
ARTS & FEATURES Feminist pioneer Norsigian discusses sexual health book By Lauren Paolini Staff Writer Author Judy Norsigian and scholar Aziza Ahmed led a discussion about the evolution of sexual health March 6. Fifty years ago, Norsigian met with a group of other women for a workshop at Emmanuel College, discussing ideas that would eventually become the first edition of “Our Bodies, Ourselves,” (OBOS). This book of information on women’s sexual and reproductive health was the first of its kind, and at the time, very taboo. There was very limited information about women’s health issues, especially concerning their sex lives. The first ever edition, “Women and their Bodies,” sold for about 75 cents apiece in 1970. Norsigian discussed the different editions and subsets of the book. In 2006, the group released an edition of OBOS focusing on menopause, and in 2008, another edition that detailed pregnancy and birth. There are copies all over the globe that have been adapted by different authors to fit the cultures and communities of whichever country they were released in. Norsigian said one of the OBOS group founders wrote an afterward of the book. “‘Transbodies, Trans selves: A Resource for the Transgender Community’ is as heavy and as long as the original ‘Our Bodies, Ourselves’ and it’s modeled after ‘Our Bodies, Ourselves.’ ... It had a lot of factual information as well as the experiences of people living with the challenges of gender identity and sexual orientation.” Norsigian paralleled some of the major health challenges women faced decades ago to similar ones of today. She said most boys and girls are not receiving enough accurate sexual education, which is why in Massachusetts, the “Healthy Youth Act” is being considered. This would require any sexual education being taught to be scientifically accurate. The author also said reproductive rights are still under attack, referencing Roe v. Wade. Norsigian explained opponents of this ruling are spreading false information and putting women’s rights in danger.
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Norsigian also referenced gender bias, sex trafficking, gender-based violence, and even healthcare access as women’s rights issues that are still very much a problem today. She explained the Food and Drug Administration “often lets us down” when regulating drugs and devices. The list of concerning issues for women she shared went on and on, even including midwifery and breast implants. Norsigian said there is not as much medical research on silicone breast implants as the public thinks. This is an assumption the public makes of many women’s health issues. “The absence of evidence of harm is not proof of safety,” she said. One of these issues is female egg donation. Norsigian said the group “We are Egg Donors” is not against egg donation, but provides safe and honest information about what women will experience during the process. Norsigian even recalled Young girl protests for reproductive freedom. ads seen on college campuses tellin history, an AIDS diagnosis was ing women to donate their eggs to symptom-based because the blood make money. This is just one of the test for the disease was not yet deissues that she said is assumed to veloped. be well researched, but is not as Ahmed explained that to be diunderstood as we think. agnosed with AIDS, a patient had Norsigian then turned the mic to fit in to the CDC’s definition of over to Ahmed. HIV/AIDS, which did not include Ahmed is a professor of law at cervical cancer or pelvic inflammaNortheastern University. She has tory disease - both symptoms that a background in law and women’s women were showing. rights through a legal perspective. This caused major problems for Her interest in human/women’s women with the disease because rights was sparked at the age of 16 they could not file for disability. when she heard the word “femiIn order to qualify for social secunism” for the first time. rity benefits, a patient had to have Ahmed explained how it was an AIDS diagnosis from a doctor, frustrating to grow up in a South Ahmed said. Asian community where her male However, because gynecological counterparts always ate meals beissues were not symptoms listed fore her and she felt this immense on the CDC’s definition, Ahmed pressure to get married. said “many of the women were dyAhmed said the feminist moveing before they were ever given the ment “teaches us all to have a good disability benefit and this inspired amount of skepticism in our lives.” a movement ... to say that women Her most recent focus is on the and AIDS were ‘dead but not disrole of feminism during the AIDS abled,’ because they were dying epidemic. Ahmed discussed how before they were ever given dismany women were dying during ability.” the outbreak of AIDS, but were not Ahmed said feminist advocates seen as at-risk for the disease. This began to see through this, and in was due to the false belief women 1991, the AIDS Disability Advisohad “rugged vaginas” and therery Channel called for a bill to be fore could not contract the disease. passed that would change the defiDoctors were primarily focusnition of AIDS to include women’s ing on gay men, and women were health issues. being overlooked. At this point The CDC hesitated to change the
Damon Dahlen / Huffington Post
definition of AIDS, because they were worried this would add to the complexity of the disease. Women’s bodies are chemically different than men’s, which means the disease affects them differently. They also didn’t want the number of AIDS cases to be “inflated,” because it would cost more money, according to Ahmed. She said in 1992, the CDC finally updated their definition of AIDS to include gynecological issues as “AIDS-defining illnesses.” The Social Security Administration followed suit in 1993. Ahmed said that it is now known that women are even more likely than men to contract HIV/AIDS. Ahmed and Norsigian both covered many topics during their visit to FSU, and both agreed that without the push from feminist activists, the last 50 years would not have been nearly as progressive for Women’s Rights. “The fact that we have seen so many problems that don’t stem just from sexism, but they’re also from corporate greed, means that we’ve got a lot to do,” Norsigian said. CONNECT WITH LAUREN PAOLINI lpaolini@student.framingham.edu
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Conquering the rollercoaster of life FSU women recognized for their phenomenal leadership By Tessa Jillson Arts & Features Editor Junior Kiara Davis was announced as the 2019 phenomenal woman award winner at FSU’s annual ceremony, held in the Forum March 5. David Baldwin, associate dean of students and master of ceremonies, said, “I know it’s a tumultuous time here on campus, in our country, and across the world, but you are worthy. Never underestimate who you are, what you are, what you contribute to society, to yourselves, to your families, to your friends.” Baldwin said he recently downloaded India.Arie’s newest album, “Worthy,” and immediately thought the songs on the album carried a strong message that resonated. “I want you to know that you are all worthy, that you are all contributors and you are all worth something. That gets a little lost I think - worrying about other folks, worrying about your family, worrying about your friends, and you forget about that person inside - you. And I’m asking you to not forget about that person,” he said. One of Baldwin’s favorite songs from the album is titled, “Rollercoaster.” In the song she talks about the world as a rollercoaster ride. “She wants it to stop. She wants to get off. She’s tired of the rollercoaster,” Baldwin said. Keynote address speaker and 2005 alumna, Juna Delinois-Pierre talked about her life as a “successful” woman, its ups, and its downs. Delinois-Pierre, who in 2017 launched her own consulting company and in 2018 became the founding president for the New England Chapter of the National Association of African American Human Resources, questioned how she defined success and whether she is a successful woman, herself. Delinois-Pierre announced to the forum how her morning “sucked” - her 5-year-old daughter woke her up, her two kids were fighting, and to top it all off, she forgot to put on deodorant before leaving for work. “I don’t know why I’m here,” she said. “I know literally why I’m here. I’m here to honor the beautiful phenomenal women who will be honored today. But I have no idea why I am standing in front of you awkwardly reading off the slides of paper. I
keep getting tripped up on the words success and balance. ‘Am I a success?’ I keep asking myself.” She said there is no such thing as balancing a career and family. Balance, which means poise, equilibrium, and stability, in no way defines her day-to-day life, she said. Somedays she said she “can be an A at work, a B- with my husband, and a C with my kids. “What’s not OK is this false narrative that you must be perfect. That you must strive for perfection. It’s impossible and it’s not obtainable.” She added, “Last year, I took my cape off. It was a super women cape that I was wearing because I thought I had to. Even though I started to get real about myself, I was afraid to take my cape off. It was my security blanket. When I took the cape off, I disrupted the status quo and I got off the rollercoaster.” Delinois-Pierre said, “Success to me is the ability to keep growing, the gratitude to recognize my own growth. It is being authentic and crying when I’m hurt and resting when I’m tired. … It’s being proud of all the good, the bad, and the ugly.” Davis, who was nominated by Dawn Ross, director of career services and employer relations, is a mother of three, works as a student supervisor in the Career Services and Employer Relations office, is a RAM academic strategy mentor, participated in a forum for the Learning By Giving Foundation as an alumni speaker, and has many other personal and academic accomplishments. According to Ross, Davis successfully completed a non-profit and giving course, where the class donated $10,000 to My Life My Choice, and she will also be the guest speaker this year for the course. The organization assisted women from human trafficking and won out of 25 others proposed by the class. Davis also volunteered with an organization in Boston that is geared toward combating human trafficking. Ross said, “Kiara Davis is the epitome of what I consider a Phenomenal Women to be. She truly is the face of FSU and a resilient and powerful woman leader.” CONNECT WITH TESSA JILLSON tjillson@student.framingham.edu
Donald Halsing / THE GATEPOST Junior Kiara Davis receives the 2019 Phenomenal Woman Award.
MARCH 15, 2019 | 13
‘Lore Olympus’
deserves a spot in the Pantheon By Robert Johnson Jr. Asst. Arts & Features Editor Oh, Lore. It’s been a long time coming. In a first for this column, I am going to ask you, the reader, to take yourself back to elementary school - say, fifth grade. At that point in your life, you knew that one kid who had an unusual obsession with Greek mythology and would try to befriend anyone who just so happened to be named after a Greek god or goddess. I’m sorry to break this to you, but I was that kid - when one of your best friends at the time was named after the Greek goddess of war, you had to be. “Robbie, that’s nice and all, but what does any of that have to do with comics?” Glad you asked, for I am about to introduce you to Rachel Smythe’s “Lore Olympus,” a webcomic that puts two of my favorite interests together: comics and Greek mythology. “Lore Olympus” is a story that deals with mythological themes in the same way that Jamie McKelvie and Kieron Gillen’s “The Wicked and The Divine” does, modernizing the ancient stories of Greece for a modern audience, complete with fast cars and smartphones to boot. The story primarily focuses on my favorite god of the underworld, Hades, and his trials and tribulations through life, of which there are many. He’s a Bruce Wayne-like character in the sense that he’s always wearing some nice piece of attire, making Smythe’s interpretation of Hades extra fashionable, which is always a big plus. If anything, I like my Hades interpretations to be sharpdressed and cool-looking. Aside from Hades, all your favorite gods and goddesses are here, and if they are not “here” on the page, they are, at the very least, mentioned. Poseidon, Hera, Artemis, Aphrodite … the list, just like actual Greek mythology, goes on for ages. And Zeus fans, don’t you worry - there’s a lot of him to go around, with his womanizing personality in tow. (I’m not sure why you would like that, though, but you do you.) The main draw of “Lore Olympus,” despite the abundance of the larger-than-life cast, is the relationship between Hades and Persephone. OK, more like, “Hades’ efforts to woo Persephone to love him, transforming the god of the underworld into a clumsy dork,” but the buildup and the payoff is absolutely worth the wait. Persephone also has to deal with her own problems, namely Aphrodite. If you’re familiar with Greek mythology as much as I am, you would know Aphrodite does not like being second-best when it comes down to being beautiful. The story is not only alluring and sexy, but it is unusually full of its humorous moments, too, so if you need a good laugh after a tough day, “Lore Olympus” will scratch that itch. Smythe’s art style is minimalistic, yet colorful at the same time. There is not a lot of attention to the backgrounds within the panels, with characters interacting in front of a gradient with the occasional outline of a scene-specific object, but what the backgrounds lack in detail, the character designs make up for. Speaking of the characters in terms of design, everyone looks elegant as all get-out, dressed to the nines, living up to the history behind each godly presence. Smythe does an immaculate job making sure they look just right. If you’re interested in Greek mythology or just need a new webcomic in your life - that is conveniently on hiatus until one of these Sundays in March - you should read “Lore Olympus,” for I cannot recommend it enough. It is available on LINE’s Webtoon app and website for free, so get reading!
CONNECT WITH ROBERT JOHNSON JR. rjohnson10@student.framingham.edu
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Hilary Corna discusses career highs and women’s empowerment at ‘One White Face’ talk By Tom Maye Staff Writer Hilary Corna, author of “One White Face,” said the extravagantly wealthy Singapore of “Crazy Rich Asians” - playground of the rich and famous, where million-dollar weddings and billion-dollar mansions are a given - isn’t an exaggeration during her talk in the Forum March 12. She said the movie is so accurate, Singaporeans go back and point out parts it left out. The daughter of a single mom in Ohio, Corna took three flights totaling 36 hours to Singapore shortly after her college graduation, having sold her only asset, a 1995 Jeep Wrangler. “That part was easy,” she said, as she’s used to daunting flights after studying international business in Japan. Six weeks later, she received five job offers. She was soon hired as senior executive officer at Toyota, serving the largest market segment for the company in the world. “Even me, I’m like, ‘Why did Toyota hire me?’” she said. Though partly in jest, she still expressed deep gratitude for her good fortune, and to the people who “championed” her to where she is today. The only native English speaker, youngest employee, and “the
one white face” in the entire department, Corna said she stood at the crossroads between opportunity and obstacle, power and setback. Despite her career success, Corna said that after experiencing sexual harassment, sexist remarks, and little gender diversity back at home, she made it her mission to go around the country empowering women to reach their greatest potential. At Toyota, Corna specialized in Kaizen, an Eastern work philosophy focusing on improving performance and the ease of the buying and selling process. She said she managed accounts worth “hundreds of thousands of dollars” for 14 different countries, traveled extensively, and after her stint, even spoke at the 2018 United Nations Global Leadership summit about her experiences. She added her memoir is in the process of being turned into a screenplay for a streaming service, though she said details about the project are still in development. Corna said in Eastern cultures, people emphasize an attitude of “show me, don’t tell me.” Rather than instructing her how to succeed, she said her coworkers led by example, encouraging her to forge similar success for herself. At home, faced with opposition
and sexism in the male-dominated public speaking industry, Corna said she continued this philosophy of leading by example - even if that could make her unpopular at the time. Corna said she was disappointed by the lack of gender parity in her field. “At Elon University, in the four years I was there, not once did I have a female speaker,” she said. “We need more women talking about leadership,” she said. “The benchmark should be higher,” she said, disappointed by men who would make sexist remarks instead of focusing on her career accomplishments. Despite her passion, Corna said she’s “still discovering her voice” as an activist. “In the past three years, I’ve been a closet feminist,” she said. In part, this desire to give voice to workplace sexism motivated her decision to continue speaking about her experiences around the country, encouraging women to fight back against opposition. Long past the intended time frame of the event, Corna sat with students discussing ways they could empower themselves against setbacks - though few checked the clock. Freshman Analisa Marzeotti shared her experiences with professors she believed lacked
compassion toward her struggles with dyslexia. Sophomore Nicole Arsenault talked about getting involved in the male-dominated computer science industry, and sophomore Julia Catalano shared her frustrations with what she considered gender-biased hiring practices at the supermarket she worked at. Corna talked extensively with each, encouraging them to fight for what they believed in. Regardless of her negative experiences, Corna has hope for the future. She said now, students are increasingly involved in activism, further emboldening them to take a stand against discrimination. “To really carve paths, you’re going to be an outsider,” she said - but encouraged students to push past opposition anyways. She added, “The fact that you care about it is enough importance to do something about it.”
CONNECT WITH THOMAS MAYE tmaye1@student.framingham.edu
Jumanji’s future shines bright with single ‘Houdini’ By Brennan Atkins Asst. Arts & Features Editor Jumanji is an up-and-coming indie-pop band based out of Brighton, England, and has been in the scene for the last two years, creating a weird, but wonderful mash of tropical, pop, and electronic music. Their latest single, “Houdini,” takes that tropical energy to another level and really nailed it in terms of evoking emotion. It’s reminiscent of those scenes in movies where the character has their hair flowing in the wind, driving a convertible down the West Coast, without a single care in the world. The beginning of the track is a myriad of statements that many of us may think about on a daily basis. Neneh Atkins sings, “I haven’t been myself lately,” and “I’m feeling pretty frustrated.” Her range on the track is always surprising, and the use of repetition allows the listener to reflect on
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their own history, and how this song could apply to their own situation. Don’t even get me started on the track itself, as the instrumental is an absolute bop. The finger-tapping percussions complement the slappy bassline in a way that doesn’t drown out one or the other. I found myself focusing on a single instrument and this leads to a whole new way of listening to the piece. While it is the “background” of the track, it certainly shines. There’s a melodic chime that strikes in the beginning and throughout each verse. It’s a great way to segment the track’s sections, really bringing the whole piece together. Jumanji has shown they can maintain the sound that makes them stand out from the sea of indie artists, while differentiating each song to make a truly new experience. Later in the single, we get a more direct takeaway from the song with lines such as, “We don’t have to hide
our feelings, no,” and “Don’t stop! Don’t give up, no!” The song’s focus on mental fortitude, and not bottling up emotion for the sake of anyone, is a message both prevalent and important. A song’s message is just as important as the sound itself, and “Houdini” provides both. In an age where mental illness is so rampant, it’s important to step back, look at the bigger picture, and do what’s best for you above anyone else. It’s a dreamlike escape from the real world - and that’s what music is all about - being able to escape. While “The Fall” is still my favorite Jumanji piece to date, “Houdini” has crept its way up to my second favorite, and is a solid spot on my personal playlist. Jumanji can be found on YouTube, Facebook, Spotify, and Apple Music. [Brennan Atkins is the cousin of lead singer Neneh Atkins]
Grade: A Jumanji brings the magic again!
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MARCH 15, 2019 | 15
Fashion Apollo Continued from page 1
Ashley Wall / THE GATEPOST
Lewis discusses fashioning the Apollo spacesuit. The Apollo spacesuit design process was marked by challenges and setbacks, Lewis said. She described the suits as “form-fitting spacecraft” which had to be “completely autonomous,” able to withstand the harsh radiation, extreme temperature fluctuations, and lack of oxygen in the vacuum of space. Not to mention, the Gemini team only had two years to build it. “President Kennedy announced the desire to send humans to the moon ... in 1961, after the sum-total of 15 minutes of American experience in space,” Lewis said. “We had to do it by the end of the decade, either ’69 or ’70.” Despite the complexities of designing the suit, engineers had to make use of materials available to them at the time - they were too rushed to invent new technologies, she said. By the time they had found a large group of people experienced in “manipulating and manufacturing with these materials, as it happened, they only had two years to work with it,” she said. She said the spacesuits were “made by the David Clark Company, just down the road in Worcester.” The suits were modified from WWII fighter pilot flight suits, using materials the Dupont corporation had made during the 1950s, she said. The Dupont corporation, previously military contractors, were looking to expand their products into a civilian market, she said. Lewis said the suit was made up of 21 layers, covered by a “beta cloth,” the white layer visible on the suit exterior. The fiberglass fabric, threads coated in Teflon, resisted solar radiation on the moon, she said. Lewis said the helmets - expanded
from the pilot suits for a wider range of vision - were created with a “clear polycarbonate” modeled after airplane cockpits. They were then coated in “monomolecular gold” that would protect from the rays of the sun, she said. The same materials that made the design a success, pieced together in a short timeframe, led to its rapid post-moonwalk deterioration. For instance, Tygon tubing, rods used to keep the spacesuits cool, would turn “rock-hard” over time, she said. After the moonwalk, the spacesuit was toured through “all 50 states” on a raised flatbed truck. It was then transferred to Smithsonian, carefully arranged to resemble the televised appearance of the spacesuit as closely as possible, she said. She noted that, despite being the most famous, the Armstrong spacesuit was likely the least photographed of the Apollo 11 mission. She referenced research from James R. Hansen’s biography on Armstrong, “First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong,” who said there were “only five photos of Armstrong during the Apollo mission,” as Armstrong took the majority of photographs on the moon himself. Most photos of him were “grainy, blurry, [and] incredibly high contrast,” she said. This display strategy would prove disastrous - the fumes and gasses inside the spacesuit created a “microclimate” that damaged the suit interior over time, she said. In 2006, they pulled the suit from display altogether. “We decided we didn’t know enough,” she said. The curators at the Smithsonian struggled to determine how to make the suit survive. Not to mention, funding for the programs could be un-
certain - after “several failed funding proposals,” Lewis said that four years ago, the Smithsonian “crowd-funded” efforts for new preservation and display techniques on Kickstarter. In 2015, though, a former employee at ILC Dover, another company involved in the spacesuit’s construction, came forward with meticulous records on spacesuit modifications. The paperwork was seen as unnecessary after company downgrades, and he “was told to put it in the dumpster.” He held onto them, nevertheless, coming forward after hearing about the Kickstarter campaign. “As a curator, I couldn’t dream of having this level of documentation,” she said. The preservation efforts were further aided by interviews from alumni groups for related programs. The Smithsonian now uses infrared and high-resolution photography to map the suit, she said. The curators also put the suit through a CT-scanner and X-ray machine, and used 3D scanning to re-create digital images of the interior, such as places where the spacesuit glove has collapsed. They had acquired the X-ray machine from a nearby zoo, the only people in D.C. with a portable machine, Lewis added. The use of digitization “allowed us to tell stories we were never allowed to tell before,” she said. Lewis said the Smithsonian plans to put Armstrong’s suit back on display in a new exhibit, “Destination Moon,” for the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. The exhibit will use the accumulated digital images to show the interior workings of the suit. Still, the path forward is somewhat uncertain - Lewis said the Smithsonian’s goal is to preserve the suit “for
another 50 years,” until people with “even greater technological means” figure out how to preserve it another 50. Space exploration has long evolved since the Cold War tensions of the Apollo missions. Newman said space exploration now “really is international,” with Indian and European Mars rovers alongside American, adding that she embraced innovations from emerging private aerospace corporations, like SpaceX. Further, Newman emphasized Arts and Design along with STEM in current-day space exploration. “We need everyone,” she said, including ideas from people in creative industries previously overlooked by the aerospace industry. Newman said after continuing to test technologies back on the moon, exploring and researching life on Mars was the international space community’s next big focus. Extended space travel is very taxing on the human body, though, which poses a major roadblock to a successful Mars trek. Low gravity causes a loss in bone, muscular, and spinal strength, Newman added. She said astronauts could be expected to spend “600 days” on Martian surface, doing physically demanding research and exploration, meaning the restrictive pressurized suits of the Apollo missions won’t do. The time spent on Mars could be the equivalent of “5,000 spacewalks - we’ve only done 50 in the course of human history.” At MIT, Newman came up with the concept of “shrink-wrapping astronauts,” creating a “second skin” design that enhances mobility. Newman said the suit prototypes, called
See FASHION APOLLO page 16
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Fashion Apollo Continued from page 15 “BioSuits,” are “designed from the human-out,” as opposed to the Apollo philosophy of “shrinking a spacecraft and putting that on a human body,” allowing for a more natural range of movement. She calls the prototype a “Spider-Man suit,” referring to “spider web” tension lines across the suit made from nickel-titanium alloys. The lines allow astronauts to bend and move “almost as strong as muscles.” Incorporating principles from the field of biomechanics, the design was all “just elegant math.” Newman said her BioSuit prototypes could have broader implications than space travel. Along with helping improve athlete performance, Newman said her biomechanical research could be applied to help people with mobility disorders like cerebral palsy. Newman also mentioned a “pod design” spacecraft concept for bringing astronauts to Mars, and a virtual reality simulator using Mars rover footage in development to help scientists on Earth visualize the Martian surface. Still, much of the Mars mission remains uncharted territory - for instance, during the Q&A session,
Ashley Wall / THE GATEPOST Student posters lined up in the Forum present the history and future of spacesuit design. Newman said the ethics involved in encountering life on Mars are still unclear, and would require international consensus from the United Nations. In closing the panel, both Lewis and Newman emphasized the importance of recognizing the diverse figures that made the Apollo missions - and, therefore, possibly reaching
Mars - possible. Lewis, after the talk, said that alongside new research into Soviet representations of the space race and spacesuit glove design, she has a research specialty in the role of African Americans in the space race. Newman displayed some of the women who helped make Apollo pos-
sible, including the African American rocket scientists emphasized in the film “Hidden Figures,” and said she would continue to use her influence to fight for gender parity in the aerospace industry. CONNECT WITH TOM MAYE tmaye1@student.framingham.edu
2 Chainz ‘Rule the World’ - and 2019 - with ‘Rap or Go to the League’ By Jared Graf Asst. Copy Editor 2018 was a wildly successful year for Georgia rapper Tauheed Epps, better known to the public as 2 Chainz or Tity Boi. He collaborated with Eminem, launched a legal cannabis line appropriately called ‘Gas,’ - proposed to his wife on the red carpet at the Met Gala - then married her in the Versace Mansion, and even spent $1 million to unveil the title of his fifth solo album on a blimp during the NBA All Star Weekend in Los Angeles. So, what is the product of such a successful year? “Rap or Go to the League,” of course. On the 14-track project dedicated to black excellence, 2 Chainz explores the notion most less fortunate, inner-city kids have that the only way out of the ghetto is by rapping or playing basketball. The album, which serves more as an autobiography, finds 2 Chainz rapping about selling drugs, income taxes, death, and even high-top Versace shoes with near perfect execution. It’s no coincidence NBA legend LeBron James serves as A&R to the album, as he’s been out to prove he’s ‘more than an athlete’ for some time now. This album demonstrates both LeBron and Chainz’s ability to step out of their respective ‘box.’ Beginning the album with the
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soulful, meditative joint “Forgiven,” 2 Chainz reflects on his childhood as a drug dealer and the moment longtime friend Lil Fate first broke news of his son’s murder. The Marsha Ambrosius-assisted hook reads more like a reflection at a Sunday service than a rap chorus: “Pray for our sins / I pray for our souls / The tears that we crying / Let them all be forgiven.” By the second song, 2 Chainz has already admitted to selling his mom drugs, watching his dad die, his friend getting killed, and not receiving the credit he deserves musically. Wow. “Statue of Limitations,” a standout record on the album, is sure to violently rattle your car’s speakers, as Chainz raps about selling drugs to his celebrity peers and boasts, “I can run a check up, and you just run your lip,” before declaring himself “exdrug dealer, ex-athlete,” on the song’s hook. On “High Top Versace,” 2 Chainz brags about his new shoe releasing through Versace, while fellow Atlanta rapper Young Thug croons about East and West Coast love affairs on his verse. Thug delivers a boisterous hook, rapping: “High top Versaces, I got high top socks / I got popsicle diamonds, they no let up.” Kendrick Lamar joins in on the fun and uses his voice as an instrument on the Pharrell Williams-produced “Momma I Hit a Lick.” Lamar chang-
es his style, flow, and pitch multiple times, while Chainz walks a thin line between confidence and cockiness as he gracefully rides the unconventional beat. The Ariana Grande-assisted R&B cut “Rule the World” proves 2 Chainz is at the pinnacle of his career - something that is rather uncommon for a 41-year-old rapper. Chainz recalls the ups and downs in his relationship to his now wife, while Ariana brings a 1990s Mariah Carey vibe to the Hitmaka production. However, the album’s climax comes 12 songs deep with “I Said Me.” The track focuses on Chainz’s three children and how he often grapples with honesty: “When my daughter asked me what a drug dealer was / I said me / When the lawyer asked me what a f*****g killer was / I said me.” Although the album is packed with samples, the most impressive by far is the “Dead Presidents” flip on “I Said Me,” with additional production handled by 30 Roc. The commonly used sample from Jay-Z’s 1996 hit single is unlike any other rendition I have ever heard and the uniqueness took me by surprise. Although 2 Chainz hasn’t completely divorced himself from the trap sound he’s known for, he has displayed an enormous amount of growth and progression on the ever-so-triumphant “Rap or Go to the League.” The introspectiveness makes it
feel more like a body of work than an album, as Chainz shows a passion he’s been hiding for years. The album goes from trap ballads to serious, thought-provoking tunes that will definitely make appearances on playlists well into the summer. If this carefully-calculated follow up to 2017’s “Pretty Girls Like Trap Music” is any indication of his year to come, then things are looking more than stellar for Mr. Chainz.
Grade: A2 Chainz effectively proves he’s a “Threat 2 Society” - and your favorite rapper.
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MARCH 15, 2019 | 17
Captain
Marvel By Brennan Atkins Asst. Arts & Features Editor By Noah Barnes Entertainment Correspondent The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has dabbled in aliens, sentient raccoons, wizards, royalty, secret agents and even tree people. Now, after more than 10 years, we get the most exotic thing from the MCU yet. A female lead - it’s about time! “Captain Marvel” is the latest superhero flick directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck and includes Brie Larson as Captain Marvel, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Ben Mendelsohn as Talos, and Jude Law as Yon-Rogg. This film is set in the ’90s, making it a prequel to most Marvel films with the exception of “Captain America: The First Avenger.” In this film, the Avengers have yet to assemble, and the world hasn’t been exposed to superhumans in any way so far. Captain Marvel is a character who is hard to love. That isn’t to say that she is bad - certainly better than most DC film characters - but one half of her is charismatic and conflicted, while the
other half is a blank slate. You can tell when Larson is having fun with the world, and can hear it in her voice. Unfortunately, you can also hear when she isn’t putting in her all. There are literally points in the movie where she is seemingly staring off into the distance. How exciting. We get to see a younger Fury who has a less cynical view of the world, and this is a refreshing take on the same recurring character since the very first movie in the MCU, “Iron Man.” Marvel uses a de-aging effect on Fury’s face, and it’s hard to tell you are actually watching a 70-year-old man. One thing that makes this film stand out from the rest is the idea that it isn’t just as simple as having “good” and “bad” guys. The Kree and Skrulls are at war - both sides have their reasons for fighting. There are quality characters, interesting settings, and unique concepts, but all in all, it’s still a bit messy. All three acts feel as if they are from different movies, and this leads to a problem in pacing. Parts of the movie feel as if they go on far too long, and there are also ideas we only get a glimpse of, which could have been in-
teresting if built upon. The movie serves as another set up to the highly anticipated “Avengers: End Game,” and it doesn’t do a great job of doing even that. We don’t learn much more other than her personality and that she has powers. The movie feels like it’s trying to be more important in the universe than it actually is, which is a shame because Marvel has stated that she is the strongest character in the MCU. There has been a great deal of controversy regarding this movie. Both sides are frankly, idiotic. This movie isn’t fueled by political correctness, and just like any other film it can be criticized by anyone. Larson has said things that not everyone would agree with, but hundreds of people work on a project like this, and to berate the whole movie over one’s opinion is somewhat childish. We feel as if Marvel movies get a lot of hate, but more times than not they are just fun, action movies - “popcorn” movies if you will. However, this is the last film before “Avengers: End-Game,” something that has been building for over 10 years, and it feels like the stakes should have been higher. “Captain Marvel” isn’t a master-
piece and isn’t even one of Marvel’s best, but it’s certainly not as boring as “Ant-Man and the Wasp.”
ADMIT ONE
Grade: C+ Captain Marvel isn’t a marvel, but it’s a Marvel Film. ADMIT ONE
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SPORTS
18 | MARCH 15, 2019
Players of the week
SPORTS Women’s lacrosse wins twostraight led by Grace Gamache
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Grace Gamache scored five goals and had three assists in the Women’s Lacrosse’s 19-5 victory over UMass Dartmouth.
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Aaron Williams went 4-for-6 with two RBIs and three runs scored in Baseball’s 19-4 win over Newbury College.
By Liam Gambon Asst. Sports Editor By Carlos Silva Staff Writer On Saturday, March 9, the Rams traveled to faceoff against the UMass Dartmouth Corsairs. Framingham controlled the game early, scoring six straight unanswered goals in the opening 10 minutes. Grace Gamache supplied three of the Rams’ six goals. The Corsairs scored a goal of their own two minutes after the Rams’ run, but Framingham went on a 4-0 run over the next seven minutes, stretching their lead 10-1. UMass Dartmouth scored one more goal before another run by the Rams. From the end of the first half and into the beginning of the second, Framingham scored seven straight goals. Alissa Marino scored two of the seven goals on the run. The two teams then traded goals for the remainder of the game, resulting in a 19-5 victory for the Rams. Framingham outshot UMass Dartmouth heavily in the game 36-14. Gamache led the way for the Rams, scoring five goals on seven shots, adding in three assists. Marino followed her with three goals on four shots, and two assists. Indigo Fox Tree-McGrath picked up the win for the Rams in net.
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Marino led the way to the Rams’ 12-8 victory against Wheaton the following Wednesday March 13, with five goals and an assist. The Lyons got on the board first just over a minute into the game on an unassisted tally from Kennelly Allerton. The Rams answered right back, tying the game 20 seconds later on an unassisted goal by Morgan Begley. Two straight goals by Wheaton put the hosts on top 3-2 with just under 18 minutes remaining in the opening half. The Rams responded with two straight goals, including one from Marino off a feed from Gamache. Gamache then converted for her first of the game off a nice pass from Marino for the 4-3 lead. Wheaton tied the game on a marker by Emma Ford with 14:19 on the clock. Marino connected off another Gamache helper , and Hanna McMahon followed with an unassisted tally for the 6-4 lead. The Lyons added one more before the half from Lilly Callahan to head to the locker room trailing the Rams 6-5. Marino opened the scoring in the second half with a goal just over five minutes in, pushing the lead back to two. Kyra Schwartzman scored less than a minute later, cutting the gap to 7-6. Two straight goals from the Rams pushed the lead back to three. Nicole Pacheco struck first, and Marino followed with her third of the game off a feed from Hailey Davis. Meg Sharick cut the deficit to two for the Lyons, 9-7, with her goal with 9:59 on the clock. Two goals for the Rams - an unassisted tally from Begley and Marino’s fourth of the game - pushed the lead back to four with just over five minutes on the clock. The FSU win puts the Rams at 2-1 on the season.
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CONNECT WITH LIAM GAMBON lgambon1@student.framingham.edu
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Alissa Marino scored five goals in Women’s Lacrosse’s 12-8 win over Wheaton.
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Gatepost Archives
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SPORTS
Ferr or Foul ‘Dawg’ days over in Cleveland By Matt Ferris Sports Editor After being the laughing stock of the NFL for nearly 10 seasons, Cleveland Browns fans may finally have something to be hopeful about. After going just 1-31 in their previous two seasons, the Browns fired their general manager (GM) in 2017 and hired former Kansas City Chiefs GM John Dorsey. Since Dorsey’s arrival in Cleveland in 2018, the Browns have been one of the most impressive franchises in the league, improving to 7-8-1 in just his first year. In his first offseason, Dorsey made several big moves that seriously improved the Browns’ roster, drafting Baker Mayfield, Denzel Ward, and Nick Chubb. While many experts criticized the Mayfield pick, the young quarterback proved all the doubters wrong last season. He helped lead the team to seven wins - seven more than they had the previous season and was easily one of the best rookies in the league. Ward and Chubb were less criticized picks, but nonetheless, they were outstanding in their rookie seasons. Dorsey also made a move to bring in a big-name wide receiver, Jarvis Landry, from the Miami Dolphins. While Dorsey’s 2018 offseason was very good, it is nothing compared to what he has already done in the 2019 offseason. The Browns have been one of the most active teams so far and have brought in big name after big name during this offseason. Cleveland’s biggest problem in 2018 was their defense. While it wasn’t horrendous, it did cost them a couple of games. So, the Browns set their sights on improving their defense. So far, Dorsey has really bolstered the defensive line, bringing in two high-profile players. The Browns signed defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson to a threeyear deal. Richardson is one of the best run stoppers in the league and will really help improve the Browns’ run defense. Cleveland also traded for edge rusher Oliver Vernon. The Browns didn’t give up much, as they sent an offensive lineman to the Giants in exchange for the Pro Bowl player. While these moves were impressive, you can’t discount the moves he made on the offensive side as well. Dorsey added two of the best players in the NFL to an offense that was already loaded. First, the Browns signed running back Kareem Hunt. While Hunt has had a troubled past, you cannot deny his talent. If he is able to stay out of trouble and contribute to the Browns, he will be one of the biggest steals in NFL history. The Browns signed Hunt, the former Rookie of the Year, to a oneyear deal for just $1 million. But even that move pales in comparison to the latest of Dorsey’s acquisitions. On March 12, it was reported that the Browns and the Giants agreed to another trade, but this time, it included the face of the NFL - Odell Beckham Jr. The Browns will be acquiring the best wide receiver in the NFL for a relatively cheap price. Cleveland will send their first-round pick, third-round pick, and safety Jabrill Peppers to New York in exchange for Beckham. While Peppers has made an impression during his young career, it is a pretty low price to pay for one of the most electrifying superstars the NFL has seen in some time. One thing is for sure: much to the joy of the fans of the famous Browns’ fan section, the “Dawg Pound,” Cleveland is a serious contender to win their first Super Bowl in team history. Yes, you read that correctly - the Cleveland Browns, who went 0-16 just a year ago, are Super Bowl contenders. Dorsey has completed a rebuild of the Browns in just two off-seasons with the team and deserves to be commended for it. With this rebuild and the job Dorsey previously did in Kansas City, he has cemented his name as one of the greatest general managers in NFL history.
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MARCH 15, 2019 | 19
Baseball goes back to back By Liam Gambon Asst. Sports Editor The Rams took on Emerson in an eight-inning down-to-thewire matchup that ended in the Rams’ second win of the season Thursday, Feb. 28. The two teams failed to plate any runs in the first two innings before the Rams drove in five at the top of the third. Matt Fogarty knocked in the first two runs with a ground rule double and was followed by Bobby Higgins, who knocked in two more runs on a single and later scored on an error himself. Emerson responded with a run in the bottom of the inning to cut the Rams’ lead down to four. They then put up three more runs in the sixth inning to pull within one run of the Rams. Aaron Williams stretched the Rams lead in the seventh inning with a two-run single that scored Jonathon Cloutier and Kyle Dembrowsk. Emerson scored only one more for the game in the bottom of the seventh, making the final score 7-5 Rams. Williams led the Rams going 1-for-2 at the plate with three walks, knocking in two runs and scoring one of his own. Kyle Hodgson won the game for the Rams, striking out two batters in two innings of pitching.
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Gatepost Archives The Rams’ next game came against the Newbury College Nighthawks the following Monday, March 4. Framingham started the game hot with a two-run single off the bat of Joe Ambrosino in the first inning. They added on to the early runs with four more in the third inning. Three of the runs came off a bases-loaded single by Higgins, and an error scored the Rams’ fourth run. Newbury was finally able to get on the board in the bottom of the third as they plated two runs. The Nighthawks piled on two more runs in the next inning to close the Rams’ lead at 6-4. With the score close in the sixth inning, the Rams exploded for 13 runs over the next two innings. Andrew Curti supplied the most runs for the Rams in the two innings, as he knocked in four runs and scored twice to wrap up the Rams’ victory at 19-4. Williams led the Rams again at the plate as he went 4-for-6 with two RBIs and three runs scored himself. Al Wallach won the game for the Rams on the mound as he struck out two batters over three innings.
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20 | MARCH 15, 2019
PHOTOS
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