Dec. 10, 2021

Volume 90 • Issue 12

FSUgatepost.com

December 10, 2021

’s furry na s week

Maddison Behringer/ THE GATEPOST

Bosco visits with students during the last week of classes in the Forum Dec. 6.

FSU doubles COVID-19 testing sample size

By Leighah Beausoleil Associate Editor

Framingham State University is doubling its COVID-19 testing sample size to 400 FSU community members due to increased positives on campus and the new Omicron variant, according to a Dec. 7 campus-wide email sent by President F. Javier Cevallos.

Cevallos said eight positives were detected out of last week’s 405 tests.

In an interview, Ilene Hofrenning, director of the Health Center, said these positives were not a cluster, but mostly likely the result of students coming back to campus after Thanksgiving break.

Hofrenning said the testing turnout has been approximately “25 to 30%” of the 200 person random-sample size.

In the email, Cevallos said the University “will be offering Dunkin’ Donuts coupons to anyone who comes in to get tested as an extra incentive” starting next week.

He said he encourages students to get the vaccine booster shot and suggested community members go to the MetroWest Pharmacy, which is currently accepting walk-ins, in addition to scheduled appointments.

According to The New York Times, Pfizer lab results have proven its booster is effective against the new Omicron variant.

Hofrenning said there is a lot not known about this new variant because it was only discovered a few weeks ago.

She said what is known so far is that this variant is “much more transmissible” than flu and the virus’ other

News

variants.

“Initial reports seem to indicate ENROLLMENT pg. 4 that it might not be as severe as the PRESIDENTIAL FINALISTS pg. 6-8 Delta [variant],” she added.

Hofrenning said she had heard it could take two to three months for a new variant to experience a “surge,” adding that it might happen toward the end of January.

She said she doesn’t think the University will require the booster shot, adding it would be to keep track of when students could get their boosters given the different timeframes of eligibility for each given vaccine type.

She added if a decision is made, it will most likely be among all of the GIVING BACK TO YOUR COMMUNITY pg. 9 Massachusetts state universities.

HALEY’S COMIC pg. 10

Opinions

CONNECT WITH LEIGHAH BEAUSOLEIL lbeausoleil@student.framingham.edu

Sports

Charitable FSU community gives back

By Donald Halsing Editor-in-Chief There are an endless number of reasons why donating to charity is important.

During this season of giving, members of the FSU community reflected on the many opportunities they had to make charitable contributions through University initiatives and student groups.

The positive impact of volunteering was listed by Emily Parker, president of Kappa Delta Pi honor society at Framingham State. “Just doing something so

small might mean the biggest thing to someone else, because that could mean their next meal has been provided.”

Sustainability was a reason listed by senior Gabriela Mendez-Acevedo.

“You’re not just throwing away your clothing. You can give it back to someone and show that you actually care.”

“There’s a lot of need everywhere,” said Mikela Davies, president of Christan Fellowship.

To help address some of that need, Davies said her organization packed 25 boxes as part of its annual support for Operation Christmas Child.

She said the packing event was host-

ed during one of their weekly meetings and the boxes were brought to a dropoff location the week of Nov. 14, then sent across the world for distribution to children in need.

Davies said Christian Fellowship provided the boxes and items for each Gatepost Archives donation, and FSU community mem- MEN’S BASKETBALL pg. 12 bers sponsored boxes by donating $9.

Of the 25 boxes sent out this year, 22 were sponsored by community members and Christian Fellowship paid for the remaining three.

A LEADER FOR CHANGE pg. 13

Arts & Features

See CHARITY page 14 JOY HARJO pg. 16

INSIDE: OP/ED 9 • SPORTS 12 • ARTS & FEATURES 13

NEWS

2 | DECEMBER 10, 2021

ate ost nter iew

Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief Donald Halsing

Benjamin Brucato

Associate Editors Leighah Beausoleil Kathleen Moore

Sociology & Criminology Professor

By Haley Hadge News Editor

News Editors Steven Bonini Haley Hadge Ashlyn Kelly

What is your role at FSU and what does your job entail?

I am an assistant professor in the department of sociology and criminology and I am a professor of criminal logical theory.

Asst. News Editor Sophia Harris Opinions Editor McKenzie Ward Sports Editor Danielle Achin Tyler Wahl Arts & Features Editors Caroline Gordon Emily Rosenberg Asst. Arts & Features Editor Ryan O’Connell Interim Design Editors Maddison Behringer Emma Lyons Copy Editor Patrick Brady Staff Writers Mikey Alves James Barraford Jasmine Castillo Jackson Clyde Olivia Copeland Dan Fuentes Dallas Gagnon Mark Haskell Stefano Hernandez Branden LaCroix Sage Lorenzo Johan Perez Nathan Rogers

What do you enjoy most about your work?

Well, when it comes to teaching, I really like it when I find engaged students who are committed to their learning, and I really enjoy working with students who maybe haven’t had the best preparation for college, or never really thought of themselves as learners. And when they’ve reached that point of developing an identity as a learner, and developing their intellectual capacities, I really like to guide students who really haven’t developed that so much, or haven’t had the opportunity to, or never saw themselves as interested in developing that. So, that’s why I’ve really enjoyed teaching at schools like Rhode Island College and Framingham State - having an opportunity to reach students who maybe were neglected by educators, or perhaps opted by their own accord to deprioritize education. So, I really like

Multimedia Critics Sean Cabot Jack McLaughlin Austin Riffelmacher Ryan Schreiber Advisor Desmond McCarthy

TH E GA T E

O

Asst. Advisor Elizabeth Banks

N PE

What is your professional and educational background?

I have been a lecturer at the University of Massachusetts Amherst for a couple years, and I just came here from Rhode Island College where I was an assistant professor in the department of sociology and I mainly taught in the criminal justice program. My education is interdisciplinary. I have a Master’s in sociology and a doctorate in science and technology studies from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York. When I was in my doctoral program, I was mostly focused on surveillance studies.

The research that came out of my work there focused on the visibility of police violence in contemporary American society. More recently, I’ve been studying the history of policing, even the kind of the deep history going back into the colonial era of the United States.

Courtesy of Framingham State it when I can help students to turn on that part of their mind and to develop a passion for learning.

Do you have any hobbies that you would like to share with the community?

Well, I’ve been a performing musician since I was a teenager, so I am involved in a couple of different bands. And they’re fairly new, so we haven’t been recording or performing yet, but we probably will be shortly. I play in a punk band and in a black metal band.

What might students be surprised to learn about you?

I think it’s probably what I just said.

I have several albums out from various bands that I’ve played in and in solo projects that I’ve been involved in. So, I think it’s surprising just because those intellectual, aesthetic, and creative aspects of my life really never overlap in any way very meaningfully. Maybe it’s just because of the subject matter that I teach and research that has really noth-

ing to do with my creative work. So, I think in both spheres of my life, people are surprised to learn about the other one because they really don’t overlap in many meaningful ways.

What piece of advice do you have for students?

I guess if I were to direct it specifically to Framingham State students, it would be to recognize how difficult it is to manage their schedules - as it is with their many commitments to work, family, and other things that are outside of school - and to find ways of prioritizing: setting aside time in their weekly schedules that is devoted to their learning so the time that they devote to their schoolwork is not falling into the gaps, wherever the gaps happen to fall in their schedule of other things, to make sure that they’re sacred blocks of time that other things can’t interfere with.

CONNECT WITH HALEY HADGE hhadge@student.framingham.edu

Correction @T HEGATEPOST

In the Dec. 3 issue of The Gatepost, we said in the Editorial on page 7 that the Sandy Hook shooting took place on Dec. 12, 2012.

This event actually took place on Dec. 14, 2012.

Additionally, in the back photo spread, we incorrectly referred to Amanda Edme as Amanda Taylor.

We apologize for these errors.

@

T TH EGATEPOS

100 State Street McCarthy Center Room 410 Framingham, MA 01701-9101 Phone: (508) 626-4605 Fax: (508) 626-4097 gatepost@framingham.edu @TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com

Police Logs Saturday, Dec. 04 00:14 Suspicious Motor Vehicle Dwight Circle Checks OK/Advised

Monday, Dec. 06 08:00 Found Property Maynard Rd Parking Lot Report Taken

Wednesday, Dec. 08 13:02 Well-Being Check West Hall Checks OK

Thursday, Dec. 09 04:03 Fight West Hall Report Taken

NEWS

COVID-19 by the numbers

DECEMBER 10, 2021 | 3

By Kathleen Moore Associate Editor

Data collected Dec. 10

­ Data collected Dec. 10

Data sources: U.S. Census Bureau, CDC COVID-19 Data Tracker, Johns Hopkins

­

[Editor’s Note: The number of tests administered does not indicate an outbreak of COVID-19.]

wra s u

By Leighah Beausoleil Associate Editor

SGA discussed student concerns with residence halls’ laundry equipment and open education resources during its last meeting of the semester Dec. 7.

During Open Forum, Senator Mark Haskell said the washers and dryers in his residence hall, Miles Bibb, “don’t work as well as you may think they do,” adding they tend to have a bad smell.

Haskell said he suggests students should “just go home and do your laundry there.”

Outreach and Events Coordinator Emily Rosenberg agreed with Haskell and said she doesn’t think “it really matters” what residence hall a student is living in because in Corrine Hall Towers, the washers won’t drain the water properly and the dryers don’t dry the clothing.

She added she isn’t able to go home to do her laundry because she lives an hour away and is unable to drive.

Emphasizing how common the concern is, Secretary Samuel Houle said

Weather

­

Data source: Framingham State

ast

Data collected Dec. 10

Data sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Worldometer, City of Framingham

eetin of the se ester

the same problems arise in Larned Hall.

President McKenzie Ward suggested to SGA members that they keep a running list of any concerns they may have starting now to ensure they are brought to the right people during the spring Administrators’ Forum.

Houle, who is also an Administrative Resident Assistant, said he can bring the concerns up when he meets with Glenn Cochran, associate dean of students and student life, Dec. 15.

Senator affi lkhoury presented a proposal he and Student Trustee Hilary Nna wrote regarding open education resources.

The two propose the University create a private Facebook page where students can buy, giveaway, sell, and exchange textbooks.

“The creation of this group will address students’ acute need for affordable textbooks during this period of OER implementation and beyond,” he read.

Elkhoury said the page should be run out of the Dean of Students Office to ensure the page’s longevity due to the ever-changing makeup of SGA.

He added the Dean of Students Office could “increase student awareness of the current resources on campus,” such as the Henry Whittemore Library and book vouchers.

The Dean of Students Office would also be the acting moderator for the group and would promote the page as early as Spring 2022 through a mass email as well as through flyers.

Senator Emma Laurie suggested SGA create a list of places where students can obtain free or inexpensive textbooks that can be promoted on the Facebook page.

Elkoury said it was a “really good idea,” but he isn’t sure the University can promote other places due to its contract with the bookstore.

Ward said if the University cannot, SGA could still promote them.

During her President’s Report, Ward said she has had meetings with University administrators to discuss the topics of enrollment, student concerns, availability of menstrual products on campus, as well as campus accessibility.

She said she and Dean of Students

Meg Nowak Borrego are planning a possible walk around campus to pinpoint areas that are not accessible.

Ward also discussed how she plans to research how other colleges in the state have gone about implementing gender neutral bathrooms in order to do the same at FSU. Senator-of-the-Month was awarded to Haskell.

E-Board Member-of-the-Month was awarded to Diversity and Inclusion Officer Dara Barros.

SGA’s “U-ROCK” award was passed on to Nna. The “U-Rock” is presented to recognize a senator’s accomplishments during the weeks between meetings.

[Editor’s Note: McKenzie Ward is Opinions Editor for The Gatepost. Emily Rosenberg is an Arts & Features Editor for The Gatepost. Mark Haskell is a staff writer for The Gatepost.]

CONNECT WITH LEIGHAH BEAUSOLEIL lbeausoleil@student.framingham.edu

Forecast provided by the National Weather Service www.weather.gov

Sunday night Dec. 12 Mostly clear, with a low around 30. Wind around 10 mph.

Monday Dec. 13 Sunny, with a high near 50. Wind around 10 mph.

Monday night Dec. 13 Mostly clear, with a low around 30. Wind around 5 mph.

Tuesday night Dec. 14 Partly cloudy, with a low around 31.

Wednesday night Dec. 15 Mostly cloudy, with a low around 35. Wind around 5 mph.

Tuesday Dec. 14 Mostly sunny, with a high near 50. Wind around 5 mph.

Wednesday Dec. 15 Mostly sunny, with a high near 50. Wind around 5 mph.

Thursday Dec. 16 Mostly cloudy, with a high near 60. Wind around 10 mph.

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4 | DECEMBER 10, 2021

NEWS

FSU undergraduate enrollment declines by 12% from fall 2020

By Ashlyn Kelly News Editor

Total undergraduate enrollment for the Fall 2021 Semester is 3,099, down 12% since fall 2020, when 3,384 students were enrolled, according to the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education’s 2021 Early Enrollment Report for Massachusetts Public Colleges & Universities.

Of Framingham State’s eight sister institutions, Fitchburg State University lost the same percentage as FSU and Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts lost 19%, according to the site.

The other state universities either lost a lower percentage of students or gained students between fall 2020 and fall 2021.

Total undergraduate enrollment for the Fall 2021 Semester is down 20% since fall 2019, according to the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education’s 2021 Early Enrollment Report for Massachusetts Public Colleges & Universities.

Of Framingham State’s eight sister institutions, only Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts lost a larger percentage of enrolled students over the same time period. Its total undergraduate enrollment has declined by approximately 35%, according to the site.

FSU Fall 2021 first-time freshman enrollment has declined by 5% from the Fall 2020 Semester and 25% from fall 2019, according to the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education’s 2021 Early Enrollment Report for Massachusetts Public Colleges & Universities.

Only 584 first-time freshman students enrolled for the Fall 2021 Semester, while 615 enrolled for the Fall 2020 Semester, and 776 for the Fall 2019 Semester, according to the site.

Fitchburg State University lost the largest percentage of enrolled firsttime freshman students of FSU’s sister institutions from 2020 to 2021. Its first-time freshman enrollment declined by approximately 11%, according to the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education’s 2021 Early Enrollment Report for Massachusetts Public Colleges & Universities.

Between 2019 and 2021, of Framingham State’s eight sister institutions, only Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts lost a larger percentage of first-time freshmen. Its total first-time freshman population has declined by approximately 41%, according to the site.

Lorretta Holloway, vice president of enrollment and student development, said the number of enrolled undergraduate degree-seeking students is actually 3,035 - not 3,099 as was reported by the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education.

The decline in the current firsttime freshman enrollment numbers is due to the decline of “college-going high-school graduates,” according to Holloway.

“Some of that happens when the economy is pretty good,” said Holloway. “[It’s a] real decision about am I going to go to college if I can go right

@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com

out of high school and make $50,000 a year with benefits?”

She added the cost of living in the surrounding areas can also have an effect on enrollment as well.

“If you look at the MetroWest area, it’s one of the areas that actually has increased in standard of living tremendously over the last decade,” said Holloway.

According to Holloway, when families have more money, they have more school options to pick from and may want their children to go elsewhere.

She also discussed new strategies the University is using to recruit students.

Holloway said she is not focused on “just recruiting students and retaining students” but instead “recruiting students and families and retaining students and families.”

She said, “We really want people to see how engaging our faculty members are and that this is this place where people are actually going to be nurtured and people are going to know you.

“It’s also really getting out there and talking about who we really are,” added Holloway.

She said the University is focused on highlighting what is “distinctive” - for example, being a “regional public” with majors in food and nutrition and fashion design and retailing.

“We had two of our students on Project Runway,” said Holloway.

“That’s a major deal for a small regional public.”

Charity Marino, a junior fashion design and retailing major, said Framingham State was the best choice for her because she could save money while “cultivating and creating a better design portfolio.

“A lot of people are interested in fashion but weren’t able to learn the tools of the trade prior to University applications,” said Marino. “Unlike design schools, Framingham will accept them with open arms and do their best to educate them.”

Bridget Eddlem, a senior American Sign Language major, said, “Framingham State is the only state school in Massachusetts with an American Sign Language Interpreting program.

“I wanted to save money and based on my observations, it was the same education as I’d get at a private school but for half the cost,” Eddlem added.

Sofia Wilson, a freshman English major, said, “I came here because it was really cheap.

“Now that I’m here, the professors are very interesting. It’s very quaint,” Wilson added.

Will Nee, a junior communication, media, and performance major, said, “When I was searching for a college to attend, I came to accepted students day and got a tour of the campus and I immediately knew it was a perfect fit for me.”

Jillian Carbone, a senior elementary education and liberal studies major, said she toured many schools and “didn’t love any of them.

“FSU was the first school I toured and one of the two that I liked enough

to apply,” said Carbone. “To be honest, I wasn’t super excited about coming here because I didn’t feel like other people who found their ‘dream school,’ but after being here, I’m glad I chose this school.

“The people are what make it special to me,” she added.

Courtesy of the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education The percent change of undergraduate enrollment from 2019 to 2021.

Courtesy of the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education The percent change of first--time freshman enrollment from 2019 to 2021.

Courtesy of the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education The percent change of undergraduate enrollment from 2020 to 2021.

Courtesy of the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education The percent change of first--time freshman enrollment from 2020 to 2021.

CONNECT WITH ASHLYN KELLY akelly8@student.framingham.edu

NEWS

DECEMBER 10, 2021 | 5

to ho awards funds to ra in ha Food and Nutrition Department

By Patrick Brady Editorial Staff

Gordon Reid, Stop & Shop president, presented a $100,000 donation to Framingham State Sept. 15 to establish the Stop & Shop Scholarship for Diversity in the Field of Food and Nutrition, according to a University press release.

The fund provides financial assistance to FSU students who are studying to become registered dieticians, according to the press release. To apply for the scholarship, students must submit a one-page written essay about their dedication to health equity in their communities.

According to the press release, once selected, an annual scholarship will be awarded to an undergraduate student enrolled at the University in the Food and Nutrition Coordinated Program, which allows them to work toward earning a 4+1 Master’s degree.

President F. Javier Cevallos said the intent of the grant is to help “develop” diversity and inclusion in the registered dietician ranks. The grant is open to all students who have a “strong commitment” to equity and diversity.

He said FSU’s nutritional program is “one of the best in the state.

“Professor Julia Parrish-Nelson has established a connection with Stop & Shop and [helped] fund internships for students,” Cevallos added.

Only one student per year can receive the scholarship, he said.

He said the Stop & Shop program tries to help “diversify the ranks” of registered dieticians. “It is a profession that is dominated by white females, and they would like to have more diversity in that particular field.”

The applications won’t be reviewed by Stop & Shop representatives, Cevallos said. “Stop & Shop just donated the money.”

He said only the food and nutrition department can decide which students receive scholarships.

Meeghan Bresnahan, a junior history major, said it’s great Stop & Shop is helping more “BIPOC students” become nutritionists and dieticians.

“Having a more diverse population will definitely help students become who they want to be.”

She said the grant will help break down the “barriers” of race and identity.

“Framingham State is one of the only colleges in Massachusetts that has a really good nutrition program,” she added.

Nicolle Fernandez, a sophomore psychology major, said she’s pleased to learn the University is getting more grants to help disadvantaged students.

Additionally, she said she rarely sees “people of color” in dietician positions. Fernandez believes it is important the University is leaning more towards diversity in their grants.

Meghan Quinlan, a graduate food

and nutrition major, said she believes the grant is going to encourage people to apply who might not otherwise.

“I like that they’re only really looking into people who are minorities in the dietetic field,” she said.

Quinlan said it’s nice to see a grant supporting the “enhancement” of diversity. “There are so many women that are in this field.

to a food and nutrition major who’s studying to become a dietician. In addition, the student must come from an “underrepresented background.”

The scholarship is available to any student who would identify with an “underrepresented population” in dietetics, she said. Dieticians who identify as a person of color, come from an indigenous population, are non-binary, or have physical/intel-

“The idea is we’re trying to broaden and diversify the field so it s not specific to a certain identity group.”

-Megan Mayer,

Professor of Food and Nutrition “It ties nicely together because all of the Stop & Shops that I’ve been to support their community,” she added.

Andrew Composto, a sophomore communication arts major, said it’s helpful for the University to imple-

lectual disabilities are encouraged to apply.

“The idea is we’re trying to broaden and diversify the field, so it’s not specific to a certain identity group,” Mayer said.

She said her department held a

tate’s

She said students who apply for the grant are required to provide a written statement” about their experience and what they would bring to the field. Students who are in their final year of the dietetics program are eligible to apply.

The program is structured as a “4 + 1,” she said. “Depending on where students are in the dietetics path … they may be an undergrad or they may be a graduate student.

“It’s kind of a funky structure,” she added.

Mayer said her department understands students often have to work while they’re in school. “When they’re doing their dietetic internship rotations, often their time is very limited in terms of their ability to work.”

She said she hopes the grant “alleviates” some of the financial burdens of being a student. Additionally, Framingham State’s connection to Stop & Shop has created other benefits.

“We connected them with the Rams Resource Center on campus. … [It] is now a Stop & Shop School Food Pantry,” she said. “They’ve kind

Courtesy of Framingham State Presentation of an endowed scholarship from Stop & Shop to the Food and Nutrition Sept. 15. ment more diversity grants.

He said, “Making sure that underrepresented communities get the funding is super important, and it gives them the same playing field as their counterparts.”

Lily Borst, a junior business management major, said the grant is important because it gives students the “best opportunities possible.

“I think it’s really important to have people from all different perspectives, backgrounds, and cultures,” she added. “And just like different seasons of life, I think that’s just how the world is, and our campus should represent that.”

Megan Mayer, a food and nutrition professor, said the Stop & Shop grant was specifically designed to support the increasing level of diversity in the field of nutrition and dietetics.

She said the grant will be given

“number of events” last year in which they brought in different dietetic and nutrition professionals from underrepresented backgrounds. “A lot of them were dieticians of color who came in to talk about their career paths and their work in various settings.”

Upon attending one of the meetings, an individual from Stop & Shop took interest in “diversifying” the field of dietetics at Framingham State, she said. “And the partnership just sort of developed from there.”

One student from the food and nutrition department will be awarded $6,000 per year, she said.

Mayer added that along with the $100,000 Stop & Shop grant, another $32,000 from the State of Massachusetts was added to the “pool of money” in order for the grant to become an endowed scholarship.

of been adopted by Stop & Shop in a way. “[Stop & Shop] provided a contribution of $5,000 to the Rams Resource Center in the form of gift cards to help support students’ food and other kinds of toiletry needs,” she added.

The grant has paved the way for other “potential collaborations,” Mayer said.

She said, “I think it just opened the door for lots of different conversations that might help our campus community in ways that we didn’t expect.”

CONNECT WITH PATRICK BRADY pbrady@student.framingham.edu

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residentia

By Leighah Beausoleil Associate Editor

By Steven Bonini News Editor

Roxanne Gonzales-Walker, provost and vice president of Academic Affairs at New Mexico Highlands University, was the first of the FSU presidential candidates to visit campus Dec. 2-3.

Gonzales-Walker has worked in higher education administration for over 25 years.

During their visits, presidential candidates participated in meetings, open forums, and interviews with FSU community members who will assess each candidate’s suitability as FSU’s next president. The final decision will be made by the Board of Trustees Dec. 15.

Gonzales-Walker said she was originally from New Mexico and comes from a military family.

She said she credits her father’s position as role model for her community members growing up as her inspiration for seeing education as something “special.”

He was a “boundary breaker,” she said, explaining how education helped her father and his family out of poverty and encouraged their community members to pursue education as well.

“For me, education became a symbol, not of prosperity, but for a movement of social justice,” Gonzales-Walker added.

She explained how because of this background, she is passionate about education for populations in need, including first-generation and non-traditional students.

COVID-19 impacted higher education by creating opportunities for “blended learning” to make pursuing post-secondary education more of a reality for students, Gonzales-Walker said.

She added when considering pursuing the position of university president, she was selective of where she applied because she wants to work at a school serving populations in need as well as work with the community to offer a diverse array of programming.

Framingham State University falls in line with these criteria, she said.

Meeting with Faculty and Librarians Following her introduction at the meeting with faculty and librarians Dec. 2, the floor was open to questions.

With “nationwide backlash” toward the humanities that has contributed to declining program enrollment, Lisa Eck, English Department chair, asked, “Can you share with us your experience promoting the value of arts and humanities within a broad based liberal arts college education and what strategies you would use to support the humanities?”

Gonzales-Walker, who studied theater and English as an undergraduate, replied employers want people who have strong soft skills developed through humanities programs - skills that cannot be taught overnight.

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na ist o anne on a es- a ker

“For me, I’ve always seen the libral arts not separate from the workforce degrees, but the foundation for those workforce environments,” Gonzales-Walker said.

She added modeling the importance of the arts through attending events, such as theater productions, demonstrates to people the value leaders see in the humanities.

From there, support comes from creating and developing long-term plans with faculty that will ensure the security of humanities programming, she said.

Kate Caffrey, MSCA union president and communication arts professor, asked, “At Framingham State University, we have a structure that emphasizes a non-hierarchical approach to the decision-making process on our campus. What experience have you had with co-governance and working collaboratively with faculty and librarians?”

Gonzales-Walker responded, “I’m very used to and very comfortable working with a shared governance.”

She explained how everywhere she has worked has operated similarly to FSU, adding this form of governance allows for everyone to provide different perspectives and expertise on subjects.

Sometimes during processes, these differing ideas can cause “contradictions,” she said, but that’s when dialogues can take place.

With employee positions being removed at FSU through attrition, Art Professor Tim McDonald said current faculty are forced to pick up the responsibilities of those positions or hire part-time faculty who “don’t have the same relationship with the University and the community” a full-time faculty member does.

McDonald asked, “What stand might we take to kind of remedy that?”

Gonzales-Walker said three main factors need to be considered in these situations: program enrollment, credit production, and the demands of the discipline, such as how much one-on-one time needs to be spent with students.

“I don’t like to give up faculty lines,” she said, “because they’re really, really hard to get back.”

Therefore, Gonzales-Walker said she likes to “put it aside for a bit” while working on increasing program enrollment.

She added the solution she has used at New Mexico Highlands University is to hire a full-time faculty member and include a “retain term” on a three-year contract, meaning a full-time employee is filling the position, but they are not tenure track.

Education Professor May Hara, director of the Center for Excellence in Learning, Teaching, Scholarship, and Service (CELTSS), asked, “What specific structural supports and resources would you advocate to be offered to faculty as we work to meet the evolving needs of our students and to contribute to our scholarly disciplines?”

Gonzales-Walker said New Mexico Highlands University has a similar program the university supports through private funding and research funding as well as funding for con-

ferences.

She said, “Faculty are not educators by training,” adding they are what their doctorate is in, such as a chemist or a physicist.

The educators are the ones who “learned all about pedagogy and rubrics,” Gonzales-Walker said. That is when a program like CELTSS becomes important.

She explained faculty can go to CELTSS as a resource for planning and implementing new teaching practices.

Meeting with the Board of Trustees During Gonzales-Walker’s meeting with the Board of Trustees, she started by introducing herself and discussing her background. This meeting was held Dec. 6.

In addition, Gonzales-Walker shared her thoughts about her visit to FSU, starting with her assessment of the University’s response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“I think Framingham State is well positioned to take COVID and use it to its advantage,” she said. “I think there’s a huge opportunity with COVID, for institutions that are interested and willing, to step back and kind of do a reassessment.”

Gonzales-Walker said she believes higher education is going to be in a different place in the next 10 years, and she thinks much of that will be “driven by the things that we’ve learned through COVID.” She spoke specifically to the technological advancements the pandemic brought to light, and talked about how faculty have become used to using technology for learning, adding it would be helpful to combine that with “classroom delivery.

“How do we use that to our advantage to bring students on board to say, you know, ‘you’re a commuter student. You don’t want to be here every day of the week, but we have some of these programs that you could do in a blended model,’” she said.

“I think that’s one area of potential growth,” she added.

Gonzales-Walker said she also believes faculty are ready to “embrace different modalities of teaching,” adding, it’s important institutions help their faculty “explore those options” and as a result, those educators will become “stronger” and more “committed” to their work.

She ended her opening statement by talking about her meeting with students who spoke about how they “love this place [FSU].

“They’re growing professionally and personally because of the opportunities that they’ve been given here as students to engage in extracurricular activities, so that was really wonderful to hear,” she said.

Chair of the Board of Trustees Kevin Foley opened the floor for questions from trustee members - many of whom asked about enrollment strategies.

She said it’s important to get students to attend the university, but it’s also important to ensure the institution retains those students.

One of the short-term solutions she said her institution is trying right

now is inviting students who may have some college education and no degree back to the university with an incentive such as a scholarship.

She said it’s important to provide “the opportunity for them to come back and become a graduate.”

Gonzales-Walker said regarding long-term solutions, it’s important to ensure the “programming” is “fresh.

“Does it need a facelift in some ways? Does it need to be upscaled?

Does the title of the degree match what the market is looking for today?

Do the course titles match what people are looking for today?” she asked.

“Take a look at the programming and then take a look at what the market needs are,” she added.

The presidential candidate was asked by one trustee about “intellectual honesty” and branding and marketing.

It’s important “to be truthful in your branding,” she said, adding, “otherwise, you’re misleading the market.”

She also talked about the importance of allowing students to tell the story of the University, and using that as part of the brand to get individuals to attend FSU. With a few leadership positions currently vacant at FSU, most prominently the position of vice president of diversity, inclusion, and community engagement, Gonzales-Walker was asked about how she would go about hiring leaders.

“One of the best things to do is to put together a search committee that represents the institution across the board,” she said. “Get that position and have faculty review it, and see what we need to change about it. Take it to the VP’s, take it to the team, and then you post it and you let the process take its course.”

Trustee Beth Casavant asked Gonzales-Walker about her thoughts on diversity, equity, and inclusion, and how, as president, she would work to maintain “an environment where everyone feels safe and welcomed and supported.”

Gonzales-Walker responded by talking about the importance of creating an environment to have safe conversations.

She noted the response from two female students she met before her meeting with the Board of Trustees whom she asked, “If you had one recommendation for Framingham State, what would it be?” She said they responded, “The one thing that they would like to see at Framingham is, when there’s a racist activity or an event, to not just make a statement, but to take action afterwards.

“I think that’s kind of closing the loop that I think about with accreditation,” she added. “You say you’re going to do this, but where’s that loop close? What kind of action can you take to demonstrate that support that you’re claiming in that statement that you’re making to the community?”

CONNECT WITH LEIGHAH BEAUSOLEIL lbeausoleil@student.framingham.edu CONNECT WITH STEVEN BONINI sbonini@student.framingham.edu

residentia

By Sophia Harris Asst. News Editor

By Branden LaCroix Staff Writer Nancy Niemi, provost and vice president of Academic Affairs at University of Maryland Eastern Shore, was the second of the FSU presidential candidates to visit campus Dec. 6-7.

Niemi has been working to improve education and social equity since 2005 through her publications.

During their visits, presidential candidates participated in meetings, open forums, and interviews with FSU community members who will assess each candidate’s suitability as FSU’s next president. The final decision will be made by the Board of Trustees Dec. 15.

During her introduction, Niemi said, “I think we in education are in a radical moment. Not a radical right or left, but because our country needs to support, uphold, and deepen its democracy - we’re in a radical place.”

Citing the “twin pandemics” of COVID-19 and “structural racism,” Niemi said, “We’ve been living through a long period of high stress,” but she sees FSU as “becoming more of what it was founded to be.”

Addressing issues of diversity in education, Niemi said, “We need to fortify a compelling and distinctive identity … that’s built to the commitment of education.

“We cannot let others write our narrative that a more diverse faculty and student body means lower quality - and people want to try,” she said.

“Indeed, it demands higher quality.

We have to champion the value of arts, humanities, sciences, even as we show students the way to make a good living.”

Niemi added the importance of communities surrounding universities. “Educational institutions don’t sit by themselves. They sit within communities and those communities increasingly depend on us,” she said.

Meeting with Faculty and Librarians Following her introduction at the meeting with faculty and librarians Dec. 6, the floor was open to questions.

Dr. Lisa Eck, English department chair, and Tim McDonald, an art professor, asked Niemi about the ways she would support art and the humanities at FSU. Niemi said from a “presidential perspective,” she would find ways to “give voice” to the arts and humanities department, as well as increase funding to arts and humanities programs.

“We might go to school to teach students how to become an accountant or an architect, but we get nourished by what we learn, by what we read, by what we think about,” she said.

Concerning the art departments, Niemi said, “If we say the fine arts department matters - full stop - and those majors matter - full stop - then

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we invest in them, and we invest in the faculty, and we invest in the programming.”

She added investing in the arts is important “because it’s a legitimate part of who we are as humans.”

History Professor Lissa Bollettino, assistant director of the Center for Excellence in Learning, Teaching, Scholarship, and Service (CELTSS), asked via Zoom what “structural support and resources” she could give to faculty.

Niemi said she developed “the first Center for Teaching Excellence” at her university.

She said she will “find the resources” if they are not available to provide faculty yearly or even semesterly “opportunities to take advantage of some developmental piece, some conference, or some publication.

“If we don’t invest in faculty development, we don’t thrive,” she said.

“Faculty growth through the means by which your discipline asks of it ... is an expected part of our budget and your work is what we do,” added Niemi.

Yumi Park Huntington, art history professor and chair of Arts & Ideas, brought up current budget issues related to enrollment and asked Niemi what “support system” she would enact to sustain programs like Arts & Ideas.

Niemi said the University should find “a different revenue stream” from enrollment and suggested possibly seeking sponsorships from the community and alumni to support programs such as Arts & Ideas.

Robert Donohue, psychology professor, asked Niemi what her plans are for increasing enrollment and retention.

Niemi returned to the “identity” of FSU and said to “focus on who we are,” as well as “paying attention to who we’re not.”

She said, “I think we might have to have the courage to say, ‘Are there things that aren’t working for us right now?’ Is our yield in some particular thing so low that we might need to say, ‘Can we restructure this differently?’ ‘Do we need this major?’ or ‘Do we need to add this new sexy thing - this new program that a lot of people are doing, but maybe it’s just not going to give us the return on investment that we need?’”

She added the University could offer more courses or resources for professionals to increase their credentials and “create a market for new students.”

Niemi also said her university holds monthly “retention days,” when faculty, staff, and students meet to discuss “what works in retention” and what improvements can be made.

Another crucial topic was increasing the representation of students and faculty of color.

Niemi said a commitment to finding different methods of hiring and finding resources to support faculty of color is important.

She said, “You make the commitment that our people, our thinking, our teaching matters more than anything else, and then you put your

money where that belief is.

“You need a diverse group of people to educate a diverse group of students,” Niemi added.

“If we want faculty of color, and we want students to be educated by and with faculty of color, then we have to hire them, and we have to keep them,” she said.

Meeting with the Board of Trustees Niemi answered questions at a Board of Trustees open forum about racial injustice, enrollment, and the implementation of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the hiring process.

The meeting was held Dec. 6.

Her opening statement highlighted that she sees Framingham State as becoming “an instrument of equity, of economic and cultural vibrancy through education,” she said.

Trustee Claire Ramsbottom asked Niemi what her biggest professional challenge has been and what she learned from it.

Niemi said the most difficult challenge is the one she is currently facing, which is “how to be the best leader at a HBCU [Historically Black College and University] at a time where the country’s racial climate is, to put it mildly, extremely challenging.”

She said her institution has been the “target of so much racism.”

Niemi said she learned that her experience in academics and leadership “still needs to take a backseat to [her] listening to the people who are experiencing those challenges and working with their needs.”

Student Trustee Hillary Nna asked Niemi to elaborate on the racial targeting that her institution has faced and “how she deals with racial incidents.”

Niemi said her institution has been “targeted in a number of ways,” adding her university gets targeted “continuously” because of its “rural area and because of its past - in ways that are sobering.”

Niemi added she deals with racial incidents by “doing a lot more listening than [she] ever imagined.”

She elaborated that she needs to talk with “staff members who have been at the institution for longer than anybody else” in order to know how they would proceed and “deal with the issues when they happen.”

Trustee Beth Casavant, who attended the forum via Zoom, asked what Niemi’s strategy is regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as how she has created a welcoming environment for students and faculty through her leadership.

Niemi said her university does “cluster hiring where they can” in order to have the faculty be representative of the student body.

She said it is important for “students to be able to see themselves in their faculty.”

Three years ago, Niemi and Maryland’s teacher of the year, who was given the position of Endowed Chair, created a center for the education of Black male educators, which is the “only program in the state that educates Black male K-12 teachers,” she

said.

Niemi said she “takes the time” to look at the research and scholarships around diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Trustee Anthony Hubbard brought up enrollment retention. He asked about steps Niemi would take to “bolster” enrollment in the short and long term.

She responded in the short term, she would like to see the strategy that FSU has in place for increasing enrollment.

Then she asked, “I think your yield is 14%. I would want to know why that isn’t higher. ” She said she would want to look into financial aid and scholarships to confirm FSU is meeting students’ needs.

Given this information, she will see what aspects need immediate attention.

She said she has prior experience in increasing enrollment and “knows what a good enrollment strategy looks like.”

In the longer term, she wants to look into “sharpening the identity of Framingham State” as a state university and as part of the MetroWest community.

She said she wants to see if FSU’s recruiting message “speaks to who we are.”

Niemi said although it’s not something “people want to hear,” discontinuing low-enrollment programs to invest those resources in high enrollment programs, including Graduate and Professional programs should be considered.

Bob Richards, a trustee emeritus who attended the forum via Zoom, asked Niemi to expand on her role leading the academic program analysis and alignment process at her institution.

Niemi said she looks at programs’ “objectives and their enrollment over time, and then matches that with the objectives of the university and the strategic planning.”

She said through the data, it becomes clear what courses are “not fulfilling enrollment objectives” or “graduation objectives.”

The next step is to take action at “low, medium, and high priority,” she said, adding some of the changes are internal - such as dividing departments - while some changes are “eliminating majors” and “condensing administrative assistance.”

Trustee Brian Herr asked what Niemi’s plan is for marketing the “brand awareness” of FSU and if she has been involved in marketing at universities.

Niemi said she is currently “deeply involved” with the marketing at her institution.

She said her institution is going through a market study and has hired a “market group in order to help us rebrand ourselves.”

CONNECT WITH BRANDEN LACROIX blacroix@student.framingham.edu CONNECT WITH SOPHIA HARRIS sharris9@student.framingham.edu

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residentia

By Leighah Beausoleil Associate Editor

By Dan Fuentes Staff Writer

Allia Carter, executive vice president, chief operating officer, Board of Trustees liaison and executive director for the Center for Transcendent Leadership at Virginia Union University, was the last of the FSU presidential candidates to visit campus Dec. 9-10.

During their visits, presidential candidates participated in meetings, open forums, and interviews with FSU community members who will assess each candidate’s suitability as FSU’s next president. The final decision will be made by the Board of Trustees Dec. 15.

Carter said she is a native of Detroit and has been in the industry of higher education for more than 20 years.

She said she has worked at seven different institutions during that time, including public, private, and historically Black.

“What I have found in my journey is that I’m really committed to the idea of liberal arts and science,” she said.

Carter explained her job title, saying, “What’s most important is that I have the privilege of serving as the executive vice president and chief operating officer.”

She said Virginia Union University runs the “organization like a corporation,” explaining the president is the chief executive officer while she is the chief operating officer - with other positions such as chief financial officer and a chief academic officer.

“I’ve been in executive capacities for over 11 years - working at several institutions,” Carter said. “Leading leaders - that’s my job.”

She described herself as an “open leader” and a “great listener.

“My goal is to be transparent and as honest as I possibly can, while making sure that I’m respectful of the individuals that I talk to,” she added.

Meeting with Faculty and Librarians Following her introduction at the meeting with faculty and librarians Dec. 9, the floor opened to questions.

English Professor Alexander “Sandy” Hartwiger asked, “You mentioned that you would approach running the University as a business. Could you elaborate a little on what that means in terms of your decision making?”

Carter clarified she was speaking of her current institution, but said, “What I will take from that experience that I can bring here is the infrastructure and the capacity to grow the institution utilizing a business model.”

This way, adjustments could be made for budgets and resources and “we can align the plans so that we deliver,” she added.

She said, “Everything doesn’t always work at every institution.”

Carter said it is difficult to know

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everything about a university and what’s best for its operations until one is inside of it.

Because of this, she emphasized the importance of being “flexible” and “nimble” as a leader.

Economics Professor Luis Rosero asked Carter’s thoughts on the return of the investment in the context of a public state university and how that informs the presidency.

Carter responded by explaining that at her current institution, they look at return on objective.

“You must start first with a clear vision, clear, succinct plans, identified metrics and goals,” she said.

“Once you do that internally, everyone in that community or area is very clear - they have a line of sight on what’s expected for delivery.

“The investment is the exchange of what you’re sharing - whether it is just a common good or a retail product,” Carter added. “Sometimes, it is

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uitable” and look for any disparities across departments to confirm “we’re truly representing what we say we support.

“We have to create environments in our programs that really do support the faculty in that space,” she said.

Faculty of color need to see the services and support they need, Carter added.

“We really have to build infrastructure first before we grow capacity in any of those ranges,” she said.

“The same thing you do for your students we actually often have to do for faculty, as well.”

Meeting with the Board of Trustees During Carter’s meeting with the Board of Trustees, she started by introducing herself and discussing her background. This meeting was held Dec. 9.

“ y goal is to be transparent and as honest as I possibly can while making sure that I m respectful of the individuals that I talk to.”

-Allia Carter, Presidential Finalist a fashionable philosophy or an idea that is really priceless, but you’re showing that the investment that an individual is making will create a return in a long-term game.”

Psychology Professor Robert Donohue asked, “What are your plans for increasing enrollment and retention? What role would our division of graduate, continuing education, and online or non-traditional offerings play as part of the plan?”

Carter said enrollment management should not be regulated by a singular department or division, adding it is “the responsibility of the entire community.”

She said success with enrollment management is about putting in place systems that will keep students enrolled, adding faculty are an important part of that because they form the engagement and experiences that retain students.

Another aspect of enrollment management is identifying students who belong in FSU programs to ensure they are supported and given the help they need to succeed in those programs, she added.

“If you bring them in - you owe it to them to graduate them,” Carter said.

Zeynep Gonen, professor of sociology and criminology, said FSU is trying to be an anti-racist institution supporting students of color.

She asked what Carter would do as president to retain positions of faculty of color that are being removed through attrition, and how she would work to hire more faculty and staff of color.

Carter said it is valuable to look at the data and research to “ensure that the information on personnel is eq-

“I’m responsible for understanding and seeing the bigger picture of the institution,” Carter said, “and making sure that all the leaders are able to calibrate the problem in different ways so that they can deliver on all the things that they promised.”

Carter said she considers herself a leader who is “innovative” and “flexible.”

“I do all of these things with public guiding principles of an open door policy, of being transparent - being respectful of people’s opinions and making sure that I’ve listened to them so that we can truly make the decisions that are in the best interest of the institutions.”

Carter said she is excited about this position because “the mission really aligns with the core of what I do.”

She said, “I’m really big on the idea of transforming individuals and ensuring that they are provided opportunities of learning that will make their lives more successful.”

Board of Trustees members asked Carter a number of questions relating to student retention, branding, and personal challenges.

Trustee Brian Herr asked, “What ideas would you have to help us bolster enrollment numbers in the coming years?”

Carter said she is pretty strong, “an expert” in the area of enrollment management. She has previously served in enrollment management positions at other universities.

She said, “I take a strong business model to enrollment management. I try to connect the idea of the budget model and its revenues to enrollment.

“Where I focus most is in reten-

tion, and how to create models of affordability for students,” she added.

Carter said at other institutions she’s worked at, there are programs designed to “allow students an opportunity to drop out, opt out, and come back later to recover when they’ve left school due to financial circumstances.”

She said, “We have a lot of students, their households and families are in this middle of the road where they can’t get access to some federal funds, and they may not have the grades to get academic scholarships, and they just don’t have the resources they need to invest in the educational experience.”

Carter added she has built programs around helping students afford their education, “literally giving out stipends or using workforce programs to give them money.”

Trustee Michael Grilli asked, “I was curious when you decided to apply for this job, what brand did you think you were applying to?”

Carter said she didn’t get the brand at first. “I became an educator.

I started as an educator and for me, Horace Mann, to see that part was attractive. The idea of affordability, of access, was very attractive.”

She said, “The more I started doing research, it was hard to find, but you can see that there were racial incidents that happened, and students didn’t feel safe. They felt like the administration wasn’t stepping up or resolving issues in a timely fashion.

“Those kinds of things didn’t scare me, because that’s the work that I do. I work in environments like that, and I help the community feel and go through transformations,” Carter added.

She said she thinks the issue is “systemic” and “it also might be a branding issue.

“You want to truly brand who we are and what we are so that it is clear to anybody coming into the organization so they can choose to join or not to join,” Carter said. “We should be very clear, transparent about who we are from the enrollment period.”

Carter said FSU is a place of harmony. “It’s about justice and equality. This is a safe space of inclusive ideas and all types of people, and we have to show that and demonstrate that and teach that.”

Trustee Hope Lozano asked, “What do you think is the greatest challenge you anticipate facing if you transferred into the role of president of FSU, and how might you tackle that challenge?”

Carter said, “All my positions have prepared me for Framingham State.”

Carter thinks the greatest challenge will be “sharing or understanding of cultures, climates and environments.”

She said, “You can’t get that often from reading. Sometimes, you have to have very different conversations in smaller communities.”

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THE GATEPOST EDITORIAL

Giving back to your community

Each year, as you walk through malls or enter your local shopping center, there is usually someone asking for a charitable donation for some organization.

Often, people will throw in a few dollars or the extra change that is sitting at the bottom of their purse into the bucket. What many fail to realize is the importance of their donation and the impact it can have on other people.

Most of the time, they also do not take the time to learn about the organization they are giving to and what the charitable commitment of that organization is.

In the United States, there are some respectable charities whose charitable commitment percentage is over 95%. Direct Relief provides emergency medical assistance and disaster relief to those living in the United States and internationally and their charitable commitment is 100%, according to Forbes.

But while donating to national and international organizations is beneficial and can create change, there are local charities right here in Framingham and even on our campus that need your help, too.

Here at FSU, we have the Rams Resource Center (RRC) which provides non-perishable food, toiletries, menstrual products, and resource referral to FSU students, faculty, and staff.

The RRC is always welcoming donations and their most needed items include cereal, granola bars, oatmeal, shelf-stable milk, microwavable items, menstrual products (especially pads), and razors.

Donation bins can be found across campus in locations such as The Dean of Students Office (McCarthy 504), Office of Enrollment and Student Development (Dwight Hall 306), and other locations that are identified on the FSU website.

Donating to on-campus resources such as the RRC is critical because it can help students who may have nowhere else to turn but FSU. A donation of a box of granola bars or a bag of trail mix is never just a small donation because it can mean a student has access to an afternoon snack.

Most students may not be able to afford to donate items to the RRC, but they can volunteer their time to help keep the shelves stocked and ready to go for the next person who walks through the door.

For more information on how to donate, how to volunteer, or how to access the RRC,

email the Dean of Students office.

The RRC is located underneath West Hall, and the hours of operation can be found on FSU’s website.

Students are also able to donate meal swipes to the University’s Emergency Meal Bank to help others facing food insecurity on our campus.

Students may donate up to one meal a week. This is a great way to give back directly to other FSU students, especially if you have an extra meal swipe you know you won’t need.

To donate, go to the FSU Dining Services website and look for “Donate a Meal” under the shop tab.

Currently enrolled FSU students are allowed to request up to five emergency meals a semester by completing the form on the FSU website. Students who may need more can contact the Dean of Students Office to discuss campus resources that may be helpful.

Academics makes being a student already stressful enough. No student should ever have to worry when their next meal will be or how they will afford it.

FSU also participates in charitable donations throughout the year. Just recently, FSU Campus Police and SILD partnered for the 7th annual Giving Tree event, which is a program that provides holiday gifts to children in need. With the donations, they were able to provide gifts to over 70 children, according to the United Way of Tri-Country’s Instagram.

Giving back to the FSU community should not be difficult - and it isn’t.

By giving back to our community and to other students, you are not only making an impact on someone’s day - but potentially their life.

Links to resources: Rams Resource Center - https://www. framingham.edu/student-life/student-affairs/dean-of-students-office/student-resources/rams-resource-center/ Emergency Meal Bank - https://www.framingham.edu/student-life/student-affairs/ dean-of-students-office/student-resources/food-and-housing-assistance/emergency-meal-bank.php Student Help Resources h t t p s : / / w w w. f r a m i n g h a m . e d u / s t u dent-life/student-help

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!

DECEMBER 10, 2021 | 9

Your heroes are not dead

By Sean Cabot Staff Writer Kamala Khan - a.k.a. Ms. Marvel, is a Muslim-Pakistani American comic book superhero created by G. Willow Wilson.

She is a notable legacy hero who inherited the Ms. Marvel identity from Carol Danvers, a white woman who herself took up the mantle of Captain Marvel from a male predecessor. Her series deals with her position as a teenage superhero and a Muslim adolescent in modern America.

She is set to feature in a “Ms. Marvel” Disney+ series, played

by Iman Vellani, and a feature film alongside Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers.

However, I cannot stop thinking of the response the character is still receiving from a vocal sect of comic fans. And she is not their only target.

In recent years, comic producers like Marvel have frequently passed the mantles of prominent heroes to female and minority characters - some established crime-fighters, others new.

Examples include female Wolverine Laura Kinney, Mexican-American Ghost Rider Robbie Reyes, female Thor Jane Foster, and most famously, Afro-Latino Spider-Man Miles Morales.

These are only a few of the legacy heroes met with vitriolic detractors like YouTuber Richard Meyer, who claims that modern authors are killing sales of western comics and the industry itself by prioritizing diversity and politicking over good stories.

However, the opposite seems to be true. Kamala Khan’s original run sold phenomenally well, and Jason Aaron’s Jane Foster Thor noticeably outsold a previous Thor run that he wrote.

And while I cannot speak for any group represented by these characters, I can personally attest that the stories of heroes such as Laura Kinney or Robbie Reyes are eminently enjoyable.

Quality or sales aside though, these critics’ arguments are still fundamentally flawed. To start, comics have always had a political edge to them.

The biggest example is “X-Men,” which, under Chris Claremont’s guidance, went from an underperformer to pop-culture icon status in part due to its power as a Civil Rights allegory.

These themes remain consistent and unmistakable to this day.

It even originated Marvel’s first openly gay superhero, Northstar, who commented on the AIDS crisis and paved the way for future LGBTQIA+ heroes such as Hulkling, Wiccan, Viv Vision, and Nico Minoru.

But these characters are not themselves legacy heroes, bringing up another common refrain: shouldn’t we just make new superheroes instead of replacing old ones?

First, “completely new heroes,” like the Asian-American Silk don’t seem to get a pass from diversity detractors either. Second, there is great potential in stories about the expectations and responsibilities of inheriting heroic mantles.

Third, legacy heroes are an iconic fixture of superhero comics. For DC Comics, Hal Jordan’s Green Lantern and Barry Allen’s Flash are much more famous than Alan Scott or Jay Garrick, their respective predecessors.

This could even be said for Kamala Khan herself, who is now far more widely known as Ms. Marvel than Carol Danvers ever was.

And finally, both the original characters and their successors hold many of these mantles simultaneously. My favorite examples are Wolverine, Hawkeye, Wasp, and Spider-Man. Principle isn’t why these comic buffs are mad, and neither is quality. Conscious or passive, it’s prejudice.

And this toxic mindset is now so ubiquitous that the reveal of the “She-Hulk” Disney+ series provoked an identical response despite the character being over 40 years old and not a legacy hero.

As a white guy who loves Wolverine and Spider-Man, I think I should remind people that their favorite white male heroes are too profitable to go anywhere.

Ultimately, part of the reason I prefer Marvel to DC is the latter’s startling lack of new heroes. Latino Blue Beetle Jaime Reyes is one of their best modern characters, and he debuted in 2006.

Marvel hasn’t always gotten great books from this approach, but sub-par comics are as old as the medium itself. And not only do I adore Marvel’s legacy heroes alongside their forerunners, I think they speak to an admirable creative integrity that’s decades old.

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OP/ED

Revolutionize history education

By McKenzie Ward Opinions Editor When someone asks me what my major is, I always get a little nervous to answer.

And it’s not because I hate being a history major because if you ask any one who truly knows me, I am so proud to be a student of the amazing History Department here at FSU. And my love for history began way before I even stepped foot into May Hall.

But it’s because so many people have the wrong idea of what it means to be a history major based on how they were taught history in K-12.

In K-12, when students are taught history, they are being taught to memorize dates and events. They are also, like most subjects in K-12, being taught to a test and the goal of gaining an understanding of a subject is often lost.

During middle school and high school, I had some amazing history teachers who were truly dedicated to their professions.

I owe everything to my eighth-grade history teacher, Mr. Costanza. He was the first teacher who saw my love for history and inspired me to pursue the major - I even considered teaching it.

Without Mr. Costanza, I probably wouldn’t be a history major.

In high school, I took Advanced Placement classes that I thought would prepare me to be a history major. I spent hours upon hours reading

the assigned textbook, taking notes, and memorizing dates with the hope of obtaining college credit.

So, when I stepped foot into my first 300-level history course as a freshman, I thought I was well prepared.

I was wrong.

I quickly realized that being a history major wasn’t memorizing dates and events. Instead, I spent my time reading primary sources to analyze their importance and secondary sources to better understand the historiography of historical events.

What also came as a surprise was the material we studied. For the first time, I wasn’t just studying the history of white, powerful men, but I was analyzing the history of underrepresented people because their history matters too.

While students have little time in the classroom, it is crucial that the United States history curriculum is revamped to teach history honestly, even if that means the country isn’t always in the right.

But by neglecting to teach the history of the United States in such a manner that does not only focus on the voices and experiences of white people, it does a major disservice to K-12 history education.

The United States education system needs to look at history curricula because teaching history is more than just learning about historical events.

Teaching and learning history is about establishing critical thinking skills, advancing research and writing techniques, and developing critical and advanced analytical skills.

K-12 educators should be introducing their students to primary sources that students can engage with in such a way that they can’t with a textbook.

Students will be able to analyze these small snippets of history that may inspire them to ask their own questions.

Students should also be introduced to historical monographs, which I would argue do a much better job at explaining history than an outdated textbook.

Not only do we need to be reviewing the way history is taught, but we need to revise what we teach students at the K-12 level.

In K-12, teachers only addressed slavery and oppression faced by the Black community. We never got a chance to study and analyze Black achievements and contributions to our country’s history.

I am not asking we erase history.

Rather, I am asking we broaden the topics that K-12 educators are required to cover in order to provide a more accurate representation of United States history.

What can be done is introduce legislation that would combat the lack of diversity in K-12 education by requiring educators to teach African Amer-

ican, Hispanic, Jewish history, etc. in K-12.

By erasing the voices of underrepresented groups in the United States, people will never know the full extent of our country’s history.

Because without their voices, experiences, and contributions, our history is not complete.

But rather just complete of white men.

Sam the Red-Nosed Ram

Haley Hadge / THE GATEPOST

@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com

OP/ED

DECEMBER 10, 2021 | 11

Campus Conversations What song is getting you through finals?

By Maddison Behringer and Emma Lyons, Editorial Staff

“Probably ‘Easy On Me’ by Adele. It’s her new album.”

- Ainslee Caton, freshman

“The song that’s getting me through right now is called ‘Yes Indeed (Gypsy Women Mix)’ by Freddo.”

“I haven’t really thought of any songs, specifically. I just go through a playlist.”

-Alex Bonilla, freshman

-Shayne Durkin, freshman

“The song ‘Found Me’ by Men I Trust.”

-Isabella Caccabe, junior

“‘The Spins’ by Mac Miller.”

-Scott Nosky, sophomore

“Kind of like vibey songs. Major examples right now are ‘Westworld,’ ‘Let Go,’ ‘Better Not’ by Louis the Child. Just a bunch of songs without any words, just beats to get you going.”

-Matt Paiotti, junior

Tenth Annual

Campus Professional Development Days JANUARY 6 & 7, 2022

$2,000 Undergraduate Leadership Scholarship Criteria: Minimum 2.8 GPA Completed 2 Semesters at FSU Demonstrated leadership to your community

Learn more and get your application: email: alumni@framingham.edu on-line: https://bit.ly/3I4aF6W

APPLICATION DEADLINE FEB R U A R Y 7 , 2 0 22

Onward we go!

For more information, contact the Office of Human Resources at 508-626-4530 or via e-mail at: humanresources@framingham.edu.

Learn about disability accommodations for university events at: www.framingham.edu/accessibility Learn about FSU’s COVID-19 protocols: www.framingham.edu/reopening-safely.

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

12 | DECEMBER 10, 2021

SPORTS

SP O RTS

Winning streak continues for ams Women’s Basketball

Rams Basketball struggles to nd their footin a ainst isher -

By Danielle Achin Sports Editor

By Tyler Wahl Sports Editor

The Framingham State University Women’s Basketball team dominated the court 59-50 in non-conference action against MIT Dec. 7.

In the first quarter, both teams paced up and down the court trading baskets.

Senior Krysta adellaro came in for a layup immediately followed by a forced turnover from sophomore Gwendolyn Carpenter for an - lead.

The ngineers responded with back-to-back hoops - tying the game with just over six minutes left in the first quarter before the ams called for a timeout. ith the team utilizing the whole court to their advantage, MIT’s defense was forced into uncoordinated positions, which made for easy layups for the ams. ith incredible ball movement, FSU was able to end the first quarter with a 16-15 lead.

The ngineers came back aggressively in the second, determined to advance their score.

MIT senior Christina Antonakakis came in hot with back-to-back 3-point jumpers, making for a 19-16 lead with 7 2 on the clock.

The ngineers’ spunk didn’t last long and the ams took back the lead 30-27 with just over four minutes remaining before the half. eturning to the court for the third quarter, FSU pushed the lead with a shot from behind the arc by sophomore Flannery O’Connor with just under seven minutes on the clock.

Despite many forced turnovers from MIT, the ams kept up with their defense - shaking the ngineers’ confidence and closed the third with a 12-point lead.

In the final quarter, MIT managed to advance their score with a few free throws with just over three minutes left in the game, but the ams continued to maintain the lead.

The ams closed the game, scoring the final nine points, including a threepoint jumper from O’Connor to secure the 59-50 victory.

Continuing into the season with a 7-2 record, Head Coach alter aschal praised his team for defending the home court against the opposing teams aggression.

“They’re genuinely really close to each other and they trust each other on the court, and that’s exactly what they did,” he said. “ ven when we hit some bumps in the road, they didn’t fold and they figured it out.”

O’Connor also commented on her team’s performance adding, “ e definitely stepped up to the challenge, they’re a really good team overall.

“I think we really just took their pressure and just fueled off of that - we kind of shut them down,” she said.

The ams omen’s Basketball team looks to push their record for an -2 overall when they host egis this Saturday, Dec. 11.

The ams Men’s Basketball team dealt with a heartbreaking loss Tuesday night, Dec. 7, falling short to Fisher College 73-65.

Framingham State looked to capitalize on the momentum they gained from their previous close win over esley earlier that weekend.

The game started out ugly, as Fisher easily gained an 11-point lead over the ams, forcing the team to take a much-needed timeout.

Fisher College played with incredible speed and ball movement, and the ams didn’t seem prepared for their pacing at the start of the game.

The Falcons didn’t take their foot off the gas. They led by as many as 16 points midway through the first half.

A beautiful jumper from senior small forward Keith Hollman and offensive contributions from sophomore guard Brett Okundaye brought the ams within seven points from taking the lead.

Despite the ams becoming more comfortable against Fisher as the game progressed, the Falcons were still able to hold on to their lead for the duration of the first half.

Another important aspect to Fisher’s dominance throughout the game was their three-point shooting.

The Falcons shot an astounding 50 from behind the three-point line and continuously proved that the ams had to play tight defense in order to compete with their hot hand.

First-year Head Coach Donald Morris Jr. said, “One of the biggest things we’ve been working on in practice is breaking ball pressure, but also being able to recognize when a team’s defenses change on the fly.” hile there have been some significant improvements to the ams offense since the start of the season, the team needs to figure out how to create more spacing.

Framingham State shot 25 from behind the arc, and if they begin to read defenses like they work on in practice, that percentage will undoubtedly skyrocket.

The ams showed improvement in their overall gameplay in the second half after finishing the first half down 13 points.

They shot better from three-point range, drew more fouls, and forced turnovers that eventually resulted in fastbreak buckets.

Unfortunately for the ams, their improved performance came too late as the Falcons consistently led by double digits the majority of the second half.

Although this game will go down as a loss for their overall record on the season, it showed the team exactly what they need to focus on.

After the game, Morris Jr. added, “The big key to getting victories is handling ball pressure, rebounding the basketball, controlling the interior, and taking steps forward to becoming better each and every day.”

If the team can work on those aspects of their game, then a turnaround for their season is just around the corner.

Hollman finished as the top scorer for the ams, ending with a total of 15 points and five rebounds.

Junior guard Jalen Bruce finished with the most assists for the team with seven, and also contributed 12 points for FSU. The ams Men’s Basketball team looks to push their record to 3-10 after winter break against Bridgewater State Jan. 5.

Danielle Achin /THE GATEPOST Men’s basketball player shooting a basket.

Tyler Wahl /THE GATEPOST Sophomore Gwendolyn Carpenter passing the ball to senior Krysta Padellaro.

FRAMINGHAM STATE MIT

59 50 CONNECT WITH DANIELLE ACHIN dachin@student.framingham.edu

@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com

FISHER COLLEGE FRAMINGHAM STATE

73 65 CONNECT WITH TYLER WAHL twahl1@student.framingham.edu

ARTS & FEATURES

DECEMBER 10, 2021 | 13

ARTS & FEATURES

Gabriela Mendez-Acevedo - a leader for change

By Leighah Beausoleil Associate Editor Senior fashion major Gabriela “Gabby” Mendez-Acevedo’s hand shot in the air during the Q&A portion of a guest speaker’s visit to her fashion class.

The speaker was Kyle Fortin, an FSU alumni and product developer at Puma - her dream company, Mendez-Acevedo said.

“Does Puma have a plan to implement diversity, equity, and inclusion to their company? If so, what are they doing and how are they doing it?” she recalls asking.

The speaker explained Puma’s “reform website,” where it details its plan to dismantle inequalities within the company, as well as its newly implemented position - director of diversity, equity, and inclusion, Mendez-Acevedo said.

Upon being given an assignment for her class to do a case study on a company, Mendez-Acevedo chose to do her’s on this new position held by Michelle Marshall, she said.

Mendez-Acevedo said what she found was the difficulty for Marshall being the first to hold this position and the only person working in this area of the company as a Black woman.

“It’s extremely stressful,” she said.

“Departments should not be run by one person. I get it’s a new department, but it’s a lot.”

Mendez-Acevedo described how everyone “pulls” Marshall around because diversity and inclusion are such integral pieces to every part of the company.

For the assignment, she said she proposed various solutions, and while interviewing Marshall asked if there was an internship position available.

There was and she applied, Mendez-Acevedo said. She now works as the intern for diversity, equity, and inclusion at Puma.

She emphasized how “tiring” the position is as a woman of color, where every day she has to face her own trauma as well as that of the company’s employees.

Following the completion of her Bachelor of Science in fashion merchandising with a minor in diversity studies this semester, Mendez-Acevedo said she will be working fulltime as an apprentice for apparel development at Puma.

Though this was the position she’s been dreaming about since attending FSU, she said, “I don’t want to do that forever.

“I am grateful for everything that I’ve experienced in the internship. I’m sure I’ll love the apprenticeship,” Mendez-Acevedo said, adding, but “I don’t want to sit here forever.”

Mendez-Acevedo explained she’s learned how “vicious” corporate culture is and described her other career aspirations.

“I want to teach other little girls like

Leighah Beausoleil / THE GATEPOST me that they are beautiful - that they are valued,” she said.

Mendez-Acevedo said growing up, she did not know she was an Afro-Latina because her mom relaxed her hair.

In November 2020, she said she decided to begin her hair journey by cutting all of her hair off.

“It’s been a fun time experimenting with my hair,” she added, explaining how she would like to write a book about ethnic hair.

Mendez-Acevedo said her ultimate goal would be to open a school for underrepresented students interested in pursuing a career in fashion.

“I can teach them the things that I wish I learned in college because I didn’t learn everything that I wanted to,” Mendez-Acevedo said. “There’s aspects of the Fashion Department where they miss diversity completely.

“The industry for a white student and a Black student is completely different and that’s what they don’t really address in the Fashion Department and I wish they did,” she added.

“My professors have helped me succeed,” Mendez-Acevedo said. “But as a student of color, I have to work 10 times as hard as my white peers to be noticed.”

She explained how the department has allowed her the space to speak up, but that there is still work to be done and she had to remain persistent.

“I really now understand what it’s like to be a student of color, or just a person of color, in the fashion industry because of the Fashion Department.”

Along with her internship this semester, Mendez-Acevedo said she is also doing an independent study with Fashion Professor Laura Kane, where she is completing a project titled, “The Community Upcycling Project.”

For this project, she said she collected clothes donations from the FSU community with help from Millie González, interim dean of Henry Whittemore Library, who stationed a donation box at

the library’s entrance.

Mendez-Acevedo described her surprise at the amount of donations received, with the library’s bin having to be emptied four times.

She said she sorted the clothes into two piles. The first was donated to a community-based nonprofit, Homes2Homes.

The nonprofit is located in Ashland and is owned by FSU alumni Rebecca Carter, she said.

The second pile was used for two workshops that were held Dec. 2 and 3, where fashion students took the clothes and upcycled them, Mendez-Acevedo said.

The designs are currently on display in the library, she said, adding she will be giving a presentation on the project in the library Dec. 14 from 2:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Mendez-Acevedo said the reason she took on the project is because “sustainability has been very whitewashed.”

She explained many misconceptions are spread surrounding the topic of sustainable fashion, where people believe “sustainability is through shopping and buying products that were sourced sustainability.”

She added though that is an aspect of it, it’s not everything.

“Thrift shopping isn’t everything,” Mendez-Acevedo said, pointing out how much of a trend it has become.

“Someone actually needs these products,” she said, describing how people will go into thrift shops with the wrong intentions.

Mendez-Acevedo said growing up, she had no choice, but to shop at thrift stores because she comes from a low income household.

“People don’t realize people like me - like Black people and people of color - grow up sustainable because we don’t have the money to just go buy a bunch of clothes,” she said.

Even as a fashion major, Men-

dez-Acevedo said she considers every piece she buys and asks herself, “Am I going to use this forever or is this just going to go to waste?”

Mendez-Acevedo is also a student co-chair for the Council for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI).

The Council met with students Nov. 30 to prepare a proposal for the incoming FSU president.

It provided a space for students to discuss concerns and what they would like to see in the future in order to “address aspects of diversity, equity, and inclusion on campus,” she said of the event.

She added some of the concerns discussed among the affinity group leaders is the need for a more diverse curriculum and more diverse professors.

Concerns have also been discussed in regard to campus organizations, Mendez-Acevedo said. As an example, she explained how the ASL Club has to pay for event interpreters out of its own budget.

“ASL needs an interpreter,” she added. “That shouldn’t have to come out of their budget.”

During the Board of Trustees’ last meeting, Mendez-Acevedo was bestowed the “Student-in-the-Spotlight” award - nominated by Fashion Department Chair Haewon Ju. Ju said when she first heard the award’s qualifications, she immediately thought of Mendez-Acevedo and all the work she has done not only in the Fashion Department, but within the FSU community itself.

She said she first met Mendez-Acevedo when she came to her to share her experiences and opinions regarding diversity and inclusion within the department’s courses with the goal of sparking a conversation between faculty and students.

The department was able to hold a meeting last year where those conversations took place, she added.

“It was a really good initiation,” Ju said. “We really had a valuable, insightful time.”

During this meeting, Mendez-Acevedo proposed a strategy plan for anti-racism within the department, Ju added.

“She is actually making a really positive impact on her peers and the department overall,” she said.

Ju said the department is working on various ways to implement what students have shared to improve the courses and student experience.

Fashion Professor Virginia Noon said, “We have many fantastic students, but she’s very driven and passionate around this topic [of diversity, equity, and inclusion], and wants to improve things for all of the students within our department - within the University.”

CONNECT WITH LEIGHAH BEAUSOLEIL lbeausoleil@student.framingham.edu

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

14 | DECEMBER 10, 2021

Charity Continued from page 1

Sponsors could select the age range and gender of the child their box would support. Members of Christian Fellowship ensured each box contained toiletries, hygiene products, school supplies, winter clothing, and toys.

Davies said her organization also packed 85 care bags for distribution to people in need during their Dec. 1 meeting.

The care bags were packed in collaboration with Banner Hill Church, Christian Fellowship’s partner church, which provided drawstring bags and items to go inside. Davies said packing the bags was “something that the church needed assistance with because there’s a lot of bags.”

She added the supplies for each bag included hand warmers, gloves, mittens, granola bars, and encouraging notes written by Christian Fellowship members.

Students had an opportunity to take bags to hand out to people in need, and the rest were given to the church to be distributed, according to Davies.

She said Christian Fellowship usually hosts two or three events with

ARTS & FEATURES

havioral Sciences.

KDP set up donation boxes in the McCarthy Center lobby and Whittemore Library, according to Parker.

She added KDP worked with Valerie Hytholt, director of the centers for early childhood education, to request donations from parents of children enrolled at the centers. “We got two wagons full of donations from the families.”

Parker said members shopped at local grocery stores as well to obtain enough non-perishable foods. Because they didn’t have a place to store turkeys, KDP partnered with local grocery stores - including Shaw’s, Market Basket, and Stop & Shop - that donated free gift cards for seven baskets.

KDP donated 20 baskets to Head Start. “I’m so happy to say this,” Parker added. “It is the most that KDP has ever made.

She said each basket contained two boxes of stuffing, two cans of green beans, a can of corn, a can of soup, a box of cornbread mix, a box of mashed potatoes, and a bottle of juice. Macaroni and cheese, pasta, and different types of beans were distributed among the baskets.

Millie González, interim dean of the Whittemore Library, offered to set up a box in the library to collect donations.

“I had to empty out the box about five times because there were so many donations,” Mendez-Acevedo added.

She said donated clothes were then sorted based on their condition. Three “huge bags” of clothes in “perfect condition” were donated to the non-profit.

Carter requested Mendez-Acevedo prioritize winter clothes.

She hoped students would “upcycle” clothes that were not in good enough condition before donating them, but wasn’t able to see that idea through.

However, Mendez-Acevedo held workshops Dec. 2 and 3 for students to practice “upcycling” old clothes.

During the workshops, about 10 students worked with T-shirts, button-up shirts, and “cool prints that they could put together.” While these clothes were “worn out,” Mendez-Acevedo said students did a really good job repairing them.

One student replaced the missing lining in a jacket with flannel fabric, while others cut out stained fabric and replaced the holes with patches.

Some of the “upcycled” garments

“I had to empty out the box about five times because there were so many donations.”

-Gabriela “Gabby” Mendez-Acevedo Senior Fashion Merchandising major volunteer opportunities per semester, promoting them on their Instagram @ cf_fsu.

Davies added, “We have the opportunity to give, whether that’s our time, whether it’s resources, or it’s donations, whether it’s money - anything we can do to help make a difference - that aspect is just so important. We believe the more people who are doing it, the more people we’re encouraging, the bigger of an impact we’re able to have.

Parker, KDP Framingham chapter president, said the honor society created Thanksgiving baskets and donated them to Head Start of Framingham.

Head Start child care centers are run by the Southeastern Middlesex Opportunity Council (SMOC), according to the SMOC website.

Parker said KDP’s annual Thanksgiving basket tradition has lasted at least 10 years.

Each year, members reach out to Head Start of Framingham to coordinate the donation process, according to Parker.

She said KDP advisor Chu Ly created a flyer which was sent to faculty and staff by Susan Dargan, dean of the colleges of Education and Social & Be-

@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com

Parker said KDP began the project the first weekend of November and the finished baskets were picked up Nov. 22.

She said plans are underway to host a book drive or school supply drive next semester to support local public schools.

Mendez-Acevedo, a senior fashion merchandising major, donated clothing to Ashland-based non-profit Home 2 Homes. Rebekah Carter, one of the shelter’s co-founders, is an FSU alumna.

Donating clothes was one part of “The Community Upcycling Project” she created for an independent study.

Mendez-Acevedo said she collected clothing from faculty, staff, and students throughout October.

Because she had worked as the Foundations Peer Mentor intern, Mendez-Acevedo asked Ben Trapanick, director of new student and family programs, to email current peer mentors asking for donations.

“I was a little scared going into doing this project because I thought I was going to be doing it all alone,” Mendez-Acevedo said. “The day after that email got sent out, 20 people emailed me and asked, ‘Where can I donate?’”

are on display in the Whittemore Library. Mendez-Acevedo will give a presentation about the project Dec. 14.

Mendez-Acevedo said the “upcycled” pieces will be kept in the fashion department’s archives and shown at open houses, and some could be placed in the Hemenway lobby on the second floor landing.

Home 2 Homes is currently conducting numerous fundraisers on its Facebook page.

Kayleigh Novac, student involvement finance and operation manager, said the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership Development (SILD) hosted its annual Giving Tree event to collect toys for United Way of Tri-County.

She said this is the seventh year SILD has held the Giving Tree.

SILD provided nearly 300 gifts for 70 children, according to Novac.

She said the majority of donors were faculty and staff. She sent the first requests out in early November, “and almost immediately, my inbox was flooded with people signing up to do it.”

Novac added, “We did have a couple of students do it, too, which was awesome.”

She said a table was set up in the McCarthy Center lobby where FSU community members could read children’s wish lists.

Novac said members of American Sign Language (ASL) Club stopped by the table. She said they collected enough donations through their group, classmates, family, and friends to provide toys for three to four children.

She added departments that sponsored children included New Student and Family Programs, Career Services, Residence Life, Admissions, and Veteran Services. In some cases, individuals from each department donated, while other departments made a collective donation.

“I’ve always been raised on the thought that to someone who has been given so much in life, you should be giving back as much as you can,” Novac said. “That’s why I personally was like, ‘I’m doing the Giving Tree this year. I don’t care if no one else wants to do it - I’m making it happen.”

University Police collaborated with SILD to deliver toys collected for the Giving Tree. The department shared pictures on its Facebook and Twitter pages of the toys being loaded into a police cruiser and delivered to United Way of Tri Country Dec. 6.

University Police Community Resource Officer Katelyn Kelly said she is planning more charitable events for next semester, including collecting clothing donations for veterans in collaboration with the Office of Veteran Services. “It’s in the early stages of planning, but that is something that I want to do.”

Interim Dean González said she missed the Nov. 1 cutoff to register for Toys for Tots, which the library usually co-sponsors with University Police.

However, she reached out to Wayside Youth as a potential partner to continue the library’s tradition of collecting toys for donation.

González said her daughter is a clinician at Wayside Youth. She learned from her that clinicians are the people who hand out toys to the children served by the organization.

“That’s why I asked, ‘Is it possible that we can partner with your organization?’” González said.

“For us not to give away toys this season just didn’t seem right, so that’s why I moved to find another partner,” she added.

Last year, the large donation box in the library was filled over three times.

At the time of publication, González was still waiting for confirmation from Wayside Youth to arrange the library’s donation.

She added public libraries are the “heart of the community” and a great place to learn about ways to donate and give back.

Some charitable activities benefit FSU community members directly.

Meg Nowak Borrego, dean of stu-

Continued on page 15

Charity

ARTS & FEATURES

dents, said her office maintains an emergency meal bank for students who are food insecure.

She said the number of meal swipes in the bank decreased last academic year because fewer students were living on campus and purchasing meal plans. The number increased this semester, especially throughout November and December.

Toward the end of each semester, the Dean of Students Office emails students asking for donations as students prepare to move out of residence halls, according to Nowak Borrego.

She said her office usually provides “a handful” of swipes to each student who requests them. If students require more assistance, she directs them to other resources the University can provide.

“I’ve never not been in a position where I’ve had students ask me for meals, and then I haven’t been able to provide them with some,” she added.

Nowak Borrego said her office also collects donated winter coats and supplies them to community members who need one. This year’s coat drive began Nov. 15, “and we’ll do it until it stops being cold.”

This year, the coat rack is located in the Rams Resource Center (RRC) below West Hall. Nowak Borrego said she hopes people who need a coat will visit the RRC “and then see that the Rams Resource Center is an option for people to use.”

As with meal swipes, Nowak Borrego said she reaches out to students at the end of the fall semester for coat donations. She also reaches out to students when they return in January in case they get a new coat or grow out of their old one to encourage them to donate it.

Nowak Borrego said the RRC is minimizing stock as the semester comes to a close, preparing for a lull during winter break. The RRC restarted operations this semester following a closure

DECEMBER 10, 2021 | 15

due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

She said the Dean of Students Office usually finds volunteers for the center during the spring semester in preparation for the fall.

However, she said this semester, “We had to start hiring people to help us and recruiting volunteers in the fall, because nobody was thinking about that last spring.”

Nowak Borrego said most of the students who worked and volunteered in the center before the pandemic graduated. “So we had to start over again.”

Christine Ruddy, development associate for Circle of Hope, Inc. of Needham, said her organization donated over 1,700 items to the RRC between July 1 and Nov. 30.

These items included over 50 coats and winter accessories, 80 pairs of underwear and socks, 920 hygiene products, 170 sheets, blankets, and comforters, 400 face masks, and 30 “college dorm essentials packages,” which included bedding, towels, a laundry basket, and a shower caddy.

Ruddy said these items are purchased new or discounted with funding from grants and donations, as well as from collection drives.

Courtesy of Kappa Delta Pi honors society Framingham chapter She added Circle of Hope “gratefully welcomes help” organizing collec- KDP created Thanksgiving baskets for families at Head Start in Framignham. tion drives, assembling backpacks for obtained through donations or purNowak Borrego said, “So far, we’ve homeless mothers, and sorting dona- chased through grant funding. been able to help everybody who’s tions for deliveries to shelters.

She encourages anyone interested come down to” the RRC. Andrea Schneider, Distribution in helping to visit their website www.

Lorretta Holloway, vice president Manager for Dignity Matters, said her dignity-matters.org to learn about do- of enrollment and student developorganization provides menstrual care nating and volunteering to sort and ment, said her office can access around products to 50 students each month pack the two million menstrual prod- $38,000 from the Student Support through the RRC. ucts Dignity Matters donates each Fund to provide aid to students, even She said food stamps and WIC ben- year. if they are not eligible for other sourcefits can’t be used to purchase menAccording to data from Robin Kur- es of funding. strual products, and they are rarely komelis, administrative assistant to She said many students avoid seekdonated to food pantries or homeless the Dean of Students, 1,032 individual ing assistance because they know shelters. “Dignity Matters helps 10,000 donations were made to the RRC this someone in a worse situation than people manage their periods with dig- semester. These donations included themselves. nity each month, and for most of them, 300 pounds of food items.

Holloway said students often nowe are the only reliable source of these According to her data, these dona- tice when their peers need assistance products.” tions assisted 76 different individuals before faculty members do. She said Schneider said their products are who utilized the RRC this semester. students who speak up for themselves when they need assistance “have either been trained or trained themselves to advocate for themselves, which is what I wish everybody would do.”

Eric Gustafson, vice president of development and alumni relations, said donations from alumni and friends of the University maintain two funds accessible by the Financial Crisis Response Team - the Student Support Fund and the FSU Alumni Association Emergency Grant Fund.

He added the FSU Foundation has also set aside $50,000 for the Student Support Fund.

Gustafson said this semester, the FSU Foundation also received donations to grow current endowments ranging from $10 to $25,000. These donations “help those funds increase in value and provide more annual scholarship funding for students.”

University Police and SILD employees delivered toys to United Way of Tri-County Dec. 6.

Courtesy of University Police CONNECT WITH DONALD HALSING dhalsing@student.framingham.edu

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

16 | DECEMBER 10, 2021

ARTS & FEATURES

Joy Harjo discusses Native American art

By Emily Rosenberg Arts & Features Editor

By Ryan O’Connell Asst. Arts & Features Editor Joy Harjo is the 23rd Poet Laureate of the United States, and the first Native American to hold that title. She attended a panel sponsored by the Henry Whittemore Library Dec. 8.

In addition to serving as a threeterm poet laureate, she is the chancellor of the Academy of American Books and holds the Tulsa Artists Scholarships. She was recently inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Harjo is the author of “American Joy,” “Crazy Brave,” and “Poet Warrior: a Memoir.”

Harjo discussed an array of topics during the panel, ranging from the importance of time to the impact of relocation on the Muskogees throughout the 19th century.

She first spoke about the importance of time as an element in poetry, and how it isn’t often thought about the same way images or metaphors included in poems are. “Where did that come from? Where did that happen in time?”

“We carry time literally in our DNA. In our bone marrow,” Harjo said.

“If you could look at bone marrow, and in a certain way, it would look like tree rings and you could tell what happened at certain events.”

Harjo shared how memories can be

used to hurt as well. “And they would say that in Muskogee Creek, my relatives ‘we shouldn’t go back there.’

Well, why? ‘You know, because it’s too painful.’”

She then pointed to the “dichotomy of the situation,” and how “our people fought to stay,” but many now find themselves returning to Tulsa because of the negative memories in their homeland.

Harjo explained how she began to think through the lens of “eternal time.”

“Colonization is a blip in terms of what it means to be a Muskogee person. It’s something that … a terrible fracture that we’ve had to deal with, but as Muskogee people, we’re larger than that,” she said.

Harjo added that this overlapped with the concept of a collective memory, speaking about shared memories from groups as small as families to larger parties. She gave the example of the Twin Towers collapsing, before comparing the idea of a group memory to “a ring” and connecting it to Muskogee history.

“When people go through things together, we tend to pull together in terms of trauma and traumatic wΩforced by gunpoint out of your home,” she said.

Harjo spoke about the removal of Native Americans who “were forced to leave behind houses, printing presses, doors, cattle, [and] pianos.”

She added in the collective Amer-

ican memory, she thinks they were thought of as “just savages or primitives hiding in the woods with no culture, no humanity,” she said. “We were called savages, devils.”

Harjo pointed out Native Americans had developed “societies, languages, just like any other society,” and reinforced the fact that there were people living in North America before the colonists arrived.

She criticized the irrational thinking used to justify the forced removal of Native Americans, verbalizing the thoughts of white settlers. “Well, we’re not human beings. And we can take over this whole country, it’s empty. Manifest destiny. No one lives here.”

Harjo is also a musician and can play several instruments including the saxophone and the flute. She has released several albums and won many accolades for them. She described music as helping to carry a story forward.

She shared a bit of one of her songs, “I pray for my enemies.”

“We were running out of bread. As we ran to meet ourselves. We were servicing the edge of our ancestors’ fights and ready to strike. It was difficult to lose days in the Indian bar if you were straight,” she spoke over a beat in the song.

Harjo touched upon the topic of climate change. She said she heard a Native artist speak whose discipline of basket weaving relied heavily on

birch trees.

“He said, ‘we’re not losing the birch trees, the birch trees are losing us,’ and that really stayed with me,” she said.

She added even the word climate change is interesting because everything is always changing. However, some changes are a natural evolution.

“It’s like what happened with colonization. [These changes] are kind of unnatural and destructive.”

Harjo also dis- cussed how her role as poet laureate has helped her bring awareness to Native American community. She said it is a myth that Native Americans are “all dead.”

She said her poet laureate project included digitally mapping 47 living Native poets across the United States, which can be accessed through the Library of Congress.

Harjo also discussed how poetry can play a part in a larger national conversation.

She said with the COVID-19 pandemic, divisiveness, and attempts to destroy democracy, people go to poetry in times of transformation.

“A poem can be a place of hope, discovery, a place to land and to acknowledge the miracles of living and breathing and being,” Harjo said.

CONNECT WITH EMILY ROSENBERG erosenberg@student.framingham.edu CONNECT WITH RYAN O’CONNELL roconnell1@student.framingham.edu

Unions and you - labor in the 21st century

By Ryan O’Connell Asst. Arts & Features Editor Arts & Ideas held a talk discussing the multiple crises facing higher education programs and how students fit into them, Dec. 2.

The first speaker, Jen Sherer, led with an introduction to the importance of worker power, and the importance of that power in regards to “racial, gender, and economic justice.”

“Those of us who care about the future of public education and racial and economic justice have to build our own power,” she said.

Sherer continued on to identify some labor trends being fought for both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The list included the fight for a $15 minimum wage, the necessity for unions, and “bargaining for the common good.”

She then described the meaning of a union, resources to learn more about them, and some key statistics of unions. She added they have positive impacts on aspects like wages and benefits, reducing racial and gender gaps, and on “democracy.” “[Voter] turnout is lower in states

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around the country that have adopted anti-union right-to-work laws that are intended to suppress union membership,” Sherer said.

She concluded her time at the event by asking students to consider the Economic Policy Institute as a resource, and to reach out for help provided by the EARN Worker Power Project.

Joanna Gonsalves, a professor of psychology at Salem State University, continued the discussion by stating that many MSCA (Massachusetts State College Association) schools are deep in debt.

This association includes schools such as Salem, Bridgewater, Fitchburg, and Framingham State universities.

Gonsalves added that the lack of residents on campus during the initial COVID-19 outbreak contributed widely to this debt. She said these circumstances were used as an excuse to furlough workers, ignore tenures and promotions, and “retrenching faculty by closing down programs.

“They were using this threat of the pandemic, rather than use reserves,” she said.

Gonsalves said that the taking on of this capital debt to repair and refinish our schools was then becoming student debt. She shared several graphs showing rising student debts for Salem State undergraduates in 2011, 2016, and 2021.

She then added several ways to engage in your campus to help end debt financing, including methods like attending Board of Trustees meetings, and using your voice as an individual to criticize the Commonwealth.

Gonsalves closed her remarks by encouraging activism to help stop student debt from rising. “We need to pay attention to our Board of Trustees - they’re the decision makers. They’re the ones that are deciding we need to borrow.”

The event continued with a discussion by Michelle Corbin, who began by clarifying that it is important to assure fair working conditions.

“As educators, our work is never just about our contracts. It is never just about our working conditions.

The entire history of public education is that it is meant to be a public good,” Corbin said.

She added that it was important for

students pursuing the roles of educators and union members to defend the public good, before discussing how it was possible to go about that.

Corbin said that the increasingly common practice of universities performing similarly to businesses has also affected unions.

She compared the union model to an insurance policy. “We all come to relate to our union like it’s Geico. You pay your dues, you get your insurance policy, you hire some people to work on your contract, and that’s all you have to do unless you have to file a ‘claim.’ A grievance.”

Corbin added that the power in unions comes from the people in them. She spoke about member-driven unions, and how she loves saying “we are the union” and the idea of a bottom up system.

She concluded by emphasizing how important she felt it was for unions to move away from that business model and toward a member-run organization, and that it was important for members to get involved whenever they could.

CONNECT WITH RYAN O’CONNELL roconnell1@student.framingham.edu

ARTS & FEATURES

DECEMBER 10, 2021 | 17

The Beatles’ legacy carries on at FSU

By Sage Lorenzo Staff Writer In the 1960s and ’70s, The Beatles were considered one of the most influential and popular bands. Fifty years later, the music scene has drastically changed since the Beatles’ heyday.

The Beatles have sold more than 600 million albums, had 25 albums reach number one in the United States, and had 21 songs reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 more than any other band.

The Beatles song “Yesterday” has been covered more than 3,000 times, making it the most-covered song ever.

A recent Forbes article notes that in 2020, only two bands sold more than one million physical albums - Korean pop band BTS and The Beatles. Forbes also states that on streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music, The Beatles have accrued hundreds of millions of plays.

Decades after their breakup, students at FSU may not be familiar with The Beatles’ legacy and influence on the music industry.

The Beatles consisted of guitarist John Lennon, bassist Paul McCartney, guitarist George Harrison, and drummer Ringo Starr. All members contributed vocals, though McCartney and Lennon sang the majority of songs.

From their first album release in 1963 to their final album in 1970, the Beatles’ career can be divided into “early” and “late,” according to Music Professor Christian Gentry. In 1966, they decided to stop touring and focused solely on studio work.

“I didn’t know they had two different eras,” said Gwen Carpenter, junior biology major. Carpenter named songs such as “Hey Jude” and “Here Comes the Sun” as ones she had heard before, both of which are from the Beatles’ later period.

Carpenter did not know any songs from the Beatles’ early period, but said she would know if one were playing on the radio.

Jayden Seto, sophomore history major, also did not know the Beatles had two eras, but named “Yellow Submarine,” another later period song, as one he was familiar with.

The “sound” associated with the Beatles differed greatly between their early songs and their later ones, Gentry said. This was also a reflection of the music that inspired them.

Music Professor Mary Burke said the Beatles’ innovations in the musical fields and their ideas were “eclectic.”

“They’re often given credit for inspiring, along with Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, the whole ‘experimental technology,’” Burke said. “[The Beatles contributed to] expanding the sound palette of rock and roll.”

Burke said, “There really is a difference between their 1963-1964 sound and their music after 1966.

“A sound that I associate with that time is that no one of them was a leader. They each took turns singing.

And the background singing, I think, was also a special sonic feature of their music.”

Anthony Sims, an undeclared junior, said their early music doesn’t focus on “complex guitar,” but rather prioritized “harmonies and catchy melodies.”

Burke said their later musical style and new studio ideas led to distinct songs.

“It’s amazing to me that every single song was different,” she said.

“Every song is really its own unique thing. One is not like the other, and it’s fascinating. They are so different from the early ’60s to the late ’60s… just incredible experimentation in the end there.”

When asked about the members of the band, one Beatle seemed to emerge as a fan-favorite.

“Yes, it was Paul,” said Burke. “He was basically a nice guy with a great sense of humor, and sort of sensitive.

A very smart, very bright kind of a guy.”

Sims also said his favorite Beatle was McCartney, noting his success after the Beatles broke up.

out of necessity, not choice, [but] I think it’s still possible.”

“If you’re popular, there’s a market for any art form,” said Caroline Hawkes, freshman English major.

“People can still connect without meeting [in person].”

Carpenter said that touring and live shows were important for an artist’s success.

“They were really just pushing the boundaries of stuff. They were kind of like the Beethoven of the day.”

-Mary Burke Music Professor “Paul just seemed to have the best career afterwards,” he said. “[He did] his own stuff, you know, [like] Paul McCartney and Wings.”

The Beatles’ advancements for music are a result of developing recording technology during the 1960s, Gentry said. Gentry said shifting records away from 45 rpm singles toward long play records and albums was “the beginning of rock as an art form.

“The record is no longer a snapshot of a live performance,” Gentry said.

“It is now studio music.”

Albums could be created that had more musical freedom rather than simply being recorded versions of a live song.

With album sales dwindling and an ever-greater emphasis placed on streaming and live concerts today, however, artists may not be able to stop touring like the Beatles did.

Sims said bands could focus on studio work, but the “music quality has to be there.

“It could definitely be done,” he said. “It was done for a really long time because of COVID. It was done

gether than they would have been separately.”

“The [Beatles’] music is a reflection of a culture that is changing and how the music is related to an industry that is emerging,” Gentry said. “They represent this kind of time capsule of a shifting industry that they adapted to.”

The Beatles have endured today as one of the most influential bands for artists of all generations, inspiring countless artists to write their own music, according to Rolling Stone.

Rolling Stone also cites artists that have been inspired by the Beatles, including Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, and Dave Grohl of Nirvana and Foo Fighters.

Burke said the Beatles’ arrival in the United States was shortly after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Their music provided “positive energy” and they were a “super distraction,” helping to catapult their success.

“In this short amount of time, they have been incredibly influential,” Burke said. “What they do rhythmically… changing meters and adding extra meters and having asymmetrical structures in the melodies ... their harmonic experimentation in the later stuff is absolutely incredible.

“They were really just pushing the boundaries of stuff,” Burke said.

“They were kind of like the Beethoven of the day.”

Despite their influence, Gentry advises not to “mythologize” the Beatles. He said rock was not born with nor did it die with the Beatles. Rather, they helped pave the way for future artists.

“I think the Beatles are trailblazers, but they’re not the temple at the end,” Gentry said. “They definitely said, ‘Here, we’ve got the torches. Follow us.’”

“That social aspect is needed,” she said. “You can’t quit that. It’s all about the fans.”

Burke said musicians nowadays need to “put themselves out there.

“I think sometimes they’re making it just by putting themselves out on social media,” Burke said. “I mean, even if you do put yourself out on social media, people expect to have a visual, not just you working in the studio.”

Gentry said live music is important because streaming services are not very profitable for musicians. In addition to live music, funding services such as Bandcamp and Patreon, as well as artists licensing their music for use in commercials, are ways of getting exposure and money, Gentry said.

The Beatles’ chemistry together, as well as their ability to adapt their music to a changing society, were key reasons for their success as well, Gentry said.

Seto said their “craftsmanship and quality of their music” were reasons CONNECT WITH SAGE LORENZO behind their success. slorenzo@student.framingham.edu Burke said they “were stronger to-

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ARTS & FEATURES

18 | DECEMBER 10, 2021

Toys, fairies, and snowflakes ‘The Nutcracker’ returns

By Leighah Beausoleil Associate Editor

By Austin Riffelmacher Multimedia Critic The Boston Ballet’s production of “The Nutcracker” has returned to the Citizen Bank Opera House for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.

With its transcendent Tchaikovsky score, sumptuous scenery, and dynamic dancers, this Christmas tradition, though antiquated at times, has the power to delight even Scrooge himself.

Except for 2020, Mikko Nissinen’s “Nutcracker” has played every December at the Opera House since 2012.

Nissinen chose not to go out of his way to radically rethink the classic moments of the ballet - which in some cases, brings the production to a grinding halt. For example, the battle scene between the Nutcracker Prince and the Mouse King in Act One is dreadful in its content and staging.

The first 30 minutes of the ballet are purposefully geared toward children.

Students in the Boston Ballet’s division for children take center stage in the Christmas Party scene. The young dancers are quite talented and hold their own with professional dancers from around the globe.

The beginning of the first act had

its highlights - notably when the lifesize toys performed their dances.

The mechanical ballerina’s movements exhibited control yet grace creating the illusion of a real-life doll.

The stuffed bear’s performance was entertaining. As it enters the stage by bursting through its box, the audience erupts into laughter at the costume design depicting a bear with a large and frightening face that would make the wildest of black bears cower to its knees.

It feels like once Clara and the Nutcracker Prince go into the Magical Forest, the dancing finds its footing. The “Dance of the Snowflakes” creates a stunning stage picture with ballerinas leaping through the falling snow bringing the first act to a close just when things start getting interesting for the adults in the audience.

The second act musically and choreographically is far more complex than the childlike wonder of Act One. Act Two benefits from the fact that all of the world-famous Tchaikovsky tunes are stacked one after the other.

Whether it’s the Russian Dancers or the Sugar Plum Fairy, the iconic moments bring the audience to the edge of their seats.

The array of costumes created

by Robert Perdziola is intricate and beautifully made. Each formation of dancers has its distinct character.

Perdziola also did the sets, which are pretty but rickety. Audiences who

mainly go to Broadway touring pro- spectacular. The skill, grace, and athductions at the Opera House will be leticism they exude remind you why surprised at how expansive the stage their profession is so unique, and why after almost two years without is.

Another surprise, frankly the high- live performances, they are needed. light of the evening, is the production’s 46 piece orchestra. Everyone should at least hear this music live once in their life, even if the idea of sitting through the ballet is excruciating.

The form makes it difficult for those unfamiliar with the story to follow it. That’s not to say it’s “Les Miserables.” Watching narrative dance is a way of reading theater that requires adept skill. :e A Though the performers were specad r G tacular, the story’s content was questionable, with the premise being Clara wanting a life-size version of her Nutcracker. But then in the second act, the story seemingly is about the Nutcracker Prince taking Clara into the clouds to introduce her to his girlfriend.

Perhaps it’s best not to intellectualize holiday fare.

Despite Clara being the character who gives “The Nutcracker” its narrative, she spends almost the entirety of Act Two sitting on a couch with her CONNECT WITH Uncle Herr Drosselmeyer watching LEIGHAH BEAUSOLEIL her Nutcracker and others perform lbeausoleil@student.framingham.edu various dances of thanks for saving CONNECT WITH his life.

Both the women playing the Dew- AUSTIN RIFFELMACHER drop and the Sugar Plum Fairy were ariffelmacher@student.framingham.edu

THE GATEPOST WISHES EVERYONE

Happy Holidays!

WE WILL BE BACK IN JANUARY!

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Puzzles

ARTS & FEATURES

ACROSS 1. Record book?

4. Fictional French elephant 9. Health org. based in Atlanta 12. Over again 14. X Games jump 15. Agitate 16. *Filmmaker’s organization tool 18. Mystical radiance 19. Hawkins for whom a dance was named 20. Nickname that omits “dore” 21. “Fifty Shades of ___” 22. For all to see 24. Sound of contempt 26. Secluded valleys 29. Shakes skillfully?

32. Tightest pals, briefly 35. Stolen stuff 37. Gem with bands 38. “The Voice” coach Grande, informally 39. *“Frasier” or “Fuller House” 41. Whole lot 42. Peanut butter cup surname 44. Capital of Latvia 45. Road turn 46. Vendor 48. Seabees’ optimistic motto 50. Fooled 52. Lady of Spain 56. Cowardly Lion portrayer Bert 58. Distinct times 61. Red Delicious parts that aren’t delicious 62. Rush job acronym 63. Like a doubleheader ...or each starred clue’s answer, based on what can precede both its parts?

65. Religious offenses 66. Possessed 67. Central Plains native 68. Possessed 69. Divers may hold them 70. Put the kibosh on

DECEMBER 10, 2021 | 19

9. *When a trial occurs 10. Grave, as circumstances 11. Pot ingredient?

13. Squeezes dry 15. Homemade floor covering 17. Whoop 23. Restaurant review app 25. “Frozen” snowman 27. “Nightmare Alley” genre 28. Like a loud boom 30. English school since 1440 31. Transmit 32. Chewy breakfast choices 33. Unleash 34. *Farm laborer 36. Frat party attire 39. Ooze 40. They clap and cheer 43. Drinks noisily 45. Notably altruistic ape 47. Nike rival 49. Art ___ (Chrysler Building’s style) 51. Like butter, at times 53. Speak grandly 54. Info-gathering mission 55. Invited 56. Lid attachment?

57. Continent with many steppes 59. It often clears up with age 60. ___-Ball (arcade game) 64 NFL game highlights

Puzzle solutions are now exclusively online.

DOWN 1. Roundup rope 2. Ready for pouring 3. Rock that’s often cut in half 4. Short, even hairdo 5. Zillions 6. Uninteresting 7. Buenos ___ 8. Not in its original form FRAMINGHAM STATE UNIVERSITY'S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1932 | FSUGATEPOST.COM

PHOTOS

20 | DECEMBER 10, 2021

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Nathan Rogers / THE GATEPOST Black Student Union at Engagement Day, taken for issue 3.

Leighah Beausoleil / THE GATEPOST Students at Homecoming carnival, taken for issue 2.

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Maddison Behringer / THE GATEPOST Dance team members at “Power” final dress rehearsal, taken for issue 11.

r te es

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Emma Lyons / THE GATEPOST Hilltop members performing at final dress rehearsal of “Clue,” taken for issue 10.

rapped

Maddison Behringer / THE GATEPOST Students petting therapy dog at Pause 4 Paws, taken for issue 12.

Spread by Maddison Behringer and Emma Lyons, Interim Design Editors / THE GATEPOST

Donald Halsing/ THE GATEPOST Leighah Beausoleil / THE GATEPOST Danielle Achin / THE GATEPOST Gatepost staff members reading editorial published in Football players at Homecoming game, taken for Women’s soccer player, taken for issue 1. issue 4. issue 2.

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