Jan. 28, 2022

Volume 90 • Issue 13

January 28, 2022

pproachin t o years of C

D

FSUgatepost.com

Donald Halsing / THE GATEPOST A familiar scene at FSU during the COVID-19 pandemic: students (left) Barry, Tayla, Joe, Kayla, Hanna, Caitlin, Nick, and Nicole wear their masks 11 Feb. 2021.

News SGA pg. 3 COVID BY THE NUMBERS pg. 6

Opinions

Gatepost survey reveals 68% of students su ere mental health concerns ue to C D pan emic Majority of students learn better in person, according to survey

By Danielle Achin Sports Editor

By Caroline Gordon Arts & Features Editor

By Ashlyn Kelly News Editor FILM CRITIC DIVERSITY pg. 8 HALEY’S COMIC pg. 9

Sports

By James Barraford Staff Writer

By Dallas Gagnon Staff Writer

By Stefano Hernandez Staff Writer

By Branden LaCroix Staff Writer

By Lydia Staber Staff Writer

Gatepost Archives WOMEN’S BASKETBALL pg. 10

Arts & Features PAULA YOO pg. 11 BEST OF 2021 pg. 12-13

In an unscientific survey conducted by The Gatepost late in the fall semester, nearly 70% of students said their mental health had been negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nearly 85% of survey respondents reported learning better in an in-person setting and 55.6% said

they do not favor more online classes being offered.

The survey was taken by 250 students from Nov. 18 to Nov. 29.

Of the 250 respondents, 29.2% were seniors, 26% were juniors, 20% were sophomores, 22.4% were freshmen, 1.2% were graduate students, and 1.2% were unsure.

Resident students made up 69.2% of survey respondents and 30.8% were commuters.

In regards to gender identity, 55.6% were women, 40% were men, 2.8% were non-binary, and 0.4% were transgender.

Impact on mental health Of the 250 Gatepost survey respondents, 68.4% said their mental health had been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, 25.6% said it had not been, and 6% said they preferred not to say.

Many students reported feelings of depression, anxiety, and hopelessness.

A survey respondent said, “My depression and anxiety got worse, and I got too burnt out to have any motivation to do anything.”

Another respondent said, “I couldn’t make any real connections

with anyone and having to work alone made me feel useless and stupid. I couldn’t get anything done.”

Amber Brown, a senior accounting major, said, “I feel tired every single time I arrive on campus. I never come in thinking I’ll be relaxed. I’m always thinking about my mask. I’m always thinking about being sick and missing assignments.

“My anxiety is definitely through the roof,” she added.

Dean of Students Meg Nowak Borrego said she is not surprised to hear students have been struggling with mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

She said the majority of counseling and health services appointments during the last academic year were conducted online through telehealth.

However, this year, she was surprised the majority of students preferred to have in-person appointments rather than scheduling virtual ones.

“We just weren’t sure what the students were going to want. We thought more people would find it more convenient to do telecounseling and they’ve chosen to physically walk to the Health Center and sit in

See COVID-19 SURVEY page 4

INSIDE: OP/ED 8 • SPORTS 10 • ARTS & FEATURES 11

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2 | JANUARY 28, 2022

atepost ntervie

Editorial Board

ohn antoro

Editor-in-Chief Donald Halsing

Chief of Framingham State University Police

Associate Editors Leighah Beausoleil Kathleen Moore

By Haley Hadge News Editor

News Editors Steven Bonini Haley Hadge Ashlyn Kelly 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 Design Editors Maddison Behringer Emma Lyons Copy Editor Patrick Brady Staff Writers James Barraford Jackson Clyde Dan Fuentes Dallas Gagnon Mark Haskell Stefano Hernandez Branden LaCroix Sage Lorenzo Johan Perez Nathan Rogers

What motivated you to apply to this position?

So my career goal all along, through those 30 to 33 years, was to eventually become a police chief, and be able to provide leadership for a department.

Being here at Framingham State for the past 10 years serving as the deputy chief - that was sort of a step forward to where I was looking to go. I like it here.

I enjoyed my time here for the past 10 years, or 10-and-a-half years now, and I wanted to continue to stay here and continue to provide leadership to the members of our department.

Multimedia Critics Sean Cabot Jack McLaughlin Ryan Schreiber Advisor Desmond McCarthy

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Asst. Advisor Elizabeth Banks

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What is your professional and educational background?

The highest degree that I have is a master’s degree in criminal justice administration, and I have a bachelor’s degree and three associate’s degrees as well. So the master’s in criminal justice administration - I got that from Western New England University. Last July, I just started my 33rd year of policing. I’ve been here at Framingham State University Police Department for 10 years.

From October of 2010 up until this past summer, I’ve been serving as the deputy chief, and then over the summer, I was the interim chief of police, and eventually became the chief of police back in this past December. Prior to coming here to Framingham State University and serving as the deputy chief, I worked for the Methuen Police Department for 20 years and over there, I worked in a variety of capacities. I started as a parttime officer, then as a full-time officer.

I eventually went to the detective division. After the detective division, I was assigned to city hall to the mayor’s office, and they appointed me as the Director of Emergency Management for the city. ver five-and-a-half years or so, I oversaw emergency management functions of the city, still as a police officer, but that was just my assignment over there.

What are your top three objectives entering into this new year as Chief of Police?

One of the objectives and, I guess in no particular order, would be to change the perception of the police department. So I want folks to understand that we’re here We’re a very @T to help them.

HEPolice OST GATEPDepartment. transparent We’re a very open police department. We’re not here to hurt anybody. We’re here to keep everybody safe. And we’re an approachable Police Department. There’s a negative perception of the police department that we want to change. …

We’re not here to hurt and we provide services for everyone here. So that’s one

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 o s Tuesday, Jan. 25 11:56 Follow-Up Investigation 100 State St Assignment Complete

of the things, is really to change our perception to see that we are really friendly, outgoing members of the community as well. Some of us go to school here. Some of us, our children go to school here.

Many officers’ children have gone, and go to school here. We’re members of the community as well. Another [objective] is to provide a safe environment for people to learn, work, and live. That goes for students, faculty, staff, visitors, guests, and anybody here on campus. Just like any other city or town we live, work, and learn. We want you to feel that here in this community as well. And be more approachable, have our officers be more approachable and outgoing.

What hobbies or activities do you enjoy in your free time?

I guess there’s a few. I’m a lifelong learner - as I said, I have five college degrees. If I had time, I would have probably gone for my Ph.D. in some sort of criminal justice field or gotten my law degree. But at this point, my focus is on my job right now, and to provide the best I can here at the P.D. I love to learn. I love to go to trainings. For a little bit more fun, I like to golf. I’d love to travel internationally [and] domestically, and also, I like to act. I haven’t done anything in a while because again, I’m focusing on my job. I’ve acted in local productions.

I’ve acted in Hollywood productions, and some independent movie companies. I’ve done training in compliance videos. I’ve done print media, and stuff like that. So that’s my secret hobby, you know, but again, that’s last on my line because I try to take care of all my other stuff first. It’s a great way to step out of the norm, the realm, of everyday life and do something a little different that people don’t expect out of you.

Do you have any advice for students?

I think the students should really enjoy their time here because it goes by quickly. I remember my days of going to college, getting there like, “Oh my god, I’m away from home.” And before you know it, “Boom,” I was graduating, and it just seemed to go by in a blink of an eye. I didn’t take advantage of a lot of opportunities. Later on down the line, I regret not doing some clubs, or doing some other things or hanging out more. Because my first college I went to, we went to school four days a week and we worked three days a week. So I just focused on the work part. . So you know, I didn’t take advantage of everything that was there. So I think students should really enjoy their time here, take advantage of as much stuff as possible, and really have some fun while learning. But, I’m on the police side of it now and the parent side now. So I’ll say, “Go and have that fun, but be safe and be re-

Tuesday, Jan. 25 15:43 Motor Vehicle Lockout Maynard Rd Parking Lot Services Rendered

Courtesy of Rite Academy sponsible when you’re having that fun.”

Because you just never know what can happen - what can go wrong. You don’t want to overdo it. It’s part of your learning - going away to college away from home, usually away from your friends and family support people. So you know, you just need to be safe. Have fun but be safe about it.

Is there an overarching message you would like to convey to the FSU community?

The police department’s here to serve all members of the Framingham State community. Students, faculty, staff, guests, visitors, and being an open campus like we are, we have neighbors walking through campus. So we have interactions with citizens, too, and we still need to be good neighbors. So we’re here to serve everybody in the community. We want to keep them all safe. One of the other messages I want to get out there - people are very reluctant to contact the police. Sometimes, I don’t know what the reasons are. Maybe they’re afraid and say, “I don’t want to be a pain,” or “I don’t want to be a tattletale.” So I always say, “Err on the side of caution.” Contact the police if you have something that you’re questioning, whether it’s from parking, to a suspicious person, to something you saw if something doesn’t seem right. Call us up and let us sort through, let us figure out what’s going on. Don’t put yourself in jeopardy. Just be a great set of eyes and ears and contact us and say, “Hey, I see this going on. I just want to let you know about it.” We’ll say, “Thanks,” and we’ll get as much information as we can and we’ll go look into the matter… We want folks to report the stuff as soon as possible.

CONNECT WITH HALEY HADGE hhadge@student.framingham.edu

Wednesday, Jan. 26 00:55 State Parking Enforcement Crocker Hall Citation Inssued

Wednesday, Jan. 26 22:00 Alarm (Fire/Smoke) Peirce Hall Alarm

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JANUARY 28, 2022 | 3

approves fun in for an utin Clu re uests iscusse en er inclusive restrooms

By Branden LaCroix Staff Writer SGA approved funding requests for ASL club for an event for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community and the Outing Club’s twice-weekly trips to a rock-climbing gym during its first Spring 2022 meeting Jan. 25.

The ASL club requested $7,000 to fund an event that will feature small business owners and organizations from the deaf community. The funds will be used to rent a stage and invite social justice speakers, the Deaf DJ, “visual vernacular presenters,” and a magician, all of whom are deaf.

ASL President Mackenzie Lloyd said, “We want to plan an event where we can provide a platform for diverse deaf and hard-of-hearing folks where they’ll be able to promote and share their information about their agencies, their small businesses, and be able to present their hobbies and skills,” and to open “up a space for deaf, hard-ofhearing families to come together, socialize, and have fun.”

Lloyd said the ASL Club will also be present to provide information about FSU’s ASL programs.

She added the ASL Club is reaching out to deaf schools and local high schools with ASL programs to invite them to the event, which Lloyd added would allow them to “check out FSU as a potential candidate for their college.”

SGA has already provided $1,500 as a co-sponsor of the event, and provides $5,000 every semester to hire interpreters, which is included in the funding request.

Funding for the event was approved unanimously. The event will take place in the Maynard Lot April 23 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The Outing Club requested $4,080 for its twice-weekly trips to the Framingham Central Rock Gym. The funding would be used to purchase tickets for eight people per trip to the gym.

Outing Club President Andrew Doig said the club started making trips to the gym last semester and is “looking to carry it forward into this one.”

He said the club had “negotiated a discount” with the gym for $15 per

ticket.

Doig said students wanting to go on the trips will not have to buy or rent their own equipment as it is included with the tickets.

The funding request was passed unanimously.

President Kenzie Ward said she spoke with Meg Nowak Borrego, dean of students, about changing one of the two women’s bathrooms on the second floor of the McCarthy Center into a gender-inclusive bathroom.

Ward said she and Eric Nguyen, director of the Center for Inclusive Excellence, discussed the issue last semester.

She said, “He and I noticed that there are no multiuser gender-inclusive re-

Ward presented a memo to be included with Nowak Borrego’s request.

The memo states, “Gender-inclusive restrooms provide a safe and private facility for members of the LGBTQIA+ community, parents and guardians of young children, and people who require assistance when using the facilities.”

The memo also states, “The creation of a multiuser gender-inclusive restroom would be a step forward in our University’s commitment to inclusive excellence.”

During open forum, Secretary Sam Houle said while in five-day uarantine, meals were not delivered to him because his meal plan had not started

“[I] had to resort to getting food through a five-gallon bucket on a rope made of trash bags.”

-Sam Houle, SGA Secretary strooms located on campus. They’re all single user.”

Ward said there is one gender-inclusive restroom located in the McCarthy Center, but said it is difficult to locate.

“You have to go through the Forum or go through the dining office to get to it and there’s no visible signage.” She added the only way to know about it is through the FSU website.

“I just don’t think it’s fair to make those who decide to use a gender-inclusive bathroom have to do so much just to find a restroom on campus,” she said.

If the request is approved, converting one of the restrooms will need a renovation as the new restroom will re uire “floor-to-ceiling” stalls and a reworking of the sprinkler system.

“It’s not as easy as just putting up a new sign,” Ward said. “It’s a little more expansive than I thought it was going to be.”

yet.

Houle said he did not receive meals for the first three days of his uarantine and “had to resort to getting food through a five-gallon bucket on a rope made of trash bags.”

Dara Barros, diversity and inclusion officer, said she has heard student concerns with the new student contract that students must agree to before they can register for classes.

According to Barros, three students told her they had to pay their bill in full before they were allowed to register for classes.

“It’s so hard for students to come back already,” she said. “And this is just an extra step that they have to take.”

Vice President Emma Sullivan said she has issues with student teaching not qualifying as a paid internship.

She said, “Every single grant that I’ve applied to is saying that it’s unavailable for student teachers.

“I just think it’s wrong that, in order for us to get our degree, we have to work full time for free,” she added.

President Ward said she has concerns with the University’s communication with students, claiming many FSU departments readily speak with faculty and staff, but not students.

She said, “I feel like students are sometimes forgotten in conversations.”

She added, “As a student, it makes me feel like I’m not welcomed here at FSU.” During officer reports, Ward, speaking on behalf of Student Activities Trust Fund Treasurer John Finkle, said there may be budget cuts to SGA due to low enrollment.

During the President’s report, Ward said she is working on a student survey with Rachel Lucking, assistant dean of Student Engagement, about the Student Commuter Lounge in the McCarthy Center.

She said, “We’re looking into what could make the Commuter Lounge more appealing to students, especially commuters, and seeing what things could benefit commuters in that space.”

Ward announced she is planning a “hot-chocolate bar” on Feb. 8 from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

During the Vice President’s report, Emma Sullivan announced the Drag Bingo event featuring drag queen Mayhem Miller, which will take place Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. in DPAC. Sullivan added she requested a table in the McCarthy Center for a Black Lives Matter banner that students can sign to show support.

During the advisor’s report, SGA Advisor Sara Gallegos said two search committees for University provost and the vice president of DICE are underway.

[Editor’s Note: Mckenzie Ward is Opinions Editor for The Gatepost.]

CONNECT WITH BRANDEN LACROIX blacroix@student.framingham.edu

Correction

A Dec. 10 article, “Stop & Shop awards funds to Framingham State’s Food and Nutrition Department,” erroneously stated students applying for the scholarship must be from an “underrepresented population.”

According to Jerusha Nelson-Peterman, chair of the food and nutrition department, the scholarship gives preference to students from underrepresented backgrounds, but is not limited to them.

We apologize for this error. The online edition of this article has been corrected.

eather

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

Sunday night Jan. 30 Partly cloudy, with a low around 10. Wind around 5 mph.

Monday Jan. 31 Mostly sunny, with a high near 30. Light wind.

Monday night Jan. 31 Mostly clear, with a low around 15. Calm wind.

Tuesday night Feb. 01 Mostly cloudy, with a low around 25. Light wind.

Wednesday night Feb. 02 Cloudy, with a low around 35. Wind around 5 mph.

Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Tuesday Feb. 01 Mostly sunny, with a high near 35. Wind around 5 mph.

Wednesday Feb. 02 Mostly cloudy, with a high near 45. Wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Thursday Feb. 03 Cloudy, with a high near 50. Wind around 10 mph.

Chance of precipitation is 60%.

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

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4 | JANUARY 28, 2022

COVID-19 survey a room with someone,” she said.

Continued from page 1 Sadie Fitzgerald, a sophomore business & information technology major, said, “During lockdown, the Health Center only wanted to talk about COVID-related stress.

Like yes, of course COVID stresses me out, but it’s not the root of my issues.

“Freshman year felt a lot better because I actually got to speak about the personal issues that were affecting me,” Fitzgerald added.

Glenn Cochran, associate dean of students and student life, said he is “not surprised” the mental health of students has declined due to the pandemic as he thinks students feel “less certain about the future.”

He noted the uncertainty is stressful for college students because of the job market during a pandemic.

“Jobs and the way people go to work are less certain than they used to be. That plays on confidence and anxiety. People are dealing with unique challenges today,” he said.

Some students were affected by COVID-19 before they even stepped onto campus.

One survey respondent said, “My senior year of high school was severely impacted by the pandemic.

My grades started slipping and I had absolutely no motivation to do any work.”

Andrea Pizzotti, a junior English major, said initially, her mental health was impacted by “getting [COVID-19] [herself ], so it was hard to adjust to that. And the elimination of social interaction really was hard.”

She added another hardship was “reintegrating into college life. Most of my friends graduated because they were a higher class than me and I feel like a freshman in my junior year. It’s insane that so much of my circle is just gone.”

Sam Bombara, a freshman mathematics major, said he “became depressed” in his senior year of high school because of the “lack of interaction with [his] best friends.”

He added, “I felt hopeless to finish all of the work that had stacked on top of me due to my lack of motivation mixed with my depression.”

One survey respondent said, “Being away from friends and extended family was really hard. I felt very lonely this past school year and was finding it difficult to separate school work from home life.”

Another survey respondent said, “Being on lockdown while having online classes was very difficult to manage and eventually made me feel [depressed] for months.”

Another respondent said, “I missed opportunities in life and missed out on my last days of high school.”

Another respondent said, “I have been much more stressed and my anxiety is pretty bad due to not feeling like I am as prepared because COVID affected me my senior year of

@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com

high school and beyond.”

In regards to their mental health, one survey respondent said, “Let’s just say I’m medicated now.”

Benjamin Day, director of the Counseling Center, said, “I think what we see is that most students - certainly based on what I’ve been observing as they come here - are pretty resilient in terms of being able to reconnect.

“But what I get the sense of is that everyone feels that there’s been a disruption in their school life that

Day said students are “doing a remarkable job of being able to come back from a pandemic - something that no one has experienced to this extent in 100 years.”

He added, “We don’t know necessarily what the future looks like, because cases keep going up,” but “the FSU campus is really much more positive and resilient than maybe we give ourselves credit for.”

President F. Javier Cevallos said mental health is a communal concern and has been a conversation at

Ashlyn Kelly / THE GATEPOST they are still trying to come to terms with,” he added.

Day said this fall semester has been “a defining moment of their college existence” for sophomore students who were freshmen the previous academic year, and added, “We’re not really sure how this will impact them five years from now, [or] 10 years from now.”

Several survey respondents said they experienced suicidal ideations during the pandemic.

Day said the students who expressed these thoughts should seek the help of the Counseling Center.

“I think what happens in many instances is that students - people in general, not just students - take those ideations and say, ‘I’m going to be OK,’ ‘I’ll be OK, I’ll be OK,’ and

the Board of Trustees’ level.

He added, “We are worried about the entire campus community feeling that kind of stress and anxiety,” and encouraged students to “take advantage” of the Counseling Center on campus.

For those experiencing a mental health crisis, the Counseling Center’s web page lists resources students can use.

The check-in hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., according to the FSU website.

The phone number for the Counseling Center is 508-626-4640 and the email address is counselingcenter@framingham.edu.

The phone number for the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255.

tainty brought on by the lockdown.

Ryan Reynolds, a senior communication, media, and performance major, said, “It was weird seeing everyone not on a screen because we’ve all gotten so used to each other in a box.

“Now, we’re back to being in person where we’re now all being judged, not just on our personality, but how we look.”

Kaily Russell, a senior elementary education major, said, “My transition went from living on campus, online [classes] to living off campus, in-person [classes], and all of my classes happen to be really early. …

I have to commute 40 minutes, four times a week.”

Russell said she “was getting used to doing online work. It felt easier.

Being back in person full time is a lot harder.”

Angela Orosco, a sophomore political science major, said, “My first year felt so emotionless. I couldn’t make friends with anyone in person and being physically back made me realize how left out I was.”

Rebecca Moore, a junior psychology major, said, “It’s refreshing to be back and see everyone living life as usual. When I walk outside and don’t see people wearing masks, I like to pretend everything is back to normal, even though it’s clearly not.”

One survey respondent said, “I don’t trust that everyone is following protocols and I do get scared imagining someone sick can be in my dorm hall right now.”

President Cevallos said he believes class standing could influence students’ transition back to campus.

He said, “During COVID last year, very few students were on campus and very few first-year students.

“A lot of the second-year students on campus today are actually first-year on-campus students, in the sense that they are experiencing campus life as the first-year students,” Cevallos added.

“It is difficult for any student from high school to transition into college - it’s a totally different world,” he said.

Concern for contracting COVID-19 on campus

Ashlyn Kelly / THE GATEPOST they escalate as opposed to de-escalate,” he said.

“There’s no shame in saying …

‘I’ve been having these feelings and I need to talk to someone about it,’” he said. “ That’s what we’re here for.”

Day added the Counseling Center has “check-in hours” set aside during the day for students with emergencies when they can be seen by staff.

“If someone is in crisis, they’ll be seen that day,” he said.

Difficulty of being back in person Gatepost survey respondents were asked how difficult it has been being back to an in-person environment on a scale of 1 to 5 - “1” being not difficult and “5” being very difficult.

Of the survey respondents, 10.4% selected “5,” 22.8% selected “4,” 27.6% selected “3,” 21.2% selected “2,” and 18% selected “1.”

Many survey respondents said they experienced a sense of uncer-

Gatepost survey respondents were asked how concerned they were about contracting COVID-19 during in-person classes on a scale from 1 to 5 - “1” being unconcerned and “5” being very concerned.

Of the survey respondents, 7.2% selected “5,” 12.8% selected “4,” 33.2% selected “3,” 19.2% selected “2,” and 27.6% selected “1.”

Ellen Zimmerman, interim provost and vice president of Academic Affairs, said she was “not surprised” the majority of students were not overly concerned about contracting COVID-19 in their classrooms.

She believes the University “has a good protocol in place.”

According to Zimmerman, some protocols the University offers are

See COVID-19 SURVEY page 5

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JANUARY 28, 2022 | 5

COVID-19 survey weekly testing for the campus com-

instruction is in person.”

She noted she taught online courses for “many years,’’ and “found that the students that have taken more of them [online classes] get better and better.

“Like anything else, it’s a new way of learning,” Zimmerman added.

LaDonna Bridges, associate dean of Academic Success and Achievement and director of CASA, said, “It’s an interesting disconnect between what they tell you that they want and then what they acknowledge [works for them].

“It’s not necessarily just what you prefer [online or in-person] - it’s ‘What are you most successful in?’”

Bridges said. “I think there may be a desire for that [online] modality, but the real million-dollar question is, ‘Are they more successful?’”

One survey respondent said, “It was hard adjusting to remote classes and managing my time. Then, I had to readjust to in-person class, which was hard to do. I’m still struggling with time management again now that my classes are mostly in person.”

Continued from page 4 munity, an indoor masking policy and reduced class sizes in response to COVID-19.

“We [are] probably safer on campus than we [are] going grocery shopping,” she said. “It wasn’t just that they [students] felt safe, but they actually [are] pretty safe and our COVID positive rate has stayed quite low.”

Sarah Sagan, a senior English major, said, “I think that being vaccinated helps others and alleviates concerns.”

William Martinez, a junior biology major, said, “Being a commuter and living at home with a big family, I can’t afford to catch the virus.

Knowing not everyone is vaccinated worries me.”

Mirari Elcoro, a psychology professor, said at the beginning of the semester, she was “petrified” to reintegrate into an in-person classroom.

She said, “I didn’t know how comfortable my students felt.”

She added she is “still concerned because it is not like the pandemic is over.

“Sometimes I struggle with wanting my students to know certain things but I don’t want to take up the whole space of the class. ... Juggling the reality of the course and the reality of the University is tough because again, it affects us all,” said Elcoro.

SGA President McKenzie Ward said she would support requiring a booster shot every six months in order to protect the community.

She said the University should make the booster shots available on campus.

“People are going to be more willing to do things accessible to them, rather than them having to go out of their way,” she added.

performance was negatively affected because of the COVID-19 pandemic, while 43.6% said it was not, and 9.2% said they preferred not to say.

Many survey respondents said they had difficulty paying attention.

One survey respondent said, “It was hard to stay on task with my homework when I was doing everything in the same bedroom I slept in, relaxed in, and watched T.V. “My attention span made doing my academic work a monumental task, and it snowballed. My GPA dropped and I’m on academic probation as a result. I know if I was in person last year, things would have been different.”

Ceilidh Rice, a junior communication, media, and performance major, said, “I mostly saw good things in terms of my grades when I was online.

“I wasn’t struggling with classes before the change, but I did feel more relaxed staying home than having to travel to class every day, worrying if I was behind on my work,” she added.

Ashlyn Kelly / THE GATEPOST

Online vs. in-person learning Fewer than half of Gatepost survey respondents, 44.4%, reported they would prefer being offered more online courses.

However, 84.8% of respondents reported learning better in person than remotely.

When asked to elaborate, survey respondents reported feeling unmotivated and having a poor classroom experience online.

President Cevallos said, “I’m not surprised at all. I think most people learn better in person.”

Cevallos said he believes “online and remote learning is a tool” and can be useful in certain settings, “but nothing can replace that interaction you have in the classroom. …

You learn not only from the professor, but from the students.”

Interim Provost Zimmerman said the survey data is consistent with research concerning how students respond to online learning compared to in-person learning.

She said, “People tend to learn better when at least some of the

Hannah Polansky, a senior English major, said learning online was a “dumpster fire” in comparison to learning in person.

Daphne Blanc, a sophomore English major, said learning online was “more relaxed and went by my pace.

“It made me less scared about the workload of the class,” Blanc said. “I also thought professors were more accommodating than previous years because of the transition.

“I did feel like I couldn’t retain all the things I was being taught - like the memories wouldn’t stick,” Blanc added.

Noa Geva, a junior food and nutrition major, said it’s not just fully online classes “but also the online portion of a hybrid class or even just one day when an in-person class goes on Zoom - I end up not retaining anything from that.

“I also feel like it’s way more possible to form connections with classmates in person and I think that’s a very important part of school,” she added.

Samantha Collette, a senior fashion design and retailing major, said, “It’s been a lot easier to be back in person. Online and remote learning was nearly impossible as a fashion major.”

Of the Gatepost survey respondents, 47.2% said their academic

Concern about students not following COVID-19 protocols Only 32.4% of Gatepost survey respondents said they saw fellow students following COVID-19 safety guidelines “almost all of the time.”

An additional 60.4% of survey respondents said their peers followed safety protocols “some of the time,” and 10.8% said “almost never.”

Cevallos said, “10% - I think that’s a little high.”

He said he was surprised when he saw 60.4% of students complied with the COVID-19 safety protocols only some of the time.

“I do understand that you get tired of having a mask all the time around you when you are in the classrooms. ... But it’s certainly proven that it is effective and it has been huge in terms of controlling the spread of COVID,” said Cevallos.

SGA President Ward said, “In classes, I see more people wearing their masks and following COVID guidelines, but that’s only because professors are there to enforce it.

When [students are] in spaces such as the McCarthy Center, where there isn’t anyone to be constantly re-enforcing it, I don’t see them following the guidelines at all.”

She added, “I think the employees, the faculty, and staff really need

to be more strict with COVID guidelines.”

Angela Vilgrain, a junior health and wellness major, said, “Sometimes, people forget to pull them [masks] up,” but added she believes most students are “doing their part.”

Vilgrain said having to wear a mask has “not really” been difficult.

“It’s become second nature.”

Ajen Maharjan, a junior computer science major, said he sees students following protocols.

“At the beginning, it was hard to put the masks on and it’s hard to breathe and everything,” he said, adding, “Right now, it’s a normal thing.”

Sabrina Grammatic, a senior English major, said, “Being an SDA, I see quite a few residents never really following them, so I’m a bit surprised that ‘almost never’ wasn’t a bit higher. Almost rarely do people keep their masks over their noses.”

Interim Provost Zimmerman said she believes violations stand out more to people. “If some students are perceiving that people are almost never wearing their masks, then they are not feeling safe. …

That is important because we want everyone to feel safe.”

Dean of Students Nowak Borrego said she believes the community has been “respectful” of following the guidelines.

She said there have been people who had multiple instances of not wearing masks and the University set restrictions in place to address this.

This means anyone disregarding guidelines cannot enter certain buildings, such as the residence halls.

Nowak Borrego said, “Students who weren’t testing like they were supposed to - who are living in residence halls - we have asked to leave at different points until they agree to participate in testing.

“We’ve set our expectations, and if students or faculty and staff can’t meet them, we remove them from being in person in our community,” she added.

Nowak Borrego added the University has worked extremely hard to ensure everyone’s safety being back on campus, but there are going to be times when mistakes are made.

If students are feeling unsafe and observe peers violating COVID-19 safety guidelines, they can report it as a student conduct violation.

Financial impact of COVID-19 When Gatepost survey respondents were asked if they had been financially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, 51.6% said they were not, 38% said they had been, and 10.4% said they preferred not to say.

Many of those affected negatively pointed to losing jobs or working fewer hours.

One survey respondent said, “Most of my income was through tips, and with the dramatic drop

See COVID-19 SURVEY page 6

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because of the pandemic, my income was greatly affected.”

Another respondent said, “I could not work for the majority of COVID and keep a stable income. As a college student, I would like to be able to balance school, my mental health, and a job.”

Another respondent said, “I was not able to pay the tuition bill on time due to financial circumstances multiple times.”

Christian Rodriguez, a sophomore accounting major, said, “Coming into spring semester [last year], not having the option for fully remote [learning] completely killed me financially - having to spend money moving in, for residency, for things on campus, etc.”

One survey respondent said, “I lost my job, my brother lost his job, and my dad continued to be unemployed.”

The University received funding from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF III), as part of the Federal American Rescue Plan.

President Cevallos said he was “surprised more students did not complete the simple form” sent in an email Nov. 16 to collect additional COVID-19 relief.

Any student who has been enrolled at the University during the COVID-19 pandemic may apply for a HEERF grant, including students who are currently enrolled.

The award amount is based on estimated family contribution (EFC) as per student 2021-22 FAA filing status. Students may receive up to $1,500.

The email was sent from the Dean of Students Office on behalf of the FSU Financial Aid Office. It states funds can be used to “assist with student expenses due to the disruption of campus operations due to COVID-19, or with expenses in a student’s cost of attendance.”

These expenses may include tuition, fees, housing, food, books and supplies, technology, health care, or child care.

The grant application is attached to the original email. Once students have completed the application, it should be forwarded to the Financial Aid Office.

Involvement on campus When asked if they were eager to get more involved on campus last fall, 54.8% of survey respondents said “no” and 45.2% said “yes.”

Jonathan Ribeiro, a senior history major, said he joined the campus radio station, WDJM, but he “still feel[s] a bit disconnected.”

However, he said it was hard as a commuter to “make it to events that happen at 7:30, when your class ends at 2:00.”

President Cevallos said what “worries” him is “students are not leaving their rooms,” and “a lot of people are just going to class and going back to the residence hall and

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staying in their room.”

He said although he understands people may not want to be around others more than they have to, “engagement in campus life is very important - it’s part of the college experience.”

He said he hopes “students feel more comfortable.”

He added he has seen a decline in intramural sports.

“Those are important not only for your health, exercise, but your mental health. It’s a way to relax and socialize and meet with other people,” said Cevallos.

Interim Provost Zimmerman noticed a decline in intramural participation as well.

“It may be that people don’t feel comfortable being involved with a group in close quarters.

“They just aren’t quite ready to be that physically close to other people,” she added.

One survey respondent said, “I have never been on campus until fall ’21, so I was missing out on the campus and wanted to make friends and see how college life is.”

Amanda Taylor, a sophomore elementary education major, said, “[The Hilltop Players’] virtual show last spring made it difficult for me to connect with new people, especially since I didn’t know anyone as a first-year. Performing in person has allowed me to make friends that I am so grateful for.”

One survey respondent said, “I have and always will be involved as much as possible, so I don’t [believe] COVID-19 affected that.”

Cameron Howe, a junior English major, said he hopes to join more student clubs and socialize more with his peers.

Impact on social skills Gatepost survey respondents were asked how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted their social skills on a scale from 1 to 5 - “1” being significantly worsened and “5” being significantly improved.

Of the survey respondents, 7.2% selected “5,” 11.6% selected “4,” 46.4% selected “3,” 20.4% selected “2,” and 14.4% selected “1.”

Rick Brown, a senior communication, media, and performance major, said he bounced back after returning to in-person classes, but felt COVID-19 taught some people to be comfortable by themselves.

“Some people need someone else around them at all times,” Brown said.

President Cevallos said, “It will be interesting to see down the road how that really affects students as you go up through the different stages of careers.”

Cevallos added people adapt to circumstances differently and that’s the “beauty of being human.”

He said he wasn’t surprised that a majority of respondents felt their social skills were about the same.

Associate Dean Cochran said going into the fall semester, he assumed the transition from remote classes to in-person classes would

be difficult for students.

Cochran said one of his worries was students being “closed up in their rooms and not interacting at all.”

He said it is hard for one to predict how their social skills would be if the pandemic had not occurred.

“A lot of people are telling students that their reality won’t be what theirs was in college because of the pandemic. But, to some degree, I hope people just let their reality be their reality,” he said.

He discussed the programs Residence Life runs and how they help people socialize, such as arts and craft events and hot chocolate socials.

“Really, whatever it is that gets people together, we’ve had a good response,” he said.

Interim Provost Zimmerman said although she was glad almost half of the respondents’ social skills were not negatively affected by COVID-19, it is “unfortunate” around 35% were negatively affected.

“It doesn’t surprise me,” said Zimmerman. “People haven’t even had the opportunity to really interact, and the opportunities to interact were different for different people.”

How the lockdown has changed the lives of students In two open-ended response questions, Gatepost survey respondents were asked what their most difficult experience during and after lockdown was.

For many, the lack of connection and isolation caused loneliness.

One respondent said the most difficult part for them was “losing my freedom to choose. Wearing a mask should have always been one’s choice.”

Another respondent said, “Trying to find the motivation to keep doing the work” was the most difficult part.

“It felt like nothing mattered,” they added.

Senior history major Jonathan Ribeiro said the most difficult part for him was “wanting to have this [COVID-19] behind us but watching people fight getting vaccinated and complaining about wearing a mask, when doing both of them means not having to keep doing this doom circus.”

Professors also had to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects.

Dr. Niall Stephens, department chair of communication, media, and performance, said the pandemic changed how he taught “in good and bad ways.”

He said he had to be “more organized with how [he] presented information.

“I had to change things up and try new approaches, which is always good,” Stephens said.

However, he said his communication with students was “drastically curtailed.” He said he would ask students to turn on their cameras but most would not do so, and he

got “tired of asking.

“I think we got less - less robust interaction, less learning - out of more work,” Stephens said, “so the bad stuff outweighed the good.”

Students said despite the issues that the lockdown caused, there were lessons learned.

George Porcha, a senior communication, media, and performance major, said following the lockdown that he learned “life is short and that there is so much more in my life that I need to experience.”

He added he also learned “a simple issue like wearing masks can cause division in our country.”

Alicia Donohoe, a senior communication, media, and performance major who had COVID-19, said, “Now that we are so far into the pandemic, I am no longer scared.”

She said she doesn’t know how she contracted COVID-19 as she wasn’t in contact with anyone who tested positive.

Donohoe said, as an RA, a lesson she learned from the pandemic is that “people don’t like wearing their masks.”

Mollie Pimentel, a junior marketing major, said when the pandemic began, she thought it was “a joke.” However, after contracting COVID-19 twice, Pimentel said she takes it seriously now.

“I sobbed when I got my test results,” she said.

Carolyn Hernandez, a sophomore political science major, said, “These past two years have taught me to value the time I spend getting to know people and places, and taking advantage of the limited opportunities you have to celebrate.”

[Editor’s Note: Respondents were not required to provide a name when filling out the survey. Anyone who did not provide a name was anonymous. McKenzie Ward is Opinions Editor for The Gatepost.

Carolyn Hernandez is the sister of Staff Writer Stefano Hernandez.]

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COVID-19 by the numbers

By Kathleen Moore Associate Editor

Data collected Jan. 22

Data collected Jan. 27

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

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

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Data source: Framingham State

Data collected Jan. 27

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

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OP/ED

8 | JANUARY 28, 2022

O P / ED THE GATEPOST EDITORIAL

Put the Constitution first It has been one year since the domestic terrorist attack on the U.S. Capitol which occurred after former President Donald Trump encouraged his supporters to go there to protest the certification of Joe Biden’s presidential electoral win.

Within just hours of Trump encouraging his supporters to head to the U.S. Capitol, they broke through the final police barricade and began to smash the windows and open the doors in order to infiltrate the building with the intention of disrupting the certification of the electoral results.

These violent actions resulted in a lockdown of the U.S. Capitol.

While rioters marched through the halls of the Capitol, jumping from the Senate balcony to the floor, and breaking into lawmakers’ offices - including that of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi - Trump said and did nothing to quell the insurrection.

One year later, while many of those who infiltrated the Capitol are now serving jail sentences, Republican members of Congress continue to downplay the severity of what happened that infamous day. They also refuse to hold Trump responsible for his actions and words.

Even a year after the insurrection, the only Republicans who seem to remember that their first loyalty is to the Constitution and the country and not the Republican Party and Trump are Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois. Cheney and Kinzinger are the only Congressional members of the Republican Party who were willing to serve on the House of Representatives’ special committee established to investigate the Jan. 6 attack.

But while Cheney and Kinzinger uphold their oath to the Constitution, other Congressional members of the Republican Party uphold their allegiance to Trump and his delusions by downplaying the severity of what happened in our nation’s capital on that infamous day.

The Washington Post has reported Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) said during a hearing that TV footage of those who forced their way into the Capitol showed them behaving in an “orderly fashion.” He said, “You would actually think it was a normal tourist visit” without knowing the context of Jan. 6, 2021.

According to Politifact, Reps. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) and Paul Gosar (R-Az.) claimed the left-wing group Antifa was behind the attacks.

And in December of 2021, Trump continued to call the event “a protest against a rigged election” during his Dallas rally.

When will Republicans and Trump start calling the event what it was?

The insurrection is a domestic terrorist at-

tack that threatened our country’s democracy.

When will the Republican party stop riding the coattails of Donald Trump and start thinking and speaking for their constituents?

When members of our Congress get sworn into their positions they take an oath. An oath to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

But it seems like Republicans like Cawthorn and Gosar forgot this.

More Republicans need to follow in Cheney and Kinzinger’s footsteps. They stood by their constitutional oath by recognizing Jan. 6 as an insurrection.

Many Republicans defend Trump about the insurrection, when they should be condemning it and other acts of domestic terrorism.

Even if in some cases where it is popular for constituents to support the actions on Jan. 6, members of Congress must recognize the damage these actions have caused to our democracy or else it continues to delegitimize its institution. America is supposed to fight for democracy around the world and serve as an ideal example.

This is embarrassing.

The Republican party needs to stop picking and choosing what parts of the Constitution they decide to defend.

They can’t choose to defend the 2nd Amendment and then allow crazed and delusional Trump supporters to attack the U.S. Capitol and interfere with a legitimate election.

Republican leaders need to stop being loyal to Trump and his followers and they need to start being loyal to the Constitution - which they swore they would.

Unlike in a monarchy, we are not bound to defend leaders who don’t speak the truth.

The United States was founded in response to King George’s tyranny. Our American nation was built upon pillars of democracy.

Leaders are elected to serve their terms and voted out of office when their practices no longer reflect the ideologies of the people they represent.

The moment Trump questioned the legitimacy of the election results, he undermined the institution of democracy.

Trump didn’t accept the vote and honor the democratic process.

Ever since Jan. 6 we haven’t healed because Republicans in Congress continue to play down his tyrannous actions.

They took an oath to uphold our Constitution - not Trump’s delusions.

Have an opinion?

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

Anyone can submit.

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Diversify film criticism

By Emily Rosenberg Editorial Staff “Licorice Pizza” sounds like a fun film to enjoy with your friends during winter break.

Spoiler - you should not waste a second in the theater to see this film. It’s not worth risking COVID-19 exposure.

The trailer is cute and endearing, talking about Barbara Streisand’s boyfriend, and two yougins falling for each other.

Right off the bat, the heroine of the film tells 15-year-old Gary she can’t go out with him. The heroine is 25. What?

The whole movie plays out like a sweet, coming-of-age romance, despite the uncomfortable, even disgusting, age difference.

The two know they shouldn’t be together. Yet, the director convinces the audience it is right, leading toward a happy make-out scene in the end.

There are also two racist scenes where a friend of Gary’s attempts to communicate with a Japanese woman by mocking her voice - as if somehow this would make her understand his English better.

I wondered how on earth a movie that made my three girlfriends and I want to vomit be receiving such positive feedback from the media.

The film got 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, stunning reviews from The Guardian and The New York Times, Golden Globe nominations, and it is a high contender for several Oscars.

Eighty-three percent of all film critics are men. And only 10% of top critics identify as men of color, according to USA Today.

Without diverse representation for film critics, more movie reviews continue to seek and praise the works of male directors and male-driven stories. More importantly, the problematic pieces of these films will be swept under the rug and failed to be acknowledged.

As a woman, watching a 25-year-old fall in love with a dopey 15-year-old is embarrassing. It’s belittling, and undermining to a beautiful woman - happened to be portrayed by my favorite girl band singer, Alana Haim.

Reviews I read for the movie, all written by men, praised director Paul Thomas Anderson for creating a sexy, desirable heroine and developing a heart-wrenching romance. None of them mentioned the poor handling of racist scenes or even mentioned these scenes.

Had the age difference been the man 25 and the woman 15, critics would have immediately shamed this romcom for portraying statutory rape. Instead, male critics look past it, perhaps because they can imagine their own maturity level at 15 and they may even envy Gary.

“Licorice Pizza” is an example where if there were more women critics and critics of color, the film would be shut down and shunned for being problematic.

The lack of women and critics of color allow white male voices to carry even more weight in a place where they shouldn’t. Year after year the academy awards disproportionately recognize women and creators of color. In 2021, 71% of the nominations went to men and 89% of the awards went to white people, according to Insider - statistics that are unlikely to change.

Film reviews determine the visibility and popularity of a movie and the likeliness of its nomination for awards. With the overflow of white male critics in print and digital media, films starring and created by women and people of color will continuously be ignored.

I experience this lack of diversity in my own life as Arts & Features editor. It’s not ironic that all of The Gatepost’s multimedia critics identify as white men.

And as a result, The Gatepost publishes reviews mainly on genres that are traditionally more masculine and on content that is marketed toward them.

Without better representation among movie reviewers, there will be less diversity of highly-viewed films, and content that is problematic and uncomfortable will continue to earn high ratings and accolades.

As Brie Larson said in her Women in Film Award acceptance speech “Why do I need a white dude to tell me what didn’t work for him about ‘A Wrinkle in Time.’ It wasn’t made for him.”

OP/ED

JANUARY 28, 2022 | 9

Campus Conversations Why did you join The Gatepost?

By The Gatepost Team

“In high school, I had a teacher who introduced me to journalism. I felt that The Gatepost was the right path to continue doing that work.”

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“I had no intention of joining. I was on my high school’s paper - there wasn’t a lot of creative freedom. But my peer mentor shared her writing experience and I got inspired to write something myself.”

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Sam the Ram and his winter plans

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SPORTS

SP O RTS

Women’s Basketball sets Rams Ice Hockey team school record vs. Westfield bested by Fitchburg

By Tyler Wahl Sports Editor

By Danielle Achin Sports Editor

Rams Women’s Basketball set a school record for most points scored in a single game in a Monday night win an. 2 against Westfield State, 02- .

The ams were relatively warmed up for this game, having won their last three games straight in double-digit fashion.

S ’s dominance throughout this game was foreshadowed when they jumped out to an early -0 lead in the first uarter. The wls were finally able to put points on the board with a pair of free throws, making the score -2 with a little over seven minutes remaining. unior forward lannery ’Connor got off to a hot start in the first uarter scoring 3 points and snagging eight rebounds. ramingham State shot well from the field, finishing on an efficient 0 field goal percentage for the uarter.

Senior guard rysta Padallero also helped the ams out by putting up six points of her own accompanied by three assists and four rebounds as well.

The first uarter finished in S ’s favor 2 - 2, and the team looked determined to pile on top of their lead after the break.

The ams once again outscored the wls convincingly, finishing off the half with a 2-2 lead. In order to break the school record for most points in a game, the team had to translate the same pace from the first half into the second. ’Connor played a pivotal role in the ams success once again in the second uarter, scoring eight points and cleaning up the glass with three defensive rebounds.

The wls finally showed some fight in them after halftime and into the third uarter. They weren’t horribly outscored like the previous two uarters and instead were only outscored by one point total.

However, junior guard Gwendolyn Carpenter slowed down any traction Westfield State gained with her incredible ball movement.

Carpenter finished off this uarter with three assists and finished off the game with an astounding assists.

The fight the wls showed in the third uarter did not translate into the fourth as the ams outscored Westfield 30- .

Putting up 30 points after three long uarters isn’t easy, but it was necessary to break the school record. ramingham State had a hot hand in the fourth uarter shooting . from the field. They also continued to work together as a team with nine assists in the uarter.

The final bu er sounded and the ams won the conference battle over Westfield by a total of points.

The 02 points the team scored sets a new record for the organi ation and pushed S ’s record to an impressive 2-3.

The confidence gained from this win also led to a win against Worcester State an. 2 , where they beat the Lancers in an away game - . ’Connor spoke on the team’s chemistry following the game despite her incredible individual performance.

“Honestly, it was a huge team effort, so the people I need to credit are my teammates. Gwendolyn Carpenter spent the entire game breaking the press, leaving atty Haidul and I open and they were able to keep feeding us,” said ’Connor. ’Connor and Carpenter were key pieces in such a dominant win, as the scoring and passing combination was hard for the wls to stop.

Carpenter also spoke about the keys to winning throughout this season adding, “I think that this team has found our identity recently and have been playing our style of basketball. We play well together and feed off each other’s different playing styles.”

The ams are now 3-3 on the season and look to continue their winning streak against Bridgewater State riday night, an. 2 .

The ams Hockey team traveled to itchburg State where they fell in a -2 defeat against the alcons on an. 2 .

S came out strong and was the first to make it on the board just 3 seconds into the game when Junior Zach Bettmeng buried a slap shot into the net for the -0 lead.

The Rams gained a power play against the Falcons and attempted to capitali e on the advantage, but itchburg kept composure and held S back. ust under three minutes later, the ams doubled the score after sophomore than Cervonayco tucked the puck in the slot from the left side for the goal making it a 2-0 lead for ramingham State.

The Falcons managed to break through the Rams’ defense and with a little over five minutes left in the first, itchburg slipped through ramingham’s goalie for a power play goal.

With the score now 2- , the alcons were determined to tie the game and they knotted the score with just over a minute left in the first, ending the period at a 2-2 standoff.

Coming back into the second period, itchburg immediately gained a power play advantage over the Rams and scored less than two minutes into the period taking the 3-2 lead.

The ams attempted many power play shots to advance their score, but were unsuccessful against the alcons’ defense, leaving the score 3-2 going into the final period. ust over two minutes into the frame, the alcons extended the score -2 after the Rams were called on a power play penalty once again.

Within the final minutes, itchburg managed to score the final goal of the game on another power play against the ams for a -2 victory.

Although the ams were bested by itchburg on the ice, the men say this defeat was just another learning experience in preparation for the next game. unior Brian o ek said he’s noticed a “lack of confidence” in his team and is determined to bring the spark back.

“It’s up to us to simplify our game, control what we can control, create our own luck, and build back our confidence,” o ek said. “I believe in the group that we have, but it’s up to us to dig ourselves out of this hole.”

Sophomore Blake Carslson also commented on his team’s performance, noting the good things to come from losses like this one.

Carlson said, “ ven though we weren’t able to get the win, I think we saw a few good things out of the game. We can score on a team like Fitchburg and some guys that normally aren’t looked at to produce for us really stepped up and made a difference in the game. “ or the next game, we are really going to be looking to work on our power play and penalty kill in practice,” he added.

The Rams are back on home ice Jan. 29 when they host their MASCAC conference game against Salem State.

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ARTS & FEATURES

JANUARY 28, 2022 | 11

ARTS & FEATURES Paula Yoo fights to end racism against Asians

By Caroline Gordon Arts & Features Editor The Education Department, Center for Inclusive Excellence, and Council on Diversity and Inclusion welcomed author Paula Yoo virtually to discuss the history of anti-Asian sentiments Jan. 26.

Yoo is an award-winning author, TV writer and producer, and feature screen-writer.

Her books have won many awards such as the Boston-Globe Horn Book Award, the National Book Award Longlist for Young People’s Literature, IRA Nobles and Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selections.

She previously worked as a journalist reporting for The Seattle Times, The Detroit News, and PEOPLE Magazine.

Yoo graduated with a Bachelor of Arts cum laude in English from Yale University, a Master of Science in journalism from Columbia University, and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Warren Wilson College.

She began the presentation by discussing Vincent Chin, a 27-year-old Chinese-American man from a working class area of Chinatown in Detroit.

Chin was adopted by his mother, Lily Chin, who brought him to America when he was 5 years old.

Yoo said Chin was an affable kid who “had a great smile.

“He was the kind of person that if you met him for the first time, he would bring you into a circle and want to be your best friend immediately just a really good guy,” Yoo said.

She said Chin was engaged to a woman named Vicki Long. Their wedding was set for June 28, 1982.

Yoo said on June 19, 1982 Chin and a few friends went out for a bachelor party at an adult entertainment night club.

As Chin and his friends were having a good time, two white men were staring them down.

The perpetrators were Ronald Ebens and his stepson Michael Nitz.

People started hearing racist slurs such as j*p and ch*nk coming from where Ebens and Nitz were.

One of the dancers at the club claimed she overheard Ronald Ebens say, “It’s because of you little mother f*cker that we are out of work!”

Yoo said the fight escalated as the perpetrators chased Chin and his friends down the street with baseball bats.

She said Chin was beaten into a coma. Ebens and Nitz were charged with second degree murder, but because of plea bargaining, the charge was lowered to manslaughter.

With a sorrowful look on her face,

Yoo explained that Chin was in a coma for four days before being pronounced dead on June 23, 1982 - six days before he was supposed to get married.

Yoo said in March 1983, there was a hearing for his manslaughter. Both perpetrators pleaded guilty.

She added the men expressed remorse and the judge believed their actions were due to “toxic masculinity and drinking too much.”

Yoo said the judge sentenced the men to three years probation each with a $3,000 fine.

“This should have stayed a second degree murder charge. Why was it plea bargained down to manslaughter?” Yoo asked.

She touched upon how after the tragedy, a group of lawyers and activists, including Helen Zia, a Chinese-American journalist and prominent figure in the Asian-American movement, started a group called American Citizens for Justice.

Yoo said, “That story has been gaining awareness because that was another example of Asian Americans banding together in solidarity.”

ica dealt with an oil crisis, causing the American automobile industry to struggle. There were hundreds of thousands of layoffs across the country.

She said people were no longer

“I always tell people it doesn’t matter what job you have, whatever it is you are doing - all of that can translate into your writing because we all have a book inside of us.”

- Paula Yoo Author and Journalist She added, “The reason why the Vincent Chin case is so high profile is because Chinese Americans, Japanese Americans, Korean Americans, Indian Americans, the Latinx communities and the Black community all came together to form a diverse coalition to fight for Vincent Chin’s justice.”

Yoo said after the Vincent Chin case, Asian Americans began referring to themselves as Asian Americans. She said otherwise they would not be granted their civil rights.

She noted how she has seen photos of Asian American college students from the 1960s marching “arm and arm” with the Black Panthers.

Yoo explained that in 1982 Amer-

usmint.gov Yoo said Wong was one of the first women to be featured on the American quarter. The quarters were released this year as part of the “American Women Quarters Program” according to the U.S. Mint.

“She fought for representation matters long before the computer and Twitter were invented,” Yoo said.

She said Wong started “fighting for less racist roles,” as during her career she was “relegated to be the Mongol slave or other stereotypical roles.”

Yoo said one of the roles Wong auditioned for was that of a wife married to a white man in the film “The Good Earth.”

She said as the husband was white, she was not allowed to play the wife because during the “golden age of Hollywood” actors of color were forbidden from interacial kissing with white actors.

Yoo said a white actress named Louise Rainer was selected for the role. However, since the character was supposed to be Asian, they created “yellow face” by taping her eyes back.

She added that Wong was casted as a Mongol slave in the film.

Yoo offered some insight. “I show you this because, as a writer, whatever you do in life can help influence what your books are. So, I always tell people it doesn’t matter what job you have, whatever it is you are doing - all of that can translate into your writing because we all have a book inside of us. We all have our own story to tell,” she said.

“No matter what your day job is, you are all writers as well.”

buying American cars as there were smaller, more efficient cars coming from foreign countries such as Japan.

“The auto industry and politicians started scapegoating Japan,” Yoo said.

Yoo asked, “Sounds a little familiar, right?

“It sounds like the COVID-19 pandemic where suddenly Trump said it was the ‘China virus’. Then we started hearing things like ‘kung flu,’” she added.

Yoo showed the covers of her books and discussed one of the episodes of West Wing she wrote titled, “Han”, which had a character of Korean descent. She said the episode inspired her book on Anna May Wong, who was the first Chinese and Asian American CONNECT WITH CAROLINE GORDON movie actress from the 1920s.

cgordon4@student.framingham.edu

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ARTS & FEATURES

Best of

By Emily Rosenberg Arts & Features Editor Tears broke Taylor Swift’s 2014 Grammys performance of her then little known song “All Too Well” from her 2012 Album “Red.” In 2021, she couldn’t hold back a grin as she mastered the longest guest performance in SNL history, rocking out with her red guitar as the short film she directed streamed behind her.

“Red (Taylor’s Version)” broke the internet on Nov. 12, 2021 featuring 10 “From the Vault” songs.

“All Too Well (10 minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)” immediately became the hottest topic of discussion, soaring to number 1 on Billboard Hot 100 - the longest song to earn that title.

“All Too Well” has been a Swiftie essential since its 2012 release and we’ve been begging her to drop the 10-minute version ever since she hinted at its existence.

The 10-minute version adds five new verses, delving deeper to the core of her short-lived relationship with a much older man - who is highly speculated to be actor Jake Gyllenhaal.

The magic of “All To Well” is that though it’s ultimately a breakup song, its raw lyricism allows you to relate her stories to your own.

The most impactful new lyric comes after the bridge when she belts “some actress asking me what happened/You/That’s what happened/ You,” showing her ex-love how he damaged her so badly, his partnership was more like a disease than a gift.

Even if you’ve never left your scarf at your boyfriend’s sister’s house, Swift paints love so passionately you won’t be able to differentiate between pain and joy while listening because the song is dynamic - perfectly paced through lines of cruelty, happiness, and doubt.

“All Too Well,” is a masterpiece.

“All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s version) (From the Vault)” will go down as one of the greatest phenomenons of all time.

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By Leighah Beausoleil Associate Editor

Amazon

By Jack McLaughlin Multimedia Critic “An Evening With Silk Sonic” is the result of artists Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak coming together to create a beautiful fusion of current music with the smooth and funky sounds of the 1970s.

The nine-track project features the Billboard #1 single “Leave The Door Open,” which is a romantic ballad with swooning lyrics like “We should be dancing, romancing in the east wing and the west wing of this mansion.”

These lines create this elegant visual that’s been in my head since the single released last March.

Despite its short length, “An Evening With Silk Sonic” manages to make a strong first impact and continues one-upping itself with one banger after another.

“Skate” continues the romantic influence, with such enchanting lines like “In a room full of dimes you would be a hundred dollars,” which affirmed my confidence that they perform some of the best love songs currently.

“Fly As Me” is my personal favorite from the album, proving to be the perfect song to play while driving around, making any trip to the store an absolute blast.

Without any room for a slow point, Silk Sonic is able to set themselves apart as a duo with a unique style and flawless execution that let them stand out in the popular music landscape.

Telling a deep story about love, family, and the effects of intergenerational trauma through animation and song while honoring the traditions of magical realism, Disney’s “Encanto” has won the hearts of many.

The Madrigals family was given what they refer to as a “miracle,” where at the age of 5 every family member is granted the opportunity to open a magic door to a room that reflects the characteristics of their new powers.

Unfortunately, that was not the case for our main protagonist Mirabel whose magical door did not come to completion and therefore, did not receive powers.

Ten years later, Mirabel discovers the “miracle” is in danger and works to secure everyone’s powers and their beloved family home known as “Casita.”

The characters in this movie are fun and relatable, leaving viewers wanting more of the Madrigals.

The music, composed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, is entertaining and catchy, but be warned - it will be stuck in your head for days!

“We Don’t Talk About Bruno” - a song about Mirabel’s estranged Tio Bruno - has become a major hit, topping “Let It Go” from “Frozen” as Disney’s biggest song from an animation in the past 26 years, according to Today.

“Encanto”’ is certainly one of Disney’s greatest animations and the first to feature an all Latinx cast to tell the story of a Colombian family still affected by the trauma of colonization.

If you haven’t seen this hit already, what are you waiting for?

Disney +

Marvel.com

By Sean Cabot Staff Writer Commonly referred to as “Marvel’s Batman,” Moon Knight is currently one of one of the company’s more obscure offerings. While that may change with his upcoming Disney+ series this March, a new chapter of his story began last year from writer Jed MacKay and artists Alessandro Capuccio and Rachelle Rosenberg.

This installment of Marc Spector’s story follows from his rejection of his patron deity - the Egyptian moon god Khonshu. Not deterred by this development, he once again adopts the name Mr. Knight to run the Midnight Mission, offering protection to his neighborhood and creatures of the night.

From there, he resolves to continue the crusade Khonshu chose him for, while resisting the god’s adherents, and finding the time to sit down with a therapist and work out the baggage of his fractured mind.

In addition to a smartly penned story that sees Spector sort out his mental health issues and the rejection of his Jewish heritage, the art is drop-dead gorgeous. Moon Knight himself looks both majestic and haunting in every lovingly rendered panel where it appears.

If you’re interested at all in his upcoming series, make sure to keep an eye on this, and maybe pick up a classic “Moon Knight” collection to boot.

ARTS & FEATURES

JANUARY 28, 2022 | 13

2021

By Ryan Schreiber Staff Writer Endgame and the death of Iron Man put the MCU in shambles but worse is when COVID-19 hit the outside world. COVID-19 opened the multiverse, changing all of Marvel’s plans and release dates, pushing many projects back to 2021.

After what seemed like a decade, Marvel released its first project in its fourth phase on Jan. 15 2021.

“WandaVision” brought something new to Marvel by featuring the episodes in the form of multiple sitcoms such as “The Brady Bunch” and “I Love Lucy.” It also features new heroes and villains as well as bringing back some fan favorite characters.

The show opens up with Wanda and Vision living their happily-ever-after life when things start to take turns for the worst. Wanda realizes that the love of her life is dead and that this fantasy world that she created is not real.

The show focuses on what grief can do to a person as well as what lengths people would go to just have more moments with people they love. With the loss of Vision, her grief formed a reality where she also created a version of The Vision. This way she can live the life that they both imagined having.

This show really had a hold on me and made me excited for all of the other shows and movies to come, such as getting to see Wanda as the Scarlet Witch in Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and seeing Monica Rambeau with her new powers in The Marvels.

IMBD

By Ryan O’Connell Asst. Arts & Features Editor

IMBD

By Emma Lyons Editorial Staff “Ride the Eagle” is a movie that slipped under the radar in 2021.

After all, watching some guy complete his dead mother’s todo list isn’t the first thing I’d be itching to watch when I have down time.

This film shines a comedic light on the grieving process as we watch Leif begrudgingly complete his mother’s tasks and eventually come to terms with his mother’s - Honey - passing.

Jake Johnson carries the weight in this film - as a majority of the movie shows Leif in solitude. His comedic charm is what makes the movie what it is.

Despite the other characters having little screen time, the cast of this film contains other popular actors, with Susan Sarandon portraying Honey, J.K Simmons as Carl, and D’Arcy Carden as Audrey.

The comedy is contrasted well with serene scenes in nature and a bittersweet ending.

Leif follows an unconventional path with his grieving - playing the death off with jokes and expressing animosity toward his late mother - making the movie unique as the mood stays light and playful for the larger part of it.

With the third season of “Disenchantment” released on Netflix last January, and the fourth scheduled to release on Feb. 9, there’s no better time to remember my new favorite animated series.

Alongside the quick-witted writing and outlandish plotlines expected from a project by Matt Groening, “Disenchantment” builds off that quality in season three.

Whether it’s through the exploration of a society entirely new to the main cast, the irreversible decisions that have permanent effects on the story, or an episode as simple as dealing with isolation on the open sea, “Disenchantment” kept me glued to the screen.

While the characters, setting, and large scope are all relatively unexplored elements compared to Groening’s other shows, the consistently sharp writing remains one of the strongest elements of the experience.

As with previous seasons of “Disenchantment,” a healthy amount of twists and action-packed moments are included in the newest season. But the third installment also seems content with developing smaller, more emotional plots.

“Last Splash,” the sixth episode of the third season, is a perfect example of what makes “Disenchantment” so engaging to follow.

Taking place almost entirely on a picturesque and unmoving ocean, the episode kept me entirely interested through little more than a gorgeous backdrop, deep personal development for characters I truly cared about, and a few excellent jokes from our favorite elf.

And if you haven’t seen the third season of “Disenchantment”... you’ve still got two weeks to catch up!

Amazon

By Mark Haskell Staff Writer This instantaneous New York Times bestseller written by the award-winning actor and food obsessive Stanley Tucci, comes an endearing and warm memoir of life in and out of the kitchen.

Tucci grew up in an Italian-American family that spent every evening around the kitchen table. There was a certain magic in those meals, and those were shared in a few other of Tucci’s books.

Those other books are titled “The Tucci Cookbook” and “The Tucci Table.” In this book, Tucci takes us beyond the savory recipes and into the magic and stories behind them.

The novel “Taste” is a contemplation of the intersection of food and life, filled with anecdotes of Tucci’s life, such as growing up in upstate New York, preparing and shooting the foodie films “Big Night” and “Julie and Julia,” falling in love over dinner, and teaming up with his wife to generate meals for many children.

Each bite of this culinary quest through troubled times and the good, high-class foods and burned meals, is as heartfelt and so unbelievably delicious as the previous.

This novel was written with Tucci’s signature double-edged humor and for fans of Ruth Reichl, Gabrielle Hamilton, and Bill Buford – and anyone who knows and adores the power of a home cooked meal.

I recommend this novel if you or anyone in your lives treasures food, home cooked or not, as much as I do.

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ARTS & FEATURES

‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ is a dream come true

By Jack McLaughlin Multimedia Critic It’s no secret to anyone I know that I am a passionate fan of the Spider-Man movies. I’ve rewatched the Tobey Maguire trilogy more times than I can count, and have even gone as far as to have a shrine dedicated to him in my bedroom with copies of the movies I find at Savers.

This series has had an important impact on me, and “Spider-Man: No Way Home” is the ultimate culmination of all the things I love about them.

The Tom Holland Spider-Man movies up to this point have been serviceable to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but “No Way Home” felt like the first of the three that truly told a Peter Parker story.

Following the events of “Far From Home,” Peter Parker’s identity has been revealed to the public, and he seeks the help of Doctor Strange to cast a spell that makes everyone forget that he’s Spider-Man. After botching the spell, a familiar mix of heroes and villains from different universes start appearing.

This is by far the best performance Tom Holland gives as Spider-Man. After five years in the role, he shows more confidence than ever before. He finally gets the chance to shine with-

out being in the shadow of Iron Man like in his previous appearances.

The first villain introduced is Doc Ock, portrayed by Alfred Molina. He captures his energy from “Spider-Man 2” and delivers a proper continuation of his role without compromising his redeemed character arc in this film.

Jamie Foxx returns as the quick-witted Electro - an improvement to his original appearance in “The Amazing Spider-Man 2.” His role is light-hearted, constantly poking fun at the absurdity of himself and the other villains around him, like the Lizard. A highlight is when he casually talks to Sandman about how he got his powers by falling into a vat of electric eels.

The most impactful performance of all is Willem Dafoe as the Green Goblin. Though strikingly similar to his first appearance in the 2002 film, director Jon Watts somehow made the Goblin even more menacing.

His first fight with Peter demonstrates the abundance of sinister energy Dafoe brings to the performance, giving us the most intense scene we’ve seen in a Marvel film to date.

Just as we think the story is taking a break, it suddenly introduces the two previous incarnations of Spider-Man, played by Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield respectively.

This was the best surprise by far, and caused theater-goers to break into a wild applause unlike anything

I’ve seen from an audience.

Both of the Spider-Men have great chemistry with Holland, and all three get the chance to have fun, nostalgia-inducing character moments together before they team up for the big finale.

As a Tobey fan, seeing Maguire onscreen alone was worth the price of admission, but I left surprised that he was not the standout performance Andrew Garfield has the important task of redeeming himself after his two outings as the character didn’t exactly sit well with fans and critics alike.

After seeing it four times now, I can safely say he steals the show and gives us the most entertaining performance of the two returning heroes.

Garfield’s iteration of Peter Parker focuses on where he’s been since the tragic ending of “The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” and shows a character who has gone through an emotional journey that we don’t get to see, but can perfectly visualize because of his performance.

The finale is a delight for any fan with tons of references and character moments that were satisfying to see play out on-screen. My favorite of these is the reunion between Doc Ock and Maguire’s Spider-Man, who get a sweet moment of brevity packed with references to “Spider-Man 2” that genuinely felt like two old friends re-

‘Hell’s Paradise’ a clump of charming contradictions

By Sean Cabot Multimedia Critic “Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku” seems right at home among today’s most popular Japanese comics. It possesses haunting creature design based off of East Asian mythology like “Jujutsu Kaisen,” and its brutal violence calls to mind Harvey Award-winner “Chainsaw Man.” It is also set to receive an animated adaptation from Studio MAPPA, the same studio that took up the task of animating both of those other comics.

Since author Yuji Kaku was an assistant to “Chainsaw Man” author Tatsuki Fujimoto on “Fire Punch,” the similarities make sense. But don’t get confused - Kaku’s more quiet and deliberate atmosphere could never be confused for Fujimoto’s visceral eclecticism.

Whereas those comics have garnered much attention, fans of “Hell’s Paradise” have been a bit less vocal.

Trust me when I say that this is not for lack of things to discuss.

The story follows Gabimaru the Hollow, an assassin who has survived every attempt at execution from the Edo-period Japanese government. His

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skills earn him the attention of the Yamada, a clan of executioners who are seeking candidates for a mission from the Shogun himself.

In exchange for a singular pardon, he or any of the various criminals hired by the Shogun must find an elixir of immortality on a bizarre island whose visitors have all returned as half-plant corpses. And to keep them in line, they are each partnered with one of the Yamada Asaemon the most accomplished fighters of the clan.

But when Gabimaru makes windfall with his partner Sagiri - one of the only female executioners of the Asaemon, what they find is a nightmare befitting the comic’s oxymoronic title. Strange beasts that seem to parody man, animal, and religious iconography litter its misty forests.

And then they encounter the strange people of the island - some of whom look like animate trees, and some of whom shift between sexes and don’t seem to die when killed.

Unfortunately for Gabimaru and company, the latter group is extremely hostile to them.

If there’s one thing “Hell’s Paradise” nails, it’s a sense of constant unease from its artwork. No matter which emotional tone a scene pres-

ents, the hazy ambience of the island is never diminished, and it only adds to the tension when characters are fighting for their lives.

And speaking of fights, their spectacle is truly something to behold.

The antagonists’ ability to regenerate makes each attempt to fell one of them feel desperate and frantic, and death feels like it could come for anyone unlucky enough to encounter them.

If there’s a place it suffers however, it’s in the middle section, which sees the normally quick pacing decelerate to explain the esoteric supernatural forces that the antagonists draw from and the heroes learn to take advantage of.

While this does pay off in the form of some truly epic battles, the exposition borders on overkill. Even the final stretch retains some of these shortcomings.

The cast is strong overall - Gabimaru, Sagiri, and the various other convicts and Yamada they ally themselves with are certainly entertaining to see play off each other. Their desperate circumstances do a lot to solidify their connection while the plot briskly moves along.

Among my favorites are the bandit brothers Chobei and Toma, blind

uniting after years.

It concludes with the door open for more stories featuring Spider-Man and the ever-growing possibilities of the multiverse. After this, I know I’ll be there day one for whatever is next for Spider-Man.

ADMIT ONE

Grade: A An amazing appreciation of SpiderMan’s legacy.

ADMIT ONE

CONNECT WITH JACK MCLAUGHLIN

jmclaughin7@student.framingham.edu

swordsman Shion, and the lazy prodigy Jikka.

On the thematic end, strength and weakness serve as major keynotes.

Many characters die showing their strongest side through underappreciated talents, while those that survive do so by becoming cognizant of their greatest weaknesses and adapting accordingly.

Another subtler theme is that of sin and justice. Gabimaru, motivated to reunite with his wife on the mainland, struggles with his desire for normalcy and the violence he must inflict to reach it - which is to say nothing of the other convicts’ crimes.

In actuality it’s quite a lot to digest for 13 volumes. But even with its uncannily slow middle section, “Hell’s Paradise,” is still a supremely readable comic.

Grade: B+

slow yet fast, subdued yet savage

CONNECT WITH SEAN CABOT scabot@student.framingham.edu

Puzzles

ARTS & FEATURES

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JANUARY 28, 2022 | 15

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