Volume 90 • Issue 18
March 4, 2022
An appreciation of FSU’s employees
FSUgatepost.com
Leighah Beausoleil / THE GATEPOST
(Left) FSU employees Antonio Menses, Sean Garron, and Richele Banks show the awards they received for their hard work at the Employee Appreciation Event March 3.
News EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION PHOTOS pg. 3 TAMPONS ON CAMPUS pg. 5
Opinions
UKRAINE AND RUSSIA CONFLICT pg. 6 HALEY’S COMIC pg. 8
Sports
COVID-19 mitigation changes start March 6
More changes to mask policies planned for after spring break By Donald Halsing Editor-in-Chief By Kathleen Moore Associate Editor President F. Javier Cevallos announced changes to the University’s COVID-19 mitigation measures in an email to the FSU community March 3. The email outlined revised testing requirements and mask mandates approved by the COVID Oversight Committee Feb. 28. Changes were proposed by the Mitigation and Testing Logistics Subcommittee Feb. 25. A link was provided to a “mitigation
regular basis. Random sample testing of commuter students will also end, according to the mitigation chart. During the week following spring break, all resident students, spring athletes, and their coaches will be tested. Commuter students are encouraged to test at this time as well, according to the mitigation chart. If positive test rates remain low during the two weeks following break, then mask mandates will be lifted for large indoor events and at the Early Childhood Centers April 2. Cevallos said the planned changes for after spring break will be
See MASK MANDATE page 4
How camping led Geology Professor Leslie Campbell to a career By Caroline Gordon Arts & Features Editor
On a cool, late summer afternoon, prior to starting elementary school, Geology Professor Leslie Campbell walked across a small cable bridge in The Gatepost Archives a Pennsylvania state forest while on a camping trip with her family. She gazed ICE HOCKEY pg. 9 curiosity at the water and pebbles beneath her. She wondered, “How could something like this come to be the way it is today?” MAZMANIAN GALLERY pg. 10-11 Campbell grew up in Youngstown, Ohio. Although she was not part of enBLACK LIVES MATTER BANNER pg. 12
Arts & Features
chart” of upcoming changes on the FSU website. Starting March 6, wearing a mask will be optional on campus except in classrooms, designated offices as posted, large indoor events, the Whittemore Library, Danforth Art Museum, McAuliffe Center, Early Childhood Centers, Health Center, COVID-19 testing site, and on transportation including the Ram Tram and busses to Athletics events, according to the mitigation chart. Also starting March 6, resident students and athletes who received the booster vaccine and are asymptomatic will no longer be tested on a
vironmental extracurriculars in middle school or high school, she regularly visited a metropark, a place she said furthered her passion for the outdoors. She attended Youngstown State University as a commuter student. Campbell said Youngstown State felt familiar because many of her highschool classmates attended. Initially, Campbell wanted to study engineering. “Not that I didn’t know geology was an option - I just didn’t know it was an option for me,” she said. Campbell said engineering would force her to be “stuck inside doing the same thing over and over again.”
She began taking geology classes for her minor and said she “made the switch pretty easily.” Campbell said, “Career counselors would say, ‘Everyone who studies engineering is guaranteed a job,’ and while I think it is important to find a field where you will be offered a position, I felt swayed. It took me a minute to say, I like engineering, but geology is my passion.” Campbell said the geology department at Youngstown State was a closeknit community. During her time as an
See LESLIE CAMPBELL page 13
INSIDE: OP/ED 6 • SPORTS 9 • ARTS & FEATURES 10
NEWS
2 | MARCH 4, 2022
Gatepost Interview
Editorial Board
Editor-in-Chief Donald Halsing
Sandra Rahman
Associate Editors Leighah Beausoleil Kathleen Moore
Marketing Professor
By Sophia Harris Asst. News Editor
News Editors Steven Bonini Haley Hadge Ashlyn Kelly
What is your educational and professional background? I went to Suffolk University for my bachelor of science in management, and then I continued at Suffolk to get a master’s in business administration. After working for a few years, I enrolled in a doctoral program, where I earned my doctorate in business administration - from Nova Southeastern University. Professionally, I’ve been mostly teaching, doing a lot of research, and doing some consulting projects on the side.
Asst. News Editor Sophia Harris Opinions Editor McKenzie Ward Sports Editors 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 Abby Petrucci Nathan Rogers Lydia Staber Multimedia Critics Sean Cabot Jack McLaughlin Ryan Schreiber Advisor Desmond McCarthy
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Asst. Advisor Elizabeth Banks
What is your role here at FSU? I’m a professor of marketing, … which is in the College of Business. The College of Business has gone through many, many iterations since I arrived 20 years ago. I was the former chair of our department, when we were all together, in Economics and Business Administration. I’m an advisor to the marketing club. I’ve been very involved in the College of Business Advisory Board, where we mix with business professionals and they give us ideas to improve our programs. I do a lot of research, as I mentioned, and I love going to international conferences, where I represent the University and I learn a lot and meet a lot of people. Two weeks from now, I’ll be the keynote speaker at a conference in Barcelona. Unfortunately, I’ll be doing it from my desk at home. I feel that part of what I do is to let everybody else know the goals that we have here at Framingham State. What do you enjoy most about your job? I would never refer to what I do as a job because I’m having too much fun to consider it work. I feel that’s a blessing, and I’m so humbled to get paid for what I do. It almost feels like I shouldn’t, but I’m very happy that I do. There are many things that I enjoy. I love being a mentor and a coach in our students’ journey. I recognize that it’s a big transition from high school, to college, and then to becoming a young professional. The journey is stressful and full of anxiety and self-doubt, but it’s also a time of enlightenment and self-awareness, and building confidence. I’m just honored to be a part of this important four-year@Tjourney for students because HEGATEIPalso OST teach a freshit’s so transitional. man class and a senior class, so I’m able to see this amazing transition that happens. I want to give a shout-out to our liberal arts departments on campus and
Correction
faculty as well as my business colleagues in their role in making this magic happen for each student. So much has gone into each student and it really is because we have so many talented faculty here who make it happen. I would say that’s the best part of my job. What would you say your goals are as one of the professors of marketing? I really want us to be a place that demands and supports excellence. A place that gives respect, and honors each student who walks into our classroom, and I expect that they honor what we do as well. I hope we’re able to inspire students to go beyond what they thought they might do, and have the confidence to pursue things that they might not have thought of. I want us to be able to make a difference and I want students to trust us. I want students to reach out to us and I hope that we’re building a department of marketing that does that. My colleagues are very much engaged in, “How can we do better in business?” There’s this concept of continuous improvement. I can definitely speak for the Department of Marketing in that, we get it right today, but we’re always reviewing and seeing how can we do it better tomorrow. I hope we create and foster an environment that brings out the best in students and helps them on their journey to continue their wonderful life. What are some of your personal hobbies? What I enjoy a lot is travel and I’m able to mix that a lot with a conference or I’ve taken students to travel to many corners of the Earth. We’ve been to Russia. We’ve been to China multiple times. In the United Arab Emirates multiple times. Various - if not all countries of Europe, from France to Spain to Greece to Turkey - and then we’ve dipped a little bit into Central America, going to Costa Rica. ... I taught doing business in China and doing business in Russia that took me to those locations. So we went there with an eye for what we had just studied. I’ve presented and I’ve brought students to present in conferences in China. As well as my personal travel with my husband and my kids has been fabulous. … I’m also a grandmother. I love my little grandson and spending time with him. Do you have any advice for FSU students? In terms of advice, there are very specific things to do and also general motivational things. Specific things I think we are told all the time. But I think one
Courtesy of Framingham State that is kind of scary to do sometimes, especially coming to college, is to really be your authentic self. You know, not afraid to be who you are. I know that it’s a mantra in our culture, to embrace ourselves, but it’s harder to do. So I would tell students that you were chosen by us to be here. You’re here because we value what you have to say and we value who you are and we want your input. So be yourself. I’d also say be open to change. That could be new habits - new study habits, new eating habits, new lifestyle habits. Be open to new ideas and new experiences. We’re not really getting along with a lot of people in our world. And I have a lot of faith that particularly our next generation will do it better than my generation. And that is, you know, having those difficult arguments and seeing what it’s like in someone else’s shoes because I believe that there could be some understanding and some moving forward so that we’re more collaborative. I welcome students to kind of challenge their old ways of thinking. Listen to others, make new friends, and really, it’s a great time to explore. I’d also say that going to a university is a privilege and an honor and not everyone is able to access higher education. I’d like students to take pride in this opportunity. To know that we want you here and that I want you to grab that responsibility of being here and take as much from us as you possibly can. CONNECT WITH SOPHIA HARRIS sharris9@student.framingham.edu
In the Feb. 11 issue of The Gatepost, the article “Nancy Niemi selected as next University president” had an error. The article did not mention Nancy Niemi’s doctorate in curriculum and instruction from the University of Rochester. We apologize for this error.
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Police Logs Friday, Feb. 25 09:57 Suspicious Activity FSU Police Department Report Taken
Friday, Feb. 25 17:18 Arrest Larned Hall Arrested
Tuesday, March 01 18:08 Medical West Hall Transport to Hospital
Wednesday, March 02 13:35 Lost Property Union Ave Parking Lot Report Taken
NEWS
MARCH 4, 2022 | 3
Employee Appreciation Day Thank you!
(Left) FSU employees Elsie Mendez, Evelyn Hernandez, Jessica Flahive, KO, Norma Mula, and Doreen Crehan attending the Employee Appreciation Day ceremony March 3.
Director of Dining Services Aretha Philips speaks about the hard work of FSU employees during the Employee Appreciation Day ceremony March 3.
FSU employee Sean Garron receives a cake along with his employee award during the Employee Appreciation Day ceremony March 3.
(Left) FSU employees Jancarlos Cubias, Walter Zina, Margarita Feliz, Alicia Huerta, Ricardo Moreno, Jorge Manca, and Maiker Hidalgo attending the Employee Appreciation Day ceremony March 3.
Spread and photos by Associate Editor Leighah Beausoleil
Weather
Forecast provided by the National Weather Service www.weather.gov
Sunday night March 06 Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50. Wind around 10 mph.
Monday night March 07 Low around 35. Wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Tuesday night March 08 Partly cloudy, with a low around 30. Wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday night March 09 Partly cloudy, with a low around 30. Wind around 5 mph.
Monday March 07 High near 55. Wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Tuesday March 08 Partly sunny, with a high near 45. Wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday March 09 Sunny, with a high near 50. Wind around 10 mph.
Thursday March 10 Partly sunny, with a high near 48. Wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
FRAMINGHAM STATE UNIVERSITY’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1932 | FSUGATEPOST.COM
NEWS
4 | MARCH 4, 2022
Mask mandate Continued from page 1 re-evaluated if a surge in the number of cases occurs. “If there is a big surge or a spike, that scares us, of course. I’m hoping that will not be the case. All the decisions that we’re making are based on the information we have at the time, and certainly, we hope that the trends will continue to go in this manner,” he said. Cevallos said the University does not need to continue testing as many people as it has been. “Vaccinated and most asymptomatic people there’s no reason for them to test on a regular basis.” He added, “Certainly, students, faculty, and staff who have had an exemption to the vaccine should continue to test. There’s no question that we want to continue testing people who are not vaccinated. “I think that for safety and peace of mind that we continue to offer testing to whoever is interested,” he said. “If you travel someplace and you come back, you may want to test just to make sure. “I think that lifting the mandate or modifying the mandate in the middle of the semester - if everything is going the right way - makes sense,” he said. “Why continue to force [people] to wear a mask all the time if there is no evidence that the virus is around?” Cevallos said the University needs a “flexible approach” to changing COVID-19 mitigation because some members of the FSU community and their families are immunocompromised and at a higher risk of contracting the virus than most people. “We have to keep in consideration that we are on a campus that is very diverse in many, many ways,” he said. “We have to accommodate and make sure that whatever decision we make respects the right of individuals to be safe, and that it will ensure safety for everyone.” Ilene Hofrenning, director of the Health Center, said trends for positive cases are heading in the right direction. She said FSU’s positive test rate was 4.4% for January. FSU’s COVID-19 Dashboard listed 56 positive cases the week of Jan. 28 - just after students returned from winter break. However, the positive test rate averaged 0.5% during February. Hofrenning added the transmission risk for Middlesex County is considered “low” by the CDC under its latest guidelines. Hofrenning said neighboring Worcester and Suffolk counties are considered “medium” risk. Additionally, she said the positive test rate statewide is currently below 2%. “That’s the lowest it’s been for a while. “We feel pretty confident that we’re making the right decision,” Hofrenning said. Hofrenning acknowledged that the mask mandate may resume in the future if positive cases rise. She added the COVID Oversight Committee will continue carefully monitoring data at the college, city, county, state, and
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national levels. “We’ll respond based on that data.” Evaluating masks as a tool to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, Hofrenning said, “One-way masking is very close to being as effective as two-way masking.” Ann McDonald, chief of staff and general counsel, said the Mitigation
vaccinated yet,” she said. “That is scary, and it’s problematic.” Caffrey said she teaches theater and communication classes. “I hate wearing a mask,” she said. “It makes my job incredibly difficult because so much of your expression is in your face.” However, Caffrey said she
“I’m tired of wearing my winter coat, but I’m not about to start going out in a summer dress because the snow is still on the ground and I’ll get frostbite. ... I’m tired of wearing a mask, but I’m not tired of breathing - so I’m going to keep wearing the mask.” -Rachel Trousdale, English Professor and Testing Logistics Subcommittee discussed the “benefits” of one-way masking. “It’s not as though you’re completely unprotected,” she said. McDonald said memorandums of agreement (MoA) are in place for each employee union to address COVID-19 protocols. “We’ve actually got four agreements, and they all look pretty close to each other, but there are some deviations between them,” she said, adding faculty, administrators, and staff all work in different spaces. McDonald said the MoA for the Massachusetts State College Association (MSCA) - the union for faculty and librarians - addresses classrooms and office hours. The MoA for the Association of Professional Administrators (APA) deals with private office spaces. She said each MoA requires the University to provide five days’ notice before changes begin and allow union members to ask questions about them. The five-day period began March 2 for the changes going into effect March 6, according to McDonald. “The MSCA has, on a statewide basis, created a three-question survey, and they launched that survey last week,” McDonald said. The APA submitted questions about mask agreements for shared offices. McDonald said APA members can require visitors to wear masks in their offices if they post an announcement on their doors and if the University approves their decision. Those offices will be required to supply masks in case a visitor forgets to bring one. While the MoAs will terminate during the summer, McDonald said, “We could potentially renegotiate them. I’m hoping when we get to that point, we don’t have to.” Kate Caffrey, president of the MSCA Framingham chapter, said lifting mask mandates is “irresponsible. “There are plenty of people with comorbidities. There are plenty of people who live with people who are at risk, and there’s plenty of people who work at Framingham State and go to school at Framingham State who have young children who aren’t
doesn’t want to bring COVID-19 to her 86-year-old mother. She also co-teaches a course with someone who has cancer. “I don’t think I would ever forgive myself if I got COVID and then gave it to my mother and then she passed away, or this colleague of mine who has cancer passed away,” she said. “It’s not that much of a burden to wear a mask when you’re really talking about life and death. “It’s five weeks until the end of the semester after spring break. So is five weeks of having this extra layer of protection not worth it?” she asked. English professor Rachel Trousdale said, “I have a four-year-old daughter who is too young to vaccinate. I have an elderly father who has diabetes. I have a father-in-law who is immunocompromised. “If the mask mandate goes away, that will compromise my ability to care for my daughter and visit my relatives without endangering them, so I’m pretty unhappy at the prospect of dropping masks,” she added. Trousdale said students have been forced to leave her classes because they have young children or are immunocompromised themselves. “This is not just a hypothetical about family members - it is having real and immediate impacts on students even with the mask mandates still in place.” She offered an analogy, “I’m tired of wearing my winter coat, but I’m not about to start going out in a summer dress because the snow is still on the ground and I’ll get frostbite. ... I’m tired of wearing a mask, but I’m not tired of breathing - so I’m going to keep wearing the mask. “Masks are inconvenient, whereas unnecessary death is a tragedy,” Trousdale said. “The cost is inconvenience, rather than catastrophe.” Valerie Hytholt, director of the Centers for Early Childhood Education, said COVID-19 mitigation practices at the centers are subject to the approval of the state Department of Early Education and Care. While mask mandates were lifted for the center Feb. 28, Hytholt said the centers are still following the guidance of FSU’s leadership.
Hytholt said the children enrolled at the centers - with their parents’ consent - are tested at FSU’s COVID-19 testing site. The state also provides rapid tests for free when children are exposed to COVID-19 at home. She said none of the children have ever tested positive, and for the past three weeks, she has not needed to administer any rapid tests. If the mask mandate is lifted for the centers on April 2, Hytholt said she will ask the children’s parents if they want to continue masking informally while indoors. She said the children already take mask breaks, including when they play outside. Many students are anticipating the lifting of the mask mandate at FSU. Allan Montes, a freshman health and wellness major, said, “I think it’s about time that they lifted some portion of the mask mandate. “I feel like it would make a lot more sense because if they’re [students] fully vaccinated, they have a slimmer chance of getting it. I feel like it’s more helpful if the testing goes towards the students who aren’t fully vaccinated,” he added. Freshman biochemistry major Vienne Peltier said, “I’m a member of the women’s soccer team, so I think it’d be really nice not to have to wear masks during practice. We’re always with our team, so it’s not like we’re being exposed to new people.” Peltier added wearing masks makes it harder to breathe when working out in the Athletic Center. DJ Nelson, a freshman criminology major, said, “I agree with the sports stuff - I don’t think people should have to wear masks for that. I also don’t think people should get written up for not having a mask in their building [residence hall] - because that’s just stupid. “I definitely think it should be less mandated,” he added. Other students said they were fine with continuing to mask on campus. Sophomore studio art major Christopher Benham said, “I don’t have a preference. I mean, I’m fine with wearing masks. … I know it depends on the numbers on campus.” Julia Comeau, a junior psychology major, said, “I think I’ll probably be OK with that just as long as there’s still people wearing masks, because I prefer to wear my mask - especially in crowded places. “The library, maybe, would be good to still have the mask mandate, but places like the cafeteria, I mean, everyone always has their masks off anyways,” she added. Junior marketing major Ryan King said, “Pretty much everywhere I go in public - going to some event or something - usually masks are required. I just kind of deal with it - I just put my mask on like everyone else.”
CONNECT WITH DONALD HALSING dhalsing@student.framingham.edu CONNECT WITH KATHLEEN MOORE kmoore8@student.framingham.edu
NEWS
MARCH 4, 2022 | 5
Administrators discuss menstrual hygiene products on campus By Lydia Staber Staff Writer
Many FSU students are urging administrators to provide free menstrual hygiene products in bathrooms around the University. Rain Cormier, a junior English major, said they felt very passionate about this topic. “The entire campus needs to get on board with having feminine hygiene products in every bathroom,” they said. Leticia Rita Santo, a freshman ASL major, said, “As college students, we already don’t have easy accessibility to those products.” Santos added having them free and easily available would be beneficial to students. Sarah Burke, a senior English major, said she also thinks the campus “needs to carry” menstrual hygiene products in bathrooms for students to access. Julia Berry, a senior English major, said she “never carries around any change” for the tampon dispensers in the bathroom, and asked, “Why are they not free?” Many students agreed the University should supply free menstrual hygiene products in the bathrooms around campus, including Hannah Polansky, a senior English major, who said these products should be free “100 percent.” Shayne Durkin, a freshman Spanish major, asked, “An institution that generates millions of dollars annually can’t spend just a little extra on tampons? Really?” Andrea Pizzotti, a junior English major, asked, “Women did not ask for this [periods] so why do they have to
pay to keep themselves clean and hygienic?” She added, “I see an issue with how there are not tampons available in campus bathrooms.” Hannah Mace, a junior child and family studies major, said having menstrual products available would “immensely benefit the population of S that goes through a menstrual cycle,” adding, “It would alleviate some of the stress that comes with the cycle.” Ainslee Caton, a freshman environmental science major, said, “Students are paying to be here and should be provided essential products.” Ilene Hofrenning, the director of the Health Center, said the Health Center has free menstrual hygiene products for students. “We have a supply of tampons and pads in a basket in each bathroom in the Health Center for students to take as needed. We also have a supply to give to students who come into the Health Center and ask for them,” she said. Hofrenning said perhaps the reason the University does not supply free menstrual products in all bathrooms is due to the cost for both “the product and for staff to replenish the supply.” Robin KurKomelis, assistant to the ean of Students Office, also attributed cost as the reason menstrual products are not provided for free in the bathrooms across campus. Patricia Whitney, assistant vice president of Facilities and Capital Planning, discussed where menstrual hygiene products fit into the niversity’s budget. “With student enrollment down, the budget is tight,” she said.
“The question is always, ‘What are we willing to give up to fund this?’” she added. “ ill we be willing to give up financial aid to fund this? That’s important. What about library books? Those are important, too.” Whitney highlighted concern over menstrual products being stolen. “You would be surprised what some students on campus have stolen,” she said. Whitney said there are free menstrual hygiene products in faculty bathrooms. She said she suggests the Rams Resource Center (RRC) for students to receive free menstrual products. KurKomelis became the manager of the RRC last fall. During an interview in the RRC last semester, KurKomelis pointed to multiple trash bags stuffed full of pads, along with the racks of tampon boxes. “We have a healthy supply,” KurKomelis said with a laugh. She added the University receives menstrual hygiene products from donations and vendors, such as Dignity Matters. According to their website, Dignity Matters “is a non-profit organi ation that collects, purchases and supplies feminine hygiene products, bras, and underwear to women and girls who are homeless or disadvantaged, in order to help them stay healthy, regain self-confidence, and live with basic dignity.” KurKomelis said Dignity Matters gives the RRC a shipment of menstrual products every two months. She added the real problem at hand is a lack of awareness about the RRC
and what is provided. KurKomelis said the RRC is “for all students,” although she “fears” students have a misunderstanding about the services provided. “Every student should know this is a resource for them. There are no questions asked when you come into the center,” she added. hitney said the “first step” that should be taken is better “communication” about the RRC and to “get rid of the stigma that says, ‘In need,’ and allow anyone to go in there.” Pizzotti said, “I can walk down to the Rams Resource Center and grab an entire box [of tampons] without issue. If the campus can operate the RRC, why can they not supply additional resources elsewhere?” Whitney proposed making the dispensers in the bathroom available via credit card or debit card instead of coins. “No one carries around change anymore,” she said. Hoffrening said, “I think it would be great if period products could be supplied for anyone who needs them on campus. I hate to think of anyone missing classes, sports, or social events because they didn’t have access to feminine hygiene products.” She added, “I think that if there was a groundswell of vocal support for this from students, it would make a difference in whether it would become a reality.” [Editor’s Note: Design Editor Emma Lyons and Staff Writer Abigail Petrucci contributed to this article.]
CONNECT WITH LYDIA STABER lstaber@student.framingham.edu
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OP/ED
THE GATEPOST EDITORIAL
Maintain the mandate As we approach spring break, our community must not forget the enormous impact COVID-19 continues to have on our community. Yesterday, in a campus-wide email, President F. Javier Cevallos announced an amendment to current COVID-19 protocols due to “improved community conditions.” According to Cevallos, “The campus will transition to a mask-optional environment” beginning March 6, except for certain locations specified in the email such as classrooms, the Health Center, and the Ram Tram. Though considering amending current COVID-19 protocols is understandable, administrators should not lift the mask mandate while the semester is in progress. Lifting the mandate would not only risk the safety of students, but that of all members of our community. According to the CDC, Framingham is currently categorized as a “low-risk” community for COVID-19 transmission, meaning the use of masks is recommended based on personal preference. In the email, Cevallos predicts a transition to more flexibility in the mask mandate beginning April 2, just a couple of weeks after spring break. By downgrading the current mask mandate so soon after spring break, the administration risks exposing our community to a rise in COVID-19 cases due to spring break travel and other variables. The mandate is a safety net protecting not only the lives of students and employees, but also their families and the people they come in contact with outside the University. Masks have proven successful in limiting exposure to COVID-19 and maintaining low positivity rates. FSU isn’t an isolated bubble. It is celebrated as an open campus and is a part of the City of Framingham. Not only will many students be traveling long distances over spring break, but they will continue to make trips to their homes on a regular basis when they return. Commuters, of course, travel back and forth from their hometowns every day. Professors and other employees will continue to go home to their families every night. While administrators may be hopeful there won’t be a rise in cases after spring break, the likelihood of community members contracting COVID-19 during spring break remains a distinct possibility.
Even though all resident students will be tested for COVID-19 when they return from break, commuter students will not be required to test. Positive cases may go undetected among asymptomatic commuter students who are just as likely to travel during the break. We cannot risk the safety of our community so soon. Though modifying current protocols to establish a “new normal” may be justified based upon scientific evidence, we must remain vigilant. While COVID-19 cases appear to be declining, we have not yet reached a safe threshold to ease mask and testing requirements. According to The New York Times, there were 1,302 new COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts March 1. By comparison, there were 2,037 new cases in the state Sept. 1. There’s still over a thousand new cases per day - conditions similar to the start of the fall 2021 semester. If wearing masks and regular testing were important in September, they should still be important now. If the mandate is removed too soon, students who come in contact with young children and family members who are immunocompromised will be fearful about attending their in-person classes. If the mandate is removed too soon, our community members will become more vulnerable to contracting COVID-19, especially individuals with weakened immune systems, underlying conditions, or those who are not yet eligible to receive a booster. Every student attending in-person classes must enter a classroom. Every professor teaching an in-person class must enter one, too. Mask mandates must stay for these essential learning spaces. By maintaining the mask mandate until the end of the spring semester, students will be able to work out accommodations over the summer for the fall semester instead of hastily arranging them weeks before the end of this one. The pandemic is not over. We can’t drop our guard - and our masks - until the risk of spreading COVID-19 to our peers and loved ones is under control.
Have an opinion? Feel free to email it to: gatepost@framingham.edu Opinions should be about 500 words. Anyone can submit. We look forward to hearing from you! @TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com
Trump, there is nothing “genius” about Putin By McKenzie Ward Opinions Editor In the early morning of Feb. 24, Russia launched an invasion on Ukraine, an ex-Soviet nation located in eastern Europe. The country attacked Ukraine in a mass assault by land, sea, and air. In the morning and throughout the dawn of Feb. 24, explosions could be heard throughout the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv. According to Reuters, this is the biggest attack on a European country since World War II. In a pre-recorded message by Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, he declared that Russia could not “feel safe, develop, and exist” because of Ukraine and the supposed threat Ukraine is to Russia, according to the BBC. The BBC reports that Putin is claiming he wants to protect people from genocide and aim for the “demilitarization and de-Nazification” of Ukraine despite there being no genocide in Ukraine and their president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, being Jewish. Leaders around the world have expressed their support for Ukraine and have condemned Russia for their unprovoked aggression toward the much smaller country, even before the attack. When President Joe Biden was asked to clarify his comments in January concerning the possible threat, he said he had been very clear with Putin that if any Russian units moved into Ukraine it would be considered an invasion, and Russia would “be met with [a] severe and coordinated economic response,” and Russia would pay a heavy price, according to ABC News. While world leaders spoke out against Putin, former President Donald Trump has had nothing but love for the dictator. In an Feb. 22 interview on “The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show,” Trump called Putin “very savvy” and Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine, which is an independent, sovereign, and democratic country, an act of “genius,” according to Politico. And while on Feb. 26 he did finally condemn the assault, it was too late the damage was done. While I am not surprised the former president has said yet another stupid comment, his remark isn’t just stupid - it is dangerous. For years Trump has worshiped Putin and has consistently played into the hands of the dictator. In 2018, Trump contradicted U.S. Intelligence Agencies at the Helsinki Summit and said there was no reason for Russia to meddle in the U.S. election, according to the BBC. This was despite U.S. Intelligence Agencies concluding that during the 2016 election, Russia authorized a campaign of cyberattacks and fake news stories on social media to tip the scale of the election against Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, according to the BBC. When asked if Trump believed his own country’s intelligence agencies or the Russian dictator when it came to these allegations, Trump said, “President Putin says it’s not Russia. I don’t see any reason why it would be.” Sure, Trump, let’s just take the word of a man who won’t allow a legitimate election to happen in his country. This is outrageous and the entirety of the GOP needs to condemn Trump for his admiration of Putin. This man has time and time again put a country that is not even our ally over our foreign policy, citizens, and our government workers who make their best efforts to protect our democracy. There was one point in history in which a GOP president, Ronald Reagan actually stood up to Russia and was credited for winning the Cold War. Now we have a former GOP president acting as a puppet for the Kremlin while GOP senators such as Tom Cotton and Ted Cruz refuse to condemn Trump for his insensitive praise of a dictator, according to The Hill. In my opinion, Trump’s statements are borderline treasonous. There is nothing heroic about a man who invades an independent country solely to gain power. The real heroes are the people of Ukraine who are bravely fighting and defending their country, including their President Zelenskyy who has continued to fight alongside his people. May sunflowers grow across Ukraine.
OP/ED
MARCH 4, 2022 | 7
Campus Conversations What are your plans for spring break? By Emma Lyons, Editorial Staff and Christy Howland, Staff Writer
“Makeup work for school.”
“I have to work and make more money than I am making right now.”
-Sean Vassell, sophomore
-Sophia Oppedisano, freshman
“My friends and I are going to New York City. We’re going to spend a week at an Airbnb and just spend time going around the city, shopping, just doing fun stuff.” -Libby Niemiec, senior
“I am going to go visit my mom. She lives in Pennsylvania, so we’re about 500 miles away from each other. She’s moving into a new house, so I’m helping her move in. I’m just going to stay with her for a long weekend.”
“Just playing music with my music group.” -Donovan Jermyn, senior
“I’m probably going to be looking into a lot of internships. … I’m also going to try and hang out with some of my high school friends.” -Olivia Nicolazzo, junior
-Hanah Wise, sophomore
“I might go on vacation with my best friend and a few other friends and see some family.” -Esther Casseus, sophomore
“I’m planning on going to New Jersey, building a business with my team, and meeting a bunch of people in the organization. It’s kind of overwhelming, but I’m definitely excited.” -Knile McDowall, senior
“I’m actually going down to Florida - we’re going to Siesta Key. Then we are going to a Red Sox game, a spring training game down there.” -Olivia Colling, freshman
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8 | MARCH 4, 2022
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SPORTS
SP O RTS Rams Hockey advances to MASCAC semifinal in OT action against Fitchburg
MARCH 4, 2022 | 9
Ice Hockey’s season ends in playoff battle vs. Plymouth State 8-4
By Danielle Achin Sports Editor
By Tyler Wahl Sports Editor
The Framingham State Ice Hockey team skated to a scoreless three periods and scored in OT action against Fitchburg State, sending them to the MASCAC semifinals. This was a much-needed win for the Rams and they proved themselves on the ice facing off against the seed in the league. The game opened up with a flurry of shots sent from both teams but none were able to sneak by the goalkeepers, totaling 6 valuable saves from Rams goalie Blake Carlson, and 7 saves from Falcons Brian McGrath to end the period. The second period showed to be no different from the first. espite two man-advantage opportunities for Fitchburg, Carlson kept the Falcons off the board with blocks ending the second at a - standstill. In the third, it was evident the Rams had shaken the alcons confidence and they were determined to score, sending another flurry of shots toward the Rams, but Carlson held off all shots. The Rams responded skating in on a breakaway attempt, but McGrath made a straggling save to end the period and send the game into overtime. ot even four minutes into OT, Carlson had collected five saves for the Rams. The Rams offense charged in the seventh minute when Fitchburg was called on a cross-check penalty. aleb inskey capitali ed on the advantage, firing a shot and beating goaltender McGrath for the - victory for the Rams and inskey’s very first goal of the season. Not only was this an upset for the Falcons losing on home ice, the game winning goal sent the Rams spilling onto the ice for a celebration so wild that a pane of glass wound up shattered. inskey commented on the big win for the Rams. He said, “ e knew the odds were stacked heavily against us. e did our homework and played defensively sound for a full sixty minutes.” He said the biggest spark for him is his captain Brian o ek who always boosts everyone’s confidence and motivates the team every day. o ek also praised his team for their confidence going against stacked odds. “ layoffs bring out the best in everyone, and I think not being in the playoffs for so long, none of the guys took this opportunity for granted,” he said. “I think we shocked a lot of people, but I’ve known that we’ve had that effort and game in us all year long. ou always believe that you can and will win, but to actually go out there and do it on the road is a pretty cool thing to be a part of.” The men faced off against #1 seed lymouth State in the MASCAC semifinal March . Before this match, o ek said he was prepared for whatever the outcome may be. “If it does not end up the way we want to, I will cross that bridge when I get there,” he said. “ or now, I plan on preparing and doing everything that I can to help this team move one step closer to our ultimate goal.” iskey added, “ in or lose I couldn’t be more proud of our team! Talk about a group of guys who came together at the right time of the season to do Gatepost Archives something really special.”
Rams Ice Hockey faced off against lymouth State March in a heated MASCAC playoff semifinal game. The game started off scoreless for the first eight minutes until the anthers were able to squee e one by sophomore goalkeeper Blake Carlson. The finish came off a rebounded shot from anthers’ eter aviolette and was put in by him Stalburg to make the score - in favor of lymouth State. Throughout the rest of the period, lymouth State outshot S by a healthy margin. S was having trouble setting up any scoring opportunities - meaning their defense was going to have to make up for their lackluster offense. The final score of the first period finished at - with the Rams trailing, but the deficit could have been worse if it wasn’t for Carlson’s incredible goalkeeping. ithin the last two minutes of the first period, four shots were sent on net and each of them were easily handled by Carlson. Framingham State was not as fortunate in the second period, however, as they let S steadily take a lead. A goal was quickly scored in under two minutes of play when S ’s eromey Rancourt slotted one by the S goalkeeper for a - advantage. lymouth State began to take full control of the game in the second period - rattling off four more goals to bring the tally to 6-1 by the end of the second period for S . S was playing like a number-one seeded team should, and ran away with the game early. espite the massive lead lymouth State had built, S was not done fighting for the life of their season. Framingham State was able to make the game competitive off power play goals in the third period. The first came during a power play when junior forward acob Garman scored off an assist from freshman ylan Marty. Garman also played a pivotal role in keeping the game close as he finished with a total of goals to end the night. Marty put in the next goal a few minutes after Garman’s initial scoring play and was completely unassisted. Marty’s solo play kept the Rams momentum flowing - as freshman defender atrick Colgan rattled another one in to make the score a more manageable - . The Rams took the risk and pulled the goalkeeper in the final minutes of the third period, resulting in a S open net goal from R Barone to put the anthers up - . anthers’ Mike Mc herson put in the last goal of the match to solidify the score at - and knock ramingham State out of the MASCAC tournament. espite the hard loss, the Ice Hockey team still has a lot to be proud of coming out of this season. Taking down the number two seed in the conference as an underdog is something most teams can’t pull off. Carlson spoke after the hard-fought game saying, “My teammates are the reason I play hockey. They all put in an exceptional amount of work during the season - on and off the ice.” That hard work undoubtedly paid off in their playoff run. Although the team didn’t have the endurance to make the finals, this momentum will hopefully set the program up for a good start next year. Carlson added, “I think we saw success come from our leadership group and their desire to win. Our captain, Brian o ek, put in a ton of work off the ice to make sure we were prepared and in the right mindset for the playoffs.” o ek played his part in this game as well, chipping in with one assist on the night. Carlson also finished with an incredible saves for the game. The grueling regular season and unexpected playoff success of the Ice Hockey team gives the program and team motivation for their upcoming season next winter.
FRAMINGHAM STATE FITCHBURG STATE
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CONNECT WITH TYLER WAHL twahl1@student.framingham.edu
PLYMOUTH STATE FRAMINGHAM STATE
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ARTS & FEATURES
10 | MARCH 4, 2022
ARTS & FEATURES
Hernease Davis presents her healing process with “...new love” By Emily Rosenberg Arts & Features Editor Hernease Davis, a photo-based artist, gave a presentation on her artistic process and art as a form of self care, in the Ecumenical Center March 1 sponsored by the Mazmanian Art Gallery and Arts & Ideas. Her exhibition “...We’ll Have to Make New Love” in Mazmanian Art Gallery opened March 1 and will close March 30th. Davis is a multimedia artist who uses photograms, cyanotypes on fabric, crochet, and sound installations. She teaches in the MFA program of the visual studies workshop in Rochester, New York. Her work has appeared in numerous exhibitions, including the International Center of Photography in New York City, Tiger Strike Asteroid in Brooklyn, and now Framingham State. She had also been featured in Front Runner Magazine and Lensculture. Davis has been crafting her practice into a psychological space where she may safely confront emotional scars, Ellie Krakow, director of the Mazmanian Art Gallery said in her introduction. Davis began the lecture by discussing her residency at Elizabeth Foundation in New York City. She said she and her fellow artists at the foundation were nicknamed the “quarantine cohort,” because they were the 201920 residents. As they prepared for an exhibition, the building locked down and they worked remotely for the first time. In lockdown, Davis used her kitchen floor in her apartment to work on
large canvas pieces, and a yoga mat in her living room to work on felt pieces, she said. A cyanotype is a photo process, she said. She said what makes cyanotypes “unique” is that it requires UV light force to activate the chemistry that turns the surface a blue color. Then the photo is developed using water and non-toxic gasses. A photogram is a photograph made without a camera by placing objects directly onto a light sensitive surface. Davis said while discussing the process of making art, she likes to “accept the inherent mistakes and imperfections. “I used to be a very meticulous black and white - printer where controlling the process from beginning to end was extremely satisfying, and very important and it worked for me until it didn’t. And it kind of mirrored how my life was happening outside of the darkroom,” she said. Davis then discussed her work “A Womb of my own (mistakes were made in development),” a series of photograms. She used the term “acute traumatic situations” to describe the experiences that led her to rethink her work. She said the title of the series is a metaphor, but also describes what literally happened. Davis pointed to a black and white photogram which expressed the outline of a woman’s body. She said this was created from a damaged photo negative from a roll of film she loaded incorrectly. Initially, she was upset with herself but she decided to continue and made a contact sheet - a way of printing out
Maddison Behringer / THE GATEPOST One of Davis’ pieces on display in the Mazmanian Gallery March 1.
the negative and viewing the exposures, she said. “I realized that the frames that were the most damaged were my favorites.” Davis said. “I felt this visceral reaction of feeling like I failed myself, that I lost that image, but I now had an image that did not look anything how I expected.” Some of the works in the series are contact prints, the size of her body, and large enough for her to lie down and “use the surface to deal with the acute traumatic situation” that was happening in her life, she said. Davis said she blacks out her living room, and does what she needs to do such as pray, meditate, or listen to a podcast. Then when she is ready to lie down, there is a strobe light in the corner of the room that is wirelessly triggered. She said she does not plan what her body will do. “It’s chronological but it’s also sort of like a journal entry,” she said. Davis also discussed her piece “Charleston,” which she created in response to her anger about the massacre at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in Charleston, South Carolina in which nine African Americans were killed during Bible study. Davis grew up AME so the description of the day was particularly upsetting because she could imagine herself there. “So I made this piece in response to this rage that I didn’t know what to do with,” she said. She added it was the first piece where she manually manipulated the paper. Davis said often when she is creating photograms, she doesn’t know where the shadows are going or what it will look like until she develops it. Not caring about the order of the “chemistry” in the dark room process, freed her. She also shared her crocheted blankets, which she said is another way she takes care of herself. “It’s very soothing, it’s monotonous, it relieves my stress, it’s something I can do, for instance on the subway,” Davis said. She said that improvisation in her crochet is another part of relinquishing and “letting go.” Some of her blankets use patterns, while others do not. She sings the song “Unraveled” by Bjork while crocheting to determine the width of the blanket. Davis added the blankets are also like a self portrait because she crochets the foundation until it is her height. The title of the show “...We’ll Have to Make New Love” comes from the Bjork lyric from the song “Unraveled.” She said she views the lyric as a
“return” to beginnings of the work she is making. She added “Unraveled” is important to her because it helped her through her graduate school thesis. “I sang the song over and over and over again to deal with my own anxiety and to deal with how uncomfortable it was to write about my own work,” Davis said. “I can’t imagine feeling better about what this is but I know for me I will come through this and when I return, I’ll most likely be a very different person,” she said of herself as a graduate student. Davis then discussed how she transferred her “intense emotional” space to display art. She said at exhibits she used pillows and blankets to create places of rest for people prior to the pandemic. She finished her lecture by showing a video of a wall which she used as a canvas to repetitively write the names of two people who died at the beginning of isolation. Once finished writing their names, Davis wrote the names of the people who were close to them. “This was a way to mourn,” Davis said. “It kind of embodies what’s happening in my work. There’s always something shifting, always something developing, always something changing and growing.” Three students, senior studio art major Jenna Billiam, senior communications art major Carly Paul, and senior studio art major Jen Pencil then had the opportunity to interview Davis. In response to a question about how long she had been developing her studio, Davis said she had worked on it for over 12 years and it has become a place of exploration. She added sometimes it takes her time to make work. “I kind of stare at a wall for a really long time. I zone out … sometimes it takes you some time to rev up and get your work done.” Billiam asked Davis for advice on dealing with personal topics in their senior art exhibitions. Davis said her parents do not approve of her work because of the trauma and situations it deals with. Her mother finds it “disrespectful. “I realized there’s a lot of shame around choosing to be an artist and wanting to make them proud. “And so I think if we do make such personal work, it’s more important and also easier said than done - to do what is best for you. And to essentially dismiss and disregard any adverse feeling that anyone else feels entitled to have over your work.”
CONNECT WITH EMILY ROSENBERG
erosenberg@student.framingham.edu
FRAMINGHAM STATE UNIVERSITY'S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1932 | FSUGATEPOST.COM
ARTS & FEATURES
MARCH 4, 2022 | 11
Hernease Davis
“... we’ll have to make new love.”
Maddison Behringer / THE GATEPOST Freshman Alyssa Bowler looking at Davis’ work in the Mazmanian Gallery March 1.
Emma Lyons / THE GATEPOST (Left) Art Professor Ruth Scotach and Junior Thalia Nesvacil looking at work in the Mazmanian Gallery March 1.
Emma Lyons / THE GATEPOST Students and professors at Mazmanian Gallery opening March 1.
Maddison Behringer / THE GATEPOST A piece on display in Mazmanian Gallery March 1.
Maddison Behringer / THE GATEPOST (Left) Freshman Emily Monaco and Sophomore Nina Carlsen looking at Davis’ work in the Mazmanian Gallery March 1.
Maddison Behringer / THE GATEPOST Freshman Avry Guilbert looking at Davis’ work in the Mazmanian Gallery March 1.
Emma Lyons / THE GATEPOST A piece by Herease Davis on display in Mazmanian Gallery March 1.
Spread by Maddison Behringer, Design Editor / THE GATEPOST
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ARTS & FEATURES
Black Lives Matter, and everyone at FSU knows it By Ryan O’Connell Asst. Arts & Features Editor In celebration of Black History Month, a banner stating Black Lives Matter was signed by dozens of students and then displayed in the lobby of the McCarthy Center starting on Feb. 22. The idea and signing was organized by the Student Government Association (SGA), and the banner was
ner was students feeling supported by their peers after seeing it and knowing “they belong at FSU.” Sullivan said she hoped the banner would “show Black students have a valued place at FSU,” and it would communicate SGA’s support for them. She also said it was helpful for students to feel accepted and welcome at their University. “Our goal was to show our support to Black students and to make them feel welcomed, encouraged, and val-
ner. She said she signed the banner during some downtime while she was staffing a career services table. “Well, I saw that it was a ‘Black Lives Matter’ banner, and I’m Black, so why wouldn’t I want to sign it? I think that Framingham State - from what I’ve seen - they do a really good job including everybody,” Swain said. “It’s like, why not? A lot of things are happening in this world. It made me feel included that I had my name on something in the school,” she said.
CIE, said he hoped students would feel “pride, commitment, and challenge” when passing the banner. “I want our Black students to feel seen and valued for who they are, and that they feel the support and love of this community. We all should arrive at a point where we believe what our Black students have always known that their lives matter,” he said. “We all have work to do to address racism,” he said, adding every member of campus has a role in uphold-
“I want our Black students to feel seen and valued for who they are, and that they feel the support and love of this community. We all should arrive at a point where we believe what our Black students have always known - that their lives matter.” - Eric Nguyen Director of the Center for Inclusive Excellence
supported by FSU’s Center for Inclusive Excellence (CIE), as well as other groups on campus, including Black Student Union. Senior Emma Sullivan, vice president of SGA and a member of the Student Advisory Council (SAC), shared some of the reasons she believes the banner was necessary to express the feeling of community on FSU’s campus. Sullivan said one of SGA’s goals in helping to create the banner was to “celebrate our students of color,” and to show support for them on campus. She said this was especially important given the number of hate crimes that occurred last year. She added one of the biggest impacts she hoped to see from the ban-
ued,” she added. Sullivan said while she is graduating in May, she hopes SGA will continue to help facilitate events like the banner signing so that future students feel seen and supported. She said it felt “meaningful” to see a physical banner in person in the McCarthy Center, and the signatures helped show “Black students that they have a community of peers on this campus who support them.” Sullivan said she hoped the banner would have a positive influence on the campus community. “I hope that when students see the outpouring of support from their peers that they will feel safer and happier on this campus.” Nashani Swain, a freshman, was one of the first people to sign the ban-
Swain said she thought it was a great idea to put the banner up in the lobby because of the traffic and she notices people admiring it every day. Swain said she hopes the banner helps contribute to a more anti-racist community at FSU, and that it inspires students to step in if people are having trouble or are being treated unfairly. “I hope that if they see something they don’t like that’s happening to Black students on campus, they choose to involve themselves and make it better,” she said. Swain said the event was overall very positive for the community and Black students, but was interested to see how the campus could grow from here. Eric Nguyen, the director of the
ing the “institution’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism.” Nguyen said he sees the banner as “a way to challenge those who might choose to exercise their right to free speech in ways that are harmful and destructive to a community and its members.” Nguyen highlighted the March 30 event in the 2022 Olivia A. Davidson Voices of Color series hosted by the CIE and Arts & Ideas featuring Sy Stokes, which aims to discuss racial incidents on campus, and how members of the community can begin to respond to these actions.
CONNECT WITH RYAN O’CONNELL
roconnell1@student.framingham.edu
Ryan O’Connell / THE GATEPOST
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ARTS & FEATURES
MARCH 4, 2022 | 13
Leslie Campbell Continued from page 1 undergraduate student, Campbell and her classmates took a field trip to the Finger Lakes and a Morton Salt Mine underneath Lake Erie. She said the most significant field trip of her undergraduate education was Field Camp, an outdoor course for students earning bachelor of science degrees, because it was an opportunity that applies laboratory and classroom education to solving geologic problems in the field. Campbell chose a Field Camp where students were able to travel. She said her group “did a big loop across the Southwest.” “Field Camp was intense, but it was an eye-opening experience that was a lot of fun,” she said. Campbell noted the most difficult part of Field Camp was being away from home, but the traveling pushed Campbell out of her comfort zone and prepared her for her next adventure one that was permanent. After completing Field Camp and graduating with a bachelor of science degree from Youngstown State, she moved across the country to Boston College. Campbell said she did not believe teaching was the career path for her, but during graduate school, she was offered a National Science Foundation Grant to educate K-12 students across Massachusetts about geology and seismology. “I would talk to students, teachers,
and parents about seismology and geology as a tool for helping people understand science in general. That’s where it all started,” she said. Once the grant money ran out, she made the shift from teaching in K-12 schools to teaching as a professor as she “was looking for something different.” She began teaching at FSU in 2012, and has taught physical geology, oceanography, and Conversations With The Earth. Currently, she only teaches physical geology. Campbell explained her favorite part of teaching is helping students realize they can understand science. “When I see students in an introductory geology course, I hear them say they are not good at science. I like to show people they are capable. You can do anything as long as you try,” she said. Campbell said she chose to teach at FSU because she attended a state university. “I think it is really important to offer a great education at a reasonable price - I like to be part of that,” she said. Campbell said the most difficult part of teaching has been navigating the pandemic as learning geology from Zoom is a challenge. When she is not teaching, Campbell works at The Vin Bin, a wine store in Hopkinton. She has been working at The Vin Bin selling wine since Fall Campbell said wine is similar to geology as there are “lots of applicable aspects in the wine world for geolo-
Caroline Gordon / THE GATEPOST gy.” She said, “When I read the descriptions, tasting notes, and information we get from importers and different vineyards, I can understand the soil and map where the wines came from. Having a background in geology and understanding climatic and weather patterns helps decode what I am looking at.” With a grin, Campbell said geology is a subject she has always been passionate about. “Geology is a fun way to be able to connect with nature. Geology is science all around you,” she said. Campbell added, “Being able to
make sense of the natural world, even in a small way, is important and interesting.” Like many FSU students, Campbell is a first-generation college student. She said in order to walk across the graduation stage, students should be present in the classroom. “If you are there and focused, that’s when you’re truly engaged,” said Campbell. “It means something when you get that degree,” she said. “I’m happy where I ended up.”
CONNECT WITH CAROLINE GORDON
cgordon4@student.framingham.edu
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ARTS & FEATURES
‘Line Goes Up’ - ex‘The Legend of Vox ploring the fractured Machina’ - from the culture of NFTs SEAN’S MEDIA MAYHEM
tabletop to television By Sean Cabot Multimedia Critic “Critical Role” is a series of livestreamed games of “Dungeons & Dragons” played by a group of professional voice actors. Spawning from a series of sessions organized by Matthew Mercer for his friend Liam O’Brien’s birthday, the brand has since expanded to a shocking degree. In 2019, Critical Role Productions began a Kickstarter for a 22-minute special which was launched with a goal of $750,000, only to receive over $11 million in funding. The result is a 12 episode Amazon Prime animated series - “The Legend of Vox Machina.” Following the plot of “Critical Role’s” first campaign, the show follows the titular adventuring party Vox Machina - a group of eclectic, ill-behaved misfits such as the bloodthirsty goliath Grog (Travis Willingham) and the hypersexual gnome Scanlan (Sam Riegel). There are decent people in the group, like Keyleth the druid (Marisha Ray) and Pike the cleric (Ashley Johnson). Though they’re ultimately about as eccentric as their allies. The rest of the cast consists of the sardonic half-elf siblings Vex and Vax (Laura Bailey and O’Brien), and Percy (Taliesin Jaffe), a prickly deposed noble seeking revenge against his family’s killers. He’s also played by the kid with the blanket from “Mr. Mom.” Together they stumble through perilous quests with incredible reluctance, learning all the valuable lessons a dysfunctional group of friends usually learns on a high-fantasy epic. Though, calling it an epic is a bit inaccurate. There is a good chunk of worldbuilding in this season, but its scale is actually rather personal. The plot largely centers on Percy’s all-consuming quest for revenge, effectively making him the central character. Thankfully, the rest of the party gets enough time devoted to each individual member to make it feel like a proper ensemble. This slightly lopsided juggling act does eventually result in a story that works well in spite of a few clichéd elements. However, some rather odd pacing precedes that result. “Vox Machina” opens up on a twoparter adapting the events of the unstreamed sessions. From there, the show launches into a 10-episode adaptation of the second major arc of the original series, skipping past the first entirely and upending the status quo that the first two episodes seemed to set. The awkwardness doesn’t end there
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however. The show is absurdly graphic and vulgar, with characters hacking off limbs and swearing like sailors constantly. It’s all well performed - each member of the main cast is voiced by their original player, all talented actors in their own right. But it’s so excessive at times that it’s hard for me to believe that characters as libidinous as Scanlan were toned down from their original interpretations. However, and I speak as someone who has neither watched much “Critical Role” nor participated in a full tabletop RPG campaign, that’s kind of the fun of it. While the humor never ceases to surface at weird times and persists in being scatological, the show visibly gains its footing as it progresses. Percy goes through a satisfying arc and Scanlan ultimately proves his worth multiple times in spite of starting off as easily the most annoying character. And being that the series is adapted from loose, improvised gaming sessions between a group of close friends, the vulgarity makes a certain degree of sense. This looseness is even reflected in the show itself. While every other character in the show, even comedic relief, seems like part of this world, everyone in Vox Machina save for possibly Percy have a decidedly modern attitude and speech style. All of this comes together to paint a picture of a group of role-players who start out with little ability to convincingly improvise, then gradually immerse themselves fully into this world. In that respect, “The Legend of Vox Machina” is a perfect adaptation of both its source and the tabletop experience. It’s not perfect, but I can’t imagine any decent campaign is.
Grade: B+ a not-quite-natural 20
CONNECT WITH SEAN CABOT scabot@student.framingham.edu
By Jackson Clyde Staff Writer
Since their emergence in 2021, the prevalence of so-called non-fungible tokens in popular discourse has been impossible to ignore. Companies and celebrities alike have wasted no time in jumping onboard, ranging from talk show host Jimmy Fallon to restaurant chain McDonald’s. But despite all the hubbub being made about them, most people still have no clue what they actually are. It can be difficult to explain how they work to those who aren’t invested in them - and as YouTuber Dan Olson sets out to explain, that’s kind of the point. Olson runs the YouTube channel Folding Ideas, in which he discusses an ever-shifting array of subjects. Up until recently, his most popular video was a deep dive into Flat Earther communities, though he has also worked extensively in media criticism, critiquing the “Fifty Shades of Grey” novel trilogy and the popular MMO “World of Warcraft.” This January, he took on the arduous task of explaining NFTs - and quickly found that they fit rather effortlessly into our exploitative economic systems. Olson’s video doesn’t actually delve into NFTs until nearly 40 minutes in. He spends the first seven discussing the 2008 economic collapse, followed by a discussion of the anarcho-capitalist movements that spawned from it. Said movements quickly adopted Bitcoin, the first major cryptocurrency, as a means to escape the regulation prevalent in banking and centralized currency. He also makes sure to note the prevalent anti-Semitism in these spaces - some of the movement’s most prominent figures seem to use the terms “bankers” and “Jews” interchangeably. It’s clear that Olson has done a lot of research for these first sections. Chronicling the history of cryptocurrencies, specifically Bitcoin and Etherium, is made difficult largely due to the toxic positivity of the communities surrounding them, as well as the deliberate overcomplication of their systems to ensure only true evangelists can understand how they work. This isn’t an anomaly - the systems were designed that way. NFTs are built entirely off cryptocurrency, the two existing in tandem with each other. Both markets require a constant buy-in from aspiring investors to maintain liquidity
- which determines their ability to profit from the whole thing. It makes sense why NFTs and crypto as a whole have been pushed so heavily onto the wider public. The more average Joes that try their hand at the market, the more money is made by those at the top. After sufficiently explaining the history of these markets, Olson moves on to the most illuminating part of his video - a hands-on look into the NFT community. To achieve this, he joined a litany of Discord servers for different NFT projects, lurking in each to gather information about how the people in them interact with both the market and each other. The fact that most of the servers he joined disappeared after the project heads made their money, leaving those who bought-in high and dry, is important to mention up front. The communities tended to insulate themselves from criticism as much as possible, while also creating a rather cringeworthy set of terminology for their own use. Raising any concerns about projects is often dismissed as FUD - Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt. Even the act of saying good morning or good night is codified to community language - GM and GN. The servers seem less like active community discussions, and more like outright cults. All this and more is covered in half the video’s runtime. The rest deals with the implementation of NFTs and cryptocurrency into other spaces - such as gaming - and the poisonous effects they’ve had there. Throughout Olson’s detailed and entertaining explanations, the point remains clear - NFTs and the cryptocurrency framework they’re built from are a bigger fool’s scam. The market is rife with exploitation and fraud, and the products it makes are completely immaterial. All to make a line go up. Also, props to the drum solos that punctuate the video. They’re fantas fantastic.
Grade: A+ Essential viewing on a complex subject.
CONNECT WITH JACKSON CLYDE jcylde@student.framingham.edu
Puzzles
ARTS & FEATURES
ACROSS 1. Pass out cards 5. Dells, e.g. 8. Perfume compound 13. Start of a texter’s view 14. Paper purchase 15. Word after “toy” or “candy” 16. Parting words at mass (In this clue’s answer, unscramble letters 4-8) 18. Game with resources 19. Amorphous lump 20. In the manner of 22. Stop playing, or a “stop playing” symbol 23. Widely known individuals (... letters 7-12) 27. Honda Civic or Hyundai Ioniq 28. Conservationist’s prefix 29. Jaden, to Will Smith 30. Mosque leader 32. Foldaway beds 35. Fancy country home 39. Stress-free laundry machine (... letters 9-14) 42. “Rigoletto,” e.g. 43. Brown quickly 44. House overhang 45. National Mall tree 47. The “it” in “It’s on me,” often 49. Body of water that sounds like a letter 50. Governmentfunded medical center (... letters 5-13) 56. Home of the Hindu Kush mountains 57. Note before la 58. WNBA player, e.g. 59. Totaled, as a bill 61. Hiking snack found in 16-, 23-, 39- and 50-Across? 66. Goaded (on) 67. “When will I ___ learn?” 68. Mini golfer’s hold 69. Tractor maker 70. Color on Peru’s flag 71. Strategic partner
DOWN 1. Excavate 2. Punk offshoot 3. Tuna in poke 4. Sound of confusion? 5. Split ___ soup 6. Chocolate source 7. Get a whiff of 8. Top-left key 9. Chinese spice named for its shape 10. Sacred emblem 11. Wipe away 12. Monopoly payments 14. “Friday” singer Black 17. FX show about drag ball culture 21. Spots on a screen, say? 23. Overplay, as a role 24. Speak grandiloquently 25. Owl sounds 26. Celestial flare-up 27. “I’m outta here!” 31. “I’ll tell you the rest in a bit” 33. 20-20, e.g. 34. Improvises at the mic 36. Tibet’s “Forbidden City” 37. Video game stage 38. ___ code (phone number part) 40. Timbuktu’s land 41. Candy bar discard 46. Rap battle VIPs 48. Satanic nightjar or nightingale 50. Whittled (down) 51. Utility bill datum 52. Spree 53. Base-clearing hit 54. Yellowish green 55. South Pacific kingdom 60. Praise-filled poem 62. Crossed (out) 63. www.aclu.org, for one 64. No later than, in brief 65. Intel worker?
MARCH 4, 2022 | 15
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FRAMINGHAM STATE UNIVERSITY'S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1932 | FSUGATEPOST.COM
PHOTOS
16 | MARCH 4, 2022
Sign Scavenger Hunt
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Do you know where these signs on campus are? The first three people to complete the scavenger hunt and dm us a photo of them at every sign will win a Gatepost mug! DM us @thegatepost on Instagram Spread by Emma Lyons, Design Editor / THE GATEPOST
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