January 27, 2023

A snowy start to the spring semester

Trustees approve sports management major, discuss FY24 budget

By Emily Rosenberg Associate Editor

The Board of Trustees approved a new major in sports management under the College of Business at the Jan. 25 meeting, which was held remotely due to inclement weather.

The major is an upgrade to the sports management concentration, which has 24 participating students and is expecting to add up to 122 in the ne t five years, Trustee Nancy Budwig said.

The major will not require additional faculty and requires only “modest marketing.”

Budwig said since 2014, there has been a “dramatic increase” in the num-

By Ryan O’Connell

Arts & Features Editor

The Mazmanian Art Gallery’s annual juried student exhibition showcased the work of 17 students from across the University, Jan. 24.

Submissions included charcoal drawings, ceramics, sculpture, and even fashion design from students in a range of majors. The juried show’s exhibits and three winners were picked by guest juror Soe Lin Post, the director of design at Wellesley College.

Of the three announced prizes, second-place winner Julia Parabicoli was awarded for “Book of B’s,” a mixed-me-

ber of students attracted to the sports management concentration. She said conversations with the Admissions Department and Athletic Department coaches indicated the addition of the sports management major may help with both recruitment and retention.

She added that according to a report by the Department of Higher Education, the new major will be the only Sports Management program in the New England area for “this price point.”

Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost Kristen Porter-Utley said the major may be implemented as soon as Fall 2023.

uring the finance report, E ecutive Vice President Dale Hamel provided a

preview of what is expected to be proposed in the FY24 budget.

He said it is expected that tuition and fees will increase 2.2% or $250. The cost of room and board may also increase 2.5% and 5.6%, respectively, leading to an overall addition of $720 to a student’s bill.

“Building off of two years of maintaining level academic fees, without additional fair share funding, you know, bills have to be paid,” Hamel said.

In addition, Hamel said they may schedule $2 million in reserves to be used toward general operations in FY24. “One of the reasons you build up

dia book, due to its content and tactile cover, according to Ellie Krakow, director of the Mazmanian Gallery.

Charlotte Jondrow also won a specialty award for her charcoal drawing “Chan-Fheidh’s Forest,” due to it aligning most closely with the yearly Arts & Ideas theme of “sustaining life, sustaining joy.”

Bella Ramirez, a freshman studio art major with a concentration in graphic design, submitted both “Breakfast” and “The View,” a charcoal on paper and line-art drawing respectively. She said “Breakfast” was drawn to satisfy an assignment in her drawing fundamentals class.

“I really had a fun time doing it,” she said. Ramirez added she enjoyed the assignment due to the requirement of taking an image and making it “really really big,” requiring her to focus on the details.

She said she was initially having trouble choosing a subject, but made the decision to adapt the black and white photo of her breakfast. “I zoomed it in and I thought it captured daily life,” she said.

Ramirez said she loves to cook at home, and the drawing is a reflection of everyday life for her. She added she

Sam the Ram braces the cold in Crocker Grove amid the snow storm Jan. 23.

Editorial Board

Editor-in-Chief

Leighah Beausoleil

Associate Editor

Emily Rosenberg

News Editors

Sophia Harris

Branden LaCroix

Asst. News Editor

Naidelly Coelho

Opinions Editor

McKenzie Ward

Interim Sports Editor

Adam Levine

Arts & Features Editors

Emma Lyons

Ryan O’Connell

Asst. Arts & Features Editor

Raena Doty

Design & Photo Editor

Maddison Behringer

Asst. Photos Editor

Zachary Sorel

Adrien Gobin

Staff Writers

Owen Glancy

Mark Haskell

Jack McLaughlin

Izayah Morgan

Kate Norrish

Carly Paul

Wenchell Pierre

Ryan Schreiber Advisor

Desmond McCarthy

Asst. Advisor

Elizabeth Banks

Gatepost Interview Christimara ‘Christy’ Garcia

Director of Entrepreneur Innovation Center (EIC)

By Naidelly Coelho Asst. News Editor

What is your educational and professional background?

My education is in law - something not expected for somebody that’s in the innovation field - but I have been in the innovation field for the last years. I’m originally from Brazil, and I have been in the . since . I attended a fellowship at the Christensen Clayton Institute that is connected to Harvard Business chool in . I’m passionate about how innovation can be used to transform, not ust people, but society and to bring in social and economic development for many regions. I have been working in the innovation industry, as a consultant, and I’m also an intrapreneur. I have been launching some initiatives in the last few days.

How did you get involved in this line of work?

I think my first start in the innovation field was through my husband, who is an entrepreneur. So after a few years in the automotive industry, I was really tired of that environment. nd I wanted to try something new and my husband asked, “ hy don’t you start your own business ” o I promised him that I would try for ust one year and if it didn’t work, I would go back to the automotive industry, but after years, here I am. o I think something interesting is that in the last five years, I have been dedicating more to how innovation can promote social and economic development because this is a missing piece that I was seeing. o promoting innovation and entrepreneurship - how you can solve problems and not ust create technology or apps. It’s something that I’m passionate about.

What do you want the FSU community to know about your role here?

I want them to know that I’m here to reactivate the center because since the pandemic hit, the center has been almost closed. nd I feel that we can have a vibrant innovation environment that welcomes all the students and all the Metro est community to come to the center. nd I imagine that my vision for the center in the next few years is to have an innovation ecosystem in the Metro est area. o that’s like a kind of innovation hub when we can connect all the stakeholders in this innovation environment.

Do you have any hobbies outside of your work?

I used to be a professional dancer. nd I danced classic ballet and also I danced for flamengo for many, many years now. I’m retired as a professional, of course, but I think this impacted my business mindset in a different way. Because I used to say that I see a business strategy and business models as a choreography that you’ve put a lot of elements together and you need to balance all them together according to the music that’s played, so I see business strategy and business planning in this way. I think it’s because it’s my hobby and I still like challenging myself to attend senior ballet classes. So this is my hobby.

Why did you choose Framingham State?

I think the connection that the niversity has with some diverse communities is huge here in Framingham. o I’m really connected to that and also,

I would love to promote the intrapreneurship for minorities in their area, too. So this is also one of my dreams for the center.

What do you want the students to know about this opportunity?

o, when they reach out, they can ust say, “Christy, can I visit you and talk about my dreams and what I would like to pursue in the next year?” So those are things that I’m here to listen to and to support them as much as I can. nd I love to talk. I love to talk about my eperience and I could help them in terms of how to pursue more knowledge about innovation and about entrepreneurship.

SGA discusses preferred names on residence halls documentation

By Sophia Harris News Editor

t the first meeting of the spring semester, discussed concerns about the use of preferred names on legal documents and changes to orientation.

President ara Barros said a change has been made to require the use of legal names on residents’ dorm closing documents.

he said only legal documentation needs students’ legal names, and because the closing agreement is not a legal document, it should not require students to provide their legal names.

he said students have raised con

cerns about being deadnamed on doc

umentation that is not legally required by the niversity.

Barros said when she brought the concern to tephanie Crane, associate director of Residence Life, Crane removed the name requirement from

the closing document when residents move out of their dorms because it is not a legal document.

Barros said the only legal document that must have a student’s legal name, in regard to Residence Life, is the housing license agreement that is signed online.

he said she is looking into the creation of a streamlined strategy for students to submit their preferred names and pronouns once so it can be available on all Framingham tate platforms.

am Houle, TF treasurer, called an emergency Financial Committee meeting in order to approve the ki and nowboard Club’s request for , .

He said he is trying to negotiate the request to so the threshold is below in order to approve it at the Financial Committee level and not at the senate level.

Evelyn Campbell, outreach and

events coordinator, highlighted last semester’s success with Kindness

eek.

he said a lot of students followed

’s Instagram.

he added it is essential students follow their Instagram given it is ’s main form of communication.

dvisor Leah Mudd highlighted the success of the spring semester’s student orientation.

great knowledge coming in about what that process looks like. nd I’m ust really e cited. There are a lot of really great opportunities for us.”

Mudd said Lauren ’Neill has started at a new position as associate director of Career evelopment Center.

he said, “ o say, Hey,’ welcome yourself, or introduce yourself and welcome her.”

Criteria: Minimum 2.8 GPA

Completed 2 Semesters at FSU

Demonstrated leadership to your community

Learn more and get your application:

email: alumni@framingham.edu

on-line: https://bit.ly/3I4aF6W

he said the new student orientation on an. went “super well.” F welcomed new first-year and transfer students.

Mudd said a new model was recently introduced that will change the structure of orientation for new students.

he said the new model was approved through e ecutive staff, “which was super e citing.”

Mudd said the new model will offer a couple more support days for students.

“It’s really to help students take care of business and also ust get connected over the summer,” she said.

Mudd said the orientation program will start after these days of assimilation on ept. , which will consist of three days of programming for orientation, followed by the first day of school on ept. .

“ lot of other institutions in the area are also moving to this model as well,” she said. “ o we’ve got a lot of

Barros said the cademic Policy Committee is looking for unior or senior students to participate in academic honesty appeals.

he said the committee needs students to participate in it for the remainder of the year.

The committee needs students to serve on it to hear cases related to academic honesty.

he said any unior or senior can oin the committee and gain leadership e perience to possibly use on resum s.

The “ -Rock” was presented to Barros by enator Billy Hubert.

“I know you do a ton of work around here and I want you to know that it’s greatly appreciated and doesn’t go unnoticed,” Hubert said.

CONNECT WITH SOPHIA HARRIS sharris9@student.framingham.edu

Tuesday night Jan. 31

Wednesday night Feb. 1

Monday Jan. 30

Partly sunny, with a high near 38. N wind around 10 mph.

29. E wind around 10 mph.

Tuesday Jan. 31

Partly sunny, with a high near 37. NW wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 23. NW wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Wednesday Feb. 1

Mostly cloudy, with a high near 32. N wind around 10 mph. Chance of mixed precipitation is 50%.

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 21. W wind around 10 mph. Chance of snow is 40%.

Thursday Feb. 2

Partly sunny, with a high near 32. W wind around 15 mph. Chance of snow is 30%.

Adam Levine / THE GATEPOST e ent n ce e ent l

Search underway for new Center for Inclusive Excellence director

By Leighah Beausoleil Editor-in-Chief

Following the departure of former Center for Inclusive Excellence (CIE) Director Erin Nguyen, the CIE will remain open with limited programming.

Vice President of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement (DICE) Jeffrey Coleman said he will be supervising and supporting Emma Laurie, CIE program coordinator, while he begins the search for the next CIE director.

Coleman said he is promoting and marketing the position to individuals across the country in the hope of gathering a diverse pool of applicants.

“I actually sent out the announcement about the position to over 80 or so colleagues across the country who work in diversity and inclusion work and student affairs work just to make sure we have sort of a large presence across the country,” he said.

He added in addition to his own network, he suspects his colleagues will share the position through their respective networks as well.

Prior to his departure, Coleman said he and Nguyen spoke to discuss his experiences as director, what he had been working on at the CIE, and the initiatives he had been involved with and what feedback he had received about them.

Although Laurie is the only professional staff member at the CIE, Coleman said faculty, staff, and alumni have reached out to him about potentially offering programs and hosting events.

“I’m also interested in seeing if there are some other folks who are looking for graduate internship experiences that we can also provide that opportunity for them to get experience working in the CIE,” he added.

Laurie works part-time for the CIE, which means she only has 18 hours per week to devote to CIE programming. As a result, CIE programming will be limited, with her current focus on Black History Month.

In celebration, Laurie said she and Kathleen Barnard, student engagement coordinator for the Henry Whittemore Library, will be co-hosting a book discussion of “March,” a graphic novel series written by Congressman John Lewis and Andrew Aydin with art by Nate Powell.

The series includes three graphic novels, which students will receive copies of after signing up for the discussion, according to Laurie.

In addition, Coleman said Laurie will be hosting a social media series on Instagram focused on the origins of Black History Month as well as a series on media produced by Black directors, authors, and creators.

Along with her programming and social media work, Laurie said she handles the logistics of events that take place in the CIE, which includes using 25Live to book spaces, set up catering, and post advertising.

She also mentors and assists the niversity’s affinity groups when needed.

Laurie said she is working on planning the Intercultural Ceremony that will take place in May for graduates.

About Nguyen’s departure, she said she is “personally, very sad. … I miss him being here.

“He was a great first boss to have post-college,” Laurie said, adding she would often tell Nguyen this and he would say, “Well, this might also be setting you up for disappointment.”

Despite her regret in seeing Nguyen leave, she also said on a professional level, she is “excited” having been granted a new level of independence.

Laurie added Coleman has been “pretty helpful with some ideas for programming for the spring and for the future.”

Coleman said transitioning to Framingham State has been “great.

“I’ve really enjoyed becoming part of a campus community that embraces ways to become an anti-racist institution,” he said, “which really speaks volumes to a desire to be a campus community where you are removing barriers, you’re creating equitable resources and learning opportunities for students from all backgrounds, and you’re embracing faculty and staff from all backgrounds.”

Coleman added, “When we go down this road, we will become a university where every member of the university is concerned and helps contribute to the success of all students, and that’s really the definition of what inclusive excellence is.”

He said this persistence will lead to

success for FSU’s students and “create a sense of belonging for all students from all backgrounds.”

As vice president of DICE, Coleman said he has a number of goals for the CIE.

Coleman said one of these goals is ensuring that diversity, equity, and inclusion is viewed in its “broadest” form to ensure the inclusion of those from a variety of backgrounds, including race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic backgrounds, and first-generation students.

This will also include a look into

pacting their purpose, and in their personal and academic goals, how these skills can contribute toward their career goals as well.”

He said reflection following discussions is just as important in order to grow as individuals. These cultural competency skills can be brought to their future careers and help them understand how to “work and interact in a global society.”

Further in the future, Coleman said he would like to also make the CIE a space for workshops and trainings on topics of diversity, equity, inclusion,

how pop culture is influenced by diversity, equity, and inclusion, he said.

Coleman said he would also like to encourage more student-initiated discussions, explaining when he worked at Georgia State University, students were given the space to host their own discussions, on topics of their choice, and then lead them while staff helped facilitate.

“It really allowed them to be able to engage in these dialogues around diversity, equity, and inclusion with each other without us as a staff or faculty provoking discussions, but they would come up organically, which is what we want students to be thinking about,” he added.

“We can also be intentional about helping students see the skills that they’re developing through the programming, how those skills are im-

anti-racism, cultural competency, and skill building. Additionally, he hopes the CIE will also provide a space for faculty and staff to present research and their publications as well as host book discussions.

He said he liked a lot of the work Nguyen had undertaken in the CIE space, such as decorating the center with student art.

“I’d like to see the CIE be a place where we can really develop some more services to support the campus community,” Coleman said. “It’d be great. I really would like for it to be a diversity hub for the campus.”

“I’ve really enjoyed becoming part of a campus community that embraces ways to become an anti-racist institution,”

- Jeffrey Coleman Vice President of DICE

Leighah Beausoleil / THE GATEPOST

(Left) Emma Laurie, Dixie the Dog, and Eric Nguyen at a CIE event held last spring semester.

Board of Trustees

Continued from page 1

reserves is to use them in periods like this.”

He said the budget also plans for collective bargaining with state funded employees to fulfill an e pected salary increase annually due to contracts with the state.

Hamel added the budget plans for the elimination of two full-time faculty positions as well as the addition of two full-time staff admissions positions. An additional staff position in admissions will be added in FY25 to serve the strategic enrollment initiative under the five-year plan.

Hamel said, in terms of a five-year plan, the goal is to have a balanced budget toward the “out years.”

Budwig said on the topic of strategic planning, “We’re really looking at processes of how we do business, and I keep coming back to this issue in higher ed that we’ve always had the problem of more. And we keep wanting to add on faculty or add on students and we never really like to do a deep dive and say, ‘Are there other ways to do business?’”

Trustee Robert Richards said, “I think what are our majors, who are they serving, and how many people are they serving and what faculty levels do they have. … We have to make some tough decisions.”

President Nancy Niemi said, “There’s all kinds of opportunities to think differently so that we help plan for the future rather than the future planning for us.”

Hamel said so far, the budget is based on the assumption the University will not be receiving Fair Share funding but may be adjusted “last minute” if the state approves Fair Share allocations to higher education in April.

The F budget will be officially voted on in May.

The trustees also voted unanimously to install a ballroom at the Warren Conference Center. Trustee Anthony Hubbard said less than of the funds will be provided by Framingham State, while the rest of the project will be financed by arren Center management.

Hamel said the ballroom will generate additional funding for Framingham State because by contributing to the project, it will receive a percentage of “top-line” revenue brought in by weddings and conferences.

The construction for the project is e pected to begin in Fall , Hubbard said.

In the Enrollment and Student Development report, Trustee Claire Ramsbottom said Residence Life collected data which showed of resident students stay on campus on weekends.

“We want to move away from this idea that Framingham State is a suitcase campus and how do we demonstrate that to folks,” she said.

She also highlighted the importance of mental health services on campus, noting data which showed a increase of Counseling Center appointments scheduled last year. She said of scheduled Counseling Center appointments were with female students whereas of appointments were scheduled by male students.

Ramsbottom said of students responded to the Student Satisfaction Survey sent out in October, noting the

national average for survey responses is typically .

Budwig shared a slide previewing data she said is being e plored by the committee. In the survey, students were asked to rank the quality of certain services versus how important the service is to them.

n e ample given is how several students responded that high-quality instruction in their major was highly important to them and is also being received. On the other hand, students ranked their ability to receive help registering for classes as low satisfaction while also ranking it as high importance.

About student satisfaction with instruction in their major, Budwig said, “That’s a really important thing for a school to be hearing about and to continue fostering.”

She said the data from the student satisfaction survey is important to consider in the strategic enrollment planning as well as thinking about communication with enrolled students.

In her President’s Report, Niemi introduced the Board to new Vice President of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement (DICE) Jeffrey

selves as a national model for inclusive e cellence. By doing that, we would be aligning our pursuit of e cellence with anti-racism and weaving that into the very fabric of the institution.”

He said DICE will be focusing on advancing antiracism and diversity, equity, and inclusion practices in recruitment and retention efforts. “One of the things we’re going to want to work on is to strengthen our awareness and understanding of our affirmative action plan.”

He noted according to enrollment data, the niversity is within “ of becoming a minority-serving institution and within of becoming a Hispanic-serving institution.”

He added he was looking to strengthen the University’s collaborations with the MetroWest Planning Center and make further partnerships with community organizations as well as e pand the lumni of Color Network.

In the Development and Alumni Relations Report, Eric Gustafson said the Danforth Art Museum was granted $15,000 from the Foundation for MetroWest.

He added revenue from the Danforth rt chool was up from last

“Without the recognition of Black history, the history of the United States is incomplete because there is no American history without Black history,” she said.

ard said the ne t Board of Trustees meeting will be a hybrid student open forum on Feb. 27.

“I think this will be a really great opportunity for all of us to be able to connect with the students and be able to educate them more on what the role of the board is,” Ward said.

The Student in the Spotlight was SGA President Dara Barros. Barros, an international business major, was introduced by the Chair of Business & Information Technology and Coordinator Hospitality and Tourism Department, John Palibyik.

Palibyik said Barros was a leader who “in the future, I’m sure will create leaders, too.”

Barros highlighted her e perience growing up in Cape Verde, Africa until she moved to Brockton when she was 8 years old.

She said despite switching schools multiple times, she managed to be learning in fluent English by middle school. “ hen I first stepped foot in the United States, I took advantage of

Coleman.

Coleman said he will be looking into how he can best serve as an advisor and support to his colleagues as well as the committees that focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

He added DICE wants to create an environment for enhanced education which is more inclusive of areas of diversity which are “not always at the forefront,” such as LGBT+ and accessibility equity.

Coleman said, “I have a main overarching goal for us as a university community to be equipped to position our-

year.

Gustafson also reported that President of the oo o , Charles teinberg, will be visiting campus soon for an alumni and student networking event.

During the Chair’s Report, Kevin Foley said the Board hired a consultant to work with all of its members on anti-racist training.

“I want to make sure we are all focused on anti-racism and inclusive ecellence,” he said.

Foley also invited Student Trustee McKenzie Ward to present on Black History Month.

all the opportunities that I could have.”

Along with her role of SGA President, Barros is also the Senior Orientation Leader and was the Student Representative for the Presidential Search Committee last year.

he said, “ ll those leadership e periences here at FSU have really shaped who I am today.”

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

CONNECT WITH EMILY ROSENBERG erosenberg@student.framingham.edu

The Gatepost Archives

“I think what are our majors, who are they serving, and how many people are they serving and what faculty levels do they have. … We have to make some tough decisions.”

- Robert Richards Trustee

OP/ED

THE GATEPOST EDITORIAL

Dashing through the snow, with no school closure on its way

Starting midday on Monday, snow began to fall in Framingham.

As the afternoon progressed, it only got heavier - blanketing the city with a total of 5.5 inches by the end of the day, according to FraminghamSource.

Despite schools across Massachusetts announcing closures for the day in anticipation of this storm, Framingham State remained open until an announcement at 3:07 p.m. informing the campus that the University would close at 4:30 p.m.

Although 5.5 inches is not a lot compared to other snow storms the MetroWest area has experienced in years past, the danger comes from the state of the roads as well as conditions on our campus.

Students were still expected to make it from class to class on a campus terrain comprised almost entirely of hills when the maintainers had not even been given the chance to finish clearing the walkways or laying down salt.

It’s not as if the tunnels underneath the campus are an option anymore.

Up until approximately 50 years ago, tunnels located beneath May, Crocker, Peirce, Horace Mann, and Hemenway halls were used by students to get to class, especially during times of inclement weather. However, access to these tunnels was restricted due to safety concerns.

The fact that we are on a hill poses a unique problem for the Facilities Department when it comes to snow removal on campus. We cannot hold off on its removal and we need to acknowledge it will take time.

How many Kiwibots need to be lodged in the snow before students, faculty, and staff are warranted a school closure?

The institution’s closing came just in time for rush hour traffic after inches of snow had already fallen.

FraminghamSource reported that the “havoc” caused by last-minute early closures increased the number of cars on the road and

Washington’s broken house

By Emily Rosenberg Associate Editor

From Jan. 3-7 the United States House of Representatives was called to session and began the 118th Congress by taking three days to elect a Speaker of the House.

inevitably led to “numerous” vehicular accidents.

This put all of our commuter students, who make up a large portion of our campus population, as well as all of our faculty and staff, at risk.

Some community members had to stay on campus longer in the hope the roads would be in better condition later on or the snow would lighten up enough for a safe commute.

Others may have children whose schools were closed, and because FSU had not, they were forced to miss or cancel their own classes as a result.

We understand this is the first snowstorm we have had in quite some time, but it’s January in New England. This weather should not come as a surprise.

Weather is never truly predictable, but we are not new to this.

Had FSU called for a half day the night before or at least the morning of, less of our community would have been put at risk.

Even if the administration was not initially aware of the approaching storm, by midday, everyone knew what we were dealing with.

Because 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. is the free block on Mondays, the school could have made its announcement and those with 2:30 p.m. classes could have stayed home and those with classes finishing up from the morning could have gone home before traffic really picked up

If there is not already a policy in place, one should be created to allow professors to switch to remote classes when there is questionable weather and the school is unsure whether it is going to close for the day.

This would keep commuters safe and eliminate many of the risks associated with keeping the campus open during inclement weather.

Framingham State needs to be more proactive about responding to weather concerns.

The safety of our campus community should be the number one priority.

In what typically takes one round of voting, it took the people’s chamber ballots to finally elect S Rep evin Mc arthy (R-California) to the position.

According to The oston lobe, this was the first time in years that it took more than one ballot to elect a Speaker of the House, and the first time since , the antebellum period, that it took more than nine ballots.

It was embarrassing to watch Republicans and Democrats regurgitate different versions of their nomination speeches ballot after ballot as if they were trying to pass a plagiarism test using thesaurus words.

Headlines in national newspapers expressed the division in the Republican majority by stating how McCarthy again failed to secure the majority due to far-right Freedom Caucus members voting for other nominees. Such nominees stretched across the board proving they would rather have literally any other MAGA crazy over McCarthy, from caucus leader Jim Jordan, to Freedom Caucus member Kevin Hern, to former President Donald Trump.

However what most of these headlines failed to express is that it was not only Kevin McCarthy’s mission to secure the votes for Speaker. It was not only the Republicans’ job to elect a Speaker. It was the 435 representatives’ job to elect a Speaker. emocrats could have ended the stalemate on the first or second day by negotiating a deal with moderate Republicans in a bipartisan act they claim they are very open to participating in.

Instead, they happily let the clown show persist, and in the meantime, McCarthy jeopardized the House of Representatives by offering far-right holdouts a generous number of concessions.

In one of these concessions, McCarthy promised far-right Freedom Caucus members seats on the Rules Committee in order to secure their votes.

The Rules Committee determines how the legislature operates and which bills come to a vote on the floor

The U.S. House of Representatives will now be controlled by MAGA extremists.

McCarthy also gave any representative - Democrat or Republican - the power to disrupt congress via offering the “motion to vacate,” which would allow the House to vote McCarthy out of the Speaker position while in session, according to NBC.

The 15-round vote for the Speaker could become as regular as approving minutes.

Though it could be argued it was McCarthy’s job to negotiate with Democrats and offer them concessions, if Democrats took their job seriously and truly cared about beginning Congress, electing a Speaker, and preventing the far-right from controlling Congress, then they could have worked out a plan as well.

In any case where Democrats cared more about the people than their reputations and their party, they would have publicly recognized their nominee did not have the votes and did everything in their power to help elect the second-best option.

However, to the United States people, a crumbling Republican party who can’t even clean up their act on the first day is a reminder to vote Democrat in 2024. Therefore, instead of ending the stalemate, they’d rather let their colleagues across the aisle get in physical altercations.

Democrats do not care about getting down to business - they care about gaining power and raising public approval.

If this Speaker election foreshadows how this Congress will go, and Democrats care about their constituents, they need to be more willing in the future to work on a bipartisan level with moderate Republicans to prevent the far-right from wielding any power they have through the concessions that were offered to them.

For the next two years, Democrats need to focus on lessening the influence of far right Republicans by using their slim minority to negotiate bipartisan deals that make impacts on the greater half of Congress and thus the people, rather than focusing their energy toward protecting their reputation.

Because as Democratic Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York) said in his speech to the House, Democrats believe in “democracy, not demagogues.”

Leighah Beausoleil / THE GATEPOST

A Kiwibot stuck in the snow during the storm Jan. 23.

India: a new appreciation for the world

By Sophia Harris Editorial Staff

By Adam Levine Editorial Staff

This past winter break, we were part of a small group of Framingham State students who embarked on a journey that would change our lives forever.

Twelve students and two trip leaders took three airplanes over two days and multiple taxis to the oasis of Kalimpong, India.

We spent just under three weeks in India as part of J-Term, which is an opportunity for students to go on a shortened version of study abroad.

The experience is service-based and culturally immersive, though there is no academic credit.

We traveled to various parts of India, including Kalimpong and Darjeeling in West Bengal, and the tourist cities of Agra and New Delhi. With each new location came a different experience that shaped how we would view India forever.

Lisa Eck, founder and co-leader of the India J-term trip and chair of the English Department, said what makes India a special place to go is the diversity within the nation.

“The level of regional differences, multiple religions, a plethora of languages, and diversity is so vivid that you can’t come back without a new appreciation for diversity,” she said.

Eck added India “gives you homework for life - you will always be thinking about the puzzles you saw, but also the things you admired, and by thinking comparatively.”

Rachel Lucking, co-leader of the trip and assistant dean for campus engagement, said she hopes the students who participated in the India J-Term gained “a deeper understanding of India and its people and coming back and having a global perspective that can be applied to all that you do - always carrying it with you.”

We were immersed in India’s culture and magnanimity, which changed how we perceived individualism and developed a new appreciation for the American standard of living.

Sam Houle, a senior history major, said he valued the communal way of living in India, not only through shared spaces and commodities but also through shared time.

He said when reflecting on the trip, “Individualism isn’t something that I should intentionally try to adapt to.”

In India, families cook meals together, help raise young children, and participate in communal living.

Lucking said India brings into focus what it means to care for one another.

“What I experienced was that the spirit of cooperation and community is very different,” she said.

Lucking added, “The first time I went I couldn’t get over how when the kids would go out walking with our students, it was just understood that they would look out for each other and look out for the students and look out for the younger kids who were straggling along with them.”

She said, “It’s not the definition of community that we would necessarily think of, but it’s the sense of care and cooperation” at a level not seen in the United States.

Sofia Wilson, a sophomore double major in English and political science, said she valued the closeness among people in India.

She said the closeness extends past physical proximity, which can be expected in such a crowded country.

“Not just physically, but emotionally, your neighbor is your family,” she said.

Wilson added that it “truly takes a village.”

Eck emphasized it’s the people that make India so special.

“Places are not geographic locations - places are the people,” she said.

Jamie Mills, a senior business management major, said she valued the human relationships that she made in India. “The connections that I have made are something I will never forget.”

She added there was a language barrier when she tried communicating with a 6-year-old monk during service work at the Sakya Monastery in Kalimpong. Families will send children as young as 4 years old to begin training to become monks.

“He just wanted love, but he didn’t know how to communicate that,” she said.

Mills added finding ways of communication that were not through language, like playing tag or soccer with the young monks, is what changed her view of the language barrier and how communication happens in many different manifestations.

During their time at the monastery, students led the young monks in games and art activities. We spent two days playing team-building games and also led the monks in a painting activity one afternoon.

Oliva Copeland, a junior English major, said the India J-Term changed her perspective on American abundance and helped her develop an appreciation for conservation.

Copeland said, “I think a lot of people on the trip would agree with me that a huge thing that we learned, and that we incorporated into our lives while we were there was waste, especially food and water waste.”

She added, “It’s so silly to be coming back here and notice all of the water and the food that we waste every single day - it’s absurd.”

Copeland said this appreciation for food and water that she experienced in India makes her value the abundance back home.

“It’s definitely something that I’ve been incorporating into my life here. I’m just less wasteful. So that’s a huge self-improvement,” she said.

Copeland said the biggest takeaway from the trip was the generosity she experienced during the homestays in Kalimpong.

“During the homestays, I went to the temple and Ama [Grandmother] let me borrow her kurta [a dress] when we went. That gesture alone was so touching because even my closest friends don’t even think to do that,” Copeland said.

“The fact that she was so willing and happy to give up something so beautiful when she has so little, and it wasn’t even a question to her, was so touching,” she added.

Copeland said Ama offered to give her the kurta after wearing it to the

temple because she said, “You look so beautiful in it that it shouldn’t be with anybody but you.”

Nikisha Chettri, a 19-year-old student who hosted FSU students during the homestays, said, “I personally love to welcome FSU students. When they come, they bring colors to our life. We love to spend time with them, to know their life, and to share our lives too.”

Chettri too said her favorite part of the visits were the homestays.

“The homestay days were my best part, because having food together, doing household chores, and living like sisters was the best,” she said.

Everyone we encountered in India had so much love for their country and culture. It was so refreshing to see the world through a new lens.

Rajiv Lochan and Anu Radha Singh hosted the students in Kalimpong on their 13-acre farm and integrated us into village life among the Himalayan mountains.

Lochan was our guide throughout the entire trip and cared for the group as if we were part of his family.

He said he hopes we learned there is more than one way to live your life.

Lochan said most people in America live their lives in isolation, whereas

in India, there is more of a communal way of living.

“We share our space, we share our love, we share our belongings and everything with you guys,” he said.

Lochan added the sense of space and isolation that is familiar to North Americans needs to be reconsidered.

“That’s one thing that I wanted you guys to note and I want you to understand what generosity is and how people in India have this saying, ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ which translates to ‘a guest is akin to God,’” he said.

Lochan added, “My life is all about giving and when I give I feel most happy - that’s my religion.”

He said he hopes the students who participated in the trip realize there is more to life than the value we place on materialistic items.

We students agreed India gifted us with a new sense of awareness of the world we live in.

The selflessness that Rajiv and Anu showed FSU students will never be forgotten.

And we students all send a big thank you to Lisa, Rachel, Rajiv, and Anu for this life-changing experience as well as a long-lasting love and appreciation for India.

Sophia Harris / THE GATEPOST

Framingham State students on their last day of the J-Term trip in India.

Courtesy of Study Abroad Framingham State student pictured in borrowed kurtas during the J-Term trip to India.

Campus Conversations

Do you think professors should be allowed to hold classes over Zoom when they are canceled due to snow?

By Emily Rosenberg, Associate Editor and Raena Doty, Editorial Staff

“No. Just because growing up, we would have snow days and obviously, Zoom wasn’t a thing.”

-Malia Shields, Junior

“No. If a student needs access to WiFi, they might not be able to go. … There is also a ‘split focus.’ You’re being forced to make the choice of whether you’re going to focus on your school or your other commitments.”

-Stefan Moberg, junior

“No. I think that we all deserve a day off.”

-Megan Gibbons, junior

“No. Just because we got so used to using Zoom during COVID doesn’t mean they should completely do away with snow days because it was part of our culture growing up. … People get excited for snow days off.”

-Zach Walker, senior

“I don’t see why there would be a problem with it. As long as the class stays on schedule with how the entire [semester] is supposed to go.”

-Alex Silva, freshman

“No. … When I was a freshman, we did school virtually and we didn’t have any snow days. So we had to do school every day. I think we deserve a little break. We want to go sledding - there’s a hill.”

-Kaylyn Pacheco, junior

Framingham State students and trip leaders pictured in the Sakya Monastery (top right and top left) , at the homestay in Kalimpong (top middle), in a temple (bottem right), and at the Taj Mahal (bottom left) during their J-Term trip to India.

Spread by Design and Photos

Editor Maddison Behringer

Photos courtesy of Framingham State

Men’s basketball drops conference matchup to Salem State

By Adam Levine Interim Sports Editor

The Framingham tate Rams lost to the alem tate ikings with a final score of 84-69 Jan. 21.

The Rams’ leading scorer was Juran Lingonde, who totaled 20 points. Framingham’s bench outscored Salem’s bench 26-8, but Salem’s superior ability to score off turnovers and to score in the paint ultimately helped them secure the win.

ithin the first minutes of the game, alem took an early - lead. s a team, the Rams missed three, three-point field goal attempts before the Ram’s Ryan England was substituted into the game. England made his first three-point field goal and the ikings led - .

Salem and Framingham alternated baskets before the Vikings scored six consecutive free throws in less than 1 minute.

ith left in the first half, England scored a layup to end the iking’s scoring run. The Vikings led with a score of 12-7.

After 2 minutes of the teams trading points, Lingonde scored a three-point field goal to decrease alem’s lead to - .

ver the ne t minutes, the ikings went on a - scoring run and increased the score to - .

The Rams responded with a 6-point scoring run of their own to bring the score within 10 points.

Salem continued to impose their offense and maintained their lead for the remainder of the first half. Their largest lead of the half came after a layup with seconds left, which gave the ikings a - lead.

The remaining seconds of the half were scoreless for both teams and the Vikings maintained their 15-point lead going into the second half.

Salem’s relentless offense dominated the opening minutes of the second half.

After 6 minutes passed, the Ram’s JD Okafor scored a layup and brought the Rams’ deficit to points.

The ikings led - and went on a - scoring run over the ne t minutes.

Salem steadily increased their lead as the game continued.

With 7:27 remaining in the game, the Vikings commanded a 22-point lead over the Rams.

Two minutes passed before the Rams began to pierce through the Vikings’ lead.

With 5:06 left in the game, and down by 21 points, the Rams staged a 7-0 scoring run.

The Vikings responded with a 7-0 scoring run of their own and regained their 21-point lead.

Framingham fought back and once again reduced their deficit to points.

Salem ended the game by scoring a free throw and winning with a score of 84-69 over Framingham.

Despite Salem’s decisive victory, Framingham was able to score 69 points in the game.

England said, “We played pretty good together on offense, we just got to lock in on D.”

Framingham’s assistant coach Ribiero said, “Once we put ourselves in a hole, it was tough trying to get back out of it.”

As of presstime, the Rams suffered a loss to Worcester State, Jan. 26, and dropped to a conference record of 1-5 and an overall record of 4-15.

Framingham will travel to Bridgewater State for another conference matchup Jan. 28.

Women’s basketball falls short to Salem State comeback

By Adam Levine Interim Sports Editor

The Framingham tate Rams suffered a - loss to the alem tate ikings Jan. 21.

Framingham and Salem each had three players with at least 16 points in the game, but Salem’s late-game comeback secured their victory.

alem began with the first basket of the game, to which Framingham responded with a 9-0 scoring run.

After Framingham’s quick scoring run, Salem was able to score back-to-back layups, for a score of 9-6.

Over the next 5 minutes, the Rams outscored the Vikings 10-2. The score increased to 19-8 in favor of the Rams.

Framingham scored three unanswered free throws, which marked an 11-point lead for them.

The first quarter ended and the Rams held a - lead over the ikings.

Framingham’s Flannery O’Connor led the team’s scoring with nine points in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, the Rams held their lead, but the Vikings began to stage their comeback.

Halfway through the second quarter, the ikings decreased the deficit to four points.

Framingham regained control of the game and outscored Salem for the remainder of the second quarter.

The first half ended and the Rams held a - lead over the ikings.

Framingham’s first-half offense was led by eight assists from wendolyn Carpenter and 14 points from Katherine Haselton.

The third quarter started with Framingham’s assertive offense.

With 6:24 remaining in the third quarter, the Rams led with a 14-point lead. This was Framingham’s biggest lead of the game.

The Vikings were down by 10 points with 4:42 remaining in the third quarter. They began their comeback with a - scoring run and tied the game - .

The Rams outscored the ikings - to end the quarter, and the Rams led the Vikings 58-55.

The fourth quarter consisted of the Viking’s biggest offensive push.

Salem tied the score three separate times before taking the lead.

ith left in the game, alem scored a layup and took a - lead over Framingham.

O’Connor scored a layup to regain the lead for Framingham.

Salem scored six unanswered points over the next 28 seconds and led Framingham 82-77 with 5 seconds left of the game.

The Ram’s Katty Haidul scored a three-point field goal and brought the score within two points.

alem ended the game by scoring a free throw to finalize their - comeback win over Framingham.

The iking’s Kylie ates and buk Teng each scored at least points in the fourth quarter to help propel the Vikings over the Rams.

As of presstime, the Rams defeated Worcester State, Jan. 26, and now hold a conference record of 4-2 and an overall record of 12-4.

Carpenter, who recorded a game-high of nine assists, said, “It’s just one step back, we’ll be OK.

“We need to play better defense, we need to move the ball more, and we’ll be OK,” she added.

The Ram’s head coach, Walter Paschal, said, “I think we have to play better. Salem played great.

“We just didn’t make some plays where we needed to,” Paschal added. Framingham will travel to Bridgewater State for another conference matchup Jan. 28.

CONNECT WITH ADAM LEVINE

CONNECT WITH ADAM LEVINE alevine5@student.framingham.edu

Adrien Gobin /THE GATEPOST Juran Ligonde being defended by Salem State player Jan. 21.

Adrien Gobin /THE GATEPOST Katty Haidul looking for an open teammate during Salem State game Jan. 21.

ARTS & FEATURES Mazmanian Gallery

draws a lot of artistic inspiration from her hobbies, such as figure skating.

She said she wishes she could have framed “Breakfast” in time for the show, but otherwise was very happy with the outcome of the piece. “My goal was to really e pand on the details in looking at different te tures, and seeing how it can make colors pop on the page,” she said.

Ramirez said has been drawing as long as she could remember.

“I really got into it in late middle school. I would draw on my iPad all the time. I’d get pencils out and doodle like everybody, and I got really really into it when I discovered the art program here,” she said.

Ramirez added she enjoyed the time investment it took to complete “Breakfast,” and said since she hadn’t had the class recently she felt a “void without creating that sort of stuff.” She said she still felt a sense of pressure when working on it, since a mistake would take a lot of time to fi .

he said “The iew” was another assignment she en oyed working on, since she focused on incorporating pointillism and other techniques.

“We could use any medium, and that wasn’t one I had e plored. nd I really like it,” she said.

Ramirez said she en oyed seeing her artwork in a gallery for the first time, and the sense of community she felt from seeing so many artists represented in the uried show.

Zen Crosby, a sophomore studio art major with a concentration in ceramics, had two pieces included in the uried show “ ase From pace” and “Fairy Catcher.”

“ ase From pace’ is a happy accident,” Crosby said. “I threw a form on the wheel, nicked it, and it got ruined. But I was like, This is still a really good piece of clay,’ so I started building on it and I got really weird with it.”

Crosby said they glazed it in a wild fashion, beginning the process with primary colors which became muted through firing the piece, resulting in teal, red, and cream colorations.

“They all sort of bleed into each other, and it’s like a nice tie-dye effect. It’s very groovy, but it’s also very otherworldly,” they said.

Crosby said they imagine the piece as an artifact from outer space, inspired by what the civilizations of aliens might look like and e isting relics of ancient civilizations on Earth.

“If you look at ancient reek art you see all these cool motifs on their vases,” they said. “ nd then I’m like, ell, what about space artifacts ’”

Crosby said “Fairy Catcher” was an assignment for a ceramics class, and

an e ploration of what the life of a fairy might look like - what they might eat, where they might sleep, and what would prey on them.

They said their goal with both pieces was to see the pro ects through, adding when they were younger they would be discouraged if they couldn’t finish a large pro ect. “Now that I’m I’m like, ou know what My ideas, they’ll form as they are.’

“Now I’m very aware my art will evolve with the process, so I’ve ust sort of been evolving,” they said.

Crosby said they have always been an artist, and always used it to communicate with others.

“I consider art my first language. I grew up and I’d rather make my little pictures and be like, Look at

he used wheelworking to sculpt the bottle, and impressed -dimensionally-printed stamps into the bottle to give it more depth.

He said he had e perience making Japanese-inspired pieces before, such as a tea bowl he made for a ceramics course, but still put research into his sake set through several books he borrowed from the niversity.

“They had very valuable information, which obviously inspired me. It’s not a traditional apanese set nor would I claim it’s of apanese origin, but it’s my interpretation,” he said.

’Rourke added he also en oyed the challenge of working on the sake set. “ heelworking is very difficult. I find it very hard because I’ve only started it within the past couple of

has its own advantages and personally likes it.

He said he accomplished the goals he set with his ceramics. “My goal was simply to create a sake set, and I do believe I achieved that,” he said. He added he feels setting small goals works well for him, and he is happy creating a bottle with the shape of a sake set.

’Rourke said he en oyed seeing his work in the show, and felt accomplished seeing his charcoal drawing framed. “ hen you see a piece framed for the first time, it establishes a sort of professionalism,” he said. “Not to say that pieces that aren’t framed aren’t professional.”

Caroline Tornifoglio, a senior studio art major with a concentration in painting, and winner of the firstplace award, had one acrylic painting included in the show “ alle de Bain.”

Tornifoglio said the painting was originally an assignment e ploring te ture, which she developed first by applying acrylic fiber paste. he added she sanded the paste down, put oil in the cracks, and used lots of gel mediums before naming the piece.

“I took French for years, and salle de bain,’ if you ask for one of those in a French-speaking country, they laugh at you because it means washroom. ou have to ask for the toilet. There’s no toilet in the picture even though it’s a bathroom, so I was like perfect,’” she said.

Tornifoglio said she tried to give the bathroom a musty, murky, filthy appearance, and that it was inspired by a bathroom from the 20th century she had seen in Boston. “It’s got the landlord special,” she said.

She said she almost wished she had the chance to frame the painting in a bulky gilded frame before it was entered in the show, like the ones on display in the Isabella tewart ardner Museum.

he said she didn’t want it to detract from the te ture and noise of the painting, however, and conceded “binder clips are fine.”

this, look at that,’ and then have people guess what I’m saying. But I’ve always been creating with my hands in some form,” they said.

iden ’Rourke, a unior studio art major with a concentration in sculpture, had two pieces submitted. “Cubist iolin,” a charcoal drawing made for his color and design class, and “ ake et,” a -dimensional piece for a directed study.

’Rourke said he was very inspired by Japanese ceramics and the ideals associated with them, and hoped to embody that in his sake set. He added

months,” he said.

He added the shape of the bottle contributed to the difficulty, specifically mentioning the cone shape which occurs near the neck of the bottle.

“I thought the challenge of it was really intriguing,” he said.

’Rourke said while it wasn’t his first piece of wheelworking, it was “still amateur,” and he wishes the underglaze was more prominent in the bottle’s depressions. He added the set of four cups had designs of waves faded due to firing, although he said this

Tornifoglio said although she had only recently transitioned into the studio art major, she has always been an artist. “I used to do art classes all the time when I was a kid,” she said.

he said she almost didn’t submit to the juried show, but was encouraged to by a professor.

Tornifoglio said it felt “surreal to hear” she was the first-place winner, because she was convinced another artist would win.

The uried students e hibition will run through Feb. .

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

Maddison Behringer / THE GATEPOST tten ee e n en l ne n l fi t e nn n c l c nt n lle e n n

Maddison Behringer / THE GATEPOST e t l c l cce t n t e ec n l ce e m xe me ect m ll e n

‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’ is an excellent send-off to 2022

By Owen Glancy Staff Writer

“Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” is the latest film from reamworks nimation tudio and one of their best.

ne of the greatest parts about the film is the beautiful animation style. hile the “ pider-Man Into the pider- erse” influences are clear, the film takes this style and gives it a more childish look, allowing the action scenes to really flow.

The film’s opening action scene is an immediate indicator to the film’s quality. The titular Puss in Boots saves a town from its corrupt governor as well as a sleeping giant. The catchy musical number, the e cellent vocal performance from ntonio Banderas as Puss, and the stellar animation all build to a mind-blowing crescendo. The final punchline at the end of the scene is so well delivered and e ecuted that it made me audibly laugh in a crowded theater full of children.

The movie only gets better from there, following Puss as he deals with the loss of eight out of his nine lives. This theme of appreciating the life you’re given is a compelling and memorable one that sticks out compared to reamworks’ other films.

The animation and themes are only the tip of the iceberg. The characters are all e cellent. Puss is a far more

engaging protagonist than he was in the film “Puss in Boots” and Banderas has an honestly into icating voice. Puss’ companions Perrito and Kitty oftpaws are also great.

Perrito seemed to be built up as an annoying comic relief character and I was prepared to dislike him because of this. His first couple of scenes didn’t help this impression, but thankfully, he becomes an e cellent character who offers my favorite interaction in the entire movie when he helps Puss recover from a panic attack.

Kitty oftpaws is the only returning side character from the first “Puss in Boots” film and her character is far more memorable than in the past.

hile her arc about learning to trust people is fairly generic, it still feels satisfying to see her slowly open up through the course of the movie.

hile the main trio is undeniably great, it’s the villains that really stick in your head after watching. This film tackles three central antagonistsThe olf, oldilocks and the Three Bears, and Big ack Horner. Typically films with three antagonists can feel bloated and overwhelming, but this film balances them perfectly.

The olf is perhaps the most memorable and cool villain to come from an animated film in a while. He is used very sparingly, only having three ma or scenes. However, his menacing

character and the lasting impact he leaves on Puss lingers over the entire film.

oldilocks and the Three Bears are all a ton of fun. oldilocks is a very interesting character who is surrounded by three generic characters. They have a running oke that starts off hilarious, but it does overstay its welcome toward the end. oldilocks’ relationship with the bears is interesting and even though their arcs are rushed toward the end, it still comes together in a satisfying way.

Big ack Horner is by far the least interesting of the three villains, but he is absolutely the funniest. eeing such an unapologetically demented and twisted villain in a children’s movie is wild and his array of magical weaponry makes for an unpredictable threat. eeing him accidentally kill his men in increasingly gruesome ways is hilarious and unlike the oldilocks bit, never gets old.

The film’s only ma or negative is in its early pacing. fter Puss learns he is down to his last life and encounters

The olf for the first time, he retires at the home of a cat lady named Mama Luna. hile this part of the film is a necessity for Puss’ character, it drags on for a little too long. This leaves the start of the story feeling very long and takes away from the actual ourney.

“Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” is

‘Babylon’ - an exquisite homage to film

By Jack McLaughlin Staff Writer

amien Chazelle’s “Babylon” released in ecember, and was immediately a critical and financial failure. The film was criticized for its ehausting runtime of over three hours and its unique structuring that didn’t resonate with most audiences.

fter viewing the film, these ma or critiques were simply not issues. In fact, it was one of the best films I had seen in the last year and was puzzled after leaving the theater wondering why critics loathed it.

“Babylon” is a period piece set in s Hollywood, telling the story of the transition from silent to sound in film and the consequences this had on the stars of the silent era.

Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie star as the hottest celebrities of silent film, and it documents their drug fueled highs and their dreary lows.

Manny Tores iego Calva serves as our main character, a fish out of water thrust into the industry that slowly lets himself become consumed by the cutthroat nature of film production.

The film is split up into two sequences - one of which shows the height of the main character’s careers while the second half shows their downfall after the transition to sound in film.

The bombastic party in the nearly

-minute opening sequence serves as a fast-paced and energetic introduction to the three main characters. The use of shocking imagery can be a little tiresome in the opening, as at times it feels like every cut is going to show us one gross thing after another.

Each and every performance in this film deserves more love than it already isn’t receiving. Margot Robbie steals the spotlight from the other main characters, showing viewers her dramatic rise to stardom and its crushing end.

Robbie’s best sequence is when she is trying to act with dialogue for the first time. The frustration from everyone in the room made it a tense watch, which is something Chazelle can pull off e cellently as evident in his older films.

That doesn’t mean the other main characters don’t get good moments, as this is easily one of Brad Pitt’s best performances in recent memory. His ability to play someone who has everything taken away from him was captivating and due to the film’s performance will likely go ignored by most viewers.

The score, done by ustin Hurwitz, perfectly embodies the spirit of the movie with the main theme “ oodoo Mama” being a track bursting with e citement that is used to boost the vibrant and e citing mood of certain scenes.

For the most part, the last hour and

a half uses more drab colors, and a lot of the sequences have a darker tone as opposed to the bright and e citing first half. The scenes are much slower, and are focused more on character growth rather than the story that was first set up.

By far the most disturbing sequence in this film is in the second half, when the film seemingly out of nowhere introduces ames McKay Tobey Maguire into the story. s a huge fan of the actor, it was a delightful surprise.

ames McKay is easily Maguire’s weirdest performance, playing a person who seeks out twisted forms of entertainment that sends the film into an underground party sequence that easily goes down as one of the most disturbing moments in modern film.

Its une pected turn gives it almost a horror vibe, an unknown situation for our main characters with a limited use of light that only gives you glimpses of the vile imagery.

The e hilarating feeling you get watching this movie doesn’t let up, and that is especially the case in its final moments.

Its ending consists of a flashy, colorful montage that reflects not only on the story of our main characters, but also an homage to filmmaking as a whole.

This scene acts like the signature on a love letter to the beauty and comple ity of cinema, and its flash-

a huge step-up for reamworks as a studio. The new animation style, the more mature story and themes, and the e cellent music and voice acting set a very high standard for the studio, and animated films in general.

Rating: A

An unexpectedly excellent film

ing between that and Manny crying in the theater will leave you feeling ehausted in the best way possible.

“Babylon” is a glamorous tribute to cinema that doesn’t shy away from the ugly sides of it. Its focus on both sides of Hollywood shows the undying passion artists have for their work to make an impact.

Rating: A

The underrated masterpiece of 2022

CONNECT WITH JACK MCLAUGHLIN jmclaughlin7@student.framingham.edu

CONNECT WITH OWEN GLANCY oglancy@student.framingham.edu

Best of

By Jack McLaughlin Staff Writer

After “Nope,” it’s clear that writer/director Jordan Peele has yet to miss when making a film.

This film is Peele’s own spin on a summer blockbuster, inspired by elements from iconic films of the past which all culminate in the best watch of the year.

OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) and his sister Emerald (Keke Palmer) discover an extraterrestrial force wreaks havoc on their home and devise a plan to catch evidence of it.

Tension is where the horror aspect works best. One of the most terrifying moments in the film was the entire sequence featuring the character Gordy, which will leave you breathless when watching.

Michael Abel’s score is fantastic, taking a lot of western film inspiration. The scene attached to the track “The Run (Urban Legend)” is one of the best moments and is elevated so much by the musical piece.

The cinematography by Hoyte van Hoytema helps make the disturbing moments never leave your brain. The most striking image is the scene where blood is raining down on the ranch during an encounter with the alien.

“Nope” will give you everything you want in an exciting blockbuster with resonating elements of horror sprinkled in.

By Leighah Beausoleil Editor-in-Chief

Everyone knows celebrity memoirs are either a hit or a major miss.

I think it is safe to say former “iCarly” and “Sam & Cat” star Jennette McCurdy knew exactly what she was doing when she wrote her 2022 bestseller, “I’m Glad My Mom Died,” which details her experiences as a child actor, a Mormon, and living with an abusive mother.

Under the guidance of her mother, McCurdy entered the world of acting and disordered eating. Wanting to preserve her youth for acting, McCurdy’s mother introduced her to “calorie restriction” in order to delay the onset of puberty.

McMcurdy demonstrated to her readers the difficulty in navigating a life under these circumstances, the complex nature of mother-daughter relationships, and discovering one’s own purpose and joy.

McCurdy also provides insight into the reality of working for Nickelodeon and who she refers to as “The Creator.” This memoir was refreshing, funny, heartbreaking, and beautifully written.

By Emily Rosenberg Associate Editor

This HBO Max Mini Series explores in depth the vices of three eccentric rich families at the venue of a luxurious Italian hotel resort - The White Lotus.

The series opens with a prologue in which one of the season’s stars is swimming and discovers a dead body on the crystal blue shore. Viewers spend the rest of the season learning the quirks of each horrible person at The White Lotus and speculating how the dead body came to be.

However, easily stealing the show is Jennifer Coolidge’s Golden Globe-winning performance as Tanya. Tanya’s overt nonsense is perfection from her constantly pursed lips and squinted eyes to her choking on a fly while riding the back of a espa.

Simona Tabasco as Lucia, an Italian native and prostitute who lures lust from several characters, is another electrifying addition to this season. Her big dreams are a breath of fresh air in a series that brings a lot of pessimism to the world.

“The White Lotus” is one of the most well-written shows of the year. It is filled with enthralling dialogue that forces average viewers to connect to millionaires and billionaires whom we often see as evil in an attempt to e pose the wretched flaws of all petty white people.

If you love to hate the rich, “The White Lotus” is your show.

‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’

By Ryan O’Connell Arts & Features Editor

In a year of great murder mysteries, “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” takes the cake - and it isn’t just because of Daniel Craig’s fantastic Southern drawl.

As a sequel to 2019’s “Knives Out,” “Glass Onion” spends almost no time muddying the waters by acknowledging the first film. Craig is back as Benoit Blanc, and that’s where the overlap ends.

This separation from the first film not only allows the time it needs to introduce and characterize an array of suspects, but also helps ease viewers who haven’t seen the first film into its world.

Like its name, “Glass Onion” is layered in its mysteries - beginning with the reason for Benoit’s invitation, progressing to the questionable state of the casts’ relationships, and ending with a scramble for hidden evidence of a murder and theft.

There is rarely a dull moment while tracing the intertwining paths, motives, and alibis of the eight main characters - plus our favorite detective - which allow a few twists to surprise the viewer while they’re focused.

As the evil billionaire Miles Bron would say - this is one film you’re going to want to fully inbreathiate!

CONNECT WITH JACK MCLAUGHLIN jmclaughlin7@student.framingham.edu

CONNECT WITH EMILY ROSENBERG erosenberg@student.framingham.edu

CONNECT WITH LEIGHAH BEAUSOLEIL lbeausoleil@student.framingham.edu

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

Courtesy of IMDb

Courtesy of IMDb

Courtesy of Simon & Schuster

Courtesy of IMDb

‘Nope’

‘I’m Glad My Mom Died’

‘The White Lotus: Season 2’

By Sophia Harris Editorial Staff

The release of SZA’s new album “SOS” in December 2022 brings back memories of her nostalgic songs that every teenager growing up in 2015 remembers.

Every song is beautifully written, and the songs flow together perfectly in the album.

I wholeheartedly rate the album a 10 out of 10.

I would like to include that the contributors to this album such as Phoebe Bridgers and Don Toliver make this album stand out compared to her other albums. Bridgers and Toliver add layers to this album that are unparalleled to her other albums.

Their contributions perfectly reimagine her mission with this album which is to reinvent how a relationship can affect two people completely differently.

From everything to her cover, representing a famous picture of Princess Diana to her title track “SOS” which is representative of how even though during the break up you can feel helpless, the only one that can save you is yourself.

It perfectly captures the feeling of being in a one-sided relationship, and not knowing how to escape it.

Her songs portray stages of grief that a woman goes through when experiencing a breakup from anger in her first song in the album “Kill Bill” to bargaining in the song “Nobody Gets Me” and acceptance in the song “Seek & Destroy.”

She touches on the delicacy of female rage, and how even if you are going through a breakup, it can still be beautiful to find yourself again.

CONNECT WITH SOPHIA HARRIS sharris9@student.framingham.edu

By Owen Glancy Staff Writer

Most films, especially in the scifi or action genres, feature largerthan-life protagonists. “Everything, Everywhere, All at Once” breaks from this norm by daring to focus on a relatively unremarkable woman.

Despite her unremarkable nature, Evelyn Quan Kang quickly becomes one of cinema’s best protagonists in recent memory. Her down-to-earth nature lets the audience ease into what quickly becomes the most creative and fun action film in recent memory. Michelle Yeoh’s incredible performance was even recently nominated for Best Actress in the 2023 Academy Awards!

The movie’s wacky tone and insane action scenes are easily the highlights of the film. No two sequences are the same, and it creates a unique atmosphere full of endless surprises.

The story is another major strength of the film. The emotional core is so powerful, it left my girlfriend and me in tears! The conflict between Evelyn and her daughter Joy is incredibly powerful and moving. It makes a scene showing nothing but two motionless rocks become one of the best of the entire year.

“Everything, Everywhere, All at Once” is a massive win for everyone. Fans of foreign films, action films, science-fiction films, dramatic films, comedic films, and even horror films will find something to like about this movie. It is the definition of a crowd-pleaser movie yet remains weird enough to be something entirely original. This film is a must see for anyone looking for a great time.

By Adam Levine Editorial Staff

Years after Tom Cruise’s performance of the titular character of the “Jack Reacher” movie series, Amazon Prime released the first season of their television series adaptation of Lee Child’s book, “Killing Floor,” on Feb. 3, 2022.

The eight-episode series follows a new adaptation of Jack Reacher, played by Alan Ritchson, as he untangles himself from a conspiracy in the town of Margrave, Georgia.

Reacher is a retired military police officer who relies on his training and experience to clear his name of the mess.

The viewer follows Reacher as he makes new friends, creates more enemies, and ultimately uncovers more about the conspiracy consuming Margrave.

As the light shines the truth on everyone’s secrets, Reacher finds himself closer to danger.

The intensity of Reacher’s character captivated me and thrilled my mind.

The season one mystery comes to a climax with an incredible display of action. “Reacher” finds the perfect balance between drama, action, thriller, and a sprinkle of comedy to create a riveting series.

I am anticipating the eventual release of season two, and any lover of the drama, action, or mystery genres should watch “Reacher” before the next season is released.

‘Hot Mess’

By Raena Doty Asst. Arts & Features Editor

Dodie’s new EP “Hot Mess,” released on Sept. 30, 2022, is one of the artist’s most cohesive and impressive projects yet. The EP consists of four songs.

“Hot Mess,” the first song and namesake of the EP, is about waiting to grow up and pass a threshold where things suddenly change, even when there’s no end in sight.

The second song, “Got Weird,” is about messy emotions leading to unusual reactions - for example, making out with someone and crying immediately after, even if they enjoyed it.

“Lonely Bones,” the third track, is definitely the most obscure song of the EP, but also beautiful and gentle and haunting - it sounds and tells of reflection and building a better future.

The final track, called “No Big Deal (I Love You),” perfectly ties up the EP. It’s a classic love song about how hard it is to say “I love you” even when it’s very easy to show it in a million different ways.

Each song stands on its own, beautiful and self-contained. But altogether it tells the story of a relationship that started with hardship, but through messy work and hard emotions, eventually steadies into something sweeter.

CONNECT WITH ADAM LEVINE alevine5@student.framingham.edu

CONNECT WITH OWEN GLANCY oglancy@student.framingham.edu

CONNECT WITH RAENA DOTY rdoty@student.framingham.edu

Courtesy of IMDb

Courtesy of Spotify

Courtesy of IMDb

Courtesy of Genius

‘SOS’

‘Everything, Everywhere, all At Once’

‘Reacher’

Puzzles

DOWN

1. Bespectacled dwarf

2. It may be in ated

3. Pound sound

4. Side without the ball

5. Guitar ridge

6. Dogs with a chocolate variety, for short

7. Starting squad

8. Sporty Mazdas

9. Forever and a day

10. In reality, from the Latin

11. Pop up

12. Really swell

13. You can get down from them

18. West’s bridge partner

21. Pepper grinder

22. Brought under control

23. Performance at the Met

24. John Lennon hit written as an ode to Yoko Ono

26. What a furious person blows

28. ___ Tar Pits (source of more than 3.5 million fossils)

ACROSS

1. Out of battery power

5. Sweetheart

10. “Rats!”

14. Folklore end

15. Pi, e.g., in math

16. New York canal

17. Arabica, for example

19. Military ute

20. Torments to no end

21. Pair from a deck, perhaps?

22. Small cities

25. ’90s optical illusion fad

27. Peter or Paul, but not Mary

30. Pretzel topper

31. Internet sensation

32. PC key used with F4

34. Slow-moving animals

38. Notable period

39. Word that this puzzle’s author uses frequently ... and that pairs with both parts of 17-, 25-, 51- and 61-Across

41. Drivers’ org.

42. Cupid’s teammate

45. Cobbler’s cousin

46. Visual ___ (charts and such)

47. Zone

49. Brings into harmony

51. Motor variety for a boat 55. Pretentiously creative 56. Bedlam 57. Smooth, musically 60. Symbol of saintliness 61. Bad time to take stock, maybe? 65. Regrets 66. “Tomorrow” musical 67. What snobs put on

29. Building add-on

33. Touch lightly

35. Make impure 36. Underworld god 37. Freshmouthed 40. Spy org. 43. Last to arrive at the train station 44. Cupid’s counterpart 46. Night lights 48. Francis of old TV’s “What’s My Line?” 50. “Ciao!” 51. Earthy colour 52. DIY moving option

Mazmanian Gallery Annual Juried Student Show

Spread and Photos by Design and Photos Editor Maddison Behringer

(Front) Senior Caroline Tornifoglio examining another student’s submission during the Juried Show Jan. 24.

Freshman Bella Ramirez standing next to her charcoal drawing, “Breakfast,“ Jan. 24.

Junior Aiden O’Rourke’s “Sake Set“ on display during the Juried Students Show reception Jan. 24.

(Front) Yumi Park and (back) Tim McDonald viewing art at the Juried Student Show Jan. 24.