Volume 89 • Issue 24
FSUgatepost.com
May 7, 2021
Basking in the sun on Larned Beach
Donald Halsing / THE GATEPOST Left: Freshmen Marcelo Escobar, Savion Allen-Harding, and Melanie Wu enjoy the warm afternoon sun from colorful adirondack chairs on Larned Beach May 6.
News LEARNING MODES pg. 6-7 ELECTION RESULTS pg. 8
Opinions
Survey finds seniors satisfied with response to COVID-19 By Cara McCarthy Associate Editor By Brennan Atkins Arts & Features Editor By Maia Almeida Staff Writer By Kaitlin Burch Staff Writer
FIRST AMENDMENT pg. 14 SENIOR LETTERS pg. 18-19
Sports
In an annual survey conducted by The Gatepost, seniors reported they were satisfied with the University’s
23% were transfer students. Sixty-four percent of survey respondents identified as female, 31% identified as male, and 5% identified as non-binary. Fifty-two percent of senior survey respondents reported they did not find a mentor during their time at FSU. Additionally, 51% of senior survey respondents said they will be attending the University’s virtual graduation for the Class of 2021, 19% said they will not attend, and 30% were undecided.
See SENIOR SURVEY page 9
President F. Javier Cevallos announces campus-wide COVID-19 vaccine mandate By Steven Bonini Staff Writer
President F. Javier Cevallos announced students will be required to get the COVID-19 vaccination for the fall 2021 semester in an April 26 email. Gatepost Archives The Council of Presidents voted SOFTBALL pg. 20 unanimously to mandate the vaccine on all nine state university campuses, according to Cevallos. The other eight sister institutions are Bridgewater, Fitchburg, Salem, MANCUSO INTERNSHIP STIPENDS pg. 22 Westfield, and Worcester state universities as well as Massachusetts ‘ETHEREAL GLAMOUR’ pg. 29
Arts & Features
response to COVID-19, their major departments, and internship opportunities during their time at FSU. One-hundred seniors participated in the unscientific survey from March 5 to April 1. Despite students’ approval of the University’s response to COVID-19, 56% of seniors reported remote learning negatively impacted their motivation, and 78% believed they did not learn as much remotely as they would have in person. Of the 100 respondents, 29% were residents, 71% were commuters, and
niversity’s
College of Art & Design, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, and the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. In his email, Cevallos said any students “conducting research on campus, living in residence halls, or participating in campus life activities” must be fully vaccinated. He highlighted the vaccines’ efficiency and said he believes the vaccine supply will “outpace demand” in the coming months. Cevallos added appointments will eventually be more readily available to the public. In an interview, Cevallos called this “an evolving situation,” and the
University is trying to figure out what the safest way is for the campus to reopen, emphasizing that many other institutions are requiring vaccines as well. “UMass Boston requires vaccines. UMass Amherst is strongly encouraging vaccines. Some of the private institutions are requiring vaccines,” he said. “Everyone seems to be suggesting that we should be requiring vaccines. We decided that it was time to do that,” he added. To help students get vaccinated,
See REQUIRED VACCINES page 4
INSIDE: OP/ED 14 • SPORTS 20 • ARTS & FEATURES 22
NEWS
2 | MAY 7, 2021
Editorial Board 2020-21
Gatepost Interview F. Javier Cevallos
Editor-in-Chief Ashley Wall Associate Editors Donald Halsing Cara McCarthy News Editor Leighah Beausoleil Asst. News Editors Dan Fuentes Ashlyn Kelly Arts & Features Editors Brennan Atkins Jared Graf Opinions Editor McKenzie Ward Asst. Opinions Editor Emily Rosenberg Design Editor Kathleen Moore Photos Editor Caroline Gordon Sports Editor Danielle Achin Staff Writers Maia Almeida James Barraford Patrick Brady Steven Bonini Kaitlin Burch Sean Cabot Soren Colstrup Olivia Copeland Haley Hadge Caroline Lanni Briana Wrubleski Advisor Dr. Desmond McCarthy Asst. Advisor Elizabeth Banks
FSU President By Caroline Lanni Staff Writer Can you describe how the academic year went with COVID-19? It was a very difficult and different year for everyone. When COVID-19 started, I do not think any of us anticipated that it was going to be a full year before we could even think about coming back. During the summer, a lot of the faculty spent time moving their materials to a different kind of environment so that people could work. Of course, we wanted to have some student presence on campus because it is important, and the campus experience is not the same with not having any students around. … I am sure that it was very stressful for many students. I have said this a number of times - I am extremely proud of the faculty because they were so willing to work so hard to move the learning to the different platforms. I am really proud of the students because it was not easy. I am really proud of the staff. It was a stressful year, and I think we managed to do it very well, and I am really proud of the effort that everybody did. What are your thoughts on the University’s COVID-19 testing strategy and response to positive cases? What could the University have done differently? I think the testing strategy worked out very well. By having mandatory testing, we avoided significant spikes. Overall, I think the results were really encouraging for the campus and for the way that people took it very seriously. Again, I want to thank the volunteers that spent all those Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays in the Athletic Center testing and making sure that students and the population had access to testing. I do not think that we would have done anything differently. I think the way that it [testing] was coordinated and organized logistically worked very well. We have to figure out what is going to happen in the fall in terms of testing. I am sure that we are going to have some requirements of testing available. I do not know those yet - we are waiting to get guidance from the state, and we should be getting that in the near future. I will let you know when we find out. What were the main strategies that you and your team pursued throughout the school year in regard to COVID-19? At the very beginning, we had a num-
100 State Street McCarthy Center Room 410 Framingham, MA 01701-9101 Phone: (508) 626-4605 Fax: (508) 626-4097 gatepost@framingham.edu
@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com
situation, even now. … It will continue to evolve, and during the summer, I am sure we are going to discover new things and new mandates, so we just have to adapt and keep going. So, the short answer is that I think we did everything we could given the information we had.
Courtesy of Framingham State ber of groups, teams, committees - whatever you want to call them - working to get ready to reopen in the fall. Once we started classes in the fall, we had two main groups. One is the COVID-19 Response Team and the other one is the COVID-19 Continuity Team. Those two groups have been meeting weekly to really ensure that we can fulfill the protocols and all the things in place, and keep up with all the regulations in place coming from the state, the CDC, and etcetera. Those groups have been coordinating activities, so I think they deserve a lot of the credit for us being able to be open in the fall, be open in the spring, and now getting ready for commencement, graduation, and getting to the end of the semester. We are looking forward to the last couple of weeks and hoping the testing will continue to be as good as it has been, with very few positive cases, and everybody can get vaccinated during the summer, and we can come back in the fall. Looking back on this past year, what is something the University could have done differently in response to the COVID-19 pandemic? Hindsight is always 20/20, so you could always say that we could have done more testing. We could have started to make the decision to not come back right at the beginning of the spring break instead of having to decide after the second week of spring break. … I think that we probably could have done more testing, maybe, but again, I think our testing was reasonably done. I think we handled this as best as we could, given the information we had at the specific time. The challenge with dealing with the pandemic is that it is an evolving
What is something you would like to say to members of the FSU community who have been impacted by COVID-19? I would like to say, “Thank-you,” because it has been an incredible response and group effort to work together to get through COVID-19. From what I know, we have not lost anyone in our community, but we have lost members of the families of students and staff, and that is always sad when a parent, or grandparent, or a relative has been a victim of COVID-19. So, my heart goes out to all of the people who have passed away because of this disease. For the students in particular, you have lost a year and a half of your college experience and you will never get it back. It [college] is one of those wonderful years of your life that you should be enjoying. You have instead been quarantining inside, so it is a tough year. I am proud of the way that everyone handled it and so thank you! Thanks for all the work that people have done to get us through this and hopefully, everybody will get vaccinated by early fall and we go back to a more normal sense of life on campus. What are you hoping to accomplish at FSU before retirement? One of the reasons that I am staying all the way until next summer is to make sure we get over the pandemic. I think that transitions are difficult enough in normal circumstances. It would be really hard to get a new president coming in next fall. I think that strategic planning is coming up and the next president will take care of that. Everything seems to be lining up in a way that says, “Either you stay five more years, or you move on now.” I think that it is time to let somebody full of energy come in and move this institution higher to a different level. Next year is going to be quite interesting during the search process that is going to start in the fall, so we will see who the candidates are, and obviously, I will do my best to collaborate and help the next president in any way I can.
CONNECT WITH CAROLINE LANNI clanni@student.framingham.edu
Police Logs Saturday, May 1 17:58 Assist Residence Life Miles Bibb Hall Checks Okay
Sunday, May 2 01:48 Noise Complaint Towers Hall Call Assignment Complete
Monday, May 3 15:23 Found Property O’Connor Hall Parking Lot Report Taken
Thursday, May 6 13:27 Suspicious Activity McCarthy Center Advised and Removed
NEWS
MAY 7, 2021 | 3
Gatepost Interview
Editorial Board 2021-22
McKenzie Ward
Editor-in-Chief Donald Halsing
2021-22 SGA President By Cara McCarthy Associate Editor What made you want to get involved in student government? So, I was not involved in high school at all. I really only worked. So when I got to college, I wanted to get involved as much as I possibly could. And my cousin, who had gone to Stonehill College, was in student government. So, I knew a little bit about university student government. I figured that was the best way to get involved from the center of organizations in the center of engagement. So, I originally only planned to go in as a Senator. I really had no future plans to join eBoard or anything like that. But, because of the guidance I received from the SGA President from 2019 to 2020, Matty Bennett, he really inspired me to take on bigger positions in SGA, and the rest is history. Why did you decide to attend FSU? I decided to attend FSU for a couple reasons. One, I chose FSU because I live only 25 minutes away. The availability to go home on the weekends was really great. But also, just the price of FSU is a lot cheaper than the other schools I got accepted into. But the number one reason I wanted to go to FSU is I didn’t want to be just a number in a classroom to my professors. I wanted my professors to know me by name, rather than just as another student. That’s why I like FSU, because it’s small enough that I have that one-on-one relationship with a majority of my professors. What positions have you held in SGA and what did they entail? I was a Senator during my freshman year. I was a voting member of student government and I sat on different committees to talk about the Constitution of student government. I also would do volunteering for different student government events, whether that be a table event or attending a movie night from last year right before COVID-19. Also, I was an open educational resource ambassador, so I was an advocate for open educational resources and making textbooks more accessible to students rather than having to pay exorbitant prices for textbooks. And this year, I am the Student Trustee, which means I serve on the Board of Trustees as a voting member and I serve as the communication between the student body and the Board of Trustees. I am able to speak for
Weather
Associate Editors Leighah Beausoleil Kathleen Moore
What is your favorite part about being on SGA? My favorite part of being part of SGA is the essence of community that we all have. One of my favorite things about being on SGA before COVID-19 was being able to be in the office with the other senators and eBoard members and just talk about our days and catch up. There was a really chill environment before COVID-19. Now, it’s a little different, since only about three of us are in the office on a regular basis. Hopefully, next year, with guidelines easing up, it will be easier to have that sense of community in person rather than just online. What else have you been a part of on campus? Leighah Beausoleil / THE GATEPOST So, like I said earlier, I took full advantage of getting involved on campus the students and ensure their concerns when I was a freshman. Not only have get a spot at the table. I been involved with SGA, but I am the Opinions Editor for The Gatepost, Why did you decide to run for SGA which is the student newspaper at the President? University. Next year will be my third I decided to run for SGA president year serving in that position. Last fall, because I love SGA. SGA is a huge part I served as a peer mentor in the New of my personality when it comes to Student and Family Programs Office. FSU. I believe serving as student gov- And this spring, and again in the fall, ernment president, I can kind of bridge I served as the Foundations’ intern for the gap between other organizations the Peer Mentor Program. I’ll be able and students, and really help foster bet- to guide first-year students acclimating ter relationships between everyone on to college. I also am a member of four campus. I also believe that as student different honors societies. I am a memgovernment president, I want to be able ber of the first-year Honor Society, the to push forward a lot more of my initia- Transfer Honors Society, Phi Kappa Phi, tives concerning mental health issues, and the History Honors Society. I also and also food and housing insecurity, work in SILD as a student coordinator which has been a huge part of SGA’s of events, and I am the Newman Civic mission over the last few years. I really Fellow for FSU next year. I am also the want to continue that work and build it open educational resource ambassador out even further than SGA already has. for Framingham State. What are some of the things you plan to accomplish during your time as President? I hope to continue to do more anti-racist work within the University and trying to find different places in our institution that still contain a form of racism or bias and work with those offices to make them more inclusive of everyone, especially people of color. I also hope to spearhead more initiatives concerning food and housing insecurity since that is a huge issue with college students. A lot of students are not getting the support that they need. I believe that with the funding we [SGA] have, we can provide our students at Framingham State with more support when it comes to food and housing insecurity.
What advice do you have for students? Get involved. It is so easy to get involved during college, especially at FSU. We have so many different amazing opportunities, whether that be joining a club, getting a campus job, or even just trying to find a group of friends on campus to really help you immerse yourself in the FSU community. I’m really hoping with the fall semester looking so bright with the COVID-19 vaccine that we will be able to have more in-person engagement occurring, which will be fantastic for everyone.
News Editors Steven Bonini Ashlyn Kelly Asst. News Editor Haley Hadge Arts & Features Editors Caroline Gordon Emily Rosenberg Asst. Arts & Features Editor Patrick Brady Opinions Editor McKenzie Ward Sports Editor Danielle Achin Staff Writers James Barraford Sean Cabot Olivia Copeland Dan Fuentes Sophia Harris Advisor Dr. Desmond McCarthy Asst. Advisor Elizabeth Banks Goodbye, graduating seniors! Maia Almeida Brennan Atkins Kaitlin Burch Soren Colstrup Jared Graf Caroline Lanni Cara McCarthy Ashley Wall Good luck!
CONNECT WITH CARA MCCARTHY cmccarthy8@student.framingham.edu
Forecast provided by the National Weather Service www.weather.gov
Sunday night May 9 30% chance of precipitation. Mostly cloudy. Low near 45. SW winds around 5 mph.
Monday night May 10 40% chance of precipitation. Mostly cloudy. Low near 45. W winds around 5 mph.
Tuesday night May 11 Mostly clear. Low near 40. NW wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday night May 12 Partly cloudy. Low near 40. W winds around 5 mph.
Monday May 10 70% chance of precipitation. Mostly cloudy. High near 60. SE winds around 5 mph.
Tuesday May 11 Mostly sunny. High near 60. NW winds around 10 mph.
Wednesday May 12 Sunny. High near 60. NW winds around 10 mph.
Thursday May 13 Mostly sunny. High near 65. W winds around 5 mph.
FRAMINGHAM STATE UNIVERSITY’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1932 | FSUGATEPOST.COM
NEWS
4 | MAY 7, 2021
Required vaccines continued from page 1 Cevallos said the University may work with Walgreens, as it does during the flu season, to bring a vaccination site to campus. “We have to continue to explore options as the summer moves on and as vaccines become more prevalent more available,” he said, adding the goal would be to have a vaccination site on campus by “end of August early September.” Some students have already reached out to Cevallos with concerns about receiving the vaccine, and he said many of them are looking
nounced it would not require universities to mandate the vaccine at this time, allowing Cevallos and the other presidents on the council to make their own decisions. “The Massachusetts Department of Public Health is usually the authority - the administrative authority - that sets the bar for all of the requirements for vaccination or other public health requirements,” she said. “But when the presidents consulted with them, they had not determined that they were going to set a COVID vaccine requirement for
and there’s a legitimate reason, what do we do to still keep that student in the Framingham community?” she asked. “There is still work on our part being done to try to figure some of those things out. I would rather do that than face a lawsuit,” McDonald added. Ilene Hofrenning, director of Health Services, said even with students fully vaccinated next semester, the University is still anticipating COVID-19 testing as well as some mask wearing on campus. “We certainly will be doing symp-
“At this point, the risk of getting COVID and getting sick from COVID is much higher than any kind of risks that you would have from the vaccine.” -Ilene Hofrenning, Director of Health Services for some form of exemption. “Any vaccine - you have to have exemptions allowed,” and any students with “religious convictions” or health concerns may be exempt from receiving the vaccine, he said. “I’ve had about, I’d say, about eight emails from students. A couple of them a little more adamant about not wanting to get the vaccine, but most of them are just trying to figure out if we can have an exemption and an accommodation, and of course we will,” he added. “By and large, I think that most of the campus - in order to be safe - I think everybody should be [vaccinated] and we are encouraging faculty and staff to be vaccinated as well,” said Cevallos. When students do receive their vaccination, Cevallos said they should upload their vaccine certificate to the student health portal, as is typically required of other vaccines. Regarding faculty and staff, he said most of them are happy about the mandate as they “feel safer knowing that students will be vaccinated.” Cevallos said the issue of exemptions for faculty and staff will be “bargained” with the unions. Ann McDonald, chief of staff and general counsel and secretary to the Board of Trustees, said the decision to require the vaccine came after the Department of Public Health an-
@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com
higher ed students. The next question was, ‘If you’re not going to do that, do we have the authority to do that?’ And they said, ‘Yes.’ They do not have the sole authority to go ahead and make those determinations,” McDonald added. She said the COVID-19 vaccine falls under an “emergency use authorization,” which, according to the FDA [Food and Drug Association] government website, is a special approval to “allow the use of unapproved medical products, or unapproved uses of approved medical products in an emergency to diagnose, treat, or prevent serious or life-threatening diseases or conditions. “Certain statutory criteria” have to be met, the website states, “including that there are no adequate, approved, and available alternatives.” “It has still gone through FDA approval,” said McDonald. “It just hasn’t gone through the full approval. It’s gone through this emergency use authorization and the presidents, again, evaluated that before making the decision.” The University is currently facing no lawsuits since the mandate announcement was made, she said, and her hope is that by answering students’ questions about the requirement, a lawsuit can be avoided. “We’re trying to figure out if we have a student who comes forward who doesn’t want to get the vaccine,
tomatic testing, and we now have the rapid antigen test, which we’ve used a few times this spring. So if people are symptomatic, we can give them an answer right away - whether it’s COVID or not,” she said. “I imagine that if we have a group of students who have not been vaccinated, that we might consider testing them - doing screening testing with them on a regular basis,” Hofrenning added. She said, “Depending on the prevalence of COVID,” the University may continue to do some form of random testing as well. Hofrenning said mask wearing will depend on state mandates and CDC guidelines, but they will probably have to be worn “a lot less” than they are now. However due to COVID-19 variants, she said there may still be some concerns. Before the announcement of the mandate, Hofrenning said she heard from a number of students and parents who were hoping the University would require students to receive the vaccine. After the announcement, like Cevallos, she is now hearing from students who are concerned or do not want to receive the vaccine. “The data shows that, for one thing, the vaccine is very effective,” she said, adding, “It’s effective in preventing severe disease” and it’s “effective in preventing hospitaliza-
tions. “Millions and millions of people have gotten it around the world, and it has proven to be safe for everybody,” said Hofrenning. She added there are some concerns about the long-term effects of the vaccine, but “like everything in life, it’s weighing risks versus benefits. “At this point, the risk of getting COVID and getting sick from COVID is much higher than any kind of risks that you would have from the vaccine,” she said. Noelle Meunier, a sophomore business major, said she agrees with the University’s decision to require the vaccine and if somebody doesn’t want to receive it “to help keep others safe, then they can stay home. “Public spaces should be safe for public use,” said Meunier, adding, “When we were kids, we had to keep our socks on to play on the playground at McDonald’s. It was so everyone could play without the risk of getting foot fungus. This is the same idea.” Meunier has received both doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccination and said, “It was a bit scary” to feel the negative effects, but overall, she was glad she got vaccinated. Bradlee Nadeau, a junior food and nutrition major, said he feels “indifferent” about the decision. “I have already received the vaccine, and I just want things to return to normal. If mandating the vaccine will do that, then by all means, I think everyone should have to get it,” he said. Even so, Nadeau added he doesn’t believe mandating the vaccine is the “best decision. “I believe that students were deciding to get it on their own, but now that it is mandatory, I think many students will now be against it. People don’t like to be forced to do things,” he said. He said he received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine and did not experience any negative reaction or symptoms. Stefano Hernandez, a sophomore English major, said he agrees with the decision to mandate the vaccine, but doesn’t like the idea of forcing it on students. “Based on how little I’ve heard of issues regarding COVID and FSU, I do believe individuals should have a right to decide for themselves if they should take it,” he said, adding, “Due to the lack of immediate danger, I don’t see why the vaccine should be forced onto others who may have concerns over their health and how they handle medications.” Hernandez received the Moderna vaccine and said he did feel nauseous as well as a little fatigued, but did end up feeling better after some rest. CONNECT WITH STEVEN BONINI sbonini@student.framingham.edu
NEWS
MAY 7, 2021 | 5
SGA holds last meeting of the semester By Dan Fuentes Asst. News Editor SGA met to discuss faculty initiatives and officer reports at its meeting April 27. Mirari Elcoro, professor of psychology and director of faculty mentoring, said, “One of the things that I feel there is a need to refine conversations between students and faculty.” She added, “About a month ago, we had a mentoring session with some of the newer faculty, but also student groups to talk to each other and see what our student groups are wanting to do, and maybe faculty can help.” Elcoro said she spoke to student leaders on campus, including Malik Martin, Madison Bruno, and Phoenix Harris, to “talk to us about their experiences in leadership positions.” She added, “New faculty and newer students of Framingham State are not that different. We’re all getting
to know Framingham State and we all need to perhaps talk to each other more.” Cara Pina, professor of biology, said, “We are trying to find ways to make sure that faculty know which organizations are on campus, what students are involved in, how they can connect, if there are things that would be helpful, and also how students can find faculty.” Pina added, “Another initiative that I am working on is an organization that is trying to focus on diversifying STEM - supporting diverse voices and people who are trying to get through STEM.” In her final President’s Report, Olivia Beverlie thanked everyone for everything they’ve done this year. In her last report as Student Trustee, McKenzie Ward said the last Board of Trustees meeting is in two weeks. In the Student Advisory Council update, Senator Mark Haskell spoke to the current state of the “Student
Bill of Rights Framework.” Haskell said, “It included shared governance, more disability services, equitable access and affordability to public higher ed, access to courses with continued assistance, as well as financial aid and various other very important things such as accessibility to open resources.” He added, “Advocacy for victims is a deep necessity, as well as the continued advocacy for veterans, an ombudsman, and there should be an evaluation of student/police relations.” In their final Vice President’s Report, Abigail Salvucci said to the group, “You all did an amazing job, and you really invested yourself in this work.” She added, “You guys are going to keep holding FSU accountable, and keep fighting for the students.” In the Secretary’s Report, Lexi Kays told senators that the election results were in, and that everyone
will be sworn in at the banquet. In her Student Activities Trust Fund (SATF) Treasurer’s Report, Ewnie Fedna said she has all of the transition reports and just needs “a good place to store them for future eBoards.” In the Outreach and Events Coordinator’s Report, Mariah Farris congratulated everyone for surviving a year on Zoom, and the new eBoard members for getting elected. In her Diversity and Inclusion Officer’s Report, Paola Bilbraut thanked everybody for their support throughout this year, and congratulated the seniors. [Editor’s Note: McKenzie Ward is Opinions Editor of The Gatepost.]
CONNECT WITH DAN FUENTES dfuentes@student.framingham.edu
FRAMINGHAM STATE UNIVERSITY’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1932 | FSUGATEPOST.COM
6 | MAY 7, 2021
NEWS
Administrators, faculty assess teaching approaches and pedagogies during COVID-19 By Donald Halsing Associate Editor Because COVID-19 restrictions prevented many classes from being held face-to-face, FSU faculty taught using new learning modes during Academic Year (AY) 2020-21. With many digital tools at their disposal, new technology installed in classrooms, and support from the administration, the Education Technology Office (ETO), and their departments, faculty discovered different ways to engage with their students. Unlike the spring 2020 semester, when in-person learning was cut short unexpectedly, professors had an opportunity to plan which modes they would use to teach and to incorporate digital tools into their lesson plans. Ellen Zimmerman, interim provost and vice president for academic affairs, said she initially envisioned that some faculty would teach fully remotely, while others would teach “at least partially in the classroom.” She said faculty who chose to teach entirely remotely needed to decide whether their course materials and teaching styles worked best in a synchronous or asynchronous environment. Asynchronous classes are conducted as “traditional” online classes, in which students learn through online activities and discussions, but do not meet at a scheduled time. Synchronous classes are held using video conferencing tools. Robin Robinson, director of education technology and instructional design, said ETO purchased a license for Zoom video conferencing software, which was integrated into Blackboard. She said ETO’s role in keeping FSU running during the pandemic was to “make faculty more aware of what resources were available to them, and then have conversations around pedagogy.” Robinson said hundreds of faculty members attended training events throughout the summer of 2020 to prepare for the upcoming academic year. “In a regular semester, if we got eight people to take time out of their day to attend a session, those would be good numbers,” she said. Deborah Saks, director of service management and campus technology, said 34 classrooms were outfitted with “HyFlex” video conferencing technology, which gave “students the option of attending sessions in the classroom, participating online, or doing both.” Zimmerman said Facilities measured classrooms to figure out how many people could safely occupy each space. Facilities matched classroom capacities with courses scheduled to meet face-to-face. She said WiFi hotspots were in-
@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com
stalled in the Maple and Salem End parking lots. These hot spots provided a learning space for students “who live nearby but didn’t want to take their classes in their home.” She added rooms in most academic buildings were set up as study spaces for commuters who “couldn’t have physically” traveled in between faceto-face classes scheduled immediately before or after remote classes. Compared to the fall semester, Zimmerman said scheduling for the spring semester was easier because everyone understood the different learning experiences, and people found it “easier” to “make decisions about what they want to do.” According to the college deans, each department’s unique requirements impacted which learning modalities were offered for specific courses. Marc Cote, dean of arts and humanities, said most departments in his college opted for remote instruction, with a handful of face-to-face classes. Face-to-face studio classes were offered for both studio art and fashion design students. He added, a few of the classes that were scheduled face-to-face switched to fully remote because the majority of students “weren’t coming in for face-to-face instruction and instead logging in with the remote option.” Cote said, “I’ve heard from many professors that they were pleased with some of the functionalities of the digital tools, many of which they had never used.” Susan Dargan, dean of social and behavioral sciences and interim dean of education, said 20% of the faculty in her colleges initially wanted to teach face-to-face. She asked any faculty teaching face-to-face to provide a choice for students to attend remotely. Dargan said students seemed to prefer remote instruction, and many chose it. She said student teachers faced challenges securing field study placements. However, the University was able to offer alternatives, such as allowing students to intern in FSU courses or use “Mursion,” a program which can simulate teaching in a classroom. Patricia Thomas, interim dean of business, said faculty were allowed to choose the teaching mode which worked best for them. Approximately 10 to 15 courses were offered faceto-face. “In the business world, we expect people to do things in multiple ways,” Thomas said. “There’s a lot of virtual meetings, and that’s something that we’ve been encouraging for years.” She said in her role as dean, she helped “alleviate any anxiety” for students and faculty, especially by ensuring students who could not attend class physically could attend remotely. Margaret Carroll, dean of science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics, said some science labs were scheduled with face-to-face meetings every two to three weeks. In other cases, students were split between two rooms and professors switched back and forth. “It is very hard for students - when something is every third week - to remember to show up. She added, “Labs really require in-person” instruction because they “make things more concrete that otherwise seem very hypothetical.” She said the college also began offering courses with online labs - something they were “unwilling” to do before. As for other classes, Carroll said many courses went remote because there were not enough large lecture spaces on campus to accommodate 35-student classes with adequate social distancing. With many resources at their disposal, faculty members adapted their teaching to the COVID-19 pandemic environment. Education Professor Susan Donnellan chose to teach using a remote synchronous model. She said she felt somewhat disconnected from her students “because I’m not face-toface in Dwight Hall - It’s just where our home is.” Donnellan said ETO installed equipment in FSU’s two child education centers to allow education students in field study courses to conduct observations through Zoom. Education Professor Chu Ly said technological issues prevented students from conducting remote observations in the centers until late November. Ly said it was “a lot of fun” to try engaging students in different ways. Flipgrid, Padlet, and the whiteboard on Zoom were among the tools she used. English Professor Kelly Matthews said she used a collaborative annotation program called Persuall. She said she missed having an in-person classroom discussion, but Persuall was a “good substitute.” Matthews also supervises field placement for secondary-level English student teachers. During the fall, student teachers engaged remotely once a week with public school classes. For the spring semester, “We were very lucky that every one of our candidates got paired up with a teacher,” she said, “but almost none of them have been in a school building.” Additionally, Matthews is the academic advisor for all 120 Liberal Studies majors. She increased the length of each advising session because she felt the need to “check in” with each student. “I feel like everyone is facing more challenges, and we need to talk about those,” she said. Sociology Professor Benjamin Alberti said his department hired a designer to create a common template
for their Blackboard courses, making the pages uncluttered, clear, and easy to read. “We needed a common platform as common as we possibly could get it - so that students could find their way around our courses easily,” he said. Sociology Professor Virginia Rutter said she doesn’t require students to have their cameras on during remote instruction - nor does she record her classes. “I record all my lectures separately, so that everyone has that available to them.” Rutter said she structured her virtual space using breakout rooms and conversations through the Zoom chat to allow students to establish what feels comfortable to them. “It’s not like you show up on day one of remote learning and know what’s comfortable or can agree on what’s comfortable,” Rutter said. “If that’s not happening, then the learning - which is at the center of what we’re doing … then that’s not going to happen.” Sociology Professor Vincent Ferraro said, “I wrestle daily with the question about cameras.” He added, “I made it a point early on to tell my students that they should not feel compelled to turn it on because for me, it’s been indicated there’s privacy concerns there. There’s access concerns there.” Lisa Eck, English Department chair, said one benefit of Zoom was the ability to mute her audio, forcing students to lead the discussion. “I probably never had discussions before where students built off each other as much as they did, sort of in the style of a Socratic seminar.” She said students who didn’t participate as much or kept their cameras off were intimidated about joining the conversation. “It’s either really intimate, fun, and easy, or it’s a force field that makes you feel like you can’t enter.” Eck said recording classes using Panopto lecture-capture software offered students who missed class a chance to stay engaged. “In the past, they really just would have been behind.” Everton Vargas da Costa, a Portuguese and Spanish professor, said he was able to teach effectively using synchronous and asynchronous modes, especially in his linguistics courses. However, in his language courses, “The lack of a face-to-face component for everyday conversation practices affected the students’ engagement.” Rachel Trousdale, an English professor, said she taught remotely, both synchronously and asynchronously. “I would much rather be face-to-face. And failing face-to-face, I think our Zoom sessions are more productive than our asynchronous [sessions].” Trousdale added she “overhauled”
See LEARNING MODES page 7
NEWS
Learning Modes continued from page 6 her usually strict attendance policy to accomodate students “because it’s not an ideal situation.” Jeri Nelson-Peterman, a food and nutrition professor, said she also taught both synchronously and asynchronously. For laboratory experiments, she and the other lab instructor created videos to explain the experiments. Students were given options to complete labs on campus or pick up a kit “that included all of the materials” to complete the experiments at home. Nelson-Peterman added she used games, including Kahoot and Facitle, to keep students engaged. In a survey
However, she said professors feed off energy in the classroom, and recording a “lecture to nobody feels very inauthentic.” She added, “If I can see students on Zoom, I feel like I am actually talking to an audience. I can see their reactions. People can raise their hands and say, ‘Can you explain that a little bit more?’” Mancuso said she plans to continue using Zoom to meet with students outside of her normal office hours for extra help. Students considered both the positive and negative aspects of the new forms of course delivery and digital tools they used throughout the academic year.
“I think it’ll be good if we go back to the way it was, but I still think that teachers will use the applications that we learned how to use if they miss a day, or they have to do a lesson outside of the classroom.” -Jillian Hansen, Freshman Marketing Major of her students at the end of the semester, many said they found these games “helpful and interesting.” Susan Massad, also a food and nutrition professor, said teaching remotely gave her an impetus to post more documents on her Blackboard site. “I like having everything posted in Blackboard because it is all in one place.” Massad said her classes usually include formal debates, role-playing activities, and other “hands-on work, which were “difficult to translate into ‘Zoom’ format.” She also described “chaotic” problems when giving exams while using “lockdown browser,” a system which prevents students from opening other applications during an exam. Despite the issues, Massad said she would prefer to continue giving exams electronically in the future. Sam Witt, an English Professor, said he taught hybrid-style classes during the fall semester. He said splitting his attention between a classroom and students joining over Zoom was “bizarre.” Witt added, “If your laptop doesn’t work, if your camera stops working, you have less of an experience of the class. If you don’t have WiFi at home, or a storm knocks it out, you can’t participate.” Halcyon Mancuso, an English professor, said her students appreciated access to pre-recorded lectures.
Elizabeth Harvey, a sophomore English major, said she preferred remote classes to face-to-face ones. “It’s been really convenient to have [resources] online and just be able to access them whenever.” Daniel Johnson-Tatelvaum, a senior business IT major, said in his remote courses, “It didn’t feel like the professors could really hold me accountable.” However, he said Zoom could be “really useful” for supplemental purposes, such as allowing students to schedule extra help with their professors. Austin van Lingen, a junior business administration major, said his remote courses were “a lot easier than online classes for me personally, because it’s more organized and structured.” Sylvie Ficco, a sophomore geography major, said she found it helpful when professors recorded their Zoom lectures because she could go back and find instructions for her assignments. Frank Logan, a senior criminology major, said his courses included Zoom meetings and asynchronous online work. “It was a bit of a challenge to learn because I get a lot more when it’s face-to-face.” Logan said he liked his asynchronous work “because it left it up to me to figure out my own schedule.” Milo Plass, a senior sociology major, said his face-to-face classes were “enjoyable, but it didn’t feel
as engaging” because they were not always held face-to-face. Plass said he also liked his remote classes, but found them “really tricky” because the online work was self-guided. Chelesae Simpson, a freshman biology major, said she didn’t like her asynchronous laboratory classes. “Sometimes you put it off, and then your work starts piling up. This semester, I have in-person labs, and it’s better, because I just do everything one day.” Emma Bernier, a junior biology major, said she could learn effectively with remote instruction, but “a lot of my friends had trouble focusing or keeping up with assignments.” She added her face-to-face biochemistry lab was split into two groups of five students. “It was very different,” Bernier said, “but overall, it was still pretty easy to learn and talk through the masks.” Bernier added using a digital tool called VoiceThread was “kind of weird because it wasn’t direct. If you have questions, you have to wait and ask the questions later.” Mabel Grace Mathias, a junior sociology major, said having primarily remote classes made it “a lot easier to let myself disengage,” and “It wasn’t as easy to grasp the content.” She added, “For the one time I had in-person [class], it clarified a lot of things discussed over Zoom.” Jillian Hansen, a freshman marketing major, said, “I wasn’t a big fan of [remote classes]. I found that I did better in person when I could be out of my dorm room in a different environment and I could focus more. “I think it’ll be good if we go back to the way it was,” she added, “but I still think that teachers will use the applications that we learned how to use if they miss a day, or they have to do a lesson outside of the classroom.” Interim Provost Zimmerman said she discovered “without question” both students and faculty would rather learn and teach face-to-face. “They missed the face-to-face experience, but also recognize that the face-to-face experience under these conditions isn’t the same. “Both faculty and students made a heroic effort to adapt to the new course modalities and worked together to create the best learning experience possible,” she added. “Everyone deserves a huge amount of credit for persevering throughout the pandemic, despite the multiple challenges we all faced. I’m awed by the resilience of our students, faculty, and staff!” As for the future beyond the pandemic, Zimmerman said she doesn’t think remote instruction will replace face-to-face instruction. “But I think what we might see is a blend, where those kinds of technology can be brought in for certain purposes. It won’t necessarily work in all cases, but it gives us a lot more options.” Robinson said the technology installed and implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic is an investment that will “enhance” on-campus learning. “It’s not, ‘one and done,’
MAY 7, 2021 | 7
and we’re going to rip it out when everything goes back to the new normal,” she said. “But at the same time, we need to study it, and we need to make smart decisions,” she added. “We can’t expect everyone to continue to use the technology if they don’t want to.” Cote said different instructional delivery methods work better for different students. “If we can have a few more - 10% more online classes - that helps with students’ flexibility and pathways to graduation.” Dargan said she thinks more online and hybrid classes will be offered, “but I still think there’s something vital about the connection, the discussions, that you have in real-life classes.” Thomas said, “I don’t think the old way will prevail, per se.” She hopes to see more hybrid courses and a survey asking students which modes they prefer. Carroll said, “I don’t think we should go back to the status quo.” She said continuing to offer labs online after the pandemic “will create a little bit more flexibility for students.” Witt said, “I hope the heart of education at Framingham State is safe, equitable face-to-face education. But I also hope we allow for other modes, as long as it’s not degrading the educational experience.” Trousdale said she thinks the University will “stick with” face-to-face instruction, “but we don’t want to ignore these teaching tools.” Eck said she predicts more hybrid classes will be offered in the future, shifting between group discussions and individual work applying knowledge. Alberti said he coordinates continuing education for the Sociology Department, which is already delivered completely online. He said once people figure out how to make remote instruction work well, it will become part of teaching online. “I would be hesitant about teaching these kinds of ‘hybrid’ classes where you’re teaching to a live audience and to a remote audience at the same time,” he added. Ferraro said, “There’s no way we go back to whatever ‘normal’ was before. I think we’ve successfully challenged the notion that people have to be in their particular work environment in order to work.” Rutter said it was great to be able to invite guest speakers to her classes remotely. “Speeding up technology has given us more connection, not less connection.” She also said the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted inequality in education. “We can’t really tolerate having this system of inequality in terms of the conditions under which people work as teachers in our institution any more than we can have that for our students in our institution.”
CONNECT WITH DONALD HALSING dhalsing@student.framingham.edu
FRAMINGHAM STATE UNIVERSITY’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1932 | FSUGATEPOST.COM
NEWS
8 | MAY 7, 2021
Results of the SGA and Class elections By Ashlyn Kelly, Asst. News Editor
President
Donald Halsing / THE GATEPOST Name: McKenzie Ward Year: Class of 2023 Major: History and English Why I ran: I ran for SGA president because I wanted to serve as one of the voices for the student body and help make an actual change on our campus with my voice and actions.
Outreach and Events Coordinator
Courtesy of Emily Rosenberg
Vice President
Courtesy of Emma Sullivan Name: Emma Sullivan Year: Class of 2022 Major: I ran for vice president of SGA because I want to use my voice to advocate for my fellow students at FSU. Vice president takes leadership, loyalty, and dedication, which are three traits I take pride in having.
Senator
Courtesy of Mark Haskell
Student Trustee
Courtesy of Hillary Nna Name: Hillary Nna Year: Class of 2022 Major: Biology Why I ran: I ran because I am passionate about advocating for others and hope to further help address the needs of students.
Senator and Class of 2024 President
Courtesy of Raffi Elkhoury
Name: Emily Rosenberg Year: Class of 2024 Major: Political Science Why I ran: I ran for Outreach and Events coordinator because as a senator, I was a member of SAC and began a passion project regarding civic engagement, democratic participation, and news reliability on campus. Civic engagement is something I would love to see all of SGA promote and help students get involved with more and I have lists of events and programs for how we need to get the ball rolling.
Name: Mark Haskell Year: Class of 2023 Major: International Business Why I ran: The reason why I ran for Senator a third time is that I acknowledge that there is work to do on campus and statewide and I would like to continue helping students be heard.
Name: Raffi Elkhoury Year: Class of 2024 Major: Biology Why I ran: I want to work toward more fun experiences for my fellow students and use the rest of our time together to create bonds and memories that will last beyond our time in college.
Class of 2022 President
Class of 2022 Vice President
Class of 2023 President
Courtesy of Samantha Collette
Name: Samantha Collette Year: Class of 2022 Major: Fashion Design & Retailing Why I ran: I ran to continue serving the FSU community by engaging students in events and following through on campus safety initiatives. I also believe I am a good role model for the FSU community because I am also an administrative resident assistant (ARA), orientation leader, vice president of the Fashion Club, and in the honors program.
@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com
Courtesy of Efrain Vega
Name: Efrain Vega Year: Class of 2022 Major: Criminology Why I ran: I have been vice president for the past two years and wanted to keep representing my class to the best of my ability. I believe that I, and the other class representatives, can try to make our last year here at FSU the most memorable!
Courtesy of Framingham State
Name: Malik Martin Year: Class of 2022 Major: Fashion Design & Retailing Why I ran: I ran again because of my previous history as president of my class. There are issues, concerns, and ideas that need to be met and addressed, such as bettering the relationship between scholars and FSUPD, which has gained traction, and advocating for our scholars in relation to coursework, relationship with professors, racial incidents, and much more.
Senior survey continued from page 1 Most seniors satisfied with University’s response to COVID-19 Eighty-five percent of senior survey respondents thought the University responded effectively to the COVID-19 pandemic. Several respondents commended the University for implementing weekly testing for resident students and commuters and social distancing campus wide. One senior Gatepost survey respondent said, “They did everything they could to make our school safe and stay operating through this unique time, and I appreciate that.” Another senior survey respondent said, “The school did well in organizing weekly COVID testing for students and ensuring a safe environment for everyone.” Senior communication arts major Sam Wayson said, “Many of the restrictions put in place may not have been fun, but they were certainly efficient.” However, despite their satisfaction, respondents did criticize the University for what they thought could have been improved. One survey respondent said, “They needed to put bigger repercussions for those who were not listening to social distancing [rules.]” Other survey respondents said they wished the University had responded more appropriately to parties occurring both on and off campus. One survey respondent said, “I think they’ve done well with testing and making dorm life safe. They didn’t do much to stop off-campus parties that still occur, and they definitely could have had more on-campus classes considering our low positivity rate.” President F. Javier Cevallos said, “Some people sometimes make the wrong decision. We know that it happens. It is disappointing when we hear about a party going on, or students walking around without masks. It is irresponsible.” Dean of Students Meg Nowak Borrego said, “We have been able to maintain a very low rate of positive cases among our residential students. We have policies in place to address student actions which impact student safety and to date feel that we have been successful in mitigating the spread of COVID-19 in our residence halls and on campus.” Missed opportunities due to COVID-19 Some survey respondents said they were upset COVID-19 prevented them from taking part in internships, extracurriculars, and senior activities. Forty-five percent of the seniors The Gatepost surveyed reported not having an internship during their time at FSU. Some students reported their internships ended early or continued fully online. Some lost the opportu-
NEWS
nity to undertake an internship this academic year. One senior survey respondent said, “I would have loved to be able to attend my internship in person because I think I would have learned more.” Another respondent said, “When COVID got bad, I stopped getting interviews for an internship. I ended up doing a summer job just for money and not the experience.” Sixty-nine percent of senior survey respondents reported they had to stop attending extracurriculars including sports and organizations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
MAY 7, 2021 | 9
in person because events on Zoom don’t have as much engagement from the audience.” English major Jared Graf said, “The biggest loss this year was the social experience. I was really looking forward to being on campus and having fun with friends as a senior, but instead, I had to conduct my last year of college from my bedroom at home.” One survey respondent said they missed being able to socialize and was upset they didn’t have the college experience they wanted. Another survey respondent and member of the Hilltop Players said,
Leighah Beausoleil / THE GATEPOST One senior survey respondent said, “This was my last year to run track and I was given the captain’s position at the end of my junior year. This would have been my first season being the captain, but with COVID and car troubles, it has been making it hard for me to take part in extracurricular activities.” Of the 100 senior Gatepost survey respondents, a wide majority said the one aspect of pre-COVID-19 campus life they missed the most was the social interaction. One survey respondent said, “[I miss] being able to hang out with my friends. I felt very isolated this semester and it took a toll on my mental health.” Biology major Sarah Parker said, “I was not able to sign my friends into the dorm, so socialization was harder this year.” English major Olivia Banks said, “I wish we could still attend events
“My own play that I wrote and was given the chance to direct in the spring was cut short, and it never got to see the stage.” Many respondents also reported they missed the environment of the library as a place to study and relax. Living on campus during a pandemic Of the 100 seniors The Gatepost surveyed, 29% were resident students this academic year. Senior residents said the COVID-19 pandemic presented many difficulties for living on campus. One survey respondent said, “I was very lonely and starved for social interaction. I wanted to see my friends, and I don’t feel comfortable meeting new people. It [COVID-19] leaves me alone with my own thoughts for more time than I’m comfortable with, which was something I never thought I’d ever say.”
Another survey respondent said, “COVID restrictions have made campus life more difficult. Last semester, I was quarantined because my roommate got COVID after Thanksgiving break even though I was never in a room with her for more than five minutes.” Several survey respondents also reported they were residents for much of their time at FSU, but due to COVID-19, decided to spend much or all of their senior year as a commuter. One survey respondent said, “I lived on campus the first three years I was there. Due to COVID-19, I didn’t live on campus for my last year.” Another survey respondent said they tried living on campus the fall 2020 semester, but decided to commute for the spring. Seniors reflect on the quality of their education Survey respondents were asked to rate the education they received in their major departments on a scale of 1 to 5 - “1” being very dissatisfied and “5” being very satisfied. A wide majority of the 100 students who took the survey reported they were satisfied with the education provided by their major departments. Thirty-five students rated their education a “5,” 34 a “4,” 23 a “3,” 4 a “2,” and 4 a “1.” One senior biology major said, “The faculty in the biology department are dedicated to making sure students learn, not just memorize, and that makes all the difference.” English major Nicole Viera said, “The strength of the English department is that every professor is really passionate about the work they’re doing and the material they’re teaching. It really helps the students start and continue discussions if the professors are just as into the discussions as they are.” Another survey respondent praised the sociology department for having a well-rounded and diverse faculty. She said the department’s faculty “allows students to experience education from people of all different types of backgrounds.” However, some survey respondents shared criticisms of their respective departments. Several education majors expressed their dissatisfaction with the education department’s course requirements. One survey respondent said, “The content [in some courses] was unrelated to educating students at times and didn’t seem to help me feel more comfortable or confident in the classroom.” One senior criminology major said they wished the department focused on more real-life crimes and policing injustices. A finance major suggested some faculty members in her department had not fully adapted to online teaching. “Some professors don’t know how to teach online and we have been remote for a full year. I understand it
See SENIOR SURVEY page 10
FRAMINGHAM STATE UNIVERSITY’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1932 | FSUGATEPOST.COM
NEWS
10 | MAY 7, 2021
Senior survey continued from page 9 may have been difficult last spring, but they have had a whole year to adapt and some haven’t.” Survey respondents were also asked to rate the education they received in their general education courses on a scale of 1 to 5 - “1” being very dissatisfied and “5” being very satisfied. Survey results for FSU’s current general education model were more divided, with more respondents reporting a less-than-exceptional experience. Only 10 students gave the current general education model a “5-star” rating. Thirty-one seniors rated the general education model a “4,” 38 a “3,” 15 a “2,” and 6 a “1.” Some of the criticisms seniors offered concerning the general education model included calling for fewer courses, more options for classes, and more courses that are connected to their majors. One survey respondent said, “Art should not be required and there are some classes that I feel are a waste of money and time.” The respondent added fewer general education courses “could give students extra time to take more classes geared toward their major.” One finance major said class projects in their general education courses related to their major was helpful. “I took a physics class where we did a project related to our major and the concepts we learned about physics,” they said.
Amanda Simons, biology professor and chair of the Special Committee for General Education (SCGE), said there are two main aspects of the general education model to take into consideration when creating the requirements for students: What FSU has to do to stay accredited and why general education is important when obtaining a bachelor’s degree. Simons said the most important part of a student’s journey through their undergraduate career is “learning a little bit about a lot of things” in addition to what they learn in their major. She added the agency responsible for accrediting the University, New England Commission of Higher Education, requires the University’s general education program to be at least 40 hours, which translates to 10 courses. Simons said the one element of general education she knows cannot change is the 10-course requirement. However, she said “the rest is under discussion” by the committee. The SCGE will be disbanded at the end of the spring semester. However, Simons said this is “only the beginning” of changes being made to the general education model. Seniors struggle with online learning Fifty-six percent of survey respondents said online learning has affected their motivation “a lot,” 30% said it “somewhat” affected their motivation, and 14% said online learning
Leighah Beausoleil / THE GATEPOST
@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com
did not affect their motivation at all. Ashley Sousa, an early childhood education and sociology major, said, “I think not being in the classroom is making it harder to complete work and participate. I think that if I was learning in a classroom, I would have learned a lot more. I think this because I am a more hands-on learner. Being online makes it harder to retain information.” One survey respondent said, “The difficulty with the COVID crisis was that assessments and assignments became a lot more difficult because it was expected that students were using outside information. I wish there was a way that assessments did not have to become as difficult as they are.” Additionally, 78% of respondents thought they did not learn as much online as they would have in an in-person class. Psychology major Abbey Battanini said, “It’s tough to say if I would have learned more in person, but at the end of the day, I honestly believe I would have. Although I have learned so much in my remote classes this year, I think that being in person is definitely my preferred learning environment where I could make the most of the academic experiences.” Communication arts major Hanna McMahon said, “I think it’s hard to get through class when you’re online because there are some things that can happen that can be distracting for example, people not muting their microphones, technical difficulties, distracting backgrounds, and more. I think we would learn more in person than online, but with the time that we are in, we want to keep everyone safe.” Rupal Bhatt, assistant director for the Counseling Center, said, “There are eight different learning styles. So by removing in-person learning, you’ve just taken away one way in which a lot of people are able to absorb information. “I would imagine motivation levels are affected with the change in learning styles and this physical barrier of the screen,” Bhatt added. Other seniors said adjusting to remote learning was a challenge, but added they thought they learned the same amount online as they would have in person. Jenna McMahon, a communication arts major, said, “I think that I learned as much remotely as I learned in person because I was still able to look at lectures on screen and talk to my classmates through Zoom in discussion boards or breakout rooms. It was hard at first, but I was able to adjust as time went on.” English major Banks said, “I like learning remotely more than I initially thought I would. I feel like professors are more understanding during the pandemic - and because I’m a commuter, I have a bit more free time. I kind of like doing school from the comfort of my bedroom.”
Seniors ask for more action on diversity issues Overall, many survey respondents said the University does a good job of being welcoming to students from underrepresented groups. However, respondents also said there are areas for improvement, such as hiring more diverse faculty, requiring courses focused on diversity, highlighting diverse clubs on campus, and playing a more active role when it comes to combating social injustice. Constanza Cabello, vice president for diversity, inclusion, and community engagement (DICE), said the University is hiring a DICE Faculty Fellow for Recruitment and Retention. The fellow, who will be a current faculty member, will receive one “course release” and in exchange, will aid in the University’s effort to “bolster” retention and recruitment efforts for faculty of color. The position will report directly to Cabello and collaborate with Academic Affairs. One senior said the University’s response to incidents that occur on campus needs to be improved. “It [The University’s response] shouldn’t just be an email with a Zoom. These need to be on-going conversations,” the student added. One respondent said, “Placing more emphasis on courses about underrepresented groups, even making them required, would be a good step.” Ariel Dean, a criminology major, said, “One thing FSU could do differently is to be more proactive than reactive! When issues arise, they almost seem preventable and as a student, I want to feel like the administration is putting in effort ahead of time so that damage and pain isn’t caused later. Often, it feels like the students are trying to be more proactive than the professional staff.” Another survey respondent said, “We have a lot of inclusive and diverse clubs, but they aren’t promoted or talked about enough. I think that showing people these clubs can help, and encouraging people to start new clubs for any groups that are not currently represented.” One survey respondent said the University needs to “be more vigilant about security,” and “invite more underrepresented voices to speak and educate.” Cabello said, “I think we do have a lot of diverse speakers on campus. But there is always room to grow more.” She added, “Particularly some of our academic departments have really done a good job of looking at their programming and incorporating diverse voices.” Seniors thank their mentors Fifty-two percent of senior survey respondents reported they did not find a mentor during their time at
See SENIOR SURVEY page 11
NEWS
MAY 7, 2021 | 11
Senior survey continued from page 10 FSU. Despite the majority of survey respondents reporting not finding a mentor, several seniors shared who they thought was the most influential professor they had at Framingham State. One survey respondent said Sociology Professor Kaitlyn Selman was her mentor during her time at FSU. Jared Graf and Soren Colstrup, both English majors, said English Professor Desmond McCarthy was their most influential professor. In addition to McCarthy, Graf named English Professor Liz Banks as another mentor. “Desmond [McCarthy] and Liz [Banks] are two of the most compassionate, helpful, and knowledgeable people I’ve had the privilege of getting to know,” Graf said. “Without Liz and Desmond, I think my experience at FSU would have been completely different - and a lot less memorable.” Margaret Gillis, a mathematics major, said Mathematics Professor Sheree Arpin showed her what it meant to be a woman in mathematics. “She may have kicked my butt in the classroom, but she made me a stronger student. Her intelligence and drive are really inspiring,” Gillis said. Biology major Sarah Parker praised Biology Professor Aline Davis for her dedication to her students. “She forms amazing relationships with students and will go out of her way to help anyone who needs it,” Parker said. Psychology major Noah Zahn said he had several professors who influenced him during his time at FSU. Most notably, he acknowledged Biology Professor Walter Lambert and Psychology Professor Mirari Elcoro. “Although I had him [Lambert] for one class, I kept in contact with him over the years and he always managed to make me laugh. He taught me that being too serious and not finding humor in things is not useful,” Zahn said. “Dr. Elcoro is one of the most caring and intelligent individuals I know. She is very open and always managed to put a smile on my face. She helped me gain confidence and, in many ways, is somewhat like a second mother to me,” he said. “She believed in me and always kept pushing me to do better.” Interim Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Ellen Zimmerman said the University can improve when it comes to connecting students with mentors because it “adds to the college experience.” Zimmerman added, “I know faculty members work very closely with students and mentor them within their majors. But there might be other avenues for mentorship as well besides academic departments.” Seniors torn on virtual graduation, worried about job market
Survey respondents were asked if they will be attending the virtual graduation ceremony for the class of 2021. Fifty-one respondents said “yes,” 30 said “maybe,” and 19 said they will not attend. Many survey respondents said they were “disappointed” the University is not holding an in-person graduation. [Editor’s note: The survey was conducted before the announcement of the class of 2021 Ram Graduation Walk.] One senior survey respondent said, “They should have been more prepared for graduation ceremonies and refrained from making promises they could not keep.” Many seniors suggested hosting the commencement ceremony at Bowditch Field. Assistant Director of the Counseling Center Bhatt said, “There is a ritual when it comes to graduation - a ceremony. Being able to walk across the stage and get that diploma in your hand, turning to face the audience, having your picture taken, your supporters clapping for you, and walking off that stage. “If all of your friends and family can’t be at your graduation, and you don’t have that same level of support, I feel like a lot of folks lose interest because they don’t have that pull,” she added. Sixty-six percent of respondents said they were worried about getting a job after graduation, while 34% said they were not. Forty-six percent of respondents said they believe the University prepared them for the job market, 25% said they did not believe they were prepared for the job market, and 29% were unsure. Fashion design and retailing major Amy Westlund said, “I could have definitely been better prepared to enter the workforce, but I do think I learned a lot of valuable skills to be able to problem solve and make it work. “I do wish that I had learned more applicable skills in my time here, though,” she added. “It’s really disappointing that my college experience was basically cut in half because of the pandemic. It’s sad to be graduating in this climate and missing out on the amazing senior year I hoped to have.” Communication arts major McMahon said, “I think Framingham State did a great job preparing me for post-graduation. I did a program called “Suitable Solutions” that helped me go through the job process and had a mentor [Wendy Davis] to help me along the way, and it’s made me feel more confident about being an applicant for a company.” She added, “Because of COVID, it is very hard to find a job right now, but I know that I’m doing all the right things as a candidate when applying to jobs and going through the interview process with no fear.” Jill Gardosik, internship coordi-
Leighah Beausoleil / THE GATEPOST nator in the Career Services and Employer Relations Office, said, “Two of the biggest things to remember when you’re job searching - it’s not if you get a job, it’s when. You have to always remember patience. “The key really is persistence keeping at it, keep applying, keep interviewing. You don’t want to stop applying and interviewing until you’ve been made an offer you’re willing to accept,” she added. Gardosik said, “This year especially, it’s important to recognize that this was not what seniors expected or anticipated. If you are a member of the Class of 2021, you have proven you’re going to be successful in life no matter what you do. “You demonstrated that you can successfully adapt to changing environments, continue to meet deadlines, and persist when things are challenging,” Gardosik added. “Most likely, you weren’t overcoming one challenge - you were overcoming many challenges, and those are life skills you’ve already started to build that you will be able to take with you down the road. “I can’t say how proud I am of folks for sticking with it, and that also goes for students who may have a course or two that they are finishing up over the summer. The key to a lot of success in life is persistence. I’m very proud of this graduating class,” she added. Interim Provost Zimmerman said, “I think all seniors should look back on this year and feel incredibly proud they are graduating because it has
not been an easy year.” Vice President of DICE Cabello said, “You should all be really proud of yourselves because not only did you live through a global pandemic, but you made the best of a really hard situation - particularly for our student leaders and the way you helped lead our institution through this time.” President Cevallos said, “You have gone through some of the most difficult times that you will, hopefully, ever have to go through in your life. The fact that you persevered … shows that you have what it takes to be successful. “I expect great things from the Class of 2021,” he added. [Editor’s Note: Respondents were not required to provide a name when filling out the survey. Anyone who did not provide a name was anonymous. Jared Graf and Soren Colstrup are members of The Gatepost. Desmond McCarthy and Liz Banks are the advisors for The Gatepost.]
CONNECT WITH CARA MCCARTHY cmccarthy8@student.framingham.edu CONNECT WITH BRENNAN ATKINS batkins@student.framingham.edu CONNECT WITH MAIA ALMEIDA malmeida1@student.framingham.edu CONNECT WITH KAITLIN BURCH kburch@student.framingham.edu
FRAMINGHAM STATE UNIVERSITY’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1932 | FSUGATEPOST.COM
12 | MAY 7, 2021
NEWS
The Gatepost declines two censorship re uests University releases statement supporting First Amendment By Ashley Wall Editor-in-Chief By Cara McCarthy Associate Editor Framingham State University’s independent student newspaper, The Gatepost, received two formal censorship requests from University organizations during the month of April. The first request came from the co-chairs of the University’s Council for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) in an email April 6. The censorship request was in regard to an Instagram post promoting the Oct. 16 issue of The Gatepost. In the post, an image of the newspaper’s front page contains a feature photo of FSUPD Sgt. Martin Laughlin wearing a Blue Lives Matter mask while supporting the Pink Patch breast cancer awareness project. The email was signed by CDI cochairs Kelly Matthews, an English professor, Emmanuella Gibson, executive administrative assistant to the vice president for diversity, inclusion, and community engagement (DICE), and Malik Martin, class of 2023 president. In the email, they state, “As the faculty, staff, and student co-chairs of the FSU Council for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI), we are writing to request that you take down an image on The Gatepost Instagram page, a photo of the front page of The Gatepost issue dated October 16, 2020.” They added, “The flag on the police officer’s mask is one that has been identified with groups that oppose #BlackLivesMatter, and therefore many police departments across the U.S. have banned this flag from any paraphernalia worn by their officers.” In response to their email, The Gatepost executive team replied, “The role of journalists is to record and present all points of view in their community. The Gatepost does not make decisions about reporting and photography based on a preferred ideological framework. Rather, it is our ethical responsibility to set aside our own biases and belief systems in order to be as objective as possible.” The University issued a public statement in response to this censorship request. “The United States Constitution establishes boundaries in the First Amendment that restrict the government from ‘abridging the freedom of speech, or the press.’ “As a public agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Framingham State University honors this freedom and through its continued support and commitment to The Gatepost since 1932, respects the student writers’ and contributors’ rights to report news and other topical information that enhances the University’s community. These rights
@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com
are honored to the full extent of the law to both print and digital content,” the statement added. Additionally, President F. Javier Cevallos said in an interview, “Obviously, from a University point of view, we protect and defend the First Amendment. We will never support any kind of censorship of anything that the newspaper, or any other organization, puts in print or in digital form.” Cevallos added, “I know that you [The Gatepost] have always had a very strong commitment as an editorial board to issues of diversity and inclusion.
said. “I absolutely support the newspaper in their rights.” Cabello added, “I wish everything went down a different way and I think what we probably would have found is more similarities and perspectives.” She said there should be conversations between journalists and organizations on campus concerning the rights of the student newspaper. Cabello added, “I always feel like if we can just get people in a room together to have a conversation, we could avoid so much conflict or hurt feelings or misinterpretation.” She said she is “not happy about
“Framingham State University honors this freedom and through its continued support and commitment to The Gatepost since 1932, respects the student writers’ and contributors’ rights to report news and other topical information that enhances the University’s community. These rights are honored to the full extent of the law to both print and digital content.” -Framingham State University (Offical Statement) “One of the things The Gatepost is very strong about is anti-racism, diversity, inclusion, and respect for everyone,” he said. Cevallos added although the email was sent on behalf of the CDI, “they will not represent the University’s official position in this matter at all.” He noted that while censorship requests are inappropriate, “conversations are really important.” He said, “We have to understand that some of those conversations can indeed be painful. And, they are. And, those are difficult conversations that can elicit a lot of emotional responses, but they can never take over the legal aspects of the rights of newspapers.” Cevallos added asking for a conversation is “totally different” than making a formal censorship request. “That is a very distinct line that you cannot cross,” he said. Constanza Cabello, vice president for diversity, inclusion, and community engagement, said she was not aware that the CDI co-chairs made a censorship request of The Gatepost. “The Gatepost has responsibilities to journalism and the CDI has a responsibility to diversity and inclusion. And it feels like those two things are colliding right now,” she
the situation,” but hopes “this is a learning opportunity for everybody.” In their April 6 email, the CDI cochairs added, “As co-chairs of CDI, we recently filed a report with the FSU Bias Education Response Team (BERT) stating that we feel it should be the policy of the FSU Police Department not to wear this mask and not to show this flag, since it is widely recognized as a racist symbol.” According to Framingham State Chief of Police Brad Mederios, the mask in question was not issued by the Department. “We do have a University Police policy on issued uniforms and equipment that is pretty specific,” Mederios said. “When I realized as chief that somebody was wearing something that was not authorized, I put out a directive to all of my supervisors to make sure they inspect everyone’s mask.” Mederios said the directive began when “the BERT complaint was filed,” which was “long after The Gatepost published the Pink Patch fundraiser article.” Mederios also said Laughlin - the officer in the photo - “didn’t wear that [Blue Lives Matter] mask to offend anybody. It was not motivated by racism.”
He said, “The blue-line emblem itself was developed to show support in solidarity with law enforcement personnel who were either injured on duty or died in the line of duty - very similar to the red line flag that supports fire services personnel with the same situation. “By no means do we want our department to not support Black Lives Matter, and it was never worn to be an opponent of Black Lives Matter. We didn’t believe it to be on our end.” He added FSUPD is “a supporter of Black Lives Matter.” When contacted for comment, Laughlin said, “I believe he [Chief Mederios] spoke on my behalf.” In addition to the censorship request from the CDI co-chairs, The Gatepost received a message from the SGA Instagram account April 15, stating, “It was brought to our attention that students are upset that you still have a photo of an FSUPD officer wearing a Blue Lives Matter mask up on your Instagram. “[We] think it is in everyone’s best interest to take the photo down and issue a public apology,” SGA added. The Gatepost responded through email to the censorship request from SGA. “By asking us to remove the photo of our issue which was published in October, you are requesting that we pretend that the photo did not exist. “This is simply a disservice to the community and a violation of our First Amendment rights as a newspaper. The Gatepost objectively covers all aspects of our community.” In addition to the Instagram message, concerns about the image were also brought up during an open forum at the SGA meeting April 20. Concerns about the image were also brought up during a “Towers Talk” meeting, a public event hosted in Corinne Hall Towers April 15. After the meeting, a number of resident students banged on the doors of two Gatepost staff members demanding the image be taken down. Cevallos said, “The newspaper has the absolute right to refuse to make any changes to anything that has been published.” He added, “I wish it would have been handled in a different approach because when you put things in writing, it escalates.” The Gatepost reached out to SGA President Olivia Beverlie, who responded that she would refuse to comment on the situation. The Gatepost also reached out to CDI co-chairs Matthews, Gibson, and Martin, but they did not respond to a request for an interview.
CONNECT WITH ASHLEY WALL awall1@student.framingham.edu CONNECT WITH CARA MCCARTHY cmccarthy8@student.framingham.edu
NEWS
MAY 7, 2021 | 13
COVID-19 by the numbers May 7, 2021 By Donald Halsing Associate Editor By Leighah Beausoleil News Editor By Kathleen Moore Design Editor Over 2% of the world’s population has been infected by COVID-19 based on data from various sources taken May 5. In the United States, over 10% of the population has been infected. Over 1.2 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered globally. Framingham State University administered 814 tests last week, and 3,576 tests within the past 30 days, according to the COVID-19 dashboard on the FSU website. One positive test was returned last week, according to the page. The seven-day negative test rate was 99.88%. No positive cases were self-reported by students last week. One positive case was self-reported by a student within the past 30 days. Two students were isolated on campus and one individual was isolated off campus. No students were quarantined on or off campus. A total of 3,520 negative, and 16 positive results, were returned in the past 30 days. The 30-day negative test rate was 99.55%. Cumulatively, 8,157 Framingham residents, 11.94%, have tested positive for COVID-19. The City of Framingham reported 1,521 active cases. There were 122 new infections, 126 new recoveries, and one new death reported since April 22. The number of people infected decreased by five, or 0.06%, over the past two weeks. Approximately 18% of those who have tested positive remain infected. Over 78% have recovered and approximately 3% have died. The overall death rate from COVID-19 in Framingham is 0.36%. Cumulatively, 649,855 Massachusetts residents, 9.43%, have tested positive for COVID-19. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health estimates there are
Framingham
21,300 active cases. There were 14,810 new infections, 27,082 new recoveries, and five new deaths since April 22. The number of people infected decreased by 12,277, or 1.93%, over the past two weeks. Approximately 3% of those who have tested positive remain infected. Just under 94% have recovered, and approximately 2.7% have died. The overall death rate from COVID-19 in Massachusetts is 0.25%. The New York Times reported that cumulatively, 6,495,919 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in Massachusetts. According to the Times, 58% of the population has received at least one dose, and 39% are fully vaccinated. Full dosage is two shots of the Pfizer BioNTech or Moderna vaccines, or one shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Cumulatively, 33,356,372 United States residents, 10.10%, have tested positive for COVID-19. Worldometer, a data source for the John Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, reported 6,676,596 active cases in the U.S. There were 754,826 new infections, 898,838 new recoveries, and 10,470 new deaths since April 22. The num-
ber of people infected decreased by 154,482, or 0.47%, over the past two weeks. Approximately 20% of those who have tested positive remain infected. Just over 78% of the population has recovered, and 1.8% have died. The overall death rate from COVID-19 in the United States is 0.18%. The New York Times reported that cumulatively, 249,566,820 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in the United States. According to the Times, 45% of the population has received at least one dose, and 32% are fully vaccinated. Cumulatively, 155,469,546 people globally, 2%, have tested positive for COVID-19. Worldometer reported 18,546,830 active cases around the world. There were 11,050,447 new infections, 9,160,895 new recoveries, and 176,534 new deaths since April 22. The number of people infected grew by 1,713,018 or 1.19%, over the past two weeks. Just over 16% of the world’s population that has tested positive remain infected. Just under 81% of the population has recovered and 2.9% has died.
The overall death rate from COVID-19 globally is 0.04%. The New York Times reported that cumulatively, 1,211,807,756 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered globally. Data sources: Framingham State University City of Framingham Mass. population: U.S. Census Bureau – QuickFacts Massachusetts U.S. and World population: U.S. Census Bureau – U.S. and World Population Clock Mass. data: WCVB Channel 5 Boston, Mass. Dept. of Public Health U.S. data: CDC, New York Times, Worldometer World data: WHO, Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, Worldometer Recovery data: Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center Active Cases: Worldometer Vaccination Data: New York Times *Calculations for new infections, recoveries, deaths, and infected population size change are made using both data from this week and last week’s data published in The Gatepost. New data collected Wednesday before publication.
Kathleen Moore / THE GATEPOST
Massachusetts
nited States
World
Kathleen Moore / THE GATEPOST CONNECT WITH DONALD HALSING dhalsing@student.framingham.edu
CONNECT WITH LEIGHAH BEAUSOLEIL lbeausoleil@student.framingham.edu
CONNECT WITH KATHLEEN MOORE kmoore8@student.framingham.edu
FRAMINGHAM STATE UNIVERSITY’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1932 | FSUGATEPOST.COM
OP/ED
14 | MAY 7, 2021
OP/ E D THE GATEPOST EDITORIAL
The First Amendment is non-negotiable During the month of April, The Gatepost received two formal requests for censorship: one from the co-chairs of the University’s Council for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) and the other from the Student Government Association (SGA). Both the CDI co-chairs and SGA requested The Gatepost remove an Oct. 16 Instagram post containing an image of the front page of that week’s issue. In that issue’s front page photo, an FSUPD officer was featured because of the Department’s support of the Pink Patch Project, a breast cancer awareness campaign. The officer chose to wear a Blue Lives Matter face mask for the photo. This photo opportunity was planned ahead of time, and there was no FSUPD mask dress code in place in October. Asking the officer to replace his mask in order to alter the content of the photo or photoshopping the blue line out would have been inappropriate. It is not the job of journalists to manipulate reality. The Gatepost rejected these censorship requests. We defend our rights as journalists to objectively cover all aspects of our community. As the fourth estate, the press is protected by the First Amendment. These requests for censorship were wrong. The First Amendment does not solely protect international news outlets such as Fox or CNN - it also applies to student newspapers. As journalists, The Gatepost staff has a responsibility to ethically report on all aspects of the Framingham State community. The Gatepost does not make decisions about reporting and photography based on a preferred ideological framework. Rather, it is our professional responsibility to set aside our own biases and belief systems in order to be objective. While some individuals may make the argument that The Gatepost should take the post down because “it’s just a photo,” there
are bigger issues at stake. If the First Amendment rights of student journalists are infringed upon, it risks the credibility of the content they produce. It also compromises the integrity of the University as an institution where differing ideas are exchanged. We appreciate the clear stance President F. Javier Cevallos has taken on this matter. He unequivocally has supported The Gatepost and our First Amendment rights. We also respect the University’s top administrators for meeting with us on this matter over the past month, and for clearly understanding the role of an independent student newspaper. We live in an era of intolerance and political strife. Our society’s current political climate is not an excuse to make inappropriate censorship requests of any news outlet. While exercising our First Amendment rights as journalists, The Gatepost will not edit our content in order to favor a particular political policy or point of view. We will continue to cover our community respectfully and fairly, and we welcome feedback from our readers. However, respectful conversations are much different than demands for censorship from University-recognized organizations. The Gatepost executive board will participate in an already scheduled housekeeping exercise to archive some of the social media posts from the last 12 months. The Instagram post in question will be considered for archiving after commencement ceremonies but not before. The image of our front page, however, will remain permanently on The Gatepost’s website and in our online archives. We are simply not going to censor a previously published issue of The Gatepost. This decision will never be negotiable.
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
A letter to my younger self By Cara McCarthy Associate Editor If you could see me now, you would probably be surprised to learn I have become a well-rounded, mature, and strong young woman. But, as you know - that hasn’t always been the case. Cara, let’s be honest. Growing up, school was never your strong suit. You would rather play games and watch TV than do homework or read a book. If only you could see us now. As a freshman in college, you will be terrified - and that is understandable. You don’t know whether these will be the worst four years of your life, or the best. Spoiler alert! They are the latter. I know college may seem intimidating right now. You are entering an entirely new side of life you have never seen before, and you are pretty much alone in doing it. I’m here to let you know that won’t last much longer. You knew college was going to be a life-changing experience. But you had no idea what FSU had in store for you. You are going to do amazing things in the next four years. You are going to find your life’s purpose - something you’ve been searching for since you were a little girl with pigtails. You will learn the most important lesson a woman can possibly be taught: who you are. I know you have no intention of being as heavily involved in your University’s community as you will be. But trust me, the long nights and stressful situations are worth it in the end. In a few short months, you will make the best decision you have ever made and find your forever people while doing it. The Gatepost is not only going to make you a better writer, but it will make you a better leader, student, and person. You’re scared, and that is OK. What is not OK is your worry that there is no one out there who will appreciate you for who you are. Hold on to the people you are about to meet, because they understand you better than anyone ever has. You will fight harder than you ever have in the next four years. And while it may seem impossible now, you are going to perform an extraordinary service for your community and learn a lot about yourself in the process. Don’t be afraid to make those connections. Make them with your friends, with your coworkers, and most importantly, with your professors. They aren’t as strict and intimidating as they may seem. They are people, too, and you get lucky enough that they are some of the most genuine and compassionate individuals you will ever meet. Get to know them, ask them questions, send those emails you are afraid may sound irrelevant. And for the love of all that is good - don’t be afraid to ask for help. Don’t be afraid to ask for that extension. But most importantly - don’t let yourself give up, because you have a small habit of doing that sometimes. Cara, college is a balancing act and as you know, sometimes you can be pretty clumsy. The mistakes you make are not the end of the world. The friends you lose along the way are less important than those you will make in the future. And everything will be OK. And one last thing: Don’t take a single day for granted.
OP/ED
MAY 7, 2021 | 15
Doing nothing on climate change solves nothing By Brennan Atkins Editorial Staff At the 2021 Earth Day Summit, world leaders around the globe made pledges and set goals as to how their nations were going to respond to the most imminent and ignored threat Earth faces: climate change. At the summit, President Joseph R. Biden announced that the United States planned to cut 50% of carbon emissions by 2030. Biden openly admitting that climate change is real may not seem monumental - back in 2015, the Obama administration announced that the U.S. planned to cut carbon emissions by 26% by the year 2025 (compared to 2005) - but Donald J. Trump’s presidency certainly did not help in providing global solutions for the warming of our planet. Not only did Biden acknowledge that climate change directly affects the lives of those who are not responsible for environmental injustice, but he also alluded to the economic possibilities that could arise from taking on climate change headfirst. Climate change is our planet’s greatest immediate danger. The accumulation of methane, carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide is trapping heat within our atmosphere, and this has resulted in polar ice melting. According to NASA, rising sea levels are directly caused by this trapped
heat - irregular precipitation patterns, increased chance of drought, a rise in natural disasters, and abnormal growing seasons are only some of the countless effects of global warming. More often than not, it seems as if members of my generation simply blame the largest corporations in the world, and feel as if they can’t do anything to combat this gargantuan threat. While this is certainly understandable, we need to reframe climate initiatives in a way that motivates people to create a planet cleaner than ever before, rather than simply repairing a damaged world. We all have a responsibility to protect the planet we call home. It is difficult to feel as if you can’t do anything about saving the environment due to corporations having such a high responsibility in damaging our planet, but not doing anything doesn’t help at all. Per Espen Stoknes, a psychologist and economist who has dedicated himself to environmental change, believes the current emotional response toward climate change is a pressing issue. He remarks many do not engage with climate change due to the underlying emotional response of guilt and fear. For many, it is easier to simply not think about it. Actively participating in environmentally conscious actions, such as turning off unnecessary lights and
picking up litter, needs to become a value of my generation. Currently, there is little-to-no social pressure to be environmentally conscious. To make matters worse, figuring out exactly how much energy you’ve consumed or emissions you’ve emitted can be a complicated task for many Americans. Companies such as Opower have been playing with the idea of creating a social competition out of energy saving. The company works with over 100 energy providers to send consumers specific reports about how much energy a residency consumes, and compares that data to local and national levels. Becoming aware of how much you waste is one of the first steps of attaining a truly global perspective - acting on those observations is the next. Combating climate change is achievable - realizing the various approaches you can take in order to contribute to fighting global warming is imperative in creating a social drive for change. The most immediate method is to always dispose of trash properly - doing research on what can be reused or recycled can help reduce waste overall. Check to see if your community has an organics collection program in which you can leave food waste to be composted. Considering the carbon footprint for produce, and red meat especially,
is substantial. Wasting food is an ultimate lose-lose situation - it negatively impacts our climate while also strengthening the current food insecurity crisis. Reducing the amount of red meat consumed throughout the week can also help reduce your personal carbon footprint. Consider changing red meat as part of an everyday diet to a meal to be enjoyed on occasion. Additionally, there’s an increasing market for alternative meat which tastes quite similar to the original product. Longer-term methods to personally combat climate change include investing in energy-efficient appliances, when possible. While it isn’t currently realistic for everyone to purchase an electric vehicle (which massively reduces your personal emission rate), making sure home appliances are Energy-Star certified ensures you are not wasting energy that could have been saved. It also saves you money. While these actions are not going to be the end-all to climate change, repeating these actions can create a society where saving energy and being environmentally conscious is truly valued. The people who want environmental justice can no longer be a minority. They have to be an overwhelming voice from everyone on the planet.
dia. They don’t need another reminder that the face God gave them is considered “less than” by the standards the media determined. The filters instill the idea that there is only one definition of beautiful that everyone must achieve. With big round eyes and poreless skin, everyone is just as attractive as the next, but no one wants to show off the original features that make them, them. It was only this year, when my friends started forcing me into filtered pictures, that I realized how strange I looked and that I preferred not just mine, but everyone’s faces through a plain lens. I want to see you. Not the creation of some programmer. Dimples, buck teeth, thin lips, chubby cheeks - you are beautiful however you are. Some may argue filters give people a chance to achieve conventional beauty that we should strive to attain. Of course we all have an idea of what conventional beauty looks like because of movies and models, but they spend hours behind the camera perfecting their bodies and faces with air brush, Photoshop and makeup. Many of them participate in unnecessary facial surgery - breaking their noses and cheekbones and filling their faces with Botox to obtain symmetry. People try to expose stars’ ‘ugliness’ and ‘grossness’ in “no makeup” pho-
tos they snag off the streets, but what the photos really prove is that they’re common people like us. Conventional beauty is just invented beauty. No one needs facial surgery or eyes as big as a Bratz doll to be beautiful. Fortunately, Snapchat’s idea of “beauty” is far from mine.
The Perfect Selfie By Emily Rosenberg Asst. Opinions Editor Snapchat is probably most famous for its ability to make any face sprout flower crowns, dog ears, hearts, or anything you can imagine. But what’s most appealing about these filters is not that it makes us look like dogs or puts pretty flowers in our hair. It’s how it enhances our faces. In a single tap, our skin is smooth, clear, and airbrushed. Our eyes are bag- and wrinkle- free, sparkling, and wide. Lips are plump and pink. Cheeks chub-free and jawlines prominent. We can even give ourselves freckles. By simply holding down a button, anyone can have ‘the perfect selfie.’ When my friends convinced me to download the app in eighth grade, I finally felt I had the opportunity to be as beautiful and popular as the other girls in my grade after years of viewing myself as the fat loser. I found a spot with good lighting, opened the filter menu, and posed. Unlike my real camera, it took only one or two takes to find an angle I loved because every filter, even the less serious ones, followed my face, washing out my imperfections. As the likes poured in, I was an angel. It was the first time anyone commented on how pretty I looked. What was next? Would my crush pass me a note, asking me to the school
dance? Probably not, because when I stared at my reflection in a mirror, I did not look like an angel. I looked like the same ugly Emily whose chubby left cheek was covered in acne scars, right eye drooped from terrible vision, and who couldn’t smile with her big buck teeth. Without a Snapchat filter, I wouldn’t appear on social media because then I ran the risk of my peers validating my ugliness as soon as they stopped liking my posts. I was not surprised to find I am not the only one who struggled with their self-esteem while using Snapchat. According to Everyday Health and Psychology Today, many young people are now seeking plastic surgery to look more like their Snapchat-filtered selfies. The Guardian reports that 55 percent of facial plastic surgeons say patients have requested cosmetic procedures to look better on social media. Snapchat filters constantly remind us how our ‘flaws’ and ‘average’ faces are not what’s preferred by handing us ‘better,’ completely photoshopped versions of ourselves every time we open the app. Then, when the manufactured beauty goes away, all we can focus on is what’s “wrong” with our faces. People already face challenges to their self-esteem when they watch movies and scroll through social me-
FRAMINGHAM STATE UNIVERSITY’S INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1932 | FSUGATEPOST.COM
16 | MAY 7, 2021
OP/ED
Know the facts about the vax By Soren Colstrup Staff Writer Since I began attending Framingham State University, I have always felt that the safety of myself and my fellow students was a main priority of the University. However, COVID-19 has completely changed the way that I feel being on campus. COVID-19 has disrupted the way that FSU looks and operates, but I am hopeful it will one day look closer to normal than it did during the past few semesters because of the decision by FSU to require all students to be vaccinated before attending in person classes next Fall. I do not feel scared or concerned about my health because I take proper precautions such as wearing a mask, practicing good hygiene, and sanitizing the surfaces that I come into contact with, but campus life is not the same fun and excitement as it used to be. The buzz of students going to and from classes, the race to the McCarthy Center for a quick meal, and the chance of an unexpected encounter with a friend in passing, are all things that I have missed this year. Many celebrities have voiced their opinions on vaccine hesitancy and even encouraged young people not to get the vaccine. Unfortunately, those views have
gained enough traction among many young people who will likely be attending colleges in the fall. The recent news of Johnson and Johnson’s vaccine pause caused many, including myself, to be concerned about any potential risks that could affect me or the ones I care about. Because of this uneasiness, I decided to get the facts by attending a Zoom event hosted by the FSU Health Center in which Dr. Gabriela Vargas, a consulting physician at Boston Children’s Hospital, answered many questions about the vaccine. Most people are aware that Johnson and Johnson recently paused the distribution of its vaccine. According to Vargas, The Johnson and Johnson Vaccine was paused because they found that six women, ages 18 to 48, developed blood clots within the first one to two weeks of having the vaccine. This is six people out of seven million people vaccinated. To put things in perspective, for women at reproductive age taking birth control, one to five per 10,000 women are expected to be at risk for a blood clot each year, according to Vargas. The CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) now recommend the use of Johnson and Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine as distribution resumes after a temporary pause. Many folks also likely have con-
cerns about the speed with which the vaccine has been widely provided to the general public. According to Vargas, it normally takes months to years of planning just to get approval to start the pre-clinical phase. After a study looks promising, it then takes “months to years to start phase 1. Then once that’s done, you start phase 2 and so on.” Luckily for the 211 million Americans who have received their first vaccination, this vaccine was able to avoid the typical wait times that vaccines are subjected to in order to be approved. Because this is a global pandemic, they were allowed to “cut in line” over other potential vaccines, according to Vargas. This event helped alleviate a lot of the stress I was feeling about getting the vaccine. I am relieved to say I have received both doses of the Moderna NIAID vaccine. This has given me the peace of mind to plan visits to see elderly family members and to safely socialize a bit more than I have in the last year. After receiving both doses, I experienced some slight side effects such as muscle soreness, aches, and chills, but within 24 hours, all of those symptoms had disappeared. I encourage those who are skeptical about getting the vaccine to look at the facts and to inform yourself and others.
By getting the vaccine, students will create a more safe and friendly community to engage in during their academic studies at FSU. Students will also miss out on the summer holidays like the Fourth of July and Memorial Day celebrations, in addition to missing out on campus life, if they are not vaccinated. Normal is one step closer when everyone is vaccinated.
Boys will be held accountable By Kaitlin Burch Staff Writer “You’re going to distract the male students.” “Cover up.” “You’re showing too much skin.” “Boys will be boys.” These are all phrases tween and teenage girls all over have heard - likely on more than one occasion. If you attended a public school as a kid, you’re probably very familiar with what a “dress code” is. Dress codes are implemented in most schools and while they may seem helpful or at least harmless at a surface level, they can actually be quite demoralizing and are often ways to shame minors (often girls) for showing “too much skin.” In most middle and high schools, tank tops are against the dress code. But why? What is so provocative about the shoulders of a minor? I remember being “dress coded” at the ripe age of 15 because I wore an athletic tank top in gym class. Not only was I blatantly called out in front of my whole class by my male teacher, but I was forced to leave my gym class and go to the principal’s office. I was simply trying to play kickball with the rest of my classmates and blow off some steam before I had to get back to academics. But no, my shoulders showing were just too provocative in the eyes of my adult male teacher. Being dress coded is humiliating.
@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com
It teaches young girls that the boys in class “can’t focus” if you’re wearing a tank top, or if your shorts are more than three inches above the knee. Give me a break! Schools would rather take girls out of their classes and shame them for their clothing than get rid of a dress code that is clearly so deeply misogynistic. This teaches girls under the age of 18 that they need to “cover up” more in the presence of boys because the boys can’t control themselves. This teaches girls that their education is less important than the education of their male classmates - not to mention how unequal these dress codes are. Girls are given a whole essay listing clothing items that are unacceptable to wear. The boys are just told to wear their pants over their behinds and not wear shirts with slurs on them. … Seems easy enough, if you ask me. And the worst part about the whole process of being dress coded is that school administrators want to punish these girls. At my high school, at least, we had a bin full of gross, ratty, “old people” clothes, and any time a girl was dress coded, she was required to wear something from the bin. Disgusting! Again, this is teaching young girls to be ashamed of their bodies. Additionally, the fact that the hypersexualization of minors is so normalized is incredibly alarming. I sincerely hope that in the four
years I’ve been away from my high school, these rules are starting to change. These sorts of rules are what cause girls to develop insecurities about their body image and that’s simply unacceptable. Boys need to be held accountable for their actions. No more of this, “You’re going to distract the boys” talk. The education of young girls is equally important as the education of young boys. Schools need to realize what they’re prioritizing. There is no instance where the outfit of a minor should even be considered an issue when that child’s education is at stake. I hope for the sake of all girls that these dress codes will ease up and school administrators realize they’re doing nothing but harm - for girls and boys. This gives young boys who probably otherwise wouldn’t care what girls are wearing the idea that they’re in some sick way entitled to the bodies of these girls. Placing the boys at the center of the issue does no more than promote rape culture. Instead of telling women and girls to cover up so men and boys won’t attack them, we should be teaching men and boys that they are not entitled to the bodies of anyone and they need to have some basic human decency. It’s 2021. It’s time to start treating young girls with dignity and respect, teaching them to be proud of their appearance rather than resenting or be-
ing ashamed of it, and tossing out the “Boys will be boys” garbage. Boys will not “be boys.” Boys will be held accountable.
OP/ED
A Memo to the Class of 2025 By Maia Almeida Staff Writer
“Get involved.” If you recently went through your first-year or transfer orientation, this is something you heard constantly. But what does this mean? It definitely looks different for each student - but here is what it meant for me. Student leadership was always something I wanted to push myself to do, because in high school, I was very late in the game to “get involved.” I had my heart set on being a resident assistant, but when I received an email saying I was an alternate choice, I panic-applied to every other leadership position. By the end of my freshman year, I had applied to be a resident assistant, peer mentor, Wet Feet Retreat leader, and orientation leader (OL). I ended up only getting a “congratulations” email for the role of orientation leader - which to be honest, I barely knew what it entailed. Long story short, it was possibly the
best decision I made during my college career. Because of my role as an OL, I went on to be the senior OL the next year. In this role, I helped interview prospective OLs and create a training program for the leaders in order to prepare them for orientation days. Along with the staff of New Student and Family Programs, I facilitated a team of diverse, open- minded, helpful, brilliant leaders to welcome incoming students and their families. Throughout my time as an orientation leader, I gained knowledge about myself and the University, and made lifelong friends and connections. I then went on to be a part of Alternative Spring Break. We traveled to D.C. to help people in homeless situations. During this experience, I made more connections with staff and my fellow students. I joined women’s rugby - I had no idea what I was doing initially - but I developed strong connections with my coach, trainers, and the women on my team. I was Hall Council President my ju-
Letter to the editor By Josh O’Brien As a student with a learning disability at Framingham State, being educated remotely during COVID-19 has been the most difficult thing I have ever had to endure. The reason is when I was two years old, I was diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. I rarely talk about it, but I felt it was time to share my story. In early elementary school, I went to a private school for three years, but then I returned to my local school district shortly after. I then successfully made it through the end of high school, graduating with my high school diploma, which I never thought would happen. The college I first enrolled in was a terrible experience. I enrolled in my second year there in the fall of 2016. One week before my finals during the holiday season, my father died unexpectedly, and my life changed forever. When I returned from the holidays,
my remaining college experience at that institution was not good. People did not understand where I was coming from and I was treated harshly when I would get upset. I did have to finish my associate degree because I had a year left, but I finally chose to go part-time my final semester because I was drained from what I was going through. During my final semester before coming to Framingham State, my mom asked me if I would consider getting a bachelor’s degree, and I was unsure at that moment. I decided to apply to Framingham State to get my bachelor’s degree. Everyone supported me on that decision. Just a few days after receiving my associate’s degree, I officially got the email saying I was accepted. I was excited, but also a little nervous, as I was not sure if this was the right thing to do. The first people I have to give a shout-out to are the staff in CASA, particularly Ally Chisholm and Vikky Angelico. I was a little shy at first, hon-
MAY 7, 2021 | 17
nior year, during which I grew closer to residence life staff and learned more about event planning. I finally became a peer mentor, and then I had the opportunity to see what happens after orientation with students. As a peer mentor, I worked alongside a faculty advisor to help make the transition to college easier for a group of first-year students. The point is, we shouldn’t just be saying, “Get involved.” This is such a blanket statement about what you really need to do during your time in college. What we should be saying is, “Make connections.” Whether it be working at a job on campus, serving in a leadership role, playing a sport, or joining an organization - make those connections. Because of my relationship with almost all of the staff in student affairs, I’m comfortable asking anyone a question if I have one - without fear of being judged. I know firsthand it is scary to step outside your comfort zone, but it is es-
sential in order to make connections. Stepping outside your comfort zone can also look different for each student. Whether it is talking to a neighbor in your residence hall or showing up at an event - meet other people. Meeting other people and making connections may be more important than what you are learning in your classes. Human interaction and meeting people with different points of view and experiences is how you learn and become more independent as a person. It’s scary, honestly. But not having a support system in your environment throughout your college career is even scarier. From the terrified freshman I was to becoming a student leader, a lot has changed during the last four years. None of this change would have happened if I didn’t step out of my comfort zone and apply to those positions in the first place. Go talk to people, join organizations, and make connections! You never know where they will lead you.
estly, but then as the first few weeks came, I started to get to know them. They always told me if I needed anything, come to CASA. Ally has been there for me every year I have attended Framingham State, and I absolutely could not thank her enough for her warmth and kindness. She has been there for me and has always left her door open to me for just a check-in. Vikky has also been there for me. I can get a little scatterbrained, but sometimes, we will just laugh and talk. My advisor, Kelly Matthews, who I must give a shout-out to, has been easy to talk to about classes and registration. She is just another example of what “fRAMily” means to me. When I first started, I was just wondering, “Will I make friends and with who?” because I felt isolated at the previous college. About a month to six weeks into my first fall semester in 2018, I was not having a good day after leaving class and was missing my father as the two-year anniversary of his death was approaching.
I was stopped near West Hall by someone asking if I was OK, and this person told me to message him online that I am safe. I had then posted a memory of my dad, and this person told me he was very sorry to hear about him. After Christmas break, I had officially made a new friend. I must give a shout-out to my friend, Nolan Greene. He has been there for me when I have felt happy or would sit with me if I felt sad. He definitely changed who I was. I consider him a good friend at school, and I will always appreciate his sincere kindness. We have hung out from then on and have a really strong bond together. When school shuttered last March, the feeling of losing my dad started all over again. I would sleep constantly and would get upset for being distressed. Luckily, that will come to an end this fall. I will get my bachelor’s degree in December. This will be a positive, life-changing day when I walk across the stage saying, “I did college.”
FRAMINGHAM STATE UNIVERSITY’S INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1932 | FSUGATEPOST.COM
18 | MAY 7, 2021
OP/ED
Senior Letters
I wrote my college admissions essay on the importance of remember remembering - and appreciating - the small moments in life. Brief moments that seem so insignificant at the time, but end up being monumental memories guiding me toward the graduate I am today. My memory of pizza is no longer that of food, but of the time spent every Thursday night in The Gatepost office surrounded by some of the most amazing people I’ve ever met. Red Barn Coffee now reminds me of my first roommate and best friends, of our study sessions and quick coffee runs before class. Now that my undergraduate time at FSU has come to an end, my “small” college moments now exist as memories, though I wish I could experience them one last time. To my parents: Thank you for believing in me, supporting me through my many major changes, and for helping me follow my dreams and passions. Without you, I would have been lost. To Sarah: My first college roommate turned best friend. Thank you for all of our Grey’s Anatomy binge sessions, rearranging of dorm furniture, and for providing me with the greatest gift: your friendship. To Liz Banks: Thank you for your unparalleled guidance and wisdom. Your passion for journalism has inspired me to pursue this profession. To Desmond McCarthy: Thank you for your continued mentorship and friendship. I am honored to have been able to work with you in both the classroom and newsroom. To Cara: My right-hand lady. You are a force to be reckoned with and I am so thankful for our time together. I couldn’t have done it without you. To Don: Without you, I would be lost. Thank you for guiding me, supporting me, and loving me. To The Gatepost: Thank you for taking a chance on me. I will forever be thankful for my time as Editor-in-Chief. Thanks for the memories, FSU. Ashley Wall
During my time at FSU, I’ve made a lot of memories and had some of the most important and transformative experiences of my life - both on and off campus. I want to start by thanking anyone who’s supported or helped me in any way these past five years. Even if I don’t mention you here by name, that doesn’t mean you aren’t appreciated. To Liz Banks and Desmond McCarthy - thank you two for everything. You both have inspired and guided me to be the journalist I am today, and for that, I’ll always be grateful. If it weren’t for Liz’s Intro to Journalism class and Desmond’s undying persistence recruiting me to join The Gatepost, I may not have found my passion in college. To all the friends I met through Gatepost - thank you for making long Thursday nights enjoyable. Thank you to LP and Lizzy for finding me funny and serving me raw bagels at Georgetown. The last year wasn’t the same without you guys. Thank you to Mr. Brennan for holding down A&F and locating the Fidelis Files with me. Your dedication to your skully/ski-mask combo has impacted me in ways you couldn’t imagine. Also, thank you to Cara for always helping me and Mr. Brennan when we had no clue what to do in InDesign. To my guys Scott, David, Mixy, Dolan, T.J., Ronnie, and Jon - thank you for all the good times. You guys have kept me sane over the course of five years. To my sister - thank you for being someone I can always count on no matter how much I annoy or make fun of you. And last but certainly not least, to my mother - I cannot thank you enough. The last five years weren’t easy, but you had my back and supported me throughout them all. Every day you inspire me to work hard and become a better man. You deserve endless credit for playing the role of both the mom and dad in my life. You’re the reason I’m the person I am today, and I can’t put into words how grateful I am for you and everything you do for me. Sincerely, Jared Graf
@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com
The time has finally come for me to move on from Framingham State, but before I go, let me be a little bit sappy one last time. Thank you to my family: Words cannot convey how lucky I am to be your daughter, sister, niece, aunt, cousin, and granddaughter. I would not be who I am without all of you. Thank you Kristen Abbott Bennett: If there was anyone I would want to take four early English literature courses with, it would 1000% be you. Thank you for sharing your love of literature with me and showing me just how fun reading old, dead white guys can be. Thank you Desmond McCarthy and Liz Banks: I truly don’t think I would have made it through college if it weren’t for you. I don’t say it nearly enough, but thank you for everything you have ever done for me. You are both my forever mentors and lifelong friends. Thank you Ashley Wall: I could not have done this without you by my side. You are one of my best friends and you have shown me what true leadership is. I think I speak for our whole staff when I say: You are the only person who could have gotten us through this year. Thank you Sarah Parker: You are the best friend I have ever had and quite possibly don’t deserve. You are my voice of reason, my partner-incrime, and a thorn in my side. I can’t wait to conquer the world with you. Thank you Kenzie Ward: To the woman I wish I met a long, long time ago. Thank you for showing me that Libra women aren’t that bad. You have the whole world in front of you and I can’t wait to watch you take it by storm. Thank you Brennan Atkins and Jared Graf: To the two men who drive me absolutely crazy but never fail to make me laugh. I am extremely lucky to have both of you in my life. Also, stream J.G. on Spotify and Apple Music. And finally, to The Gatepost staff, both past and present: Thank you for giving me a home when I needed shelter. Thank you for being my family. Thank you for helping me find my path. And most importantly, thank you for the pizza. Always and forever, Cara Michelle McCarthy Four years ago, I hardly knew where I wanted to go in life. If I were to look at myself now, I’m not sure I would believe my eyes. The English department at Framingham State made me who I am today. It was because of two of the most brilliant people I’ve ever met - Liz Banks and Desmond McCarthy - that I was able to see the potential within myself I could not see before. I used to read. I’ve always had a fascination with storytelling in some way or another, but Kristen Abbott Bennett, Sandy Hartwiger, and Carolyn Maibor taught me how to interpret and delve deeper into texts in ways I never could have imagined. To say that The Gatepost shaped my college experience would be a massive understatement - I attended the first meeting I could, and have now wrapped up four fantastic years with some amazing people. Thank you to Cesereo Contreras, Bailey Morrison, and Ashley Wall for always leading the team toward journalistic success. Thank you to Cara, Jared, Don, Leighah, and Kenzie for being there for the countless late nights at copy edit, cracking terrible jokes to make the night a little less tiresome. I can surely say that I feel as if my memories at The Gatepost will be ones I treasure dearly, and won’t forget anytime soon. I’ve been given some once-in-a-lifetime opportunities - from interviewing famous actress Olivia Wilde to speaking with Mohamedou Ould Slahi, I will definitely remember college as an amazing, exciting part of my life. Finally, thank you to my family - Mom, Dad, Will, and Ryan for their constant support throughout my academic career. These four years certainly weren’t easy, and without my family, I am not sure I would be where I am today. Sincerely, Brennan Atkins
OP/ED
When I say that the past four-and-a-half years at Framingham State University were some of the best years of my life, I legitimately mean that. Sure, there were many bumps along that road, but in encountering those bumps, I have learned to become a better, more disciplined person. OK, well, not that more disciplined. I still guffaw at the concept of “having discipline,” anyway. As with most senior letters that make it into this student-run newspaper, I have to give my thanks to some key people, confined within such a limited word count (in no particular order, I promise): Kelly, for being one of the coolest and sweetest people on the planet and also for putting enough faith in me to help out at the American Conference for Irish Studies in 2019. That will be an experience I will never forget. Liz, for inspiring me to finally take that plunge that, somehow, made me end up here at The Gatepost. It was the last thing that I wanted to do, but, goodness me, I’m so glad I did it. Desmond, who is essentially my biggest coach on campus. There are not enough words to describe this man’s impact on my life, and I don’t think there is a way I can repay him. Needless to say, all the criticism and copyediting helped me grow, not only as a writer, but as a person, too. I would also like to thank anyone who has benefited my life in any way: given me a shoulder to cry on, a hug, a kind smile in passing, or a new outlook on life. I’m thankful to all of you! Especially you, Rosswell! Thanks for telling me about this magical place. It is impossible to simply sum up this time in my life briefly in words, so I guess this is all you’re getting for now. I love you, FSU. Always will. -Robert Johnson Jr.
MAY 7, 2021 | 19
I am forever grateful to Framingham State University and the education I got here. I have learned so much from the communication arts department for my major, and from the English department for my minor in journalism. I would like to thank my advisor, Professor Jennifer Dowling, for the countless meetings and assistance throughout my four years at FSU. I would also like to thank Professor Audrey Kali, Professor Kate Caffrey, and Professor Christopher Bowen for teaching me so much, along with my other amazing professors in the communication arts department. In the Journalism department, I would like to thank Professor Liz Banks and Professor Desmond McCarthy for showing me how amazing it is to be a journalist. These two departments and all my other classes at FSU have prepared me for the workforce tremendously. I am excited to go out into the world and use what I learned from here and apply it to my jobs and my life. I would also like to thank my amazing friends I met throughout my four years here: Taylor Anderson, Mariah Yoder, Rinara Sa, Gabrielle Laurenzano, Kiyana Chataigne, Rose Piz, Melissa Simas, Nicole Sposito, Courtney Pasquel, Brenna Fehann, Christine Kiernan, Michaela Cronin, and so many more wonderful individuals at FSU. I am going to miss being a part of the FSU Dance Team, working at the FSU Bookstore, and being a part of The Gatepost newspaper as well. I am very grateful for the community at FSU and how included I felt at this University. I would like to thank my family and friends for all the support and love I received from them to achieve my goals. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of my four-year journey, thank you FSU, and congrats to all graduates! Sincerely, Caroline Lanni
Campus Conversations What are your plans for summer break? By Donald Halsing, Associate Editor
“I’m going to grad school, so I need to move to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I’m going to Carnegie Mellon, and it’s a nine-hour drive to get there, so I definitely have got to move out there sometime in July.” -Jessica Vinskus, senior
“I’m going to work and I’m going to get vaccinated.” -Faith Hensley, sophomore
“I have summer classes I’m taking.” -Josh Colburn, sophomore
“Going outside: day in, night in, sunrise, sunset. You know where we’re going to be? Outside! You can’t beat that! We’re going to be outside! It’s awesome!”
“I’m just going to be home and working.” -Kayla Barboza, freshman
“I’m going to Texas for two weeks to see my family, and I’m taking my MTELs. Hopefully I pass those.”
-Kenzler Joseph, freshman
-Hanna Durfee, freshman
Op/Ed submissions reflect the opinions of their authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of The Gatepost or its staff. FRAMINGHAM STATE UNIVERSITY’S INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1932 | FSUGATEPOST.COM
20 | MAY 7, 2021
SPORTS
SPORTS Head Softball Coach leads team to MASCAC Regular Season Title Hopes to win another MASCAC Championship Title By Danielle Achin
Sports Editor
The FSU softball team won the 2021 MASCAC Regular Season Title and will host this year’s MASCAC Tournament starting Friday, May 14 with the first game beginning at 2 p.m. This year’s tournament is a best of three series between the second seed Bridgewater State Bears and the top seed Rams. The team is led by Head Coach and Assistant Sports Information Director Larry Miller, who is in his seventh season as FS ’s head softball coach. Miller began coaching softball for his senior internship at S N Cortland, where he earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Sports Management. Due to last year’s cancellation of the sports world, Miller said some athletes on the team unfortunately haven’t played in over 600 days, while the rest of the team consists of freshmen and sophomores who have never played a college game before this season. Despite these minor setbacks, he and the team were more than ready to run the bases. “We’re fortunate to have one of the best facilities in our conference outdoors with it being a turf field so we’ve been able to get outside a bit earlier than most folks,” he said. The women have been practicing since early March and though they are now able to use the field, Miller said at times it was challenging having split practices because “softball is just such a team sport.” The team earned their third consecutive MASCAC Tournament Championship and NCAA Regional Appearance in 2019 and this year, they are determined to go for a fourth. The team secured the 2021 MAS-
compete,” he said. Miller has been committed to getting to the root of issues someone on the team may be having. Whether it’s problems with softball or personal life, he’s always looking to find a solution. “I think my job on campus is to be their number one advocate,” Miller said. “So whether it’s I’m having trouble with this class,’ or I’m not getting along with my roommate,’ or I need to get better at softball,’ any of those things I can help them with. Between the lines we’re competitive and want to win, but at the end of the day my job and goal is to make their college experience as successful as I can.” Miller said at the end of the day, being able to work with the players and interact with them is why he continues to love his job more every day. “There’s good days and bad days just like anything else. I hope that I can just be a small part of their positive experience here,” he added. With 24 athletes on the team, and 10 positions to play, Miller said he keeps his coaching honest and fair when it comes to deciding who is going to play. He added if he isn’t open and honest having conversations about why someone may not be playing, he can’t provide opportunities for improvement. Miller said the slight change in schedule has made them more creative when it comes to practice and the scheduled game days now backto-back seem to help them forget about the COVID-19 world. “Obviously, on the back side there’s a lot of behind the scenes and logistics that we do ahead of time to give ourselves that opportunity to not think about it,” Miller said. With an overall record of 24-6, the team will be playing four games against Worcester State University
“We’re fortunate to have one of the best facilities in our conference outdoors with it being a turf field so we’ve been able to get outside a bit earlier than most folks.” - Larry Miller, Head Coach and Assistant Sports Information Director CAC regular season title after a nightcap triumph in a non-conference doubleheader with Salem State Saturday afternoon at Maple Street Field. “We kind of have it ingrained now that we know what we have to do and now we are ready to just go out and
@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com
this weekend, ending the 2021 regular season and beginning the Conference Championship Series May 14. Miller said how grateful he is for the sacrifice and dedication from his team to continue to play this season. He added he hopes everything can
“I think my job on campus is to be their number one advocate. So whether it’s ‘I’m having trouble with this class,’ or ‘I’m not getting along with my roommate,’ or ‘I need to get better at softball,’ any of those things I can help them with. Between the lines we’re competitive and want to win, but at the end of the day my job and goal is to make their college experience as successful as I can.” - Larry Miller, Head Coach and Assistant Sports Information Director
Courtesy of FSU Rams Larry Miller, Head Coach of Softball Team and Assistant Sports Information Director. get back to a new normal as uickly as possible. “I say a new normal because I think that as awful as some of the things have been in the past, I think a lot of good has come out of it too,” Miller said. “From the academic side, there’s definitely room for some of the academic landscape to move to a sort of internet-based school as well. “It’s embracing some of the things that have changed and it’s OK,” he added. Miller said instead of having a re-
cruit come to Framingham State from far away traveling by plane or car, interviews have been set up over oom. Miller said he’s excited for next semester and wants all students to have the true college experience. With the administration’s support and the athletes’ commitment, the team has had a successful season, he said.
CONNECT WITH DANIELLE ACHIN dachin@student.framingham.edu
SPORTS
MAY 7, 2021 | 21
FSU’s Mike Gennello signs with the Israel National Hockey League By Kaitlin Burch
Staff Writer
Senior communication arts major Michael (Mike) Gennello has become the first import player to sign with the Israel National Hockey League. Gennello, now 24, said he has been playing hockey for 14 years. He always knew he wanted to play after graduating college. Gennello said,“When I was in high school, one of the best pieces of advice I ever receivedwas that at some point we all die, and when you are laying in your final resting place thinking about everything you have done in life, you don’tv want to be left with any regrets. “Money, societal expectations, and other people’s opinions, are all irrelevant. Be a good person, but do what’s going to make you happy and take the rest of life as it comes. So for me, I’ve always wanted to travel and see the world, and I’ve always wanted to play hockey in other countries. So, to get a chance to do that, even in the smallest of leagues, was a chance I wasn’t going to let slip by,” he added. Gennello said not being able to get on the ice for his senior year was “a huge struggle” for himself as well as his teammates. He said, “To have what
could be your last chance to play your sport at a high level ripped away is a really, really hard thing to deal with mentally.” He said he was grateful to be given the opportunity to continue his career in hockey. He added that being the first import player signing for the Israel National Hockey League is a great feeling. The President of the Israel National Hockey Society and Co-commissioner of the League, Marc Brunengraber, said in a podcast interview with Gennello posted to ouTube, “The idea of the league is to get some of Israel’s best domestic players and mix them with strong, solid, import players like yourself Genello . It gives players a chance to play with guys in more developed hockey countries and allows the guys to stay in shape over the summer.” FS ’s head hockey coach Michael Bailey said, “I was extremely happy for Mike when I heard the news that he would be extending his hockey careerby playing in Israel. Not only is Mike extending his career, but he is doing it in another country where he will experience their culture both on and off the ice. This is a tremendous opportunity, no doubt.” Gennello said playing hockey
abroad is also an opportunity for him to obtain dual citizenship in Israel. He said he grew up in a religious Jewish household, so Israel was always a place that “fascinated” him. After visiting the country twice, Gennello said he is simply “amazed” with the country and culture. He added, “ ou hear so much in the news about conflicts and fighting, but when you go in person and get to experience the country for yourself, you learn that so much of that is for TV ratings. Like everywhere, there are obviously a few bad apples, but the majority of people are overwhelmingly friendly and it’s awesome to experience a place with so much culture and history.” Fellow senior hockey player Soren Colstrup said, “I saw a job listing through a hockey agency I was once a member of. The listing advertised for players interested in a chance to play hockey in Israel at the professional level. I knew my friend Mike was trying to play pro hockey and I also knew his brother was living in Israel so it seemed natural to relay this option to him. He got in contact with the right people and it sounds like they are very excited to have him join the league. “I’m happy Mike was able to make
his dream a reality. He will do great and I wish him the best of luck in what I hope is a long and healthy career in professional hockey,” Colstrup added. Coach Bailey said, “As a player, Mike was a joy to coach. He was definitely our energy guy always rallying the team with his pep talks and hisconstant chatter. It was always fun to watch Mike as he played with ayouthful passion and always ended up on the score sheet. He was a great teammate and always thought of others before himself.” Gennello said he’s considering documenting his journey overseas via social media. He said he’s thought about starting a TikTok or Instagram account where he can share his experiences “playing and living in Israel in what is hopefully the post-pandemic world.” Bailey added, “Mike will have a huge impact on his new team his genuine passion for the sport of hockey coupled with his positive and upbeat personality. Team Israel is adding both a fine hockey player and even better person to their family.”
CONNECT WITH KAITLIN BURCH kburch@student.framingham.edu
7:00pm On Zoom
FRAMINGHAM STATE UNIVERSITY'S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1932 | FSUGATEPOST.COM
22 | MAY 7, 2021
ARTS & FEATURES
Mancuso Center Director Halcyon Mancuso surprises students with internship stipends By Brennan Atkins
Arts and Features Editor Throughout this Spring semester, Halcyon Mancuso, English professor and director of the Mancuso Humanities Workforce Preparation Center, distributed “surprise” stipends to several arts and humanities interns to provide a much-needed economic relief during these unprecedented times. Mancuso has been determined to acknowledge the hard work interns have been displaying and wants students on campus to know how an internship can provide life-changing opportunities. “It’s an internship one of the most important ways that students get professional experience before they graduate,” Mancuso said. Internships can also give students in the job market a competitive edge over others seeking the same position. Mancuso said, “Even if you went to the most elite university, if you don’t have professional experience and you are competing with other students who do, you’re going to lose out.” Mancuso added an internship can provide connections, making the prospects of a first job much more likely than the opportunities provided in a traditional academic course. The Center was approved by the Board of Trustees March 24, 2018, and aimed to connect students with local businesses and opportunities, on and off campus, to show the values of arts and humanities within the workforce. While some unpaid interns were awarded stipends via application, Mancuso also surprised those participating in an unpaid course-credit internships with a 1,200 stipend for the work they’ve performed in their spring internship. “We just sort of surprised them. ... We said, Hey guys, we’re gonna pay you stipends of 1,200, surprise, surprise.’” Junior English Major Eli Pare said they were not expecting to receive the stipend, and said it felt good to be recognized for their hard work. “My first reaction was complete shock. I had no idea that there would be any money involved with my internship, so the news of the stipend was a pleasant surprise,” Pare said. “It was incredibly rewarding to be recognized for my work in this way, and I greatly appreciated the Mancuso Center’s generosity.” Senior English Major Soren Colstrup said upon receiving the stipend news, he was both ecstatic and shocked at the generosity of Mancuso. Senior English Major Ashley Wall said, “I was really surprised when Dean Cote emailed me saying I had been awarded the stipend. I expected my internship to be for academic credit only. So, it was a nice surprise and I am very appreciative that I was selected as one of the students who
@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com
received a stipend.” Senior English Major Jared Graf said, “I was surprised to receive the stipend - I had no clue I was going to get it. I checked my email one day and saw Dean Cote told me I’d be receiving money for my internship. It definitely feels good to be rewarded for my work this semester. So, I’m very appreciative of Halcyon Mancuso.” The internships in which recipients earned their stipend included a wide array of arts and humanities professional opportunities which allow students to learn more about the workforce. Pare said, “My internship was with the Kit Marlowe Project, which due to COVID, was entirely remote. The three major projects that my site advisor, Professor Kristen Abbott Bennett, asked me to work on were the Mini-Archive, the Digital Resources, and the Games & Quizzes.” They said they revised all of the posts in the “mini-archive” portion of the site, editing the section for both content and layout. They also said they added to the “Games and Quizzes” section, creating a uiz based on Christopher Marlowe’s “The Tragedy of Doctor Faustus.” Colstrup said, “My internship was for the FS communications department, and it was a publications internship in which I covered weekly events and wrote an article for publication under the supervision of Dan Magazu. It was a great experience - it helped me sharpen my craft a lot as a writer. I learned a lot about how to find good ledes for a story, which is something I, and many writers, struggle to do.” Wall said, “For the spring 2021 semester, I worked with the niversity’s Office of Marketing and Communications as a social media intern. This internship was a combination of remote and in-person tasks. For this internship, I worked for Christina Casinelli, the Office’s social media coordinator to work on - and also create - niversity campaigns.” She also worked on two campaigns in which she asked vaccinated members of the FSU community why they got the vaccine, as well as a “What FRAMily means to me” project. “I worked on a number of individual projects such as creating informative Instagram stories and highlights to show how the niversity has adapted to COVID-19 through testing, mobile ordering, and updated Athletic Center protocol. I did some research on the pros and cons of creating a niversity TikTok, and I took campus photos to update the niversity’s social media cover photos,” Wall added. Graf worked as a journalist for The Bedford Citizen writing stories and attending editorial board sessions. “During my few months at The Citizen, I did everything from covering town meetings to writing a series of feature stories about a Guatemalan woman in sanctuary at a local church. I really enjoyed working with my supervisor and everyone else at the
newspaper,” Graf said. On top of everything students learned at their internships, they have also learned important information regarding their professional fields and their individual career paths. Pare said, “I definitely gained professional skills working on the Kit Marlowe Project. Editing for viewer accessibility and enjoyment has really strengthened my ability to communicate using web-based content and platforms - especially while working on the Digital Resources page. “This experience has definitely solidified that I want a career not only in academia, but in the digital humanities as well. I think using modern tools like the Kit Marlowe Project to make academic resources more accessible is an essential part of the evolution of the scholarly world,” Pare added. Colstrup said, “I believe I gained a ton of experience and feel much more confident entering the job market. This internship opportunity, paired with producing articles for The Gatepost, has made me feel much more confident in my ability to handle tasks and meet hard deadlines in a relatively short amount of time. I feel it was a great experience.” Wall said, “This internship has definitely helped me to narrow my focus and interests. I really enjoyed the work I did this semester and because of my internship experience, I am very interested in pursuing this career path in the future. “Working with Christina has helped me better understand the work it takes to run a niversity Instagram, and how different departments intertwine in order to create a cohesive sense of community and values for followers. I am very thankful to Christina for teaching me all that she has, and for helping me grow as a critical thinker, communicator, and collaborator,” Wall added. Graf said, “I definitely learned a lot from my internship. I noticed an improvement in my interviewing and writing skills as I was practicing both multiple times a week. I also got much better at organizing my thoughts and paying attention to detail. “I knew I wanted to work in the journalism field beforehand, but my internship made me realize how much I enjoy feature writing and editing. After graduation, I’m hoping to write for a newspaper or magazine, so that’s my current career path,” Graf added. Mancuso also noted there may be potential barriers which prevent students from participating in an internship. She said the Mancuso Center has been focused on trying to address particular e uity issues to reduce these barriers. The Mancuso Center offers stipends for three different kinds of internships “micro” internships, “mini” internships, and course-credit internships. “Micro” and “mini” internships are offered as they address students’ con-
cerns about not having enough time to complete a typical course-credit internship. “Micro” internships range from 0-30 hours, while “mini” internships range from 30-60 hours per semester. Course-credit internships are typically 160 hours of work each semester and re uire an advisor. These internships take place both on and off campus. Internships of this variety are not always paid, which may result in a student missing a beneficial career path opportunity due to financial-related reasons. Throughout this academic year, the Mancuso center has been able to fund 12 course-credit internships, as well as two “mini” internships. “We set up three different types of internships because it really addresses an e uity issue and we at the Center want to be very mindful of e uity issues,” Mancuso said. “So, if there’s a student, for instance, who is more in need of a stipend in order to do an unpaid internship, and the client site doesn’t pay, then we would certainly give those stipends to those students first and foremost,” Mancuso said. Desmond McCarthy, English professor and assistant director of the Mancuso Center, said, “Internships are essential. Internships have become what a union card used to be a half century ago - something essential for many people to gain access to the workforce. “Internships allow people to learn about specific careers and to have an opportunity to determine whether their assumptions about that line of work are correct. Sometimes, an internship can be just as successful if a student learns they’re not as interested in a particular job as they had imagined as an internship in which a student learns they really love that line of work,” McCarthy added. Mancuso said being able to provide interns with financial ease brings her joy. “I love doing this kind of work. It makes me feel great to help students with something that is super important these days,” she said. “The goal is to really make our humanities division a model for academic rigor as well as career-prep rigor,” Mancuso said. “So hopefully, if the FS humanities division gets recognized as a really cool place to be a major, and you get real world experience, and they help you find these opportunities and they will do stipends for you. I mean, we might get more people majoring in the humanities, which we need in the world right now,” Mancuso said. [Editor’s Note: Jared Graf, Ashley Wall, and Soren Colstrup are members of The Gatepost. Desmond McCarthy is the advisor for The Gatepost].
CONNECT WITH BRENNAN ATKINS batkins@student.framingham.edu
ARTS & FEATURES
MAY 7, 2021 | 23
Hilltop premiers a filmed performance of ‘The Nineteenth’ Actors shine despite COVID-19 restrictions By Soren Colstrup
Staff Writer
The last year has been difficult for the Hilltop Players. They have seen productions canceled for a variety of reasons related to COVID-19. Typically, Hilltop unveils two shows a semester. There is a “straight show,” and then a musical. Because of the social distancing re uirements, the musical, which was being planned earlier this school year, had to be canceled. However, that has not stopped them from producing a filmed performance that will reach a wider audience than ever before. Director Christan Tracy explained, “The show we filmed The Nineteenth’ is about the Nineteenth Amendment and the women’s suffrage movement. It follows the National American Women’s Suffrage Association, all the way up to the split, where there are two parties, and the National Women’s Party appears. “It then follows a fictional family, the Clark family, which highlights the differences in opinion that a lot of families faced at the time. Often, some of the family members believed that women’s suffrage was necessary, and others in the family believed it wasn’t. It really highlights the pushback that the suffragists faced in their own homes,” she added. According to Tracy, there were many production challenges that normally do not arise with a typical Hilltop performance. “One of the biggest difficulties was having to figure out how to use the stage and the props and the set, while keeping a little bit of distance with the face masks,” said Tracy. “It was very complicated, but everyone did an excellent job. “Because of COVID-19, there were not as many people in our club on campus, like there would normally be, and so we didn’t have as many people to take on roles,” added Tracy. Because there were fewer students on campus, each member of the Hilltop Players had to take on a bigger role in the production. “I ended up doing all of the costuming and I designed the set,” said Tracy. “I also took the lead in filming it and getting it edited. As a director, I picked the show, I cast the show, and I blocked the show. The cast was so good. A lot of them have done acting for a long time, and it shows.” According to Tracy, the filming of “The Nineteenth” has been a “yearlong process,” leaving those involved eagerly awaiting its premiere. “I had actually proposed this right at the beginning of uarantine - so it’s been over a year in the process,”
said Tracy. “I am happy that we got to do this show before my stage manager and producer, Alex Surro and Jenna Topping, graduated. “I am also happy we were able to do a filming of the performance because I have a lot of family from out of town that normally wouldn’t be able to see it. For example, I have an uncle in California who’s excited to watch,” added Tracy. Stage Manager Alex Surro said, “I am looking forward to seeing how many people The Nineteenth’ reaches. Sometimes, there are family or friends who always say they would love to see the performance, but since it is too far from their home, they can’t make it. “Now, with the virtual premiere, anyone from anywhere can tune in to watch this type of virtual performance. I have heard of many planning to share the end result with everyone they know, which is so much easier now than it was before,” he added. According to Surro, an interesting aspect of production was the filming of the show, as opposed to the normal process of live performing. “It was strange being able to speak in between scenes and really take our time with the filming because we are so used to three two-hour performances over one weekend and then being done,” said Surro. “We spent about a week perfecting each scene for the camera and it was very different than anything I’ve ever seen.” As stage manager, Surro served in a variety of roles in the film’s production and said his job as stage manager was to help “in any way possible.” Part of his responsibility is ensuring actors are present and happy. “I also assist the director by taking her ideas in terms of blocking or the technical elements and making them real,” he added. According to Surro, the play was actually scheduled to be performed in the fall 2020 semester, but given the stricter guidelines and other factors, Hilltop thought it was best to wait until the Spring semester. “Christan Tracy, our director, came up with the idea to direct this play because her sister actually wrote it to spread awareness of how the Nineteenth Amendment Granting women the right to vote came to be,” said Surro. “Fittingly, the 100th anniversary of the amendment being passed took place earlier this school year. “The fight for e uality seems to always be oddly controversial in this nation. I think The Nineteenth’ is a perfect combination of education and entertainment for anyone who is interested in learning more or hearing information in a different form,” added Surro.
For the actors, filming offered a uni ue experience that was unlike other performances they had done in the past. Soon-to-be vice president of The Hilltop Players, Sabrina Grammatic, who also played Lucy Burns, an actual suffragette during the Women’s Suffrage Movement, said, “We usually have our performances live for an audience. Since COVID-19 limited the number of people we could have in a room at once, we decided to film it instead. “I know for me personally, I had never been filmed in a theatre production before, and I doubt many of my peers had, either,” said Grammatic. “It was so strange having cameras watching us instead of actual people, and it definitely took some getting used to. It was uite nice, though, to be able to have multiple takes for scenes to get them just right.” sually, The Hilltop Players host auditions in person, either in the McCarthy Forum or in Dwight Performing Arts Center. This year things looked “much different,” according to Grammatic. “Instead, we had to hold them virtually, so we did them over oom. It was definitely different, but seemed to work out well,” said Grammatic. “COVID-19 did prove to make this production uite challenging. There were lots of rules we had to follow for safety reasons. It wasn’t always easy, but we managed to make a wonderful show, and I’m proud of how it turned out. “I think what I’ll remember most is the cast and everyone involved. The shows are always fun to put on, but it’s the people you do it with that make it the most memorable,” added Grammatic. For those who are first-year members of Hilltop, the filming of the show gave a uni ue introduction to performances at FS . Freshman Emily Rosenberg, said, “This film was my first Hilltop production. I knew a little bit about the organization coming in because I’d been following their Instagram page and heard about it at orientation.” According to Rosenberg, her academic obligations made her hesitant to take on a role with Hilltop for the filming of “The Nineteenth.” “I actually didn’t audition. I had just been elected to eBoard for The Gatepost, joined SGA, and picked up more hours at my job,” said Rosenberg. “I also had no idea how my semester classes would be like, so I emailed Christan, after lots of contemplating, and told her I couldn’t do the show.” After many of her friends auditioned, Rosenberg said she had a change of heart.
“My friends auditioned and later said that less than 10 people were there for both auditions , meaning all the cast would be playing two or more parts because there were more than 20 roles,” said Rosenberg. Director Christan Tracy later emailed Rosenberg and asked if she would consider playing a smaller role if she did not have to go to too many rehearsals. After going to a read through for “The Nineteenth,” Rosenberg obliged. “I had fallen in love with the show, and couldn’t resist saying, es.’ I eventually played Jane Addams, a social worker who kept track of all the politicians and where they stood on suffrage,” said Rosenberg. “I also played a couple ensemble characters - Frazzled Woman and the Angry Woman.” According to Rosenberg, because the show was filmed, it offered the actors a little more room for error. “Normally if someone messes up, there are no re-dos. That’s what the audience gets to see that night,” said Rosenberg. “Fortunately, the filming process made it a little easier to make sure mess-ups were avoided.” Rosenberg explained, “We did two runs of every scene - one wide shot, and one close up. If something went wrong in the wide shot, it likely got fixed the second time around. If the same thing happened both times, we just ran it a third time. “Certainly, getting to do a show with such a lovely and dedicated bunch of people sticks out to me as what I’ll remember, especially since this year, we’ve all been so separated,” added Rosenberg. On April 30, Hilltop released a showing of a live feed of the full play on their Facebook page - https //www. facebook.com/thehilltopplayers - as well as on their ouTube channel https //www.youtube.com/channel/ CXpHk8fPeTsCP-xoS4Wk1Ng. Viewers can still watch the full play, which runs one hour and thirty-minutes, at any point after the premiere is over, whether on Facebook or ouTube. As of press time, the ouTube video has 126 views. [Editor’s Note: Emily Rosenberg is the Assistant Opinions Editor for The Gatepost].
CONNECT WITH SOREN COLSTRUP scolstrup@student.framingham.edu
FRAMINGHAM STATE UNIVERSITY'S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1932 | FSUGATEPOST.COM
24 | MAY 7, 2021
ARTS & FEATURES
FSU looks to expand use of Warren Conference Center Sternick: ‘We’re open to just about anything’ By Jared Graf
Arts & Features Editor Following a loss of revenue caused by COVID-19, FS is proposing new initiatives to expand the use of the Warren Conference Center and Inn. The niversity ac uired the 100acre plus waterfront property five years ago. Situated on the shore of the Ashland Reservoir, the Warren Center offers an inn and cabins for overnight lodging, as well as meeting rooms for corporate events. According to General Manager Kim Sternick, before COVID-19, the Center generated 5 million in annual revenue. According to Dale Hamel, executive vice president of FS , the niversity grossed 300,000 per year from the Warren Center - which was used to host departmental meetings, alumni dinners, and science labs. Plans were also in place to begin providing an in-person learning experience for hospitality and tourism management majors. But then - COVID-19 happened. Although the Center was able to remain open by following strict CDC guidelines, Hamel said conferencing services declined and only “very specific accommodations” were offered. “We’ve definitely seen a significant drop off, really for about a year now,” Hamel said. Before the pandemic, Sternick said the Warren Center was “doing some really neat, cool things” and was “in a good place. “We actually had our best year ever last year right before COVID,” Sternick said, referencing how the Center itself had generated more than 5 million in annual revenue. This year, the Warren Center is projected to generate only 700,000 in annual revenue - a “huge, huge” drop off, according to Sternick. With an 86 decrease in revenue expected for this year, Sternick said she’s “definitely thinking outside the box” about other possible uses for the property. “We’re trying to shift our business model as much as we can to try to make up that revenue loss,” Sternick said. This includes a shift from hosting large company events which once accounted for 75 of the Center’s revenue - to smaller social events, such as weddings or bar mitzvahs. Additionally, Sternick said the Center is working to accommodate all in uiries from clients and “trying to get creative” with activities that can
@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com
Jared Graf / THE GATEPOST
The Inn at the Warren Conference Center. be offered. Hamel agreed. He said the niversity has “certainly had to change expectations on operations” of the Warren Center because of the pandemic. While Hamel hopes the Center will continue enhancing “supplemental services to the niversity and support the hospitality program,” he also hopes it can offer “social and cultural programming” for FS faculty, staff, and alumni in the future. In order for this to happen, the development of a “ niversity community club” is currently under consideration. “What’s interesting about the Center is it’s heavily utilized during the summer months but has capacity during the academic year,” Hamel said. “The idea is to leverage existing facilities and programming and offer something that would be attractive … through participating in a club.” Members of the club would be able to book the Warren Center for musical performances, dinners, and other activities, as well as schedule times to use the tennis and pickleball courts, according to Hamel. All members would pay a fee, which has not yet been decided. “I think that’s actually a pretty exciting opportunity that we’re exploring,” he said. Moving forward, Sternick hopes the Center will be able to offer events open to the general public - a first during her nine years as general manager. “We just started a supper club,” she said, explaining how members of the
public can sign up to attend a series of different dinners. “We’re open to just about anything.” Although the property was originally purchased in 2016 with the intent of growing FS ’s Hospitality and Tourism program, as well as providing students with hands-on experience operating a hotel, the niversity has yet to use the Center for this purpose. Since the Hospitality and Tourism program began in fall 2019, only “theory classes” have been offered. John mit Palabiyik, Hospitality and Tourism Management program coordinator at FS , said during the program’s second year - which began in fall 2020 - students were slated to start using the Warren Center. “That is the time the COVID-19 pandemic started, so that’s why we never used it,” Palabiyik said. “Right now, we’re waiting for things to get better.” But in addition to the pandemic, Palabiyik said there are “other issues” with the Warren Center - the main one being its size. He explained that because it’s a “small inn with 50 rooms,” the Center may not provide students with the proper hotel management experience. There are currently 25 students in FS ’s Hospitality and Tourism Management program, but only “around 10 students” will be participating in the hotel and lodging management course next semester - which would use an off-campus hotel for experience. “I was looking for something a bit busier than the Warren Conference
Center,” Palabiyik said. “If our program grows and we have like 50 or 60 students, the Center is not enough to hold all those students. “The reason it’s not enough is because of its business level,” he added. “We actually want a busy place to bring our students. If there are no customers over there, there’s no reason to go there.” During the winter, when the Center would be used by students, Palabiyik said business is typically slow. “It really doesn’t fit our schedule.” For this reason, Palabiyik has been in talks with the Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center on Route 9 in Framingham to “help” conduct hospitality and tourism management courses. The Sheraton, which boasts 375 rooms, was just purchased by a new management company and is currently undergoing renovations. Palabiyik said he hopes to use the Sheraton in conjunction with the Warren Center because operating the hotel during renovations would be helpful for students. “We also want to schedule students at different hotels at different hours. That way, we don’t have 20 students in one hotel,” he added. “My vision is to completely move the hospitality program to Warren Conference Center,” Palabiyik said. “Even if there is only one customer” staying there, he said the experience is still helpful for students. Additionally, Palabiyik supported the idea of using the Center as a community club, and suggested the Uni-
ARTS & FEATURES
“What’s interesting about the Center is it’s heavily utilized during the summer months … but has capacity during the academic year. The idea is to leverage existing facilities and programming and offer something that would be attractive … through participating in a club.” - Dale Hamel, Executive Vice President of FSU versity try to integrate the property with the FS campus. “If we have new students coming to visit, we should take them to the Warren Conference Center to show them it’s part of our school,” he said. However, Hamel said, “One of the things that we decided the Center was not going to be … is another campus of FS .” Due to its location, Hamel explained the Center is not a practical place to hold courses or house students. “We would use it to support or supplement on-campus operations,” he added. Hamel said in a survey, many faculty, staff, and alumni voiced interest in accessing the beach to rent kayaks or paddle boards - which is something FS is attempting to coordinate. The main problem is figuring out a viable parking option. With the only existing parking at
the Center closed off to the general public during operation, Hamel said the niversity has been looking to open the parking lot during “certain periods” of time. “When the lot is needed for Warren Conference Center operations, we would make parking available over by the soccer courts,” he said. Hamel said the niversity is working with the Department of Conservation & Recreation (DCR) to “reclaim the beach” - which is “not in great shape.” The DCR plans to clean up the area and “bring in additional beach,” as well as add new sand and upgrade the surrounding walking trails. Although the Center usually undergoes multiple renovations each year, Hamel said most capital projects planned this year were delayed because income and expenditures were “significantly reduced.” According to Hamel, all revenue
The shore of the Warren Conference Center and Inn.
generated from the Warren Center is either used to fund “capital adaptation and renewal projects” or FS events - such as alumni dinners or meetings for faculty and staff members. “This is what we call an enterprise fund,” he said. “It is not subsidized at all by campus operations. It completely stands on its own in terms of revenue generated.” Despite a slow year, Hamel is hopeful the Center will rebound from the impact of the pandemic. “We’re opening as the guidance changes, and the guidance has changed to the point that certain events can be held at this point,” Hamel said. This includes outdoor gatherings of up to 150 people and indoor gatherings of up to 100 people. Sternick said, “Those guidelines were announced March 22nd, so our phones have been ringing off the hook since then because people are anxious to get together.” During the past year, Sternick said the Center was able to hold company conferences and social events in accordance with COVID-19 guidelines. At one point, she said they could host up to 10 people and even set up a tent outside, which allowed for larger gatherings. But despite efforts to continue business as usual, Sternick said gatherings this past year were “nothing compared to the magnitude of the groups” the Center used to host. “We hosted uite a few weddings over the summer and the fall,” she said. “But based on the group sizes, sometimes it really just didn’t make sense to open up.” Now, Sternick is looking forward to the summer, as it seems social events will be making a return.
Jared Graf / THE GATEPOST
MAY 7, 2021 | 25 “We’re uite busy from May 1st, right through the middle of November,” she said. “We’re hoping to see incremental business volume growth so we can start to bring back some of our staff that had to be furloughed and laid off due to the shut down.” Prior to the pandemic, the Warren Center employed 12 business managers and five sales managers. Now, there are only five business managers and two sales managers. “We’re all wearing many hats just to make it through the day,” Sternick said. At the height of the pandemic, Sternick said the Warren Center was still operating and prepared to house FS students if necessary. “We actually had a group in-house when we went into lockdown,” she said. These guests were participating in a residential food study in conjunction with FSU and Boston Children’s Hospital, and Sternick said they were able to stay until their program was over in April. In addition to that group, the Center also housed members of the North American Hockey Academy - a junior elite women’s hockey team - this past winter. The team had just relocated their practice facility from Stowe, Vermont to Wellesley and needed somewhere for its 34 high school-aged members to stay. Since the Center’s inn was closed, the women stayed in “dorm style” cabins, Sternick said. “It’s very intense hockey training and games, and it’s a very competitive, elite program,” she said. “And this year, they had some challenges.” Following a tournament in Michigan, Sternick said a few women tested positive for COVID-19, resulting in a “burst of COVID” at the cabins. “We had to work very closely with the local department of public health and the COVID taskforce here in Ashland to keep them all safe,” she added. “Since then, we’ve been pretty uiet.” The Warren Conference Center is currently accepting event bookings and lodging reservations in adherence with occupancy and safety guidelines for the coming months. But with the property uiet as of now, Hamel emphasized the importance of developing the niversity community club. “I think the idea of this club is going to utilize the facilities and the outdoor spaces more significantly - or expand the Center beyond the conferencing support,” Hamel said. “With us all having been in our houses for a year, I think everybody is looking for social and cultural opportunities - especially outside. It’s just a beautiful setting to support those types of things.”
CONNECT WITH JARED GRAF
jgraf@student.framingham.edu
FRAMINGHAM STATE UNIVERSITY'S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1932 | FSUGATEPOST.COM
26 | MAY 7, 2021
ARTS & FEATURES
Breaking the earth
A new perspective on the English language By Caroline Gordon Editorial Staff Arts & Ideas and the Center for Inclusive Excellence hosted Pulitzer prize winner, Quiara Hudes, who presented her memoir, “My Broken Language,” via oom April 26. Hudes won the Pulitzer Prize for her play, “Water by the Spoonful.” She is a screenwriter for the soon-tobe-released animated musical “Vivo” and wrote the book, “In the Heights” on which the Broadway musical of the same title is based. The music was written by Tony award-winning artist Lin-Manuel Miranda. Additionally, she is the author of essays, “High Tide of Heartbreak,” featured in American Theater Magazine and “Cory Couldn’t Take it Anymore,” featured in the magazine, The Cut. Aside from her writing career, Hudes is an entrepreneur. She and her cousin created Emancipated Stories, a program where incarcerated people can share their stories. Hudes and her sister, Gabriela Sanchez, created the Latinx Casting Manifesto, a public speaking group, which offers conversations about wellness and womanhood. She began by touching upon her
writing journey, noting she started writing professionally in 2004. “It’s My Broken Language’ my journey with my earliest memories as to why I decided to be a storyteller and how those stories get digested through my spirit and body,” she said. Hudes discussed how “My Broken Language’’ details her and her mother’s first languages - Hudes is English, her mother’s is Spanish. She explained her name, Quiara, as the “made up conjugation” of the Spanish verb, Querer, meaning to love. Hudes said her mother named her Quiara to mean “beloved.” Hudes said she has experienced issues with language during her life as people pronounce her name incorrectly. She discussed an earlier chapter in “My Broken Language,” which is about her moving from a diverse block in Philadelphia to a predominantly white suburb at 5 years old. Hudes explained she had never been in a mainly white environment before and that her name caused confusion. She described how in her kindergarten class, she was taunted for her middle name, Alegria, because it sounded like the African country, Algeria.
“They said this really tauntingly and meanly, implying that if it were an African country, that was something to be uite ashamed of. I said, No, it’s a Spanish word that means happiness,’” Hudes said. She said her mother came into her kindergarten classroom with a cake for her birthday. Hudes described how her mother’s skin color varies from hers as her mother is darker. She said the differing skin tones amongst family members was normal to her as lots of kids in her family look differently than their parents. However, kids in her kindergarten class were unfamiliar with families who did not all share the same skin color. Hudes touched upon “a language moment” she had with her mom. Hudes said when she was a young girl, prank callers would call her house and say her mother is a whore. Her mother usually worked at night, so she missed the calls. However, one night her mother was home and answered the phone. She described how her mother became eager to pick up the phone - she thanked the kids who called her a whore.
Courtesy of USC Berkeley Hudes said her mother explained whore meant hoe, which is a gardening tool. Her mother then described what a hoe is used for. “ ou break the earth. ou break the tired soil so that it can be reborn and you plant new seeds in it. They think they are insulting me, but if someone calls you a hoe, what they don’t know, they are saying you are going to plant seeds for the next generation. ou are rejuvenating the earth!” she said. “My mom taught me to hear the English language in a new and different way,” Hudes said.
CONNECT WITH CAROLINE GORDON cgordon4@student.framingham.edu
The Gatepost wishes you a happy and safe summer! We will return in the fall! @TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com
ARTS & FEATURES
MAY 7, 2021 | 27
Admissions maintains engagement with applicants despite COVID-19 pandemic By Maia Almeida Staff Writer Because of the COVID-19 restrictions imposed by the commonwealth of Massachusetts, FSU’s admissions staff developed new strategies to market the niversity and keep prospective students engaged and interested. The entire admissions staff offers one-on-one appointments with students via oom or phone, which has allowed them to have individual meetings with applicants who have specific uestions about FS , according to Shayna Eddy, director of undergraduate admissions. “Some high schools allowed colleges to host information sessions and meetings with their students via oom calls. So, while we weren’t able to visit in person, we were still able to connect with students. “Our office also hosted multiple Application Completion Days’ where our staff would be on a oom call with students who needed assistance with their application or just had uestions about next steps,” said Eddy. Traditionally, the admissions department uses mail, email, and phone calls to engage with prospective students. Students can also take part in campus tours. This year, the department has increased its use of texting and videos through social media and one-on-one tours. Eddy said, “With assistance from the web team, admissions enhanced the undergraduate visit page to include a welcome from President Cevallos, On-Demand Tours (Campus, Study Abroad, Dining Services, Living On Campus), and the opportunity to schedule one-on-one appointments with an admissions counselor.” When the pandemic started in spring 2020, admissions started hosting virtual information sessions in lieu of campus tours. Over the summer, the
department also added student-led remote tours. In September, in-person campus tours resumed with both “student-led” and “self-guided” tour options. Nicole Mason, assistant director of undergraduate admissions, said, “We were limited in how many attendees could come for each tour, but it was nice having guests coming to campus to visit once again. “For those who have come to visit, the response has been very positive! Recently, we have been approved to increase our tour numbers, and we are now able to show a room in a residence hall to give students an idea of what it’s like to live on campus,” she said. “Guests have been very excited to be able to see a room because not many other schools are offering that right now,” Mason added. There are limited student-led tours currently being offered. Right now, eight guests are allowed per tour and each student who registers for a tour is permitted to bring one guest. “In an effort to bring more prospective students to campus, we have opened select self-guided tours to more registrants, sometimes up to 10 students on select days,” said Mason. Jenna McMahon, a senior student admissions representative, said, “It’s different to do a tour over the computer when you want to have the face-toface interactions with the student who wants to come to FS . “The uestion I get most from students and parents is what guidelines will be like next year for the students. I think that students really want things to get back to normal, and on our tours, we want to show what happens on campus and why they should come here,” she added. Senior Gabby Laurenzano, also a student admissions representative, has only led tours over oom this year. “I would say the students who come to the remote tours are still just as eager to attend school, but some tend
“For those who have come to visit, the response has been very positive! Recently, we have been approved to increase our tour numbers, and we are now able to show a room in a residence hall to give students an idea of what it’s like to live on campus.” - Nicole Mason, Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions
“The question I get most from students and parents is what guidelines will be like next year for the students. I think that students really want things to get back to normal, and on our tours, we want to show what happens on campus and why they should come here.” - Jenna McMahon, Senior Student Admissions Representative to ask fewer uestions, which makes students to connect with current stuit different than last year. Normally, dents, faculty, and alumni. The site in-person tours are flooded with ues- also features welcome messages from President F. Javier Cevallos, the Intertions and multiple families,” she said. Junior Rachel Spivey, also a student im Provost and Vice President for Acadmissions representative, said, “All of ademic Affairs Ellen immerman, and the students who I’ve given a tour to Dean of Students Meg Nowak Borrego. Eddy said a “big source of engagecrave the in-person experience and are always eager to be on campus and go ment” for admitted students is the Adinto Hemenway Labs and the McCar- mitted Student Facebook Group. “The Facebook group really allows thy Center, which is only just a glimpse students to meet one another and at what we have to offer. “Since they have not had even the start to get excited about FS . This is entirety of a normal high school ex- a space for them to connect with their perience, I always try to remind them peers prior to attending FS ,” Eddy that college will be a world of differ- added. Other events admissions holds to ence and that they can look forward to making those new experiences here, keep engagement up with prospective students include bi-weekly oom too,” she added. Accepted Students’ Day 2021 - also meetings with Vice President of Enknown as Rams Rising - was conducted rollment and Student Development, Lorretta Holloway and Dean of Enrollvia oom on April 10. Admissions Director Eddy said, ment Jeremy Spencer, and a bi-weekly “Students who registered for Accept- Student Panel at which accepted stued Students Day were sent to our Slate dents can ask current students uesRams Rising landing page, where they tions. Additional events include one-onhad access to separate links for each one counselor appointments, givelive session that we were hosting. “This included a link to the Wel- aways on social media platforms, and a come Session with President Ceval- series called “Let the fRAMily Advenlos, Academic Department Sessions ture Begin.” Eddy said, “We would just like to for each major at FS , a remote tour with an Admissions Tour Guide, and thank the campus community for all a student panel with current FS stu- coming together to assist us with redents. The landing page also had some cruiting our fall 2021 class during pre-recorded sessions available for these challenging times.” students to watch on their own time,” said Eddy. The admissions staff has created a lot of ways to keep prospective students’ engagement with the University up following their acceptance. The department mails a series of postcards featuring QR codes that bring students to welcome messages from a range of people on campus. The University also hosts an Accepted Student Website - Framingham. CONNECT WITH MAIA ALMEIDA edu/accepted - that allows admitted malmeida1@student.framingham.edu
FRAMINGHAM STATE UNIVERSITY'S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1932 | FSUGATEPOST.COM
28 | MAY 7, 2021
ARTS & FEATURES
Painting for peace with Jeff Sparr By Emily Rosenberg Editorial Staff When Jeff Sparr combined the peace sign with a heart, he wanted to represent peace of mind and a hope that one day, it would be a pathway toward the difficult conversations concerning mental health. Arts & Ideas hosted Sparr via oom to lead a workshop and discuss his success with his organization, PeaceLove, April 25. PeaceLove is based in Providence, Rhode Island. Its mission is to promote mental wellness through creative expression without judgement or fear. Growing up in Rhode Island, Sparr “lived out his dream” on a scholarship to Ohio State niversity, a Division I university, all while experiencing intrusive, “terrible” thoughts. “I did what any good athlete would do - I sucked it up and I got worse,” he added. Around the time Sparr was 22, he was admitted into a mental institution and diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Despite his mental illness, he said he considers himself “one of the lucky ones,” as the father of three children
and a husband to his wife. Sparr said he often gets asked why little progress has been made on the issue of mental health. “My answer has never changed,” he said. “Invisible. Misunderstood. And hard to talk about. And that’s a very difficult combination to go after.” He added after his friend suggested he start painting, he never stopped. Sparr called himself “The Forrest Gump of painting.” He added the creativity changed the course of his life. “It gave me a sense of control that all types of mental illnesses rob you of. It provided me with a blank canvas for my creativity,” he added. “That was invigorating to my soul.” One of his first pieces included a painting titled “Half Daddy,” a blackand-white piece that represented how his mental illness made him feel sometimes as a father. In other pieces, such as “Getting Better,” which Sparr said is important to the work of the PeaceLove organization, he uses “a whimsical style” with bright colors. In the painting, there are s uares and people who get brighter from right to left as a metaphor for recovery. “It is a process, but it can be done,”
Sparr added. He also shared a painting he calls “Madly in Love,” a piece he worked on with his daughter and which he said has been bid on the most throughout his career. “It hangs in my room as a reminder that maybe I don’t have to be that half daddy,’” he said. After earning 16,000 at a one-man art show, he realized that if art makes him feel good, then it could also help other people. He started by bringing art supplies to a children’s mental health unit. He said that when he was able to see how he had such a significant impact on the children, the idea for the organization kicked off. “That’s what Paint4Peace is all about.” Sparr added that just as there is the rainbow flag and pink ribbons, he hopes that the PeaceLove sign can be a catalyst for change. “Creativity can be life changing, but we need to get it to people,” Sparr added. Sparr said he was living proof creativity can be life changing and it’s a shame that the arts are “the first thing” to be taken out of every community. He added that mental health has never been “more pertinent” in
our society. “I like to say that it is a shame it took a pandemic to shed light on the epidemic that is mental health,” Sparr said. “A silver lining - it is an opportunity to advance our work and try to make creativity and the arts more accessible to more and more people.” During the workshop, he encouraged people to make mistakes and have fun. “There are no rules,” he said. Sparr challenged participants to stop and think about what gives them peace of mind. He encouraged participants to make time for creativity in their lives, whether it be yoga, painting, poetry, or other relaxing activities. Throughout the workshop, he painted a man playing golf which he titled “The Driver.” Sparr highlighted how one of the most famous artists he’s painted with said they were scared to start. “A lot of people can’t do what they want to do in life - what they aspire to do, what they dream to do - because they’re scared to try,” Sparr said. “The attempt is the victory.”
CONNECT WITH EMILY ROSENBERG erosenberg@student.framingham.edu
‘Fate: The Winx Saga’ gives fairies a dark remodel By Cara McCarthy Associate Editor At 22 years old, even I couldn’t predict my excitement when I heard “Fate The Winx Saga” was being released on Netflix this past January. Based on the Nickelodeon-animated series “Winx Club,” “Fate The Winx Saga” focuses on Bloom, a newly-discovered fire fairy, and her friends, Stella, Aisha, Terra, and Musa as she learns to control her magic. The show stars Abigail Cowen as Bloom, Hannah van der Westhuysen as Stella, a light fairy, Precious Mustapha as Aisha, a water fairy, Eliot Salt as Terra, an Earth fairy, and Elisha Applebaum as Musa, a mind fairy. While “Winx Club” is a more childlike and kid-friendly show based on friendship and magic, its live-action counterpart, “Fate The Winx Saga” takes a much darker turn in its first season with a TV-14 rating. The show starts off the same as the original. Sixteen-year-old Bloom has just discovered her powers after being adopted by a human family with no knowledge of her roots. She is soon enrolled in a magical boarding school, Alfea College, in the Otherworld, an entirely different dimension from Earth, known as the First World in the show. Somehow, she still has cell service -
@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com
don’t ask me how that works. In the live-action version, the creators strayed from the original when it came to Bloom’s origins. Instead, Bloom was found to be a changeling, a fairy child who was swapped out with a human child at birth. It is this information that sets the tone for the rest of the first season as her Headmistress, Farah Dowling, played by Eve Best, as well as her other teachers try to hide the truth from her about her real parents and she seeks to find the answers for herself. However, finding answers is never that simple. Additionally, Bloom is not the only newcomer to Alfea College. Beatrix, an air fairy played by Sadie Soverall, is one of the show’s first antagonists and she is trying to reveal the secrets Headmistress Dowling has been hiding for the past 16 years. Aside from the threat Beatrix poses to Alfea, there is an even larger threat close beyond the magical barrier surrounding the school - the burned ones. No one in the show has seen a burned one in 16 years. The last people to see them were Headmistress Dowling, Specialist Headmaster Silva, played by Robert James-Collier, and believed-to-be-deceased former Headmistress, Rosalind, played by Lesley Sharp. Despite my overall appreciation for
the live-action version and how it is all five of the main characters had gimuch different and more mature than ant, colorful, and beautiful wings. As “Winx Club,” there are some aspects of the last episode, only Bloom has earned her wings and she is the first of the original show I wish they kept. While for the most part, the cre- fairy to have them in centuries. I am interested to see how season ators did an incredible job in casting, especially Cowen as Bloom, van der two addresses the most talked about Westhuysen as Stella, and Mustapha unanswered uestions left in season as Aisha, there were casting decisions one Who are Bloom’s real parents? that left me feeling disappointed with What happened to them? And why did they give her away? the show’s creators. For starters, Applebaum being cast as Musa is something that does not sit right with me. While Applebaum does an incredible job portraying the mind fairy, I wish the creators had cast a ADMIT ONE woman of East-Asian descent as she is portrayed in the original. Additionally, the creators not only failed to accurately cast the original Earth fairy, they omitted her from the show altogether and replaced her with her cousin Terra, a plus-sized white woman. In the original, the earth fairy was Hispanic and named Flora. Thankfully, both Cowen and Applebaum have responded to the controversy and they hope there is room for Flora to be incorporated into the ADMIT ONE second season and that she will be cast appropriately. Another issue I take with the show is the lack of fairy wings. es, I am a 22-year-old woman complaining about fairy wings. CONNECT WITH CARA MCCARTHY In the version I watched as a child, cmccarthy8@student.framingham.edu
Grade B
Give us the fairy wings!
ARTS & FEATURES
MAY 7, 2021 | 29
Fashion majors showcase their ‘Ethereal Glamour’ By Emily Rosenberg
Editorial Staff
By Caroline Gordon Editorial Staff With the DPAC decorated in LED lights and elegant cotton clouds, the Fashion Club streamed their show, “Ethereal Glamour” via oom April 30, presenting semesters of hard work and dedication. The show displayed three collections by senior fashion majors, Savana Gutierrez, Amy Westlund, and Marissa Lynch. Each had the chance to show off three designs to limit the number of models needed. Fashion Design and Retailing Professor Laura Kane helped put the show together. Gutierrez’s models strutted the stage in vibrant, larger-than-life retro formal wear. She said she was inspired by the fashion of the Bratz dolls, and wanted to make looks that could be something the Bratz would wear to prom. “I aimed to express myself, femininity, individuality, and diversity through my collection,” she added. Coming from a family that’s “always looking good,” Gutierrez explained fashion has been a passion of hers since she was a child. She finds it strange when people ask her why she and others chose the major. “We were the people that stuck with our childhood dreams … even if there were people that told us we weren’t ever going to be fashion designers,” she said. “If you don’t give up on your dreams you can accomplish them. ou can manifest anything you put your mind to!” She added some of her other fashion inspirations are among pop artists, Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, and Billie Eilish as well as her mother, sisters, grandfathers and aunts. Westlund’s designs stunned the stage with purple and teal flare. Taking inspiration from woodland fairies and mystical forests, she said she wanted to create clothing that is “feminine and elegant while still being confident and bold. “I love the nuance of fashion and playing with different silhouettes and design elements,” Westlund said. She touched on how COVID-19 has impacted her design process. She said “I feel as though I simplified my designs a bit more due to the extenuating circumstances we’ve been under.” Westlund added having online classes has been a challenge, and the lack of face-to-face guidance discouraged her from complicating her looks. Though COVID-19 prevented people from attending the show in person and a lot more designers from participating, Westlund said it was “more intimate” and “a nice change of pace,”
but she wishes more people were able to show their looks. Beverly Leino, a sophomore and secretary of the Fashion Club, has never attended an in-person fashion show at Framingham State, but was heavily involved in the planning of “Ethereal Glamour.” She said the planning for the event re uired constant oom meetings to straighten out the details of the show. “It was a lot of work, but I think that everything came out beautifully,” Leino said. Lynch said she became instantly inspired to create her collection after modeling in a fashion show a couple years ago, but the initial breakout of the pandemic prevented her from displaying her designs in her own show. She described her collection as “nature conscious.” She believes fashion is one of the greatest threats to the planet right now, so her goal was
“I’m often inspired by art that I see, but usually of course it inspires new ideas - this was much more of a collaboration or commission process in that I talked with Kearra about ways to bring her illustration into a real garment,” she said. Norris also discussed her wide range of inspirations including historic Victorian style dresses, old Hollywood style, Star Wars, and engineering. She said she is excited about current projects where she is experimenting with LED lights to incorporate into a costume and bustle dresses. She added her dance costumes were created in her independent study with Fashion Design and Retailing Professor Pam Sebor-Cable. The independent study focused on making costumes for competitive ballroom dance. The two pieces Norris created were for the rhythm or Latin
“We were the people that stuck with our childhood dreams … even if there were people that told us … we weren’t ever going to be fashion designers. If you don’t give up on your dreams you can accomplish them. You can manifest anything you put your mind to!” -Savana Gutierrez, Fashion Design and Retailing Major to use only sustainable fabrics. Lynch added she also drew inspiration from the Greek goddess and ueen of the underworld, Persephone. In her artist statement she said, “Each piece was designed to work and enhance the shapes and movement of the body, rather than just cover it for the sake of modesty.” Olivia Norris is a junior designer whose pieces were included in a digital menu the Fashion Club provided to accommodate designers remotely. This year, her pieces were dance and cosplay themed. Next year for her senior capstone she hopes to create a collection based on theatrical costumes. She said her jumpsuit and jacket combination were created in her draping class, noting the fabric was handling the fabric on a dress form. This piece was created with her sister, Kearra Norris, a comic book artist. Harley Quinn was the inspiration, as her sister did a comic book sketch that depicted her in a business suit.
types of dance. She said she had to conduct research on the re uirements and music used in competitive dance to create her costumes. Norris said her research, sketching designs, and pattern drifting remained the same throughout the pandemic. One big challenge was she couldn’t meet in person with her model. John Frasca, another fashion design and retailing student, was the model for her dance costumes. As the pair could not meet in person, Frasca had to send Norris his measurements. Norris said, “John sent me his final measurements and I jumped right into the final garments! I had to hope the garments would fit him when he went into the studio to take photos thank goodness they fit perfectly!” She said a positive habit that resulted from the increase of technology due to COVID-19, was sending photos of her designs to her professors to track progress.
Norris also never attended a show in person and said experiencing the runway with a live audience would be more exciting than holding a virtual event. She added, “The Fashion Club really made this year’s show amazing though. I feel like they really successfully overcame the obstacles the pandemic created!” Professor Kane described her experience working on the show. “We knew it was going to be very unlikely we were going to have an in-person show,” she said. Kane said in the fall of 2020, they started planning for a virtual event. She said she collaborated often with Professor Seunghye Cho, who teaches Apparel Design and Portfolio class, the senior capstone. In the class, seniors create a portfolio and present it during the CELTSS student research presentation day. The designs are also featured in the fashion show. Kane said, “We wanted to bridge the gap between the portfolio presentation and the fashion show presentation, so we started working in November with putting together digital student portfolios.” She added they also put a “call out” for undergraduate students who submitted portfolios of their work. Kane explained how prior to releasing the digital event, they worked with Campus Events to coordinate a small livestream. “It was a lot of work. Lots of things behind the scenes. Campus Events and SILD were huge players in this and a gigantic help - we couldn’t have done it without them!” she said. Out of all the designs from this year’s fashion show, Kane was unable to pick her favorite. “That’s like picking a favorite child,” she said. Instead of choosing a favorite piece, she picked her favorite aspect of the show, which was the stage decorations. “The fashion show is a very exciting campus-wide event. Since we haven’t had a chance to have an in-person show in the last couple years, we are really hoping 2022 is a big show. We’re going to start working on it next fall to make it a big, exciting event. Keep an eye out!” Kane said.
CONNECT WITH EMILY ROSENBERG erosenberg@student.framingham.edu CONNECT WITH CAROLINE GORDON cgordon4@student.framingham.edu
FRAMINGHAM STATE UNIVERSITY'S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1932 | FSUGATEPOST.COM
30 | MAY 7, 2021
ARTS & FEATURES
The early bird gets the vaccine
FSU student helps book COVID-19 vaccinations for the community By Leighah Beausoleil Editorial Staff An alarm clock blares at 3 a.m. waking Emma izza - it’s time to schedule another COVID-19 vaccine appointment. Scrambling to the electronic device of her choice, she pulls up the CVS website in hopes of booking one of the newly dropped appointments. Since February, izza said she has scheduled over 50 appointments. izza graduated from the niversity of Alabama in 2019, and is now a part of FSU’s PBTL Program with a focus in early childhood education. She began helping people find COVID-19 vaccine appointments following the booking of her own, she said. izza added for many people, booking appointments can be difficult because the system can be complicated and some people struggle with technology. Therefore, she began helping friends, family members, and co-workers. “Before I knew it, I was booking appointments for everybody I knew, and even some people I didn’t know,” she said. izza said she is both reaching out to people and receiving re uests for help from people through Facebook,
text, calls, and face-to-face. “Once I know that somebody needs an appointment, I can’t stop thinking about it,” she added. “I am constantly checking. I have like 18 tabs open. I get all the notifications when the appointments drop. I can’t stop until the appointments are booked. “I’ll wake up at 2 or 3 in the morn-
appointment.” She said another part she finds frustrating is the systems used to schedule the appointments, where “one thing will go wrong and they’ll cancel the appointment. “I do think there’s ways that it could be simpler for people to book the appointments,” izza added. “I don’t
“If anybody needs appointments, let me know. I’m just happy to do a very small part in ending the pandemic.” -Emma Zimma, PBTL Program Student ing for the seat,” she added. izza said she believes getting vaccinated is important. “I think that it’s the best way that the pandemic is going to end,” she added. “The more people that are vaccinated the better. “I just want to help, and I want the pandemic to get better,” she said. izza said the hardest part of her work is when people have tight schedules. “I think the best approach is you go when you go - you get what you get, and you don’t get upset,” she added. “If you have an appointment, take the
think it should be this hard for people.” izza said she will be continuing this work as long as she can help, adding she is happy with the work and seeing the excitement people get in getting their appointments. She said the most rewarding part of the work is when people get their vaccine and send her messages of excitement and photos of their vaccination cards, and knowing these people will be able to reunite with friends and family. izza added she has even had a friend call her crying tears of joy because they were so happy.
She said if “anybody needs appointments, let me know. I’m just happy to do a very small part in ending the pandemic.” James Cressey, professor and chair of the Education Department, said he first heard about the work izza has been doing in one of his education classes. While discussing check-ins pertaining to the students’ field study placements, the class discussed teacher eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccination, izza shared what she has been doing, according to Cressey. “It’s frustrating to see how inaccessible the system is, and that the teachers would need someone to then go and help them navigate that system, but I wasn’t surprised that our students would be doing that type of thing,” he said. “Our education students are especially in tune with service to others,” Cressey added. “They’re going into this profession that’s all about being a community helper.” Cressey said he was impressed with izza’s work and service. He added, “It’s a point of pride for the Education Department to know that our students go above and beyond.” CONNECT WITH LEIGHAH BEAUSOLEIL lbeausoleil@student.framingham.edu
‘Pathologic 2’ - Playing through a pandemic By Sean Cabot Staff Writer When a player begins “Pathologic 2,” their character has killed three men in self-defense after being wrongfully accused of his father’s murder. From then on they will likely spend the following in-game days scrounging for food and money, trying to avoid the law, and desperately running across town to complete uests - some of which are better left undone. This is before the third day brings a plague to the town. Ice Pick Lodge’s “Pathologic 2” will no doubt elicit many uestions from even astute players. However, it raises one horrifying uestion in particular that hangs over the entire affair. What does it mean to “do no harm?” A partial remake of “Pathologic 1’s” second story, the game follows Artemy Burakh, aka the Haruspex, a destitute surgeon returning to his rural Russian hometown after years of medical school. He is uickly given two missions.
@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com
First - finding a cure for the mysterious “sand plague.” Second - managing the tensions between the inhabitants and the “Kin,” village natives with bizarre anatomy. But with the Kin being oppressed and forced to live in work camps, things are looking grim. Did I mention the appearance of a floating polyhedron near the town church? “Pathologic 2” tries as hard as it can to make the player feel as if they are trapped in a small, surreal, and diseased village. For better or worse, it succeeds. Burakh has to eat and drink regularly, and when the plague arrives, prices for food skyrocket. ou can rob houses or mug villagers to survive, but robbery re uires fragile and rare lockpicks, while fighting is clumsy and unreliable. Not to mention the hit you’ll take to your reputation for either and the need for sleep. Thankfully, the game gives you unorthodox options to get by. Burakh can dissect corpses for organs to sell and experiment with or barter seemingly worthless items
with villagers for valuable resources. But in addition to surviving, you also have to make sure your friends in the town stay healthy. Burakh must ac uire or produce medicine to diagnose and treat the plague and keep the town alive. Trading for the elusive cure, known as the “Shmowder,” should be a significant focus in the early days. Planning out your routes to make the most of your limited time is mandatory. It is incredibly easy to mess up and die, and while that might tempt the player to reload a save, that isn’t always an option. Dying will give you permanent handicaps unless you begin a new game entirely, even if you reload saves prior to your death. ou will have a chance to stop this after a few deaths, but it will prevent you from seeing the true ending. And with how unexpected death can be, the message is clear plan your moves carefully. All of this is tied together by a biting wit in dialogue - Burakh’s interactions with the pompous Bachelor and the miracle-work-
ing Changeling being a particular highlight. Although the writing is obtuse and theatrical, it is strangely understandable and engaging. And with so many uestionably moral options to get by, the player is in turn asked to grapple about how much harm they are doing in their uest to heal the town. Are you a good doctor if your path to a cure is littered with corpses? “Pathologic 2” is a hard sell with so many amazing nuances that cannot be easily described. But its intense difficulty and unwieldiness make it hard to recommend casually. To those looking for an artistic triumph, however, look no further.
Grade: B It hurts too good.
CONNECT WITH SEAN CABOT
scabot@student.framingham.edu
ARTS & FEATURES
MAY 7, 2021 | 31
Puzzle solutions are now exclusively online.
ACROSS 1. Skippy competitor 4. Standoffish 9. Machine parts 13. ___ code map 15. Tubular pasta 16. Taken by mouth 17. Redoes / Runs faster than (insert 61-Across between letters 5 and 6 in this answer) 19. Tart sherbet flavor 20. Musical with the song “Tomorrow” 21. Book jacket / Audibly (... between letters 5 and 6 ...) 23. One spelling for a Plains dwelling 25. ___-and-peck 26. Big name in rum 29. Included on an email 31. Periods of time 32. Hoppy beer letters 34. Peanut butter cup brand 38. One who may skip the line, briefly 39. Came for dinner / Something unusual (... between letters 3 and 4 ...) 41. Earth-friendly prefix 42. Start of a shoppe name 44. Org. that X-rays luggage 45. “Let’s go!” 46. Derby calculation 48. Bite symptom 50. German Mrs. 52. Straight, informally 54. Vacuum brand / No longer published (... between letters 2 and 3 ...) 56. Get up 60. “At ___, soldier!” 61. Nonsensical radio signoff 63. Arab ruler 64. Wide-eyed primate 65. Phoenix ballers 66. Recolors 67. Appliance for onion rings 68. Where eagles fly
DOWN 1. Cloaked humanoid in “Star Wars” 2. Get the wrinkles out of 3. Plant with fronds 4. Apt rhyme of “tap” 5. Clue weapon whose token is bent 6. When prompted 7. “Just a moment!” 8. Ending for Oktober? 9. Conspire (with) 10. Belted constellation 11. Run the ___ 12. Toboggan, for instance 14. Japanese dogs 18. Crystal ball gazer 22. “Ole!” or “Hooray!” 24. Reworded, perhaps 26. Large group 27. R&B’s India.___ 28. Mafia boss 30. Come up with 33. Key near the space bar 35. Vehicle with many axles 36. Finance major’s subj. 37. Dance partner? 39. Compute the sum of 40. Question about a rumor 43. Slip-on shoes 45. Groups of musical notes 47. React to cold 49. ___-Grape (Ocean Spray flavor) 50. Like the top of a cappuccino 51. Woman who had a riveting job? 53. Lex Luthor, to Superman 54. Pay attention to 55. Massage deeply 57. Debt slips 58. Dropped to the bottom 59. Online crafts source 62. “I can’t read this treasure map!”
FRAMINGHAM STATE UNIVERSITY'S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1932 | FSUGATEPOST.COM
32 | MAY 7, 2021
PHOTOS
Spread by Ashley Wall/ THE GATEPOST Photos courtesy of The Gatepost, Donald Halsing, Kaitlin Burch, Cara McCarthy, and the Framingham State English Department
@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com