November 21, 2014

The

G atepost

Framingham State University’s independent student newspaper since 1932 volume

83 • number 11

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o v e m b e r

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Framingham State University joins diversity consortium

By Corin Cook Staff Writer

Framingham State University is the newest member of the Leading for Change Higher Education Diversity Consortium - a collaborative effort headed by Bridgewater State University (BSU) with goals

to implement measurable improvements in diversity across campuses.

“It’s exciting because it gives us something concrete to wrap our hands around,” said Rita Colucci chief of staff and General Counsel as well as organizer of the consortium at FSU. “It gives us this automatic network of other schools who are working on doing the same

stuff.”

In June, BSU held a two-day conference called Leading for Change: Diversity Practices in Higher Education. It was attended by 214 participants representing 48 higher education institutions throughout New England. This conference al- Continued on page 3

Student crowned Miss FSU Page 9 fsugatepost.tumblr.com issuu.com/fsugatepost

FSU Campus Police Department corrects police log policy

By James M. Sheridan Jr. News Editor

Jeff Poole/The Gatepost

FSU women’s soccer team celebrates winning the ECAC Championship and being named the best team in New England. See article on page 13.

Veteran turned football player tells his story of pain and perseverance

By Cesareo Contreras Staff Writer

Even the cold, gray rainy day could not keep faculty and the student body away from DPAC Monday afternoon to hear the comeback story of veteran, athlete and newly-published author, Daniel Rodriguez.

Rodriguez’s story is one of many uphill battles. Rodriguez graduated high school with a GPA of 1.2. With his parents in the middle of a separa-

tion, Rodriguez lacked responsibility, he said, and often faked his report card. As long as he was eligible to play football, however, his dad never questioned his grades or what he was doing, according to Rodriguez.

Rodriguez left high school thinking that he had his life figured out, but after losing his father four days after his high school graduation, things changed.

- Continued on page 10

FSU Campus Police will be instituting a new police log policy next week, because a recently passed amendment changed a Massachusetts law - causing the state law to conflict with federal law.

The new amendment, passed last summer, requires police departments to keep entries - including those that pertain to sexual assault and domestic abuse - which previously were completely open to the public, in a separate, private logbook.

However, a federal act, known as the Clery Act, requires police departments in colleges and universities to maintain a daily log in which “all responses to valid complaints” are recorded and made available to the public.

The Jeanne Clery Act, first enacted in 1990, was named in mem- Continued on page 5

Racially offensive vandalism found in Towers

By Brad Leuchte Editorial Staff

A Hispanic Heritage Month board in Corinne Hall Towers was vandalized with racially offensive graffiti in late September.

The graffiti included the phrase “fuck spics” and a large drawing of a penis.

Benni Arias-Gonzalez, a Resident Assistant in the residence

hall hosted two floor meetings addressing the vandalism. One was held soon after the incident, the other on Tuesday Nov. 11, though, as an RA, he was unable to comment on the topic.

President F. Javier Cevallos said, “He did quite a bit by educating people about it, so I think that he has to be proud of his work - Continued on page 4

Inside Hockey earns season’s first win against Worcester 14

Diversity dialogue: domestic abuse 8

Rams Football finish season undefeated in MASCAC 14

Robyn Ochs breaks sexual binaries 8

News

2

Editorial Board 2014-2015 Editor-in-Chief Kaila Braley

Rui - Rui Zhang

Gatepost Interview

Assistant Professor of Department of Fashion Design and Retailing

Associate Editor Joe Kourieh

News Editor

James M. Sheridan Jr. Assistant Editor Mark Strom

Arts & Features Editors Brad Leuchte

Sara Silvestro Assistant Editors Scott Calzolaio Kristen Pinto

Sports Editor Lauren Campbell

Assistant Editor Mike Ferris

November 21, 2014

By Phil McMullin Staff Writer

es. I think the general educaCan you briefly describe tion process is very imporyour resume and educational tant, because students need to know different areas - not only background?

STEM but also arts-related and I got my Ph.D. from Oregon humanities, [and] social sciUniversity, and I did my mas- ences. I cannot pick one class ters also at Oregon State Uni- which I really like - it’s a reversity. Before, I graduated ally hard question. from the university in Beijing, and I worked as a fashion designer for a year. Then, I applied for my master’s degree and I went to Oregon State.

Jennifer Johnson Opinions Editor Mark Wadland

Photos Editors Melina Bourdeau

Danielle Vecchione Assistant Photos Editor Jeff Poole

Do you have any hobbies?

Are you teaching any classes in the spring?

I did a lot of Chinese calligraphy. I’ve been learning Chinese calligraphy for over twenty years. Another hobby is ballet. I’ve done ballet for over five years. I do like music, and I do like to read.

I’m going to teach Consumer Behavior, and one class, Designer to Consumer. I will teach two sections for Consumer Behavior, then one section for Designer to Consumer.

Web Editor Jill Chenevert

Design Editor Brittany Cormier

Staff Writers Danielle Butler

Cesareo Contreras Corin Cook

Hadley Cook

Kylie Dembek

Alexandra Gomes Cameron Grieves Andrew Mades Phil McMullin Chris Monroe Ryan Normile

Jennifer Ostojski Rob Tate

Kyle Torres Staff Photographers Jennifer Wang Kyle Torres Advisor

Dr. Desmond McCarthy Assistant Advisor

What are books?

your

ning, they really want to make friends with the Chinese students, or [students who come] from the same countries, because it’s more convenient for them to communicate. But if you look at more [long-term], it’s important to make American friends and get more chances to speak English. More communication with international students or American students would be really important for them to improve their speaking skills.

favorite

Basically, related to my academic area. Then … some religious-related books.

Mark Strom /The Gatepost

So you immigrated here from China?

What was your favorite class I don’t think I have immigrated in college? to here, but I went to America I think all the classes which - United States - in the begincan help me build up my logi- ning of 2008, so I basically did cal thinking process, and prob- my master’s and Ph.D. in the lem solving classes. I do be- United States. lieve research methodology - which actually, I’m teaching that. I think it’s really important. Based on my previous Do you have any advice for experience, I think it’s really foreign students? important for helping students to build up problem solving I think communication is really and logical thinking process- important. I think at the begin-

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM THE GATEPOST

Police Logs

Kelly Wolfe

Friday, Nov. 14, 2014 09:49 - Maynard Road Parking Lot - State Parking Enforcement. 42 citations issued. fsugatepost.tumblr.com 100 State Street, McCarthy Center Room 410 Framingham, MA 01701-9101 Phone: (508) 626-4605 Fax: (508) 626-4097 gatepost@framingham.edu

@TheGatepost

Monday, Nov. 17, 2014 02:46 - Maynard Road Parking Lot - State Parking Enforcement. 12 citations issued.

13:14 - O’Connor Hall Parking Lot - State Parking Enforcement. 15 citations issued.

23:21 - Hemenway Hall - Undesirable. Advised/removed. Area checks okay.

News

November 21, 2014

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Diversity Consortium - Continued from page 1

lowed a platform for BSU to display its diversity practices, and enabled brainstorming for diversity initiatives among all participating universities.

BSU worked with diversity experts from Bristol Community College, Emerson College, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and UMass Amherst to expand the diversity efforts, and created the Leading for Change Higher Education Diversity Consortium.

Fifteen higher education institutions have joined the consortium since its formation in June. FSU joined in September.

“The participating campuses will deeply benefit by working together to learn from one another regarding ways to support our students through effective diversity practices,” said Sabrina Gentlewarrior, director of institutional diversity at BSU. In his past several months as

“

other institutions. … I am glad that FSU has joined this group of both private and public institutions, because, although we may have quite a diverse campus now, we will have a concrete way to measure the diversity.”

The consortium operates by measuring “diversity benchmarks.”

Specific areas of attention include retention and graduation rates of race minorities, Pell-eligible students, first generation students and other minority groups, which are analyzed and used for decisionmaking based on this evaluation.

“It’s not just about gathering data,” Colucci said. “It’s about gathering data, knowing what’s going on at your own school and then taking measures to address whatever problems you may find. It will definitely nail down some data that we weren’t measuring in the past.”

She said, for example, “If we find out our population of Pell-eligible students isn’t graduating at rates

of this. They’re doing it because they’re interested in diversity.”

Gentlewarrior said BSU is “grateful to President Cevallos for agreeing to have Framingham State University join the Leading for Change Consortium.

“I recently had a conversation with the President and his cabinet regarding the consortium and was deeply impressed by their commitment to issues of equity in higher education.

The consortium is strengthened by Framingham State University’s involvement in it.”

Currently, there is no student involvement in the program, but Gentlewarrior said, “Identifying ways to actively involve students in the consortium is being discussed.”

Several students around campus are showing interest in the consortium and its benefits.

“When I look around at FSU, especially in the dinning commons, I see different ethnic groups and people of different interests sit-

I feel that this is a great initiative, because the more you are able to expand your group of friends without any fear of rejection, the more you are able to learn through their life lessons.

Shaniece Foreman,

”

Black Student Union member president of FSU, F. Javier Cevallos has said that the University must move from a values-based approach to a data oriented focus.

Cevallos noted the importance of “building a model that will allow us to track and assess our gains in a number of indicators related to diversity, such as gaps in graduation and retention rates.”

Colucci said, “We’ve been doing a lot of programs. We bring in a lot of speakers. The diversity committee funds people to go to diversity conferences to work on diversityrelated topics or projects. So we’ve done a lot of work but we haven’t measured what the outcomes of our work are.”

Alyssa Trybus, member of Latinos in Action, said, “It will be interesting to see what best practices FSU implements here, but I think we already have a good start with not only diverse employees and groups, but also with new lectures and discussions open to the campus about diversity.”

She added, “FSU has strong community values, and by joining this consortium, FSU has created an even larger community with the

as high as their other peers, then, hopefully, that will prompt some action towards putting resources or attention towards Pell-eligible students.”

Francesco Servello, member of the Pride Alliance, said, “I believe that any organization that promotes the success of students from diverse backgrounds is essential. The consortium’s efforts to make the results of such diversity efforts transparent are what struck me the most.”

It is unknown what long-term costs this initiative will have on the University, but Colucci said that costs depend on what the University decides to implement based on the information they receive from the data.

“If there are costs associated with this, they are costs toward a goal that we all share anyways, which is the education of our students,” she said.

There is no cost to join the consortium. “With a lot of groups and consortiums, you have to pay to be a part of it. There’s no cost at this time to be a part of Bridgewater’s consortium.” Colucci said. “They [BSU] don’t really get anything out

ting apart from each other,” said Shaniece Foreman, a member of the Black Student Union. “I feel that this is a great initiative, because the more you are able to expand your group of friends without any fear of rejection, the more you are able to learn through their life lessons.”

Some students think that the separation of groups of students can be remedied by the consortium’s efforts.

“I think that joining forces in this way is great, and the more that we can do to help raise awareness, the better,” said Kendall Valente, President of SGA. “I think that the more people that are involved to help combat the issues, the more we can do. So, I think that this will be a huge benefit for us in the long run.”

Naomi Garcia, a member of the Black Student Union, said, “I think that joining this consortium would better the University overall by showing current and prospective students that diversity is as relevant as academic excellence and future success - which is what we all want for ourselves after graduation.”

Student charged with drug violation

By Alexandra Gomes Staff Writer

An abandoned bag of marijuana led to two students being charged with possession of FSU property, taking campus resources and endangering health and safety. One of them has been charged with violating FSU’s drug policy.

On Thursday, Nov. 6 a bag of marijuana was found on the floor of O’Connor Hall. According to the incident report written by Officer Matthew Lavery, an SDA Shelia Texieira “pointed to a clear plastic sandwich bag on the desk that contained a small amount of a green leafy substance which I know through my training and experience to be marijuana.”

Texiera indicated to Lavery that she believed the bag belonged to a specific resident of the building, and that he had dropped it on his way inside. Assisted by Officer Sean Deleskey, Lavery went to speak with the student at his dorm room.

They were met by the student’s roommate who invited them inside.

“I noticed a moderate odor of burnt marijuana,” said Lavery in the incident report. Lavery asked the roommate if there was any marijuana in the room, and the roommate denied there was.

The student suspect came back to his room at this time, and was told why the Campus Police officers were there, and asked if he had any marijuana. The student stated he didn’t, and according to the report, Lavery advised him “of what the RA had reported to us and asked again if he had any marijuana. [He] stated he may and opened the top right drawer to his desk. There was no marijuana.”

Lavery then showed the found bag of marijuana to the student and asked if the bag belong to him. The student confirmed the bag was his, and that he had smoked marijuana in his room earlier, contributing to the smell.

The student was issued a civil citation for possession of marijuana.

Additionally, while in the room, the Campus Police officers discovered a chair from the common area. The roommate was “advised to remove that and place that back in the common area,” according to the incident report.

Lavery reviewed the security camera footage afterward, and confirmed that the student he had spoken with was the one who dropped the bag.

News

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November 21, 2014

Vandalism in Towers - Continued from page 1

to bring awareness to the situation - to the people that were in his floor and his area that actually saw what happened.”

Kathy Martinez, director of FSU’s Multicultural Center, stated in an email to The Gatepost, “When our campus is not informed of acts of racism that occur at FSU and when our community does not formally speak out against these acts, I believe this silence in a way condones racism because it makes it seem as if these incidents never happened at all or that they are insignificant.”

Academic Diversity Fellow Patricia Sánchez-Connally stated in an email when someone in the community “is called a ‘spic’ or a ‘nigger,’ you should be outraged and help to convey the message … that the behavior is unacceptable and that there’s a zero tolerance for racist remarks.”

Dan Magazu, FSU’s Director of Communications said that a meeting was held on the floor on which the incident occurred. He added that there was a correspondence sent out to those on the floor. He said the correspondence “allows an opportunity to condemn such offensive behavior, reinforce desired community values, and to

ask for the assistance of the community members who may have information.”

Magazu stated that both the

“

in an email to The Gatepost. “Racism of any kind is not tolerated.”

Fernando Rodriguez, a junior sociology major, stated, “I think

I believe this silence in a way condones racism because it makes it seem as if these incidents never happened at all or that they are insignificant.

Kathy Martinez,

”

Director, FSU Multicultural Center Campus Police and the Office of Residence Life investigated the vandalism. They concluded that two people outside the FSU community who were signed in by a Towers resident committed it.

“FSU prides itself on being an inclusive, diverse and collaborative community,” Magazu stated

administration passes the buck a lot. So when you go to Res Life and ask them to deal with it, they’ll say, ‘Oh, you have to see the Dean of Students’ … and they’ll pass it along to someone else.

“Nobody can make an administrative effort to handle this,” said Rodriguez. “There are a lot of al-

lies like the Multicultural Center, but other than that, I can’t really say that administration is doing their job.

“The administration did such a marvelous job of covering this up and putting the prestige of the school over the safety and wellbeing of the students,” he added.

“This is our home … and we’re made second priority.”

In regard to the racist graffiti, Mallory Fredricks, a sophomore, stated, “It is clearly happening in my dorm and I am not even aware of it - which is a problem.”

Other students have felt completely in the dark on the subject and have yet to receive any information. Samantha Sweeney, a freshman marketing major, said she doesn’t remember getting an email.

President Cevallos said, “Not every incident has to make it to the top of the newspaper. Not every incident has to go to the police … but all these incidents - regardless of magnitude - should be addressed.”

Some students have decided to speak out on the subject through a blog on Tumblr called “Framingham Speaks Up” in which students around campus are pictured holding up white boards with opinions

SGA allocates over $6,000 to Community Service Club

By Mark Wadland Editorial Staff

SGA allocated $6,240 to the Community Service Club for Service Spring Break, a five-day trip to Worcester, which is available to everyone on a first-come, firstserve basis.

The trip will be held from March 13-18. Food for 15 students and a chaperone will cost $2,460. The van will cost $1,170. Lodging at the Best Western Hotel for five nights will cost $2,333. T-shirts will cost $277.

The FSU Dance Team requested and was allocated $2,646 for 600 T-shirts, which will be distributed over the course of two dance shows on Dec. 11 and 13.

The Diversity Dance Crew requested and was allocated $2,390 for costumes to wear during their dance show on Dec. 5. The dance crew was allocated $1,012 for Tshirts, $300 for sweatpants, $125 for fabric, $100 for bandanas, $78 for leggings, $500 for a performance arts group that will per-

form at the show, $200 for flags and props and $75 for programs.

SILD requested and received $2,000 for a card reader for the Green Room in DPAC. According to Associate Director of SILD Claire Ostrander, students have experienced difficulty accessing the room. They must call Campus Police to unlock and lock the room, which not only takes time, but also should not be a priority for Campus Police.

In other news: • SGA promoted Ezequiel de Leon and Toeg Perkins to Senators-at-Large, and approved the constitution of The Loudest Minds Club.

• At open forum, an SGA senator said some students in the Food and Nutrition program have been unable to take classes they need. Another SGA senator said some students would like Dining Services to remain open one hour later.

Melina Bourdeau/The Gatepost

SGA eBoard discusses funding requests from student clubs.

News

November 21, 2014

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Police Logs - Continued from page 1

ory of Jeanne Clery, who was raped and murdered in her residence hall room by a fellow student on April 5, 1986. After her death, her parents helped create and pass laws requiring the disclosure of campus crime information, including the federal law that bears their daughter’s name.

FSU Campus Police Chief Brad Medeiros said, “It was very apparent the two statutes conflicted with each other.” He added that the police started working with FSU General Counsel Rita Colucci in August, because, although the statutes conflicted, the department is still “mandated to comply with both of them.”

This Thursday, Medeiros said, a new policy for compliance was passed and will “most likely” be put into action as early as next week.

The new policy will fulfill the Clery Act requirements as well as the state law by recording the time, date and title of the offense as well as the response to the offense in the public logs, while keeping the exact charges, as well as any personal information included in the entry, in the private, state-mandated log.

According to Massachusetts amendment (Senate No. 2334), any entry holding “any information concerning reports of domestic violence, rape, sexual assault or assault and battery or (iii) the violation of a protective order where the victim

“

logs should be public because they are “a safety issue.” She added she does not like the idea that the state law does not mandate the departments to be transparent. “It is a matter of control,” she said.

Since September, the FSU Cam-

It is critically important that these offenses not be swept under the rug, and be seen in the full light of day so that we as a society can know the full scope of the challenge we face in taking them in.

”

S. Daniel Carter Director, 32 NCSI

is a family or household member,” will be placed in the private logbook which the public will have no right to view.

Leanne Cyr, a senior nutrition major, said she believes all police

pus Police Department has followed this new law and placed entries concerning reports of sexual assault in a private logbook instead of the public one. However, according to Medeiros, the reports that were placed into the private log will be put back into the public one as soon as the new policy is instituted.

State Senator Karen Spilka (DAshland), who was the Chair of the Conference Committee that reviewed senate docket number 2334, said the reason the document keeps police log entries regarding reports of domestic violence in a private log is to protect the identity of the victims of the crimes.

She added that the committee heard testimony from many victims of domestic abuse who were in support of the change because they believed it would make many victims more comfortable reporting their cases. Spilka added she was surprised that, to her knowledge, the committee did not hear from anyone who was opposed to the amendment. She said she did not agree with the law because she “likes to have things initially transparent.”

Maria Rockowicz, a senior biology major, said she thought keeping certain logs private could be “good or bad.” She added that although keeping the information private could help victims stay confidential, “if you hear about these things … the more likely you will be able to take precautions, even though it sucks that we have to be.”

Angelo Liquori, a senior biology major, said keeping all police

logs public may make people “more aware and precautious.”

State Representative Tom Sannicandro (D-Ashland) said, “The conference committee weighed both sides of whether or not to make public the names of perpetrators, and by association the victims, of domestic violence.” He added, “In the end, the committee decided domestic violence reporting should be treated the same as reporting guidelines in the case of rape and sexual assault, and therefore the names should be withheld so as not to discourage victims from coming forward and seeking help.”

According to the Director of the 32 National Campus Safety Initiative (32 NCSI) S. Daniel Carter, who helped develop and pass the Clery Act, the federal law “provides extensive privacy protections for victims of all crimes,” and “specifically states that any information that would ‘jeopardize the confidentiality of the victim’ must be withheld from the public log.”

He added, “The new [Massachusetts] exception runs directly counter to the recent amendments to the Clery Act which require additional transparency about dating violence, domestic violence and stalking, as well as sexual assault. … It is critically important that these offenses not be swept under the rug, and be seen in the full light of day so that we as a society can know the full scope of the challenge we face in taking them in.”

Colucci said that after working with outside counsel, FSU Campus Police has found way to “maintain compliance” with both the federal and state laws.

Junior biology major Kourtney Kacian said she believes the time and effort Campus Police has put into complying with both laws is “commendable.” She added having information about the crimes committed on campus makes her feel safer.

Junior political science and English major Susan Siraco said, “While I understand protecting the privacy of the victims of these crimes, hiding the information may help promote the idea that these aren’t ‘real’ crimes and belittle how severe these things truly are.” She added, “I think it is good campus police is fixing this, and although fixing these things may not solve the problem [of sexual assault and domestic abuse] tomorrow, they may help us move in the right direction towards a solution.”

November 21, 2014

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The Gatepost Editorial

Congratulations FSU champs!

This season, three FSU sports teams are championship winners - the football team and volleyball team are MASCAC champs and the women’s soccer team are ECAC champs.

These teams not only won these titles this year, but it is the third consecutive year that the football team has won the conference title. It is the volleyball team’s second year as victors and the women’s soccer team’s second year playing in the championship.

Not only are these major accomplishments for the students on these teams, but they’re also achievements of which the whole school should be proud. These titles represent the caliber of students who attend FSU. These students are dedicated, hardworking team players who take pride in being called FSU Rams.

These teams should be exceptionally proud of their achievements, but we at The Gatepost want to congratulate all student athletes for their dedication and school spirit throughout their seasons. FSU athletes represent our school through their sportsmanship, dedication and drive in every game in which they play.

Every touchdown or goal represents a win for our school and a point for school spirit.

Student athletes act as ambassadors for our campus, showing the larger community the type of student who attends FSU and the hard work they are willing to put into the sports about which they are passionate. The sweat and dirt on their clothes are badges of their perseverance and drive to keep pushing themselves harder.

The heart that these students put into their sports is especially admirable when considering that they spend two-and-a-half hours a day, almost every day of the week, practicing and improving. When teams travel to away games, it sometimes takes as much as two hours to get to them. Once there, the team members spend hours at the game and then travel hours back to campus.

These students make this kind of time commitment and dedication, all while keeping up a minimum GPA, working jobs or being involved with other on campus clubs and activities.

Being a Division III school means that these students put their heart and soul into the game, making the sacrifices that are required of them, for the pure love of the sport. They are not driven by scholarships or national recognition - they are on that field or court because they love what they do.

Next time you are on campus and aren’t sure how to pass the time, attend a sports game.

You’ll have a great time, express your school spirit and see first-hand the skill and dedication FSU’s student athletes have cultivated.

We at The Gatepost admire and want to congratulate the student athletes who represent our school for their hard work this season and their well-deserved titles. Go Rams!

Op/Ed

Alternative scheduling for holidays

It is difficult for many Americans - especially those actively practicing a religion - to understand or sympathize with the atheist or agnostic effort to transition the United States into a new age of secularism. A large portion of the believers, such as Bill O’Reilly, view this movement as a war on religious beliefs.

From my personal experiences, as an atheist speaking with other atheists about such topics, I can assure you that the majority of the atheist population do not wish to interfere with anybody’s right to practice their own personal religions.

Instead, the majority of us wish to live in a country where all aspects of government, and all matters of governance - including federal holidays and town-funded celebrations - to remain secular. With the same admiration for provable fact that leads us to such secularist notions, we would appreciate holidays to be historically accurate.

This standard would affect three major holidays: Columbus Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Columbus slaughtered and raped natives for fun before selling the remainder in Europe as slaves.

Thanksgiving is a holiday with its roots in a lie that the British colonists and the North American natives had loving, friendly relations. Christmas is a holiday celebrating the birth of a man whose existence hasn’t been proven.

While there is zero dispute about Columbus or Thanksgiving, Jesus stirs heated emotions among followers when his existence is challenged. That’s

fine - this argument is not about the amount of proof individuals have for their belief systems. This argument is about the amount of proof a government of a free people should have before declaring the protagonist of a specific holy book’s birthday a holiday for all.

If, as a country, we did not recognize these three holidays federally, it would be easier to structure holiday breaks to suit the needs of schools and students. Maybe it would be easier to have shorter, more consistent breaks throughout the year as opposed to long stretches of months with a few scattered holidays throughout, and then a long break in the middle of winter. Maybe the academic pressure of cramming education in between the awkwardly placed holidays of November and December would be alleviated by an even spacing of short breaks.

The progression towards this change is visible.

For instance, we call what was formerly “Christmas Break,” “Winter Break” - although this affects little. I feel like we are at a point in society where we should move away from holidays selected by historical-apologist’s and churches, and move into an era of planning academic holidays around what is best for the education of students.

That being said, practice what faith you wish, and have a happy Thanksgiving and a happy holiday season.

Phil McMullin Class of 2017

Tobacco proposal throws grandma off rocker

A few weeks ago, I went home for the first time in a while, and while driving through the center of town, I saw signs that left me puzzled. These signs read, “We are a free country?” which left me wondering if the robot uprising had finally began or the apes had broken out of their cages with the intent of starting a primitive society.

Both of those ideas are ridiculous, but nowhere near as absurd as what these people were actually angry about. I finally got home and asked my mom what was going on and before telling me, she had a fit of laughter, and then proceeded to say, “Three members on the Board of Health in Westminster are trying to ban the sale of tobacco products.” I had a fit of laughter so hard my entire torso felt as if I had just done a crossfit workout.

“One in 5 people who slip on a banana peel fall and injure themselves. Ban the sale and use of bananas in Westminster,” read a sign in the window of Vincents Country Store. Obviously outraged, the owners of this small variety store would nearly be run out of business if this bill passed.

The Chair of the Westminster BOH, Andrea Crete, made this proposal in the hope of keeping the town’s youth from using harmful tobacco products. Quite candidly, Andrea, I’m not sure if you considered this, but Westminster is a small town, enclosed by several other small towns. Your ban proposal isn’t helpful - it’s being inconsiderate.

Sure, the habit of smoking itself isn’t the most beneficial for anybody’s health, but this is America, and it’s the people’s right to make choices to use tobacco products.

Days later, a friend from back home sent me a picture of my grandmother on the news holding up a sign and protesting. The next day, the same grandmother appeared on the front page of three local newspapers, and by the look on her face, she was furious. This is the same little old woman who used to take care of me when I was sick, and whenever I come home from college, she makes it a point to come see me and give me a bag of homemade cookies. Something is obviously ridiculous if it turns my sweet little grandmother into a five-foot fireball of angst and rebellion.

On Wednesday, Nov. 19, I had to go back home, and I ran into Westminster Police Officer Ralph Leblanc. I asked him about the status on the tobacco ban, and he chuckled and replied, “The bill was withdrawn about 45 minutes ago.” In a 2-1 vote, Andrea Crete’s board members had ousted her while she stood her ground and yet again voted “yes.”

I was raised in Westminster, and it’s quite a loving, small town which is not known for a whole lot, but in a matter of two weeks, Crete made us look like idiots in front of the whole country. Next time you see all of the cookie-pushing grandmothers up in arms with signs and death stares at Town Hall, understand whatever you’re doing is wrong, because the pack-a-day smoking citizens won’t change for you.

Ryan Normile Staff Writer

The Gatepost welcomes submissions from students, faculty and staff for the Op/Ed page.

Please send submissions under 300 words to gatepost@framingham.edu.

The Gatepost editors reserve the right accept or reject submissions, and to edit spelling and grammar as is deemed necessary.

Op/Ed submissions reflect the opinions of their authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of The Gatepost or its staff.

Ads

November 21, 2014

6

Community Service Club Where: McCarthy Center 419 When: Monday’s @ 1:30PM

Like us on Facebook: FSU Community Service Club Questions? E-mail us at: Communityservice@framingham.edu

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November 21, 2014

ARTS & FEATURES

Author Robyn Ochs breaks the sexual binaries

By Scott Calzolaio Assistant Arts & Features Editor

The boundaries of the typical masculine/feminine gender binary were broken on Wednesday, as bisexual author Robyn Ochs promised to take the small crowd in DPAC on an “exciting adventure” beyond the binary.

“I would like to take you on a journey to the landscape of sexual identity,” said Ochs.

Ochs’ goal was for students to recognize gender variation, and “to see through the lenses of identity” in order to better understand the complexity of human sexuality.

Heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, pansexual, transsexual, asexual and queer, along with other identities, are all sexual identities. The gender binary is still the norm for American society, leaving other identities excluded, said Ochs.

“What human beings do is take really complicated things and make them seem simple,” said Ochs. “We organize them and package them, in some sort of way that feels tight, giving us the illusion of control over reality.”

Ochs’ key to understanding human sexuality is through intersectionality, a term coined by legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw in her 1989 essay concerning sexuality and race.

“Every single person has many different categories of identity,” said Ochs, explaining her interpretation of

Melina Bourdeau/The Gatepost

Robyn Ochs discussed the complexity of human sexuality in DPAC. intersectionality, including “religion, political affiliation.

“Every single one of our identities affects all of our other identities which means there is no one example of a person being gay, because gay does not exist in a vacuum,” she said.

One of Ochs’s main points was to differentiate between the terms gender and sex.

“Sex is between the legs, while gender in between the ears,” said Ochs, who added that people, more often than one might think, do not relate to their sex in the way they relate to their gender, and gender is far more complex than the typical binary system.

Ochs’s talk was followed by an anonymous survey of the audience

regarding sexual and romantic preferences. The surveys were collected and redistributed among the students, and the results were displayed using numbers on the floor, representing the progression and variation of sexual behavior within our own campus community.

Kimberly Awiszio, senior English major and president of Pride Alliance, which sponsored the speaker said, “I thought the event went super well! The smaller crowd allowed for a more intimate and casual learning experience that was super awesome.

Ultimately, the goal of the event was for people outside the GLBTQA community to take something away from it, and I definitely think that happened, so I’m very happy.”

Calvin Ridley, a junior studio art major, said, “Gender inclusion is important first and foremost because many people don’t understand the basics - for instance, the stark differences between sex and gender. A lot of people don’t even understand what bisexual or pansexual are. What about polyamory? Or even queer? It’s just a topic that many haven’t yet explored.”

According to Ridley, the audience was captivated by Ochs and her research, and, by the end of the presentation, she “had us all feeling very comfortable and educated on the topic.”

Jennifer Holden, a sophomore early education major, said, “Robyn’s talk brought a different type of event that you wouldn’t normally see on campus. It was very powerful, and I am glad that Pride Alliance choose to bring her to our school. Gender inclusion is something that I never really thought about that much until I went to the event tonight.

Holden said that the event has changed the way she looks at individuals.

Kate Turner, a senior psychology major, said, “I thought Robyn brought a lot of knowledge and experience to the campus, and gender inclusion is important to me because I know so many people who feel alone because people don’t realize there are more than two genders.” ​

Community discusses domestic abuse during two Diversity Dialogues

ByKaila Braley Editor-In-Chief

By Jennifer Johnson Editorial Staff

Three students hosted two Diversity Dialogues over the past two weeks to discuss domestic violence and its impact on the community.

The diversity dialogues were titled, “How far will you let it go: drawing the line on intimate partner violence.”

They were held by self-proclaimed “students who care” - junior sociology major Fernando Rodriguez, junior psychology major Victoria Dansereau and senior English major Kimberly Awiszio.

In the first dialogue, held in the Multicultural Center on Thursday Nov. 13, Awiszio, asked true or false questions to give the audience an idea of how far reaching domestic abuse is.

Some of the statistics included that 10 million people a year are victims of domestic abuse, and one in every four men in the U.S. are subjected to violence by their partners. There are approximately six deaths per day as a result of domestic abuse.

The students who led the discussion reminded everyone not to talk about anyone in particular in their discussion and to be respectful.

The group included approximately ten students and as many administra-

tors and faculty members. The audience considered the way media portrays gender roles and violence.

Rodriguez said people should “listen to these things critically.” He used the example of music that might portray violence - specifically violence against women. He said he used to listen to it, but now he thinks it sounds stupid. “You have to challenge yourself before you can challenge everyone else,” he said.

Dean of Students Melinda Stoops said the culture in which domestic violence is prevalent is “exposed daily” through the language people use, such as words which have sexual connotations that put women down.

One of the students said it’s really important for people to spread positivity and kindness even in the face of difficulties or others’ harmful actions.

She added that she’s been “personally affected” by the recent discussions concerning domestic violence, feeling unsafe on campus, when she feels as if she should be able to consider FSU home. She added that if people in the community worked on making campus a safe space, it would be a step closer to making the bigger community a safe space as well.

Another student asked why there wasn’t a bigger discussion on campus, such as a mandatory campus-wide

-Continued on page 10

Photos by Melina Bourdeau/The Gatepost

The group at the Diversity Dialogue discussed the larger implications of domestic abuse, including how administrators have responded to related incidents on campus.

November 21, 2014

Arts & Features

9

Miss FSU

In this year’s Miss FSU competition, Brittany Booker (left) won first place, Cassandra Zullo won second and Amanda Bonacorsa won third place.

President Cevallos and Larry Liuzzo (above) were this year’s hosts.

Allie McGrath and Brandon Martinez (above) danced to Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the USA” during the formal wear segment of the competition.

Arts & Features

10

November 21, 2014

Veteran turned football player tells his story of pain and perseverance -Continued from page 1

“That’s when things really hit me as far as what I was going to do with my life, because there was nobody supporting me anymore,” Rodriguez said. “I hadn’t even maintained a real job. I always had my father provide for me. I never had to ask for anything - that’s the childhood I was brought up in. … And when he passed away, that’s when the realization of me having to become a man really set in.”

Rodriguez, remembering his father’s exciting Vietnam War stories, his memories of playing solider as a kid and his poor grades, inspired him to no longer make excuses and join the military.

Rodriguez initially wanted to join the Air Force, but when he went to the recruiting station, they had gone to lunch, so he went down the hall and joined the Army.

Rodriguez, as a result of failing his background check, was given slim options of work, such as “truck driver, infantryman and cook.” Not wanting to be a cook, Rodriguez decided to join the infantry, which would put him on the frontline.

After graduating basic training, Rodriguez was soon deployed to Iraqi for a 15-month tour. Rodriguez described the warzone as being “a hot time” and a “very hostile environment.” He learned there that the army wasn’t for him, he said.

“That deployment really put perspective in my life of I what knew I didn’t want to do, and that was stay in the Army,” Rodriguez said. “You kind of have this perception that everything is horrible around you, until you get into an environment that’s worse than where you actually were, and then it kinda makes sense you just weren’t taking advantage of what you had.”

Rodriguez wanted to leave the Army, but was obligation to continue for 4 years, and in his second deployment, was sent to Afghanistan for a year.

Rodriguez said that at this time, he was in the bloodiest battle that has occurred in the war in Afghanistan to date - The Battle of Kadmish.

“On Oct. 3, 2009, I was one of 38 Americans that was overrun by 400 plus Taliban soldiers. It was an 18hour firefight. I was shot through the

did not. He turned to alcohol and drugs, and used his war experience as an excuse for his actions, he said.

Rodriguez reached his breaking point when he contemplated suicide.

“Coming back from Afghanistan, seeing my friends killed and just kind of reliving [my experience], I had the

Melina Bourdeau/The Gatepost

Rodriguez tell his comeback story to an audience in DPAC. shoulder. I took shrapnel in both my legs and my neck,” he said.

Rodriguez believed his time would come at any second of that battle, and found the ordeal of eminent death “daunting.”

“I didn’t think I was gonna make it out,” said Rodriguez. “The entire time I was fighting and killing, I was just like, ‘My time is gonna come any minute now.’ And it’s really a daunting place to have in your mind made up - you’re gonna die.”

Rodriguez described the experience as a “push,” but not one he found helpful. He experienced Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder when he arrived home. Rodriguez could not understand why he lived and his friends

ultimatum of myself and a bottle of vodka and a 9 mm to my head where I thought it was gonna be the end for me, because I just had no more purpose,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez found strength and purpose, however, once he remembered the promise he made to a fellow soldier during the war.

“When I was in Afghanistan with my buddy Thomson, we talked about what we wanted to do after our lives we got out,” he said. “And for me all I talked about was being a college football player.

Rodriguez remembered promising Thomson that when he got out he would use his G.I. bill to get educated and realize his dream of playing col-

sensitive topics. He and the other students reminded everyone of the suggested guidelines: no naming, keeping it a safe space, respecting other people’s ideas and experiences and being honest.

He said, “We are just here to raise awareness, not point fingers or focus on any specific event or person.”

The students hosting the event asked the audience how they would define IPV/domestic abuse. One student said, “When you demoralize a person, or take value away from them … or if you express superior power.”

Another student added, “If you instill fear in someone else and make them wonder what possibly could happen next.”

Rodriguez commended the students for their answers and then recited the United States Department of Justice definition, which is, “A pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner.”

He said, “There are different types

of abuse - financial, emotional, psychological, sexual and physical abuse.” Rodriguez reached out to the audience to define these types of abuse. One student said, “Emotional abuse is when you verbally abuse someone by bringing them down and degrading them.”

Awiszio informed the audience of the signs of domestic abuse within the parameters of their own personal relationships as well as their friends’ relationships. According to Awiszio, domestic abuse is much more common than people think.

Awiszio added that it is still a form of abuse if one’s partner is threatening to hurt him or herself in response to any of one’s actions.

According to Guadalupe-Diaz, it is hard to find accurate statistics regarding the number of LGBT couples experiencing domestic violence due to their community being uncomfortable about being surveyed.

Director of the Multicultural Center, Kathy Martinez raised the topic of the Instagram image of the Hal-

lege football. “‘I’m in the best shape of my life,’” he recalled saying to Thomson. “‘I’m still young. I still have both my legs.

I think it will work out if I get out of here.’”

Rodriguez worked out constantly and made sure his body was in shape for football. He devoted all his time to that promise, and found something to live for, he said. He even made a video, spending all the money he had, that outlined his skills and told his story.

Referred to by his friends as the “Justin Bieber of football,” Rodriguez’ video went viral, and soon he was raking in offers. Although, he got many offers from schools, many rejected him after finding out his high school GPA, despite the fact that he had a 3.5 at the community college he attended. However, he was able to attend a training camp at Clemson University and made the team.

“Where I’m at now, I’ve been in all 30 plus games. … I’ve made a name for myself and my university,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez urged the audience to take away the most out of everything, and to make a “decision” to find their own success and not make excuses.

“At the end of the day,” Rodriguez said, “everybody has the opportunity to do what they want to do. You just have to make that decision.”​ Chris Dagg, a junior, said, “I thought it was a good speech. Being a college football player myself, I played Divsion I football so I could relate.”

Larry Miller, the head softball coach, said, “I thought it was really good. [It was a] great opportunity for students to come listen to someone who has gone through a lot in their life and achieved sucess. ... He is a good role model.”

Community discusses domestic abuse during two Diversity Dialogues

-Continued from page 8

meeting where students could talk about these issues.

Rodriguez spoke about how Awiszio, Dansereau and himself put aside their other responsibilities that week to organize these discussions, but he doesn’t believe the administration took the matter seriously enough.

Rodriguez said he thought the administration was more concerned about the “reputation of the school over the safety of the students.”

He asked whether the administration was being “reactive or proactive,” adding, “How can we amplify our voices?”

In the second diversity dialogue, sociology professor Xavier GuadalupeDiaz, who specializes in researching intimate partner violence and also teaches a course on intimate partner violence (IPV) accompanied the students leading the discussion.

Fourteen students and five faculty and staff members were at the event.

Rodriguez began the discussion by stating it is “critical” to have these types of conversations about such

loween costumes depicting domestic violence and said, “Administratively, other than this event and the other event that you all did, there has been no formal forum for discussing what this image has done to our campus.

So as part of the administration, I think we really need to find a way to have more conversations when these things come to our campus.”

A student said, “Yeah just going off of what Kathy said, I completely agree. I don’t think the post should have been swept under the rug. I think something should be done. There needs to be more sense of urgency.

They [administration] need to understand that this is affecting students.”

Rodriguez said, “Victims don’t feel comfortable talking to certain people.

Sometimes, you talk to somebody and there is no response. Say you opened up and talked to somebody and nothing was done, except maybe an email.

Is that going to make you want to speak up next time something happens?”

Arts & Features

November 21, 2014

11

Campus Conversations W h a t a d v i c e d o yo u h av e f o r underclassmen about regisration?

“Don’t forget about it!”

- Stephen Brown, senior

By Ryan Normile

“Look at your DegreeWorks.

Meet with your advisor on time.

Be smart.

- Tony Alexandre, senior

“If you can, have an upperclassman with you when you register.”

“First two classes that are low on seats - pick those first and pick others later.”

- Megan Muise, sophomore

- Benni Arias-Gonzalez, junior

“Do it as quickly as possible.

Bring a list of classes. Go to Panera for good wifi.”

“Don’t be working the day of registration. It doesn’t work out well!”

- James Sheehan, sophomore

- Mary O’Neill, sophomore

Edited by Timothy E. Parker November 21, 2014 IN THE NFL By George Pompey ACROSS 1 6 11 14 15 16 17 19 20 21 22 23 25 27 30 31 32 35 38 39 42 45 49

Canon copier rival Two-legged support N.C. State’s athletic org.

The end of ___ Met offering Bit of hope Dangerous part of a weapon Mom’s forte, for short ___-Honey (candy bar) Aim improver Bird feature Like right-slanting type DisappearingAsian body of water Bank employee Detroit product “Sesame Street” regular “Dear” one Alpha’s opposite ‘60s radical sit-in grp.

Run ___ (var.)

Giacomo della ___ (St. Peter’s architect) Angler’s supplies Grain alcohol

50 53 54 57 58 59 61 62 63 64 65 66

Worked hard Pack down Martini’s partner Festive affair “What was ___ do?”

Metropolis, e.g.

Always, in verse Steinway product Request from the boss Bishop’s jurisdiction Tropic locales ___Ababa (Ethiopian capital)

DOWN 1 Jewish scholar 2 One in an igloo 3 Jai alai baskets 4 Baltimore team 5 Solo of “Star Wars” 6 Kind of pear 7 ____ facto 8 Check out on the sly 9 Like a mule, stereotypically 10 Mom’s guy 11 Craftspersons 12 Popular telephone service 13 Island group in the southAegean

Last issue’s solutions:

18 Portuguese coin, once 22 Become fuzzy 24 Motel freebie 26 It comes before beauty 28 Battering device 29 All thumbs 32 NFL two-point plays 33 One being aped 34 Mount with presidents 36 ___ few rounds (spar) 37 Polar bear’s domain 40 Roughen, as lips 41 Family reunion attendees 43 Boxing victory, briefly 44 Adjusted, as a car’s wheels 46 Actor Chuck of “The Delta Force” 47 Worldwide 48 Pleased as punch 51 Perfume resin 52 Offers a challenge 55 Psychologically all there 56 Starters for “Cat” and “Caps” 59 Reuters competitor 60 That, in Mexico

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November 21, 2014

Sports

13

Jeff Poole/The Gatepost

Women’s soccer crowned ECAC Champs

By Lauren Campbell Sports Editor

Six minutes was all the Framingham State Women’s Soccer team needed to score two goals against the topseeded Wheaton Lions to secure the ECAC Division III New England Women’s Soccer Tournament semifinal victory.

Just over a minute into the game, senior forward Marisa Parent sent a cross into the box for fellow senior forward Isabela DeSouza, who redirected the ball toward the net. Junior forward Brini Varetimos grabbed the loose ball after it deflected off a Lion defender and fired a shot that found the back of the net for an early Rams’ lead.

The lead was doubled four minutes later when junior midfielder Marissa Miele converted sophomore back Angela Pallotta’s long pass.

The Lions had two prime scoring chances in the second half, but junior goalkeeper Sara Sullivan proved to be too much for the visiting team. Wheaton’s first chance came with 33 minutes remaining, when Lauren Corigliano had a perfect view of the net, but Sullivan made the diving stop.

Corigliano tried her luck again when Julia Cipriano passed her the ball, but was rejected again by Sullivan.

Time expired and the Lady Rams found themselves on the way to ECAC Championship game on Sunday to play host to New England University.

Twenty-eight minutes into the game, the Nor’ Easters hit a one-timer for what would have been the first goal of the game, but were waved off because of an offside defender.

With the game deadlocked at zero, the clock expired and the game headed into extra time.

The teams headed for double overtime, as UNE had yet to register an official shot. In the 101st minute, Varetimos tried to end the game, but her shot hit the post.

The shot turned into a rebound that Parent tried to convert to a goal, but the ball went wide of the net.

After 110 minutes, the game was to be decided in penalty kicks. The Nor’ Easters would shoot first, send-

Jeff Poole/The Gatepost

The Lady Rams are the first women’s soccer team in program history to win the ECAC title. ing Margaret Palmer to open the period, but and her shot was saved by Sullivan – her first save of the game.

The junior then showed versatility and went beyond making saves by converting her penalty kick to give the Rams a 1-0 advantage.

After another Sullivan save DeSouza was up next for the Rams. She slipped her shot past UNE’s goalie, Brielle Johnson, to put the Rams up in penalty kicks, 2-0.

Tori Field shot next for UNE and kept her team’s championship hopes alive as she was able to slip the ball past Sullivan.

With a one-goal advantage Parent converted the Rams’ third-consecutive penalty kick to take back the two-goal lead.

UNE’s Kayla Hamel was able to beat Sullivan and

keep the game alive.

Sophomore midfielder Claryssa Cunniff was the fifth Ram to take her penalty kick and the fifth to find the back of the net as the Rams inched closer to the ECAC title.

With the game on the line yet again, Sullivan shut the door on UNE’s Lindsey Monaco, securing Framingham State’s ECAC Championship title.

Sullivan didn’t register a save in her 120 minutes spent in net, but proved to be a crucial part of the Rams’ victory.

She was also named the tournament’s most outstanding player after stopping two penalty kick attempts and netting her own.

Varetimos also earned an honor of her own, taking home the MASCAC Women’s Soccer Player of the Week award. She capped off the tournament with three goals for six points.

Both DeSouza and Parent capped their stellar collegiate careers with conference- and team-leading stats on top of their championship.

DeSouza led the team in goals with 18 and points with 43. She led the MASCAC in shots with 116, and her points and goals placed her second in the conference standings.

Parent ended her record-breaking career with 17 goals and 41 points this season. She and DeSouza had seven assists a piece. She was right behind DeSouza in the MASCAC standings in points, coming in third.

The Lady Rams completed their season with a 14-7 overall record and a 5-2 conference record behind firstyear head coach Kristina Kern. The team scored 56 goals this season, while they held their opponents to 31.

The dynamic duo of DeSouza and Parent scored 35 (62.5 percent) of the team’s 56 goals.

Framingham will say goodbye to seniors Melissa Higgins, and Emily Biegner as well as Parent and DeSouza who will finish their careers as ECAC New England Division III Women’s Soccer Champions.

Sports

14

November 21, 2014

Hockey earns season’s first win against Worcester

By Lauren Campbell Sports Editor

Framingham took the ice for their second MASCAC game of the year, squaring off against the Salem State Vikings, whom Framingham only beat once in three meetings last season.

The Rams, still in search of their first win of the season, knew it would be a tough bout with the Vikings, who were also looking to grab their first win.

Alaska native Ryan McDonald got the Rams on the board first when he and Brendan McCarron went on a two-on-one break. McCarron slid a pass to McDonald, who went top-shelf to beat the glove of Vikings’ goalie Jason Pucciarelli.

Salem countered with five minutes left in the first period when the team took on a power play. MacKenzie Cook’s shot rang off the post and past Rams’ goalie Alessio Muggli to knot the game at one.

It didn’t stop there as the Vikings’ offense opened up when Framingham got a 10-minute game misconduct and Salem scored back-to-back goals in the closing minutes of the period to go into the ntermission with

a two-goal lead.

In the second, Framingham earned a power play and were able to cut Salem’s lead to one when sophomore Vaughn Guetens lit the lamp for his first goal of the season with assists from McCarron and freshman Keith Barnaby.

With a slim, one-goal lead, the Vikings added some insurance and upped their lead back to two after Kristofer Faric found himself in front of the net and was able to push the rebounded puck to the back of the net for the team’s fourth goal.

The Rams tried to battle back in the third but came up short as the period remained scoreless, sealing Salem’s first victory of the season.

Framingham was outshot by the Vikings, 41-25 as its record dipped to 0-3-1.

On Thursday, the Rams traveled to Worcester to take on the Lancers in their fourth-consecutive MASCAC matchup.

The Rams took two of the three games they played

last season, winning with identical scores of 4-2.

The Lancers had not lost a game since their opening night on Oct. 31 going into Thursday’s bout, settling for two consecutive overtime ties in their last three games.

Six minutes after the puck dropped, the Lancers got on the board for an early 1-0 lead. Framingham was unable to score before first intermission, heading into the break down by one.

The Rams had an offensive burst, starting with McCaron, who scored his first of the night, followed by a power play goal coming off the stick of McDonald. The visiting team would not surrender their lead after that.

McCaron added two more goals for the hat-trick, while McDonald added another one of his own, combining for all five of the teams’ goals. Muggli made 36 saves on the night, allowing two goals in Framingham’s 5-2 victory.

The Rams are back in action on Saturday when they play host to MASCAC opponent, Fitchburg State. The puck will drop at 7:40 p.m. at the Loring Arena.

Rams football finish season undefeated in MASCAC

By Mike Ferris

Assistant Sports Editor

Following Saturday’s 29-14 defeat of Worcester State in the regular season finale, Framingham had a lot to celebrate.

For the third consecutive year, the Rams finished with an unblemished conference record of 8-0 and looked to be headed for the NCAA tournament as they had the previous two years.

However, when Sunday rolled around and the selection committee put out the NCAA Division III Bracket, the Rams had been snubbed.

Having missed the tournament, Framingham has been given a bid for the ECAC North Atlantic Bowl where it will play Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on Nov. 22.

Despite the disappointment, the win over Worcester State was the icing on the cake to a great season, and the game summed up the season.

Framingham played fairly even with the Lancers for the first half and most of the third quarter before eventually banding together and dominating the fourth, 19-0.

The game started with Worcester State striking first when the 6’ 4”, 245 -pound All-American tight end, Casey Hippert, caught an 8-yard touchdown pass from Pat Viencek.

The score gave the Lancers a 7-0 lead but the Rams would answer later in the first.

The last drive of the quarter was highlighted by several Jalen Green rush attempts, but eventually stalled at the Worcester two when Green was stuffed on back-to-back attempts and Matt Silva threw an incomplete pass.

On fourth down, the Rams sent the kicking unit out for Sean Wlasuk to try a 20-yard field goal. His kick was good and cut into the Lancer lead, making it 7-3 after one.

The second quarter was played scoreless until 17 seconds remained until half-

Jennifer Wang/The Gatepost

Junior safety Matt Mangano had seven solo tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in Saturday’s 29-14 victory over Worcester State. time. On second down, Silva dropped back to pass, but when nothing was open, he tucked the ball and scrambled.

Silva got hit just as he crossed the goal line and the side judge signaled touchdown, giving Framingham its first lead of the game, 10-7.

Framingham went to the half with lead for the sixth time this year. It had

won its previous five when leading at the break.

However, the pesky Lancers refused to go away, recapturing the lead in the third quarter when Noah Brum found Dana Barry for a three-yard score and a 14-10 advantage.

The fourth quarter was highlighted by three Framingham touchdowns while

the defense held strong, holding Worcester scoreless and securing the win.

The three touchdowns consisted of an 11-yard hookup from Silva to Jared Gauthier, a 15-yard pass from Silva to Marcus Grant and a 30-yard catch and run from Randall Kelleher.

Following some PAT blunders, the three touchdowns only resulted in 19 points but would be plenty as Framingham escaped with a 15-point victory.

The Rams outgained the Lancers in total yards 357-202. Of the 357, 201 came in the air, while 156 consisted of rushing yards.

Silva rounded out his regular season going 15-42 for 201 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.

Green led all rushers with 104 yards on 27 attempts. The 100-yard game marked Green’s team-high third of the year.

Behind Green was Silva with 41 yards and Aaron Owens with 13.

Jared Gauthier led the receivers with 49 yards. He was followed by Travis Hayes with 40, Kelleher with 40, Grant with 37 and Tevin Jones with 35.

The defense came up with three picks and four sacks.

Matt Mangano, Jaquan Harris and Svenn Jacobson were responsible for the interceptions.

Jacobson was also credited with a sack along with Olajuwon Dickerson, Guychard Samspon and Brian Montambault.

Mangano now leads the team in picks with five, while Dickerson leads in sacks with seven.

Dickerson was named MASCAC Football Defensive Player of the Week, while teammate Jacobson was named MASCAC Football Rookie of the Week.

The North Atlantic Bowl is set for Saturday at noon at Bowditch Field.

SPORTS

November 21, 2014

15

Men’s basketball start season 2-0 Women’s basketball wins two of three

By Lauren Campbell

By Mike Ferris

Sports Editor

Assistant Sports Editor

After defeating both Connecticut and Anna Maria colleges, the men’s basketball team sits at 2-0 and claimed the 2014 Connecticut College Coaches vs. Cancer Tip-Off Tournament title.

In the season opener against host Connecitcut College, Framingham ground out a 60-55 victory.

With six minutes left in the second half, the Rams found themselves tied at 51. In the next Framingham possession Ronnie DeBarros missed a layup before grabbing his own offensive rebound, which would prove to be pivotal.

With a new possession, Patrick Cuff finished a layup off an assist from DeBarros, giving Framingham a 53-51 lead.

Framingham would not squander this lead again.

The dagger was applied when Daniel Gould buried a three to give the Rams a five-point lead with just over three minutes to play. The five-point deficit was too much for Connecticut to overcome.

Gould led the Rams in scoring with 22 adding an assist in his game-high 34 minutes.

Joseph McCabe was the second leading scorer with eight, while also pulling down four boards.

Gould’s twin brother, Patrick, contributed seven points and three assists.

Timothy McCarthy and Jacek Lousiville led the team in rebounds with six each. Lousiville also recorded a teamhigh four assists.

Framingham shot 33 percent from the field, including 41 percent from beyond the arc, while holding Connecticut College to 36 percent from the field and 33

percent from three-point land.

The Rams struggled from the free throw stripe, going a meager 11-20.

However, they made up for those missed opportunities by shooting so well from three-point territory.

The season-opening win also marks new head coach, Peter Mugar’s first victory at Framingham State, since being hired in June.

The second game of the tournament, against Anna Maria, was also hard fought, and the Rams prevailed 62-55.

With 6:42 left in the game, Framingham was trailing 51-44, but after a Patrick Gould three, the Rams went on a 15-0 run to take a 59-51 lead with under a minute to play to seal the victory.

McCarthy led the team in scoring and rebounding. He was the only Framingham double-digit scorer with 14, and had six boards. He was followed in points by Daniel Gould with nine and Bertholyn Alexandre with eight.

Framingham shot 42 percent from the field, and 39 percent from three. The team improved significantly at the free throw line, shooting 65 percent.

Despite losing the points-off-turnover’s battle, the Rams beat Anna Maria in rebounding, assists and bench points.

The Rams started 2-0 last year before finishing 8-18, but with Mugar’s new defensive philosophy, the Rams are giving up five fewer points per game thus far.

Framingham will play Coast Guard at Regis College in the Moe’s Queso Classic Nov. 21. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Cross Country competes in NCAA Division III New England Region Championship Tournament

By Jennifer Johnson

Assistant Sports Editor

The Rams finished the post season Saturday, Nov. 15 in the NCAA Division III Regional hosted by Williams College in Williamstown, Mass.

Freshman Haley Chamberlain was a bright spot for the Rams, leading them to a 30th place finish out of 57 teams. Chamberlain finished with a time of 24:46.6, and came in 138th place out of 387 competitors. Her performance earned her a MASCAC Rookie of the Week honor for the third time this season.

Junior Hannah Daly and freshman Megan Peterson finished close behind Chamberlain, crossing the finish line with times of 25:09.3 and 25:43.4, respectively.

Daly placed 160th, and Peterson came in 199th place.

Rounding out the competition for the Lady Rams was freshman Emily Mulloy coming in at 26:01.5, and sophomore Courtney Torres breaking the tape at 26:56.3. Mulloy placed 217th and Torres, 267th.

The Lady Rams improved tremendously over last season, jumping from 50th to 30th place in the NCAA Division III meet.

The men’s top finisher was sophomore Richard Wertz who came in 252nd place with a time of 29:49.

Coming in shortly after was sophomore Dan Stevens finishing at 30:35.6 earning him a 292th place finish.

Junior Jay Ebersole finished at 38:44.4 with classmate Thomas Rainsford right behind him finishing with a time of 39:56.5. Freshman Johnny Trocchi finished strong with a time of 51:11.7.

The Lady Rams opened their 2014 campaign by winning two of their first three games behind reigning Rookie of the Year Alycia Rackliffe.

A preseason poll selected the basketball team to finish second in the MASCAC a season after the ladies went 18-12 and made an appearance in the ECAC Semifinals.

At the Tip-off Tournament on Nov. 15, when Framingham opened its season on the road playing Wesleyan University, it cruised to a 55-37 victory.

Senior guard Margo McCarthy, who averaged eight points per game last season, led the Rams offensively, scoring 14 points and grabbing seven rebounds.

Fellow senior guard Nicole Bostic added 10 points of her own and had three steals in 31 minutes.

Rackliffe came up big off the bench for Framingham, adding 11 rebounds.

The Rams controlled most of the game, shooting 21-54 from the floor, and making six three-pointers, while Wesleyan only shot 14-62 and failed to make a three-point shot.

The win led Framingham to the Tipoff Championship game against Eastern Connecticut, in which Kristina Forsman proved to be too much for the Rams, putting up 21 points.

The Rams were down 28-19 going into the break and would not be able to battle back.

The Warriors’ offense had five players who put up double-digit points, led

by Forsman. Behind her was Jordyn Nippi with 14 and Julia DePoi with 12.

Shannon McCourt and Erin Brooks had

11 points each.

The team put up 46 second-half points, while the Rams could only muster 28. They were led by sophomore guard Monta Connolly, who had 10 points, six rebounds and three takeaways.

Despite the loss, Connolly and McCarthy were named to the all-tournament team.

Nov. 18 marked the Lady Rams’ home opener in which they played host to Eastern Nazarene.

Despite putting up 29 points in the first half, the team once again found themselves down at the half, but an offensive burst from Bostic helped the Rams find their groove.

At the beginning of the second, the teams traded baskets at each end of the court before senior guard Johanna Annunziatta’s basket gave the Rams the lead at 16:22.

After that, the Rams would not give up their lead, and with five minutes remaining, Framingham pulled away, going up 21. Bostic put up 16 points in the second half alone, helping the Rams improve to 2-1 after their 72-59 victory.

Rackliffe added 16 points of her own, while McCarthy and Connolly each had 11, respectively.

Twenty-three turnovers by the Lions helped the Rams reach their second win of the season.

The Lady Rams will play their second home game of the season Saturday against Western New England University. Tip-off is slated for 1 p.m.

Volleyball finishes season in first round of NCAA Tournament ByJennifer Johnson

Assistant Sports Editor

The Framingham State women’s volleyball team traveled to Hoboken, New Jersey for a matchup against Stevens Institute of Technology in the opening round of the 2014 NCAA Division III Championship Tournament on Friday Nov. 14.

The Rams snagged an automatic NCAA bid when they won the MASCAC tournament on Nov. 8. They closed out the season with an overall record of 23-12.

Although the team ended their season with a 3-0 loss to Stevens, they were only the second team in program history to reach the NCAA tournament.

The Rams came out strong in the first set, taking the lead at 12-10. Stevens fought back and rallied to score four straight points to take the lead back, 14-12.

Framingham took a timeout and regrouped, coming out to score two straight and tie the game at 14.

The closest the Rams would come for the remainder of the set was within one point, and they eventually fell 25-21, putting Stevens on top 1-0.

Sophomore Alycia Rackliffe led the Rams with a total of 11 kills, and classmate Julia Wan chipped in with seven kills and 13 digs.

The second set appeared to be in the hands of FSU when they jumped out to a 4-1 lead. The Ducks fought hard and pulled away with a 20-13 lead, and eventually took the frame 25-19.

The Rams scored the first point in the third set.

However, that is the only lead they would manage, dropping 25-6 to the Ducks’ fiery offense.

This is the second time in three years that FSU has finished with an undefeated record in the MASCAC.

The volleyball team finished their season undefeated in the MASCAC, going 6-0 against their opponents.

The Rams graduate three seniors this season, all of whom played key roles. Senior Captain Courtney Wilbur led the team this season with 455 digs, Maribeth Martin led the team in assists, recording 546 and classmate Morgan Drew followed right behind her with 362.

The Rams look to the guidance of head coach Richard Casali and the explosive duo of Rackliffe and Wan in order to continue their success next season.

16

November 21, 2014

The Hilltop Players Present

Our Diamond Danielle Vecchione/ The Gatepost

Danielle Vecchione/ The Gatepost

Danielle Vecchione/ The Gatepost

Danielle Vecchione/ The Gatepost

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Ducharme said, “The characters that these actors bring to life help to show the powerful victories that can be served from the depths of even the most desperate situations.”

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