THE GATEPOST Framingham State’s independent student newspaper
Volume 86 • Issue 15
FSUgatepost.com
February 9, 2018
Faculty pen letter in response to hate crimes By Cesareo Contreras Editor-in-Chief Condemning last semester’s six hate crimes, over 240 members of the FSU community have signed a letter to the editor denouncing racism and calling for a more united campus. The letter, appearing in this week’s issue of The Gatepost, has been signed by 174 faculty members and 68 staff members and administrators, according to English professor Elaine Beilin. “We really wanted something to communicate with the students, and it seemed like The Gatepost was the best way for us to communicate with as many students as we could,” she said. “A lot of us felt that students should know how faculty and staff felt - how upset and appalled and angry we were by the attacks on our students.” Responding to the spree of hate crimes Amanda Martin / THE GATEPOST
FSU women’s basketball hosted Westfield State on Feb. 8.
News LATOYA TAVERNIER pg. 2 THE FLU AT FSU pg. 4
Opinions DANGEROUS RHETORIC pg. 8 KNOW WHO TO BLAME pg. 8
Arts & Features CLOVERFIELD PARADOX REVIEW pg. 12 THE SHAPE OF WATER REVIEW pg. 12
Sports
Corey McFeeley MCDANIELS STAYS PUT pg. 15 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL WINS IN BLOWOUT pg. 13
Dining Commons undergoing major renovations Commuter cafeteria downsized By Shanleigh Reardon News Editor Dunkin’ Donuts will open on campus this fall, replacing the Starbucks in the McCarthy Center, said Ralph Eddy, director of Dining Services. The change comes as a result of the “overwhelming” support the coffee chain received from students on surveys administered in the spring and fall semesters of 2017, said Eddy. First-year student Alannah Weaver said she voted for Dunkin’ Donuts on a survey distributed by Dining Services last semester. “I’m excited. I prefer Dunkin’,” she said. Junior Cory Caraher said, “I’ve never had Starbucks because there wasn’t one in my hometown. But Dunkin’ Donuts has a lot more options, and so, I think if they have more options here it would be a good thing.” Sophomore Sara Price said she’s in favor of the Dunkin’ Donuts because the current menu at Starbucks is limited. “I like the pink drink at Starbucks and they don’t have that here. Dunkin’ also has better hot chocolate,” she said. In addition to Dunkin’ Donuts’ arrival, the Dining Commons will undergo major renovations during the summer of 2018. The space will receive new furniture, and dining stations will be relocated to the perimeter of the space to accommodate more seating and reduce
See DINING COMMONS page 3
See FACULTY page 5
The phoenix of Framingham J&M Diner rises from the ashes By Bailey Morrison Editorial Staff It’s 8:15 on a Friday morning. Most college students are still fast asleep or shuffling bleary-eyed to their 8:30 classes wearing pajamas and clutching cups of coffee. The staff at J&M Diner are also wearing pajamas, but they have been at the restaurant since before 6 a.m., serving coffee and breakfast to hungry customers. Karen Fiore, co-owner of J&M Diner, said she gets up at four in the morning every day. From then until closing time at 2 p.m., the staff is cooking and serving food and cleaning. Almost a year after a fire in the Old Path Village Plaza destroyed the original diner, J&M is back in full swing - in a new, bigger location and with an expanded menu. Big glass windows give a peek of the restaurant from the outside. A purple sign is hanging from the front door. In script lettering, the sign reads on one side: “We are definitely open.” The other: “We are definitely closed.” According to Karen, after weeks of searching for a new location for their restaurant, the family was growing concerned they wouldn’t be able to find one that would work. She said, “It had to be the perfect marriage of location and parking. Those things are hard to find.” She wondered briefly if she would need to go back to working at a nail salon and was concerned for the future of her family. Karen said re-opening the diner was “really hard.” The insurance company wasn’t “as helpful” as the family needed. Additionally, everything in the old restaurant had been destroyed and needed to be replaced.
See J&M DINER page 10 INSIDE: OP/ED 6 ARTS & FEATURES 9 SPORTS 13