November 6, 2020

TH E G ATEP O ST Framingham State’s award-winning independent student newspaper since 1932

Volume 89 • Issue 8

FSUgatepost.com

November 6, 2020

Sam the Ram enjoys the first snow of the season

Sam the Ram was blanketed by an unusually early snowfall Oct. 30, which covered trees decorated by bright fall foliage in Crocker Grove.

Gatepost survey finds 92% of students support Black Lives Matter Movement

By Cara McCarthy Associate Editor

By Maia Almeida Staff Writer

By Branden LaCroix Staff Writer

By Johan Perez Staff Writer [Editor’s Note: This is the third and final installment of articles covering The Gatepost’s 2020 political survey. The other two articles covered student views on the election

and current political topics. You can read the other two articles on fsugatepost.com.]

In an unscientific survey conducted by The Gatepost from Oct. 5 to Oct. 15, students said they supported the Black Lives Matter Movement and were concerned about police misconduct and white supremacy movements.

Three-hundred students participated in the survey.

Approximately 92% percent of Gatepost student survey respondents said they support the Black Lives Matter Movement.

Approximately 93% of Gatepost

survey respondents said they were concerned about instances of police misconduct. Additionally, 66% of respondents said they support redirecting police funding to social services programs.

Approximately 82% of survey respondents said they were worried about the rise of white supremacy movements in the U.S. Approximately 92% of survey respondents said systemic racism impacts the United States.

Rep. Jack Lewis, a Democrat representing Ashland and a portion of the City of Framingham, said, “I’m very

Leighah Beausoleil / THE GATEPOST

News RAMS RESOURCE CENTER pg. 7 GRANT FOR LEARNING PROGRAM pg. 7

Opinions

PROTECT DEMOCRACY pg. 10

See BLACK LIVES MATTER page 4

Sports

Framingham football team hopeful for the 2021 season

By Danielle Achin Staff Writer The second spike in COVID-19 cases has ravaged Massachusetts in recent weeks and left many student athletes unable to compete in their fall season sport.

With the fall season soon shifting into winter, Framingham State’s football captain, junior Cully Curran, is reflecting on the season that could have been.

“We felt a ton of disappointment, but at the same time it’s a situation that’s not in our control,” Curran said.

Curran grew up in Arlington playing football since early elementary school, and was voted captain at Framingham State his sophomore year.

“I have an older brother that was playing, and older cousins that were playing, so it worked perfect for me,” Curran said. “And once I started playing, I fell in love with it.”

Last year, the team ended their season 8-3 overall when they fell in the first round of the NCAA playoffs against Wesley College.

Curran ended his 2019 season with 46 solo tackles, 30 assists, and an interception.

This is Curran’s second year as captain, and although disheartened to hear he and his teammates would not get the chance to play together, he is grateful for the chance they’ve had to stay together as a team - even off the field.

“We’ve kind of had to bond over something that isn’t football. We’re all used to having it as the middle ground in our relationship,” Curran said. “For us, it was learning how to deal with adversity together and continue relationships when it’s outside of sports.”

See FOOTBALL page 12

Gatepost Archives FSU FOOTBALL pg. 12

Arts & Features HOT TOPICS pg. 13 VRAM pg. 14

INSIDE: OP/ED 10 • SPORTS 12 • ARTS & FEATURES 13

NEWS

2 | NOVEMBER 6, 2020

Editorial Board

Gatepost Interview Dawn Ross

Editor-in-Chief Ashley Wall Associate Editors Donald Halsing Cara McCarthy News Editor Leighah Beausoleil Arts & Features Editors Brennan Atkins Robert Johnson Jr. Asst. Arts & Features Editor Jared Graf Opinions Editor McKenzie Ward Design Editor Kathleen Moore Photos Editor Caroline Gordon Staff Writers Danielle Achin Maia Almeida Patrick Brady Steven Bonini Daniel Fuentes Haley Hadge Ashlyn Kelly Branden LaCroix Caroline Lanni Johan Perez Abigail Petrucci Emily Rosenberg Advisor Dr. Desmond McCarthy Asst. Advisor Elizabeth Banks

Outgoing Director of Career Services and Employer Relations

By Caroline Lanni Staff Writer How long have you worked at FSU? Eighteen years I have worked at FSU. t st see s i e it ent in fl s .

What is your educational and professional background?

My educational background I will talk o t first. o e rned ot de rees from Framingham State. I got the liberal studies degree, where I mostly took business and psychology classes. And then I have my master’s degree in human resources from Framingham State.

I also went to three other colleges, too.

So, it took me 17 years tow get three degrees. I got my associate’s and I am first ener tion st dent s e t ent to co e e first for 1 e rs to et those three degrees. I was in the Navy for eight years as well, and I also worked at Coastal Carolina University, which is in South Carolina, and I was kind of one of the event coordinators. I worked my way through school and started working right when my son was 4 months old, so he grew up at Framingham State. I really o e o nd it V fi red it was time to move. I was going to retire probably next year - I just sped it up a little bit.

What career accomplishments are you most proud of?

I would always say I created the Suitable Solutions Program that provides stipends and career advice for [students’] professional career development. We’ve had over 500 students who have done it, and I heard great feedback about it.

I created the fund in 2010, and basically you know how you leave and the school wants you to give back and the University gives out scholarships like that? So, I created this fund for students, and even if they are not in the program, they can apply for a $50 stipend. But the ones in the program get a $100 gift card. Now, we used to take them to do all that with them [shopping for professional clothing], but with COVID, everything is online and they can just order their clothes online. We are still doing it this semester, so it’s the last one. I would also say s pro oted fi e ti es t ere so think I would say I am proud of my promotions [and awards], such as the 2018 Alumni Achievement Leadership and Service Award and the Suitable Solutions Nominated for Regional Program of the Year in 2017. Also in that year, I won the 2017 Athena Award. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts State Sente ffici it tion s i en to e s well. … I also participated in the Town

Courtesy of Dawn Ross of Framingham Veterans’ Council as a member. Then in 2013, [I received the] Unsung Heroines of Massachusetts Award and won the FSU 2018 Recognition of Achievement and Merit Award (RAM Award) - in 2017 as well.

What initiatives or projects do you hope to see your successor continue?

Suitable Solutions? definite t in t t it is re t program and I would like to see it continue. It’s made a difference in a lot of students’ lives and it also brings alumni back to mentor our students.

What advice do you have for your successor?

I would say it is really important to collaborate, everywhere and anywhere.

The most important thing that I have learned is that with collaboration, our office s ore s ccessf . cross campus, off campus, and on campus with faculty and with student groups and we just collaborated really well with everybody and we have to. And the person will have to be a good networker and for my staff, they would like a caring, considerate supervisor.

What advice do you have for FSU students? o d definite s ti i e t e c reer services, and we encourage students to co e t eir first e r nd p to

their alumni status. We have so many resources and we will help students make connections because networking is such an important part of the career search and career development and learning those networking skills. A lot of studies show that 80% of students get internships and jobs through networking. Another thing we call them - common soft skills - career competencies for students who develop those throughout their years at FSU and to be able to articulate what skills that they would bring to a career and employers because that is really important. I have done a lot of presentations on that - soft skills - and it’s so important, the majority of employers - some up to 90% - say they can teach students technical skills, but they really want the students to have developed soft skills. It is imperative that our students learn and they might have them but they are not able to talk about them, so to work with us to talk about them more is helpful for future employers.

Wendy Davis is your assistant/ right-hand woman - are there any memories in particular you hope to keep with you after you’ve retired?

I will tell you I love my team, but there was a special bond with Wendy.

There is no one that can work hard-

See GATEPOST INTERVIEW page 3

Police Logs 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

Saturday, Oct. 31 12:31 Unsecured Area Ecumenical Center Secured

Saturday, Oct. 31 19:08 Motor Vehicle Accident Worcester Road Services Rendered

Monday, Oct. 2 08:56 Burglar/Building Alarm Innovations Center Checks OK

Wednesday Oct. 4 02:39 Medical Larned Hall Transport to Hospital

NEWS

FSU receives MetroWest Award

By Ashlyn Kelly Staff Writer

NOVEMBER 6, 2020 | 3

community about the world and the ways that we do things.”

Cevallos said receiving an award like this shows that the community members value FSU’s place and the relationships fostered within the community.

Looking forward, “The takeaway is to redouble our efforts and keep working to make our presence in the community much more visible,” said Cevallos.

“We can always do better in everything that we do,” he added. “And I think that that is one of the things that we have to continue to stress - to continue to build relationships, to continue to work and as good community members, to work with our neighbors around the campus, to work with the people downtown, to work with the businesses in the region.”

Cevallos said, “I think that it is a nice thing for our institution, for our campus, for all of us, and hopefully, we’ll be winning the Best of the Best for the next 20 years.”

Framingham State University received the 2020 Best of the Best MetroWest College/University Award for the second year in a row.

Community members were able to nominate and vote for their favorite businesses. The awards were presented in a virtual ceremony, and each winner will receive a window decal and a certific te or p e.

FSU was nominated along with Boston University and Worcester State University.

FSU President F. Javier Cevallos said, “This is a recognition from the people in the community of the work that we do as a University - not only as an educational institution, but also as part of the community.

“I think that there’s a lot of good work that goes on on the campus,” added Cevallos. “Our faculty work very hard. Our staff works really hard. Our students do a lot - volunteering, getting involved, getting engaged, and I think that that is a good feeling in the

CONNECT WITH ASHLYN KELLY akelly8@student.framingham.edu

Leighah Beausoleil / THE GATEPOST

Gatepost Interview continued from page 2 er than she did. We were such a good team because we kind of read each other’s minds and we were kind of like soul sisters. There is just nobody that can be as loving, kind, and pleasant to work with than her. She was my righthand person and always with a smile and her personality just sparkles. We did so much work there - the team did t e or nd t e office s in e with the amount of events and employer connections that we had, and other colleges asked how we were doing all this and Wendy did it all. She did it with a career-nurturing attitude and hard work. I know I will see her again and keep our friendship even though I am moving to South Carolina, … and next week is my last week. We plan on going on Zoom every day. She’s the best! I’ll

tell you, the best hire I have ever made in my life and I have hired thousands of people throughout my different jobs that I have had. There are no words to say what a great employee she is or her work ethic.

What are you going to miss the most at FSU? I am going to miss everything about it - of course the students. I have worked with thousands of students and I am still in contact with a lot of them. I am going to miss my colleagues at Framingham State and of course my in te s r o t having the best team on campus! We are small but mighty. I have been the main employer and relations person for almost 10 years and a lot of relations with people in the community, and I am going to miss them. So, it is

a combination of my colleagues, the students, my staff, and my employer partners. It’s mind-boggling the extent of my network because you say in your 18 years you gain more people in your network, and I’ve been really blessed because so many alumni have come back for help or for jobs to help other FSU students. I was also very involved in the MetroWest community and I have a lot of connections there.

What kind of message do you want to leave the FSU community?

I want to sincerely thank everyone, and I am so grateful to be given the honor of working there and no words can convey my sincerest appreciation of the numerous opportunities for career success, professional growth, and personal development that I have had at FSU. I will depart with the knowl-

edge that my body of work was appreciated, respected, and cherished by colleagues, alumni, community leaders, and friends. My career services “career” s t e ost f fi in nd re rdin that I have ever experienced in my 45 years of varied military and civilian employment. To be able to retire from FSU with pride and a sense of accomplishment is a true blessing that I will treasure always. While I look forward to enjoying my retirement in South Carolina, I want to acknowledge the positive impact you all have had on my life! I wish you all the best this life has to offer and please know you made me a better person! Love, respect, and hugs always!

CONNECT WITH CAROLINE LANNI clanni@student.framingham.edu

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Weather

Sunday night Nov. 8 Patchy fog. Mostly clear. Low near 45.

Calm wind.

Monday night Nov. 9 Patchy fog. Party cloudy. Low near 50.

SW winds around 5 mph.

Monday Nov. 9 Patchy fog. Mostly sunny. High near 70.

Light SW wind.

Tuesday Nov. 10 Mostly sunny. High near 70. SW winds around 10 mph.

s not p is ed in its entiret . e fin ine of t e rtic e s o d re d o ent for e. e po o i e for t is error.

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Forecast provided by the National Weather Service www.weather.gov Tuesday night Nov. 10 Wednesday night Nov. 11 Partly cloudy. Low near 50% chance of showers.

55. SW winds around 5 Mostly cloudy. Low near mph.

50. SW winds around 5 mph.

Wednesday Nov. 11 40% chance of showers. Partly sunny. High near 70. SW winds around 10 mph.

Thursday Nov. 12 30% chance of showers.

Mostly sunny. High near 60. NW winds around 5 mph.

FRAMINGHAM STATE UNIVERSITY’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1932 | FSUGATEPOST.COM

4 | NOVEMBER 6, 2020

Black lives matter continued from page 1

impressed that the great majority - nearly 92% - of Framingham State students support the Black Lives Matter Movement.

“In a perfect world, this would be 100%,” he added. “But as we are reminded - and as shown on our TVs every evening on the nightly news while we have made great progress in civil rights and great progress toward tr e r ci stice nd e it t e work continues.” onst n e o ice president of diversity, inclusion, and community engagement, said, “As a campus, we’ve said Black lives matter. We’ve affirmed that systemic racism is a reality.”

Cabello added Framingham State has made anti-racism “mission critical,” and said, “That’s central to our values.”

She added that nationally, people are viewing this year as a “twin-demic. COVID-19 and the ongoing killing of black and brown bodies, and that’s really impacted everything,” she said.

Cabello said one of the most important actions the community can take to confront racism is to “meet free speech with more free speech.”

Lorretta Holloway, vice president for enrollment and student development, said of all the information gathered in the 2020 Gatepost survey, she was least surprised that most of the student respondents support the Black Lives Matter Movement.

Holloway specifically referenced the racist acts of 2017 as an example of bias incidents that have occurred on campus.

“It [the racist incidents on campus] hits home in many ways for people,” she added.

Black Lives Matter Movement Of the 300 Gatepost student survey respondents, 275, 91.7%, said they support the Black Lives Matter Movement, and 25, 8.3%, do not.

Many FSU students shared why they support the Black Lives Matter Movement.

Some survey respondents replied by saying, “Black Lives Matter,” but

NEWS

did not provide any more of an explanation.

One survey respondent said, “No lives matter until Black lives matter.

I agree very strongly with the movement, and I think the police in America need to be defunded and have the funds go to other problems.”

Taylor Anderson, a senior English major, said, “People need to stop ig-

the class of 2022, said, “I do think students care about the BLM Movement, as reflected in The Gatepost survey results. Those responses further show that when racial incidents occur on our campus, they come from a very specific group of people and it does not reflect how the community feels toward people of color.”

Collette added, “It also seems like

“What we’re experiencing right now with the movement for Black lives is a culmination of centuries of systemic white supremacist marginalization in the U.S., which was compounded by layers of crises happening here and around the world.”

-Xavier Guadalupe-Diaz, Criminology Professor noring what makes them uncomfortable. BLM should not just be a trend ere peop e post c s re one week and forget about it the next. o e ents re ire const nt ction. People need to vote, stand up for others, educate themselves, advocate for reform,” she added.

Co-president of M.I.S.S. Mariah Farris said she thinks the Black Lives Matter Movement has received more attention due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It was the one thing I think COVID made a thing because everybody was trapped in their house,” she said. “Everybody had the news. It was on TV and on every channel. It was on social media. There was no getting away from it.”

Farris added, “I think for the first time in a long time, or first time ever in my opinion, white people are actually seeing firsthand on the screen something that they haven’t come to terms with or haven’t seen before.”

Samantha Collette, president of

the general University response is reactive and not preventative, as if they send out emails to reach out but it’s only because bad things happened.”

Phoenix Harris, president of the Black Student Union (BSU), said, “I think that everybody, no matter how vocal or active they are, can always do more.”

Harris said the Sociology and Psychology departments have been very vocal and supportive in the movement, but others not as much. “They [other departments] could do a lot more to bring attention to what we feel is important.”

Cameron Duffy, a junior psychology major, said, “I am surprised about the number of people who don’t support the BLM Movement just because of the demographics that are present at Framingham State.”

However, some survey respondents said they were hesitant to support the Black Lives Matter Movement.

One Gatepost survey respon-

Leighah Beausoleil / THE GATEPOST

@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com

dent said, “Being a Black individual myself, I agree with the BLM statement, but not what they are trying to achieve through the movement.

“It counteracts that Black lives matter, and they pick and choose what they are for,” they added.

Another survey respondent said, “I support the message BLM is trying to send t dis ree it t e or ni tion’s approach.”

Additionally, another Gatepost survey respondent said the Black Lives Matter Movement is no longer representing its original mission.

“I feel that the Black Lives Matter Movement has been corrupted and people are no longer vouching for the improvement of Black lives in this country, but instead are politici in t e o e ent to f rt er t eir own interests,” they said. ri n ne ice president of Brother to Brother (B2B), said sometimes, she is worried about discussing her support for the Black Lives Matter Movement. “If I want to bring it up to someone I don’t know, it’s scary because I don’t know how they’re going to react.

“I feel like I have to keep my guard up because I don’t know everybody here - I’m meeting new people every day,” she added.

Tara Donovan, a junior English major, said she supports the Black Lives Matter Movement, but is concerned with its portrayal in the media.

“I’m worried about how they’re reporting on that stuff,” she said. “A lot of people will get the wrong idea of what Black Lives Matter means. I think people are getting the idea that young kids are rioting.”

Another Gatepost survey respondent said, “I support Black lives and know they’re in danger, but I refuse to support a movement that condones violence toward businesses and innocent people.”

Sociology Professor Virginia Rutter said people who are less informed about these issues are likely to be more hesitant about supporting the Black Lives Matter Movement.

“This [hesitation to support the BLM Movement] has to do with a lack of information, a lack of the provision of enough support for understanding that Black Lives Matter is a simple and core premise that takes nothing from anyone else and only gives us all the best that’s possible,” she said.

Criminology Professor Xavier d pe i s id t e re experiencing right now with the movement for Black lives is a culmination of centuries of systemic white s pre cist r in i tion in t e U.S., which was compounded by layers of crises happening here and around the world.”

He noted the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as “a crippled economy, the erosion of democratic norms in U.S. institutions, and the rise of populist authoritarianism,” as crises.

See BLACK LIVES MATTER page 5

Black lives matter

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NOVEMBER 6, 2020 | 5

continued from page 4 Police Misconduct The Gatepost survey also found 279 students, 93%, were concerned about incidents of police brutality, while 21, 7%, were not.

Several Gatepost survey respondents stated they were dissatisfied with President Donald J. Trump’s approach to the recent incidents of police misconduct.

One survey respondent said, “It is highly concerning to me the way Trump has handled racial injustice and police brutality situations recently.”

This survey respondent added, “I can’t in good conscience vote for a racist president.”

Another Gatepost survey respondent said, “I understand ‘All lives matter’ or ‘Not all police officers are bad,’ but we need to care for Black lives because they do not choose to be the race they are.

“They are born being Black, while police officers put themselves in these situations,” they said. “We must care for all lives, but most importantly, Black lives right now!

Lidia Flores, co-president of Latinos Unidos N’ Accion (LUNA), said, “Everything is based off the color of your skin. My parents every day have to worry about being pulled over because of the color of their skin.

“Not only is it the white police officers - it’s your fellow Hispanics and African Americans, too,” she said.

“It’s sad someone has to fear when they see a cop. One shouldn’t have to fear those who are there to protect us.”

Another survey respondent said, “I believe that police brutality is a thing and that POC [people of color] have become targeted victims of police brutality because of the systemic racism in our country.”

BSU president Harris said the police and justice system’s actions are going to be difficult to fix and what the nation is currently doing is not enough.

“We are going to have to figure out something else to do, because what we’re doing is not working,” she said. pencer e in nior siness management major, said, “It’s honestly really sad how we cannot fully trust people who are supposed to protect us.”

M.I.S.S. co-president Ewine Fedna said people of color’s fear of police is not new.

“Before Trump’s presidency, the fear of cops was there, but it was never every day when you got into the car and prayed that you got home,” she said.

Vice resident ne s id “Obviously, police brutality has been a thing for ages, but I feel like now, after COVID, things are really being brought to light.”

While many of the survey respondents said they supported at least some funding from police departments being redirected to support social services programs, a small number said they were against the

Leighah Beausoleil / THE GATEPOST idea.

One Gatepost survey respondent said, “I’m concerned about police brutality, but a whole group of people should not be condemned for a few bad apples. That goes for any party, race, job, or group.”

Brad Medeiros, chief of the Framingham State University Police Department (FSUPD), said while they are not allowed to comment on political activity, FSUPD remains committed to supporting diversity within the community.

He said in the past year, FSUPD officers have received extensive diversity training in areas such as preventing and responding to hate crimes, managing bias, diversity and inclusion in the modern workplace, mental health first aid (including police interactions), criminal justice reform, de-escalation training, fair and impartial policing, and First Amendment rights.

Medeiros added, “The University Police Department is committed to continuous improvement, to ensuring that our training reflects best practices.

“We will continue to review recommendations - both nationally and locally - to identify areas for enhancing our policies and training,” he added.

Police Funding Of the 300 Gatepost survey respondents, 229 students, 76.3%, said they support some police funding being redirected to support social services programs, 36, 12%, said they do not, and 35, 11.7%, said they were unsure.

Rep. Lewis said, “I’m optimistic that we, as a local community, but also as a nation, are going to find a way to move forward in a way that ensures that our communities are [not only] safe, but that those of us with family members of color and friends of color don’t have to worry about the possibility that a speeding ticket for our Black sons could lead to a death sentence.”

Several Gatepost survey respondents said they support the national

movement for defunding the police.

Undeclared freshman Gustavo i s id oo c stren t is eing given to them in the form of new i end e ip ent nd enienc in rules against them has made it so they have free rein to do whatever t e nt to t e citi ens t t t e re supposed to protect.

“Defunding the police is definitely the correct course we should take, but I also feel it wouldn’t be enough in the long run,” he added. “We should be defunding the police and the military at the same time.”

LUNA co-president Flores said, “Defunding the police can help the community and help each other, because the police are not helping us.

“Being from a low-income city myself, it is the best solution to help our community grow and get better,” she said.

Eddy Olu, a junior computer science major, said, “Recently, my city has poured money into new police s d c rs t t ere re so e potholes that have been on certain streets that have been there since I was a child.”

He added, “Putting money into fixing streets and actually progressing cities would be a nice first step.”

Tadiwa Chitongo, a junior biochemistry major, said, “The police need to be defunded. The money needs to be going to extracurricular activities and making sure that children have places to spend their time and go for help in case they need it.”

He recommended art programs, shelters, and orphanages as other places to reallocate funding. i et o rd sop o ore elementary education major, said, “I do believe that some of the excessive funding could be reallocated to different parts of the community. My main belief is that education could desperately use some of these funds.

“Otherwise, I think some of the funds the law enforcement profession have could be used instead to fund training to further enforce how to avoid excessive force,” Dollard added.

Another Gatepost survey respondent said, “While I believe in the Black Lives Matter Movement, I do not believe the police should be defunded in hopes that it will stop police brutality.

“I believe that instead, the funds should be used to buy nondeadly weapons to replace guns and [fund] training in ways to bring in a suspect safely so that way everyone feels safe,” they added.

FSU President F. Javier Cevallos said, “One thing that we have to be more nuanced about is what defunding the police means.

“You do need to have, obviously, police security. Not everybody is ood citi en nd not e er od is going to behave,” he added. “So, that word ‘defunding’ tends to be misinterpreted.”

Cevallos said the police should invest in social programs, training, and different kinds of activities, “especially community policing.

“That is different than just taking money away from the police. And I think that people react strongly one way or [another] for the police.

If somebody tries to break into my house, I want to have a police officer around,” Cevallos added.

History Professor Jon Huibregtse compared the United States’ police force funding to that of other countries.

“It is my understanding that in countries where they have redirected money into social services and into kinds of preventative programming, crime has declined,” he said.

Vice President Holloway said she encourages people to talk about why po ice e eco e i it ri ed instead of putting that money toward more intense training programs. o o s id t e estion t t should be asked is why police funds are going toward “excess military supplies” rather than services such as mental health and community policing.

She also acknowledged police forces often receive a larger portion

See BLACK LIVES MATTER page 6

FRAMINGHAM STATE UNIVERSITY’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1932 | FSUGATEPOST.COM

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Black lives matter

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continued from page 5

of the budget than public schools, community aid programs, and in some cases, fire departments.

She said she believes “defund the police” is “a fear-inducing term.”

White Supremacy Movements Of the Gatepost survey respondents, 245 students, 81.7%, said they were concerned about the rise of white supremacy movements in the U.S., and 55, 18.3%, said they were not. t dent r stee c en ie rd said she was surprised to see 18.3% of respondents were not worried about the rise of white supremacy groups.

“In recent years, we have seen more hate crimes occurring and we e seen iter i p r des occ r in our country,” she said. “It makes me worried that people are not paying enough attention to what is going on in the world.”

Rep. Lewis said the rise of white supremacy “should be a concern to everyone.”

He added, “We have a moral obligation to make sure that everyone, regardless of their political affiliation, from law enforcement all the way through to the elected leaders - from local mayors all the way up to the president - denounce these movements.”

Lewis referenced President Trump’s remarks at the first presidential debate.

“Hearing the president during the first presidential debate this year telling the Proud Boys group to ‘stand by’ was alarming and concerning, and, for those who paid attention, a clear sign of where his heart tr is s it re tes to stice nd e uity,” he said.

According to The New York Times, the Proud Boys is a far-right group that is known for endorsing violence. The group describes itself as a pro estern fr tern or ni tion for men,” and has been tied to violent incidents at protests.

Mia Ihegie, a junior political science major and president of Justice, nit nc sion o nit it (J.U.I.C.E.), said, “I learned that no matter how many visuals you can give, or facts you can put in people’s faces, ignorance is something that can’t be healed.

“I personally feel that ignorance is a disease that no one is looking for a cure. The ignorant will stay ignorant until they are ready to learn,” she added.

Nicholas Miranda, a junior marketing major, said, “I absolutely think that white supremacy needs to be addressed. With the number of people supporting the All Lives Matter Movement, it’s clear that there are plenty of people who have white supremacist mindsets ingrained within themselves.”

One survey respondent said they find it very troubling to see the rise of white supremacy movements in CONNECT WITH CARA MCCARTHY cmccarthy8@student.framingham.edu

@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com

Leighah Beausoleil / THE GATEPOST the U.S. “I feel like our country is in a huge battle with ourselves,” they said.

Carmen McLaughlin, a senior history major, said, “This is something that should have been addressed way before today.” She added it’s not right that in 2020, people still have to be afraid of “far-right groups like the KKK.” One Gatepost survey respondent said, “I think racism and white supremacy have always been in this country. I think that Trump’s position as president has made racists and white supremacists more vocal.”

Vice President Holloway said white supremacy movements have been around since “at least the birth of the KKK. “The current political climate has allowed them [white supremacist groups] to have more of a voice and more influence.”

She added, “The joining of forces between many of these groups with armed militia groups should cause concern for everyone, not just BIPOC [Black, Indigenous, and people of color] who live here.” rofessor d pe i s id t e most troubling part about the rise of white supremacy to him is that they [hate groups] have become increasin e o dened nd nor i ed.

“What we are seeing now is this growing militia movement that has, historically, facilitated major acts of domestic terrorism and mass violence,” he added.

He said people need to be more “vigilant” about how authority figres nor i e ite s pre c .

Education and Faculty-led Initiatives Many Gatepost survey respondents, as well as students, professors, and administrators interviewed by The Gatepost, discussed the need for more education within the FSU community to address incidents of racial bias.

Vice President Cabello said education is essential to combating racial CONNECT WITH MAIA ALMEIDA malmeida1@student.framingham.edu

injustice.

“It’s really up to us to create opportunities for education, but also opportunities for multiple voices to be heard,” she said.

Cabello said the Bias Education Response Team (B.E.R.T.) is one of those on-campus resources for bias education.

She said, “A lot of times, people think we’re [B.E.R.T.] just a response team.

“But, we have been doing prevention and education, too,” she added.

Cabello said while she feels good about the work the University has undertaken, the biggest challenge it faces is that it is going to take “a lot of time” to undo systemic racism.

Several students said they were dissatisfied with certain offices’ approaches to educating the communit o t r ci ine it .

President of J.U.I.C.E. Ihegie said she believes FSU should employ professors who are willing to teach what is happening in the “current political climate.

“Not everyone is going to see the survey. Not everyone is going to hear about a Black Lives Matter event. Not everyone is going to hear the things they [Framingham State administrators] are promoting,” she added.

Ihegie said one way the FSU community can promote anti-racism education is for the University to hold more programs - in the classroom and out - to educate students.

SGA Secretary Lexi Kays said she believes the University “should be talking more.

“I feel as though individual departments are handling it well on social media, but the University as a whole sent a couple of emails back at the height of everything in June but hasn’t mentioned much since,” said Kays.

She said she wants all students to feel safe and comfortable on campus regardless of their race or ethnicity.

Senior English major Taylor Anderson said, “In addition to protests, we should definitely educate ourCONNECT WITH BRANDEN LACROIX blacroix@student.framingham.edu

selves more on these issues.”

Class of 2022 President Samantha Collette said, “On campus, it seems like some departments and offices care more than others.”

Collette specifically said she sees the Dean’s Office, New Student and Family Programs, and Residence Life using social media to provide material and resources about racial bias and e it .

She added she does not see this kind of action being taken by other offices on campus.

Professor Huibregtse said he believes FSU has done a lot to combat racism, but knows there is still work to be done.

“From a faculty perspective, I know we’re trying,” he said. “Is that to say we’ve solved the issue? Absolutely not. Can we do more? Absolutely yes! People are trying, and we probably need to try harder in some instances.”

English Professor Kelly Matthews said, “Students are really leading in terms of advocacy against racism.”

She added the Faculty Against Hate group was inspired by the students who protested in 2017 after racial incidents in residence halls and said there needs to be an ongoing conversation between students and professors to address racial issues.

“We, as professors, need to share power across that student-professor division, and we need to open up to examining, acknowledging, and addressing those power disparities - especially the ways in which they show up around racism and ethnicity,” Matthews said.

She encouraged students to “keep speaking out and speaking up” about r ci ine it .

[Ashley Wall, Donald Halsing, Leighah Beausoleil, Abby Petrucci, and Caroline Lanni contributed to this article. McKenzie Ward is the Opinions Editor for The Gatepost.]

CONNECT WITH JOHAN PEREZ jperez3@student.framingham.edu

NEWS

NOVEMBER 6, 2020 | 7

Rams Resource Center operating through appointments only

By Branden LaCroix Staff Writer The Rams Resource Center (RRC) is only accessible through scheduled appointments with the Dean of Students ffice for t e F 0 0 se ester.

The RRC, which opened on Sep. 24, 2018, is the University’s food pantry created to help reduce food insecurity on campus by providing students with non-perishable foods, as well as toiletries and other supplies.

FSU administrators closed the RRC to walk-in visits due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and students who need to ti i e t e center s o d cont ct Kastner, the coordinator of student support initiatives, by phone or email to schedule an appointment.

Kastner said the RRC operates by “appointment only so that we can restrict the number of people at the Resource Center at any given time.”

Kastner said although students must make appointments, the RRC still operates as it did during previous semesters, but with added safety measures in place. nee e rds e een inst ed and social distancing practices are in place. Students must also use hand s niti er pro ided t t e entr nce efore shopping.

During previous semesters, students were limited to only four non-food items or toiletries per visit, but those restrictions have been lifted for the current semester.

Kastner said this was done “to allow students to do more shopping at one time and reduce the number of visits they need to make.”

The RRC is also offering hand saniti er nd f ce s s t st dents re limited to one of each.

Unlike previous semesters, however, there are no student volunteers at the RRC. Kastner said traditionally, the RRC would need two or three volunteers present at the center during hours of operation, but because of the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pande ic t is o d e diffic t to intain during the current semester. stner so e p ined t e diffic ty with trying to balance the needs and obligations of volunteers with those of the community. “We want to be respectful of other responsibilities that volunteers have.

“If we only have one person scheduled and they’re not able to make it, and someone shows up, it can be sort of challenging, because they needed someone to be there and they’re not there,” she said. “It’s a little bit embarrassing.”

Many students understand that changes had to be made at RRC this semester.

Tanisha Jean, a junior child and family studies major, said she doesn’t think the appointment-only policy is restrictive. “Everything is appointment only at this point,” she said. tt c nior fin nce major, said, “Seeing how that’s pret-

ty much the way most things are, like the gym and the dining hall, it doesn’t seem that inconvenient.”

Other students believe the new policy could hinder people who need help.

Vallerie Dely, a sophomore fashion design and merchandising major, said, “If [students] really do need help, they can get an appointment.” But, she added, “Then again, they probably don’t have time for that.”

Selena Sheehy, a junior child and family studies major, said, “I get it with everything going on, but maybe it might be hard for students who can’t make it.”

In place of volunteering at the RRC, Kastner suggested other ways students can help.

Kastner said, “There have been so e peop e o e set p on subscription services that donate items regularly to the RRC.” Monetary donations by FSU alumni can also be designated to the RRC through the “Make a Gift” section of the Alumni Page on the FSU website.

Non-perishable food donations to the RRC can still be made at the dropoff boxes outside the Dean of Students ffice.

Students can also donate meal swipes to the Emergency Meal Bank, ic pro ides p to fi e e s ipes per semester to students facing food insec rit nd fin nci need.

On Oct. 6, FSU Dining Services posted on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter it would donate a bag of non-perishable food items to the RRC “for every

meal plan or $50 or more in Ram Cash purchased” throughout October. e e n of t dents office so maintains partnerships with Circle of ope non profit sed in eed that provides help to the homeless, nd i nit tters non profit t t provides feminine hygiene products to homeless girls and women, both of which donate supplies to the RRC. Outside of donations to the RRC, Arielle Brent, assistant director and orientation coordinator for new student and family programs and volunteer co-coordinator of the RRC, suggested that students could use social media to “promote any actions they are taking to help their community.”

Kastner said there has been a decrease in the number of students reestin ccess to t e t is f .

“A lot of students are off campus or far away from campus, and most of the classes are remote, so I expect the utii tion i e ess t is se ester t n it has been in previous semesters,” she said.

Kastner added, “Having to set up an appointment instead of just being able to walk in I think has been a challenge for people this semester.”

CONNECT WITH BRANDEN LACROIX blacroix@student.framingham.edu

FSU receives $14,000 grant for the Adventures in Lifelong Learning Program

By Leighah Beausoleil News Editor

By Caroline Gordon Editorial Staff Framingham State University received a $14,000 grant from BayPath Elder Services in October to aid the Adventures in Lifelong Learning Program.

The Lifelong Learning Program, created in 2011, is a collaborative project between FSU and the City of Framingham Public Library providing continuing education for elders.

BayPath Elder Services is a non-profit or ni tion t t pro ides reso rces to elders who live in the MetroWest area.

Anne Roberti, assistant director of English Language Programs and Community Education, said the grant money provides funds for a part-time outreach coordinator for the program.

Roberti added the grant provides additional funding so the program can place ads in order to conduct targeted outreach to isolated elders and to those who are underrepresented in the community.

She said, “We received an initial grant from BayPath that started in Oc-

tober 2019.”

The initial grant ran from October 2019 through September 2020, according to Roberti.

She said the grant money for 202021 was an increase from the initial grant, which is the full amount the program applied for.

In the fall of 2019, the program started searching for an outreach coordinator, and in January 2020, the program hired Maureen DeJong, according to Roberti.

Dejong’s goals as outreach coordinator are to reach people in underrepresented populations and seniors who are isolated. Reaching isolated seniors is especially important now, she said.

Dejong added, “My job is a perfect match for me. I was a continuing education student at Framingham State and enjoyed my time there. I have a lot of respect for what FSU does to foster community development, and that includes the Adventures in Lifelong Learning Program.”

Roberti said the program allows seniors to intellectually engage as it provides programming in all areas including business, arts, and sciences.

Adventures in Lifelong Learning also provides social stimulation for elders, she said.

Dejong added participation in the program is free, which is especially helpful during the pandemic.

Fran Bakstran, area agency on aging assistant director at BayPath Elder Services, agreed the Lifelong Learning Program has been crucial to elders.

She said the Lifelong Learning Program is known by many, and people are aware it’s a great way to stay physically and mentally sharp as they age.

“Just as the title says, the program is about lifelong learning, and if you’re not learning you stall in life,” Bakstran dded. fir e ie er t t o should learn something new every day.

It keeps the seniors’ minds sharp. The best way to prevent dementia is to use the mind, not lose it. So, Adventures in Lifelong Learning is enriching, especially in these times with isolation.”

According to Dejong, COVID-19 has altered the program. e on s id t e pro r ic switched to a virtual setting.

“As people have not been able to meet in person anymore, it has been great to allow people to still access our programs,” she added. “We are fortunate to keep the program going. The participation has been wonderful.”

Roberti said they usually offer the program at the public library, Framing-

ham City Hall, Danforth Art Museum, or other locations depending on what is being offered. This year, they had over 170 registrants for the program held over Zoom, she said.

Roberti added, “Technology might not have been something all the participants had been using prior to COVID, but now they are adept at using Zoom.

They are connecting with each other.”

Yaser Najjar, dean of graduate studies, agreed COVID-19 has changed the program.

He said it was a challenge for the faculty to discuss the course structure as well as the students because most of them need to learn about technology.

Najjar is thankful for BayPath Elder Services as the program has been helpful during COVID-19.

He said, “I was happy because especially now with COVID, we needed an opportunity to get resources from anywhere outside of Framingham State especially with those institutions who devoted support to the elderly population.”

CONNECT WITH LEIGHAH BEAUSOLEIL lbeausoleil@student.framingham.edu CONNECT WITH CAROLINE GORDON cgordon4@student.framingham.edu

FRAMINGHAM STATE UNIVERSITY’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1932 | FSUGATEPOST.COM

NEWS

8 | NOVEMBER 6, 2020

COVID-19 by the numbers November 6, 2020

By Donald Halsing Associate Editor

By Leighah Beausoleil News Editor

By Kathleen Moore Design Editor Almost 2 million people recovered from COVID-19 over the past week worldwide based on data from various sources taken Oct. 22.

The number of infections in the United States increased by 4% since last week. Globally, that number increased by 3%.

Framingham State University administered 763 tests within the past week, and 3,508 tests within the past 30 days, according to the COVID-19 data page on the FSU website.

Six positive tests were returned in the past week, according to the page.

The 7-day negative test rate is 99.2%.

One individual is isolated on camp s nd fi e re iso ted off c p s.

i teen peop e re r ntined on c p s nd 1 re r ntined off campus.

A total of 3,474 negative, and 7 positive results, were returned in the past 30 days. The 30-day negative test rate is 99.80%.

Around 3.9% of Framingham residents tested positive for COVID-19.

There were 85 new infections, 57 new reco eries nd ero ne de t s reported since Oct. 30.

The number of people infected increased by 28, or 1.1%, since last week.

Just over 52% of those who contracted the virus remain infected. Over 45% have recovered and about 2.9% have died.

The overall death rate from COVID-19 in Framingham is just over 0.2%.

About 2.3% of Massachusetts residents tested positive for COVID-19.

There were 8,439 new infections, 4,201 new recoveries, and 136 new deaths since Oct. 30.

The number of people infected increased by 4,102, or 2.7%, since last week.

Almost 54% of those who contracted the virus remain infected. Just under 43% have recovered, and approximately 3.3% have died.

The overall death rate from COVID-19 in Massachusetts is under 0.15%.

Almost 2.9% of United States residents tested positive for COVID-19.

There were 598,085 new infections, 225,397 new recoveries, and 5,355 new deaths since Oct. 30.

The number of people infected grew by 358,343, or 4.0%, since last week.

Slightly over 70% of those who contracted the virus remain infected. Approximately 28% of the population has recovered, and approximately 1.7% have died.

The overall death rate from COVID-19 in the United States is 0.07%.

Globally, around 0.6% of the population has tested positive for COVID-19.

There were 3,285,974 new infections, 1,940,621 new recoveries, and 45,680 new deaths since Oct. 30.

The number of people infected grew by 1,340,793, or 3.0%, since last week.

Of those who contracted the virus, 59% remain infected. Recoveries are just under 40%, and approximately 1.5% have died.

The overall death rate from COVID-19 globally is 0.02%.

Data sources: Framingham State University City of Framingham Massachusetts population: United States Census Bureau – QuickFacts Massachusetts US and World population: United States Census Bureau – US and World Population Clock Massachusetts data: WCVB, MA DPH US data: CDC, New York Times Recovery data: Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center World data: WHO, Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center *Calculations for new infections, recoveries, deaths, and infected population si e c n e re de sin ot data from this week and last week’s data published in The Gatepost.

Kathleen Moore / THE GATEPOST

Framingham

Kathleen Moore / THE GATEPOST

@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com

Massachusetts

NEWS

NOVEMBER 6, 2020 | 9

Kathleen Moore / THE GATEPOST

United States

Kathleen Moore / THE GATEPOST

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

10 | NOVEMBER 6, 2020

OP/ED

O P / ED THE GATEPOST EDITORIAL

Protect democracy, not Trump’s ego Early Wednesday morning, President Donald J. Trump falsely claimed victory in the 2020 election. He proceeded to take to Twitter and claimed victories in multiple battleground states, such as Pennsylvania and Georgia, despite thousands of uncounted ballots.

As of Thursday Nov. 5, five states where it is too close to declare a winner - Alaska, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania - have yet to count all of the votes.

Former Vice President Joe Biden currently leads in both the popular vote, with 50.5% of the vote, and the Electoral College, with 264 electoral votes. President Trump is currently behind with 47.9% of the popular vote, and 214 electoral votes, according to The Associated Press.

The two candidates are currently fighting to reach the 270 electoral votes needed to win the Electoral College.

As of press time, The Associated Press has yet to call the race.

In Trump’s address to the country early Wednesday morning, not only did he falsely claim he had won the presidency, but he called to stop counting legitimate votes that had been mailed in.

The President’s claims were bla-

tantly false, and disgustingly, out of line.

However, his address was sadly not surprising.

Then on Thursday night, Trump claimed election fraud despite a lack of evidence.

Because of Trump’s outrageous remarks, major news outlets such as CBS, ABC, and NBC, cut their broadcasts before Trump was done speaking during his Nov. 5 speech.

NBC’s Lester Holt said, “We are watching President Trump speaking live from the White House and we have to interrupt here because the President made a number of false statements including the notion that there has been fraudulent voting. There has been no evidence of that.”

Our country’s Constitution gave us one of the most important freedoms the right to vote.

President Trump’s efforts to halt the tallying of votes after election day cannot - and will not - take away our unalienable right.

This is attempted election fraud at its finest.

Legally, President Trump does not have the ability to stop the counting of votes, as states historically have taken days or weeks to complete their tabulations to declare a winner.

In fact, the results of the 2020 election will not be official until next year, according to the laws governing the Electoral College. Electoral votes will be cast Dec. 14 by delegates, and those votes are not officially counted until Jan. 6, 2021.

Because electors won’t cast their votes for at least a month, there is no excuse to stop counting ballots.

On his official Twitter account Nov. 5, Trump tweeted, “Any vote that came in after election day will not be counted!”

In another Nov. 5 tweet, he said, “All of the recent Biden-claimed states will be legally challenged by us for voter fraud and state election fraud. Plenty of proof - just check out the media. We will win! America First!”

The New York Times wrote, “With millions of votes yet to be counted across several key states - there is a reason that news organizations and other usually impatient actors were waiting to declare victors.”

Trump simply does not care that counting every single ballot is at the heart of our country’s democracy.

Refusing to count legitimate votes is election fraud at its core, and a sure sign that if Biden wins, Trump will not accept the results of the election.

The Trump campaign and its law-

yers have begun to file lawsuits against the states that are continuing to count ballots, claiming voter fraud is prevalent.

Although judges in Georgia and Michigan have quickly dismissed these lawsuits, it is strange that American citizens have to go to such great lengths to protect their voices.

We the people of the United States cannot allow this narcissistic President’s false claims of voter fraud to flip the election in his favor.

Many of our country’s voting laws have been in place since the birth of our nation.

Regardless of political party, we must come together to stand up for democracy and our irrefutable voting rights.

We the people cannot rest until every single ballot is accounted for.

Every.

Single.

One. We the people will not allow Trump to infringe on our rights as American citizens for his own selfish and unconstitutional gain.

This is no longer about political parties.

This is about American democracy.

Electoral College map as of Nov.5 Courtesy of the Associated Press.

Have an opinion?

Feel free to email it to: gatepost@framingham.edu Opinions should be about 750 words.

Anyone can submit.

We look forward to hearing from you! @TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com

OP/ED

Campus Conversations

NOVEMBER 6, 2020 | 11

What is most surprising and/or concerning to you about the current election results that we know right now?

By Donald Halsing, Associate Editor

“Nevada is taking a long time with their votes and it’s kind of getting scary now.”

-Faith Hensley, sophomore

“I’m just concerned that Nevada is taking too long to count the votes because Biden is so close, but Trump could catch up any minute if other red states are declared.”

-Sayana Medina, junior

“I honestly haven’t been paying attention at all. So, I don’t really have an opinion on it. All I know is that it’s just gotten a little crazy, and people are already starting to freak out.”

-Kevin Hazelton, senior

“I think it’s just worrisome because having to wait is raising our anxiety.

We’re already anxious about if we’re going to get our rights taken away. Who knows what’s going to happen?”

-Kam Desroches, sophomore

“What isn’t concerning and surprising?

I’m not super surprised the way that Trump supporters are acting, I’m just really upset with what they’re doing.

We’re not mad! We’re just disappointed.”

-Meeghan Bresnahan, sophomore

“How close it is. It’s been more of an anxiety-related election compared to the last one, where it was a lot more anger-filled, and everybody was either ‘this side’ or ‘that side.’ You have no idea where anything’s going to go.”

-J.C. Espinal, freshman

“I was surprised at how many people still voted for Donald Trump this year. I thought that because of how much stuff was going out against him that it would be a big blue wave because everyone was talking about that. ” -Rebecca Lee, sophomore

“How long it’s taking to count all the votes. I don’t understand how Texas got their votes counted first, but they are a bigger state than Nevada is, and Nevada is still not counted yet.”

-Bailey Brennan, freshman

“I think it’s surprising how long it takes for the results to come back because everyone is very eager this week. I think it shows that as a nation, we are waiting for a greater change.”

-Valerie Suillivan, freshman

[Editor’s note: this week’s Campus Conversations interviews were conducted between 7:00 and 8:00 p.m. Oct. 5. At that time, Alaska, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania had not yet submitted their final election results, according to the Associated Press.]

Save the Dates!

9th Annual Campus Professional Development Series: “Let’s Go The Whole 9 Yards Together” The Campus Professional Development Steering Committee is pleased to announce that the 9th Annual Campus Professional Development Days will be held on Thursday, January 7rd and Friday, January 8th, 2021.

More details will be available in the coming weeks!

FRAMINGHAM STATE UNIVERSITY’S INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1932 | FSUGATEPOST.COM

12 | NOVEMBER 6, 2020

Football

SPORTS

continued from page 1

The student-athletes were fortunate the University provided opportunities for conditioning and training during the offseason to assure their physical and mental health.

“Right now, we do have small socially distanced team workouts for those off or near campus a couple times a week,” Curran said. “Everyt in is st d stin on t e fl for us.”

Like many other captains, Curran was faced with the challenge of keeping team spirit alive and maintaining hope to play in the future. He added that a big factor behind his leadership is head coach Tom Kelley.

“It’s easy to be a leader when things are going well,” Curran said.

“But, I think a true test of a leader is how you hold yourself and others accountable during the bad times and that’s something they’ve really

Courtesy of Cully Curran

“I think a true test of a leader is how you hold yourself and others accountable during the bad times and that’s something they’ve really emphasized with me.”

- Cully Curran, Rams football captain

Courtesy of Cully Curran

emphasized with me.”

Curran said how proud he was of his teammates for the dedication and passion for the sport they have demonstrated in troubling times.

Courtesy of Cully Curran

@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com

“I’ve seen growth from a lot of people that we didn’t have last year,” Curran said. “They became more motivated individuals, and seeing them develop as people is what I’m most proud of.”

Curran hopes life will be back to normal by next season for another chance to compete in the NCAA tournament alongside his team.

“I’ve made relationships with people that I’ll know for the rest of my life that came through playing football, and that goes way beyond just games and running plays together.”

Even though Curran is only a junior and still has another potential year to play, he has some words of advice for the incoming and current underclassmen.

“Don’t worry about X factors that you have no control over because it’s just going to be a waste of energy. Just put all of your energy into things that you yourself can control,” Curran said.

“And if you do that, everything else will take care of itself because you did the best of what you could.”

CONNECT WITH DANIELLE ACHIN dachin@student.framingham.edu

ARTS & FEATURES

NOVEMBER 6, 2020 | 13

ARTS & FEATURES University professors bridge the gap between political divides

By Caroline Gordon Editorial Staff To discuss current political issues, t e ffice of o nit t nd rds enter for nc si e ce ence nd t e i s d c tion esponse e osted p ne disc ssion o . i oo . rt ise director of co nit st nd rds oder ted t e e ent. e s ed series of contro ersi po itic estions i ed t t o spe ers o n c er po itic science professor nd Vincent Ferr ro c ir of t e ocio o ep rt ent. rt ise st rted off t e disc ssion co entin on o di ided t e n tion is. e s id t t s co ntr e re f rt er p rt ideo o ic t n e e e er een. is first estion s re e tr di ided nd o did e et to t is point?� c er s ic to respond s in t t in de ocr c di isions e nd s i e present. e e rief istoric o er ie of p st presidents ctions t t e led us to this point, then said President on d . r p s een t e ost not e c prit of di ision. c er s id e re seein t o p rties oin in er opposite directions in ter s of t eir o n constit encies. e s id t e ep ic n rt c s di ersit nd orit of re istered ep ic ns is ost ite. e predicts t t 050 c si ns i no on er e p orit of t e poption. c er s id don t nt to so nd e odr tic t e ne er een so sc red in ife s e een o t t e e ection t t is t in p ce nd t e ee s t t fo o .

Ferr ro reed it c er nd s id e e ie es o r po itic identities e eco e po ri ed. e s id t ere re ot of concerns t t fo s s re t instre poitic p rties e co esced core es nd t ose es e een incre sin defined in opposition to e c ot er.

Ferr ro s id e p rties e eco e s ort nd s of si p if in fo s into ro ps t t re eit er si -

i r to t e or inst t e . c er ped in nd s id t s no on er t e o opposition it s t e ene .

Ferr ro s id st d done t e ni ersit of ten er tr c ed po itic p rties o er ti e nd disco ered t e e ocr tic rt s re ined nt e o er t e p st fe dec des. o e er t t is not t e c se for t e ep ic n rt . e ep ic n rt s o ed f rt er to t e ri t. not s estin t ere is e f t ere t e do e po ri tion fro e c ot er s id Ferr ro. e dded e ro es of po itic e ites e enefited fro t e po ri tion in ter s of inin po itic po er or c pt rin ie ers ip.

Ferr ro s id t e ro e of t e edi is to accentuate differences and personi e o r ne s feeds p s in s f rt er fro e c ot er. e et e specific e p e of F e s nd s id if it d een ro nd d rin ic rd i on s presidenc e o d not e een i pe c ed. t in F e s is so id t e n er one ne s st tion on te e ision, indicating its success,� said Ferr ro. rt ise s id t e dis ree ents in tod s c rrent po itic en iron ent re not st o t differences of opinions t dis ree ent on f cts. e s ed t does t is dis reeent of f cts e n for o r po itics nd t e co ntr oin for rd c er responded s in e const nt e e s ccess to soci edi nd re e posed to different infor tion. o e er e pointed o t t t st ec se t e infor tion is on t e internet it does not e n it is tr e. e ters e een dd in it t e resident ri t t t e center of it prop tin isinfor tion e s id. c er dded t t f e ne s s ne ti e effect on con ers tion to t e point ere it is te rin f i ies p rt. e e p ined t e nti scientific e iefs re rdin V 1 nd rer ed on o tro in t ose e iefs re. f e c nt ree on co on t in i e t e d n er of t e p nde ic nd t t s ein po itici ed od

t o t ot er iss es nd po icies s ed c er. e dded e t o t r p o d e done etter o nd in t e p nde ic s ot er or d e ders did. r p i edi te po itici ed e rin s s n eric n s id c er. e e pressed is concern o t r p s infl ence e en if e is defe ted s in t e t osp ere e s creted i not dis ppe r.

Ferr ro s red c er s concern re rdin science ein discredited. e so offered n necdote o t is o n f i ein n e to disc ss po itics e en i e on c tion. e s id e s t en c so e of is f i e ers t o ts on risin cri e in e or . s cri ino o ist Ferr ro s id e s conf sed t eir so c ed f cts. e s id cri e is ppenin t t e s e r te it s in 01 nd is f i d diffic t nderst ndin t t f ct. it o t s red nderst ndin o t o t e or d or s it es di o e nd ci i disco rse re diffic t s id Ferr ro. ccordin to Ferr ro o rn istic et ics e een so i port nt to t e e t of de ocr c ec se t e infor o r con ers tions nd i e s co on no ed e. espite is concern e s id t ere e een so e ri t spots te inc din r. nt on F ci s i ppro r tin . n ind t is e ns e e not co p ete ndoned science s id Ferr ro. e disc ssed o t e decisions t e or edi o t ets not to o e for rd it stories o t nter iden s ptop ec se t e co dn t erif it is si n t t o rn istic et ics re sti i e.

Ferraro praised the recent efforts of soci edi o t ets t t i pose set of et ics. e s id soci edi disr pted nd e i in ted t e tr dition ne s o t ets nd for i e did not offer n te eepin f nctions t re no doin etter o . c er s id e o ds F ce oo p rtic r responsi e for o in t e o nt of disinfor tion nd forei n infl ence ic co d e een pre ented. rt ise s id con ers tions on

ot iss es c n esc te ic . e s ed t e p ne ists re t ese con ers tions so diffic t to e nd t c n e do o t it c er pro ided esson fro r inco n. e s id inco n s ie st t o d to p ce o rse f in t e position of so eone o d opposin ide s. erefore o co d en e in ci i disco rse nd possi c n e t e opposition s opinion.

Ferr ro e p ined t ein ci i e ns to i . e s id e s o d enter di o e it o t t e intent to in or r n one. e dded ein ci i e c des r cist se ist nd o op o ic di o e.

Ferr ro s id t t ep ic n ideo o re prioriti es i ert nd indi id freedo i e e ocr tic ideo o prioriti es n ri ts nd co ecti e e ein . e offered t e co on it of ot ideo o ies ein t t in sc oo s. ese ide s e een fr ed s po r opposites. don t t in t e need to e e s id. c er dded ere is not in ron it e ted disc ssion t ere st s to e de ree of t respect. rt ise s ed o one co d diffuse heated political discussions, partic r t ose re rdin identit or sic n ri ts.

Ferr ro s id o in to p ce ere ci i disco rse is ore co forte is oin to t e ti e nd pr ctice. e dded it s i port nt to set p r es nd e pect tions for t e disc ssion so if o et off tr c o c n c tc o rse f to pre ent n terc tion. c er offered tip on o to en e in po itic con ers tions it so eone o does not e on to t e s e po itic p rt . ne t in tried it f i e er o does not s re t e s e po itic ie s is e i so et in nted i to re d nd e e e so et in e d i e e to re d. en e t ed o t it nd incredi t t did e d to so e er fr itf con ers tions. e en ed in re disc ssion.

CONNECT WITH CAROLINE GORDON cgordon@student.framingham.edu

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14 | NOVEBER 6, 2020

ARTS & FEATURES

The importance of clean makeup

By Caroline Gordon Editorial Staff r s ed Fit e po der fo nd tion o er f ir s in nd pp ied o er ir sc r on re d en t e e s es. s c e ess n i sc oo nd d rin first e r of co e e ore e p dr store e p fro V . i e ost o n o en se e p to en nce oo s. s e t n t e n to onder o t t e in redients in e p. did rese rc . id o no t e s in is t e r est or n in t e n od e prod cts o p t on o r od inc din e p i et sor ed into t e s in. ccordin to n rtic e r rd e t is in c e n e t prod cts re etter for t e n od . ere re cert in st nd rds for e p to e dee ed c e n s c s nonto ic in redients nd e t t inc des in redients. pecific in c e n cos etics in redients s c s et isot i o inone et c oroisot i o inone fr r nce p eno et no it in deri ti es petro e disti tes nd for de des re not sed.

Fr r nce nd for de des re no n to c se cont ct der titis ic c n eco e c ronic e en it tre t ent. ont ct der titis is red itc s in r s t t spre ds. en sc rier for de de s een e ed s c rcino enic t e tion ncer nstit te. e co po nd s een in ed to c ncer in ot ni s nd ns in i doses. ere re c n es o c n e e p t t is e ed c e n. o e er so eti es e p is f se r eted to e c e n t sti cont ins so e r f in redients. r e o to t e n e tr step oo f rt er into t e prod ct efore p ttin it in o r s et. e pp e t i in t e n iron ent or in ro p offers sc nnin too o in o to c ec t e in redients it o r p one. e pict re of t e prod ct o nt to p rc se nd it i co e p it r tin of o c e n t e prod ct is ccordin to t e s strict ide ines. is pp is so e s to se nd i effecti e t t es nder in te ro t is pp fo nd fe e p r nds t t re en inec e n. iner F sion nd e eop e re top t o i reco end t ese r nds. o c n find ot e p ines t o e Foods e ns nd r et. o doesn t nt not er e c se to o to r et ere is one or dis d nt e to in t entic ce n e t prod cts t e price. n er e si ed sc r fro iner F sion t r et costs o t 0. ost co e e o en o d not spend t t o nt on e p. e for e it s so ort it ec se e p is i port nt to e nd no ettin t e est fro iner F sion. f o re ore fin nci sensi e t n o c n sti ce n e p on d et. o er ir recent c e o t it t eir e n Fres ine ic is free of s f tes for de de nd p r ens. eir sc r is 11. e c e n e t ine t t o c oose co es do n to o r st nd rds for o e t o nt o r prod cts nd o c one o re i in to spend. o d o r t er s ffer t e e t i p ic tions or do so e e tr rese rc nd possi spend ore one on o r e p prod cts e s rt c e n.

CONNECT WITH CAROLINE GORDON cgordon@student.framingham.edu

@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com

Ashton Irwin blossoms into artistry on “Superbloom�

By Leighah Beausoliel Editorial Staff

s ton r in dr er of t e str i n pop p n nd 5 econds of er 5 re e sed is first so o per oo ct. 3.

F o in s oot fro tr c to tr c t e s 10 son s foc s on r in s on fo t tt e it ent i ness. r in e n or in on is in Fe r r nd nno nced t e s rprise s e istence in te epte er en e re e sed t e first sin e inn inn . e ne t d r in pre iered t e son s sic ideo. e son foc ses on r in s str e it od d s orp i . e rics nn e t nn st t in nn d nce t ott st in de onstr tes t e c nd fort str e of ntin to i e is ife t const nt ein e d c t is ent i ness. fter istenin to t is first son it s c e r to n on ti e 5 f ns t is s oin to e ite person . e sic ideo depicts r in d ncin in front of ro of irrors t t portr distorted i es of i . o n f ns s rprise no dr s re present in t is son . e tr c is in co posed of n co stic it r cco p nied c ro nd oc s. n e ectric it r oins in f nd to rd t e end is e rd on s rin str t t interr pts t e ent e consistent co stic. nt e sic ideo s t ese str s rin o t r in t es s ed e er to t e irrors re in e c nd e er one. per oo opens it t e tr c tit ed c r t t is o t r in s f i . is ot er o n er rot er nd sister re entioned in t e son . e ess e of t e tr c is en t e or d is d r nd nfor i in f i i e t ere to e p o nd s nit o e for rd nd etter one not er. is is s o n t ro o t t e son en r in s s n o ep e e etter n As the opening track, the song has an peculiar and strong introduction that not on p s isteners in t t e soon cco p n in rics i es t e re son to st . e si t tr c ns ine is nds do n t e est on t e . in n orchestra feel to it, the song features string instr ents t t i e it different so nd ic st nds o t e tif on t e pro ect. s one of t e ore positi e son s on t e it e p si es t e i port nce of ppreci tin t e s er t in s in ife. is is s o n in t e rics ot st tod ot st to orro t no for fore er nd e er ee t e s ns ine. n t e d of t e s re e se r in osted n nst r i e in ic ee p ined t e c ro nd nd e nin to so e of is son s. isc ssin ns ine e enco r ed peop e to en o t e si p istic n t re of o r n e istence nd pr ctice se f c re. n t is s e nst r i e r in e

n interestin c stor to t e son re o nd. e s id en e s id e e ped o t n o r n re o nd r ces. e e p ined en re o nd didn t p ce t e eren t o ed to r ce in. e re o nd r ce in t e son ser es s et p or for o peop e i or t e se es to de t e s id. en o c tc t t f e r it s re o nd t do o re in is son enco r es isteners to o t e se es so e se f reflection on t eir ctions nd t t e ope to et o t of ife. ot on does t is son e stron ess e t its so nd is e de e oped nd e es t e istener s tisfied. t o n of t e tr c s on t is re e co posed nd e isite ritten one of t e e er son s is e eetness. e tr c fee s inco p ete nd not ne r s po is ed s t e rest of t e pro ect. t s s fe to s t e co d e done it o t it. t despite t is e in n isteners c n s re reson te it t e tt e rin descri es nd i find co fort in its rics nd so nd. r in re e sed per oo i e oncert Fi on o t e ct. 30. e fi ic f ns c n sti tc for free on t e p tfor fe t res r in s nd e i per ro p p in riet of instr ents. is irt perfor nce pro ides f ns it o e ne istenin e perience t t on ets etter nd etter.

Asthon Irwin

Grade: Ar in pro es i se f to e ore t n st dr er.

CONNECT WITH LEIGHAH BEAUSOLEIL lbeausoleil@student.framingham.edu

ARTS & FEATURES

NOVEMBER 6, 2020 | 15

VRAM: ‘Neon Abyss’ is an explosion of fun

By Robert Johnson Jr.

Arts & Features Editor o e i es e een on t e p nd p since t e d s of d nd ci en nd F ori n i s s e indin of s c in 011 nd s s c t ere e een n tte pts to replicate the success and feel of that on ent enre definin it. it t t in ind not e er ro e i e s cceeds in doin t is t er fe do for inst nce one of f orite interpret tions of t e enre co es fro otion in s e d e s fro 01 . e tif nited etroid ni inspired ro p t t o ses e t of content t t eeps e co in c for ore. ention e d e s ec se t e s e c n ost e s id for Vee o es eon ss 0 0 re e sed t in stic r n nd n p tfor er ro e i e p is ed e 1 t t c i e e d e s s rprised e o f n it s. n it o re sent on ission des s in t e ree od of t e nder or d to defe t fi e n ers o so ppen to e ree t o o ic ods. o do t is o o d need to p into pit t e tit r eon ss to fi t t ro roo s of ene ies nd ti te defe t t e t r et. re t e pre ise i t so nd d ntin t fe r not t is ission is not i possi e.

ACROSS 1. Messy pile 5. Brazilian soccer legend 9. Dot on a die 12. Sleep problem 14. Darth voiced by James Earl Jones 15. Stubborn beast 16. One making cuts on the job 18. Thanksgiving ___ 19. Half a jet-setting duo?

20. Green dip, for short 21. One making cuts on the job 24. Subtlety 26. French poodle’s bowlful?

27. It may be framed 28. Dangerous place in the Bible 33. One making cuts on the job 38. Covered in cloth, say 39. Senora Peron 40. Crunches work them 41. Situated 44. One making cuts on the job 50. Singer Tori

o st rt o t p in s de e er of t e ri d o possesses sic it of ite s t ree it points e nd ren de. o e er o re not i ited to p in s i o c n so c oose to e nn o s fo r it points e t no ren des. n f t ere re n c r cters e ond t e t t o c n n oc for ter se. t en s ter se do e n ter se. n oc in t e ot er c r cters tt c s 6 nd so on t es on ti e to do not to ention ridic o s n er of r ns t ro t e ss. en o first st rt p in t e e t in s i t see it s o fter o did et t ro n do n into t e pit fter t in s ot of so e sterio s od i id it des so it is to e e pected t t t is ec se o re sti ettin sed to o eon ss does t in s. s o pro ress t ro t e roo s o enco nter ene ies of r in e t es reen ene ies re t e e siest to i or n e ones re s i t harder, and the red ones take a little ore effort to e i in te. o e of t e ene ies in ter r ns don t e en fo o t is co orin con ention ppe rin c e r in ost inst nces nice to c ese ene ies i fire pro ecti es t o t t n f t e p tterns re e s to dod e if o re e perienced it et e es or si -

i r ro e i es. o e er in en in it t ese ene ies it s o d e noted t t o s o d not et t e corner o pp rent s o d t t ppen o re rendered n e to tt c nti t e et i ed or t e i o . t is pro t it is fr str tin one t t dr ins o of o r e t nd or s ie ds ic in o ents ere o don t nt t t ppenin . e osses re so ni e in t e sense t t t e re ods of odern concepts. For e pe i nd o re t e ods of o i e Videos nd oc nd in re t e ods of ittercoin. t s o d e noted t t o don t fi t ot of t e t t e s e ti e t r t er t e re p ette s pped ri nts of e c ot er. re t ese re c e er especi it t e n es t it does et itt e onotono s to fi t t e s e eneies it itt e ri tion fter it. is doesn t e en e in to et into t e pet s ste t e e s in ic o co ect e s t t or not hatch into assistants that can help o in o r est ic is prett coo . eon ss no s o to e o fee po erf t in it in o into t is rder c ine Veeo es ind of t es t e c en e fro o . e n er fi ts t e seconds it t e ri t c r cter i d nd fter i e o e rn o to dispose of t e i e t in ini d e of o r o n.

51. Business loss 52. ___ Mahal 53. One making cuts on the job 58. Brooding music genre 59. Some MP3 players 60. Battery terminal 61. Certain sib 62. Fourth planet from the sun 63. Stefani of No Doubt DOWN 1. “That’s a hoot!”

2. Waste watchers’ org.

3. Childhood nickname of 14-Across 4. Individual 5. Tortellini, for one 6. ‘50s Ford flop 7. Director Spike or Ang 8. Be off base 9. City near Venice 10. Oscar with a Golden Globe 11. Possible major for an aspiring therapist, informally 13. Like some committees 14. Action word 17. Learn by ___ 20. Dutch cheese 21. Palestinian political party 22. Extend credit 23. Docket item 24. Seize suddenly 25. Website addresses 28. Aberdeen boy 29. Bartender’s rocks 30. Approved 31. Vote into office 32. Actress Campbell 34. Rock climber’s challenges 35. Japanese beef variety 36. Barely 37. Super cool 41. Ballerina’s bend 42. “Wonder Woman” star Carter

t nd it t es it of e o re se in t e s e c se it nlocking characters on the skill tree to dd so e riet to t e e. o e er in spite of its f ts ic co e fro ein ne e sti o e p ssin t e ti e it eon ss nd on e cited for t co es ne t if n t in is dded t .

Veewo Games

Grade: Bes o fee re coo so on s o c n oid t e occ sion itc .

CONNECT WITH ROBERT JOHNSON JR. rjohnson10@student.framingham.edu

43. ___ price (home seller’s number) 44. Kathy of “Fried Green Tomatoes” 45. Meaty taste found in seaweed 46. Places to wear colorful belts 47. Zeal 48. Must-haves 49. Ruckuses 53. Vigor’s partner 54. Goose Island brew 55. Roadside service 56.

Puzzle solutions are now “___ to Joy” exclusively online.

57. Stimpy’s pal

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16 | NOVEMBER 6, 2020

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PHOTOS

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Members of the FSU community

V O T E Photo by Donald Halsing/THE GATEPOST

Show off their “I Voted” Stickers

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Photo courtesy of Residence Life

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