Oct. 8, 2021

Volume 90 • Issue 4

FSUgatepost.com

October 8, 2021

Fall fun with Christian Fellowship

Leighah Beausoleil / THE GATEPOST (Left) Christian Fellowship’s Treasurer Lily Borst, President Mikaela Davies, Community Outreach Coordinator Caitlyn Mclaughlin, and Marketing Coordinator Kelsey Behrikis at their pumpkin painting event Oct. 6.

News PINK PATCH PROJECT pg. 3 LIBRARY INTRUDER pg. 5

Opinions

ANTI-RACISM COMMITMENT pg. 7 DATING APPS pg. 7

Sports

University Native American seal and logo discussions on hold

By Leighah Beausoleil Associate Editor Steven Bonini News Editor The approaching Columbus Day/ Indigenous Peoples’ Day has sparked discussion at Framingham State University pertaining to its seal and logo that depicts Native American imagery.

The University will await developments on the state level as well as stable project leadership before proceeding with any changes.

Gatepost Archives

WOMEN’S SOCCER pg.10

Arts & Features ASTRONIGHTS pg. 12 MALIGNANT pg. 15

See UNIVERSITY SEAL page 4

Stories in ink

By Emily Rosenberg Arts & Features Editor

VOLLEYBALL pg. 9

FSU’s seal and logo is dramatically similar to the Massachusetts state seal and flag, both with imagery of a Native American holding a bow and arrow pointed downward to signify peace. However, the state flag also includes a sword above the Native American’s head.

According to President F. Javier Cevallos, this depiction is no longer in line with the University’s current values of diversity, equity, and inclusion - with this imagery said to reflect white supremacy, genocide, and violence.

The initial conversation concerning these images at the University was sparked by the discussions happening on the state level, according to Cevallos.

Daniel Magazu, communications director, said former Vice President of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement Constanza Cabello formed a committee last year with representatives from the different Native American organizations in the surrounding area - most prominently the Nipmuc Indian Council.

You can write your lover’s name on your hand with a pen and it will wash away tomorrow, but if you went to a tattoo shop and had an artist write your lover’s name with a needle, it could be there until the day you die.

Whether it be a small flower, a quote, or the whole U.S. Constitution, tattooing is another art form that many use to express themselves, commemorate loved ones, or just decorate their bodies.

Christina Chinetti, a sophomore child and family studies major, has

12 tattoos and “a whole list” on her phone of ones she’d like to get in the future.

She said she has both “really meaningful” and “just fun ones,” including Harry Styles quotes, a mushroom, some dinosaurs, and a quote from one of her favorite TV shows, “The Fosters,” that says “don’t play small my love.”

She got her first one when she was 18, and it is a lyric from her favorite Broadway show, “The Phantom of the Opera.” It says “The Music of the Night.”

She said Phantom is “definitely a huge part of the reason why I fell in

love with theater.”

Chinetti added having the tattoo is meaningful because, “It represents the show that introduced me to this entire world that is now something that I love.”

She said when she went to get that first tattoo, she was so nervous she squeezed her friend’s hand so tight that it turned purple.

Chinetti also has three arrows on her wrist to represent the three chromosomes on the 21st pair - the genetic mutation that creates

See STORIES IN INK page 13

INSIDE: OP/ED 7 • SPORTS 9 • ARTS & FEATURES 12

NEWS

2 | OCTOBER 8, 2021

Editorial Board

Gatepost Interview

Editor-in-Chief Donald Halsing

Shawn Aldrich

Associate Editors Leighah Beausoleil Kathleen Moore

Coordinator of Veterans & Military Services

News Editors Steven Bonini Ashlyn Kelly

By Sophia Harris Staff Writer

Interim News Editor Haley Hadge

What is your role here at FSU and what does your job entail?

I’m the new coordinator of veterans and military services here at Framingham State University. So my main job would be to help veterans and military-connected students navigate the confusing paperwork - the ins and outs of what the University needs as far as paperwork and then also what the Veteran Affairs Department needs for paperwork so that they’re able to use and recei e their benefits.

Opinions Editor McKenzie Ward Sports Editor Danielle Achin Interim Asst. Sports Editor Mikey Alves Arts & Features Editors Caroline Gordon Emily Rosenberg Asst. Arts & Features Editor Patrick Brady Interim Asst. Design Editors Maddison Behringer Emma Lyons Staff Writers James Barraford Sean Cabot Jasmine Castillo Jackson Clyde Josh Colburn Olivia Copeland Dan Fuentes Sophia Harris Stefano Hernandez Branden LaCroix Sage Lorenzo Jack McLaughlin Ryan O’Connell Austin Riffelmacher Nathan Rogers Ryan Schreiber Tyler Wahl Advisor Desmond McCarthy

TH E G A N T PE

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Asst. Advisor Elizabeth Banks

@

T TH EGATEPOS

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

What is your educational and professional background?

I’m a Framingham State alumnus. I graduated in May of 2017. I have a bachelor s degree in finance. Prior to that, I was in the Air Force as an in flight refueler. I was on active duty as well. I served for four years. I was stationed at McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey. I flew on a C 10, which is a tanker cargo airlift aircraft. I did four deployments and did a lot of traveling missions into Afghanistan, Iraq, and all over the Middle East and Europe. When I got out, I decided to move back home. I chose Framingham State because they had a eteran Ser ices ffice. They had a coordinator at the time. I remember when I was getting out [of the Air Force] I really had no idea what I was doing, how to get my benefits, what was needed, and the transition was a little hectic. So I remember talking to the coordinator at the time, and it was very helpful to have somebody to reach out to and to kind of help guide you. That s definitely one of the reasons why I applied for this position. And then when I graduated, I was actually interning with the Business Office here at Framingham State, I got an Accountant I position, and I think about a year, year and a half, after that an Accountant II position opened up.

How did your time in the Air Force prepare you@for this job?

TH OSTbit more It helped me toErelate GATEa Plittle to the veteran and military students here at FSU. I was on active duty. I had a wife. I had one child at the time - I have three now. So I know the stresses of deploying, not being home, being in charge of cargo operations, and refueling our nation’s greatest assets. I refueled the fighter ets, cargo ets I did a lot of crazy things like crazy missions over Africa and other places. It was dif-

Courtesy of Shawn Aldrich ficult to go from being in such a position where you’re in charge of so much. … To answer your question … just being able to relate more to these students and these other veterans. … How do we get across what we’ve [veterans] done and communicate that better to jobs as far as resumes and cover letters?

What do you hope to accomplish at FSU? What are your goals?

I’m just hoping to help as many veterans and military-connected students as possible in whatever way that might come across. I’ve gotten some emails about food insecurity. I’ve gotten some emails about confusion when it comes to “What benefits am I able to get ” “How do I do it?” “Who do I contact?”

“I want to work on my resume - is there anybody on campus who can help?” [I point] them in the right direction, like the career ser ices office. erall, that s my goal - to just help as many of them as possible - even if it’s as simple as registering for courses, helping to connect them to their academic advisors. …

My main goal is to get as many of them graduated and ready for that next step, whatever they’re pursuing.

Do you have any hobbies that you would like to tell the community about?

I used to have a lot of hobbies. I have

three little kids, girls, so most of my time is spent with them. So doing whatever they do. Whenever I can get away, which is pretty rare, especially [with a] full-time job, three kids, family and the MBA program. I like to play golf. I love sports - Red Sox, Celtics, and Patriots.

What advice do you have for campus students?

I would have to say I hope that when they think of a veteran, they think of somebody who’s served our country. But also they are just another person, like, they’re coming back to FSU, or school to pursue their higher education. … So if you want to come in [to the center] and meet some of our veterans and [hear] some of the stories they have. [It] is just amazing. Some of the stuff that they’ve done is crazy. If you’re a campus student, and you’d like to talk to some veterans or get to know us better, we have a veteran center [in] Dwight Hall 113. It’s open to anybody 9 a.m to 5 p.m. … Anybody is more than welcome to stop by.

We’re just people like you and we’re just trying to get that degree and that next step and start a new career.

CONNECT WITH SOPHIA HARRIS sharris9@student.framingham.edu

Police Logs Friday, Oct. 01 00:20 Inebriate Towers Hall Report Taken

Saturday, Oct. 02 23:18 Noise Complaint Vernon St Advised

Tuesday, Oct. 05 20:07 Annoying Phone Calls Police Department Report Taken

Wednesday, Oct. 06 17:26 Motor Vehicle Accident Maynard Rd Report Taken

NEWS

OCTOBER 8, 2021 | 3

FSU Police Department continues Pink Patch Project support

By Donald Halsing Editor-in-Chief Framingham State University’s Police Department is participating in the annual #PinkPatchProject during October to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

According to the Pink Patch Project website, the program was initiated in 2013 by the Seal Beach, California Police Department. Two years later, the Irwindale, California Police Department started selling patches and raised over $20,000 for breast cancer research and treatment.

Since then, hundreds of first responder departments across the U.S. - and a few in foreign countries - have begun selling their own Pink Patches, including the FSU Police Department.

FSUPD Sergeant Martin Laughlin said proceeds from Pink Patch sales at FS support the Susan . omen Breast Cancer Foundation.

He added the department participates in the project every year to raise awareness about breast cancer.

“Cancer doesn’t stop,” he said.

“Unfortunately, it’s a daily thing, weekly thing, a yearly thing - it’s always there. And the month of October is our month to raise awareness.”

He said Pink Patch sales in 2020 were lower than previous years because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but this year, “Sales have been going very well.”

During the month of October,

FSUPD officers are wearing Pink Patches on their uniforms, and patrol vehicles have been decorated with pink ribbons. The Department posted pictures of the patches and ribbons on their Facebook page to increase awareness and show their support.

Throughout September, the Department posted pictures on their Facebook page promoting the project. These included several pictures of students and officers showing off their Pink Patches posted Sept. 13.

Community Resource Officer atelyn elley s personal story about breast cancer was shared in a post on the department’s Facebook page. The post includes a photo with the caption, “ fficer elley proudly displays the Pink Patch in memory of her Aunt who passed away from a brave fight with Breast Cancer in 2018.”

Laughlin said, “I think the whole Police Department feels it’s an honor to help out - anything we can do to raise awareness for the deadly disease. People are surviving cancer, people have passed from cancer, but we just want to support the cause.”

Pink patches can be purchased at the campus bookstore or through the FSU website and cost $10 each.

Link to the Pink Patch Page: https://w w w.alumni.framingham. edu/pinkpatch

Courtesy of Framingham State University Police Facebook page

CONNECT WITH DONALD HALSING dhalsing@student.framingham.edu

Courtesy of Framingham State University Police Facebook page er atel n elle poses with a pin ribbon on a patrol ar in a t. Fa eboo post.

Weather

Courtesy of Framingham State University Police Facebook page Members of the FSU community pose with their Pink Patches in a Sept. 13 Facebook post.

Forecast provided by the National Weather Service www.weather.gov

Sunday night Oct. 10 Mostly cloudy, with a low around 55. Light wind.

Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Monday night Oct. 11 Mostly cloudy, with a low around 55. Calm wind.

Tuesday night Oct. 12 Mostly cloudy, with a low around 60. Calm wind.

Wednesday night Oct. 13 Patchy fog. Partly cloudy, with a low around 55. Light wind.

Monday Oct. 11 Patchy fog before noon.

Mostly cloudy, with a high near 70. Wind around 5 mph.

Tuesday Oct. 12 Mostly cloudy, with a high near 74. Wind around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Wednesday Oct. 13 Partly sunny, with a high near 75. Wind around 5 mph.

Thursday Oct. 14 Mostly sunny, with a high near 70. Wind around 5 mph.

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

4 | OCTOBER 8, 2021

NEWS

University seal

Leighah Beausoleil / THE GATEPOST The University seal in front of the Henry E. Whittemore Library.

Continued from page 1 Magazu added due to Cabello’s departure and Cevallos’ retirement announcement, the University is holding off on any major decisions about the seal and logo during this transitional period.

He said the significance of changing the seal and logo is to demonstrate how the University has “evolved” in terms of representation and diversity.

Magazu said one of the goals in this effort is to better the relationship and build trust between the University and Native American tribes.

Cevallos said the University will await state discussions and more permanent project leadership before moving forward, adding, “One of the things that you don’t want to do is just to make a decision that affects the Indigenous people in the area without consultation with Indigenous people.

“So even if we’re slowing down a little bit on the logo, I think that it will be a much better conversation once we have everybody around the table to talk about it,” he said.

In an email, Rep. Jack Lewis, a Democrat representing Ashland and the City of Framingham, said on the state level, “A commission was formed earlier this year with the task of reviewing the current seal and potentially making recommendations for a new one.

“The commission continues to meet towards this goal,” he added.

“I firmly believe that the symbols we use to describe ourselves carry great power. And while updating and

@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com

changing them doesn’t solely bring about the systemic, cultural change that is often required, not challenging problematic symbols only further encourages greater ignorance,” Lewis said, adding, “These remain important conversations that must continue to center Indigenous voices.”

Eric Nguyen, director of the Center for Inclusive Excellence (CIE), said the seal and logo conversations predate his time at FSU, but he has been involved in similar discussions as a resident of Natick, which also has a seal with Native American imagery.

He said on the one hand, it’s detrimental for these images to hold historically inaccurate representations of Native Americans, but he warned of the other side, where eliminating these symbols when no other Native American representations exist could lead to further “erasure.”

Nguyen added there are some who say these symbols should be completely removed because they believe they’re inappropriate, while others say if it is all the representation they can get, they will take it.

As a new member of the University, Nguyen said he does not know about the different majors’ and their curriculums, specifically what the University teaches in terms of Indigenous history, but added it would be important to have a conversation concerning the inclusion of Native American culture into the different curriculums, ensuring Native American students and employees are being represented, as well as creating scholarships to support them.

He added, “I think those are the kinds of things that we can really dig

into and say, ‘We might be changing the seal. And if erasure is the worry, here are the ways in which we’re going to ensure that we’re actually not erasing. We’re actually going to amplify and magnify the attention that we’re paying to Indigenous peoples in the work that we do.”

Nguyen said recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ Day in place of the Columbus Day Holiday is “a good first step” in giving a form of reparations to Native Americans.

He said he is working on booking a speaker to present on reparations for a future CIE event.

According to Cevallos, the University recognizes the holiday as both Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples’ Day. He added this idea falls in line with his own personal beliefs coming from a “Hispanic culture,” where a “day of the races” is celebrated.

Cevallos explained the idea is to celebrate the day the three races came together - the Europeans, the Indigenous People of the Caribbean, and the Africans - forming the “world we live in today.

“All of them are equally important,” he added.

“I think that it’s very important for all of us to keep remembering that, actually, we all are in the lands that were occupied by Indigenous people before we were here,” Cevallos said, adding, “Our University sits in a place that was originally part of tribal lands.

“We have to recognize the great influence that the Indigenous cultures have had on all of us and also be thankful for all the contributions that they have [made] and recognize we owe them a debt of gratitude,” he said.

FSU students had a range of responses about how to recognize the holiday.

Rosemond Odoom, a sophomore political science major, said the Columbus Day holiday name puts the focus on white people, while recognizing the day as Indigenous Peoples’ Day gives Native Americans “something to own, something to be happy about [and] to celebrate.

“It’s not something that should cause a rivalry among people,” she added. “It’s something that’s supposed to bring people together. So, that doesn’t mean that you can’t also celebrate Columbus Day.” Matthew Mori, a senior psychology major, said he supports the name change from Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day “because of the struggles that our Indigenous communities faced and continue to face today.”

Mori emphasized the need to spread to awareness of the Indigenous communities’ “issues” and to “recognize the achievements of the Indgineous people, not just in America, but around the world.”

Ewnie Fedna, a senior finance major, said the holiday’s two names are “the same thing,” adding, “We don’t

get classes.”

She said, however, “The name’s change puts a little bit more respect on that day.”

Eva Thurston, a freshman sociology major, said recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ Day is “great.”

She said, “I think it’s something that when I was growing up, I didn’t really understand, but now that I’m older, I understand how important it is.” ayla inor, a unior communications arts major, said she doesn’t like to get into controversial topics because “of the way some people may handle responses,” but said she does support the traditional Columbus Day name.

In honor of November being Native American Heritage Month, Millie González, interim dean of the Henry E. Whittemore Library, said a series of events organized by FSU’s community partners will take place, with the library hosting events of its own.

González said she received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, titled “The Big Read,” which gave her the opportunity to choose from a selection of books to form a community-wide reading program.

She added she chose “An American Sunrise,” a collection by Native American Poet Joy Harjo, who will then be a keynote speaker at a virtual event hosted by the University.

The series will begin Oct. 11, with a virtual event hosted by the Smithsonian called “Youth in Action,” which Framingham community members will have access to as FSU is a Smithsonian affiliate, according to González.

She said the Danforth Art Museum will be hosting a number of related events, including showcasing a collection of Idigenious art as well as offering art classes that will draw inspiration from Harjo’s poems.

English Professor Bartholomew Brinkman will also be giving a talk on contemporary Native American poetry, she added.

González said a number of book discussions and events will also be occurring at the Framingham Public Library, the local public schools, and MassBay Community College.

The library will be handing out books to community members, she added. Framingham State students and employees can email her if they are interested in receiving a book.

She can be reached at vgonzalez@ framingham.edu

CONNECT WITH LEIGHAH BEAUSOLEIL lbeausoleil@student.framingham.edu CONNECT WITH STEVEN BONINI sbonini@student.framingham.edu

NEWS

OCTOBER 8, 2021 | 5

Shawn Aldrich named new coordinator of Veterans & Military Services

By James Barraford Staff Writer Shawn Aldrich was elected the new coordinator of Veterans & Military Services Aug. 9.

Following the resignation of Leanna Lynch March 26, a search began to fill the position.

Lynch went on to become community relations specialist with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Bedford, Massachusetts.

Aldrich, an Air Force veteran and a Framingham State graduate, worked in the Accounting Department at FSU prior to being hired for this position.

When the office was without a coordinator, Lynch came on as a parttime contractor to continue to guide student veterans, assisted by Tamika Young, an Air Force veteran.

Aldrich is enrolled in the Masters of Business Administration program and Young is enrolled in the Master of Arts Counseling Psychology Program.

Young said her experience as a student veteran gave her insight into the challenges this demographic faces.

“I personally know what it feels like to start your academic journey after completing a career in the military,” Young said.

Aldrich said being on campus for years, and being a student veteran himself, he knows the challenges of

transitioning into civilian life as well as all the technical aspects of the GI Bill.

The post-9/11 GI Bill is a government program for those who served in the military, which offers benefits, including coverage of some or all the costs of tuition and fees as well as funding for housing, books, and supplies.

The Dean of Students, Student Accounts, and the Registrar’s offices also worked with veteran students in the transition.

Meg Nowak Borrego, dean of students, said her office continued to work with student veterans as well as interviewing applicants for the coordinator of Military & Veterans Services position.

The Dean of Students Office works in conjunction with the Office of Military & Veterans Services to help with counseling, mental health, and academic life, Nowak Borrego said.

She added this way, they hope to “connect the dots.

“Hopefully they [veterans] feel [like] an integral part of our community,” she said.

Aldrich said his main role is to help students navigate their veteran assistance education benefits.

One of the projects Aldrich has been working on is transitioning the student veteran page from Blackboard to Canvas.

He said Canvas is a place for vet-

eran students to connect by asking questions or having a general discussion.

“I think it’s good that they can meet and see that others are there to help them through it,” he added.

According to Aldrich, the office can also assist with food and housing insecurities.

The office itself, located in Dwight Hall 113, offers a space where veterans can go to relax and do homework.

It is dedicated in honor of Michael Haskell, an FSU alumnus and Marine Corp. veteran who was killed in combat in 1983.

The room is a communal space with four large windows and a couch.

The room has some commodities, including a microwave, flatscreen TV, and eurig Coffee Maker.

There is also a small safe where students can donate money for communal snacks that are provided by members of the office.

Alex Morais, a junior criminology major, said the space has a convenient location. Instead of searching for a quiet spot around campus, he said he can just come to Dwight Hall 113.

“In here, you have plenty of space to study,” Morais said.

Morais, who is a member of the Inactive Ready Reserve Marine Corp., said he is happy to have discovered the office.

Morais said the Veterans’ Office

offers “plenty of space to study.”

Mike Legere, a senior biology major and an active-duty member of the Army, said he frequents the office now.

“If you see someone in here, they’re going to be a friendly face even if you don’t know their name, or their branch, or their service history,” Legere said.

He said he is happy with Aldrich’s performance as director so far. Starting in a pandemic, he said that Aldrich had to learn everything and “hit the ground running.

“Sometimes, this whole school-college experience is far more stressful than even being in the Middle East,” Legere added.

He said the Veterans Services Center offers a safe, secure, and quiet place.

FSU was ranked eighth among four-year universities by College Factual in the 2020 Best Colleges for Veterans in Massachusetts. FSU placed in the top 10% among the 81 schools surveyed.

President F. Javier Cevallos said, “We’ve worked hard to dedicate the necessary resources to our student veterans to ensure they succeed at FSU.”

CONNECT WITH JAMES BARRAFORD jbarraford@student.framingham.edu

Intruder discovered in Henry E. Whittemore Library

By Ashlyn Kelly News Editor An intruder was discovered in the Henry E. Whittemore Library Oct. 6, according to Millie González, interim library dean.

In an email, González said the intruder was using one of the library staff’s offices to “hide” in.

She added the person was “defecating and urinating in the office and in other areas in the library.”

According to González, Facilities has hired a company to disinfect the area.

The library office will now be closed in the evening and on the weekends, she said.

González asked library staff to inform her if they find anything else “strange.”

The Framingham State University Police Department was called and is now investigating the incident.

González said she did not have any more information about the intruder at the time of publication.

She added, “As a team, we will continue to keep our library safe.”

The Gatepost will continue to investigate the situation as more information is discovered.

CONNECT WITH ASHLYN KELLY akelly8@student.framingham.edu

Police tape surrounding an area of the Henry E. Whittemore Oct. 7.

Sophia Harris / THE GATEPOST

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

NEWS

6 | OCTOBER 8, 2021

COVID-19 by the numbers

By Kathleen Moore Associate Editor

­

­ ­

Data collected Oct. 2

­

­

Data collected Oct. 7

Data sources: U.S. Census Bureau, CDC COVID-19 Data Tracker, Johns Hopkins

[Editor’s Note: The number of tests administered does not indicate an outbreak of COVID-19.]

­ ­

Data source: Framingham State

Data collected Oct. 7

Data sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Worldometer, City of Framingham

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O P / ED

OP/ED

THE GATEPOST EDITORIAL

An everyday commitment During the week of Sept. 25, a racist email targeting Black students was sent to multiple Black student organizations at UMass Amherst from a group that called itself, “The UMass Coalition for a Better Society.”

According to The Boston Globe, this email is “far from unique,” and there are a litany of reported incidents of bias on the university’s website. Racist graffiti has been seen on campus, individuals have been sent offensive material, and slurs have been said to students on the street.

We are disappointed and disgusted at how comfortable others are in their choice to be racist.

Sadly, however, we are not surprised.

FSU is no stranger to acts of racism as our past will remind us. And to combat any future incidents of racism, we need to continue to work to become an anti-racist campus.

In the spring of 2021, individuals who were not members of the FSU community placed white supremacist decals throughout our campus.

Between 2017 and 2019, there were a number of reported incidents of racist graffiti and messages on our campus.

FSU student organizations, academic departments, staff, and administrators have all come together in the years since then to work on anti-racism initiatives as a response to acts of hatred and violence.

However, as we all should be aware, our work will never be completed, as a true dedication to being anti-racist takes a lifetime commitment of checking biases and dismantling the systems of racism.

To make true progress, performative statements will never be enough.

Rather, everyday acts of anti-racism need to happen.

With the upcoming retirement of President F. Javier Cevallos and the exit of Constanza Cabello, vice president of diversity, inclusion, and community engagement, we need to ensure we remain diligently working on these initiatives.

We must not let these changes at the top of our administration deter us from our goal of becoming an anti-racist campus.

According to Lorretta Holloway, vice presi-

dent of enrollment and student development, there is an expectation that not only should all departments be reviewing practices and policies through anti-racist lenses, but they should also continue anti-racist work through other means, such as trainings and discussions.

Several years ago, during periods when racist incidents occurred in frequent succession, the FSU community gathered to discuss and process these attacks.

These open forums were sparked by groups such as SGA, the Center for Excellence in Learning, Teaching, Scholarship and Service, the Center for Inclusive Excellence, and the administration.

The University needs to hold more open forums to discuss how to practice anti-racism and create places where the community can come together to feel safe.

We cannot wait for incidents of racism to force these difficult discussions upon our community.

We can keep anti-racism at the forefront of our everyday behavior by regularly gathering as a community to engage in dialogues about our initiatives to address racism.

In a statement from President Cevallos that was published June 17, 2020, he said that our community will actively work together to ensure the physical and psychological safety and success of our community members.

In order to accomplish this, we need to be working toward being anti-racist as a whole community.

We need to be holding each other accountable for the work and not letting each other do the bare minimum.

The bare minimum will not ensure that our campus is anti-racist.

Our students expect - and more importantly deserve - a university with strong leadership, whose ambitions align with the goal of being anti-racist.

We expect that every student on this campus will take initiative to ensure our campus does not tolerate racism.

For our community to be safe for every member of our campus, we cannot be silent when it comes to racism.

OCTOBER 8, 2021 | 7

Swiped right into my life

By McKenzie Ward Opinions Editor Back in the beginning of January, I tested positive for COVID-19.

To keep my family safe, I decided to stay in a hotel for about 10 days so they wouldn’t get sick. And at first it was great - movies 24/7 and a ton of junk food, despite not being able to actually taste it.

But by the sixth day of quarantine, I was dying of boredom - I was surprised to learn you can only rewatch so much “Law and Order: SVU” before it gets old.

With only four days left, I decided to redownload Tinder, an online dating app that allows users to swipe right on those they are interested in and left on those they are not.

I had previously used it but never felt a true connection with anyone I met.

I figured I had nothing better to do than aimlessly swipe left and right and talk to new people.

Just a day after downloading it, I swiped right on a guy who had a picture of a really cool Harley Davidson motorcycle in his profile and in his bio, described himself as a “part-time adrenaline junkie.”

Sounds like my kind of guy.

When I swiped right, I would never have imagined I’d end up meeting the love of my life and best friend.

When it came time for Charlie, my now boyfriend, and I to decide what we would tell people who asked the question, “So, how did you guys meet?” - we both agreed it’d be better to tell those in our lives that we met through mutual friends.

I decided this would be better because before I had met Charlie, I was often faced with criticism for using online dating apps - especially by older generations.

Even former First Lady Michelle Obama said in her podcast, “You can’t Tinder your way into a long-term relationship.”

“Don’t you want to have a romantic ‘how you met’ story?”

I was often asked.

Well in my eyes, I do.

I met someone with whom I have such a strong connection.

Our first date lasted over eight hours because we both didn’t want to part ways. The first time we Facetimed, a week before our first date, we were on the call for over five hours.

Neither of us realized how long we were on until I began to yawn and caught a glimpse of the time - 5:30 a.m.

Although I met him through an online dating app, which is often blamed for hookup culture, I consider our “how we met” story to be romantic because it’s ours.

How we meet people has been changing for years and COVID-19 has accelerated this trend.

When COVID-19 cases began to rise in the spring of 2020, bars closing down and colleges going online made it extremely difficult for those like myself to join the dating field. But through apps like Tinder, I was able to meet and talk to new people through my phone and from the comfort of my house.

In a survey conducted in October 2020, Pew Research reported approximately 30% of U.S. adults have used dating sites or apps.

So, when are people going to stop acting as if using Tinder to meet people is a huge taboo when in reality, millions around the world use the app?

COVID-19 robbed us from having active social lives for the last year and a half, and dating apps like Tinder and Bumble have allowed those like myself to meet new people - just in a different way.

And for the lucky ones, find someone to fall in love with.

Gatepost Archives A Feb. 19, 2019 dialogue about race was hosted by CELTSS during a series of racist incidents on FSU’s campus.

Have an opinion?

Feel free to email it to: gatepost@framingham.edu Opinions should be about 500 words.

Anyone can submit.

We look forward to hearing from you!

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OP/ED

8 | OCTOBER 8, 2021

Campus Conversations

Do you think FSU has responded appropriately to incidents of racism on campus?

By Maddison Behringer, Interim Asst. Design Editor, and Emma Lyons, Interim Asst. Design Editor

“The school is diverse and they’re pro-Black Lives Matter and anti-racist.

So, I think they do a really good job with that issue and how if there’s any incidents of racism, any racist comments that were said - even if it was a joke - they are quick to action.

So there’ll be consequences for any racist comments or any racist actions happening toward other students.”

-Melanda Alcuis, Freshman

“I’m not on campus very often. I’m only here like once every week and I’ve never really faced any before, so I can’t really say for that opinion.”

“I haven’t really heard anything, but I’m assuming that if it does happen, they’ll appropriately deal with it.”

“Well, so far I haven’t heard of any incidents. I can’t really put a word in.”

-Tasha Webster, Freshman

-Kunj Patel, Junior

-Derrick Bonsu, Freshman

“I feel like they try their best, but it doesn’t come off as the best effort that could be taken. I don’t think an email is the best way to approach something. … I think further action needs to be taken, more than just an email just to warn students to not do actions like that.”

-Edward Ou, Junior

“Yes. I haven’t really heard of many incidents, so I don’t really know for a fact. But from what I’ve seen, they’ll usually send out mass emails saying that it’s not OK.” -Melanie Lucier, Junior

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SPORTS

OCTOBER 8, 2021 | 9

SP O RTS

Rams Volleyball swept by Wheaton and Wentworth

By Danielle Achin Sports Editor

By Tyler Wahl Staff Writer In a tri-match volleyball competition, the Rams fell to Wheaton in a 3-0 blowout, followed by a defeat against Wentworth, 3-1 in the day’s other match.

The first game started off with Framingham State against Wheaton College. The Lyons led the opening match taking the 11-3 lead against the Rams.

While Wheaton was quick with their hands, driving hard spikes over the net against the opposing team, the Rams fought hard to defend the ball throwing themsel es to the floor to save the point but fell unsuccessful.

The Lyons took the set 25-13 with nine kills from Emily Hickey, while Adara Hamilton added eight.

With a hype up chant started by Head Coach Richard Casali, the team went into the second set with a whole different demeanor.

The Rams took the lead taking advantage of Wheaton’s mistakes motivating the women to push harder with their defense.

But the Lyons battled back tying the frame 6 6, and this fire did not last long and the Rams began trailing behind 21-17 until ultimately losing the set 25-21.

Wheaton opened a 9-4 lead in the third. The Rams attempted to close the gap led on the attack in the match by six kills and seven digs from sophomore Brandee Thomas.

Despite the women’s energy diminishing, they still remained dynamic co ering the floor, paced on the attack.

The ams came back for one final push trailing behind 23-13 before the yons secured the third and final set of the game and first ictory of the day 25-13.

Despite losing in a 3-0 blowout against Wheaton, the women kept a positive attitude following the devastating defeat.

“I think that it wasn’t our best game but it s definitely one we re going to learn from,” freshman Molly Rezendes said. “We play again today, so we’re hopefully going to take everything we learned and apply it into the next game.”

She added the women do well in practice and now it’s just about bring-

WHEATON FRAMINGHAM STATE

ing it into the game.

“The motivation comes from winning together as a team. It doesn’t matter if you play or don’t. We just all want to win together,” Rezendes said While the Rams took a break in between their next match while the rest of the MASCAC tournament continued, the Lyons recorded their second straight set victory of the day defeating the Leopards by scores of 25-16, 25-23 and 25-19.

The team came out with a great sense of enthusiasm in the second match against Wentworth. The Rams

the Leopards 25-19 to start the match off.

At the start of the second set, the Leopards defensive capabilities were put on display. Despite Wentworth’s tough defensive effort, the Rams were still fighting hard offensi ely.

The lack of aggression shown in the first match of the day and the first set of this game seemed to get washed away, as the Rams didn’t let Wentworth run away with a lead.

The game was tied 3-3 at the beginning of this set, and it was apparent that the Rams were beginning

FSU Volleyball team huddle together at the game Oct. 3.

Danielle Achin/ THE GATEPOST

“The motivation comes from winning together as a team. It doesn’t matter if you play or don’t. We just all want to win together.”

- Molly Rezendes, freshman started the first set off leading 8 5.

The teams both went back and forth for the ma ority of the first set, with the Rams eventually falling to

3 0 CONNECT WITH DANIELLE ACHIN dachin@student.framingham.edu

to match the energy of the opposing team.

The tension between both sides continued to rise as the teams fought

WENTWORTH FRAMINGHAM STATE

hard for their points.

The Rams eventually found themselves trailing 16-14 later in the second set. They consistently kept a point or two behind the Leopards, showing a great sense of effort on offense and defense.

The Rams gained the advantage at 19-17, keeping their foot on the gas to take the second set in a commanding 25-19 fashion.

At the beginning of set three, fatigue started to become an apparent factor for both teams. The spikes became harder to defend and the team plays seemed harder to perform correctly.

The Rams once again found themselves trailing in the third set, with the Leopards taking a 7-3 lead.

Wentworth’s spikes were well placed, with the Rams failing to keep up.

Despite a great effort from the Rams, Wentworth took the third set 25-13 due to their stellar offensive performance.

With the set count at 2-1 in favor of the Leopards, the Rams looked to bounce back in the fourth set.

The Rams had a plentiful amount of impressive team plays, digs, and spikes through the duration of the set.

Despite their improved offense, it was still not a strong enough counter-attack to stop Wentworth. The Wentworth Leopards took the fourth and final set 25 19, making the final box score 3-1.

“We really have to work on our defense, defense wins games. Working together, talking, playing as a team, I think is the biggest thing,” said 14year Assistant Coach Chelle Manganello.

Although the box score of both games didn’t end up favorable for the Rams, the team knows what it needs to work on to succeed in upcoming matchups.

“We played as a whole, and on an individual level we kept our heads up.

Although we didn’t get the outcome we wanted, we always push each other and always hold each other accountable,” said freshman Valerie Sullivan.

Sullivan’s energetic performance kept the Rams in the game, and the team looks to ride that energy into practice and upcoming games.

The Volleyball team looks to bounce back as they head to Smith College to take on the Pioneers at 12 p.m. Oct. 9.

3 1 CONNECT WITH TYLER WAHL twahl1@student.framingham.edu

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10 | OCTOBER 8, 2021

SPORTS

Women’s Soccer shuts out Salem State

By Joshua Colburn Staff Writer Framingham State Women’s Soccer held Salem State scoreless, winning the match 1-0 Oct 2nd.

The first goal of the match came early at the minute mark of the first half after a series of events occurred leading to sophomore Calen Frongillo knocking down an open shot to put the Ram’s up 1-0.

Frongillo described how the goal was set up.

“My teammate took a long shot, which the goalie fumbled. My other teammate crashed the net and put pressure on the goalie and defense so that they had to kick the ball away,” said Frongillo.

These events set up an open shot right in front of the goal.

“The ball came right to my feet and without hesitation, I was able to put it in the back of the net,” she said.

Frongillo described her emotions when scoring the goal, “Honestly, I was shocked to get the ball so wide open at the top of the box but I knew that there was no other option but to score it.”

With the goal happening so early in the game, there was still a lot of work to do for the Rams to ensure the win and keep Salem State at bay.

The defense had to lock in to secure the lead and the win for the rest

of the game, and that is exactly what happened.

“Our back line stepped up and made some key stops to keep them scoreless,” said freshman Jetta Oskirko.

While it takes skill to play good defense, Oskirko also highlighted other reasons why they were so successful on that end.

“Our communication was at an all-time high and that helped us stay organized and keep the ball out of the back of the net,” she said.

Oskirko also made a number of key saves to help the Rams keep the lead throughout the game and had fi e saves in total for the match.

Looking ahead, the Rams look to continue this type of performance.

“This is definitely a game we can build off of in terms of intensity and our mindset on the field,” said skirko.

The skills are there for the Rams now, it’s about putting it all together.

“We have so much individual talent and we just need to convert this into team talent. I believe that we could finish as one of the top teams in our bracket if we keep working for it,” said Frongillo.

Gatepost Archives Freshman Megan Ethier dribbing the ball down the field at a previous game.

FRAMINGHAM STATE SALEM STATE

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Rams Women’s Soccer gets shut out 4-0 to Keene State Owls

By Mikey Alves Interim Asst. Sports Editor

Framingham State’s Women’s Soccer team fell 4-0 to the Keene State Owls, Oct. 6 at Maple Street Field, as they ust could not figure out a way to put the ball in the back of the net.

The Rams struggled to keep up with Keene State’s blazing speed, as the Owls beat them to the ball much more often than not.

The Owls were fairly aggressive, making multiple tremendous effort plays left and right throughout the entirety of the game.

In the first half, wls unior midfielder ayleigh Marshall struck the clock once on a low corner pinpoint shot only 7 minutes into the match to make it 1-0 Keene State.

Not long down the match, Marshall scored again off an assist from her sister, Amanda Marshall, who is also a junior, to make it a 2-0 game.

The Owls refused to stop the bus for anyone as they continued scoring.

This time, Amanda Marshall wanted to join in on the scoring fun with her sister, scoring on a pass from sophomore Elizabeth Kopicko to make it a 3-0 lead.

The Rams struggled to create scoring chances and get shots on net.

They were outshot 11 4 in the first half.

But Framingham State’s freshman goaltender Sarah Lutsic was keeping the Rams in the game with a notable si sa es in the first half alone.

Lutsic made a splendid, desperate, diving save and also made a couple of aggressive run-out stops to neutralize

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the Owls’ offensive power.

In the second half, the scoring paused at a stagnant 3-0 until Keene State’s sophomore forward Lily Derosier swooped in for another goal for the Owls on an assist from sophomore Alyssa Wilcox to make it 4-0 in the 79th minute.

Despite FSU losing the game, the Rams ended up putting up much more of a fight in the second half.

They more than doubled their shots and flipped the shot count in their favor for a 10-3 total.

But the Rams just continuously did not capitalize on their scoring chances, as not one of their 10 shots found its way into the back of the net.

Head Coach Kristina Kern said the team needs to work on “just playing simple and trusting each other. We need simple combinations and a little better communication across the board offensively and defensively.”

Kern said the team will “continue to work on playing simple as a team moving the ball.”

She added they will “scout the opponent and see how we can take advantage of some situations that they can bring on the field” in preparation for their next game against MCLA. When speaking about the defense’s potential improvements in the near future, FSU goaltender Lutsic said, “I think we were really good in the back for the most part, but I think one thing we need to work on is getting back in position and just facing the girl out wide so we don’t get that pass

through the middle. That’s how most of their goals were happening.”

For herself as a goaltender, Lutsic added that in the future, she should improve on “communicating with my team and making sure everyone is in the right position seeing the field

better.”

The Framingham State Women’s Soccer team will face 0 8 1 conference opponent, the MCLA Panthers Saturday Oct. 9 at 12 p.m.

Gatepost Archives (Left) Freshmen Cathyrn Cooney and and Megan Ethier at a previous game.

KEENE STATE FRAMINGHAM STATE CONNECT WITH MIKEY ALVES malves2@student.framingham.edu

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SPORTS

OCTOBER 8, 2021 | 11

Eastern Nazarene triumphs over Men’s Soccer in OT

By Danielle Achin Sports Editor

Rams Men’s Soccer faced off against the Eastern Nazarene Lions at Maple Street Field Oct. 5, losing 3-2.

The ions were first on the board within the first few minutes of the game with a goal scored by Bryan Vargas, who chipped the ball from Michael Frotcher, scoring past the goalkeeper into the net.

Trailing behind 1-0, the Rams were determined to tie the game, but failed in an attempt to clear a pass into the net in the 24th minute.

The Rams quickly bounced back after their mistake and redeemed themselves, scoring in the 29th minute when sophomore Kunphel Sinha shot a long strike pass from sophomore Cameron Lau, tying the game 1-1.

Returning for the second half of the game, the Rams and Lions charged the field, both fi ated on taking the lead.

The Lions were headstrong, pushing past Rams keeper junior Jake Hartshorn early in the second, sending Eastern Nazarene into a 2-1 lead when sophomore Sheelens Ostine scored, carrying the ball from midfield.

The time was ticking down and all seemed lost for the men.

In a last attempt to save the game, freshman Nic Santos chipped the ball from Lau, who sent a long strike in front of the net, tying the score 2-2 in the last 7 seconds of the game.

Silencing the opposing team, the Rams celebrated as they sent the game into OT. Despite the team starting off strong in the overtime period, the men landed a red card against them - sending one of the players off the field lea ing them one man short for the rest of the game.

In the final 30 seconds of the o ertime period, the Lions earned a corner kick, sending in a low strike near the inside post into the open net to secure the victory for Eastern Nazarene.

Although distraught by the loss, Hartshorn commented on his team’s intense defense never backing down.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t get the result we wanted, but you know, we got to do what our captain said. Take the good, control what we can control, and we’re just going to come out at MC A firing,” he said.

Hartshorn added the team has been stressing intensity the most during practices to help prep for upcoming games.

He said, “I think we started off the season pretty slow it s definitely gotten better. It can always be better.

I think just stringing along passes, getting our fundamentals down is big for us. Looking back on the season, it’s come a long way.”

Head Coach Dean Nichols also emphasized the team’s willpower to keep pushing and play as a team when it’s most important.

“It was a great effort by the guys coming back because we were down a man, unfortunately from lack of discipline, but the guys, they battled hard.”

Nichols is in his 19th season as

Sophomore Cameron Lau again Eastern Nazarene player at the home game Oct. 5.

Freshman Nicolas Matias observes the home game again Eastern Nazarene Oct. 5.

head coach and emphasizes the importance of training technical ability and bringing out the men’s competitiveness.

Moving forward with the season, Nichols said getting their record up in the Conference tournaments is the Rams’ main goal for the season “They haven’t given up all year and they’ve given everything they can.

We’re 2-10, we’re doing it all and we’re going to keep going,” he said.

EASTERN NAZARENE FRAMINGHAM STATE

Danielle Achin / THE GATEPOST

Danielle Achin / THE GATEPOST

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12 | OCTOBER 8 2021

ARTS & FEATURES

ARTS & FEATURES

Waiting for Webb

By Caroline Gordon Arts and Features Editor ohn Sheff, a facilitator at the McAuliffe Center and ASA P Ambassador, presented the lecture, “Astro ights i e,” ia oom Sept.15.

The lecture concerned the James Webb Space Telescope, which is an orbiting infrared telescope that will build upon the disco eries of the Hubble Space Telescope.

Director of the McAuliffe Center, Irene Porro, introduced Sheff and offered an overview of the Webb telescope.

“I know I e said this before, but I need to repeat it e ery single time.

Webb will be the largest, most comple space telescope e er built and launched into space,” she said.

Porro added the launch has been scheduled for Dec.18.

Sheff began by reiterating Porro s point of the Webb telescope being the “largest and most comple space telescope to e er launch.”

He discussed the science ob ecti es of the Webb telescope. The main goal of the Webb telescope team is to discover more about the universe and its origins.

Sheff said scientists could reali e that the “mar ellous instrument up in space” can educate us more on not only the origins of the uni erse, but help us characteri e other planets outside of our solar system and the birth of stars.

He described the Webb telescope s appearance, noting the massi e mirrors co ering the telescope.

The function of the mirror is to absorb light that comes in from distant ob ects. As the mirror is enormous, it can catch more light and photons, allowing the Webb telescope to detect discrete ob ects, he said.

Additionally, the mirror increases the angular resolution. This allows for the Webb telescope to see more details, when focusing in on an ob ect, he said.

Sheff touched upon how the Webb telescope is infrared.

He said infrared is a region that has been “largely une plored” with spacecraft, so scientists are e pecting “disco eries and surprises.”

Sheff added the Hubble Space Telescope could only see isible light, a bit of ultraviolet light and infrared light.

He discussed the Hubble ltra Deep Field, a region of space scientists thought was empty but Hubble

pro ed them incorrect.

Sheff presented an image of the Hubble ltra Deep Field, noting the ast number of gala ies, which could potentially host billions of stars.

He added scientists know there are more gala ies beyond this, but current technology pre ents them from being disco ered. Howe er, Sheff said, “Webb will pro ide us a window into the more distant past, into younger and younger galaxies.”

Sheff discussed the timeline of the Big Bang until now.

He presented images of propolyds captured by Hubble. Propolyds are the “cocoons” of dust and gas in which stars form.

Sheff said we don t know much about this process, but he belie es the Webb telescope will allow us to learn more because of its resolution and ability to see the infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.

In addition to the Webb telescope detecting propolyds, Sheff said it could also detect e oplanets planets outside of our solar system that orbit a star.

Furthermore, the Webb telescope can discover the elements in an exoplanet s atmosphere.

Sheff touched upon how chemicals

such as carbon dio ide, o ygen and water are associated with life. These life-bearing elements can be detected by the Webb telescope.

The lecture wrapped up with Sheff discussing how the Webb telescope is the beginning of other instruments that will teach us more about the origins of the universe. “ ames Webb is not ust an isolated end in itself type of pro ect. It is a bridge to the future.”

CONNECT WITH CAROLINE GORDON

cgordon4@student.framingham.edu

‘Venom’ severely fails to entertain Jack McLaughlin Staff Writer “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” is far and beyond the worst movie I have seen all year.

The film stars Tom Hardy and Woody Harrelson, who portray the iconic Marvel characters Venom and Carnage. The central conflict of the mo ie is Harrelson s character escaping prison after gaining the abilities of Tom Hardy s character, who is being controlled by the alien creature Venom.

The first film is also one of the worst mo ies I e seen in this ne er ending genre of superhero mo ies, but it is also one of my all-time favorite “so bad it s good” mo ies. There are so many points in the first mo ie that I will still look back on and find absurdly hilarious. This new film almost completely lacks that.

Tom Hardy continues to gi e one of the most pu ling performances of his career with his portrayal of ournalist ddy rock. His line deli ery mostly consists of him mumbling things and his presence on screen is so awkward that I am completely unable to en oy this character.

@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com

Most of this film s incredibly short runtime is focused on the relationship between ddy rock and enom.

While this is an interesting concept, the film spends too much time on it, which causes the other story elements to suffer.

Because of the overreliance on this plot, we don t really get to see enom and Carnage interact with each other until the very end of the movie. This takes away most of the intrigue of the finale because we e barely seen these characters interact with each other.

Woody Harrelson gi es the worst performance in this film. His attempt at portraying what is one of the most interesting and terrifying villains in Marvel Comics comes off as this laughably atrocious character and it makes me wonder how e eryone filming it took him seriously.

This issue is most apparent with the romantic subplot the filmmakers force into the movie between Woody Harrelson and aomi Watts. These scenes in the movie are the best example of how laughable and bewildering this performance was. I cringed in my seat at every line coming out of Harrelson and it left me uestioning how this was let into the film.

The one thing I can give this movie credit for is the special effects. I

thought the design of Carnage looked menacing it s ust a shame that the actor portraying him could not be less menacing.

The action scenes, which I think there were not enough of, also looked great and there were very few moments in the movie where the effects looked bad. ut unfortunately, decent special effects are not enough to carry an entire movie for me.

The writing in “Venon: Let There e Carnage” is surprisingly worse than the first film, which is saying a lot especially if you e seen that mo ie.

The writing is very similar to the first mo ie, where the dialogue feels like it s catering to a younger audience but also trying to take itself seriously. The attempts at humor in this mo ie are so lifeless, I couldn t help but laugh at the ridiculous lengths the movie was going to try to entertain me.

And then when the film was trying to be serious, it fell flat on its face and came off as either laughable or boring. There is ne er a point in this movie where I genuinely cared about any of the characters.

It ends by teasing the future of where this character will be ne t, and it couldn t concern me anymore. I tru-

ly don t want this portrayal of enom near any of the other Mar el films, but it looks like that s where they re mo ing toward.

“Venom: Let There Be Carnage” succeeds at being far worse than the original movie and convincing me that I ne er want to see this portrayal of Venom in a movie ever again.

ADMIT ONE

Grade: F An absolute waste of 90 minutes

ADMIT ONE

CONNECT WITH JACK MCLAUGHLIN

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ARTS & FEATURES

Stories in ink

Emily Rosenberg / THE GATEPOST Christopher Stott shows his three crosses.

Continued from page 1 Down syndrome.

She said mothers of children with Down syndrome started getting these tattoos to raise awareness and gain support. Then it grew into the community of people who know someone in their life with Down syndrome all getting the three arrows.

“The arrows are pointing upward because it represents lifting up the community and supporting it ersus hiding them away like they were for so long,” she said.

Chinetti added, “Most people don t know what it is but once you e plain it, it s pretty cool because it s special for a group of people who all ha e someone in their life with Down syndrome who has impacted them greatly enough that they want to get that on their body.”

She also has Mar el s Scarlet Witch s hands creating a ball of magic on her upper bicep.

Chinetti said the Scarlet Witch is “by far” her favorite Avenger and she was encouraged to get the tattoo after a year of following the lore of highly acclaimed Disney+ show “WandaVision.” er since it came out, it has been one of her favorite shows as she had been anticipating its release for over half a year. ne of Chinetti s newest tattoos is on her ribs and it is the words “big guy” in her grandfather s handwriting. She said for around the past 10 years, she called her grandfather “big guy,” and last spring, he died of Parkinson s disease.

Chinetti said a few years ago, she had him write the words on a piece of paper because she knew he wouldn t be able to write much longer because of his condition.

“I took that piece of paper and I hid it away. And when he passed away this past spring, I took the piece of paper out and got it tattooed on my ribs.”

Sabrina rammatic, a senior nglish ma or, has four tattoos. She said she remembers getting her first tattoo, the arc reactor from Iron Man a fusion type power source that ser es as an alternate for Tony Stark s heart when she was 19 years old.

She said although “Iron Man” used to be her fa orite mo ie, she got the tattoo because she really loves Marvel in general and thought the arc reactor was a “cool” thing that “not a lot of people” get tattoos of.

She said her “most meaningful” tattoo is of two small outlines of butterflies abo e her right elbow. It is in remembrance of her father who died a year and a half ago. Her father always said that when she got married, they would dance to the song “ utterfly kisses” at her wedding. pposite to the butterfly tattoo, she has a cat with wings and antennas on her bicep. She found the picture of the fairy cat while searching for stickers on edbubble and thought, “ ep, that s going on.

“So if that doesn t e plain the dichotomy of tattoos to you, then I don t know what will.”

Grammatic added the fairy cat was “random” and it “doesn t really mean anything” besides that she loves the way it looks.

She said not every tattoo needs meaning. “Sometimes, you ust want a tattoo because it s aesthetically pleasing, and that s .”

Grammatic added she brings lollipops to the tattoo parlor to “munch on to distract” herself and is always crunching on them to suppress the pain. She said she has a low pain tolerance, and it depends on where you get it but describes the sensation as “deep cat scratches.

“In the end, it s worth it,” rammatic said.

Grace Mattson is a freshman environmental science ma or and she has three tattoos a butterfly on her wrist, a daisy on her arm, and a snake on her spine. She got her first tattoo when she turned 18 years old.

She added she got only black tattoos because colored ink is “harder for the body to accept” and she was worried about ha ing a “gross, infected tattoo.”

Christina Chinetti shows her four arm tattoos.

According to the FDA, people can have allergic reactions to certain inks in ol ing itchiness, scaliness, swelling, or raised skin, which are most associated with colored inks such as red. All tattoo inks are not yet FDA appro ed due to such reactions, and e en harsher reactions such as sweats, high fe er, chills, and scar tissue.

OCTOBER 8, 2021 | 13

also has tattoos commemorating a family member. There are Roman numerals on his chest in honor of his grandfather, whose death greatly impacted his life.

He wanted to put them on his chest to be “close to his heart.”

There are also three crosses on his forearm to represent his grandfather,

“I’d rather die young with tattoos than old and boring like you.”

- Christina Chinetti, sophomore child and family studies major Mattson said besides the possibility of ha ing a reaction to the color, she has only black tattoos because the style is “prettier.”

She said her mother worked at a wildlife sanctuary when she was younger and she used to help lead Monarch butterfly tagging programs. “ ou put stickers on the butterflies and they migrate to Mexico and researchers in Mexico will call you and say they found your butterfly.” Therefore, she got the Monarch butterfly on her wrist in honor of that e perience.

Similar to rammatic, Mattson said she gets really nervous while under the needle.

“I sweat through the pain, my butt sweats through the paper that she the tattoo artist put down. h my od, it was so embarrassing.”

Christopher Stott is a sophomore nutrition ma or and has 12 tattoos. okingly, he said the first time he walked into a tattoo parlor he felt like he “didn t belong there” because he was a “little 18 year old” and the people looked scary and a lot different from him. ow, after 12 times, he goes in there like “any normal day.” ike rammatic and Chinetti, he

his brother, and himself. He said when people see the tattoo, they assume he must be “super religious.” ut, Stott wants to honor his grandfather s memory and the Anglican religion.

Stott added, “funnily enough” his grandfather was “very strict” about his daughters “straightening their hair and wearing cosmetics,” but now he hopes his grandfather would be with tattoos.

He also has a butterfly on his bicep to symboli e how he feels when he writes. Stott writes poetry and fiction, and hopes to soon publish his work.

He said when he writes, it is as if he is “flying away” into a place where he is “free.” Ha ing the butterfly there is a reminder not only that he has that space, but a moti ation to keep writing and get published.

The ma ority of his tattoos are on his right arm because guys tend to put all of their tattoos in one area, he said.

He always found tattoo slee es “really cool” because each tattoo is meaningful to him. Stott has a compass to e press direction and humility during moments in his life when his family

Continued on page 14

Emily Rosenberg / THE GATEPOST

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ARTS & FEATURES

Stories in ink

Emily Rosenberg / THE GATEPOST Sophomore Christopher Stott showing off his tattoos. process.

Continued from page 13 “After C ID it felt like I ust needed to get away and so that s what I was going through hard times. did. It was cathartic for sure in a way,” Stott said he was definitely intershe said. ested in getting more tattoos, mainly n her arm, she is working on a pertaining to his appreciation for musleeve with a bunch of different flowsic. ight now he has a “play, pause, ers, two of which are the flowers for fast forward” symbol like you would the birth months of her children. She see on an iPod on his inner arm. also has her kids birthdays in oman Stott added he could play se eral numerals on her wrist. instruments but would probably get She added her 5 year old daughsomething e pressing his lo e for his ter has asked her, “Where s my flowfavorite bands. ers ” and said she would be “definiteHe also ad ised those planning on ly down” if when she got older, they getting tattoos to “find someone they wanted to get matching flower tattrust and stick with them.” toos.

Hannah Checca is a 28 year old athan obillard is a sophomore emergency room nurse with two chilhistory ma or and his only tattoo right dren who takes morning classes at now is a dragon on his right arm.

FS .

He said when he was younger he Her first tattoo is of an anchor on “always knew” he wanted a tattoo, but her ankle that she got on her 18th never knew what the image would be. birthday. She said Mass Maritime was That is when he thought of the weba “huge part of her life at the time” comic series “Tower of God” that he and she was “sure” that she wanted a has been reading for over seven years. tattoo.

“Tower of od” is a South orean She also has an e il eye on her arm, Manhwa that follows a boy named which she said is “a symbol of protec“Twenty Fi e am” who has spent tion” for her as a Jewish woman. She most of his life trapped underneath a got it shortly after C ID 19 restrictower. tions were lifted as part of her healing Robillard said it “has a lot of different symbols for different groups and families in it.” He decided to go with the “Eye of Jahad” symbol because it comes from one of his “faorite fictional worlds.”

Although tattooing is known for being a painful e perience, obillard said it felt like the artist was “ ust tapping my arm.

“It really depends on your own personal pain tolerance, where you get it, how big it is, and how much outlining the piece needs.”

He also said that he and his tattoo artist “really hit it off.

“We were talking the whole time and found out we had a lot in common. We exchanged numbers and still Emily Rosenberg / THE GATEPOST talk every so often.”

Chinetti, Checca, rammatic, and Sophomore Christina Chinetti shows her Robillard all said they believed the WandaVision tattoo.

@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com

stigma against people who get tattoos still exists.

Grammatic said although the stigma is becoming less pre alent, some people still belie e those who get tattoos “aren t good people, or they re people who don t ha e a plan for the future.” obillard said he thinks udgment mainly comes from employers and the workplace. “I work at a bank and if you have tattoos that are visible then you need to ha e them appro ed to see whether you need to cover them.”

Chinetti said there are older people who don t understand times are changing and they think young people are “ruining their lives and futures.

“In their generation, it would ruin their chances of getting a ob or ha ing a good life, but that s not true anymore. ow there are kindergarten teachers with tattoos and nobody cares,” she added.

Chinetti said in her own life, there have been older men who have told her she was ”ru- ining” her body with her tattoos, in which she responded, “I d rather die young with tattoos than old and boring like you.”

Checca said that although it is casual for her coworkers to have visible tattoos, she gets a lot of udgment

saniti ed product to be sold to mainstream consumers.” ich Da ino, director of career serices, said it is “definitely true” that some employers still “frown upon” isible tattoos. He added some employers care more about the “art or messaging itself” more than if it is visible.

When asked about whether he adises students seeking employment to consider their tattoos, he said it s ultimately about personal choice and preference. “ ob seekers need to consider, if my tattoo could pre ent me from working for a future employer, would I want to work for that employer?”

He said, “The thinking is shifting for many employers from opposition to acceptance.

“I will not be surprised if discrimination laws change in the next few years to include visible tattoos meaning it will be illegal to discriminate against employees with isible tattoos.”

Commenting on the legality of tattooing, Political Science Professor iuliano spino pointed out that Massachusetts did not legali e tattooing until 2001.

“My understanding of the liter-

Senior Sabrina Grammatic showing her tattoos.

Emily Rosenberg/THE GATEPOST

from her parents and older doctors, ature on American policy change is and notices people gi ing her looks that the most effective social movewhen she s out in public. Someone ments are ones that frame themselves once told her she was “going to hell.” as ad ancing the alues of America s “At 28 years old, I am somebody founding documents, rather than else s mother and I don t really care denigrating them,” he said.

He added, “Tattoo artists were what somebody else thinks,” she addsuccessful in their political and legal ed.

Sociology Professor incent Fer- challenges because they ha e e plicraro said since the 90s, people began itly framed themselves as advancing to drop the stigma against tattoos. He First Amendment guarantees to freethinks tattooing has moved into “the dom of e pression through body art.” mainstream.”

“We are far more likely to consider tattoos as art and tattooists as artists today than we were a generation ago.”

He added that there will always be a tendency for those who define what is “in style” to “always be on the lookout for the next big thing and to draw from marginali ed populations to take the interests and tastes to cul- CONNECT WITH EMILY ROSENBERG tural outsiders and turn them into a erosenberg@student.framingham.edu

ARTS & FEATURES

Puzzles

ACROSS 1. “The Little Red Hen” denial 5. Touch on 9. Lion in 2015 headlines 14. Accrue, as interest 15. It’s a wrap in Bollywood 16. ___ acid (protein part) 17. Channels of information that women share privately 20. Underlying meaning 21. “Help!”

22. Long-running CBS drama 23. “The Problem With ___” (film named for a “Simpsons” character) 24. Orca appendage 25. Destruction 26. In the style of 29. 1989 rom-com about an underachiever and a valedictorian 32. Most optimal 34. Boy 35. Word after “power” or “strong” 36. “How unfortunate” 38. First name of two Spice Girls

40. Garden creature 43. Upscale hotel chain 45. Canola ___ 47. Couple’s pronoun 48. Actress typecast in slasher flicks 52. Have a little liquid 53. Conical items at birthday parties 54. Place 55. Roadside purchase 57. It has a humerus and a funny bone 58. Perceive 59. File away 63. Revealing a lot, or a theme hint 66. Dance that takes two 67. Henhouse 68. Canvas cover 69. Tweak 70. Fine-tune 71. Picture of health?

DOWN 1. It may be breaking 2. Diamond Head’s island 3. Chi-Town paper, with “The” 4. App for sharing pics 5. The “A” in LGBTQIA+ 6. Rail system that serves S.F. 7. Caterer’s dispenser 8. Has a marketing connection 9. Ravens’ calls 10. Angsty music genre 11. Roundabout 12. Finishes, like a tattoo 13. Behind on points 18. Livens (up) 19. “Jagged Little Pill” was nominated for 15 in 2020 24. Slowly disappear 25. Heavy charger, for short?

26. Planking targets 27. It comes before Virgo 28. Mixed bag 30. Orange or purple vegetable 31. ___-of-war

‘Malignant’ is a miss

By Ryan Schreiber Staff Writer I walked into the movie theaters with high hopes that “Malignant” was going to be another top tier horror movie.

When I first came across the trailer, I was e cited to know that it was written and directed by ames Wan, the mastermind behind movies such as “The Con uring” franchise and the first “Saw” film.

I love these movies. I can watch them again and again without getting tired of them. I was hoping that I could say the same for this movie. Oh boy, was I wrong.

I left the mo ies unfulfilled. It was ery slow and boring, and the big twist at the end was less than mediocre. As a whole, it was similar to a dumpster fire. It was hard to watch the full 111 minutes of it. It made me uestion things throughout and some scenes didn t make sense.

The ump scares that were portrayed in multiple trailers ne er landed. They weren t scary at all and it was ery predictable when they were going to happen.

The mo ie started with a uestionable flashback, then umped straight to the main character, Madison (Annabelle Wallis , who was mo ing into

Courtesy of IMBD her house. Domestic abuse was not shied away from - it was a key theme of the film as if that was a spoiler to the main plot twist esides the hard twists, there weren t any cra y fight scenes and it made me uestion how someone could suddenly be so strong. All of the fight scenes were something that horror fans, myself included, ha e seen before. They were very fast and had no kick. I like long fight scenes and this movie had none of those. ore is one of the only good parts

OCTOBER 8, 2021 | 15

33. Makes less feral 37. Chromosome molecule 39. Whopper 41. Noninvasive hosp. procedure 42. Clairvoyant’s claim: Abbr.

44. JFK Library architect 46. Surfer’s tether 48. Soda brand named for a Puzzle solutions are now California peak 49. Relating to the wristbones exclusively online.

50. Satisfy, as one’s thirst 51. Salt, in the lab 56. Closes 58. Hershey toffee bar 59. Cosmetics giant 60. Apple desktop 61. Designer Wang 62. “Monday Night Football” broadcaster 64. Improve in a wine cellar, maybe 65. Sticky stuff

of the film which there was plenty of and would fulfill a horror fan s fantasy. With characters getting their arms broken, to characters getting shot, as well as characters getting stabbed and slashed to death, it was a lifesa er for the movie.

The enemy s re eal was pretty awesome, but disgusted me I almost threw up all of my popcorn.

The special effects and cinematography were ama ing, which made this movie great. The lighting of the scenes and the colors flowed well. I also en oyed the long o erhead shots. n the other hand, this film had many disappointing parts. The flow was very slow. It was hard to watch as the mo ie dragged on, but I had to wait until the end to figure out what the movie was about.

As far as acting goes, it was at best subpar. These characters didn t ha e any connections, especially the siblings. I love watching siblings and seeing their connection, but that was the opposite for this mo ie. It felt like these characters were strangers and had no idea who each other were.

The rest of the film was upsetting and left a dissatisfied feeling. When we finally got to the clima , it was upsetting. There was no clear ending and left an incomplete feeling. It was something that we see all the time.

The idea of an imaginary friend gone

cra y gets regurgitated o er and o er again.

I regret spending the rest of my paycheck to go and see this mo ie. As the first film I saw in theaters since C ID 19, I was disappointed. It was probably one of the most boring and annoying films I ha e e er watched.

I really hope that ames Wan s future pro ects do not follow suit of “Malignant,” because if they do it would be hard for me to watch any other movies directed and written by him.

ADMIT ONE

Grade: C Save your money

ADMIT ONE

CONNECT WITH RYAN SCHREIBER

rschreiber@student.framingham.edu

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PHOTOS

16 | OCTOBER 8, 2021

ted Pumpk n i a in AP

Patch

Ryan O’Connell / THE GATEPOST (Left) Freshmen Hailee Temple and Emily Monaco painting their pumpkins.

Ryan O’Connell / THE GATEPOST (Left) Sophomores Olivia Heafey and Nerwys Aybar deciding on a pumpkin.

Leighah Beausoleil / THE GATEPOST Sophomore Ellie Lynch painting her pumpkin a vibrant blue.

Leighah Beausoleil / THE GATEPOST (Left) Freshman Garrett Forget and senior Vishnu Prabakaran painting a canvas and pumpkin, respectively.

Christian Fe y b llow ted n sh es e ip r P

Leighah Beausoleil / THE GATEPOST Freshman Alex Szarka painting his pumpkin multi-colored.

Spread by Leighah Beausoleil and Maddison Behringer/THE GATEPOST

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