The
G atepost
Salem State skates by with win Page 13
Framingham State University’s independent student newspaper since 1932 volume
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83 • number 17
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Dining hall health violations typical, says Board of Health director
By Kaila Braley Editor-in-Chief
A CBS Boston article Wednesday reported nine critical health inspection violations in the FSU dining hall, including the presence of fruit flies and rodent droppings, sparking student concern on social media. The inspection, facilitated by the Framingham Health Department, took place on May 7, 2014, and cited 12 violations total, three of them labeled non-critical. Framingham Dining Services were required to correct all of the critical violations immedi-
ately and the non-critical violations within 14 days. The two violations that were featured in the CBS article were “a basement salad prep area which was filled with flies” and another area where rodent droppings were found. According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health report, the rodent droppings were found “along walls” and “on lower shelves,” and the flies were “consistent with either fruit or phord flies.” According to Director of Dining Ser-
vices Ralph Eddy, Sodexo requires an integrated pest management program, which is run by Braman, a company that is “on site twice a month. We spend tens of thousands of dollars a year on a pest management program to avoid any of those issues,” Eddy said. “In terms of the mouse droppings, those were found in a very inconspicuous location in our dry goods store room. They were not in an active food preparation area. And there were no signs whatsoever of any - Continued on page 5
Melina Bourdeau/The Gatepost
Melina Bourdeau/The Gatepost
Anthony Martel (Left) and Danielle Winters (Right) performed in Sandella’s Grill on Wednesday, Feb. 18 as part of The Onyx’s biweekly open mic night.
Health Center recommends hygiene, isolation to Combat Flu By Tanya Ström Staff Writer
Though flu season starts in December and continues through March, the number of incidents peaks in February in New England, according to Ilene Hofrenning, the director of the Health Center at FSU. Hofrenning recommends that if students exhibit signs of being sick, such as coughing or sneezing, they should immediately check for a fever. There are disposable thermometers located at the Health Center available to all students. “Individuals that are at high risk for the flu are people with chronic health problems like asthma, other respiratory prob-
lems, diabetes, arthritis and those with low immune systems,” said Hofrenning. She encourages anyone who has the flu to go home if possible, because the flu lasts for “four to five days at least.” If the option to go home is not possible, she said, “We ask you to self-isolate and stay in your dorm room. “If you have a fever, do not go to class,” added Hofrenning. It is important to “self-isolate until you are fever-free for 24 hours,” said Hofrenning, but “this can prove tough, because, by that point you are feeling better and think that you can go back to your regular - Continued on page 4
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CDIO announces Bias Response Team goals
By Joe Kourieh Associate Editor
Newly hired Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Sean Huddleston recently announced the finalization of a new Bias Protocol and Response Team as part of his objective of “inclusive excellence” for the school. In an email to the student body sent Wednesday, Jan. 21, Huddleston described the Bias Protocol and Response Team’s goal of organizing the process through which incidents of bias are reported and investigated. This comes after a series of incidents in recent months involving racially charged graffiti, which, Huddleston said in his email, “cannot be tolerated on our campus.” The most recent of these incidents occurred the day before the email was sent out, according to Huddleston. Throughout last semester, a racial slur, along with an inappropriate image, was written on a Hispanic Heritage Month information board in Towers, a swastika was carved into a door in Horace Mann, a crossword puzzle on a club poster was filled in with a homophobic slur and a student desk worker was allegedly called a racial epithet by a parent with the student later being told that the security cameras that record the activities were not functioning. Ultimately, these incidents inspired a protest by up to 40 students on Dec. 15 in order to call for a better administrative response. “It’s ridiculous that it’s 2015 and this is happening,” said sophomore Becca Green about these incidents. “It’s important that these acts don’t go unmonitored.”
- Continued on page 5
Ice dams cause roof leaks in Peirce Hall
By Scott Calzolaio Editorial Staff
More than a dozen residents in Peirce Hall have reported mild to serious leaks in their walls, ceilings and windows, resulting from ice dams on the roofline of the 100 year-old building. Three of the rooms, all located in the back of the building, have been deemed temporarily uninhabitable, forcing the residents to relocate. “We would like to wait to have students move back into these rooms until we have resolved the water leakage,” said Maureen Bagge Fowler, environmental health and safety coordinator. “With more storms
expected this week, we will monitor the rooms for water leakage, and clean up the spaces after the leakage has stopped.” Warren Fairbanks, associate vice president of facilities and capital planning, said there are currently 10 reported leaks in Peirce, many of which became a problem the morning of Monday Feb. 9, when students began to notice trickling water on their walls. “It’s all related to how tightly insulated the building is,” said Fairbanks. Ice dams are caused when heat from inside a house or building melts the snow outside, and then freezes again into a sheet - Continued on page 4
Inside Women’s B-Ball: Hot streak continues in Senior Game 13
“Fifty Shades of Grey:” Avoid this Red Room 9
2024 Boston Olympics: Yay or Nay? 6
The Year of the Ram: Lunar New Year told in photos 13