April 3, 2015

The

G atepost

Framingham State University’s independent student newspaper since 1932 volume

83 • number 19

Board of Trustees votes to increase fees for students

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p r i l

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Get your game on!

Campus gamers discuss gaming culture.

Page 16 fsugatepost.tumblr.com issuu.com/fsugatepost

By Spencer Harry Staff Writer

Student academic fees will be increased by $380 for the 2015-16 academic year, if financial support from the state does not improve.

At the Board of Trustees meeting held on March 24, Executive Vice President Dale Hamel projected that the state will cover $27.1 million of FSU’s operation costs, short of the $29.2 million the school would need to meet the 50/50 funding arrangement. Under this arrangement, the state would pay approximately half of FSU’s operating costs, allowing the University to freeze student fees from year to year.

The 4.6 percent increase to student fees is “a larger increase than we’ve seen in a number of years,” according to Hamel. In 2015, there was a 3 percent increase in fees from the previous year. Hamel expects fees to increase during FY2016 and FY2017 by 4.4 and 4.2 percent, respectively.

FSU will be allocated $1.5 million

time faculty.

“We are adding what

Brad Leuchte/The Gatepost

essentially amounts to six additional tenure-track faculty. That’s per the hiring plan that we identified a few years ago.”

These faculty additions were based on the assumption of a 2 percent enrollment increase. However, that increase

will not be met for next academic year, according to Hamel. As a result, a readjusted figure of a 1 percent enrollment increase is what Hamel is expecting for 2016 and this will be the new assumption going forward.

According to Hamel, failure to meet the original 2 percent increase is due

LGBTQ students and allies held candles during a vigil on Tuesday night in the Forum to commemorate International Transgender Day of Visibility. This event was hosted by the Pride Alliance and allowded members to raise awareness about violence against the transgender community. for projects, including Crocker Hall and power plant maintenance, and waterproofing of May Hall.

Also contributing to the rise in student fees is a planned staff increase, which, according to Hamel, will help alleviate the workload of current full-

- Continued on page 3

Economics and business Participants spill the department enacts split beans on FS2 lifestyle despite faculty hesitation

By Joe Kourieh Associate Editor

Last Spring, the business and economics department was split into two separate academic departments – business and economics.

The two had been a single department since 1987, when the business major was created. The economics major has existed since 1974.

The two departments consist of almost 900 students, with the vast majority as part of business - about 800,

compared to economics’ approximately 100.

With the split, the business program has added several new majors.

Previously, the department consisted of majors in economics, business administration and business and IT. Now, new business students will be able to choose from majors in accounting, IT, finance, management or marketing.

The split was initiated by former chair of the business and economics - Continued on page 5

By Tanya Ström Interim Assistant News Editor

Framingham State University is working with Boston Children’s Hospital in an innovative food study program that is designed to study weight loss in relation to individual calorie intake.

The food study supports the findings of Dr. David Ludwig and Dr. Cara Ebbeling, overturning the conventional diet understanding that a low fat diet is the most effective way to loose weight.

Ludwig and Ebbeling’s research have found that a low-glycemic index and low-carbohydrate diet may possibly be more effective in the achieving long-term weight loss.

According to project director for the University and Professor of food and nutrition Patricia Luoto, the primary goal of the study is to answer one primary question: how is weight loss best maintained?

The food study is a landmark study, meaning it is the first of its kind. “Part of the beauty of the study

- Continued on page 7

Inside Album review: Sufjan Stevens, “Carrie & Lowell” 17

March Madness: Final four analysis 20

Catcalling: not a compliment 15

People of the Book Part 1: Students reflect on religion 11

News

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

Associate Editors Joe Kourieh

Michael B. Murphy

James M. Sheridan Jr. News Editor

Alexandra Gomes Assistant Editors Julia Sarcinelli Mark Strom

Tanya Ström Arts & Features Editors Avarie Cook

Sara Silvestro Assistant Editors Scott Calzolaio Kristen Pinto

Interim Assistant Editor Cesareo Contreras

Sports Editor Michael Ferris

Opinions Editor Mark Wadland

Photos Editors Melina Bourdeau

Danielle Vecchione Brad Leuchte Jeff Poole

Web Editor Jill Chenevert

Design Editor Brittany Cormier

Staff Writers Danielle Butler Corin Cook

Amelia Foley

Cameron Grieves Robert Jones

Phil McMullin

Jennifer Ostojski Staff Photographers Jennifer Wang Advisor

Dr. Desmond McCarthy Assistant Advisors Elizabeth Banks Kelly Wolfe

fsugatepost.tumblr.com 100 State Street, McCarthy Center Room 410 Framingham, MA 01701-9101 Phone: (508) 626-4605 Fax: (508) 626-4097 gatepost@framingham.edu

APRIL 3, 2015

John Anderson

Gatepost Interview

By Melina Bourdeau Photos Editor

Can you briefly describe your experience and educational background?

I was born in Los Angeles and went to traditional parochial school, but I left home very early - that was a rather dark part of my life. My father was an alcoholic. I left home when I was 17, so I was on my own very early and I went with no safety net - my parents were working class. I luckily was in California when the California educational system was really at its pinnacle, and the cost of college was very inexpensive, so I was able to go to my local Los Angeles city college for $6 a semester. ... I took a ceramics course somewhere in the midst of all this and fell in love with making things. ... I fell in love with making ceramics. I went to San Francisco Art Institute, studied sculpture, graduated from there and was hired by the Exploratorium, which was a science museum. ... I got to work with scientists and in designing exhibitions for the science museum, which is still very a big part of the bay area educational thing. By then, I moved up to northern California, got a studio, was supporting myself as a custodian at night, working during the day and started exhibiting and then moved to New York to get another gallery. It was ten years later, I went to graduate school. I went to the Boston Museum Tufts university program. In between that, I studied furniture design at Boston University at the program in artisanry. I took a year off from art and just studied furniture design, so I have lots of interests. I still, whenever I have time, take courses at Mass Art. I love writing code for computers, for example, and I do that as a way to relax sometimes, so I am interested in the intersection of art and math and science too. I think that’s a really hot area right now.

Could you list some of your accomplishments?

It was no small feat to move to New York completely unknown and get a gallery in SoHo. At the time, that was the hot place. That was a big accomplishment. … I’ve been married for thirty some odd years and we had a son. I never thought I would be a father - that’s separate from what I do as a teacher, but that has been and still is an ongoing joy to have done that. Every exhibition that I have of my own work – I

Art Professor

always feel relieved. And a sense of accomplishment … and when a new body of work grows out of that process and when you’re able to exhibit it and get feedback that’s an accomplishment and I never get tired of that.

What type of medium do you work with?

I did go to the art institute and I did think I was going to be studying ceramics, but I wound up welding, and it was the type of program where people were not rigid about what you did as long as you were producing and making art and coming in. So, I love mixed media

Melina Bourdeau/ The Gatepost

- that’s probably the best way to describe it. I use whatever materials I find - I use materials from the street. I’ve been using recycled materials for ages. I often do installations that are impermanent. Sometimes they call them ‘time-based’ - they only exist only for a certain duration. They might be specifically designed for a particular room or context or whatever.

Are you currently working on anything?

Yeah I am. I’ve got two things going on - one is I am making things, both carving, casting and that in doing these kind of still life’s that look very realistic so you have this moment where you believe that you’re looking at something that you recognize and have seen every day but then upon close inspection it suddenly you realize it’s not even close to what you thought it was.

It’s not steal its some other mate-

Do you prefer to have your art have a social message or some sort of intellectual interaction with the viewer?

That’s the big question. This has been going on - the style versus content - that’s a big one. I used to make pieces. I had a show in New York. It was very sort of political when I found out that the cosmetic industry was using whale oil and blubber, I starting doing pieces that were around issues like that the problem is when the issue dies down the piece loses its energy so I started to just really think about these issues of style versus content I personally feel that the content the political stuff just comes out naturally not to worry about it. And to just go ahead and do what I am doing so I tend to think more about composition and texture and color and these are the foundations of what we teach here in this department those are the things that I focus on and I try not to worry about the content as much.

What advice would you give to students?

Make lots of mistakes. The idea that your future employer - you know, because that’s what we kind of worry about over here - the idea that your employer is going to obsess over your grades - they want to know that they have somebody who is going to roll up their sleeves and get in there, and if something doesn’t work out, they’re willing to figure it out. Get into solving problems. And don’t be afraid to make mistakes. That’s really how you learn. As a teacher, I sort of help to provide through projects with the content and everything, just a good atmosphere to open up and try to solve problems and push yourself.

Don’t be afraid to work. I think students often forget that it’s teachers who will write recommendations for them. Sometimes, I think everyone’s so nervous about getting a job that they forget that they have a job right now, and that is to be a good student.

Police Logs

Thursday, March 26, 2015 15:41 – Larned Hall – Narcotics Investigation.

Report of an odor of Marijuana. Unfounded.

19:44 – O’Connor Hall Parking Lot – RMV Violation Tow. 1 vehicle removed for an RMV violation.

23:42 – Towers Hall – Assist Residence Life.

Transport to Hospital.

@TheGatepost

rial, it’s not real, so it calls into question what you’re seeing, what you’re actually seeing. So it’s kind of games. And then I am doing this kind of unstable pieces they’re like towers made out of a wide range of materials including found objects.

I’m not exactly sure where those are going but that’s the two things that I am working on right now

Friday, March 27, 2015 14:00 – Maynard Road Parking Lot – Motor Vehicle Accident. Hit and Run. 15:17 – Larned Hall – Alarm (Fire/Smoke).

Fire alarm.

Monday, March 30, 2015 10:55 – McCarthy Center Parking Lot – Trespass Tow. Vehicle removed.

Wednesday, April 1, 2015 20:01 – May Hall (Faculty Lounge) – Larceny.

News

APRIL 3, 2015

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Board of Trustees - Continued from page 1

to changes in enrollment trends that FSU has seen. “I think we’re trying to be conservative with that 1 percent planned increase,” Hamel said.

The Financial Committee has had only the governor’s budget recommendations to work with up to this point.

In April, the House’s budget recommendations will be available prior to the Board’s final budget approvals in May. The Legislature has “driven the 50/50 funding in the past,” Hamel said.

“That’s probably our best scenario when the House budget comes out in terms of what we could anticipate getting.”

Hamel pointed out that even with this increase in student fees for next year, Framingham State remains the second-lowest in fees and cost of attendance among it’s sister state universities.

During the public comments portion of the meeting, psychology professor and President of the Faculty Union Dr. Robert Donohue stood to address the

greater number of students in courses being taught.”

Donohue illustrated his concern about class sizes by showing the trustees a three-inch binder which contained one student’s portfolio from his

tion has been increasing since 2001-02, when there were only 2 in violation.

Donohue said full-time professors are more beneficial to the institution than part-time faculty. Not just as educators, but also as “resources that are

The 4.6 percent increase to student fees is “a larger increase than we’ve seen in a number of years,” according to Executive Vice President Dale Hamel.

Photo courtesy of Framingham.edu

400-level seminar class.

“Under the new policy, the seat cap in this class would increase by 100 percent. It will be impossible for faculty to have the same type of interactions, to require the same type of product from students, if they have twice as many

available to the students, and resources that are available to the university.”

Part-time faculty, he said, are not paid to do the job full - time staff members are paid to do and therefore should not have the same responsibilities.

Also during the meeting, Vice Presi-

“Under the new policy, the seat cap in this class would increase by 100 percent. It will be impossible for faculty to have the same type of interactions, to require the same type of product from students, if they have twice as many students in those classes.”

- Psychology Professor and President of the Faculty Union Dr. Robert Donohue Board about the 15 percent rule. According to Donohue, the issue of too many part-time faculty has dated back to 2002.

A series of grievances and actions, filed with The Department of Labor Relations, found that management “had for thirty years been engaged in a series of repudiations of agreements they’ve made with the Union,” Donohue said.

According to Donohue, in December 2014, the Department of Labor Relations ruled that universities must cease and desist from repudiating the 15 percent rule and hire faculty in accordance with it.

Though he brought this issue before FSU’s Board of Trustees, he stated that it is not only Framingham State that is in violation of the rule and other universities in the system have failed to meet the same requirements.

“As far as we know, no one in the state university system developed a contingency plan for enacting a hiring plan that would alleviate this violation of the 15 percent rule,” Donohue said.

One of Donohue’s top concerns was management’s increase of class sizes in order to resolve the issue. His particular complaint was the increase for 400-level or seminar classes, in which students require hours of individual attention from the professor.

“This sudden crisis was 13 years in the making. One of the ways in which Framingham State has chosen to deal with this issue is to increase the seat caps in courses, so there would be a

lationship between economic strength and student enrollment.

“When the economy improves, people go back to work,” Conley said.

“They don’t go to school. … You’re not going to see people taking two and

students in those classes,” Said Donohue.

When the Board asked how far off the University is from the 15-percent rule, Donohue produced statistics from each department dating back to the

dent of Enrollment and Student Development Susanne Conley gave an update about FSU’s marketing effort to increase the number of graduate students enrolled in summer and fall courses.

This marketing effort will include a

three courses like they were at the nadir of the economic downturn, but we need more bodies coming to us.”

Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs Scott Greenberg spoke about a possible collaboration with Newton-Wellesley Hospital to bring the University’s bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) program there to give RNs hands-on experience.

Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Sean Huddleston gave the firstever Inclusive Excellence Report to the Board. Huddleston outlined a new Bias Incident Protocol, which will create a guideline for how members of the FSU community should deal with reports of bias that don’t rise to the level of a hate crime, but are offensive to people of certain cultural backgrounds.

Huddleston aims to “raise a level of awareness and to, quite honestly, check attitudes around interculturalism and those conflicts that can arise when you bring cultures together.”

Huddleston announced the new FSU Interfaith Prayer and Reflection Center. The center will be a neutral place

Huddleston aims to “raise a level of awareness and to, quite honestly, check attitudes around interculturalism and those conflicts that can arise when you bring cultures together.”

Photo courtesy of Framingham.edu

2001-02 academic year.

According to Donohue, eight of 16 departments were in violation of the 15-percent rule in academic year 201314 - the three top offenders being Sociology at 32.2 percent part-time faculty, History at 28.2 percent and Food and Nutrition at 26.7 percent. The trend shown on Donohue’s chart displayed the number of departments in viola-

greater emphasis on social media for DGCE and graduate studies. This online marketing is in addition to the radio campaign FSU already runs, which reaches all parts of Massachusetts.

Conley explained that the target demographic for these advertisement campaigns is 25-45 year olds within Massachusetts and the adjacent New England areas. She noted an inverse re-

where students and faculty of all religious backgrounds can go and “practice their faith traditions through prayer, reflection or meditation.” Huddleston is collecting different artifacts and religious materials which will reflect each religion equally. The center will have reserveable spaces to respect private prayer.

News

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APRIL 3, 2015

SGA to free $35,000 for unallocated funds next year

By Phil McMullin Staff Writer

The administrative assistant payroll for SGA was moved midway through the year to a university operating budget, so it is no longer paid out of the SGA’s funds. This means SGA will receive $25,000 back from the university.

SGA’s budget for unallocated funds will increase by about $35,000 next year because part of the administrative assistant payroll was paid out of the SGA budget this year The unallocated budget for this year will also increase by $1,437.01, because FSU’s Leadership Weekend spent less than anticipated.

Following a decision by the Class of 2015 to make their Senior Week a 21-plus event, $5,325.75 originally allocated for the event has been recalled by SGA. SGA cannot fund a 21-plus event, because they can only fund events available to all students.

The Black Student Union is receiving $1,698 for 200 promotional T-shirts for the North Hall Block Party and the Sandbox event, pending Campus Event’s room reservation approvals. These T-shirts will only say “Black Student Union” and not include the title of either event, in order to make them more universal.

The Aspiring Health Professionals club will receive $1,554 for promotional T-shirts for the Sandbox event and the Science on State Street Sci-

Melina Bourdeau/The Gatepost

Senators discuss upcoming SGA elections in their weekly meeting. ence Festival. The club was recently reactivated, and is hoping to increase their membership.

The Food Science Club will receive $1,254.44 for promotional items. This will include 84 T-shirts costing $6.29 each, 12 double XL T shirts costing $8.59 each, 250 lip balms costing $0.50 each and 250 pens costing $0.62 each. The funds will also pay shipping and design

fees.

Originally, the Food Science Club wanted 250 bottle openers costing $0.50 each, but SGA denied this request because they determined it would contradict FSU’s dry campus policy. However, the club was granted the $125 originally requested for bottle openers for the purchase of alternative promotional items.

In Other News: • More than 40 people have signed up for the Colleen Kelly 5k race on April 15.

• SGA elections will be held on April 14.

• Next Week is SGA’s last funding week.

FSU’s Student Transportation Center introduces new GPS bus tracking

By Brad Leuchte Editorial Staff

Over spring break the Student Transportation Center desk has added a television displaying the GPS location of each active Ram Tram and parking lot shuttle en route to or from the University.

The screen itself currently contains four different maps, each displaying a bird’s-eye-view of the location of a single bus.

According to FSU Transportation Director April Facchini, this utility is still in the beginning phases and has yet to be fully operational. “When everything is ready we’ll roll it on out,” said Facchini.

“It needs some tweaking.”

According to Facchini, the new system was installed, funded and is now overseen by the MetroWest Regional Transit Authority (MWRTA) who the University leases the busses from.

Facchini, new to the Student Transportation Center, was brought in as part the move from Student Involvement to Facilities in an effort to become a more efficient operation.

Nick Quaglia, a junior at FSU, is a Student Manager at the Student

Brad Leuchte/The Gatepost

A television displayed over the Student Transportation Center desk shows the GPS location of every active Ram Tram and parking lot shuttle.

Transportation Center. He explained that the convenience of the

new technology benefits the desk attendants and shuttle drivers and

not just the students.

He added radio communication is ideally kept to a minimal, and if desk attendants do not have to go over the air and ask drivers for their location, it will cut down on interference and ideally keep radio communication to essential information only.

“I like how it is going to be knocking down radio interference. … It’s already making a difference,” Quaglia said. “I think it’s the first step toward making the shuttle more convenient for students.”

Quaglia said students have already noticed the technology.

“People have been walking up and looking at the television to see where the shuttle is.”

According to Facchini, the GPS tracking and television display is the first piece of a multi-tier program that the MetroWest Regional Transportation Agency and the FSU Student Transportation Center are working on jointly. She said they are currently developing a link for students to log in on their mobile devices and monitor the shuttles from the palms of their hands.

“It’s a more efficient process,” said Facchini. “We’re always open to new suggestions and ideas.”

april 3, 2015

News

Economics and business departments split

- Continued from page 1

department and current acting chair of the business department Sandra Rahman during a departmental meeting on Feb. 6, 2014, and finalized by Robert Martin, who was interim president at the time, on May 21, according to acting economics department Chair Fahlino Sjuib.

“Our department in the last couple of years was going through a lot of self-reflection and a lot of reviewing of what our students need,” Rahman said.

“We started to realize that the strength that we had altogether as one department started not to fit as well.”

Rahman said separately the departments are more free to “grow in optimal ways” - a trend that she said is common in universities across the nation.

“We started to recognize the need for more global exposure, and global experience,” she said, describing business’ “applied” nature in comparison to economics’ “theoretical” nature. She said business students require more hands-on experience, such as internships, which she believes the split will allow. In contrast, she said, Economics will now be able to offer more “research-based” work.

“One size doesn’t fit all,” Rahman said regarding the core curriculum that held the two departments together.

“The separate departments allowed us to develop things that fit us better, and the economists can develop what fits them better.”

Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Linda Vaden-Goad also supported the split despite some initial hesitation, saying the division will allow the departments to collaborate more effectively with other academic disciplines. The union, she said, “made less sense” as the two departments “evolved.”

The decision to separate, however, was made despite significant faculty hesitation within the departments.

According to Sjuib as well as economics professor Don MacRitchie, five business and economics faculty members were in support of the divi-

was way too fast to assess the benefits and the costs.”

Sjuib described the proposed benefits of the divided department setup as largely “speculative.” In keeping with his department’s penchant for data-driven decision-making, he said he would have preferred to research the potential benefits and gather data be-

of this issue,” he added. “I respect the investment and dedication that faculty on both sides have demonstrated, and continue to show, in their programs. In my judgment, that in itself was a compelling reason to believe that each unit could grow following a split. … While I would have wished for greater consensus about the decision, I believed

“Decisions often appear sudden,” she added, “but that doesn’t mean that people weren’t thinking about it for a long time.”

MacRitchie explained that the idea of dividing business and economics had come up several years earlier when he was chair, but after a long discussion among the faculty, it was rejected.

“One size doesn’t fit all. ... The separate departments allowed us to develop things that fit us better, and the economists can develop what fits them better.”

- Business professor and acting department Chair Sandra Rahman fore deciding.

As a kind of counter-proposal, Sjuib and several colleagues had suggested a trial period in which the two departments could act as separate divisions of a single entity in order to “explore different formats,” as the fashion and nutrition majors had done within the consumer science program. This idea was ignored, he said, as was a formal letter of disagreement signed by seven of nine tenured faculty members. Open discussion with the administration regarding the details of the division was negligible, he said.

Vaden-Goad said she entertained the notion of a trial split with the two departments as constituent branches of one department, but “it wasn’t optimal” due to the system of evaluation between the two, as economics faculty would be evaluating business, and vice-versa. She added “it didn’t seem to be something that they wanted to do.

It was among the things proposed.”

Rahman said that the initial reaction to the proposal for an immediate split was shock and surprise among the faculty, with some opposed and some finding the move “long overdue.

“All of the opinions were documented and given to the administration for consideration,” she said. “There were some back-and-forth conversations between the department and the adminis-

each unit would be well-supported and would have the opportunity to develop in new ways.

“Though now removed from daily operations and these decisions, I believe that this is the case,” he added.

Druffel said, “The president and the vice president have the authority to shape the department, and faculty play an advisory role.”

She described meeting with Martin to discuss faculty opposition to the split. Martin listened, she said, but disagreed “from a university perspective.

“I was grateful that President Martin took the time to talk about it,” she said, “and I appreciate that his goals for the university would take priority over the majority decision.”

As with the decision to alter departments, the appointment of department heads ultimately rests with the president. Although Druffel was elected as the faculty majority’s nominee for department head of the business and economics department before the division, the voting period had ended once the decision was made, and Rahman became acting chair of the new Business Department per union contract. Druffel confirmed that she will run for the position in the coming election cycle currently being organized.

Of the departmental split, Rahman said, “I support everyone’s opinion. …

“I don’t think [the split] was done too quickly. ... It had been discussed for years. It wasn’t something that just popped up.”

- Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Linda Vaden-Goad sion, while 11 were opposed or unsure.

More specifically, only two of nine tenured faculty members supported the immediate split.

Sjuib said he was surprised when the initial meeting to introduce the idea of dividing was held outside contract hours, and Rahman declined to provide an agenda for the meeting’s purpose.

The primary factor in the majority’s disagreement was the immediacy of the proposed split. Sjuib said the process of making such a decision was “not adequate.

“It’s not that we didn’t want to entertain the idea of splitting the department,” he said. “We just thought that it

5

tration, and then they made a decision.”

Business professor Karen Druffel confirmed this, saying that a report of the faculty’s anticipated advantages and disadvantages with the split was sent to the administration.

Although MacRitchie described an informal vote that resulted in the 11-tofive opposition, ultimately, the final authority for the decision was Martin’s.

“The question of whether to split the Economics and Business departments was the subject of extensive discussion,” Martin said, citing an external review of the department years earlier that brought up the idea.

“This question generated very strong views and feelings on both sides

I believe strongly that the more we express to each other, the better off the decision is in the end.”

Rahman said that overall, “the logistics of the transition have been smooth,” and described the situation as “an intellectual disagreement on which path is correct” for the department, which involved “rigorous debate” – “as it should.

“Disagreement is fine,” she added.

“There will always be disagreement.”

Vaden-Goad said of the split, “I don’t think it was done too quickly.

They had lots of discussion, and lots of meetings. … It had been discussed for years. It wasn’t something that just popped up.

“By contrast,” MacRitchie said, “in this case, the department chair went first to the academic vice president, thereby depriving department members the opportunity to discuss this among ourselves. Once this happened, the decision was taken out of the hands of department faculty and passed to the administration.”

MacRitchie said that this process “violated long-standing department procedures.

“One of the hallmarks of academic life is the free and open discussion of all things, with consideration of and respect for the ideas and opinions of others,” he said. “In this case, this process was totally subverted. And, by ultimately deciding to split the department, the administration gave its stamp of approval to these actions.”

Additionally, with the new system in place, Sjuib and Druffel each expressed concerns regarding the ability of faculty to effectively advise students. Due to the eight-to-one ratio of business students to economics students, business faculty now have a much greater number of advisees to handle without the economics faculty’s assistance.

Vaden-Goad recognized this difficulty, but said business faculty have “met the challenge,” and that resources such as DegreeWorks, the school’s course catalog and recommended graduation plans will allow for proper course selection with relative ease.

“There are a lot of ways to get at great advising,” she said. “Nobody has said anything about being unhappy about it.”

According to Rahman, Joe McCall and Emily Able of CASA have been brought in to aid in advising sessions, which they have begun holding in groups.

Going forward, faculty agreed that the two departments will maintain an essential relationship due to overlap of courses and content. Both acting chairs expressed their interest in growing their number of faculty and available courses.

Rahman called this “an exciting time,” and Vaden-Goad said of the departments, “They’re moving along just fine. They’re doing interesting things.

They seem healthy, and both are thriving.”

- Continued on page 6

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FS2 lifestyle

- Continued from page 1

coming to campus is that students as well as faculty and staff … are able to get a healthy, nutritious and fresh diet in order to 1. Lose weight and 2. Maintain their weight loss,” said Luoto.

The nutrition study funded by the Nutrition Science Initiative (NuSi) provided Boston Children’s Hospital with 12 million dollars to conduct the study in coordination with Framingham State University. That money is distributed between the participants of the study, Sodexo and the University.

According to the Boston Children’s Hospital website, the participants in the first round of the study, which occurred throughout the academic year of 2014 to 2015, have lost a total of 621 pounds.

The website says, “Participants in the study take part in a period of weight reduction, followed by randomization into three different diets - high carbohydrate, moderate-carbohydrate and low-carbohydrate - to analyze the impact of energy expenditure during weight loss maintenance.”

The question the study looks to answer using randomized sampling will give insight on which diet either high carb, moderate carb or low carb, is better at maintaining weight loss, said Luoto.

“Up to this point in time, there has been no research on how one maintains weight loss,” she added. “We know that if we put people in a calorie restriction they will loose weight but what we don’t know is once they lost that weight, how do they keep it off.”

Professor Lisa Eck, a participant in the study, said the research and education aspects are an “amazing feat.

“I’ve learned about behavior modification, about applying mindfulness to my daily meals and about all of the building blocks of a healthy diet,” she said.

“This is “the only study in the country looking at the question of maintaining weight loss and it’s do-

News

changes in body fat, lean mass, blood pressure and cholesterol levels, Luoto added.

The incentive to join the program varies from student to student. Junior, Calvin Ridley pulled himself out of the program because of inconvenience and medical reasons. “If someone lived on campus and had only a part time job and wants to lose weight, the food study is the way to go,” said Ridley.

cessible, were extremely helpful.

The professionals that are involved in the program are there to help students and give guidance toward how to eat healthy.

Nutrition major and food study worker Gina Tardiff prepares each meal for students in the program.

Her job requires her to weigh out and portion food, as well as writing down how much food, if any, is left on the tray. As a worker, it is important for

terested in joining the study for the upcoming semester. “The study is difficult,” she said.

She recommends students to find a partner within the food study program for support to stay and keep motivated.

She plans to stick with the changes that have been made in her diet and continue to eat healthier.

Freshman Sam McGuire joined the program after attending an informa-

“This is the only study in the country looking at the question of maintaining weight loss and it’s doing it in a non-hospital setting.”

- English Professor Lisa Eck “You quite literally get paid to lose weight, nothing could be simpler,” he added. Luoto also said that the program is “like a part-time job” in that it is a commitment.

Sophomore Alejandra Estrella said she has enjoyed the experience because it has made losing weight manageable. “My brother writes down everything he eats in a journal. I never could have done that without the food study program,” she said.

Another participant in the study, Nate Stowes, said he originally joined to lose weight and the free food, which ultimately meant not having to pay for a meal plan, “alleviating some stress and adding to convenience” said Stowes.

Stowe has lost a recorded 30 pounds since beginning the study in September. One of the hardest personal challenges Stowe has faced since joining the program is the difficulty of partaking in social outings and holidays. “The program is a 24 hour time commitment,” he said.

The diet, “limits the spontaneity of an individuals ability to get involved” because meals have to be preplanned. “Be prepared to not participate in the community of food,” Stowe said.

Most social activities with friends and family are conducted around

her to be supportive of the students in the study.

She said all the workers “try to uplift participant’s spirits” if they seem down and “encourage them by reminding them it will get easier and to keep up the good work.”

She said that the most difficult part of the study was at the beginning in the weight loss portion because students had to adjust to the “dramatic change in portion size.”

When asked about the possibility of cheating on the program she said, “all participants are required to log their food intake, including food that is not on the study. That way research is not negatively effected.”

Tardiff said she joined the program because “being apart of research is both interesting and rewarding.

“Overall it is a good opportunity and learning experience,” she said.

Tardiff has even found a change in her own eating behaviors. She finds herself “eating new foods that were introduced to her during her employment within the study” expanding her own palate.

“The relationship between consumer and producer has been damaged due to food processing. However, the food study program is actively rebuilding that relationship,” she added.

“You quite literally get paid to lose weight, nothing could be simpler.”

- Junior Calvin Ridley ing it in a non-hospital setting.” That alone is remarkable she added.

Participants in the program will receive a financial compensation and stipend of $6,500 over the course of one academic year, said Luoto.

“We compensate in a monthly basis,” she said. “Students are reimbursed for food and time.” In other words, if an individual is unable to complete the program due to personal reasons - maybe the study is too time consuming or they are not meeting the 10 to 14 percent weight loss requirement - a student will still be paid for the allotted time they spent in the study.

Students will also receive individualized health reports that track their

april 3, 2015

food which makes it difficult to stay faithful to the study, said Stowes.

“We are all flawed,” he said.

“People have weaknesses and may give into temptation, however, those who have faltered in the studies strict diet boundaries will hopefully correct their actions and will work toward following the requirements.”

Being on the food study program has increased Stowes’ awareness of the social aspect of food. “Without a doubt I am more conscious about when and why I eat,” he said.

Stowes said the staff and the “help hot-line,” a telephone number that provided students with support, motivation and guidance on what to what to eat when food wasn’t readily ac-

Senior chemistry major Tara Hollins has “gained self confidence and new relationships” through participation in the study.

Hollins joined the study because she wanted to lose weight. So far, she has lost 21 pounds.

“I feel free,” she said. “When you are healthy, you have more energy and confidence.”

She said it is important to keep in mind the “end goal” in order to stay motivated and focused on sticking with the program.

“Any accomplishment, whether it be three pounds or 20, is an achievement,” she added.

Hollins remains realistic when giving advice to students that are in-

tional session. It was an “interesting premise,” he said.

There is an aspect of accountability, said McGuire. “It bothers me that there are people that disregard the rules. It is insulting to other participants of the study and those working on the research.”

McGuire has lost somewhere between 25 to 30 pounds. “It didn’t involve anything but eating,” he said. “It’s a good system if you follow it, and it is also a good chunk of change.” Plus I needed a job while attending school, he added.

“The biggest thing to overcome is yourself,” McGuire said. “You have to be the one to commit and follow through.

“I think it is easier for freshman and sophomores to do the study because they are not obligated to go out socially to drink,” he said.

McGuire has learned that going out with friends to restaurants doesn’t just revolve around the kind of food. “It entails going out to enjoy conversation,” he added.

McGuires favorite part about the study is that he is contributing to science while simultaneously living a healthier life style. “I feel better in my own body and what’s most amazing about it, is that I didn’t even know I felt bad in my body before,” he said.

The Food Study is actively recruiting and encourages anyone who is interested to call the recruitment number Call 617-919-7305 or email FS2@ childrens.harvard.edu You may be able to participate in this study if you are • 18 to 55 years of age • Interested in healthful weight loss • Willing not to drink alcohol during the study • Planning to be part of the FSU community for the academic year • Have a BMI of 25 or more You would receive • All meals, snacks, and beverages prepared specifically for you for an entire academic year • Financial compensation for your time • A personalized health report including changes in body fat, lean mass, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels

april 3, 2015

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April 3, 2015

The Gatepost Editorial

Religion should not be taboo The Gatepost has been researching and reporting for a series of articles that explore the religious life of students on our college campus.

In our research, it has become apparent that many students are unaware of the religious resources available. Most students interviewed didn’t know where the Campus Ministry office was, or who held office hours there. Many students didn’t even know we had a Campus Ministry.

Why don’t students, even students who identify as religious, make use of these professionals who take time out of their busy lives to volunteer at our campus?

Part of the reason is that religion is something that some seem to find uncomfortable to talk about.

People are taught that it’s impolite to bring up religion or ask others questions about a religion they are not themselves a part of.

If someone doesn’t understand the topic they’re asking about, they might have some anxiety around asking the right questions in the right way.

But what we’ve also learned in our research is that plenty of students are actually happy to have the opportunity to speak about their beliefs and their traditions, and explain to someone both the best and most challenging aspects of their religion. A lot of students welcomed the chance to be asked hard questions and really consider what they truly believe.

So why, really, are people afraid to talk about religion?

When we discuss diversity, we tend to focus on race, gender and sexuality - which are all obviously extremely important facets of a person’s identity, and are essential for the community to understand in order to increase tolerance and acceptance. But we should be careful to not let religious expression fall to the wayside in our efforts to increase understanding and tolerance for other aspects of diversity on this campus.

That’s why it’s so important to start having conversations with friends, faculty and administrators about what we each believe in respectful and honest discussions.

Candid conversations are the first step in increasing education and awareness about others’ cultures and beliefs, which will lead to more understanding, acceptance and comfort with things that used to seem unfamiliar to other community members.

Additionally, last semester, a student requested a space to pray for members of the community who are Muslim. By the end of this semester, an Interfaith Prayer Center should be open and available to anyone on campus who wants to use it, according to Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Sean Huddleston.

This immediate response from the administration shows that they are interested in what students want as resources and are willing to give space, money and attention to making them available for students. But we need to ask for it.

This weekend, while some community members will be celebrating Passover, others will be celebrating Easter and others still will be enjoying a weekend of nice weather, begin conversations with those in your community about your beliefs and listen to theirs.

Think about what religious resources might be missing on campus and take action to raise awareness, and ask for them.

It is another step toward making this campus a place where everyone can feel at home.

Op/Ed

9

Easter Sunday blues If I were to grade the quality of Easter as an administrator would an MCAS exam, I would say, “Needs improvement.”

While the food has the sort of divine quality found only on the most significant of holidays, and the people with whom I celebrate the resurrection of God’s saintly son bring me joy, one aspect of Easter needs some work.

With Christmas, Thanksgiving and even the fourth of July, I see nothing but advertisements on television and a change in people’s moods, as these holidays loom nearer day by day.

In New England, at least, there exists four seasons - spring, summer, fall and winter - and I count Christmas as a miniature fifth season, because for one month, everyone seems to focus on nothing except Christmas. It’s essentially a month of excitement and anticipation, culminating in one glorious day.

Lent and Passover unintentionally put Easter on the back burner for me this year, despite the fact that all three center on religion. I do not understand it because in a religious sense, Easter is

just as important as Christmas, but I do not feel a sense of excitement or urgency, yet Easter is only a couple of days away.

I wish there was a course offered at FSU focusing solely on religious holidays around the world, as it would likely improve not only my knowledge of Easter, but also my appreciation for it because as it stands, I’m not feeling the Easter Sunday love.

Brad Leuchte/The Gatepost

Mark Wadland Editorial Staff

Letter to the editor My 33 years at FSU have passed in a blink.

As I leave the hallowed corridors of May Hall, I would like to share with you some thoughts that have been bumping about in my head lately like balls on a pool table. So I rack them up and aim the cue. Here goes.

When I first entered the classroom I had just turned 22, and I knew even then that I had been extraordinarily blessed to have found a profession that I loved, a profession that became my life and life-work, a profession that would never fail to satisfy. Semester after semester, I was fortunate to meet wonderful students, students who inspired me, surprised me, challenged me, energized me with their energy, and who taught me the true meeting of trust, honesty and compassion. Over the years you sat in my humble (read: messy) office and shared your ideas, your deepest fears, you secret shame, your hopes, your worries. And you asked the tough questions that I struggled to answer, for I wanted to answer you with kindness and wisdom. And though I fear I fell well short of that goal, you didn’t seem to mind and gifted me with your forgiveness. You were bright, engaging, original and poignantly willing to share with me your secret selves. I felt honored to be the recipient of your trust.

I wish, now, that I could find the right words to say goodbye. I wish I could tell you what is in my overflowing heart without sounding cheesy or sentimental.

I would like to say to all my students, particularly my seniors, that you need to pay attention to your heart and search, hard, to find the one job that inspires you, that will feed your soul and sustain you through life’s vicissitudes. Do not be influenced by dollar signs. Rather, find the job

that will become your profession and will engage your mind and heart, so that you and the work you do become one. Cultivate a curiosity about what is out there for you and pore over the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook. Try different things now, while you are young and relatively free. If you can afford it, travel. Broaden your world view by meeting people from other continents, as they can teach you much.

Please do not turn away while your fellow citizens suffer. As you leave the comfort and security of FSU, try to be pro-active. Be engaged in politics: vote, and let your voice be heard. You can leave your mark on the world. You have the intelligence, the energy and the strength to do this. Remember to be sensitive, empathic, compassionate and honest.

There goes the eight-ball.

For me, now, in this place, the clock is winding down. And while I certainly look forward to indulging in my obsessive writing and painting, the leave-taking is bittersweet. You have fueled me all these years. If, in the future, you can find the time, drop in for a visit or send an email - I would love to hear how you’re getting on. Finally, please remember this: that, once upon a time, there was a time when at least one professor - if not many more - believed in you, respected you, trusted you to do the right thing and - yes - loved you. I wish you godspeed, and may God bless and hold you always in the hollow of his palm.

Catherine McLaughlin English Professor

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

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

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

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

10

april 3, 2015

Feeling sick? Use your head

Last week I got a particularly nasty cold and was unable to attend classes. For four days I was too weak to do much of anything besides sleep, blow my nose and take multiple doses of Chinese herbal supplements (I’ve recently accepted that there is no medication which will actually destroy a cold virus - the most you can do is boost your immune system).

It didn’t feel right to just sit around doing nothing for several days, but I really wasn’t in any condition to do anything else. I’m happy to say the cold has since passed, and although I still have to carry more tissues with me than usual, I’m no longer contagious.

Unfortunately, this is more than I can say for many of my fellow students.

I’m not talking about the ones who are a little under the weather and have a minor cough and the occasional sneeze. I’m talking about the ones who frequently sound as if they’re coughing up bits of lung and/or appear to be trying to set the world record for consecutive sneezes.

Attending class when you’re that sick is inconsiderate, and not just to your fellow classmates (who, trust me, do not want to be exposed to your icky sickness).

You’re doing a disservice to someone whose physical well being should be your highest priority - yourself.

Forget what people told you about trying to suck it up and tough it out. Your

body is telling you to rest because that’s exactly what you need to do. Fighting off a virus takes a lot of energy, and your immune system needs all the energy it can get to combat a cold or fight a flu. Needlessly exerting yourself will accomplish nothing except making you miserable and most likely extending your illness.

I realize that we’re rapidly approaching the end of the semester, and many students are reluctant to miss classes for fear of falling behind. But missing a couple classes isn’t necessarily a death sentence for your grade. You can easily email your professor or classmates to find out what you missed, or if there’s anything you should be working on in the meantime.

Besides, if you’re so sick that you can barely focus or function, you’re probably not going to be able to accomplish much in class. So do yourself a favor and stay in bed. Your classmates - and your body - will thank you.

Mark Strom Editorial Staff

The unsung good cop

Over the weekend a kid I went to high school with was shot point blank in the face.

Calling him a kid is misleading. He’s 34 (we graduated from Norwood High School in 1999). His name is John Moynihan, and last year he was one of 53 police officers invited to the White House to be honored as one of America’s Top Cops. During the manhunt for the Boston Marathon bombers, John helped save the life of a fellow police officer who had been shot and lay bleeding on the pavement. John served overseas as an Army Ranger from 2005 to 2008. He was the recipient of the 2014 Boston Police Medal of Honor.

While performing a routine traffic stop Friday evening, he was shot in the face.

The bullet was lodged behind his right ear until it was removed, two days later.

As of right now (Monday morning), he is in stable condition and expected to live.

As my friend Bill said, “Mon is a beast.”

Cops have gotten a lot of bad press over the past few months, and almost im-

mediately after John was shot, people began prosthelytizing from both sides.

Vociferous cries of “This is what cops get,” and “This is why cops target blacks” came tumbling from social media in equal volumes.

Let’s forget all that for a moment.

John is a genuinely nice guy. He’s funny. He’s smart. He’s good at his job.

But before he was shot, you’d never heard of him, just like the thousands of other police officers who are genuinely good people. Please keep that in mind. You never hear about them until something goes wrong.

Mon is one of the good ones. Mon is a beast.

Jonathan Golden Class of 2015

Masterpieces in music

Danielle Buter Staff Writer

ARTS & FEATURES People of the book April 3, 2015

11

Students, chaplains call for more religious resources

By Kaila Braley Editor-in-Chief

The three members of the Campus Ministry, a rabbi, a Catholic chaplain and a Protestant pastor, share one office on the fifth floor of the McCarthy Center. Few students ever knock on their door.

All three of these chaplains work on a volunteer basis and hold weekly office hours.

Religious life on campus does not seem visible to some of the student body, except for those who seek it out - and some of the students who do, believe there needs to be more resources for them to be able to practice their religion fully.

Olivia Millikin, a senior, said, “As someone who’s not particularly religious, I haven’t gone looking, but I don’t see [religious activities] too

ality as a support system because college students often feel “isolated, anxious or stressed out. You don’t have to be alone in those times.”

Though, she added, students rarely come visit her, and only about four consistently come to the Catholic services provided on Sundays.

Olivia DiFranco, a sophomore, said she is “relatively” religious, meaning she goes to church “on high holidays,” but otherwise, doesn’t attend.

DiFranco said she is open about what she believes, but sometimes, people will assume because she identifies as Christian that she “hates gay people.

Actually, no.”

FSU’s Protestant Chaplain Leslie Scanlon, the pastor of the Lutheran Church of Framingham, said many students find it surprising that she is a young woman with a scientific back-

that’s what we’re going to go back to.’

So that was really interesting to find those religious connections. I think more often than not, we focus on what divides us instead of what unifies us.”

She added that there were a lot of students who were worried that they wouldn’t be able to receive ash, and were very thankful for there being a resource on campus to do so.

Scanlon was recruited as part of an effort by the Dean’s Office to “get Campus Ministry up and running again.

“It’s definitely been a slow start,” she said, but added, “I think there are more [religious students] than we think, and they just don’t practice in traditional ways that we are looking for or are expecting to see.”

Jonathan Monthanez, a sophomore, said he doesn’t think a lot of students

Another reason is that many of the important and entertaining school activities are planned during the Jewish Sabbath, which is Friday night to Saturday night.

He said, “Many students are tempted to abandon religion once they go to college. How long can they live on cornflakes and milk?

“You sometimes have morality issues on college campuses that would be sort of a conflict for a religious student,” Lazaros said.

He said when he was in school, many students turned to religion, but that doesn’t seem to be the case with college students of this generation.

“There are a lot of things that I’d like to do, but the students are pretty apathetic. It’s not just the Jewish students.

I’ve spoken to the other clergy and they have the same problem,” he said.

Campus Ministry Office Hours Rabbi Yakov Lazaros Tuesdays 12 to 2 p.m. much.”

She added that there seems to be a “negative stigma” around being openly religious for students in their early twenties, partly because of advances in technology and access to information. “It’s unfortunate. People should believe what they want to.”

On a late February morning, in the Campus Ministry office, Hai Ok Hwang, FSU’s Catholic chaplain, wore a tan cardigan as she spoke softly, pausing for a long time between words to consider what, precisely, she wanted to say.

Religion for students has been “decreasing, obviously,” she said. “There are challenges for academic work, peer pressure or they don’t find value in religious life. But some do find it.”

She added that “probably when students have questions, [they] overlap with their spiritual questions, with psychological questions, so they go to the Counseling Center rather than Campus Ministry. Students are embarrassed to ask questions about God.” Hwang said it’s important for students to “find what spirituality and religion” is right for them, and to find it “not because of duty, but because they find definition of identity in God or see value in different way of relating to God.” She added that often, college life can make it difficult to find religion, but that it can be an especially important time in someone’s life to have spiritu-

Catholic Chaplain Hai Ok Hwang Mondays 1:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Wednesdays 1:30 to 5:30 p.m.

ground. She was a chemistry major as an undergraduate, and began to study pre-med before finding her calling with the ministry.

On a Thursday morning in March, the time during the week when she holds office hours, she wore a robin blue cardigan, the same color as her socks, over a traditional black clerical shirt and white removable collar.

Scanlon said there seems to be a lot of challenges for students to be religious while in college, including negative connotations they may have about religion based on the violent stories they might have heard about religious extremists.

She recently hosted a table outside the McCarthy Center on Ash Wednesday, offering hot chocolate or cider to passersby and ash to those who were interested in partaking.

“I really saw that hesitancy on Ash Wednesday,” she said. “People were lurking by until I said, ‘No strings attached.’ And people were like, ‘Really? I don’t have to do anything? I don’t have to believe anything [to ask questions or get a hot drink]?’ They thought there would be some pitch.”

With a warm smile, she said, “I got to have a lot of good conversations with people, asking what Ash Wednesday was, what the ashes represented. I had, I think, a science professor and a person of a different religion come up and say, ‘Oh yeah, that’s what I believe anyway. That we’re from dust, and

Protestant Minister LesLie Scanlon Thursday 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

are religious. “I go to church,” he said, but added that religion is not a major part of his life.

He said he thought people “are not really aware” of what resources exist for religious students, and thinks “people deserve to be educated.”

Rabbi Yakov Lazaros, the director at Congregation Bais Chabad in Framingham, used to volunteer as a Jewish chaplain at FSU 20 years ago. He said he doesn’t remember why he left, but came back again four years ago, and has been volunteering time at FSU ever since.

On a February morning, in the Campus Ministry office, Lazaros leaned back in his chair and spoke calmly and with warmth. He wore black clothes and a yamaka, and had a long beard.

He said one of the first goals he accomplished was to make more kosher foods available to students, especially during Passover, but they really aren’t available any other times of the year.

He said more resources are needed on campus, but these initiatives need to be spearheaded by students.

He encouraged any students who are interested in talking about faith to come see him in the Campus Ministry office, and if they are interested in Judaism to come to temple services at the Congregation Bais Chabad.

“I think it would be extremely difficult for a religious Jew to be a student here for several reasons,” he said, referencing the lack of kosher food.

Diana McDonald said she thinks many college students “don’t think about it much. It’s just this generation.”

She added that when she’s home, she goes to church with her family, but didn’t really consider doing so when she’s at school. She said she didn’t know what the Ecumenical Center was for. “I never really understood what actually went on there. Like I didn’t know if they held services or whatnot.”

Senior Zack Aidoidis also said he goes to church with his parents and grandparents, but doesn’t think about his religion much while living at school.

“I think a lot of people are in the same boat,” he said. There are “too many other things on their minds.”

Although he said he thinks people do judge others who identify as religious, and some sects of religious people more harshly than others, he added he hasn’t seen examples of that kind of discrimination on this campus.

According to Assistant Dean of Students David Baldwin, an Interfaith Specialist, Imam Mynuddin Syed, can be reached by phone, starting this semester. Before that, there was no person for Muslim students to contact as a resource.

He added, “I think that some religions fare better than others. I mean, Catholicism, of course, is more mainstream, so they don’t think about dif- Continued on page 12

Arts & Features

12

April 3, 2015

People of the book - Continued from page 11

ferent things.”

Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Sean Huddleston said that a Muslim student requested a room for praying, and by the end of this semester, he hopes the Interfaith Prayer Room in O’Connor Hall will be ready and available for students.

“At a very basic level, we now have an interfaith space. That will be a space that people can schedule to use, because one of the worst things that can happen is if you’re in the middle of prayer or reflection, and someone walks in the room on you. So we want to make sure there is some assurances that people will have that private time to be able to pray or reflect.”

He added that a committee will be working on making that space one in which information can also be found about various religions for people who are interested in learning and finding answers to questions they may have as

well.

Huddleston said interfaith religion education and tolerance efforts are the second piece of the five-year strategic

plan for diversity and inclusion excellence.

“The challenge in general” for students who are religious on a college

campus, he said, “is that oftentimes, religion and faith are somewhat indoctrinated. I mean, they’re something that we are born into - an expectation of a belief system.

“So when students come to college in particular, there becomes a whole other identity development that occurs, so as students are beginning to develop their identity … there are times when it can become a clash with things that have already been indoctrinated beliefs that they’ve known their entire life.”

He said this can often create clashes between students and their families as well.

Kaitlyn Faria, a freshman, said she’d like to see a class on world religions to increase awareness and education.

Sophomore Jessica Szum said it might be beneficial to have a club that “explains different religions,” which Melina Bourdeau/The Gatepost she thought might be a helpful foThe members of the Campus Ministry encourage students to come speak rum for students to ask questions, “if they’re curious.” to them if they have any questions about their own or antoher faith.

This ARticle introduces a series examining religion and students of faith at Framingham State university.

Also this week, two jewish students discuss their faith.

Next week, The Gatepost will be featuring students who discuss their realtionship with Christianity and Islam.

Jewish students reflect on their faith

By Kaila Braley Editor-in-Chief

Students often wander the cafeteria, plates empty, trying to decide what they feel like eating and what will fit within their dietary restrictions - if they have allergies or are vegetarian.

There are some students who must also consider what food is considered “fit” for consumption, clean or kosher, as described by halakha, or Jewish law.

Senior Naomi Zingher, who was raised Jewish and whose family kept kosher, said there are different types of kosher rules. Eating “kosher for Passover is different than kosher in general,” she said.

While she doesn’t eat kosher at school because it would be too challenging, she does stay kosher for Passover. “It’s a lot of egg salad,” she said, laughing.

There are a variety of kosher rules, but the practice generally means meat and dairy products are kept separate, the food has been blessed by a rabbi and has been prepared in the proper way. Certain meats, such as pork and shellfish are not allowed.

At home, Zingher’s family has separate dish sets for dairy products and meats in order to keep each type of food apart and keep the dishware clean. Growing up, Zingher would sometimes accidentally use the wrong dish without thinking, and her family would have to boil it to make it clean again.

Her family was not particularly a weed but it’s also something from … strict, Zingher said. Her mother told God,” she said. her that when she Zingher said went to a friend’s despite her interest house, to be polite in other religions, and eat what they she knows that served her. Zinghshe is ultimately er’s grandmother is Jewish - and that Reform, and “more is something she lax” about kosher wouldn’t be able rules, she said, and to change. would say things “I am Jewish. I like, “’Lobster is know I’m Jewish. kosher at my house!

It’s something I This is kosher at think I will be my grandma’s house!’” whole life. It’s not While she said just my culture, she does feel some which it is my culpressure from her ture, but it’s also family to settle spiritually and the down with someone community. I feel who is Jewish, “or really comfortable willing to convert,” in my Judaism,” she said her family she said. is open-minded and The community were comfortable she has been able Photo courtesty of Naomi Zingher to find through her with her exploring her religious beliefs religion has been Zingher poses in front of the as she grew up. one of the most Western Wall in Israel on her In high school, rewarding parts of Birthright trip. after finishing Hebeing Jewish. brew School, she began reading about This year, Zingher was invited to other religions such as Hinduism, pa- four seders - a feast that marks the beganism and, more specifically, Wicca. ginning of Passover, which then lasts She was moved by certain parts of for seven days in Israel or eight days these belief systems, such as the pagan elsewhere. Zingher’s parents are gobelief that God is “all around us” and ing to Israel to celebrate the holiday part of “everyday life.” this year with her younger brother. She “A weed growing in the ground, is isn’t able to go with them because of

school, so she will be celebrating with people she knows from Temple.

She explained that during Passover, “you can’t eat any grains or any wheat or anything like that, but you can eat chocolate mousse, and so every Passover seder - one of the ones I go to they make a huge thing of chocolate mousse, and since they know I go to college, they send me home with a big Tupperware of chocolate mousse. So I’ll have a few spoonfuls a day.”

The Jewish community in her life has helped her through hardships, and times when she had doubts about God or religion.

Zingher said, “One of my best friends back home was murdered, and they never found her body. And that was something that you’d think, ‘Man, why, why is this - why can’t they find her body?’ And everyone’s like, ‘Oh, she’s an angel now, looking down on us from Heaven.’ And that’s true, but it’s also true that she was a really good person - a really kind person.

“I don’t quite have the words to describe, the feeling of, you sometimes have the feeling that your religion should be there for you in a way that it isn’t. And I know that these tragedies happen.”

She added that after her friend’s death, the local temples and the Jewish community were very supportive, and put up signs that said, ‘Thinking of you, Lizzie,’ or ‘Praying for you, Lizzie.’

- Continued on page 13

April 3, 2015

Arts & Features

13

People of the book Jewish students reflect on their faith - Continued from page 12

“It made me feel hope,” she said.

When she’s at school, Zingher said she sometimes feels like a “fake Jew” because she isn’t able to stay kosher or get to temple services. “I don’t have

Lawlor seemed happy to speak about his beliefs and religious background.

Lawlor’s mother is Jewish and his father is Christian, but he was raised “almost exclusively Jewish.” He attended a Jewish private school until he was about 12, after which he began a

she doesn’t pressure him, even though she would like him to be more involved with Judaism. He said, “I’m very lucky to have a parent like that.”

Despite indulging in a cheeseburger or a piece of bacon, Lawlor doesn’t ever eat shellfish or lobster.

Photo courtesty of Naomi Zingher

The Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock, pictured above, were cites in Israel that helped both Zingher and Lawlor feel deeply connected to their Jewish roots during their respective trips to Israel this past summer. time to go to temple or transportation.”

She said she would go to temple services if they were available or if she had a way of getting there.

This past summer, Zingher took a trip to Israel that helped cement her connection with her Jewish roots. She had been to Israel a number of times, since she was born there and still has family members who live there.

She went this summer with the Birthright Israel program, which offers young Jewish people free 10-day trips to Israel in groups.

“It is sometimes a really intense thing for me,” she said. “When I saw the Western Wall this past summer, it was such a rush of emotions that it almost makes you want to cry.

“This is my people. This is my roots.

I’m represented here,” she said.

“I sometimes feel unrepresented on this campus.”

Senior Jesse Lawlor also went to Israel this past summer with help from the Birthright program, but he went with a separate group, which included his best friend whom he met in the Jewish elementary school they both attended.

He and Zingher tried to find each other while in Israel but never connectied. Like Zingher, however, he said the trip was incredibly powerful and helped him to feel connected to his ancestry and Jewish roots.

Wearing two black studded bracelets and a black T-shirt that said THOR in a font that resembled the AC/DC logo,

“gradual” change in his beliefs.

Now, he feels there are “two different sides of me. There is this one side that’s like, I can believe what I want to believe. But then there’s this other side where, it [Judaism] is really a part of who I am. And I’m OK with that.

I think it’s something to be proud of.”

He said that where his beliefs diverge from traditional Judaism is that he believes trying to pinpoint whether there is a God is beyond the “scope” of what humans can know. “I feel like if there is a being that could literally create the universe and govern everything that exists, I feel like something like that would be way beyond our comprehension.”

Lawlor added, “Instinctually, and I could not back this up with proof, but something tells me that there is a God.” When he was in elementary school, and a little after, he used to pray to God every day, to consult Him and find comfort. Now, he prays much less frequently.

He will now pray for things like “safety, for good health. Sometimes it’s just to pray that people are OK. Sometimes I pray to live a long and prosperous life. Occasionally, it’s for stuff I want, once in a while. Sometimes it’s to get through tough times.”

After pausing for a second, with a small laugh, he said, “I see how needy that sounds now.”

While he doesn’t attend temple services, he does partially stay kosher to respect his mother’s wishes. He said

he shows his friend the same respect.

Lawlor added he never feels uncomfortable talking about his religious beliefs with his friends or people on campus because they are generally very receptive and accepting.

“People are very respectful. All in all, they don’t trample on my beliefs.

It’s low key. You believe what you want to believe. You don’t get called out on it.”

The resources offered to Jewish students, he thinks, are “adequate,” but there is “room for improvement.”

As far as he knows, there’s only maybe four or five other Jewish students on campus. He attended an event hosted by Rabbi Yakov Lazaros, the school’s Jewish chaplain, and said he was the only student who showed up.

Lawlor would be interested in a Jewish student group on campus, but he isn’t sure how one would get started with so few potential members.

Assistant Dean of Students David Baldwin said five years ago, there was a successful Hillel club which held events and met frequently. When the students who ran it graduated, “it fell apart,” he said, which “happens.”

Last year, no students signed up for kosher food for Passover, and this year, one student and two faculty members signed up for it. When the Hillel group was active, about five to eight students signed up for Passover kosher food.

Photo courtesty of Facebook

Lawlor (left) said he immediately felt close with the people he met during his trip to Israel, and he would love to be able to meet up with them again.

“There are so many degrees of kosher,” he said, adding that it would be difficult to manage an entirely kosher diet on campus. Offerings such as turkey bacon do help, he said.

The friend with whom Lawlor went to Israel with is very interested in Judaism, is religiously observant and briefly considered becoming a rabbi, Lawlor said, but their differing opinions never come between the two of them.

“He will jokingly say, ‘You got to go to temple,’ but he never tramples on my own beliefs - which is something that I greatly respect of him.” He said

He added that it’s ultimately up to students to take initiative if they want more resources.

Lazaros said he would love to see students take steps toward starting a Jewish student group on campus. “I can’t on my own, go to David Baldwin and say I want a Hillel, it has to come from the students.”

He also extended an invitation to “any college student of any faith, who would like to come talk to me - they are welcome to do so.”

Arts & Features

14

April 3, 2015

10 Random Questions for:

Michael O’Shea, junior communication arts major Kristen Pinto Asst. Arts & Features Editor

a car accident. It was definitey not a fun dream.

1.How old do you think the 6. Would you rather eat pizza or wings? oldest sea turtle is?

I would say, like, 120 years old.

Wings.

7. What came first - the 2. When is the last time you chicken or the egg? got a haircut?

The egg. It just has to come first. It makes sense.

About a month ago.

3. What is your favorite store 8. What is the last beverage you drank from a straw? in the mall?

Nordstrom.

4. What is the animal you are most afraid of?

Snakes.

I don’t know. ... I don’t usually drink from straws. Probably an iced coffee.

9. What is your least favorite song of all time?

5. What is the last dream you Can I just say an entire genre?

Because it’s country music. can remember having?

I’m pretty sure that I was in

Photo courtesty of Facebook.com

10. If you could eat any one food for the rest of your life, what would you pick?

Pasta. With meatballs, sauce, cheese... the whole shabang.

Arts & Features

April 3, 2015

15

FSU students recount experiences and opinions on catcalling and derogatory remarks

By Corin Cook Staff Writer

Shoshana Roberts, 24, wearing jeans, a black crew neck T-shirt and sneakers, received 108 verbal harassments and jeers, not including countless winks and whistles during a 10-hour walk around Manhattan last year.

A video recording of the encounters, by “Hollaback” - a campaign to end street harassment, titled “10 Hours of Walking in NYC as a Woman,” now has nearly 40 million views on YouTube. It was the 10th most viewed video on YouTube in 2014, according to Time.com.

Since then, many women have replicated the experiment and uploaded their experiences to YouTube as well, and the results have been consistent - catcalling is rampant.

Google Dictionary defines catcalling as making “a whistle, shout or comment of a sexual nature to a woman passing by.”

Virginia Rutter, sociology professor at FSU, said catcalling is an act of “domination and humiliation.

“I have been really pleased to see attention to catcalling, because it is a bizarre thing to walk down the street and have other strangers say [comments] to you as if they’re speaking to a cute little puppy,” Rutter said.

Awareness of these types of actions should be raised to help prevent them because, according to Rutter, unwanted remarks, whether intentional or unintentional “about another’s appearance in a public place could be threatening or make the person feel uncomfortable.”

While catcalling is an action that is blatantly intentional, according to Rutter, she also said that there are other forms of derogatory remarks that are unintentional, known as microaggressions.

Derald Wing Sue, Ph.D., of “Psychology Today,” defines microaggressions as “everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or insults, whether intentional or unintentional, which communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to target persons based solely upon their marginalized group membership.”

An example of a microaggression that women encounter is being told to smile.

Women are sometimes told to smile, often by complete strangers, suggesting an act of control or domination over the woman, according to Rutter.

A request for women to smile “has a particular feature of being a doubleedged sword,” said Rutter, because it seems as though it’s a compliment, “but it’s complimenting you on a thing that’s not going to be good for you or sustaining.”

She said that the realization that one is being treated in a derogatory way “occurs to people once they start to recog-

“

nize their own autonomy.”

Sophomore Elizabeth Whittaker said, “At a younger age, if I had been catcalled at, I would honestly have taken it as a compliment or confidence booster. Now, as I have grown older, I have seen it more as desperate and as them trying to look for any form of attention they can. It is more impressive if someone can grab your attention without pointing out your

“She’s been extremely physically and emotionally upset from that,” she said.

Corbett said she thinks men catcall and make derogatory comments because of a sense of power they feel over women.

“It’s men being like, ‘I’m stronger than you. I have an effect on you. I can take control of you whenever I want to just because I’m a guy,’” she said.

Power may be the reason derogatory

I think there needs to be education, because I feel like a lot of men don’t see it as derogatory, and I think that’s where part of the problem stems from - they think it’s a compliment.

- Junior Jackie Diehl better physical features.”

Junior Jackie Diehl said she thinks men actually do think they are complimenting women when catcalling.

“I think that there needs to be education, because I feel like a lot of men don’t see it as derogatory, and I think that’s where part of the problem stems from – they think it’s a compliment,” she said.

She added, in regards to being told to smile, “I don’t appreciate being told to smile because sometimes you have bad days and, just because you’re a girl, you shouldn’t have to be happy all the time.”

Senior Olivia Milliken said she gets annoyed when told to smile because, “It’s my body. I don’t want to smile right now. I don’t have to. You don’t know what’s going on in my mind. I might be having a bad day.”

She also said she has been catcalled before and describes it as “so degrading.

“They act like your body is public property, and it’s not,” she said.

She added, “People don’t really think about the person they’re catcalling. They think about themselves or the people they’re with, but they don’t really realize that it has an effect on the person they are calling out.”

Brooklyn, New York artist Tatyana Fazlalizadeh has been trying to drive this point since 2012 in her traveling art project titled “Stop Telling Women to Smile.”

According to the project’s Web site, “the work attempts to address gender-based street harassment by placing drawn portraits of women, composed with captions that speak directly to offenders, outside in public spaces.”

Rutter said part of the reason men make derogatory remarks is to impress those around them and to show off qualities, such as the “cleverness with whatever words they choose to use.”

She also compared the impulse to make remarks to the impulse of reacting to a cute puppy in that “people just become habituated. They become accustomed to just responding to people in a way that turns them into an object or a pet.”

Sophomore Elyse Corbett said she has a friend who is a runner and men constantly beep at her and comment on her butt.

comments are practiced more by men than women, according to Rutter.

“Not all women are less powerful than all men. … But there’s a pattern of power difference that makes it less likely,” she said.

She added that everybody learns ways of sexualizing others as objects, “So I don’t think that there’s anything to men or women’s imagination. … That makes one more capable of treating potentially

attractive people as objects. I just think … that men have more opportunity and different kinds of socialization for it.”

Shortly after “10 Hours of Walking in NYC as a Woman” went viral, the video’s subject, Shoshana Roberts, was interviewed by The Guardian.

She noted that many types of harassment she received were not portrayed in the video.

“It didn’t document the month before, when I was groped, when my side was squeezed or when my ass was squeezed,” she said.

She also said there are many days when she walks with a smile and greets people, but on the particular day the video was filmed, “all of my nonverbal cues were saying that I did not want to be approached.”

She said when she is approached in these situations, she feels threatened.

As a female who practices martial arts, she said she worries for the women who are not as equipped to handle street harassment.

“We need to tell these people to stop doing this,” she said.

”

Arts & Features

16

april 3, 2015

Game On!

Framingham’s “digital athletes,” gaming enthusiasts weigh in on gaming culture

By Joe Kourieh Associate Editor

The roughly eight hours per day that freshman Andrew Sychtysz spent during his high school years playing video games, particularly his specialty the “Halo” franchise on Xbox, were not just for recreation, and were certainly not a waste of time. They had practical purpose.

As a “digital athlete” of sorts, Sychtysz’s hours of practice helped him earn over a thousand dollars in cash, as well as another $500 or so in prizes, through competitive gaming in tournaments around Massachusetts, and even one in Tennessee.

“I like trying to be the best at the things I enjoy doing,” he said. “I still will never regret dabbling in competitive gaming, and I still plan on doing it if I have opportunities in the future.”

While he never truly considered himself a “professional” gamer, Sychtysz’s dedication to “Halo” became an amorphous combination of recreation, a lucrative hobby and, most importantly, community engagement. The people, it seems, were the most memorable part of this experience.

“I have met plenty of people at these tournaments and events - I had come to a first name basis with some of these professional players,” he said.

Upon arriving at FSU, the fastest and most natural way for Sychtysz to find a social niche was a no-brainer.

“I actually met one of my best friends at college because I found out that he played ‘Halo,’” he said.

“Turns out, he is actually pretty skilled at the game, and just the fact that we both share the same love for it, we became extremely good friends.

I do not know what I would’ve done if it wasn’t for ‘Halo’ introducing me to the awesome friends I have today.”

Sychtysz is not unique in forging deep friendships and personal bonds with individuals and whole communities of people while holding the controller and peering into the screen – into the world of his favorite games – night after night. Framingham State has an extensive community of gamers that takes many forms, and engulfs the campus – almost universally acting as a central pillar of the social scenes in which they appear.

Junior Joe Grigg, who spends an estimated 15-25 hours per week gaming, said, “The role gaming plays in my campus life is a social life and friend-making opportunity. … Most of my friends now are from playing ‘Smash Bros’ with.”

Grigg described how video gaming, particularly multiplayer games such as first-person shooter “Call

of Duty” and party favorite “Super Smash Bros,” draws him and his closest friends in with the endless appeal of “good fun,” “bragging rights” and, of course, the timeless art of friendly smack talk as they attempt to best one another.

But campus gaming goes far beyond the playtime joystick gladiators of the

McCarthy Center Game Room. For some, gaming as a concept is a way of life in itself, with the games acting as a glue that holds together their various social microcosms none more apparent than the Gaming Club.

The club’s assistant director, Zach Brien, a junior, described his group as an all-purpose meeting place, useful not just for playing and

discussing videogames, but for general hangouts and R&R. “It’s a huge social thing,” he said.

“The whole point is to create a community of gamers.”

Gaming Club Treasurer Liz Dresser, a junior, called gaming at the club “relaxing after classes,” and “a fun hobby that I can do with friends I’ve made here.”

She added, “Since I’ve been in college, I have gamed more

s o c i a l l y, whether it’s multiplayer games or just playing a solo game with others nearby.”

Helpful in fostering this casual, open culture is the fact that the games played at Gaming Club are as diverse as the people and personalities it attracts. Game types range from the usual console video games and computer games to board games, card games and “Dungeons & Dragons”-

Image courtesty of Creative Commons

Master Chief, the hero of the “Halo” franchise, has

become a cultural icon to gamers around the world for his virtue, fortitude and general badassery.

esque tabletop roleplaying games (sometimes known as pen-and-paper), which can last several sessions for each match or “campaign.” The club even holds campuswide matches of “assassin,” which involves sneaking up on targets when they least expect it, and tagging them out.

“You can pretty much bring any kind of game or idea at all in, and there’ll be at least a few people there who will be willing to play,” Brien said.

Gaming Club President Greg Rainville, a senior, said, “Gaming is in a unique position where it can act as multiple things.

“On one hand, it acts as a form of stress relief, or escapism,” he said, describing a good game’s ability to transport the player into a new and engaging fictional world just as a good movie, television show or book can through its “immense amount of value and character.

“If I’m having a long day, and nothing is due immediately, I usually just sit down and play a game to relax a bit,” he said.

Rainville noted the powerful emotional connection that can be formed between an individual and his or her game, such as with fan favorites like “The Legend of Zelda” series, which has been captivating the imaginations of millions with Homeric storylines and lovable characters since the mid ‘80s. More recently, players have been transported into full-scale galactic struggles complete with political intrigue and futuristic warfare in games franchises like “Halo” and “Mass Effect.”

“Everyone personally experiences these kinds of games differently, even if it’s the same game, or the same series,” he said.

Students and game enthusiasts are not the only ones who recognize gaming’s potential for a strong positive effect on the individual.

FSU Health Center Counselor Jeanne Haley said that “the benefits of gaming include having an interest that is relaxing and can release stress. Gaming also is an activity that can increase concentration and help practice goal-directed behavior and problem solving.”

These qualities – the notions of working toward an objective and getting things done in the virtual world of the games – are exemplified in the group who represents the more competitive niche of the gaming landscape at FSU, known as E-Sports Club.

Brought together by their first president, Raymond Van Liew, in Spring of 2014, the E-Sportsters are - Continued on page 18

April 3, 2015

Arts & Features

Album Review: Sufjan Stevens ‘Carrie & Lowell’

By Corin Cook Staff Writer

It’s not often that an album is considered a masterpiece within just days of its release. Sufjan Stevens’ “Carrie & Lowell” is doing it right now, through near-perfect scores from many renowned music critics who evidently noticed the effort and delicacy that developed the composition.

In his seventh album, Stevens reverted to his intimate folk style that has yielded the majority of his success and recognition – while heavily delving into emotionally-draining themes of death, afterlife and nostalgia.

“Carrie & Lowell” is named after Stevens’ mother and stepfather. In this album, Stevens chronicles his childhood, often times through stories of his mother, Carrie suffered from mental illnesses and drug addiction, abandoning Stevens several times through his childhood. She died in 2012, which became the inspiration to this album.

On first impression, the album’s instrumentation seems very simple and pure. A closer listen reveals complex banjo fingerpicking and ambient synth. In many cases, the most fundamental instrument used is Stevens’ lullaby-like voice. On certain tracks, his out of the ordinary vocal patterns provide the melody to the songs, with modest instrumentation used only for balance and support. The album does lack variation, but it does not take away from the work as a whole.

It instead fits a mood that Stevens is attempting to portray, much like the technique he used in his fourth album, “Seven Swans.”

This is the type of album that you must REALLY be listening to, to enjoy. It is certainly not easy-listening, suitable for background music for working out or doing homework. It is especially crucial to invest yourself in the listening experience in order to enjoy and understand “Carrie & Lowell” - and if you do, it can be a euphoric experience.

The same attentiveness is applicable to the lyrics in order to obtain Sufjan-enjoyment.

What makes this album different from Stevens’ others is its simple, au-

tobiographical style. While Stevens typically relies on broad and unattainable ideology, “Carrie & Lowell” illustrates simple, perceptible memories that are vivid, descriptive and powerful.

The lyrics of “Carrie & Lowell” tend to rely heavily on quick, concise lines of what seem like incomplete vignettes of memories.

One line to the next may have no cohesion whatsoever. This is confusing and strange, but it is also very fulfilling. Often times, when lyrics seem like they mean nothing, they probably mean something very important: “Lemon yoghurt, remember I pulled at your shirt/ I dropped the ashtray on the floor/ I just wanted to be near you.”

While these lyrics are emotionally exclusive to Steven’s personal experience, knowing that it means something to Stevens that we will never understand is stimulating and thought-provoking.

Some of Stevens’ more morbid memories appear on tracks such as “The Only Thing,” in which he touches upon some suicidal contemplations. “Do I care if I survive this,” he asks while considering driving off a cliff or cutting himself in a hotel room.

Even when these snippets of memory are out of context, they carry a notable weight of melancholia, and somehow accurately depict the bittersweet complexity of any relationship.

While this album touches upon several distressing and sorrowful emotions, it leaves the listener with the feeling of understanding. We can feel Stevens restlessly sorting through his thoughts and memories as a means of mourning and self-awareness, and we are left with the feeling that Stevens has actually achieved clarity through the musical journey of “Carrie & Lowell.”

17

‘Avarie Little Thing’: The Fantasitcal Idea of a Slut

By Avarie Cook Arts & Features Editor

When looking up the actual definition of the word “slut,” I found, “A woman who has many casual sexual partners” and “a woman with low standards of cleanliness.”

It doesn’t surprise me that the word “slut” is still actively (and loosely) used to describe any woman, whether she falls under definition or not, with the intention of it being an insult. No woman wants to be called a slut because it puts a label on her and her actions.

I believe the word slut comes from the old-fashioned - yet still very prominent - idea that women are not meant to be sexual beings. This is extremely ironic, considering the fact that women’s breasts are plastered on advertisements everywhere.

From talking to students on campus, I learned there are certain rules women are expected to follow, in order to not be categorized as a slut when it comes to their sex lives: • • • •

•

She is not supposed to have sex with more than one person within a certain amount of time.

She cannot talk openly about her sex life.

She also can’t talk openly about her sexual past.

She is not allowed to date one person, while having sex with another, even if they are both aware.

She is not allowed to speak about men that she’s had sex with the way men speak about the women they’ve had sex with. Meaning, no comments that even come close to saying, “He didn’t last very long...” or she’s stamped with the word, slut.

All of these “rules” made me wonder if it’s possible that men have made them in order to ensure women aren’t becoming too independent with their sexuality, since most of them consist of her being “claimed” or “spoken for” by one man.

On the other hand, women certainly use the word slut to describe other women. When asking females what they believed a slut to be, the central theme was competition: • She couldn’t “go after” or present herself to any man who has a girlfriend or might have a girlfriend in the near future.

• She cannot spend time alone with a guy who has a girlfriend.

• She also shouldn’t be open about her sex life, because this makes men think that she’s

easy, which will drive their attention towards her, instead of other females and can’t have sex with more than one guy at a time, in a certain amount of time, if they all don’t know about it or, if she’s dating one of them.

The word slut only exists to describe a woman. When trying to find a similar word to describe a man, who has the same sexual habits that a slut would, I learned that one didn’t exist.

Men are free to have sex with anyone and not be worried about rules.

Thankfully, I received a few responses saying the word slut is obsolete. That in 2015, women should not have rules to follow when it comes to their sex lives.

This is the statement I agreed with the most.

Women shouldn’t have to answer to other women or men when it comes to their sex lives. If society is OK with companies having a 12-foot billboard of a woman in a strappy bikini, then it shouldn’t be worried about if she is a slut.

This comes from the patriarchal idea that women are meant to be sitting at home, while men are out having sex with whomever they please.

That women are pure and innocent beings and extramarital sex is a sinful act. That women aren’t supposed to be sexual, in general, unless they’re trying to become pregnant.

More importantly, slut shaming is ruining the lives of women who believe that they’re doing nothing wrong. Getting harassed, threatened and shunned from society can take a lot out of a person. If the cause is simply that she had sex with two guys within an “inappropriate” amount of time, then it’s not worth it.

Society needs to acknowledge the fact that women have sex. They are sexual beings. Women aren’t meant to be virgins that men claim once they’re married. This ancient custom that women are objects that are meant to be owned needs to be eliminated. A woman who has many sexual partners isn’t automatically a slut. She isn’t required to wait a certain amount of time to have sex with another partner.

Of course, cheating on a partner or infidelity between partners is wrong, but as long as feelings aren’t hurt and everyone is aware of their current situation, there is no need for the word slut to exist. It should be known and accepted that there is no such thing as a slut.

18

Arts & Features

april 3, 2015

Game on - Continued from page 16

the closest thing on the Framingham State campus to the “digital athletes” that Sychtysz met so many of while gaming in tournaments.

Currently, the members spend their meeting time, as with some of their free time, playing the online action/ strategy game “League of Legends,” holding occasional tournaments with prizes for winners. “‘League of Legends’ is something everyone has in common,” current E-Sports Club President Anders Anderson said, calling the game “easy to learn and hard to master.”

“League,” which generally involves teams of five working strategically to destroy an opposing team’s base, shows the strong cooperative nature of most e-sports. Even at the most serious levels of play, gaming is a social experience.

At FSU, Anderson said, e-sports are “a fun way to hang out with friends,” even as the competition rages.

“Who doesn’t like winning against their friends?” he added.

Haley, similarly, said that “gaming also is a way of being socially connected.

“People meet others online when they engage in multi-player games,” she said. “People can meet others with similar interests, and spend time with them sharing that interest.”

With this combination of meaningful personal entertainment and a kindred social foundation, gaming starts to seem like the perfect hobby for the college student – or for just about anyone.

But of course, gaming, as with any highly compelling form of entertainment, can be overdone. There is the ever-present stereotype of the gaming “addict” – poor hygiene, bloodshot eyes glued to the screen for hour number “who knows,” surrounded by a profusion of empty Cheetos bags and Mountain Dew bottles. This stereotype, though a comparatively rare case, is based in reality.

“It’s certainly easy to lose track of time while playing,” Rainville said.

For Sychtysz, one major gaming event – the release of the “Halo: Master Chief Collection” in November, resulted in an all-night playing session. Upon arriving to his classes the next morning on no sleep, Sychtysz realized he had pushed himself too hard for the love of the game.

Haley said that “the negative aspects would be related to excessive gaming.

“If someone is spending time gaming and it is interfering in other parts of their life, then it is more of an addictive behavior, with possible harmful effects,” she said.

Haley said that the staff at the Counseling Center are no strangers to such media addictions, and have dealt with them before, even having to refer students to addiction programs like that of McLean Hospital

in Belmont.

In the college setting, the most obvious way for gaming to negatively affect an individual is by getting in the way of time that could otherwise be spent preparing for class and doing homework.

Dresser admitted that she has at least one friend whose grades have suffered due to the hours put into gaming, and sophomore Joe Sutherby of E-Sports Club described occasionally logging on for a quick game of “League” during a free time block only to have it run longer than expected and result in lateness, rather than choosing an untimely surrender.

Haley warned against “any activity or behavior which interferes with the student’s primary job - being a student - or puts them at risk of harm,” which can include gaming, if the hobby becomes “excessive.

“Possible reasons for concern would be if a student is losing interest in all other activities, is missing class/assignments due to gaming, is not sleeping/eating because of use, is losing relationships or feels significant emotional distress if they cannot spend time gaming,” she said.

This concern has been the subject of scientific research, such as one study conducted at Oklahoma State University in 2012, which found that “video game playing was significantly negatively correlated with college GPA.” Gaming, as a highly engaging and time-consuming activity, the study says, is liable to push aside time for schoolwork or studying in the minds of college students – a tendency known as the “time displacement hypothesis.”

However, the authors of the study admit that the relationship of gaming to academic performance (based on the displacement of study time) is difficult to truly quantify, and the results of their study in relation to previous studies are “inconsistent.”

Furthermore, the discussion within the study also admits one crucial aspect of the effect that gaming, or nearly any other conceivable hobby, has on school performance and preparation: the “time-displacement hypothesis,” and its associated effects, is flawed in its inability to truthfully gauge whether the games are what actually cause the student to disregard his or her academic duties, or, as the authors say, “merely the most attractive option available to those that would not engage, or those that are less likely to engage, in academic behaviors.”

In other words, the fact that a student could possibly play games and do poorly in school does not necessarily mean that a student who plays games is more likely to do poorly in school in comparison to a student who is just as interested in television shows, movies or other media. Games, that is to say, cannot be proven to be more

addictive than these other media for a single student. Rather, they are often the go-to for students looking to do something other than their work.

Such is the case with Dresser’s friend whose grades have suffered along with his gaming reaching its peak.

“I think that if these people didn’t have games, they would find something else to replace it with as to not do their work,” she said. “I think that it is just the type of person that they are. Not all people who game have grades that suffer.”

Sophomore E-Sports Club member Max Goneau said that “the addictive part of gaming is more about addictive personalities.

“People who get addicted to things could get addicted to anything,” he added.

Additionally, as the authors of the Oklahoma study repeatedly note, “Today’s young adults have had the opportunity to grow up with video games as part of the mainstream culture.

“The potential effects of video game playing may be changing as more people are playing at younger ages and continuing to play into adulthood,” the study says. Thus, to condemn games – even those as engrossing as modern video games – borders on condemning modern American culture itself, into which these types of media are deeply interwoven, the authors conclude.

For some of these modern American youths, falling hard into the gaming world but growing out of it seems a mere rite of passage. E-Sports member Luigi Gonzalez, a freshman, told of a friend in high school who was “addicted” to video games, playing them all day and night throughout the week. However, once graduation came, the friend knew it was time to grow up.

“He just got a job and stopped playing,” Gonzalez said simply.

“It’s not like crack – it’s not going to ruin your life,” said sophomore Tyler Lainer, E-Sports Club vice president, adding that he is able to game seriously with his friends while still maintaining a spot on the President’s List for academics.

Members of Gaming Club also said for FSU students who engage in gaming communities, the risk of overdoing it is low.

“Schoolwork should always take precedence over everything,” Brien said. “We would never shun someone or kick them out of a campaign because they need to focus on classes instead. We would rather you graduate than play a make-believe game with us.”

Rainville agreed, adding, “It’s just a matter of knowing when you have time to goof off. … As long as you’re attentive enough to the time, it’s almost never a problem.”

Though the consensus on campus is of gaming as a casual community pastime, on the opposite extreme, as Sychtysz’ high school experience demonstrated, there is the lingering possibility of gaming for a career.

But, beside the astronomical amount of practice hours one must log, luck is also a leading factor in professional gaming.

Although there are “League of Legends” celebrity players who stream their games live online, making a living wage in the process, these are people who were in the right place at the right time when the game took off, rather than hard-workers to emulate. Furthermore, it’s the pro players’ personalities, the E-Sportsters explained, that keep their shows going. Essentially, they are half gamers, half comedians.

For the average player, the obligations of serious competitive gaming are not worth the enticements, as with E-Sports’ Jaime Yaneza. Now a sophomore, Yaneza at one point made a brief foray into online competition, but, since none of his friends wanted to join up with his group, he simply got bored and moved on.

Campus gamers agree that school is a better option. And with the gaming industry now one of the world’s largest – worth almost $100 billion worldwide in 2013 according to IT research agency Gartner – the two need not necessarily be so far divided.

Lainer, a business major, said he has considered, and may consider even more seriously in the future, using his degree to work in collaboration with friends who do computer coding to develop a career in game production and sales. It is even possible, he said, to start an independent production company of one’s own with relative ease due to online game marketplaces such as Steam, which currently hosts over 8 million gamers, according to their Web site.

Although Sychtysz’s relationship with gaming has changed significantly over the past year since leaving high school – and his competitive gaming career – behind, the passion and pride of digital warfare is still there, as it always was. And the truth of the matter, as he explained, is that gaming is not going anywhere.

With some prestigious schools offering scholarships for, and even majors in, competitive gaming, college campuses will be a formative arena for the future generation of digital athletes.

“Who knows,” he said, “if the game ever picks up again, I might try competing again.”

Once FSU adds that major in “Halo,” it’ll be no surprise who signs up first.

April 3, 2015

Arts & Features

Campus Conversations

W h a t A p r i l Fo o l s d ay p r a n k w a s p u l l e d o n y o u o r h av e y o u p u l l e d ?

“I told my class that I’m student teaching halfway through the test that their time was up. ”

By Cesareo Contreras Amelia Foley, & Jeff Poole

“Surprisingly, I was untrickable” - Meghan Sullivan, sophomore

- Stephen Brown III, senior

“I know someone who left Oreos with toothpaste in them in the lobby of a residence hall.”

“I did four yesterday but I don’t think they’re paper-appropriate.”

- John Michael Ferrera, freshman

- Josh Mortin, sohpomore

“I believed they were renaming Cinderella’s castle in Disney to Elsa’s castle.”

“My cousin texted me and tried telling me she was pregnant. ”

- Nanci Felton, junior

-Kaitlyn Gordon, sophomore

Edited by Timothy E. ParkerApril 3, 2015 MEASURE UP By RichardAuer ACROSS 1 Increased 6 Person of action 10 Fairy-tale beast 14 Anklebones 15 “Cogito, ___ sum” 16 Face-to-face exam 17 How some lay it on?

20 Tailor-made line 21 Sporty headgear 22 Pats down 23 Type of alcohol 25 Sugar bowl marchers 26 ___ von Bismarck 28 Matching audio to video 32 Zoo heavyweight, briefly 34 Goals 35 It’s on the streets 38 Tremendously, slangily 42 Bonanza find 43 Feature of 32-Across 44 Coach 45 Insomniac’s symptom 48 ___-European 49 London hoosegow, once

51 53 55 56 59 62 63 64 65 66 67

Class reminders Resolve, as a dispute “___ little spice to your life” Word with “jam” or “roll” It’s overwhelming Very thin, as a line Computer info Dine at home Perfect place Use a coffee spoon Brings about, biblical style

DOWN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 18

19

Ogden’s state Blanched Watchful hours?

Low or high end?

Abandon With all one’s heart Dog bowl bits It might need a boost Good vantage point Showing awe, perhaps Matter for the mill Sets up, as pool balls Moose cousins ___ down a bunt (sacrifices)

Last issue’s solutions:

19 24 26 27 29 30 31 33 35 36 37 39 40 41 45 46 47 49 50 52 53 54 55 57 58 60 61

Word with “mass” or “rapid” Vocal sound About God with a hammer Mary Poppins was one Oft-mooched item, briefly “This tape will self-destruct ...” org.

Desdemona’s man Exchange words?

Battery contents Nevada city Coal carrier Anger AGreat Lake Definitely not ripe Ingratiate oneself Creates an instant lawn Ice-cold Pay reparations, e.g.

Sealed, as a package Strongbox Discontinues Not backing Name on elevators Dapper fellow Cereal morsel Doctor in a 1964 movie

20

Sports

APRIL 3, 2015

Graphic by Brittany Cormier/The Gatepost Caricatures by Danielle Butler/The Gatepost

Ferr or Foul?

Sports Column

By Michael Ferris Sports Editor

And then there were four.

The Kentucky Wildcats, Wisconsin Badgers, Duke Blue Devils and Michigan State Spartans conquered their regions last weekend and have earned their way to Indianapolis.

Going by seeding, Kentucky, Wisconsin and Duke were expected to make appearances, as all three were one-seeds in their respective regions.

Michigan State is the team nobody saw coming. Or did they?

The Spartans may have been the most under-seeded team coming in.

Tom Izzo’s team went all the way to the Big Ten Tournament championship game, falling at the hands of Wisconsin, 80-69, in overtime.

Michigan State may have lost by 11, but the Spartans had a shot to win it in regulation, only to go cold in overtime, something many teams do when playing Bo Ryan’s Badgers.

Michigan State, commonly referred to as Sparty, earned victories over Ohio State and Maryland in the earlier rounds, two teams that were both tough-outs in the NCAA Tournament, before falling to Wisconsin.

Speaking of Wisconsin, the Badgers weren’t as much of a surprise to the Final Four. Bo Ryan’s team is 35-3 to this point and finished the regular season ranked third in both the AP and USA Today Polls.

The Badgers’ offense is a little underrated. A team, whose primary foundation is defense, sometimes gets less credit as an offensive team than deserved.

The Badgers, led by seven-foot senior, Frank Kaminsky, average 72 points per game and shoot 48 percent from the floor as a team.

In an interview with Kenny “The Jet” Smith, Ryan sarcastically laughed off Smith’s insinuation that the Badgers may not be the best of offensive teams.

Undervalued or not, the Badgers are there, and as Big Ten representatives, along with Michigan State, that conference has provided half of the Final Four, more teams than any other conference.

The league that everyone hyped up all year was the Atlantic Coast Con-

ference, and the ACC-team that had the highest of hopes was Duke. The Blue Devils have been Final Four contenders since last summer when two top-five recruits, Jahlil Okafor and Tyus Jones, committed to play for Coach Krzyzewski, together.

The two have not failed to disappoint. While some may think that inexperience was destined to plague Duke, Jones and Okafor have been nothing shy of terrific, and have also gotten key assistance from fellowfreshman, Justice Winslow.

Winslow, Jones and Okafor have led the Blue Devils most of the way.

The trio combined to score 40 of the team’s 66 points in an Elite Eight win over Gonzaga.

While all three of these teams are legitimate contenders, the unmentioned team that earned a trip to Indianapolis has to be considered the favorite.

The Kentucky Wildcats entered as the number one overall seed, rolled over Hampton, Cincinnati and West Virginia before beating Notre Dame in a thriller.

Calipari’s Cats are 38-0 this year and easily the most-talented team in college basketball.

Kentucky has incorporated a “platoon system” this year in which they

play in shifts and out-muscle, outjump and out-run everyone they play because of this new philosophy.

The Wildcats are the tallest team in college basketball on average and are taller than every NBA team except for the Portland Trail Blazers.

Karl-Anthony Towns, Trey Lyles and Devin Booker are the three freshmen that have played crucial roles, while Willie Cauley-Stein, Dakari Johnson and the Harrison Twins are the returnees from last year’s Final Four team.

The two matchups that headline Saturday night are Wisconsin vs.

Kentucky, a rematch from last year, a game that Kentucky won thanks to an Aaron Harrison three, and Michigan State vs. Duke, a rematch from a November game that Duke won 8171.

Kaminsky and Okafor, two Naismith Player of the Year candidates, must play to their fullest potential in order for their teams to win, while Michigan State will have to continue playing hot at the right time. Kentucky, on the other hand, will have to continue to overpower its opponents, as it seeks to go undefeated, something that hasn’t been done since Bob Knight’s Indiana Hoosiers did so in ‘76.

APRIL 3, 2015

21

MEN’S LACROSSE

Photos by Melina Bourdeau/The Gatepost

22

APRIL 3, 2015

NCAA takes stand against Indiana lawmakers

the law.

On Thursday, when the law was modified, Emmert couldn’t have been more pleased.

The modifications still allow for religious freedoms, but put some protections in place for the LGBT community.

In a Washington Post article, the modifications are described as granting “protections to employees, tenants and customers regardless of race, religion, disability or sexual orientation. The fix does not apply to churches or church-affiliated schools.”

In ESPN’s article, Emmert is quoted as saying, “NCAA core values call for an environment that is inclusive and non-discriminatory for our student-athletes, membership, fans, staff and their families.

We look forward to the amended bill being passed quickly and signed into law expeditiously by the gover-

By Michael Ferris Sports Editor

Many throughout the country were outraged last week as Indiana lawmakers passed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, also known as Senate Bill 101.

The bill passed 40-10, and according an article by United Press International, the law “stated that persons and businesses were protected by law from backlash prompted by discriminatory practices against certain persons or groups.”

The article provides an example of what the law protects, stating that “the law protected a smalltown pizza parlor that refused to cater to same-sex weddings because Photo courtesy of Creative Commons its owners felt it imposed a ‘burden’ on their religious beliefs.”

The NCAA, headquartered in In- The NCAA Headquarter building is located in Indianapolis, Indiana. dianapolis and frequently holding expensive, money-making events in the state’s capital, expressed its displeasure at a ketball Final Four will take center stage there.

Emmert threatened that if the law remained nor.” law that essentially made discrimination legal.

It is not clear whether or not the NCAA is still NCAA President Mark Emmert threatened the in its original language, language that Indiana considering taking action against the State of Instate of Indiana, indirectly, after the law was ini- Governor Mike Pence “agreed” with, the NCAA diana, but Emmert made it clear that ““We are would “consider moving future events out of the tially passed. very pleased the Indiana legislature is taking acFor example, this year’s NCAA Men’s Bas- state,” according to ESPN. Emmert was not alone in his displeasure. Ap- tion to amend Senate Bill 101 so that it is clear ketball Final Four is set to take place in Indiaindividuals cannot be discriminated against.” napolis, while next year’s NCAA Women’s Bas- ple CEO Tim Cook also voiced his concern with

National League Preview Atlanta Braves 2014 record 79-83 Manager - Fredi Gonzalez (5th season) Key Acquisitions - Nick Markakis, Jason Grilli, Wandy Rodriguez Key Departures - Ervin Santana, Justin Upton, Aaron Harang, Emilio Bonifacio Turner Field, Atlanta, GA (Pitcher-friendly)

Miami Marlins 2014 record 77-85 Manager - Mike Redmond (3rd season) Key Acquisitions - Dan Haren, Mat Latos, Dee Gordon, Ichiro Key Departures - Garrett Jones, Nathan Eovaldi Marlins Park, Miami, FL (Pitcher-friendly)

Chicago Cubs 2014 record 73-89

Cincinnati Reds 2014 record 76-86

Manager - Joe Maddon (1st season) Key Acquisitions - Jason Hammel, Jon Lester, Dexter Fowler Key Departures - Justin Ruggiano, Dan Straily, Luis Valbuena Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL (Pitcher-friendly)

Manager - Bryan Price (2nd season) Key Acquisitions - Brennan Boesch, Burke Badenhop Key Departures - Carlos Marmol, Mat Latos Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, OH (Hitter-friendly)

New York Mets 2014 record 79-83 Manager - Terry Collins (5th season) Key Acquisitions - Michael Cuddyer, John Mayberry Jr. Key Departures - None Citi Field, Flushing, NY (Hitter-friendly)

Milwaukee Brewers 2014 record 82-80 Manager - Ron Roenicke (5th season) Key Acquisitions - Adam Lind Key Departures - Marco Estrada, Zach Duke, Mark Reynolds, Yovani Gallardo, Rickie Weeks Miller Park, Milwaukee, WI (Hitter-friendly)

Philadelphia Phillies 2014 record 73-89 Manager - Ryne Sandberg (2nd full season) Key Acquisitions - Aaron Harang Key Departures - Jimmy Rollins, Antonio Bastardo, Marlon Byrd Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA (Hitter-friendly)

Pittsburgh Pirates 2014 record 88-74 (wild card runner-up) Manager - Clint Hurdle (5th season) Key Acquisitions - Franciso Cervelli, Antonio Bastardo, Corey Hart Key Departures - Russell Martin, Ike Davis, Ernesto Frieri, Edinson Volquez, Wandy Rodriguez PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA (Pitcher-friendly)

Washington Nationals 2014 record 96-66 (1st in division)

Manager - Matt Williams (2nd season) Key Acquisitions - Dan Uggla, Max Scherzer, Yunel Escobar Key Departures - Rafael Soriano, Adam LaRoche, Asdrubel Cabrera Nationals Park, Washington, D.C. (Hitter-friendly)

St. Louis Cardinals 2014 record 90-72 (1st in division)

Manager - Mike Matheny (4th season) Key Acquisitions - Mark Reynolds Key Departures - Pat Neshek, AJ Pierzynski Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO (Pitcher-friendly)

Photos courtesy of Creative Commons

Arizona Diamondbacks

2014 record 64-98 Manager - Chip Hale (1st season) Key Acquisitions - Jeremy Hellickson, Rubby De La Rosa Key Departures - Didi Gregorius, Wade Miley Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ (Hitter-friendly)

Colorado Rockies 2014 record - 66-96 Manager - Walt Weiss (3rd season) Key Acquisitions - Nick Hundley Key Departures - Michael Cuddyer, Brett Anderson, Franklin Morales Coors Field, Denver, CO (Hitter-friendly)

Los Angeles Dodgers

2014 record -94-68 (1st in division) Manager - Don Mattingly (5th season) Key Acquisitions - Joel Peralta, Howie Kendrick, Jimmy Rollins Key Departures - Josh Beckett, Hanley Ramirez, Dan Haren, Dee Gordon, Matt Kemp Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA (Hitter-friendly)

San Diego Padres 2014 record - 77-85 Manager - Bud Black (9th season) Key Acquisitions - Matt Kemp, Derek Norris, Wil Myers, Justin Upton, James Shields Key Departures - Rene Rivera, Everth Cabrera, Ryan Hanigan Petco Park, San Diego, CA (Pitcher-friendly)

San Francisco Giants

2014 record - 88-74 (wild card winner) (World Series Champions)

Manager - Bruce Bochy (9th season) Key Acquisitions - Nori Aoki Key Departures - Marco Scutaro, Pablo Sandoval, Michael Morse AT&T Park, San Francisco, CA (Pitcher-friendly)

APRIL 3, 2015

Around the Horn

SOFTBALL

By Melina Bourdeau Editorial Staff

The Rams lost 9-8 in the first game of a doubleheader against Fitchburg State on March 29.

In the first inning, the Rams scored five runs with Fitchburg right behind scoring four.

In the third inning, Kylie Boyle scored on a balk.

In the bottom of the third, Fitchburg scored two runs off Natasha Arseneau to tie the game, courtesy of a two-run homerun to left center.

The Rams’ offense fell flat in the fourth when Mackenzie Williams and Marissa Flynn struck out swinging. Anna Dziok

committed the third out with a ground ball to third base.

Similarly, the Rams struggled on defense in the bottom half of the fourth. An error by third basemen Dziok allowed for Fitchburg’s Galen Kerr to take third and then home.

Arseneau was relieved by Tiffanie Marsh in the sixth inning. Fitchburg scored two runs on another homerun to left center.

In the seventh inning, Framingham was able to score two runs. Megan Downing grounded to second to end the threat in the seventh and the Rams fell one run short.

Framingham State

Fitchburg State

(2 - 10)

8-9

The Rams rebounded in the second game against Fitchburg, winning 4-3. Remaining scoreless until the second inning, the Rams got two runs off of Downing’s triple to left center.

Marsh pitched a complete game scattering seven hits across seven innings.

In the bottom of the second, the Rams’ defense stumbled with a fielding error in left field, allowing Fitchburg to score.

Although the Rams got one run in the third, Marchant walked and scored an un-

Framingham State (3 - 10)

earned run after a single to left field from Marsh. McGrail struck out swinging, concluding the inning.

For three innings neither team scored.

In the top of the seventh, Flynn got on first with a bunt and ultimately scored the winning run for the Rams.

On defense, the Rams let in one run before they shut the door on the Falcons in the seventh. Dziok concluded the game catching a line drive from Fitchburg’s Marissa Binnall.

Fitchburg State

4-3

Framingham won 8-3 against UMass Dartmouth in the first of two on March 31.

Marsh pitched for the whole game for the Rams. She allowed eight hits and three runs.

Without any runs for either team until the second inning, UMass started the top half of the second with one run from Mary Pieroni.

Danielle Belliveau was a catalyst in the bottom of the second for the Rams.

She doubled to center field, getting an RBI when Downing crossed home

plate. She then scored a run herself on a wild pitch.

The Rams scored twice in the third inning and allowed UMass one run in the fourth inning.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Rams offensive strike got them four runs. Both Belliveau and Marsh hit home runs.

Framingham and UMass held each other scoreless until the last inning when the Rams gave up an unearned run.

Framingham State

UMASS Dartmouth

(4 - 10)

8-3

The Rams continued their streak with another win in their double header against UMass Dartmouth 4-2.

Arenseau pitched a complete game with ten strikeouts and four hits allowed.

In the bottom of the first, Dziok scored after reaching on an error and taking second and third on a stolen base and wild pitch. Marsh hit a home run to center field later in the inning.

The inning closed with three runs.

In the top of the second inning, the Rams gave up a run of an error by first

Framingham State (5 - 10)

BASEBALL

Framingham State took down MASCAC foe Salem State 10-8, Saturday, March 28.

The Rams started slow, falling behind 2-0, before Zoe Reilly scored on a free position shot with 18 minutes left in the first half.

Salem scored again moments later, pushing their lead back to two before the Rams would score three unanswered goals.

Reilly started the scoring by notching her second of the half on an unassisted goal. Stephanie Leonard would add another goal a minute later, also of the unassisted variety.

A Reilly assist to teammate Kristen Hoggins broke the tie and gave the Rams their first lead of the game.

Salem would respond, however, closing out the half with back-to-back goals and heading into the locker room with a 5-4 advantage.

The Rams came out of the half strong, scoring two quick goals off the stick of Leonard and Reilly, respectively.

Four more goals would balloon the lead to 10-6 with only four minutes remaining.

A fleeting comeback was too-little too-late for Salem, as two goals in the waning minutes were not enough.

Reilly led all scorers with six goals and seven points, while goalie Alysha Cericola picked up her second win in net for the Rams saving four shots.

The Rams pushed their winning streak to a season-high six games. Despite falling behind early, Framingham started the month hot, beating Lasell College 8-3.

After trailing 3-1 after the first four innings, the Rams’ offense surged back in the bottom of the fifth to plate four runs and move ahead 5-3.

Leading the comeback was second basemen Ivan Colon, who went 2 for 4 at the plate with two RBI’s and a stolen base while Matthew Gerard, William Derosier, Jordan Pallazola and Jake Wardwell drove in a run each.

Framingham State

Salem State

10-8

By Rob Alvarez Staff Writer

Framingham State (9 - 5)

The Rams’ two-game win streak was snapped at the hands of Emmanuel College on Tuesday, as Framingham fell 14-7 in non-conference action.

The first half was a back-and-fourth affair, as each team traded goals throughout.

Emmanuel jumped on top first, thanks to a goal only 16 seconds into the contest. Framingham would answer quickly, when Reilly’s unassisted goal tied it minutes later.

Reilly would add another before Jessica Graham would score on a free position shot with 20 minutes remaining in the half.

Emmanuel took a one-goal lead into the half.

The second half was all Emmanuel, as they outscored Framingham 9-2 in the stanza.

Hoggins did her best to keep the Rams in it, scoring both goals, one on an assist from Claryssa Cunniff, the other on a free position shot.

Emmanuel dominated draw control, capitalizing on 19 out of 23 opportunities, and clears, going 10-13, while Framingham could manage to go only 13-25.

Framingham State

Emmanuel College

Framingham State

(2 - 2)

7-14

(3 - 2)

UMASS Dartmouth

Starting pitcher Christopher Monroe kept the Lesley offense in check after a tough start, holding them to three unearned runs on eight hits while moving his record to a perfect 3-0 this season with an ERA of 1.89.

The four-run fifth inning proved to be the difference-maker, as the Rams tacked on a run in the sixth and two more in the eighth to pull away as Zack Kirby, Michael Andrews, and Christopher Rega each threw scoreless frames in relief of Monroe to seal the victory.

Lasell College

8-3

On April 1, Framingham picked up a win against Albertus Mangus, 12-5.

The Rams dominated the first half, outscoring their opponent 9-3 and notching the first five goals of the game.

Graham put the Rams up early on an assist from Nicole L’Heureux. A minute later L’Heureux would find another teammate, this time Reilly, to put Framingham ahead by two.

Graham and Reilly would each score again before Kimberly Foley would add an unassisted goal of her own to cap the 5-0 Framingham run.

Albertus Mangus notched its

(2 - 1)

basemen Boyle.

Framingham held UMass at 3-1 until the top of the fifth inning when one run was scored. Shortstop Marsh committed an error resulting in an unearned run by UMass.

The Rams got their winning run in the bottom of the fifth when Boyle hit a single to right field and Marsh scored on an error by the right fielder.

For the remaining two innings, neither team scored.

4-2

WOMEN’S LACROSSE

By Robert Jones Staff Writer

23

first goal of the game with 18 minutes remaining in the half. However, their success would be short-lived as Morghan Cassella and Foley responded with two quick goals to give the Rams a 7-1 advantage.

Kayla Hopkins and Mallory Fredericks would each add a goal from Victoria Lane assists before halftime.

The Rams took their largest lead of the game eight minutes into the second half on a pair of Reilly goals.

Lindsay Nixon rounded out the scoring for the Rams, notching the final goal with four minutes remaining in the contest.

Albertus Mangus

12-5

24

April 3, 2015

Women’s Rugby

Photos by Brad Leuchte/The Gatepost

The FSU Women’s Rugby team played its first game of the spring season against Franklin Pierce University on Sunday.