January 30, 2015 by The Gatepost

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G atepost

Framingham State University’s independent student newspaper since 1932 volume

83 • number 14

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2 0 1 5

Snow Daze a n u a r y

Melina Bourdeau/The Gatepost

Allie Carroll helped Joleen Stygles dig out her 2004 Dodge Stratus, which took 20 minutes with help from members of FSU Facilities.

Tensions ran high at an open forum held to discuss sexual violence on Dec. 15, 2014 in the 1839 room located in McCarthy Center. The forum was organized in response to a Dec. 10 Gatepost article, “Coming to terms with rape: One student’s journey towards understanding,” by Editor-in-Chief Kaila Braley. According to a campus-wide email sent by President F. Javier Cevallos, the forum was meant to be a place to “discuss your concerns and how we can stand together to end sexual violence in our community.” At the forum, students were asked if they had any suggestions for the University on how to prevent sexual assault. A male student suggested the administration provide training for students, both abused and abusive. He said, “A lot of the time, when people are sexually assaulting someone, or assumed to be sexually assaulting someone, it’s a miscommunication.” He added that maybe if the victim were to talk to the perpetrator, then the victim may be able to prevent the sexual assault from happening. He said the perpetrators “are a victim inside themselves,” and

added that people who sexually assault others often feel weak, or “not good enough,” which he said is why they “force themselves on others.” He said, “It’s really a tragic thing to have to force yourself on someone to feel compassion.” A female student interjected that sexual assault is not a case of miscommunication. “I’m telling you this as a survivor of sexual assault,” she said. The male student cut her off, saying, “You’re not the only one who has ever been sexually assaulted,” and asked her to respect the group and “keep your thoughts to yourself.” The woman reiterated that she didn’t think every sexual assault situation is a miscommunication. The male student then left the forum. The same female student had some questions for Director of Equal Opportunity, Title IX and ADA Complience Kim Dexter and Cevallos about Framingham State’s website called SHAPE (Sexual Harrasment and Assault Prevention and Education), “it’s definitions of consent, and it’s implementation in school disciplinary process.” Shape is a source of information about sexual harassment and violence, as well as - Continued on page 5

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By Kaila Braley Editor-in-Chief By Mark Wadland Editorial Staff

Blizzard Juno blasted Framingham this week with over 30 inches of snow. Although the historic winter storm prompted administrators to cancel classes for two days, about 1,000 students stayed on campus. FSU President F. Javier Cevallos said administrators estimated that number based on how many meals were served in the dining halls. He said that all essential personnel, which includes Facilities, Dining Services, Residence Life and Campus Police staff, reported to work. Cevallos added that he and “all the vice presidents” met Monday at 10 a.m. to decide when to send everyone home that day. The same group met again on Tuesday and Wednesday at 2 p.m. to decide whether classes would be canceled for the next day, and the group decided it would be safe to “open the campus” on Thursday. “I think it has been a very successful effort. I am quite impressed with the dedi-

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Students protest a lack of response to reports of discrimination

Sexual assault open forum sparks tensions By Alexandra Gomes Assistant News Editor

Dancing to Broadway tunes. Page 7

By Kaila Braley Editor-in-Chief

“FSU does not include! We can’t breathe at FSU!” a crowd of students chanted as they marched through campus on Dec. 15 protesting a lack of administrative response to four reported incidents of discrimination. The protest began with approximately 20 students and continued to grow to almost 40 as they traveled from the library, to the front of the Residence Life office before ending in front of Crocker Grove in front of Dwight Hall. As they stopped at each location, the group of students participated in a “diein,” during which the students chanted, “I can’t breathe!” and fell to the ground as one of the protest leaders, junior Fernando Rodriguez, spoke about the reason for the protest. “There is a suffocating environment here at Framingham State University where students are not getting the treatment they deserve from the administration here at this school,” said Rodriguez. He talked about how people all across the country had been protesting the lack of indictments in the cases of Michael

Jeff Poole/The Gatepost

Student protesters made signs to illustrate their main points.

Brown and Eric Gardner. “Although we are in solidarity with these protests, we feel as though we have our own injustices here on our campus,” Rodriguez said. He went on to recount the events that led to the protest, which included reports of a racial slur written on and an inappropriate image drawn on a Hispanic Heritage Month information board in Towers. In Horace Mann, a swastika was carved into a door and was not investigated as a hate crime. A puzzle club poster was - Continued on page 4

Inside Staff Picks: Best of 2014 8

Women’s basketball goes on six-game win streak 11

Opinion: How ‘Deflategate’ affects Pats 6

Gatepost Interview: Sean Huddleston 2

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

Associate Editor Joe Kourieh

Michael B. Murphy News Editor

James M. Sheridan Jr. Assistant Editor Alexandra Gomes Mark Strom

Arts & Features Editors Avarie Cook

Sara Silvestro Assistant Editors Scott Calzolaio Kristen Pinto

Sports Editor Mike Ferris

Opinions Editor Mark Wadland

Photos Editors Melina Bourdeau

Danielle Vecchione Assistant Photos Editor Brad Leuchte Jeff Poole

Web Editor Jill Chenevert

Design Editor Brittany Cormier

Staff Writers Danielle Butler

Cesareo Contreras Corin Cook

Kylie Dembek

Cameron Grieves Phil McMullin

Jennifer Ostojski Julia Sarcinelli Kyle Torres

Morgan Zabinski Staff Photographers Jennifer Wang Kyle Torres Advisor

Dr. Desmond McCarthy Assistant Advisor Elizabeth Banks Kelly Wolfe

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Gatepost Interview By Alexandra Gomes Assistant News Editor

Can you briefly describe your resume and educational background? I have a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies from Sienna Heights University, which is located in Adrian, Michigan. However, the bulk of my undergraduate work was done at Alabama State University, which is a historically black college located in Montgomery, Alabama. I chose interdisciplinary studies because, quite honestly, I didn’t know really what I wanted to do. I have a master’s degree in education from Grand Valley State University with an emphasis in adult and higher education. I also have a post-master’s degree, which is another graduate degree, called an educational specialist degree, with a focus in leadership. That really is a degree that is primarily geared toward K12 education, but the reason that I wanted that degree is because of the work I do in diversity inclusion. I wanted to understand more about the educational pipeline, kind of the cradle-to-college pipeline, to get a good background understanding of what happens in the world of students, particularly under-represented or marginalized students in the K12 environment, and their preparation for college was fascinating to me, so that second degree helped with the continuum. In terms of my resume itself, this is my 23rd year doing work in diversity inclusion. I actually started doing work with corporations on developing strategies and ways to help to create and imbed diversity inclusion from an organizational development perspective, trying to help people understand what the value proposition is for having a focus on diversity inclusion, both in the human resource world, but also in our supplier world. I became kind of one of the people in the country focused on supplier diversity, working with minority and womenowned businesses, and helping those businesses, and veteran-owned and LGBT-owned businesses, gain access to the supply bases and supply chains of organizations, and working with the corporations to get them to understand the value of bringing them in. Back in 2009, I had the opportunity to teach for Cornell University, in their certified diversity professional program. I taught a class on supplier diversity, and that really was the thing that introduced me to higher education. Working with Cornell University made me recognize that this work really should happen in a very dynamic way on college campuses, because everything else is really kind of cleanup work. When people graduate and they get to workforce, and spend many years in the workforce, doing diversity and inclusion work there is trying to undo all the thinking and all the mindsets that have been built for many years. But, if you can do it at the college level, and get people to go into the workforce already thinking about inclusion and thinking about diversity, then it becomes a lot easier to make it happen on a corporate level, and then with non-profit organizations, or colleges, or K12, anywhere students want to go and work. So that’s when I made the conversion over to higher education. Prior to coming to

January 30, 2015

Sean Huddleston

Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Framingham State University, I was at Grand Valley State University - first as their director of intercultural training, learning and development, and then I was promoted to the assistant vice president for strategic implementation of diversity and inclusion strategies. Can you tell me about one of your biggest accomplishments? Personally, my son just graduated with his bachelor’s degree from Grand Valley State University, my oldest son Blake. He got his bachelor’s degree in sports leadership, and I just love the fact that my son graduated, especially since African-American males graduate from college at a far lower rate than any other population. So as a young African-American male, to have accomplished that, I think that’s phenomenal and a personal point of pride for myself and my wife. Professionally, one of my greatest accomplishments was the development of a model for supplier diversity management that is still used today in corporations, that has been cited and developed throughout time, so that is something that I’m pretty proud of.

excellence, throughout the institution. We want to roll it out, and have all divisions and departments and groups to use this model as they are thinking and planning their work. The third project is that we are going to re-launch the multicultural center as the center for inclusive excellence. In addition to the wonderful work that is already being done at the multicultural center that is led by Kathy Martinez, we will be adding some additional initiatives and strategies to support that model of inclusive excellence. What would students be surprised to know about you? I’m pretty much an open book. One thing that students might find interesting is that I’m a pretty avid amateur cook. I watch all of the cooking shows that come on, and I mean all of them … so I enjoy those and I try to work on the different recipes that come out. Having gone to college in the south, I became very much a fan of southern cooking, particularly soul food. What I try to do is recreate some soul food dishes to be healthy, so taking out some of the ingredients that aren’t as healthy but still trying to maintain the taste. Do you have any hobbies? My wife and I are going into our 22nd year of marriage, and she and I love to explore new areas and try new things. We always try to go to new restaurants, and just discover new areas and things that are off the beaten path. I spend a lot of time with my family, and with our sons, trying to do things with them and introduce them to new and exciting experiences. We haven’t done a lot of travel abroad, but within the state of Massachusetts, we will probably try to learn different places to go. We just think it’s important to understand our area. Do you do volunteer work then?

Melina Bourdeau/The Gatepost

Are you currently working on any projects? We are very excited that we are working on a bias-incident policy and protocols to support faculty and staff, and we want to support students as well. That is one of the major things we want to get done fairly early, is provide a means for students, faculty and staff to report bias incidents that they have either experienced or witnessed, and then have a method to review them, investigate them, and ultimately develop a plan of action to address them. That’s a pretty important project we are working on. The other project that is pretty heavily focused on is developing the inclusive excellence score-card. The inclusive excellence is a model that is nationally recognized as an approach to imbedding inclusion throughout the institution. There are four areas of inclusive excellence. One is access inequity. The second is diversity in the curriculum and the co-curriculum. The third area is the campus climate and then the fourth area is learning and development. We want to be able to use this model as an approach to creating a state of inclusion, or inclusive

I do. I’m a member of a couple national organizations, one is actually a fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. There is a huge component that is focused on community service and leadership development for youth. I’ve been an active volunteer for the boys and girls club for many years, as well as the united way. What advice would you give students? The advice that I would give is to be the change you that you want to see. Certainly participate in the opportunities to create a climate and an environment that is inclusive of everyone. Often times we have great powers of observation. We see what’s going on, but we don’t actually participate in the solution, so being solution-focused is important. The second piece of advice that I would give to students is to make sure you start building your network now. Identify professionals, people who have already achieved your career goals or are working in the career you want to be in. Connect with them, and open yourself to mentorship and networking with them so that your path is easier when you graduate.

Janaury 30, 2015

Blizzard hits FSU - Continued from page 1

cation of the staff and the people who are doing the removal of the snow. It was a 48 hour nonstop activity,” Cevallos said. Cleanup crews worked around the clock Associate Vice President of Facilities and Capital Planning Warren Fairbanks said he doesn’t know what the estimated cost for storm cleanup is because money is allocated for snow removal in the Facilities Department’s budget. “The only time we tabulate the cost is if the event is deemed to be a federal disaster,” he said, which this storm has not been. “Parking will be restricted for a few days and walking may be challenging,” said Fairbanks, adding that snow removal will likely still occur through Saturday. He said Director of Facilities Dan Giard “has been managing these snow removal events for many years so he has it all under control. … I think the campus is in good shape.” According to Fairbanks, there is a team of 16 people on the snow crew who, along with Giard, have been on campus since Monday at 7 am until Wednesday night at about 8 pm. Fairbanks said even though the crew members were back on campus Thursday morning to remove more snow, they were sent home Wednesday night to make sure they did not “get hurt due to fatigue.” Manuel Teixeira, a facilities worker said on Tuesday night that he was “very cold. I stayed out all night last night.” Teixeira, who has worked for FSU for 33 years, said “this is not the first” major snowstorm he’s worked, and added that he likes the snow. Fairbanks said that an outside contractor was hired to plow the big parking

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lots and custodial staff “supplemented” the snow crew during the day to shovel entrances. Five custodial staff members cleared snow on Tuesday and 35 contributed on Wednesday, according to Fairbanks. Fatos Shuteriqi, a member of the custodial staff who helped to clear the snow, said on Tuesday night that he had been on campus from 7 am on Monday, and expected to go home around noon on Wednesday. He said he had been outside all day, but said, “I like it. I love [the snow].” With a smile, he added that students had been very grateful. Freshman business major Nolan Bridgewater said he thought the Facilities workers were “really on top of it” and did a good job clearing the campus as the snow was coming down. Undeclared freshman Steven Lamisere said, “Shout out to all of the Facilities workers. They’re doing a good job for our safety.” The workers slept on mattresses or in sleeping bags in the Union Ave. Building where Facilities equipment is stored, according to Facilities worker Sean McCarthy. He said the building has heat and there are rooms for the workers to lie down in. He said in his time working at FSU, he has cleared snow from campus “too many [times] - I can’t count that high.” He added that “this is one of the worst” storms both in duration and amount of snow. “They did feed us,” McCarthy said, saying that the food Sodexo provided the workers included hot chocolate. Understaffed Sodexo serves students throughout storm “We served almost 1,100 kids for brunch today [Tuesday, Jan. 28], and we did it with less staff,” said Manager of Stu-

dent Dining Eric St. Onge. He said there are usually 18 employees working during a busy lunch, but had only ten on Tuesday. Despite this setback, the limited staff opened the Ram’s Grille at 6 pm, which ran until midnight, according to St. Onge. Most employees drove to work in the morning from nearby hotels such as The Sheraton or The Best Western. Each employee had a letter stating he or she was essential personnel in case he or she was stopped, according to St. Onge. He said this is normal protocol for Dining Services during a weather emergency. He added that he was not able to get his vehicle out of the hotel parking lot, but asked a co-worker to pick him up. He said he believed his staff did an excellent job serving students. “The students were very receptive to us being here, so it was nice.” Luke Machado, retail supervisor for Sodexo, said, “We had about 40 people staying at hotels. It’s been hectic. It’s been busy, but we’ve made it happen … Everybody ate.” He said he commuted to FSU without a problem. “The maintenance people around here did great.” Another worker at Dining Services, Carlos Cubias, said that in the 25 years he has worked here, this was the first time FSU has had two consecutive days off during the week. “All the students have a lot of patience.” He added, “We have to come to work no matter what.” Senior business major David Murray Raimon said, “They [the Facilities workers] did a good job shoveling and plowing.” He said he went to Target before the storm hit on Monday to buy food, and spent the time off doing “a little bit of homework - mostly videogames,” adding that most of his books have yet to arrive. Freshman English major Allison Wharton could not buy food due to the travel ban, so she was “unprepared” during the storm. She said, “I watched a lot of Netflix and successfully finished a season of ‘Parks and Recreation.’” Undeclared freshman Gianna Zirpolo said, “We trooped it to the dining hall. The hill [Larned Hill] was quite scary.” She added, “It was nice to have a day off.” Undeclared freshman Irene Dompreh said she did not stock up on food before the travel ban went into effect, but “just slept and did laundry.” Darlene Hughes, a chef for the Framingham State Food Study (FS2), said she didn’t come in to work Tuesday. “I live past Worcester - we had about 35 inches.” She said workers began plowing Wednesday morning. Hughes said, “I came in [from] I-290 and the roads looked slippery, but they

were good.” She said the staff was busy preparing food for the FS2 participants. “We prepped all three meals for three days in case they [the participants] got stranded, so they had breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack.” She said they usually have meals prepared in the event of an emergency, but “not enough for three days.” Undeclared freshman Angie Guidera Degroot said she was sick and the storm “made it less motivating to get meals.” However, she added the storm “was pretty good timing for me.” Campus Police patrol during the storm Chief of Police Brad Medeiros said, “I have to commend those officers that stood up to the plate and put the Framingham State University community first.” He said “several” officers brought in sleeping bags to sleep on campus between shifts during the snowstorm, and another stayed at a nearby hotel. A communications dispatcher stayed for over 24 hours, Medeiros said. “Officers continuously monitor roadways and sidewalks and inform the Facilities Department when surface treatments are required” during the storm, Medeiros said. He added students were sledding in front of plow trucks, and Campus Police officers asked them to stop. He said students were very cooperative. “Although we want the students to have some fun, when it starts to become dangerous we have to step in and put a stop to it. … As you could imagine, this could become dangerous real quick, especially if a plow operator could not stop in time,” Medeiros said. He added that he is “grateful to all of” the Campus Police staff who “made personal sacrifices in order to be here to handle any emergency situation that may have arose, whether it was storm-related or not.” Dean of Students coordinates parking lot cleaning Dean of Students Melinda Stoops said in an email interview that FSU has a “preparedness team” which meets multiple times each year to create and review various responses to weather emergencies. In terms of this storm, she said, “we met the day before the storm and then spoke twice while the University was closed, via a conference call.” FSU administrators follow the forecast closely to determine whether the school should close. The administration looks at the condition of town roads as well as how much snow Facilities can successfully manage, according to Stoops. She added that administrators must consider the needs of students and communication

Police Logs

Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015 11:15 - Larned Hall - Vandalism. Report taken. 17:00- Normal Hill Lot Suspicious Activity. 2 males in woods. Checks OK. Friday, Jan. 23, 2015 02:23 - Crocker Hall Disturbance. Report taken. 23:18 - Larned Hall - Narcotics Investigation. Gone on arrival.

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Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015 00:26 - North Hall - Narcotics investigation. Checks OK. Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015 01:29 - Linsley Hall - Prisoner transport. Services rendered. 18:56 - Linsley Hall - Narcotics investigation. Report of an odor of Marijuana. Unfounded. Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2015 23:15 - Towers Hall - Narcotics investigation. Checks OK.

Blizzard hits FSU - Continued from page 3

of weather updates to between faculty, students and staff. She said that clearing out the parking lots posed several challenges, such as “high winds creating snow drifts and blowing snow in areas that had been cleared. … The student response was great. They did a great job of clearing their cars off and moving them, when requested,” she said. Stoops said, “I think the response to the storm was a great community effort - I know Facilities, University Police, Dining Services and Residence Life staff worked hard to keep operations running smoothly and the students were extremely responsive to our requests throughout the storm and clean up. I’d like to thank everyone involved for such a successful response.” Students react to blizzard Juno Evelyn Oliver, a freshman Spanish major, said she was nervous to go out in the storm because she did not “want to slip and fall and break my hip.” She said she and her friends stayed inside to watch ‘Bar

Protests

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Rescue’ all day. “That was a major feature.” Andrew Carten, an undeclared freshman, said he and his friends spent their first snow day “in one room,” adding that he “absolutely” had plenty of food to get through the storm. Jonathan Nixon, a senior liberal arts major, said he spent his snow days reading for classes and relaxing in his room, except for when he went outside to go to the dining hall. “I’ve watched like 18 other people” who almost slipped coming into the dining hall, Nixon said, “to the point where a kid almost split his legs.” He said he alerted someone about the extra snow that made the entrance slippery. Chris Cohen, a freshman business major, said even though it seemed “definitely dangerous to be outside,” he was disappointed the gym wasn’t open on Tuesday because he and his friends wanted to go play basketball. He added that he went outside to sled on McDonald’s trays, which worked “pretty well.”

He added, “This storm is definitely going to be one to remember.” Sophomore biology major Kaylee Brazell said she and her friends did “parkour snow style” and attempted to make an igloo, but it didn’t work. Senior business major John Crowe and senior environmental science major Dan Labreque live off campus, but brought their snowboards to FSU on Tuesday and Wednesday to make use of the snowy hills. Labreque said they snowboarded all around FSU, including on Larned Hill, near the Power Plant and near Hemenway Hall, but that the best spot on campus was right behind North Hall, where they were Wednesday night. Deron Hines, a freshman management major, said he and his friend completed the Boston Blizzard Challenge. They jumped in a snowbank while wearing only shorts. “I was so cold I felt hot. We did it twice!” Campbell Marchant, an undeclared freshman, said that he thinks the use of social media will make this historic snowstorm more vivid for people in years to

January 30, 2015

come, “almost like the storm of ’78. … I think that the new technology like Snapchat, it’s going to show the severity of the storm. It looks crazy. It looks like a wasteland.” He added, “I’m a freshman, so this is the first time I haven’t been pent up in my house with my mom making me grilled cheeses. So you really notice how difficult it is to live through something like this. It changes everyday life.” Monta Connolly, a undeclared sophomore, said she went outside to go sledding on a storage bin on the hill near the Framingham State University sign. She slipped on the hill and fell on her arm. She said, “At first, I didn’t think it was that bad, but when I woke up the next day, it was throbbing and swollen.” She was taken to the hospital in an ambulence during the travel ban to get an Xray. She had fractured her elbow. “Looking back, Uggs were probably the worst shoes to wear in the snow because they have no grip. But I was just so excited to go outside!”

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filled in with a homophobic slur. Finally, there was a report of a student desk worker who was called a racial epithet by a parent, but allegedly the student was told that the security cameras that record the activities were not working that day. Rodriguez said in his speech that many students are unaware of the incidents because the administration hasn’t brought enough awareness to these issues. He called for “clear and transparent policies that address how these issues are supposed to be handled. We need to keep the school accountable for the moments where no response is given.” FSU President Javier Cevallos responded to the protest in an email to the campus community, saying, “I was disheartened to learn that some students feel the University has not taken these incidents of bias and hate seriously. I want to assure you that we take them very seriously.” According to Cevallos, there had been floor meetings in the residence halls to address these incidents after they occurred. He added, “As a result of this feedback, I’ve formed a Bias Protocol Group to review our protocols around responding to these incidents,” which Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Sean Huddleston has assembled this semester. According to Cevallos, the group includes “some of the students that were involved in the protests last semester. ... I am sure they will translate that energy to the Bias Protocol Committee.” On Dec. 22, the Campus Police posted a notice to their Facebook page that said the department will now be investigating the swastika that was carved on a Residence Hall door as a hate crime. Sociology professor Vincent Ferraro, who watched part of the protest, said, “I think this is a much needed display of student solidarity and a powerful message that a major portion of the student body feels marginalized. I very much support a call for open dialogue and discussion.” English professor Lisa Eck, who also saw the protest, said she was glad to see students creating a climate where hate crimes are a priority. “It’s got to be everyone’s priority.” Senior fashion major Corey Ortiz saw the protest as he walked by, and said, “I

Brad Leuchte/The Gatepost

think it’s really interesting.” He said he was glad students were trying to raise awareness, but that it was “heartbreaking” because it won’t necessarily stop incidents like the ones being protested from happening. Senior fashion major Angie Brutus was also walking by the protest. She said she was “so happy” students were speaking out and added that she “hopes administration sees and hears” what students are saying. Victoria Ferrara, a sophomore communication arts major, said she thinks the protest was “disrupting people with finals, so people are upset about that. But

otherwise, it’s good.” Colton Madore, a freshman fashion major, who was walking by the protest, said, “I get what they’re doing, but I don’t know what it’s supposed to accomplish.” Tremain Bell, a junior communication arts major, who participated in the protests, said the protest is “something we shouldn’t have to do. We don’t pay to go to school here to have to do this.” Malia Wambolt, a nutrition major who walked by the protest, said she thought it was “nice to see students come together as one voice rather than just allow that to happen.”

Jeff Poole/The Gatepost

Students protested against four reported incidents of discrimination, participating in “die-ins” around campus.

Brad Leuchte/The Gatepost

January 30, 2015

Sexual assault forum - Continued from page 1

domestic violence. The website includes definitions, policies and links to resources. The student read the website’s page concerning consent, which provides examples of situations in which there is not consent. The student compared one of the examples of a situation to an experience of her own, and then asked whether they believed her case was considered sexual assault. Dexter said the forum was not the place to “address specific incidences involving any of our community members” and that part of the implementation of new policy and procedures will be to resolve inconsistencies in definitions and procedures. The student responded, “It doesn’t matter what you put on a website or in your policies if you don’t use them.” Another student asked for clarification about what a public forum is, which questions were appropriate “and if there are certain grievances that we’re putting off topic, will you be providing a space for students to talk about personal grievances so that we can not silence victims?” Dexter said that if any individuals in the forum wanted to speak about incidents, than they should refer to the confidential resources available, or they could meet with Dexter herself or other appropriate administrators. One student said that she felt administrators were “part of the problem,” and wanted to know why she could not voice her concerns. Dexter said she was welcome to speak about her concerns, but that the forum was being held “to speak as a whole community” about how to end sexual violence and that administrators would address her concerns to the extent that they could in a public forum. Dexter said that there are “significant training opportunities” for administrators involved with investigations of sexual violence, including conferences and independent training. “We have implemented consistent and comprehensive training for

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all those handling these situations.” A male student brought up his concerns about gender roles. He said that women are not the only people who are sexually assaulted and that “it’s typical” that people assume men do not get sexually assaulted because they are “supposed to be strong and able to defend ourselves.” He said there are many situations in which men can be overpowered, by both men and women, and be sexually assaulted. “We’re always looking at men as the people who are doing the sexual assaulting and not looking at them as victims as well,” he said. Dexter said, there are statistics that show that sexual violence, which includes “a range of behaviors that occur without consent,” occurs almost as often against men as sexual violence against women. She added, “Victims can be of any gender. Perpetrators can be of any gender.” She said this needs to be recognized in order to end sexual violence. A female student brought up the issue of barriers to reporting sexual assault. She said that if a student is assaulted on campus and there is alcohol involved, it is “common knowledge amongst women not to report it” to avoid punishment for drinking. Dexter said while administrators “share the recognition of that being a problem,” the policy for amnesty in this type of situation is not yet in place. She added, “Hopefully, we’ll be able to implement that policy in the very near future.” Another female student wanted to know what the school policy was concerning emails sent out to the community after a report of a sexual assault. “I feel like in certain cases, someone might not want to come forward because they don’t want the whole school to know what happened.” Dexter said that under the Cleary Act, the University is required to do a “timely notification” to alert the community. According to Dexter, the notifications sent out this year were not required, but administrators were “trying to take the extra step of mak-

ing this notification in good faith.” Dexter said the administration understands that the emails can cause hesitation in reporting incidents, which was a problem on the agenda for their SHAPE student liaison group. A female student said she has noticed a number of programs on campus focus on how bystanders can intervene but there wasn’t enough focus on “preventing people from becoming rapists and becoming offenders.” She wanted to know if there is anything happening on campus to educate people about rape and what it is. Vice President for Enrollment and Student Development Susanne Conley said Framingham State is one of the pilot institutions for a program being run by an organization called Culture of Respect. “Their sole purpose is to come to campuses and help campuses deal with exactly what you’re saying. That until students understand exactly what sexual assault is and not only how to avoid but how to not do it, nothing will change.” Another female student asked if there was going to be a policy to look at past cases that may have been mishandled. Dexter said that if an individual is concerned that a case was mishandled, he/she should direct a complaints to the Office of Civil Rights although the Department of Education, although that will not change the outcome of the case. Dexter said if the Office of Civil Rights determines a case has been mishandled, “the response is usually to reach out to the person who was at a disadvantage and provide additional services, support resources and specific accommodations.” A female student asked if there were less extreme punishments that could be given to perpetrators whose victims don’t want to ruin the perpetrator’s future. Dexter said if administrators are aware of an incident, they have an obligation to respond, even if it goes against the victim’s wishes. A former student suggested more sex education so that students can

learn to think about and have sex in a healthy and respectful way. A female student suggested more floor meetings, especially after a reported sexual assault. She also said that “this is something that should be talked about in foundations classes,” so that it reaches the whole student body. Another female student suggested an event be held for survivors of sexual assault and to offer food there to attract students. People will go to “get a free cup of hot chocolate, but then while they’re there, they listen to the words being said.” Dexter encouraged students who have ideas for events to bring their ideas to administrators. She said, “We can either work with you to help create an event, or point you in the right direction.” Representatives from departments and organizations spoke about what resources are offered to students. Tasha York discussed Voices Against Violence, which is a local domestic violence and sexual assault agency located in downtown Framingham. They offer a 24 hour hotline for survivors, their friends and families, as well as one-on-one supportive counseling, and medical and legal advocacy. All of the services are free and confidential. Deputy Chief of Campus Police John Santoro said, campus police does not just investigate and arrest. “We’re here to help [students] through as much as we can.” He added that Campus Police offers a co-ed self-defense program a couple times a semester. They are free to faculty, staff, and students. Assistant Dean of Students David Baldwin said the Dean’s Office is a place where students can go, not only to report an incident, but also to get help with what to do next and explore their options. Advocates from the Counseling Center and the Health Center said that their services were also confidential. [Editor’s Note: The Gatepost Editorial staff decided to withhold the names of the students involved in this forum due to the sensitive subject matter.]

Student Government Association Public Notice: On Tuesday, February 17, 2015 the Student Government Association (SGA) will vote to formally deactivate all clubs that have not registered, or have otherwise been inactive, during the 2014-2015 academic year. Per order of Article I, Section 3, Part A of the By-Laws of the Student Government Association of Framingham State University, “If a group is believed to be inactive, the Chair of the Constitution Committee shall submit to the campus media notice of the possibility of deactivation.” If a student believes that their club has been accidently placed on the list or seeks to register the club in the Fall 2015 Semester, then please come forward to SGA Vice-President Daniel Costello before 4:00pm on Friday, February 6, 2015. Daniel may be reached via email at dcostello1@student.framingham.edu or in the SGA Office located in Room 404 of the McCarthy Center. The following clubs are up for deactivation: Chess Club Computer Science Club Geographical Association Global Change Initiative Herpetology Club Humane Society Marketing Club Math Club

January 30, 2015

The Gatepost Editorial

Only the essentials

Over the past two days, almost everyone in the Metro West area has had snow days time off to catch up on work, drink some hot chocolate, watch movies or go out and play in the snow. But for some, the essential personnel, this time has been far from relaxing. In fact, from 7 a.m. Monday morning until 8 p.m. Wednesday night, a dedicated group of Facilities workers have been enduring the freezing temperatures and blustering wind in order to clear the snow from walkways and entryways to keep the campus safe for those who stayed at FSU to weather the storm. Many of them stayed outside all night long, only napping for a few hours on inflatable mattresses or sleeping bags in the Facilities building on Union Ave. The crew returned to work on Thursday, and will most likely continue to remove snow and make campus easier to navigate until Saturday. What’s more, these workers have maintained incredibly high spirits during their days of physical labor in the cold. Likewise, many of the Dining Services staff were deemed essential personnel, and had to stay over in local hotels in order to report to work during the storm. They served meals to over a thousand customers while understaffed. Campus Police patrolled during the storm, their cars veering in the slippery slush, putting themselves at risk, to make sure students were safe. Some of these officers also slept on campus or at local hotels in order to be report for duty. Residence Life staff worked hard to be available for students, make sure living arrangements were safe and ensure that the residence halls would remain warm should the power go out. All of these workers then had to go home and take care of their own families and property in the aftermath of the storm. We at The Gatepost want to tell these essential personnel how grateful we are for their hard work and dedication. Everyone on this campus is safer and able to return to school and work sooner because of these workers’ willingness to brave the entirety of this historic storm. We really can’t say enough how lucky we are to have such devoted and diligent community members who truly are “essential” to this campus. Please, take a moment in your next few days back to your regular schedule to thank these employees who went above and beyond their daily job to make this campus safe and livable not only for those who stayed during the storm, but also everyone else who has returned to work and school this week.

Op/Ed

Deflategate deflates Pats’ achievements

The New England Patriots won a thriller against the Ravens, and then blew out the Colts one week later, earning Bill Belichick the most postseason wins of all time (21) with the win over the Colts, and will make his sixth trip to the Super Bowl on Sunday, according to a Jan. 18 SBNation article. Suddenly, they find themselves up against the Seattle Seahawks and an accusation that they intentionally deflated their own footballs. In their investigation into the matter, the NFL found 11 of 12 Patriots’ footballs were under-inflated. Regardless of whether the Patriots deliberately deflated their footballs, the entire controversy just takes away from the Patriots reaching their sixth Super Bowl under Tom Brady - an all-time NFL record. A lot of people seem blinded by this whole fiasco, and it appears they have almost forgotten that the Patriots have made it to the big game once again. Super Bowl XLVIX should be a great one, as one of the greatest offenses in the league gets set to square off against the NFL’s greatest defense. Brady, Wilson, Sherman, Gronkowski - what’s not to look forward to? A matchup like this - which, I believe, will be one of the best in Super Bowl history - has been put on the back burner by Deflategate, as the controversy is called. Even if the NFL finds the Patriots guilty

of underinflating their footballs, which is cheating, the team should receive its punishment next season. For those of you who did not watch the AFC Championship this year, all you need to know about the game is that the Patriots could have used bowling balls and still won. It was the type of matchup that every coach strives to reach - a full 60-minute domination in all three phases of the game. Underinflated footballs had nothing to do with the Patriots yielding just seven points all game, holding the Colts to 3-for11 on third down and LeGarrette Blount rushing for three touchdowns. Perhaps the worst part of this Super Bowl is that it will be held in Arizona, a state not known for seeing a lot of snow. I find that a healthy snowfall makes a football game a bit more interesting, so a lack of it would be the only missing aspect of the game this Sunday. I believe Deflategate has not only distracted the Patriots (at least at a coaching level) from preparing for the Seahawks, but has also taken away from the Patriots’ accomplishments all season. From their 2-2 start to a seven-game win streak, Tom Brady and Co. have proven themselves to be versatile, hardworking and intelligent.

Mark Wadland Opinions Editor

Does Sodexo have an obligation to FSU students? It’s 12:27 a.m. on a Thursday night, or Friday morning, rather, of finals week. I have a final at 8 a.m. and I want to stay up all night and study, just like many other students this week. One problem: I’m tired. Oh that’s right, fake Starbucks has that “Red-eye hours” event. I make my way over to the McCarthy Center to grab an iced mocha double with skim (don’t judge) and what do I find? It’s closed, even though the entire campus was specifically sent an email stating that it would be open. It’s not even like they closed early - it’s packed up, no one is near and there is a sign on the counter that says the special hours: 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. Interesting. That’s OK. I can get a coffee at Sandella’s. I’ll make the hike. I’ll do anything for a good cup o’ joe. It might be cold though, or they might not even have coffee out like last time, when I went in the late afternoon, long before they closed and they did not have any available. I wander into Sandella’s, which is completely empty except for a man vacuuming the floor. “We’re closed!” he yells over the vacuum that he does not bother to turn off for a moment. I take out my phone and look through the hundreds of useless emails from Ralph Eddy. Somehow I find one that states that Sandella’s will be closed an hour early during finals week. Am I the only one who thinks this is backwards? I call the phone number at the bottom of the FSU Dining Services website to inquire about Starbucks

closing early, even though they stated that they should be open. Surprisingly, I get an answer, “Oh, they decided not to do that because they probably only made about $20 the past few nights.” Here is where it gets tricky: they are a business and they have expenses and a profit margin, which is understandable. But they are also a service that I specifically pay for. Here’s the question - does Sodexo have an obligation to the students to stay open, even if they lose a couple of bucks? I also would like to say that I think it is extremely hypocritical of FSU Dining Services to express how important it is for students to eat right during finals week. Coincidentally, the community received an email from them on Nov. 25 stating, “Do not skip meals,” and that they can “help fuel you for finals and put you in the right mindset to ace your exams.” This seems a bit difficult when the only source of “fuel” on campus, the Dining Commons, is open a total of three-and-a-half hours two days in a row in the middle of finals. The average resident student pays anywhere from $1,610 to $1,750 per semester for a meal plan. I have a hard time believing they are so strapped for cash that they are unable to help some hard-working students stay awake and be fueled.

Brad Leuchte Editorial Staff

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.

January 30, 2015

ARTS & FEATURES A s h o w t o c l o s e 2 0 14

Photos by Jeff Poole/The Gatepost

FSU’s Dance Team closed the fall semester with theatrical choreography in the show “Broadway Bound.”

Photos by Jeff Poole/The Gatepost

Dancers tangoed behind bars to Chicago’s “Cell Block Tango” in one of the many Broadway songs performed.

Photos by Jeff Poole/The Gatepost

Arts & Features

January 30, 2015

STAF F PI C KS H H H H H

Best Film: “Birdman”

By Corin Cook Staff Writer

Two thousand fourteen fell short of what would typically be considered a “good year in movies,” but a few films did surpass the average. “Birdman,” directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu and starring Michael Keaton, Ed Norton and Emma Stone, was a theatrical masterpiece defying the stylistic norm of most films of this age. The film follows an ex-superhero movie star who is less than glorified in his post-career life. He attempts to regain respect by writing and starring in a Broadway play, while also struggling with his family and mental issues. While some scenes were peculiar

and fantastical, the film managed to depict reality by drawing upon human emotions and portraying New York City in the most intimate way I have seen. The off-rhythm and sporadic percussive beats that are the sole component of the score are unlike that of any other film, and are successful in both adding style to the film and inducing anxiety in the audience. Perhaps the most impressive element of the film was the camera work. The entire film was shot in what was edited to appear as one continuous take with no camera breaks or scene transitions. This camera work is stylistically effective in creating a realistic and immersive viewer experience.

Best Film: “Unbroken” By Mark Wadland Editorial Staff “Unbroken,” directed by Angelina Jolie, tells the true story of an Olympic runner captured by the Japanese during WWII. When Louie Zamperini enters a POW camp, he meets Mutsuhiro Watanabe. Watanabe, nicknamed “The Bird,” takes an immediate dislike toward Zamperini. A sadist, The Bird delights in inflicting brutal, almost daily punishments upon Zamperini. Zamperini perseveres through the pain, and when The Bird is transferred to another camp, he is overcome with joy. However, American forces later damage Zamperini’s camp, forcing them to relocate to a different camp -

to Zamperini’s dismay, it is run by his nemesis, The Bird. The punishments continue in the new camp, as Zamperini and the other prisoners must haul coal each day. Soon after Zamperini injures his ankle working, The Bird forces him to lift a heavy piece of wood above his head, and threatens to kill him if he drops it. Throughout his stay in the camps, Zamperini focuses on returning to America and his family, and dreams of running again in the Olympics. This hard-hitting, and at times brutal, film may be difficult to watch, but it is worth seeing the heroics of Zamperini and witnessing the trials he overcomes to make it back home.

Best Netflix Orginal Series: “Trailer Park Boys” Season 8 Joe Kourieh Editorial Staff When the news broke that the Boys would be returning without series mastermind Mike Clattenburg, some die-hard fans were left feeling anxious over, even dreading, what was to come with season eight. Was the greatest, greasiest, most visceral Canadian cult comedy series headed for a sugar-coated sellout? Not in this lifetime. Not in Sunnyvale. Although a roughly seven-year gap separates this release from the series’ “end” at the conclusion of season seven, this divide seems much less significant considering the TV mini-movie, two feature-length films and live show (all nicely in keeping with the heart of the series) released during the “hiatus.” With John Paul Tremblay, Robb Wells and Mike Smith (main characters Julian, Ricky and Bubbles, respectively)

having now inherited primary writing duties for the show, the truth stands that this series has never ended, and never will, so long as the Boys and their nemesis, Park Supervisor Jim Lahey, live on. A bit like season six but in hi-def, season eight offers a relatively tame atmosphere early on, as the Boys, headquartered in Julian’s sports barturned-strip club, begin to collect funds to keep the park out of the hands of Cyrus, the series’ original antagonist going back to the pilot. However, Lahey, now retired and more devious than ever, seizes the opportunity to engineer a park-wide political crisis that ultimately results in a dramatic climax of Shakespearean proportions - and a shocking power-shift. Full of rampant drunkenness, artful swearing and blatant disregard for the law, season eight has proven this absurdly addictive white-trash epic timeless. Season 9? 10? 11? Yes please.

Best Music Video: Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space” By Kristen Pinto Assistant Arts & Features Editor

With the release of her latest album, “1989,” Taylor Swift used what I like to deem as her “quarter life crisis” as an opportunity to redefine herself in the music industry. Self-dubbed as a pop artist and no longer a country singer, her songs clearly showed an impressive leap in creativity and style unlike anything we have ever heard from her before. Swift has long been criticized by the media and haters alike for her abundance of lyrics dissing ex-boyfriends, which she has had many of in recent years. This is exactly why the music video for “Blank Space” is so perfect.

The video begins with a pictureperfect view of Swift, dressed in elegance with her model boyfriend telling the tale of their beautiful modern-day love story … until she catches him texting another woman, and all hell breaks loose as she unleashes her inner Swift. As a play on all of the media’s hateful portrayals of her as a psychopathic serial dater, Swift goes absolutely nuts. She throws his phone into a pool, smashes his car with a golf club, sets his clothes on fire and pulls out a massive blade which she uses to stab a wedding cake full of blood. Swift takes every crazy girl rumor and faces it directly with this video, proving to the world that she is not insane, she is just a badass.

Best Beer: Deer Tick’s Beer Tick By Corin Cook Staff Writer

Monday 6:30 p.m.

Of all the brews debuted in 2014, the most impressive was the one that can never be tasted again. Beer Tick, crafted by Sixpoint Brewery, in Brooklyn, NY, was strictly offered from December 26 to 31 at folk rock band Deer Tick’s six-night concert run. The band offered this beer at their 10-year anniversary concert series as a gift to the fans who have supported them for the

past decade. The American pale ale had the balanced flavor combination of an IPA and a pale ale. It was stronger than most pale ales, with signature flavors of an IPA, such as grapefruit. However, it was much more drinkable than an IPA, lacking the harsh hoppy aftertaste. The sole downfall of Beer Tick is that those left craving it after the shows ended will be craving it forever.

January 30, 2015

Arts & Features

2014 FAVO R ITE S

Best Album: Sylvan Esso’s Self-Title

By Corin Cook Staff Writer

Sylvan Esso took many risks on their self-titled debut album released in May 2014 - risks that were well rewarded by rave reviews and recognition. The album by the electro-pop duo based in Durham, North Carolina, consists of varying sounds that can only be expected from a duo who was matched up so impulsively. The two initially met at a music festival where Amelia Meath, member of acoustic female vocal group Mountain

Man, sang over the heavy club beat of producer Nick Sangborn. The two opposing sounds of acoustic harmonies over dance music complemented each other so shockingly perfect that they fashioned an entire album of those mesmerizing sounds. Each song has a different quality to offer, whether it be heavy bass lines, synthesizer or vocal repetition. Sylvan Esso’s unique sound is so undeniable that even listeners who prefer more mellow music cannot help but appreciate the musical talent exhibited in the group’s work.

Best Festival: Fort Adams State Park

By Corin Cook Staff Writer

Every summer, thousands of folk fans swarm into Fort Adams State Park to experience the happiness and community of Newport Folk Festival. Since its founding in 1959, Newport Folk Festival has been featuring renowned talent such as Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Johnny Cash, Elvis Costello and, more recently, Wilco and the Lumineers. This year, acts including Conor Oberst, Lucius, Hozier, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Nickel Creek and several others who occupied the four stages of

the festival. Headliners included Jack White, Ryan Adams and the legendary Mavis Staples, who appeared at the festival exactly 50 years ago in 1964. The festival consistently offers a variety of musicians from relatively unknown acts to “legacy” acts. Despite its title as a “folk” festival, the event also strays away from its folk designation with a few country, blues, pop and rock acts. America’s oldest music festival has grown in variety, attendance and revenue over its lifespan, but 2014’s event proved that it is still as authentic and beloved as it was 55 years ago.

Campus Conversations H o w d i d yo u s p e n d t h e s n o w d ay s ? “I worked as an SDA, and I kept the building safe.” - Kayla Person, senior

“I was shoveling. I had to shovel about 30 houses. It was good money.” - Dan Topliffe, senior

“I shoveled lots and lots of snow.”

“I played cards against humanity.” - Luke Coviello, senior

- Rhys Malcolm, junior

“I was on Hulu Plus. I watched ‘Sleppy Hollow,’ ‘The Mindy Project’ and ‘Empire.’” Jacqueline Boateng, senior

“I spent it with my friends from the Gaming Club.” - Taylor Cahill, senior

By Danielle Vecchione and Danielle Butler

“Bonding with my sister and winter cleaning.” -Aneesia DeCarvalho, junior

“I snowmobiled.” -Nicole Weiland, sophomore

Sports Column

Sports

January 30, 2015

Breaking tackles, but not the silence

By Mike Ferris Sports Editor

One of the major takeaways from Super Bowl Media Day, a day where dozens upon dozens of interviews are conducted, may be Marshawn Lynch’s interview, or non-interview, for that matter. It was a mystery whether Lynch, who has been in trouble with the league on multiple occasions for an array of rule violations including grabbing his crotch in celebration of a touchdown, wearing cleats in violation of the sponsorship rules and refusing to talk to the media in the past, would attend Media Day. The NFL threatened to fine him somewhere in the range of $100,000 dollars had he neglected the mandatory press conferences that take place the week leading up to Super Bowl Sunday every year. Lynch showed up and made himself “available” to the press but that word might be an overstatement in this case. On the first day, Lynch showed up and answered every question asked of him. The response to each question, “I’m here so I won’t get fined.” Lynch took some backlash for his antics but it didn’t seem to bother him much as he arrived on day two and again answered every question asked, this time the reply, “You know why I’m here.” More backlash came after this and on the final day, Lynch seemed to have had it with the media going on a little rant in which he stated, "Hey, look, I mean, all week I done told y'all what's up. And for some reason, y'all continue to come back and do the same thing that y'all did.” After ranting some more and giving shout-outs, the awkward interview was capped off by Lynch saying, "So for the remainder of my three minutes, because I'm here, I'm available for y’all. I'm here available for y'all. I done talked. All of my requirements are fulfilled. So now for the next three minutes, I'll just be looking at y'all, the way you're looking at me. Thank you." Then the alarm on his phone sounded letting him know he had fulfilled his obligation. My issue with this comes with the fact that people are upset, angry that the man didn’t want to speak. Marshawn Lynch is a football player. He’s not a reality star. He has a football game to prepare for and not just any game, the biggest game of the year. If he wants to keep his personal life private, he should be able to do exactly that. He shouldn’t have to worry about writing a $100,000 check to the already greedy NFL because he doesn’t want to talk. Football players get paid to play the game. Running backs get paid to run, and Lynch does this better than almost every running back in the league. There are bigger issues the NFL should be concerned about. Maybe the league should worry about the domestic violence problems that seemed to just disappear, or maybe they should worry about how much money they’re going to have to shell out to 4500 former players diagnosed with CTE, a chronic brain disease from repeated hits to the head. Perhaps this is why Lynch’s projected fine was so large. The league could even try to straighten this “Deflategate” issue out before worrying about a football player not wanting to talk. I take offense to this whole Marshawn Lynch ordeal. If the man doesn’t want to talk, then just respect that.

Photo Courtesy of Patriots.com - Keith Nordstrom

Seahawks, Pats set for Super Bowl XLIX By Mike Ferris Sports Editor

Long-time Alabama head football coach, Paul “Bear” Bryant, is credited with the phrase, “defense wins championships.” This phrase held true last year in Super Bowl XLVIII when the Seattle Seahawks pummeled the Denver Broncos, 43-8. The Seahawks were the National Football League’s leading defense in terms of total yards allowed in last year’s regular season yielding almost 500 yards less than the Carolina Panthers, who finished second in total team defense. If Bryant’s statement holds true again, Seattle will be well on its way to victory in this year’s Super Bowl, against New England, and a Super Bowl repeat, as it once again led the NFL in total team defense in 2014. Fortunately for the Patriots, the six-time National Champion, Bryant, also said “losing doesn’t make me want to quit. It makes me want to fight that much harder.” On Sept. 29, on national television, the Patriots not only lost to the Kansas City Chiefs but got embarrassed, 41-14. That Monday Night Football debacle had some, such as the USA Today, questioning whether Patriots fans should be worried about the future, and others going as far as to say three-time Super Bowl Champion, Tom Brady, may be “washed up.” However, following the criticism and concern, New England proceeded to go 12-2 since visiting the Chiefs and has earned its sixth Super Bowl berth since Patriots coach, Bill Belichick, has had Brady as his starting quarterback. The Super Bowl is set to kickoff Sunday evening at 6:30 at University of Phoenix Stadium. The stadium, located in Glendale, AZ, has not been kind to New England as it saw its season end in that exact building in Super Bowl XLII, losing to the New York Giants, 17-14. Brady, Belichick and Vince Wilfork are among notable returnees who were on that 2007 roster and will travel back to Glendale. Despite this, the Patriots are currently listed as onepoint favorites in Vegas, which shouldn’t bother the Seahawks too much seeing as how the Broncos opened up as two-and-a-half point favorites last year. The two teams have reached this pinnacle by extremely opposite means, although both being the top seeds in their respective conferences had home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Patriots have arrived in Arizona at the hands of Brady, who is second in the postseason in passing yards, behind only Andrew Luck of the Colts, while the Seahawks have relied heavily on running back, Marshawn Lynch, who leads the postseason in rushing yards. The Patriots, who have been successful in passing to this point, have not faced a ball hawking defense like Seattle yet, which has gotten playoff interceptions from

Richard Sherman (2) and Kam Chancellor. Many reports have speculated that Chancellor will be given the task of covering Patriots tight end, Rob Gronkowski, who leads the team in receiving and is the front runner for NFL Comeback Player of the Year since coming back from a torn ACL in 2013. While both teams have had their successes to this point, every team has drama, and these teams have certainly had their fair share. For the Seahawks, reaching the Super Bowl was hanging in the balance against Green Bay in the NFC Championship. Seattle trailed the Packers 19-7 with a little less than four minutes remaining. A miraculous comeback and overtime win has them in Glendale but more drama followed at Media Day. Lynch, who was threatened suspension by the league if he wore cleats that violated the NFL sponsorship rules, was threatened to be fined an incredible amount of money, somewhere around $100,000, when it was speculated that he would skip Media Day. Despite attending and giving the same answers to every question, “I’m here so I won’t get fined,” “you know why I’m here,” and shouting out his hometown Oakland, CA, the star running back potentially faces another fine, ironically. This one would be for wearing his “Beast Mode” brand hat to the interviews, which violates NFL rules. For the Patriots, on the other hand, the drama didn’t come in the form of nearly losing their conference championship, seeing as how they blew out the Indianapolis Colts, but instead came in the manner they did so. Monday morning following the win, reports came out that New England may have had some of its footballs under-inflated which would violate league rules. Both Belichick and Brady have passed blame and claimed they were not responsible and so the investigation goes on. A couple of other minor issues the Patriots faced included Brady showing up to Media Day with a cold which he said he received from his kids but would not be a problem and he’d “be ready to go Sunday,” and the fire alarm in their hotel going off for a few brief moments disrupting their sleep. Russell Wilson, who is 10-0 against Super Bowl quarterbacks, looks to cause havoc with his small, yet mobile frame, and continue his perfect record against Brady. Brady now holds the NFL record for most postseason touchdown passes. Seahawks’ coach, Pete Carroll, and Patriots’ cornerback, Brandon Browner, both look to defeat their former teams Sunday. New England is in search of its fourth championship while Seattle looks for its second.

January 30, 2015

Sports

Women’s basketball goes on 6 game win streak, sit at 11-6 By Melina Bourdeau

The FSU women’s basketball team won seven of 10 games from Dec. 6 to Jan. 22. Their Jan. 8 loss to Westfield State broke a sixgame win streak. On Dec. 6, the Rams won against Suffolk 66-58 in an away game. Senior guard Johanna Annunziata led the game with 19 points, scoring on two free throws in the last four seconds of the game. Following Annunziata with 14 points in the game was sophomore center Alycia Rackliffe. The Rams defeated MIT at home on Dec. 9 in a close 58-55 victory. After MIT came out with five points within the first two minutes, Rackliffe scored the first two points for the Rams in the first half. Starting with 33 points on the board, the Rams didn’t hesitate at the start of the second half, beginning with sophomore forward Sarah Palace’s jump shot. The Rams began to gain momentum with blow-out wins against Anna Maria and Pine Manor. At Anna Maria, the Rams held the game, with a momentary lapse in the first half when the Amcats tied and lead by four points until Rackliffe sunk a jump shot. The Rams wouldn’t let up on their offense in the second half, which secured their 21-point lead, resulting in a 74-53 win. In their home game against Pine Manor, the Rams blew the Gators out of the water with an 81-63 win. Rackliffe played a great game with 20 points and 12 rebounds, as did senior guard Nicole Bostic, who had 20 points and 10 rebounds. Sophomore guard Monta Connolly scored four points in a row, securing the lead over Pine Manor. The Rams fell at home to West-

field State 82-72 on Jan. 8. Palace attempted to close the gap with four points in the second half, but it was in vain. Despite the streak-breaking loss against Westfield State, the Rams beat Fitchburg State 86-57 on Jan. 10. Rackliffe and Annunziata tied with the most points in the game, both scoring 17 points. Palace was right behind with 16. The Rams lost 59-52 in a close game at Bridgewater State on Jan. 13. With 19 turnovers in the game the Rams couldn’t maintain their lead of 30-26 in the first half. At FSU against MCLA, the Rams were triumphant with a 6844 win. Bostic scored 19 points, sinking each of her four free throws. The game appeared to be close until mid-way through in the second half when freshman guard Lauren Donahue made a three-point jump shot. The Rams succeeded at an away game at Salem State with a similar 24-point lead, winning 67-43. Playing great defense, the Rams prevented the Vikings from catching up to their lead throughout the game. Even with the back to back wins, the Rams were set back in a loss of 86-47 to UMass Dartmouth. Palace was able to tie up the game in the first half, but the Rams couldn’t maintain it, trailing 27-46 at the half. With 33 turnovers, the Rams couldn’t catch up to the Corsairs. Rackliffe leads with an average of 14.2 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. Bostic follows her with 11.6 points and Connolly with 6.2 rebounds per game.

Player of the Week

The Week Ahead... Men’s Basketball 1/29 vs. Worcester St. (late) 1/31 @ Westfield St. 3 p.m. 2/03 @ Fitchburg St. 7:30 p.m. Women’s Basketball 1/29 vs. Worcester St. (late) 1/31 @Westfield St. 1 p.m. 2/03 @Fitchburg St. 5:30 p.m.

Photo Courtesy of fsurams.com

Alessio Muggli - 25 Saves in 3-2 win over Worcester State

Hockey drops 4 of 7, falls to 3-10-2 By Mike Ferris Sports Editor

Editorial Staff

1/22-1/29

Ice Hockey 1/29 @ Plymouth St. (late) 1/31 @Stonehill 4:10 p.m. 2/03 @Fitchburg St. 7:30 p.m. 2/05 @ Westfield St. 7:35 p.m.

During a long winter break, the Rams went 2-4-1, and dropped seven games below .500 on the season. Framingham (3-10-2 season, 2-71 conference) sits in sixth place in the MASCAC. The two wins over this monthand-a-half span came against Assumption College and Worcester State University. Jay Nicholls, Melvin Nichols and Vaughn Guetens tallied goals in the win against Assumption, while Richard O’Connor, Nicholls and Nichols scored against Worcester State. The losses came to Franklin Pierce, Westfield State, UMass Dartmouth and Salem State. Framingham’s lone tie over this stretch was with Western New England and marked its third overtime game of the season. With nine games left to play in the season, senior forward, Ryan McDonald, leads the team in points with 19. Three other Rams are in double-digit points. They include Brendan McCarron, 15, Guetens, 14

and Keith Barnaby, 10. Of McDonald’s points, 11 are goals and eight are assists. His 11 goals are also a team-high. Guetens leads the team in assists with 11 to go along with three goals. The goaltending has remained relatively consistent throughout the season as Alessio Muggli has played 14 games, allowing 56 goals and posting a .879 save percentage. Behind Muggli, Matthew Crescione has played in three games, allowing six goals, while Robert Meadows has played in one game and allowed four goals. Their save percentages are .854 and .778, respectively. Powerplays have killed the Rams for much of the year as they are being held to a mere 18.5 percent, while allowing opponents to score 30.5 percent of the time. Of the remaining nine games for Framingham, eight are in conference while one is out of conference and the Rams look to get on a little bit of a run and get things back on track for the rest of the year.

Men’s basketball remains winless in MASCAC By Mark Wadland Editorial Staff

Over the break, the Men’s Basketball team dropped six straight, including five losses to MASCAC opponents, putting them winless in the MASCAC standings. The Rams sit at 5-11 overall on the season. In the first of the six-game stretch, the Rams traveled to UMass Boston on Jan. 6. The Rams led 27-21 after the first half, but shot just 32 percent (17-53) from the floor. Tony Alexandre led the Rams with 13 points and eight rebounds, while Gregory Young put up a double-double for the Beacons with 20 points and 11 rebounds to lead his team to a 6045 win. Two days later, the Rams took on Westfield State at home, losing 66-45. Joseph McCabe led the Rams with 20 points, while teammates Patrick Cuff and Tim McCarthy grabbed nine boards and dished out four assists, respectively. The Rams shot 29 percent (15-52) from the floor. On Jan. 10, the Rams squared off against Fitchburg State at

home. McCarthy led the Rams with 15 points and five assists, but Fitchburg handed the Rams their eighth loss of the season and their second loss in conference play after an overtime thriller. The Rams fell just shy of a victory, losing 63-61. The Rams traveled to Bridgewater State on Jan. 13. McCabe led the Rams with 15 points and the team shot 35 percent (20-57) from the floor, but came up short, falling 58-51. They returned home to Framingham to face MCLA on Jan. 17. Led by Daniel Gould, who scored 18 points, and Jacek Louisville, who supplied five assists, the Rams shot 47 percent from the floor collectively (22-47), but were unable to seal the victory. On Jan. 20, the Rams went head-to-head with MASCAC opponent Salem State, but could not combat Salem’s offense, losing by a final of 85-54. The Rams shot 42 percent (19-45) from the floor and Alexandre led them with 13 points and seven rebounds.

January 30, 2015

Wi n t er

C om i ng FSU Facilities worked through the night to clear snow off roads and sidewalks.

Melina Bourdeau/The Gatepost

Brad Leuchte/The Gatepost

Melina Bourdeau/The Gatepost Melina Bourdeau/The Gatepost

In order for Union Ave. Parking Lot to be plowed, students had to relocate their cars to Maple Lot. Melina Bourdeau/The Gatepost