Sept. 24, 2021

Volume 90 • Issue 2

FSUgatepost.com

September 24, 2021

All roads lead to Homecoming

Leighah Beausoleil / THE GATEPOST (Left) Idalis Rodriguez, Kaiya Cummings, Chris Morales, Onica Smith, and Kayla Douglas enjoying the Homecoming Carnival Sept. 17.

News PRESIDENT SEARCH pg. 3 COVID-19 BY THE NUMBERS pg. 5

Opinions

BROADWAY’S BACK pg. 6 GABBY PETITO pg. 7

Sports

The fRAMily celebrates an in-person Homecoming

By Haley Hadge Asst. News Editor

FSU students, families, and alumni celebrated Homecoming Weekend in person with a carnival, the annual Moonlight Breakfast, alumni events, sports games, trivia, a scavenger hunt, and more Sept. 18-19.

President F. Javier Cevallos said, “Having everybody back is great! … Last year, it was like a desert,” and the

campus had the same energy as during finals week.

Eric Gustafson, vice president of Development and Alumni Relations, said it was difficult to “quantify precisely” attendance since it “shifts” and not all attendees pre-registered.

However, Gustafson said his team [the Office of Alumni Relations] knows at least 150 alumni were present throughout the weekend.

Leighah Beausoleil / THE GATEPOST

VOLLEYBALL pg.9

Arts & Features MCAULIFFE CENTER pg. 11 QUIET PLACE pg. 14

his team expected the FSU community would be “eager to reconnect in person.” Increased vaccination rates on campus allowed this fRAMily reunion to happen.

“We are so thrilled to have alumni back on campus! I can’t begin to tell you how exciting that is, and how meaningful that is for our team,” he said.

See HOMECOMING page 4

Art as an outlet

By Caroline Gordon Arts & Features Editor

HOMECOMING GAMES pg. 8

“Last year in the virtual format, we had 65, so a significant increase,” he said According to Gustafson, the total cost of all events was “just over $5,000. …

A decrease from our last in-person Homecoming in 2019.”

He said planning for Homecoming began last spring when there was more optimism about “conditions” this fall.

Gustafson said he and

Marjorie Agosin, a Chilean-American writer and artist, presented her work “Arpilleras” during an in-person discussion hosted by Arts & Ideas in The Forum Sept. 21.

Agosin has written poetry, literature, novels, and a memoir. She is a professor at Wellesley College.

She has won many awards, including a Fulbright Scholarship, the Latino Literature Prize, and a Lifetime Achievement Award given to her by the government of Chile.

She has written over 80 books.

English Professor Jennifer De

Leon, who has authored several works of fiction, introduced Agosin.

“I am so excited to be here in real life. I won’t ask you to mute or anything. I am giddy with excitement that we are here in person. What an amazing event to kick off the year, to our re-entry into our world of teaching, learning, art, and wonder,” De Leon said.

She added, “I am thrilled to introduce Marjorie Agosin, who is a huge idol of mine. To be able to meet her is a highlight of my career and my life.”

Agosin said this was her first in-person event since “the world shut down.

“I am very happy to be here,” she

said.

Agosin is friends with President Cevallos and said it has been “a pleasure working with him.”

She began by discussing her life in Chile.

“I used to observe the writers in cafes and restaurants to learn,” Agosin said.

She explained politics were popular in Chile during the ’60s and ’70s and they became “intertwined” with her young adult life.

Agosin said she was recently discussing the political history of South America with her students.

See MARJORIE AGOSIN page 12

INSIDE: OP/ED 6 • SPORTS 8 • ARTS & FEATURES 11

NEWS

2 | SEPTEMBER 24, 2021

Gatepost Interview

Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief Donald Halsing Associate Editors Leighah Beausoleil Kathleen Moore News Editors Steven Bonini Ashlyn Kelly Asst. News Editor Haley Hadge Opinions Editor McKenzie Ward Sports Editor Danielle Achin Arts & Features Editors Caroline Gordon Emily Rosenberg Asst. Arts & Features Editor Patrick Brady Staff Writers Michael Alves James Barraford Madison Behringer Sean Cabot Jasmine Castillo Jackson Clyde Olivia Copeland Dan Fuentes Sophia Harris Stefano Hernandez Branden LaCroix Emma Lyons Jack McLaughlin Ryan O’Connell Austin Riffelmacher Nate Rogers Ryan Schreiber Advisor Desmond McCarthy Asst. Advisor Elizabeth Banks

Craig McDonald

Asst. Director of the Office of International Programs

By Ashlyn Kelly News Editor What is your educational and professional background?

I did my undergrad at the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania and I studied history and Latin American Studies. … In college, my work study job was in the study abroad office and then I studied abroad myself in Argentina and in olivia. My first ob out of college, I worked for a study abroad organization that ran study abroad programming in Spain and Latin America. … But in order to really advance in anything like higher education, you generally have to have a master’s degree, and so I went to graduate school, and for that it was the University of Toronto in Canada … and then [I] came back to the U.S., and worked for a place called the School for International Training. … I also worked in International Admissions at a school called Elms College, which is in Chicopee, Massachusetts, and then I went back to the School for International Training for a number of years doing public relations and student recruitment. … I ended up getting this job over the summer, so I’ve been here since early August.

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

I’m the assistant director of International Programs. … My primary function is to assist students who are outgoing study abroad students - students from FSU who are seeking to study abroad in other countries, whether it be for a semester, for an academic year, or for a shorter term - whether it be a January term or a summer term program.

What do you like most about your work?

The world is a really big place and there’s such amazing diversity of locations and peoples and cultures, and so I love talking about that all the time and talking to students about their interests and their goals and the types of places that they want to go, and the types of experiences that they want to have. … It’s kind of cool - and again, I’ve only been here for a little while, but I’ve worked in this field for a long time. It’s really cool to see the whole thing from start to finish - someone who is in their first semester of college to when they’re graduating, and in between, they’ve studied abroad multiple times, they’ve had all these amazing experiences, and then putting that together to when they’re graduating and applying for a job, and drawing from their international experience to advance their own ca-

Courtesy of Craig McDonald reer. That’s really, really cool to see that whole process.

Where has been your favorite place you’ve traveled abroad?

I really love Argentina because it’s where I lived for an academic year. It’s where I made friends. I think when you study abroad, you become a part of that country, of that society, of that community. I was so fortunate to be able to make some really meaningful, lasting friendships while I was a study abroad student. And so for that reason, Argentina is like my second home in the sense that it’s a place I’ve had the chance to return to many times. It’s a place where I’m still in contact regularly with friends that I made there and connections that I have there. So, that would probably be one location that’s cool … but I’ve been so lucky in the sense that when you work in international education, oftentimes, you get the chance to travel quite a bit.

I’ve had the chance to go to more than 40 different countries around the world. … I’ve gone hiking in Cape Verde off the coast of West Africa. I’ve ordered dinner in Portuguese in Macau in China. I rode an elephant in India. There’s some really, really amazing things that I had the chance to do. And I think that’s what study abroad opens doors to - things that you just can’t do in New England.

What would students be surprised to know about you?

I adopted three kids through the foster care system … who are ages 9 to 15.

I try to incorporate international stuff into our family life because of my work and just because I want to give them

that global perspective. I speak Spanish and I’m learning Portuguese because my partner is from Brazil and so I have extended family in other parts of the world from that and from my own study abroad experience.

What advice do you have for FSU students?

Their experience matters and when you’re going for a job someday, you want to do everything you can to have all sorts of qualifications that are going to make you stand out, so that when 40 résumés come across somebody’s desk for your dream job, what’s going to make you stand out? What’s going to make you different? And having international experience really matters. It really does.

Fewer than 10% of college students in the United States have the opportunity to study abroad. … There’s no time in your life when you can more easily do something like this where you can live in another country and be a part of that country for an extended time period. …

At Framingham State, it doesn’t have to be expensive. I think a lot of people assume that studying abroad is expensive. … Thankfully, we have a lot of really affordable options where the cost of study abroad doesn’t necessarily have to be any more than the cost of being a student here at FSU, and your financial aid can transfer, and your credits transfer to your degree. … So I encourage people to just think about that and know that there are options available. It is possible.

CONNECT WITH ASHLYN KELLY akelly8@student.framingham.edu

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NEWS

SEPTEMBER 24, 2021 | 3

Presidential search underway

By Steven Bonini News Editor

With the announcement of President F. Javier Cevallos’ retirement last spring, the search for a new university president has commenced.

To select candidates for the presidential vacancy, the University has formed a search committee as required by the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education (BHE).

The “Massachusetts Board of Higher Education Guidelines and Procedures for the Search, Selection, Appointment and Removal of State University and Community College Presidents,” necessitated that the committee consist of “a minimum of three [Board of ] Trustees members and at least one individual from each of the major campus constituencies (students, faculty, professional staff, non-unit staff and support staff.”)

Kevin Foley, chairman of the Board of Trustees (BOT), is charged with chairing the search committee and released a statement on the Framingham State website stating the committee “will be looking for a dynamic leader dedicated to building upon the University’s reputation for academic excellence, access, civic engagement, inclusive excellence, as well as creating a blueprint for the future of the institution.”

During the first BOT meeting of the academic year Sept. 22, Foley said individuals who intend to apply for the presidency will do so through the month of October, adding Oct. 15 is “the first time that the committee will see any of the [candidates’] CVs [curricula vitae] and résumés.”

He said, two weeks following, there “will be a lengthy day session to go through and to winnow down and select who we want to bring forward to interview.”

By mid-November, Foley said he expects interviews to take place, “and from that point in time, the committee will make the selection of the finalists … to bring forward to the Board of Trustees.

“December, we’ll have a special meeting of the Board of Trustees to go through and make that selection and the recommendation to the Board of Higher Ed for the next president of the University,” he added.

In an interview, Foley said he does have experience working with presidential searches as he was the “President of the Foundation Board” during President Cevallos’ candidacy and was a member of the search com-

Weather

mittee at the time.

He said he is committed to “transparency” throughout this process, adding it is important the committee look for somebody who is a “compassionate leader,” and said that’s something he believes Cevallos has brought to the table over these last eight years.

Foley added one of the changes from the prior search eight years ago has been a focus by the BHE, himself, and committee members on the “equity agenda.”

The search committee did have a discussion on mitigating bias throughout this process at their most recent meeting Sept. 13.

The conversation was led by Ex-Officio Committee Member Kim Dexter, assistant vice president of Human Resources and Equal Opportunity.

At the meeting, Dexter said, “We want to ensure that we are looking at the whole candidate and evaluating them using job-related criteria and not letting our own personal biases really infect that process.”

Dexter stressed the importance of conducting a search “that did not rely on bias or have any discriminatory elements,” adding it is important for committee members to be careful what they write down on paper regarding record retention.

Dexter said there are some key questions for committee members to ask themselves before writing anything down.

“Is this related to the position? Is this related to the candidate’s qualifications for the position? Or is it more of a personal judgement that’s based on my assumptions about how people should look, speak, behave, dress?” asked Dexter.

“That’s where we can really find ourselves getting into some problematic records that when they are scrutinized, are going to call into question the legitimacy of our search,” she added.

The committee is also working with a search firm called “WittKieffer,” which according to the firm’s website, will “seek out leaders who act as catalysts for inclusion and equity, and those leaders from organizations that enjoy great success in harnessing the power of a diverse team.”

According to Foley, WittKieffer was also used to help select Cevallos.

Ann McDonald, chief of staff and general counsel and an ex-officio member of the committee, said when

the BOT selected the firm, “we did allos has, but will also be looking for what’s called a request for quotes, a candidate with different experiencand anybody that we asked could es that will suit the University “for submit a quote for a price to do a the next five or 10 years. presidential search. And they happen “You have to be smart about it and to be on the state contract, but there not just say, ‘We want a cookie cutwere others [firms] that were not ter of President Cevallos’ because the necessarily on the state contract.” world has changed,’” she added.

McDonald said the trustees subDara Barros, SGA diversity and inmitted a series of questions to each clusion officer and the student represearch firm and asked them to an- sentative on the committee, said she swer those questions in their pro- will “serve as a voice for students,” posal back in early to mid-May, “And adding she has been an orientation then the trustees interviewed each leader, a student admissions repreone of the search firms that submit- sentative, and is now serving on SGA. ted a proposal.

Barros said her goal is to “make “That’s how they chose them [Wit- sure that the next president is gotKieffer],” she added. ing to be to the benefit of the overall The firm has helped advertise for student body,” and will “continue the the position, she said, adding, “They work that FSU has been starting with are helping with the recruitment as- the diversity and inclusion and the pect of it,” networking and reaching anti-racist work. out to potential candidates.

“I’m looking for a president who McDonald said currently, the is charismatic, has a welcoming face search committee meetings are made - someone that we could see on camopen to the public, but eventually as pus and always feel like we could go the committee begins to review ré- to,” even in difficult times, she said. sumés, they will enter what’s called Cevallos said he would like to see an “executive session. the committee pick a candidate who “When we’re reviewing personnel “understands the campus culture,” information relative to prospective and somebody who understands that candidates, the group does it in exec- FSU is a “student-centered” commuutive session to protect their [candi- nity as well as an “anti-racist instidates’] identities,” she said. tution.”

Once the finalists are determined, The outgoing president said he she said the meetings will return to believes it’s also important for the “public meeting mode,” and résumés candidates to have “management exof the finalists will be posted on the perience in addition to leadership” campus website, “so folks will have skills. an opportunity to look at their cre“Every time that you’re looking at dentials.” any kind of senior-level position, you McDonald said her role on the want to have both somebody who can committee is to advise and council, have a vision and lead, at the same and she does not get to vote on can- time, somebody who can manage. didates, but she believes the commit- That is something that you have to tee is focused on selecting individu- bring together,” said Cevallos. als for the position who are going to He added he has tried to bring face the challenges of the future. some of these qualities to the table “Think about just the last two himself over these last eight years. years. … Pandemic, remote learn“I have tried to lead the campus ing, all of the things - the reduction with integrity and with transparenin enrollment - those are all things cy,” he said. “I have also been comthat didn’t even exist when President mitted to making this a just and fair Cevallos was hired for his position,” campus for all, and that’s all the efshe said. forts in diversity and inclusion …

“Now, it’s almost like if you had making sure that we are a better sothis set of lenses on in 2013, when he ciety, and we reflect that better sowas hired, and now you’re wearing ciety.” your 2020 glasses, or 2021 glasses, Cevallos added he has tried to and you go, ‘Whoa, the world looks show the faculty, staff, and students different right now. … Framingham that he “truly” respects them. “Hopeis different, and the needs of Fram- fully, people see me that way.” ingham are different as well,’” she added.

McDonald said the committee will look for individuals who have the CONNECT WITH STEVEN BONINI same “integrity and standards” Cev- sbonini@student.framingham.edu

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

Sunday night Sept. 26 Partly cloudy, with a low around 55. Wind around 5 mph.

Monday night Sept. 27 Partly cloudy, with a low around 55. Wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Tuesday night Sept. 28 Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50. Wind around 5 mph.

Wednesday night Sept. 29 Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50. Wind around 5 mph.

Monday Sept. 27 Sunny, with a high near 70. Wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Tuesday Sept. 28 Partly sunny, with a high near 70. Wind around 5 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Wednesday Sept. 29 Partly sunny, with a high near 70. Wind 5 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Thursday Sept. 30 Mostly sunny, with a high near 70.

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

4 | SEPTEMBER 24, 2021

Homecoming Continued from page 1

He added, “We tried to be as safe as we could … given the reality that we’re still living in.” This meant holding some events outside and increasing safety protocols as needed.

Though his department was successful in carrying out these efforts, the rapidly spreading delta variant left some “justifiably” hesitant to attend this in-person Homecoming, he said.

He added due to this challenge, they did not expect to see preCOVID-19 attendance numbers, and scaled back their programming ac-

Haley Hadge / THE GATEPOST Zaria Turner playing cornhole on Larned Beach Sept. 18. cordingly.

After receiving feedback from alumni who were hesitant to attend because of COVID-19 concerns, Gustafson said his team is working on making future events in the fall hybrid.

Homecoming is “built around in-person events and being on campus” and “unfortunately doesn’t lend itself” to a hybrid format, he said.

Nevertheless, he said it “was such a boost to have that in-person connection again.

“I was joyous to be back in person, on campus, reconnecting after such a long time apart. … You can do a lot over Zoom and a lot over email, but it’s not the same as seeing someone face-to-face,” he said.

Given the limitations COVID-19 inevitably adds to event planning, he said, “It was a tremendous weekend” and he is “very pleased” with how things went.

He said the initial feedback they received from alumni on site was “extremely positive.

“We always want to learn from everything we do to make it better the next time … thinking critically about how we can improve.”

It was most important “they felt like they were in a safe environ-

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NEWS

ment,” he added.

SGA and Moonlight Breakfast Sara Gallegos, advisor of SGA and director of Student Involvement and Leadership Development, said SGA provided $1,400 to fund the annual Moonlight Breakfast event.

Gallegos said due to tight budgets, she asked SGA if they could help fund the event.

SGA President McKenzie Ward said SGA “held an emergency e-Board meeting over the summer” to approve the movement of funds from SGA to the Dean of Students Office.

“We want to see more student involvement on campus,” Ward said.

She added SGA wanted to help “keep this tradition alive.”

Rachel Lucking, assistant dean for campus engagement, said Moonlight Breakfast has always been a major “anchor event.”

There were 544 participants, she said, and this was a “bump up” from last year.

She said their primary goal was to “re-establish” connections for people on campus with traditions such as Moonlight Breakfast.

Plans for the event were cemented in August, Lucking said. They discussed backup plans in the event COVID-19 delta variant cases increased. “Luckily, we didn’t have to advance that conversation.”

Dave Callaghan, ’07, attended the Moonlight Breakfast with his family.

Callaghan said this was an event he and his wife “always had fun coming to” when they were FSU students.

Jay Hurtubise, director of community standards, hosted a red carpet event at Moonlight Breakfast for the podcast “From Truth to Action” he co-hosts with Ben Trapanick, director of new student and family programs.

Sam the Ram posed with students on the red carpet as they learned about the podcast and completed tasks for a Homecoming-themed scavenger hunt.

The podcast currently has two episodes posted with guests from the Framingham Police Department and Boston public schools.

In their first episode, Trapanick said they “aim to explore the way biases and systemic racism impact the FSU community.”

Alumni of Color Networking Barbeque Speaking to the 30 or so guests at the barbeque, Cevallos said, FSU is “becoming a diverse campus that reflects the society that we live in. …

We have to continue.”

Gustafson said a joint decision between event coordinators and Alumni Relations was made to move this event outside.

Tanaja Jordan, ’19, a board member of the Alumni of Color Network (ACN), said she wants to continue to return to campus and “help the kids.

“We are here for them whenever they need us,” Jordan said.

She added she was motivated to become a board member after she dealt with a racist incident first-hand as a resident assistant at the Univer-

Haley Hadge / THE GATEPOST (Left) Alexandra Valdez and Tanaja Jordan at the Alumni of Color Barbeque. sity.

“Seeing everyone come together after that was ... powerful,” Jordan said.

Alexandra Valdez, ’16, said she has attended alumni events since she graduated and served on the board of the ACN in the past.

Valdez said she is invested in “giving back to the community in any way I can.”

Austin Riffelmacher, a senior English major and intern at Alumni and Development Relations, checked alumni of color into the event.

Riffelmacher said this is a “great networking event” for students to see the accomplishments of alumni of color.

He added, “Networking is the best thing you can do for your career.”

Jennifer Defronzo, director of Alumni Relations, said it was “won-

She added, “It’s a lot of work, but we’re happy to be able to do that for our alumni and students.”

Alumni Relations works to “strengthen” the relationships between the University and alumni, alumni and current students, and among alumni, said Defronzo.

Seeing the community join together is “why we do the work we do,” she added.

“There’s no substitute for face-toface events,” she said.

Deron Hines, ’18 and member of the ACN, attended the football game and helped plan the barbeque.

Hines said he played on the football team for three years and it’s “very nostalgic” to see the team in action.

“I’m excited for them to have a season, for people to be in the stands, for them to have a cheer team out

Leighah Beausoleil / THE GATEPOST Students helping themselves to desserts at the Moonlight Breakfast Sept. 17. derful” her office could safely organize in-person events for Homecoming.

Defronzo said, “We do a lot of behind-the-scenes work to make sure that it’s safe” and follows all the CDC guidelines.

here, [and] for everybody to be able to watch and have a Homecoming game,” he said.

Hines had to leave the game early to attend the barbeque. He said, “That hurts my heart on one end, but

See HOMECOMING page 5

NEWS

Homecoming Continued from page 4 fills my heart on the other.”

Yemi Ajao, ’14 and a captain of the basketball team for three years, said he worked in the Framingham public schools and has “always been connected [to FSU] in one way or another.”

Ajao said he looked forward to the opportunity to gather together at the barbeque to “touch base and reconnect” with other alumni.

Alumni Brunch Carol Quilty, ’85, attended the Alumni Brunch with her mother-inlaw, Jane Quilty, ’62.

Carol said, “It’s always been a beautiful campus.”

Jane returns to the University every five years for the alumni celebrations. She said, “It’s always nice to reminisce.”

Paul Ferrara, ’80, and Mac Bars, ’76, college roommates and best friends, said it was “surreal” to be on campus.

They have both attended Homecoming since “at least” 1980, and “every year, it’s gotten better,” said Fererra.

“It’s always nice to see how the Rams do,” he said, referring to the football game that occurred later that day.

The FSU community has a “family-type atmosphere,” he added.

During his time as an undergrad, he said he consistently received “excellent academic support.

“Ever since the day my mother dropped me off with a duffel bag, a black-and-white TV, and five dollars

Haley Hadge / THE GATEPOST Aspen the dog “hits the beach” working for Campus Events at Larned Beach Sept. 18.

- she didn’t even put the car in park - this campus has improved,” he said.

He added President Cevallos’ tenure has been admirable and a “labor of love.

“I’m always proud to say I went to school here,” he said.

Cevallos said he enjoyed connecting with alumni in person.“It’s nice to have that mix of generations!”

Carnival and RamSwap Shop The Carnival and RamSwap Shop had 250 and 131 people check in, respectively, said Lucking.

At the RamSwap Shop, commu-

nity members found free old-school T-shirts and athletic uniforms so they could rock their retro pride.

Devante Dixon, a freshman international business major, said, “The line was long at first, but it was definitely worth it - we got our swag on.

“I forgot how fun meeting new people is,” he added. “I’m just loving the whole experience.”

Kaylie Valentine, a freshman English major, said, “It feels good to meet people.”

Laurie Lincoln, parent of Hilary Lincoln, a sophomore biology major, said, “It’s great to see so many people

SEPTEMBER 24, 2021 | 5

out and enjoying themselves.”

Spencer Lintonsmith, a freshman computer science major, said the RamSwap Shop was “unbelievable!

“I’m very happy that the school put this on,” Lintonsmith added. It was a “very cool” first Homecoming experience.

Susana Krantz, a freshman food and nutrition major, said, “It feels really good to be around people again. … I feel like it’s mentally really good for me.”

Emma Lyons, a freshman English major, said, “It’s really nice to be in social settings … because I haven’t been around people.”

Adrianna Puccino, a freshman ASL interpretation major, said the weekend felt “surreal” after months of stricter COVID-19 guidelines.

Puccino added, “I’ve made the best friends through these events.”

Dillon Riley, a freshman communication arts major, said paying tuition makes money tight so “[I] can’t complain about free stuff!”

Riley added, “It feels good bringing back some normalcy.”

He said it is great that state universities are mandating everyone get vaccinated. “The improvement’s been awesome, and it’s good to see.”

Lucking said there were no road blocks this weekend.

“To finally be back and see people having fun and families thanking you … made it [the weekend] successful no matter what.”

CONNECT WITH HALEY HADGE hhadge@student.framingham.edu

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OP/ED

6 | SEPTEMBER 24, 2021

OP/ ED THE GATEPOST EDITORIAL

Is safety your top priority?

Gabby Petito was travelling across the country with her fiancé Brian Laundrie before she disappeared. The FBI concluded this week that her death was a homicide and Laundrie is a person of interest.

Regardless of whether Laundrie was responsible for Petito’s death, this tragedy is another reminder of the unfortunate reality of domestic violence in the U.S. The Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) reported over 50% of sexual assaults on college campuses occur between August and November.

RAINN also reported 13% of all college students are victims of rape or sexual assualt through physical force, violence, or incapacitation. This includes 26.4% of women - but 80% of these cases go unreported.

Male college-aged students are 78% more likely than non-students to be victims of rape or sexual assault, and LGBTQIA+ students are 23.1% more likely than non-students, according to RAINN. RAINN also reported 5.8% of college students have experienced stalking.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reported that drinking by college students contributes to over 1,500 deaths, 696,000 assaults, and 97,000 sexual assaults or date rapes each year.

Between 2017 and 2019, FSU and its sister institutions reported 167 Violence Against Women Act criminal offenses, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.

These acts included incidences of stalking, domestic violence, and dating violence. Five were reported on Framingham State’s campus.

FSU reports on-campus rape cases under the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act. Between 2017 and 2019, nine criminal cases of rape and seven cases of fondling were reported.

Considering these statistics, there is no better time than now to educate ourselves about campus safety.

A lot of safety advice we were told while growing up is no longer helpful. For example, holding your keys between your fingers as a method of self-defense has been a go-to habit for many of us and our peers. However, this technique is only useful in close proximity to an attacker.

If the techniques we have been given all our lives are not truly helpful - and with self-defense weapons such as pepper spray not permitted on campus - how do we keep ourselves safe?

At Framingham State, there are CODE BLUE Emergency Phones that students can call to immediately reach University Police.

These are located throughout campus, often attached to a building.

The University Police Department also

provides escorts upon request. If students are walking alone at night between the hours of 2 a.m. and dawn, they can call University Police and be safely escorted by an officer.

University Police also regularly coordinate self-defense classes for FSU community members to attend, including two this month.

The Department also keeps a log of all police responses in a binder accessible to the public, and a safety bulletin on its website listing details of recent major cases.

Some of these incidents are reported by The Gatepost in our “Police Logs” section on page 2. We also have a history of covering the University’s and community’s responses to major criminal cases.

Everyone should consider carrying a whistle - they are cheap, portable, and blowing one can draw attention from far away.

Download a safety app on your phone, such as Noonlight. Apps such as these provide a variety of functions such as contacting police, sharing your location with trusted contacts, and simulating a phone call to deter potential attackers.

And most of all, looking out for each other as one community is the biggest safety tip we can provide.

We’ve grown up being told that people avoid involving themselves when they encounter a dangerous situation - but that shouldn’t be the case. We are each other’s biggest safety net.

Before you begin travelling - especially at night - text someone and let them know where you are going. Text them when you reach your destination.

Never let someone walk alone at night - use the buddy system. Offer to be someone’s buddy.

If you attend a party, don’t go alone. Always leave with everyone you came with - never leave anyone behind. If you notice someone who can’t find their friends, offer to help them.

Sexual assault includes any non-consensual contact. Pay attention to your surroundings at parties and leave if you feel uncomfortable.

Don’t leave your drink unattended, and keep it covered with your hand or thumb. If you think your drink has been contaminated, get a new one.

Advocate for the safety of the greater community. It’s in your best interest to make sure that safety is a top priority at FSU. Violent offences have become an unfortunate reality for too many college students even on our campus.

Even if you feel safe on campus, your peers might not. Don’t be a bystander! Keeping our campus safe is everyone’s responsibility.

Wouldn’t you want someone to watch your back?

Have an opinion?

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

Anyone can submit.

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

Theater’s back - whether or not we’re ready

By Austin Rifflelmacher Staff Writer On Tuesday, Sept. 14, three of Broadway’s biggest hits, “The Lion King,” “Wicked,” and “Hamilton,” resumed performances after being in the dark for 18 months due to COVID-19.

These re-openings mark the nation’s highest-profile indication that theater is resuming even without absolute certainty that gathering publicly is safe again.

By December, 39 plays and musicals will be running again on Broadway.

This includes brand-new shows like “Six,” a hip-hop musical about the wives of Henry VIII, to “The Phantom of the Opera,” which has been running in New York since 1988.

As the curtain finally goes up after much uncertainty this past year and a half, the restart poses more questions than answers about the art form’s future.

Articles in the press have debated how theater is expected to bounce back given the nature of COVID-19 variants and the expectation that tourism will take years to recover.

So, is it too soon to go back and experience live theater?

Last week’s fanfare of the industry making a comeback made me excited to see a show again. I bit the bullet, and next month will be the first time I sit in a Broadway theater since January 2020.

As excited as I am about seeing tangible storytelling again, I am nervous.

However, there are some things that put me at ease.

To see a performance in most union houses across the nation requires patrons to show proof of vaccination.

Other theaters, like Boston’s Huntington Theatre, allow unvaccinated audience members to attend provided they submit a negative COVID-19 test. As an intellectual jewel of the city, I wish they had stricter rules like other venues.

In London, the return of theater has been anything but successful. No vaccine mandates for cast and crew have forced several high-profile productions to temporarily close amid breakouts backstage.

A quick look inside auditoriums using Instagram shows English audience’s mask participation is minimal.

No thanks, London!

Professional theaters - both on Broadway and in Boston - require masks to remain on throughout the entire performance regardless of vaccination status.

Any performance I will go to in the future will be one that requires both vaccination and, for the time being, mask usage.

Plus, New York City’s “Key to the City” program - yes, a ripoff of Disney’s “Key to the World” - requires patrons at any public venue to be vaccinated, making it the strictest set of protocols currently enforced in any American city.

One would think that an industry completely broken by the pandemic would come back with ticket prices reflecting its fragility.

Quite the opposite. Most commercial shows remain as expensive as they were back at the start of 2020.

The weekend of Oct. 16, the cheapest seat available on Ticketmaster for “Hamilton” is a $240 partial view. That’s the same “Hamilton” streaming in homes after Disney bought the rights of the filmed stage version for $75 million, then received $30 million in federal aid to remount the show’s five American companies.

What irritates me most about the continued inflation of ticket prices is that now more than ever, the commercial theater in America features more work by and for people of color.

This Broadway season, there will be seven plays written by African Americans. Conventional wisdom would argue that’s overcrowding the market.

With ticket prices that still cater to the super wealthy, and the apprehension people have about being in public spaces, my personal fear is that this long overdue moment will dissipate rapidly.

I hope I’m proven wrong and that there is a great hunger for people to return to the theater. For me, the lack of the communal experience playgoing provides has deprived me a sense of creative rejuvenation.

OP/ED

SEPTEMBER 24, 2021 | 7

America’s fascination with missing white women

By McKenzie Ward Opinions Editor For the past couple of weeks, many of us, including myself, have been glued to our phones waiting for updates about Gabby Petito, the 22-yearold van-life influencer who took a four-month road trip with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, when she was reported missing Sept. 11 by her family, according to The New York Times.

On Sept. 19, it was announced that a body was found in Teton County, Wyoming that fit Petito’s description, according to The Times. On Tuesday, Sept. 21, it was confirmed that the body was Petito’s, and the death was ruled a homicide. Laundrie is currently named a person of interest but not a suspect.

As of Sept. 23, a federal arrest warrant has been issued for Laundrie for his use of unauthorized devices, according to The Washington Post. He allegedly used a debit card and PIN numbers for two bank accounts that did not belong to him to obtain more than $1,000, according to a court filing released by the Denver FBI branch on

Sept. 23.

As of Sept. 23, Laundrie is still missing and authorities are attempting to locate him.

While my heart breaks for Petito’s family and friends for their loss, the way this case has been portrayed by traditional media and on social media is a perfect example of “Missing White Woman Syndrome.”

This term was coined by PBS anchor Gwen Ifill to describe the media’s fascination with the disappearance of white women and how often, when a white woman disappears, her case receives more interest from the media than other missing persons cases.

Young, white, upper-class women and girls who go missing often receive a disportionate amount of traditional media attention concerning their cases, while the missing person cases involving men, lower social classes, and other races go unnoticed by the traditional media and society.

This was brought up Monday evening by MSNBC host Joy Reid, who believes the fascination with the Petito case is a result of “Missing White Woman Syndrome.” She argues that

traditional media is “ignoring” missing persons cases involving people of color such as Daniel Robinson, a Black 24-year-old who has been missing since June and was last seen in Arizona.

Since Petito’s disappearance was first reported, traditional media and social media have been flooded with information about her disappearance.

It seems as if I could never escape seeing Petito’s name no matter where I went - Instagram, Twitter, TikTok - any news site.

Everyone and anyone has turned themselves into a detective looking for new clues that could lead to a new break in her case.

And while we all can agree the media attention helped authorities locate Petito’s body, it raises the question: “Why isn’t every missing person’s case treated like this one?”

At the end of 2020, the FBI reported that they had over 89,000 active missing persons cases, and 45% of them were people of color.

However, only a fifth of missing person cases involving a person of color are covered by the news, according to a

2016 analysis published in The Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology.

What will it take for the traditional media and our society to bring attention to every missing person’s case?

How do we determine which cases are “worthy” of national attention?

I’m not diminishing any case of a person disappearing - and nobody should be. Rather, I am arguing that the amount of energy that has been put into the Petito case should and needs to be put into every case of a missing person, whether they are male or female, Black or white, upper- or lower-class.

Gabby deserved to return home safely to her family.

Every missing person deserves to return safely to their family.

Every family should be provided with closure and should not have to lie in bed at night wondering where their loved one is.

Something needs to change.

Campus Conversations Do you feel safe on campus? Why or why not?

By Maddi Behringer, Staff Writer, and Emma Lyons, Staff Writer Photos by Donald Halsing, Editor-in-Chief

“Yes, I do because the dorm halls require an ID to get in, require an ID once you get in to check your facial recognition to make sure that nobody else is having a fake ID card or is stealing yours. ” -Anna Narducci, Sophomore

“I would say I do feel safe on campus it’s not too big. You can’t get that lost that easily. There’s plenty of [blue light] stations around, and officers to help you out if you ever get lost or you feel like you’re in trouble. ” -Chris Lanni, Freshman

“Yeah, I definitely feel safe on campus. I think Campus Police’s presence is pretty well seen. You can basically see them two or three times a day. ... I think the campus size is good as well because you see the same people over and over. So it is good to make friends and everybody kind of looks out for each other. ” -Jake Hartshorn, Junior

“Yes, I do feel safe on campus. Even though I don’t go out often, I don’t ever feel in danger.”

“I feel like I would not, just because I’m a woman, which is why I don’t walk at nighttime, alone. But, there’s the emergency phones - those make me feel good. And then there’s the security people in all the buildings.”

-Melissa Roake, Freshman

“Yeah, I feel safe on campus. I think everyone here’s pretty reasonable and they keep their distance when it’s the right time to.”

-Chanelle Tubman, Freshman

-Andre Oliveira, Junior

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8 | SEPTEMBER 24, 2021

SPORTS

SPORTS

Rams Football dominates Men’s Soccer win UMass Dartmouth at Homecoming game Homecoming game

By Danielle Achin Sports Editor

By Leighah Beausoleil Associate Editor

A big bounce-back game from the Rams as they dominated UMass Dartmouth 45-21 Sept. 18 at Bowditch Field during Framingham State’s Homecoming weekend.

After a year away from the sport, the Framingham State University Football team opened the 2021 season with major losses against Brockport and St. John Fisher, leaving them 0-2 overall.

Before the game, a sign had been hung in the athletic gym hallway predicting the outcome of the game - the outcome being the Rams would lose.

“I look at that and that motivates me anytime someone thinks we’re going to lose. We just got to come out and prove them wrong,” said junior and quarterback Nicolas Goffredo from Hyde Park, Massachusetts.

UMass Dartmouth won the coin toss making a 57-yard touchdown, gaining a - lead making it first on the board.

“We weren’t really worried about it. We know we just have to take it one play at a time, so we all just kept our heads up and knew coming out the next drive we weren’t going to let that mistake happen again,” freshman Tishay Johnson Jr. from Windsor, Connecticut said. “We did what we had to do. We got the turnovers and everything.”

With just under four minutes remaining in the quarter, the Rams recovered a fumble scoring a 42-yard touchdown by sophomore Cole Moretti from Lynnfield Massachusetts - tying the game - after freshman Matthew Farley from Middleboro Massachusetts scored the extra point.

The Rams scored three more touchdowns in the second and third quarter pushing the lead to 38-7.

“When we got turnovers, offense capitalized on it and they would score, so just all around it was a big team effort and that’s what we needed because those first two games we didn’t have that,” said freshman Dylan De olfe from Marion, Massachusetts.

In the final quarter of the game, UMass Dartmouth gave their last push against Framingham State, completing a 20-yard touchdown just 12 seconds in.

This didn’t shake the Rams and in the final few minutes of the game, Goffredo completed a -yard touchdown run for the final score - 1.

DeWolfe said,“If we just keep doing our job every play we’re going to win.

We’re gonna put points up. Defense will do what they got to do. Offense will do what they got to do.”

Johnson Jr. added, “We just got to keep our foot on the gas, keep practicing everyday, keep going 100% here and just perform, listen to what the coaches are telling us to do and we’ll be all set.”

“We had a great week of practice and it showed. I expected nothing less from them,” Goffredo said.

Following the game, Goffredo received the 2021 Calder Award, which is given annually to the MVP of the Homecoming Day game in memory of former Ram, John Calder and Farley had been named the Special Teams Player of the Week.

The Framingham State Men’s Soccer team won its first game of the season -1 against estfield State College in double overtime during omecoming Sept. 18.

Tensions were high between the Rams and Owls Saturday evening, with the first half full of quite physical play.

The first goal of the game was not scored until the th minute by estfield player Jack Johnson - pulling the Owls ahead.

However, approximately 30 seconds later the score was tied when sophomore Breyner Depina secured a goal off a pass from junior Jeffson Malachie.

The second half went on with the score remaining tied due in part by six impressive saves by junior goalkeeper Jake Hartshorn.

This half also saw the continuation of the physical play witnessed in the first, with an accumulated fouls and five bookings between the two teams by the game’s end.

Concluding the second half, the game went into 10 minutes of overtime in which neither team managed to score.

Five minutes into double overtime, a foul by estfield resulted in a free kick outside of the goalie box for junior Kunphel Sinha that led to a successful score - ending the game and earning the Rams’ first win of the season.

“The game was very competitive,” Sinha said. “They estfield get really harsh.”

He added, “We were down a man, so we, as a team, put everything on the line and came out with a positive result.”

Sinha said the team as a whole is getting into the “groove” of the season.

“Although it was not a good goal, God said, ‘OK, I’ll let this one in,’” Sinha added.

Head Coach Dean Nichols said he felt “fantastic” at the end result of the game.

He said, “The guys battled as hard as they possibly could and everybody did their part to get a 2-1 victory in overtime.

“Going 1- in the MASCAC conference definitely feels great for the guys,” Nichols added.

Leighah Beausoleil/THE GATEPOST Kunphel Sinha scored the winning goal of the game.

Leighah Beausoleil/THE GATEPOST Devaun Ford runs the ball at the Football game 9/18.

FRAMINGHAM STATE UMASS DARTMOUTH

45 21 CONNECT WITH DANIELLE ACHIN dachin@student.framingham.edu

FRAMINGHAM STATE WESTFIELD STATE

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SPORTS

SEPTEMBER 24, 2021 | 9

Volleyball’s six win streak comes to an end

By Joshua Colburn Staff Writer Despite valiant effort, Rams Volleyball fell short to Elms College 3-1 Sept. 21.

The Volleyball team has been on a tear of late, winning their last six heading into their Tuesday night showdown against Elms.

The game was back and forth all night as both teams exchanged big runs.

Elms took the first set of the match to secure a 1- lead, but the Rams were able to tie it 1-1 up by taking the 2nd set.

“I think we had a rough start, but we came together to push back against them,” said sophomore Emily Flaherty.

Elms took the 3rd set and a 2-1 lead, but the Rams did comeback and make it a game.

The Rams were leading most of the 4th set and looking to force a 5th and final set, but at the end Elms went on a run to close out the match.

“This definitely wasn’t our best game, but I’m proud of my teammates for continuing to work hard,” Flaherty said.

Flaherty said she is looking forward to the team unlocking their full potential throughout the season.

“I’m really excited to grow as a team,” Flaherty said.

While the Rams did not get the result they expected against Elms, they have a matchup on Saturday against estfield where they are looking to bounce back.

Against Elms junior Brandee Thomas led the Rams with 13 kills, sophomore Hailee Sanders had 8 kills, and graduate student Morgan Failla had a team high of 29 assists.

Leighah Beausoleil/THE GATEPOST Valerie Sullivan completing a spike

ELMS COLLEGE FRAMINGHAM STATE

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CONNECT WITH JOSHUA COLBURN jcolburn2@student.framingham.edu

Framingham State Men’s Soccer falls short yet again following another shutout loss to Middlebury

By Michael Alves Staff Writer Framingham State’s Men’s Soccer team was shutout 2-0 to the #13 nationally ranked Middlebury College Panthers Sept. 21.

The Middlebury Panthers were overall just too much for Framingham State.

Middlebury College’s Jordan Saint-Louis opened up the scoring in the game fairly quickly in the 11th minute, when he was hit with a give-infront pass from Brandon Reid, making it 1-0 Panthers.

The scoring was quiet for the remainder of the first half, until in the second half. Nate Pilson tallied another goal for the Panthers with an assist from Saint-Louis in the 65th minute of the game.

Middlebury College’s goalkeeper Ryan Grady only had to make two saves in the victory.

The Rams did put up a fight though, especially freshman goalkeeper Joseph Sturzo, who kept FSU in the game, racking up an impressive nine saves.

Sturzo made a number of appreciable saves, including a superb sliding effort on a pass and shot in front. The freshman also made another two high-grabbing saves - one of which was a bullet of a shot.

But that wasn’t nearly enough to end the undefeated streak of Middlebury College.

The Panthers were in the driver’s seat nearly the whole 90 minutes of the game, besides the few scoring chances the Rams had.

The Middlebury College Panthers are now 5-0, and the Rams were just yet another example of why.

They applied constant pressure on the ball every moment, while they also moved it so patiently and efficiently for the entirety of the game.

Again, it was clear on Tuesday night why Middlebury College is nationally ranked in Division 3 at the moment.

The Rams have been shutout in five of their games this season through the first eight thus far.

The Men’s Soccer team now advances to 1-7 on the season and they will next play MASCAC opponent Bridgewater State Sept. 25 at 11:00 a.m.

Gatepost Archives Bryce Borletto-McCray carrying the ball down the sideline at a previous game.

MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE FRAMINGHAM STATE

2 0

CONNECT WITH MICHAEL ALVES Malves@student.framingham.edu

@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com

SPORTS

10 | SEPTEMBER 24, 2021

RAMS’ REELS

Player runs to first base at Alumni Softball game 9/19.

Kickoff at Football game 9/18.

Devaun Ford runs the ball at Football game 9/18.

Reymi Vargos cheerleading at Football game 9/18.

Augusto Miranda Brasil against Westfield player at soccer game 9/18.

FSU Cheerleaders amp up the crowd at Football game 9/18.

Kunphel Sinha and Westfield player collide during Men’s Soccer game 9/18.

Cheerleading at the Football game 9/18.

[Editor’s Note: Danielle Achin is Sports Editor for The Gatepost and a member of FSU’s Cheer team.] @The Gatepost | FSUgatepost.com

Spread and Photos by Leighah Beausoleil /THE GATEPOST

ARTS & FEATURES

SEPTEMBER 24, 2021 | 11

ARTS & FEATURES

McAuliffe Center is back in action

By Caroline Gordon Arts & Features Editor

By Nate Rogers Staff Writer Mary MacDonald, planetarium manager, hosted a live planetarium show at the Christa McAuliffe Center Sept. 17.

MacDonald said she was very excited to start her first, monthly planetarium show ever since COVID-19 forced Framingham State to go virtual.

With students and staff back on campus, MacDonald instituted new protocols. Cell phones must be turned off because they cause a distraction in a dark room and face masks must be worn.

MacDonald started off the show by dimming the lights in the domeshaped room. Afterwards, she projected the night sky as it appears at 5:15 p.m.

The audience was able to see the sun setting on the west side of the dome.

MacDonald discussed the moon, which peeked behind a building toward the southeast side.

Audience members were presented with an animation of the sun going down and the moon rising.

The full moon was present at the top of the planetarium dome.

“On the night of a full moon, which is a couple nights from now, it’s almost simultaneous,” MacDonald said.

She clicked her remote device which revealed a couple of visible planets.

The audience was able to see Jupiter, which was close to the moon.

To make sure there was no confu-

sion with the actual size comparison between the projection and the real sky, she explained “it’s not going to appear exactly as close as it appears because you’re looking at a larger scale projection in reality.”

The next planet she pointed out was Venus, which she said was the closest to the sun.

“Sometimes, it’s not visible because it’s right next to the sun,” she said.

Not only did the audience see planets, they saw stars as well.

In order to see the stars better, she turned the room almost pitch black.

In the dome simulation, the time was 7 p.m. and Jupiter, Venus, and several stars were more visible.

“Just to give you a little preview, this is tonight,” she said.

MacDonald noted that during this time of the year, the moon is noticeably changing locations each night due to its month-long orbit.

She clarified there was a chance nobody in the Framingham/Boston area would see such visible stars or planets, due to the light pollution crowding the sky.

The show then began to focus on stars.

MacDonald discussed stars such as Altair, Deneb and Vega, which are located together to form the Summer Triangle.

She noted the Summer Triangle is easy to see during the summer.

MacDonald soon after asked if the audience knew what the “fuzzy band of white light” was, which was across the entire dome.

She stated it was a portion of the Milky Way galaxy.

The audience couldn’t see the whole galaxy because the planet Earth is also

inside of it.

Then, she discussed constellations as she introduced the topic, showing a little square in the sky, called “Pegasus.”

MacDonald added this was a fall constellation, meaning you could only see this set of stars throughout the fall season.

The winter constellations were a little different in terms of visibility.

During the winter, they’re invisible, she said. The only way to see the winter constellations is to stay up late.

“As we get closer to winter, we start to see these earlier in the sky,” she said.

She then told the audience that the Summer Triangle would start to disappear, followed by Pegasus.

MacDonald added another star to the discussion called Arcturus. She

told the audience that this was the brightest star in the sky as of this time of year.

She explained a quick little trick to help spot Arcturus.

The audience was asked to spot seven stars that formed a pot shape. MacDonald said those stars formed the Big Dipper.

She added the arched part of the Big Dipper points directly to Arcturus.

MacDonald discussed a group of stars named “Pleiades.”

After going through the simulation in the dome, she opened the floor for several questions.

One audience member asked, “So we were looking at Polaris, and it doesn’t move as much as the rest of the stars do, but it keeps moving a little bit. So how much is it actually moving?”

MacDonald said the stars themselves aren’t moving. She explained the stars are “directly aligned with the Earth’s North Pole.” The stars may appear to be moving, but that’s just the Earth rotating on its axis.

Once the questions were wrapped up, she played a full dome film called “Birth of Planet Earth,” which consisted of visually appealing scientific videos of how Earth was formed.

The film touched upon the mysterious origins of life.

It ended with the narrator asking a pressing question.

“The more we are able to reconstruct our past, the more singular it seems. That is, until we realize the very many other solar systems are out there. We ask, is Earth just one of countless, life-bearing worlds, or is it a wondrous twist of fate?”

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12 | SEPTEMBER 24, 2021

ARTS & FEATURES

Majorie Agosin Continued from page 1

“Revolutions start with five or six people who want to create a movement,” - Marjorie Agosin, Artist of “Arpilleras”

“The more I teach, the more I encounter young people who know the partial truth, not the entire truth,” Agosin said.

She said Chile changed in 1973 because there was a military coup led by an “interesting” general who betrayed the president.

Agosin said her students did not know the United States was involved with the coup.

“I am very sad to say that this is an amazing country, but it is also a horrific country,” she said.

Agosin added, “I don’t want the United States to spread terror. We should spread innovations, medicine, and democracy.”

She touched upon the parallels between the COVID-19 pandemic and the issues in the United States.

“The pandemic has been terribly hard for the world, especially for the most underdeveloped and poor countries,” Agosin said.

She said during dictatorships, the world “becomes silent.”

Agosin noted the parallels between the Talbian and the Chilean dictatorship.

She explained before the Chilean coup, her father was a professor. She said it was difficult for him to work with students from both the left and right sides.

Agosin said in 1973 “the world Chile

knew was gone,” but as people started to disappear, art emerged.

Agosin discussed how revolutions start, noting George Floyd’s death as the catalyst for Black Lives Matter.

“Revolutions start with five or six people who want to create a movement,” she said.

Agosin explained that younger people, union workers, and leaders fled Chile during the coup. In response, groups of women turned to the Catholic church and decided to use creativity as an outlet.

One of the women decided to make tapestries to cope with the terrible living conditions.

“The women made something beautiful and something sorrowful,” Agosin said.

She said there was a group of 14 women who made tapestries and searched for the missing.

“What is so humbling is this group of art is made of very precarious material. The materials were the materials of poverty. I believe these women contributed to overthrowing the dictatorship,” Agosin said.

She explained how the tapestries can symbolize many different aspects of human culture, such as service and education, abortion rights, and justice.

Agosin touched upon how using tapestries as a way to tell stories dates back to Greek mythology.

Lavinia, a popular figure in Greek

Caroline Gordon / THE GATEPOST mythology, was brutally raped. Her perpetrators ripped out her tongue so she couldn’t speak of it.

She created a tapestry to tell the story of her rape.

Agosin said she was in graduate school, the topic of tapestries as a form of expression was not well known. But, she said there are now thousands of dissertations on tapestries and their importance to story telling.

She said, “You have to go where your heart pulls you. To me, as a poet and scholar, these [tapestries] are important work because they touch the heart and engage the mind.”

CONNECT WITH CAROLINE GORDON cgordon4@student.framingham.edu

“The more I teach, the more I encounter young people who know the partial truth, not the entire truth,” - Marjorie Agosin, Artist of “Arpilleras”

Caroline Gordon / THE GATEPOST

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ARTS ARTS&&FEATURES FEATURES

SEPTEMBER24, 24,2021 2021||13 13 SEPTEMBER

Mazmanian Gallery presents ‘Arpilleras’

Photos by Caroline Gordon /THE GATEPOST Spread by Leighah Beausoleil, Maddison Behringer, Emma Lyons /THE GATEPOST

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ARTS & FEATURES

Lil Nas X exceeds expectations with debut album

By Jack Mclaughlin Staff Writer

After a series of hits over the past few years, Lil Nas X’s debut album “MONTERO” has finally been released.

The artist has seen a significant rise in fame since the release of “Old Town Road” in 2019, becoming a rare instance of a gay person of color dominating the charts time and time again.

The album has certainly lived up to the anticipation that started building in March with the release of the single “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name),” which triggered controversy from religious groups due to the music video’s content and the shoes that were sold at this time that contained Lil Nas X’s blood.

This controversy captivated me in the following days of the music video’s release, and seriously got me interested in the release of this album.

I adored the track and liked how Lil Nas X responded to the controversy on his Twitter with sly comments like “I am not gonna spend my entire career trying to cater to your children. That is your job” only got me

more excited to see where this was leading to.

After having listened to the singles that came out in the leading months to the album’s release, the entire album exceeded all expectations and has been such an enjoyable experience to listen to over the few days that it’s been released.

Lil Nas X has described making MONTERO as a therapeutic experience, where he “…began healing many unchecked wounds, facing skeletons in my closet I never wanted to, fighting internally every day and crying persistently.”

With this perspective, I couldn’t help but appreciate this album even more as it shows how much passion went into each of the 15 tracks which creates an entertaining listen that is easily one of the best albums of the year.

The album begins by throwing listeners in with previously released singles like “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)” and “INDUSTRY BABY,” which is a perfect way to reel listeners in with two of the biggest songs that were released this year.

One of the recurring themes on the album is Lil Nas X responding to

the claim that he couldn’t make another hit like “Old Town Road” but proves them wrong with lines like “Funny how you said it was the end, yeah. Then I went did it again, yeah.”

After the fantastic opening to the album, Lil Nas X does not slow down for the remainder of the tracks. The midsection of the album contains great surprises like “ONE OF ME,” which has a feature from Elton John, whose piano section adds significantly to the song.

Another great feature in this section comes with the song “DOLLA SIGN SLIME,” which features a verse from Meghan Thee Stallion.

The album’s final few tracks take a much different approach to the first two thirds. The mood of these tracks are much darker in contrast to the more energetic songs at the start, but they don’t fail to be just as good if not better than the tracks that came before it. In particular, “LIFE AFTER SALEM” fully commits to a darker mood and its combination of somber instrumental and amazing singing

by Lil Nas X makes this my favorite track on the album.

Lil Nas X was able to perfectly execute his debut album. I don’t know

when I’ll stop looping it over and over. The future of Lil Nas X looks brighter than ever, and I will certainly be there whenever he drops next.

Grade: A The future of Lil Nas X looks brighter than ever MENU

CONNECT WITH JACK MCLAUGHLIN jmclaughlin7@student.framingham.edu

‘A Quiet Place Part II’ finds its footing

By Patrick Brady

Asst. Arts & Features Editor “A Quiet Place Part II” is the sequel to 2018’s “A Quiet Place,” a horror film directed by John Krasinski.

Unlike most sequels, Krasinski manages to pull off the impossible as this film is better than its predecessor.

It was originally slated to open in theaters on March 8, 2020. But due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the film’s release was postponed until May 28.

The film most notably stars Emily Blunt as Evelyn Abbott, Cillian Murphy as Emmett, and John Krasinski as Lee Abbott.

It is currently available to stream on Paramount+.

Following the events of “A Quiet Place,” Abbott and her three kids - one of which is a newborn baby abandoned their farmhouse in search of a safe haven where the monsters won’t be able to find them. After traveling a hefty distance, her son’s foot gets caught in a bear trap causing him to scream out in pain.

Several tense minutes follow, as the family tries to run as quickly as possible, not wanting to alert the monsters any further. Their run abruptly stops when they run into a gruff-looking man, Emmett, who briskly escorts them to his under-

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ground bunker as the monsters pursue them.

Much like the first film, “A Quiet Place Part II” has its fair share of jump scares and intense, somewhat frightening, action. But while the first film mostly revolved around the scares, the second part incorporates family bonds and love into the mix.

Don’t get me wrong, “A Quiet Place” did have a heart, but the character dynamics weren’t as fleshed out as they should have been. But in the sequel, each character - including Emmett - had really well-defined strengths and weaknesses. In other words, no character felt tacked on or unnecessary.

Due to this, I cared much more about the characters, which contributed to the overall intensity of the film.

Speaking of the intense moments - while there was a dry drought near the middle of the film, once the action started, it practically did not stop. One second, a character would be chased by a monster, and the next second, they would meet up with some out-for-blood crazed townsmen.

Along with the consistent terror and tense moments, there was a fair share of jump scares. But unlike the previous film, I found they were not

overused. Of course, they did make me jump out of my seat on more than one occasion, but were used quite scarcely - up until the thrilling finale.

The best aspect of the film was the cinematography. Not only were the landscapes bursting with color and vivid detail, but they also greatly improved the post-apocalyptic theme.

From overgrown areas, to decaying architecture, the scenery contributed to the mood of the film. Much like “A Quiet Place,” the second part relies on expanding the universe, along with the quite literal destruction of the Earth.

Since the mood of the film is often somber when it’s not packed with white-knuckled tension, the sight of the world in rubble progresses the serious underlying themes. After all, in a world full of monsters and limited survivors, why would there be the need to make a joke about the demise of Mother Nature?

Furthermore, the film’s lack of comedy increases the tension. Although most horror movies are not funny, they often have the occasional light-hearted moment or subplot.

Not only does “A Quiet Place Part II” take its story seriously, but it also feels more realistic than its predecessor. There are no plot holes, the monsters are surprisingly more vi-

cious, and it’s full of heart.

“A Quiet Place Part II” solidifies Krasinski’s phenomenal directing skills and truly was a theater experience like no other.

Despite having a mediocre middle, the sequel surpassed my wildest expectations and sets up the possibility of a third film.

ADMIT ONE

Grade: AThis is the experience theaters were made for.

ADMIT ONE

CONNECT WITH PATRICK BRADY pbrady@student.framingham.edu

ARTS & FEATURES

SEPTEMBER 24, 2021 | 15

Puzzles 42. Murder mystery suspect, often 43. Wax’s opposite 44. “Cool,” to a surfer 46. Product that targets wrinkles (... letters 8 to 5) 51. 46-Across additive 52. “Getting warmer,” for one 53. Soak (up) 56. Hand ball?

57. P.R. pro, and a theme clue 60. “Little piggies” 61. In need of a back rub, say 62. Classic clown 63. Lines on city maps: Abbr.

64. Light-show light 65. Went too fast

ACROSS 1. “SNL” alum Carvey 5. Incurred, as charges 10. Have a sample of 13. Decorates with frosting 14. Rub out 15. Gum may stick to one 16. “I really don’t care” (In this clue’s answer, see letters 3 to 1) 18. ___ colada 19. Lo-___ (a bit fuzzy) 20. Musical Horne 21. Word after “split” or “burnt” 22. “Don’t ask me for anything else!” (... letters 9 to 6) 26. Vegetable in some cakes 29. In the thick of 30. Wally of cookie fame 31. “Quiet!”

36. Gravestone letters 37. Overly sweet? (... letters 4 to 3) 39. Chinese bun 40. “Symphony No. 9” composer

DOWN 1. Christian of fashion 2. Tooth trouble 3. Front-page stuff 4. Fire residue 5. Student’s second chance 6. NHL game venue 7. Like battleships 8. Manipulate 9. Part of rpm 10. A noun might be one 11. Rajon of the NBA 12. You’ll get a rise out of it 15. Swim meet garment 17. Voice hidden in “nasal tone” 22. Estimated tax org.

23.“E pluribus unum” language 24. Computer with a 24-inch model 25. Workbench gripper 26. Low-___ diet 27.“Femme” friend 28. What’s tugged in tug-of-war 31. “Frankenstein” or “Dracula” 32. Loonie’s number of Canadian dollars 33. App with drivers 34. Get exactly

35. Hunky-___ 37. Take out of the freezer 38. Chaplin of “Game of Thrones” 41. Messages limited to 280 characters 42. Eggs’ partner 44. Neuter, e.g., in grammar 45. ___ alphabet (alfa, bravo, etc.)

46. Travels the rapids 47. “Do I dare to eat a Puzzle solutions are now peach?” poet T.S. exclusively online.

48. They pick up scents 49. Uppercut targets 50. Shampoo instruction 53. “Enough!”

54. Move like sludge 55. Give a nudge 57. Second most populous city in Mo. 58. Small hailstone size 59. Colbert’s network

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PHOTOS

16 | SEPTEMBER 24, 2021

Homecoming fRAMily Photos

(Left) Liz Dystra, Camille Carvalho, Kammarie Pelland, Emily Newcomb, and Atheena Michel enjoying refreshments at the carnival 9/17.

Women’s Soccer team members help themselves to the dessert table at Moonlight Breakfast 9/17.

(Left) Alumni Yemi Ajao, ’14, Alexandra Valdez, ’16, Jean Connally, ’02, Professor Patricia Sanchez-Connally, ’01, and Tanaja Jordan, ’19, attending the Alumni of Color Reception 9/18.

Homecoming Football fans celebrate receiving their prize from the T-shirt cannon.

Fans gather at the Football game 9/18 to see the Rams win.

Freshman Lashea Joyner’s family gathers for Moonlight Breakfast, with (Left) sisters Shavon Franks and Kimberly Adams, neice Skylar Haugnbrook, freshman Taheim Page, and Lashea.

Junior Lauren Chamberlain searches for a new Hilltop Players’ shirt at RamSwap 9/17.

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Spread and Photos by Leighah Beausoleil /THE GATEPOST