FSC seniors showcase mastery at Mazmanian
Men’s basketball falls just short of MASCAC title
pg. 8
pg. 16
T he G atepost T he Inde pendent Weekly Student Ne wspa per of Framingham State College Since 1932
Find volume
us online at www.thegatepost.com
M
78 l number 19
a r c h
Hiring process for new vice president for academic affairs underway First-round interviews scheduled for next week
By Madison Dennis Editor-in-Chief After whittling down a list of over 50 applicants for the vice president for academic affairs position, an FSC search committee has invited 12 candidates to campus for first-round interviews. The interviews are scheduled to take place on Sunday and Monday of this week. Student Trustee Julie Cormio, one of the two student representatives on the search committee, said, “I think the process is going well so far. We had a good amount of people apply for the position and narrowed it down to about 12. ... The president would like a decision made by mid-April, and we seem to be on track for that.” According to Director of Human Resources Rita Colucci, the FSC search committee is comprised of 21 members of the college community
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and includes professors, staff members, administrators, board of trustee representatives and students. Colucci is co-chairing the committee with Dr. Richard Milaszewski, professor of chemistry and food science, who declined to comment. President Timothy Flanagan said administrators made a genuine effort to ensure the committee “represented all constituencies on campus.” He also noted the five or six faculty members on the committee were from a broad range of majors and disciplines. SGA president Steve Whittemore is also a member of the search committee. He said the process has been going very well so far, but added that trying to find the right candidate for FSC “can be overwhelming.” Overall, the committee is responsible for reviewing applicants and
Obama's First Year as President
Very Effec*ve Gatepost student survey conducted in February, 2010 Unsure concerning Obama’s effectiveness as president Very Ineffec*ve
Very Ineffec*ve Ineffec*ve
Unsure
Moderately Very No Answer Effec*ve Effec*ve
Leadership in health care reform
90
81
105
87
34
3
Sending more troops to Afghanistan
83
133
82
82
15
5
Preven*ng terrorism in U.S.
20
62
124
155
36
3
Job crea*on
36
91
133
115
23
2
Auto industry bailout ($40B)
38
165
137
50
10
0
Plan to help homeowners avoid foreclosure ($275B)
44
57
181
105
10
3
Bank bailout ($700B)
41
75
221
45
17
1
Number of student responses out of 400
Marathon Men pg. 15
gatepost@framingham.edu
Josh Kruger/The Gatepost
Craig O’Connor jams in Larned Hall.
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See pages 18 - 19 for DGCE’s 2010 Summer Course Schedule Student response
5 ,
Survey finds students unsure of Obama’s first-year policies’ effectiveness By Roya Bahrami Assistant News Editor By Matthew Bushery Editorial Staff
According to an unscientific Gatepost survey of 400 students, conducted in February, many survey respondents are unsure whether President Barack Obama’s policies in his first year in office were effective. Students were asked to rate the president’s performance in areas such as economic policy, health care reform and international affairs. When asked about the effectiveness of the $700 billion bank bailout, 221 students were “Unsure.” One-hundred sixteen student respondents - 29 percent - said the bailout was “Very Ineffective” or “Ineffective,” while 62 students - approximately 16 percent - found the bailout to be “Moderately Effective” or “Very Effective.” One student did not answer. Economics Professor Michael Enz said
Academic Affairs Vice President search firm unnecessary and costly pg. 14
the definition of “success” is subject to individual interpretation. “To start off, we have to determine what it means for the bank bailout to be effective,” Enz said. “If you look at the plan in preventing a complete financial meltdown, and no credit flowing anywhere, then it was an unbridled success. We prevented failure. If you look at the bailout plan as some sort of new system that will be in place where this problem will never happen again, then no, so far, it’s not a success.” Enz believes Obama implemented the bailout as a preventative measure to halt the economic meltdown. “We’re talking about financial feasibility, but at the same time, we’re also talking about political feasibility. It will take time. … Do we need a second round of stimulus? Let’s wait and see what happens with this one.” One hundred eighty-one of the 400 student respondents were ambivalent about
Nolletti’s film series: “Ballast” pg. 13
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The Gatepost
Page 2
Gatepost Interview
Police Logs Monday, March 1, 2010 13:08 Police info - FSC Police Station. Individuals concerned about a friend.
Editor-in-Chief Madison Dennis
Associate Editor Lauren Byrnes
News Editor Amy Koski
Assistant News Editors Roya Bahrami, Lindsay Chase, Rakel Hjaltadóttir and Sara Mulkeen
INTERIM ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Chris Kopacko
Arts & Features EditorS Matthew Bushery and Tom O’Brien
Assistant Arts & Features Editors Pam Barberio, Spencer Buell, Krysta Davis and Amanda Lefebvre
SPORTS EDITORS
Nenia Corcoran and Josh Primak
Assistant Sports Editors Jeff Mandeau and Chris McCabe
Interim Copy Editor Ngozi Nwabeke
Opinion Editor Staff
PHOTO EDITORS
Matt Bennett, Tom Higgins, Josh Kruger, Drake McCabe and Matthew Mikaelian
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ONLINE EDITORs Liz Anders and Jen Perrin
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Desmond McCarthy
General Staff
100 State Street, College Center Room 410 Framingham, MA 01701-9101 Phone: (508) 626-4605 Fax: (508) 626-4097 www.thegatepost.com gatepost@framingham.edu
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Shaeleen Perreault Ariana Shuris Monique Thomas
GP:Why did you decide to major in the sciences?
GP: Please give a brief summary of your resume. Kolnicki: For about seven years, I worked at Rowley Memorial Hospital SPCA. It’s the leading animal hospital in Massachusetts - that was the second largest animal hospital. … It was a huge animal hospital with four different animal wards with surgery - we had the world’s leading orthopedic surgeon and we had a diabetes expert for pet diabetes. As an emergency veterinary technician I got to do everything shy of surgery. I was a surgical
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GP: What classes are you currently teaching? Kolnicki: Currently, I am just teaching Human Biology this semester with the Bio. Concepts lab. Those are the two courses that I generally teach - biology and biological concepts.
Kolnicki: All of this is connected, but there are just different branches in GP: What do you like science where you start best about FSC? down one path and become interested in someKolnicki: I love all of thing that leads you to the people here - the another area of research. students, the faculty, … I was going to be a the staff - everybody veterinarian and that here is amazing. The was my goal, to go to vet background of the peoschool and geared up tople is so diverse, and wards that. I was in the I’m always learning premedical program and something new from I excelled - I did so well other people here. … that my primary mentor It takes me a long time suggested that I go into to get from the parking research biology, and lot to the fifth floor bethat was something that I cause I pass by so many had planned to do, but I wonderful people along was an older student and the way that I stop and I wanted to have a famconversations Lauren Byrnes/ The Gatepost have ily, so I had to balance with. Robin Kolnicki academia and family. ... And then, when my son was four years old I went back up to the university GP: What are your hobbies? and I thought that I was going to continue in working with zoology or animals and that area of research biolo- Kolnicki: I basically do acrylic painting, and I’m a gists dealing with animals, but I took a course with a drummer - I play an electric drum set. And gardening I wonderful professor who got me very much interested have a major passion for - indoor and outdoor. in chromosomal evolution, and because in her lab they didn’t focus on chromosomes, she directed me toward GP: Are you currently working on any projects? another building at UMass where they have karyotyping and chromosomal analysis going on. … My mentor Kolnicki: Several - I currently have a chapter in a book left biology and went into geo. sciences, and so it made that has been accepted by a publisher and is going into sense for me to follow into geo. sciences. And we’re ba- final review, and should be coming out later this year. I sically taking biological information - chromosomes - am finishing up my Ph.D. at UMass. and combining it with geography. And so, my new area expertise will be zoo geography. GP: Do you have any advice for students?
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Kolnicki: My undergraduate work was primarily premedical at American International College in Springfield. I continued at American International College and got a master’s in education in science. … And then I went to the University of Massachusetts in 1994 to get a Ph.D. in evolutionary biology, but ended up switching over to bio. technology. And then I stayed at the university, and now I’m in geo. sciences.
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Kolnicki: I think that students should find what they’re interested in and pursue it and try to take time to enjoy the process and the time that they’re here. I see a lot of students are eager to get through it and to finish, and when I hear them … [saying] “I can’t wait until I get out” and “I can’t wait until this is over,“ I try to remind them that maybe they don’t really mean that. Maybe they’re going to look back and really enjoy the memories of being here. Take a deep breath and maybe not try to take on too much.
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GP: What is your educational background?
technician, anesthesiologist, [and] radiologist. [It was] very exciting. And then, I went into teaching. I taught high school for quite a few years in Western Mass. area, and then ... I taught students biology at Springfield Technical Community College. Then, I started teaching at American International College. I taught nurses and physical therapists anatomy and physiology, and I also taught ecology. And then, I came here in 1999.
WednesdaY
Editorial Board
By Lauren Byrnes Associate Editor
Tuesday
Wednesday, March 3, 2010 08:58 Medical - Hemenway Hall. One female has blacked out. 20:23 Assault - Horace Mann Hall.
Robin Kolnicki Biology Department
Monday
Tuesday, March 2, 2010 14:07 Alarm (Carbon Monoxide) - Linsley Hall. CO alarm, trouble alarm sounding. 14:27 Trespassing - Maple Parking Lot 2. One male trespassing. Subject here for baseball practice, advised, removed.
March 5, 2010
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The Gatepost
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Jarnis: effectiveness of stimulus package difficult to determine -Continued from page 1
the $275 billion plan to aid homeowners in danger of defaulting on their mortgages. One hundred eighty-one student respondents said they were unsure. One hundred fifteen students believed the plan was moderately effective or very effective. One hundred one students said the plan was ineffective or very ineffective. Three students did not answer the question. When asked what they thought about the auto industry bailout, which provided U.S. car companies Ford, GM and Chrysler with approximately $40 billion to avoid bankruptcy, one hundred sixty-five survey respondents - approximately 41 percent - believe the bailout is ineffective. Thirty-eight students found the bailout to be very ineffective. One hundred thirty-seven of the respondents said they were unsure about the effectiveness of the bailout, while 60 students - 15 percent - found it to be moderately or very effective. One survey respondent expressed displeasure with the various economic bailouts handed out by the Obama administraton, stating, “It’s time to let these banks and other companies sink or swim. The whole economy isn’t going to decline because of a few ailing industries. [Obama] needs to recognize this and realize he can’t fix everything.” Another survey respondent said, “I feel like he’s spent a lot of money the wrong way.” Another respondent believes “there have really been no drastic changes in the economy. Even with the bailout, car companies and dealers are still losing money and shutting down.” Government Department Chair George Jarnis is not surprised many students are unsure about Obama’s plans to fix the economy. “A lot of people are unsure, as you’re dealing with a massive stimulus package dealing with long-term policies as of yet unforeseen how they will play out,” said Jarnis. “As a result of that, all the assessment indicators have not been in place long enough to do an effective assessment. As we move through the stimulus package, we need to monitor the short-term effects … but the long-term effects are still going to be outside our crystal ball.” Jarnis added it is difficult to determine the effectiveness of the stimulus package because opinions on the bailout are not universal. “Had we not given out the money, it’s hard to base comparative judgment on what we see and grounding in what might have - or have not - happened with the aid given. That is to say, stabilization was a key factor in ultimately deciding to give the money.”
Enz said, “These students who think it was ineffective I don’t think realize what success in terms of saving these companies means. If the intent of the bailout was to prevent the auto companies from going bankrupt, then it did work. They’re still operating. A question of how many jobs were saved because of the bailout will never be known. … I think the Chrysler bailout was moderately successful. I know it was unheard of in terms of govern-
“I believe Obama has been too focused on
pushing his health care bill through Congress. He should focus more on withdrawing from the Middle East and effectively reviving the American economy.”
-Anonymous survey respondent
ment providing support, but it worked.” History Professor Jon Huibregtse believes the perceived success of the auto and bank bailouts depends on what happens a few years down the line. “I think it’s too early to tell,” said Huibregtse. “There’s no way to gauge the consequences of letting those two sectors of the economy fail completely. If in 10 years, GM has bounced back, employed more people and is on the cutting edge of new technology, then it was successful. If it goes back to producing SUVs and exporting jobs, then it was unsuccessful. “In banking, it will have failed if banks are allowed to continue the same destructive practices that created the problems in the first place. The bailout is in some way irrelevant. The question is, ‘How will the industry and government respond to try to prevent it from happening again?’” With nearly 10 percent of Americans unemployed, survey respondents were split in regard to the impact Obama has had in creating new jobs. One hundred twenty-seven students deem Obama’s efforts ineffective or very ineffective, while 137 students think his efforts have been moderately or very effective. One hundred thirty-three respondents said they were unsure, and two respondents did not answer the question. One survey respondent said, “I think [Obama] has done well. The economy was in shambles, and he can’t just snap his fingers and have everything fixed. I like how he has shifted to focusing on jobs and economic stability and stepped back on health care for the moment.” Enz sees progress in Obama’s efforts to create jobs
nationwide. “In January ’09, we were just shedding jobs until the middle of last year. Then, it got moderately better, so I think [Obama] has been relatively effective. The unemployment figure is going to be a lagging figure. The economy needs to turn around before companies begin hiring more people, so unemployment is going to take time to recover from. “It’s a necessity for the administration if they want to get re-elected,” he added. “If they’re not creating new jobs, addressing new jobs, they won’t make it a second term.” Jarnis believes the country is “really just looking to maintain jobs, I think, as opposed to create jobs - at least for the time being. “To really identify the effectiveness of the job market, you’ve got to look at what kinds of jobs are actually being created - long-term versus short-term, the quality of those jobs, et cetera. The category of just creating jobs is a very broad category for the survey. Sustainability and employment are different, and that’s key to differentiate when thinking about the whole job market.” When asked how effective the president has been in preventing terrorism in the U.S., most survey respondents believe Obama has done well. One hundred ninety-one student respondents said Obama was moderately or very effective in combating terrorism. Eighty-two respondents believe the president has been ineffective or very ineffective in preventing terrorism. One hundred twenty-four students were unsure, and three did not answer. Jarnis suggested the absence of terrorist attacks on the U.S. since Obama was elected is proof of the president’s success in deterring terrorism nationwide. “Take a look at the non-events affecting people’s opinion rather than activity that has happened or [was] conspired by certain parties against the U.S. Non-events dictate the judgment of how well we’ve done versus terrorism.” Two hundred-sixteen students - 54 percent - believe Obama’s decision to send more troops to Afghanistan has been either very ineffective or ineffective, whereas 97 students - 24 percent - find it to be moderately or very effective. Eighty-two students were unsure, and five students did not answer. One respondent said, “I believe Obama has been too focused on pushing his health care bill through Congress. He should focus more on withdrawing from the Middle East and effectively reviving the American economy.” Another survey respondent said, “He needs to focus more on the important things like getting us out of debt and this war.” Several survey respondents shared their opinions on -Continued on page 4
L i k e t o w r i t e? Wa n t t o g e t p u b l i s h e d ? J o i n Th e G a t e p o s t ! Tu e s d ays 6:00 p.m . C C 410
SGA prepares for budget hearings
By Sara Mulkeen Assistant News Editor At Tuesday night’s SGA meeting, senators discussed Friday’s budget process, voted to allocate funds to the Catholic Newman Association and amended the constitutions of the Veterans’ Association and the Hiking Club. Vice President for Enrollment and Student Development Susanne Conley spoke at the meeting, thanking SGA executive board members and senators for backing the school’s initiative to get the Hemenway Project back on the Five-Year Capital-Spending Plan. Students signed a poster, which will be delivered to Governor Deval Patrick, asking him to get the project back on track for 2015. Director of Student Involvement and Leadership Development (SILD) Rachel Lucking spoke to SGA members regarding the rules and regulations of designating club budgets from the Student Activities Trust Fund (SATF). “The purpose of the SATF is to expand and improve campus events and enhance campus life,” Lucking said. Members addressed concerns over how to ensure that clubs are spending money allocated for a specific event on that event and not for ex-
penditures that haven’t been approved by SGA. Lucking explained that in the future, SILD would not grant permission to clubs which plan to spend money which had been allocated for another purpose. Lucking advised SGA members to base club budgets on the events they plan to hold. SGA Treasurer Sara Mills said she “worked hard” to cut SGA’s budget, since they have asked clubs to do the same in light of the economy. “I wanted to set an example,” she said. SGA members voted to allocate $965 requested by Catholic Newman Association Treasurer Jean-Francois Jacquier for the club’s annual retreat. Members also accepted the constitutions of FSC’s Veterans’ Association and Hiking Club as amended for the second time. SGA senators urged students to attend the Mass PHENOM rally at the State House on Monday, March 8 in support of public higher education. Whittemore also announced Dean of Students Melinda Stoops supports the initiative to acquire the CollegiateLink program. However, ITS approval is still pending.
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The Gatepost
March 5, 2010
Majority of survey respondents oppose troop surge to Afghanistan -Continued from page 3
Obama’s decision to withdraw troops from Iraq and move them to Afghanistan. “I support him as a president, but do not agree with his decision to send more troops to Afghanistan,” wrote one respondent. Another said, “I believe he has done well. … He has stuck with promises and as much as the process is being slowed, the economy is turning around, [and] plans for withdrawal from Iraq are being formed and put together.” Another respondent said, “He still has a [long] way to go, but I think he was smart to raise standards in security.” During his first few weeks in office, Obama shut down the controversial prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, created by the Bush administration to house alleged terrorist suspects. When the survey respondents were asked whether they believe it was right to shut down the prison, 159 students said yes, 139 said no and 100 students were unsure. Two respondents did not answer. One survey respondent said Guantanamo Bay “should’ve been shut down ages ago or never even have been started,” adding that the decision to open the prison “proved how dumb George Bush really is. To think you’re gonna be able to get anything out of prisoners being tortured is backwards and totally wrong.” One of Obama’s main goals is to expand health care coverage. One hundred seventy-one students surveyed think the president’s leadership in expanding health care coverage has been either very ineffective or ineffective, while 121 students believe his leadership has been moderately or very effective. One hundred-five students are unsure, and three students did not answer. One survey respondent said, “I like the health care bill, but I believe that this is an inappropriate time to be spending money on it because of the state of the economy.” Another respondent said, “I think President Obama has done a good job so far. I like the health care plan he is working on.” Several students disapproved of the proposed health care plan. One survey respondent said, “I really dislike [Obama’s] health care plan. I believe that it will be ineffective for the people who already have health care.” Another respondent said, “I think [Obama’s] health care plan only gives everyone bad health care.” Huibregtse said, “It is appalling to me … that so many people are uninsured and that insurance companies wield so much influence. The U.S. has one of the least efficient, most expensive health-care systems in the industrialized world. It’s appalling that nothing is being done to improve it.” Jarnis said it’s going to take more than just Obama
leadership for health care reform to happen. “Leadership is a multidirectional activity. It’s not isolated within the confines of the leader, whoever that happens to be, so it’s a dynamic process which engages many others. “Even if we judge this negatively, what are we really looking at? Is the assumption high that the leader should be able to execute properly? Should the leader be able to bring to fruition the set-out goals? The consensus in this survey and in public opinion suggests the goals haven’t been accomplished, but the timetable for this endeavor has only partly been measured. Obama said this was goal number one, and we have not seen the fruits of his goals yet.” One survey respondent said Obama’s efforts to produce an effective health care plan are pushing it further away from both public and congressional acceptance. “I think his ideas are there, but he has poor execution. Take, for example, universal health care - the U.S. needs such a plan because a large portion of our population is without it. However, Obama’s means of implementation are only making the situation worse.” Of the 400 students surveyed, 146 said they voted for Obama, 78 said they did not vote for him, 81 said they were too young to vote at the time, 75 said they did not vote at all, 15 indicated they were not registered at the time and five did not answer. One hundred thirty of the students who voted for Obama said they still support him, while 12 survey respondents who voted for the president no longer do. Four respondents did not answer. Of those who voted for someone other than Obama, eight support the president now and 69 still do not. One respondent did not answer. One survey respondent said, “If I could have voted, I would have, and [I] still support Obama.” Another respondent, who did not vote for Obama, said, “I think [Obama’s] done a horrible job, just as I expected [he would]! I voted for McCain and am still proud to say so!” One hundred twenty-seven students surveyed are registered as Democrats, 124 are Independents, 65 are Republicans and 13 are registered under different parties. Sixty-eight students are not registered to vote, and three students did not answer. Members of the Political Roundtable Club at FSC mostly believe Obama has been getting too much negative press for the job he’s done during his first year in office. Sophomore political science major Maxwell Morrongiello said, “The negative press doesn’t necessarily mean [Obama’s] policies weren’t effective, though most of them, right now, aren’t receiving favorable opinion from the American public.” Morrongiello gave his reaction about how the economic stimulus package has been received nationally. He said, “Most economists will say that the stimulus did create new jobs. “There’s a lot of hype one way and anger the other way, lots of misinformation. It’s really hard sometimes to discern how well of a job the president is really doing, but overall, I’d say it’s better than many people are giving him credit for.” Junior history major Andrew Rois, who voted for Obama, said, “You can’t gauge change in our government and policies instantly. It’s obviously going to take [Obama] a little while longer to develop some policies and assure the right direction is being taken.” Several survey respondents believe Obama has performed admirably given the circumstances when he came into office. One survey respondent said, “I think he’s done very well. I feel people are too critical and expect him to do more than anyone is capable of doing. Rebuilding the country takes time.” Another respondent said, “He has done a fairly good job in office, keeping in mind that he had a lot left over from Bush. Considering that, he has done the best he can.” One survey respondent said, “He has three more years.” Another student respondent said, “He came into office at a tough time and is trying to make things work, but there will always be criticism.” “Given the massive problems he inherited,” another survey respondent said, “I don’t think
he’s done a terrible job. I actually think many of the problems stem not from poor ideas or poor strategy, but from politicians in Congress who, for some reason, don’t actually want to help anyone but themselves.” Another survey respondent stated, “I think he’s done all right. He hasn’t lived up to his campaign promises sure - but candidates never do. There were, and are, huge messes to clean up from the previous eight years. He can’t be expected to fix or be blamed for everything, especially in 12 months.” One survey respondent blames the structure of the government for Obama’s problems, stating, “I think he’s done well against the opposition. However, under this system of government, with parties dividing us, we can never truly prosper.” Another survey respondent said, “I think he’s tried, but I think he needs to take a stronger leadership role if he is going to produce change.” Another student “believe[s] that President Obama has the right intentions. I blame this year’s inefficiency on the bureaucracy of Washington.” Some respondents said they have confidence in the president. One student said, “I like how he is able to stand strong as a leader, despite how everyone is criticizing him.” Another survey respondent said, “He appears to be confident in his abilities, and that helps me feel confident in him.” Some surveyed students were much harsher in their assessment of the president. One student said, “He has done nothing but destroy this country economically.” Another student respondent said, “He has not kept up [the] promises made during his campaign. His reckless spending is sending the country to a deep grave.” Another respondent said, “He should not be the president of America. Young voters will be shocked when they grow up.” Another respondent said, “I do not think he has done good … and personally, I don’t think he should have won the Nobel Prize - he hasn’t done anything major.” Several survey respondents noted their political and personal differences with the president. “I feel that he has not done very much and what he has proposed always seems to be the complete opposite of what our country needs and against the average person’s morals,” said a survey respondent. Another student said, “As far as public speaking and maintaining order, he has been effective; however, he has not followed through with most promises, and I do not agree with his ideas.” Many students appear to be unsure about their opinion of the president. One student respondent said, “I don’t know. I feel like nothing has changed yet. So far, I am unimpressed.” Another respondent said, “I’m in the middle with Obama’s efficiency in office. It’s obvious that he’s trying, but you can’t expect him to fix an entire country overnight. I think America would be in the same state it is now regardless [of Obama’s winning the election].” According to Huibregtse, Enz and Jarnis, a lack of bipartisanship is the root of not just the Obama administration’s perceived failures in implementing policies thus far, but the failures of the U.S. government as a whole. “I will say that if the two parties don’t find a way to work together, compromise and truly lead, this country is in for much worse than it has experienced in the last 18 months,” said Huibregtse. “They both [Democrats and Republicans] need to get out of the intellectual doldrums and think creatively. They’re both mired in the past.” Enz said, “Getting things accomplished is continually becoming harder and harder with the lack of bipartisanship. It’s difficult for any president in the past, and especially today [for Obama].” Jarnis said, “I think it’s both the bipartisanship issue as well as the lack of effective implementation of policy. “There’s a great dichotomy that is grounded in our partisan attitudes today, which isn’t new to us or at variance with the past couple of decades. I’m not so sure Obama’s going to get high marks from students of the presidency about how he’s managed this agenda or how he’s executed his potential options as president. “I think to a large extent, what he does or does not do strategically in all his interactions and interplay with Congress and playing with partisan politics dictates his persona in office, how he’s perceived. He’s certainly victimized by our political climate today, though.”
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The Gatepost
March 5, 2010
$52,000 search firm assists in generating applicant pool
-Continued from page 1
providing Flanagan with a list of pros and cons about each of the five final candidates they choose. “But the committee is not charged with making a recommendation to the president as to who the final candidate will be. That decision lies entirely with the president,” said Colucci. “So, what he [Flanagan] is relying on the committee to do, is to get to let him know what we as a committee feel is each person’s strengths and each person’s weaknesses.” Flanagan said he prefers this list of pros and cons to a ranked recommendation of candidates. “To be sure, the committee can express preferences in the way they describe strengths and weaknesses,” he said, but because candidates are often involved in multiple searches, the possibility of a few of the finalists having already accepted a position elsewhere is relatively high. “You don’t ever want to be in a situation where you have candidates ranked number one, two, three, four, five and maybe candidates one and two take other positions somewhere else - it’s not good for the candidate and it’s not good for the institution. “It’s better all around to have pluses and minuses on all the candidates rather than a ranked-order kind-of thing,” he said. Flanagan said though the committee is not responsible for making a final recommendation, he considers the committee’s input as the “single most important thing” he relies on in making his decision. “They put a lot of time into this - a tremendous amount of time into it.” He said he would be interviewing applicants and forming his own impressions of the candidates as well, but noted that “when I get that summary from the committee on the strengths and weaknesses of each person, that’s probably the most important information I will get.” Flanagan, before becoming president at FSC, was the provost and vice president for academic affairs at the State University of New York at Brockport. He hopes his own experience in the role will help him be able to recognize what qualities to look for in applicants. “I understand the role - the challenges, the rewards and the frustrations associated with the job - it wasn’t exactly the same. … To some extent, the relationship between the vice president of academic affairs and the individual faculty members at a place like Framingham State is even closer, because our vice president for academic affairs plays a direct role in faculty recruitment, selection, supervision, evaluation, promotion, tenure - without a whole lot of filters in between like in larger colleges. In many respects, it’s a more complicated role,” he said. For this particular search, FSC administrators have enlisted the help of an outside search firm. The national executive search firm, Greenwood/Asher and Associates, is based out of Washington, D.C. The firm was selected by a small committee of faculty and staff, Colucci said.
After the college released a request for proposals, multiple search agencies applied and were reviewed by the committee. “They really just seemed to know what they were talking about,” Colucci said. “They’re very good.” Flanagan said, “I think one of the reasons that Greenwood/Asher got the job was that they’ve done several searches in institutions like ours - public universities
firm. There’s so many different opinions throughout campus that you sort of need that third party to mediate.” Cormio also believes hiring the search firm was a good investment for the college. “They have done this many times before and have far greater experience than we do. They knew certain people to reach out to and have done a lot of the work in helping us come to decisions. They are
Drake McCabe/ The Gatepost
Vice President of Academic Affairs Robert Martin
and so forth - so they kind of know the ter- entirely focused on assisting Framingham rain.” He noted the firm had impressive na- State, and this is not a process we would tional connections that would be helpful in have been able to do alone.” the recruitment of applicants. Colucci said, “The most important Cormio said she is happy FSC chose thing a search firm can do for you is to Greenwood/Asher and Associates to as- create your candidate pool - and they did sist in the search process. “They have done a good job at that. … They actually make an amazing job helping us narrow down personal contact with a lot of prospective the candidates. The search firm we chose candidates. They will contact people and is very experienced in search committees ask those people to recommend others.” for public higher education, so they had a She noted the search firm made over 400 good idea of what to look for.” phone calls and generated a pool of about According to Colucci, the firm is charg- 50 well-qualified applicants for the search ing $52,000 for its services. Dr. Dale Hamel, committee to consider. senior vice president for administration Though the Human Resources Departand finance, said this money has been ment has set up advertisements on promibudgeted in nent higher the Geneducation eral Purjob Web “The most important thing in looking for a pose Trust sites, Cofuture vice president is someone who is able Fund for FY lucci said 2010. the active to work effectively with other people, who “They recruitment can bring diverse people together, who were midof candidates respects that diverse people bring diverse line,” Cois crucial to ideas and diverse perspectives to an issue.” lucci said, the search regarding process. - Dr. Robert Martin the price “You can of the firm do as much compared to other executive search agen- advertising as you want or can afford to, cies. She noted they were also much more but you’re sort of at the mercy of whether impressive than other search firms she had your ad catches their eye, whether they’re reviewed. looking, whether maybe somebody saw it Colucci said, “It’s a lot of money,” but and told them. Whereas the search firm reit is worth the price. “It’s much more direct cruiting is much more direct. They’re callrecruiting, and that kind of recruiting is ing people up, and saying, ‘Hey - are you something that we are not staffed up here interested in a really great job?’” she said. to be able to do.” Colucci said the poor economy made Whittemore said he has been im- well-qualified applicants more difficult pressed with the search committee so far. to come by, which made one-on-one re“Their knowledge and the way they work cruiting much more important than during - they’re so organized that it makes our job economically stable times. “In a healthier so much less stressful. … I don’t know economy, people are more willing to take how you could do this without a search a chance and they’re out there looking. In this economy, we felt that people were just Education Students kind of hunkering down and saying ‘I’m ATTENTION not going anywhere!’” A director of Human Resources at anAll Framingham State College Sophomore, Junior, and Post-Bacother New England public institution of calaureate Students Seeking Teacher Licensure higher education who asked to remain Announcing The Nobscot Reading Council Scholarship anonymous said, “I personally don’t think - Open to students seeking early childhood, elementary, or sec- they [search firms] are necessary. … I can onday teacher licensure. bring as much quality to a search process.” - Must be in good academic standing with a minimum Q.P.A. of The source said the price was too high and the services too few to be worth a $50,000 2.7 price tag. - Scholarship award: $200.00 gift card to the college bookstore The source noted that his institution - Pick up an application outside the Education Department office rarely used search firms. in Dwight Hall. Eva Gaffney, director of public affairs
at Bridgewater State College, said her institution primarily uses the traditional form of Web advertising to attract applicants. She said that if the position would be particularly difficult to fill, or if the college’s own searches proved fruitless, they would typically not engage in using a search firm. She said the traditional, in-house search has always worked well for her institution, and the only position they have used a search firm for in the past 12 years was for a vice president of institutional advancement. BSC has also recently hired a new vice president of academic affairs, and did so without the use of a search firm. According to Colucci, FSC’s search firm will also help in “guiding” the rest of the hiring process, including being present at the first-round interviews and negotiating salary and benefits. She added the search firm has no say in selecting and reviewing candidates, however. “The decision is entirely the committee’s decision.” Over the past few weeks, the committee has been reviewing the applications the search firm provided. Flanagan said the search firm and search committee worked together in developing the job description for the vice president for academic affairs position, which, according to Colucci, is being offered with a $135,000 - $145,000 salary. Flanagan described what he and the search committee are looking for in a candidate. “We want somebody with deep and extensive academic experience - someone who has a long experience in a faculty role and understands the principal teaching obligations - somebody who has ‘walked the walk,’ if you will.” He also said experience in an administrative role and with collective bargaining agreements, along with the ability to lead a group of people, are incredibly important credentials for the job. Flanagan noted he is impressed not only with the number applications the college received, but also the quality of the candidates. “I think it says volumes about the college that we’ve attracted a very large pool.” The current Vice President for Academic Affairs, Robert Martin, who plans on retiring before the beginning of the next academic year, said he thinks “the most important thing in looking for a future vice president is someone who is able to work effectively with other people, who can bring diverse people together, who respects that diverse people bring diverse ideas and diverse perspectives to an issue.” He also cited optimism and excellent leadership skills as necessary characteristics for the position. Freshman Stephanie Turgon, a psychology major, said she hopes the committee chooses someone with an impressive academic history, who knows a lot about the different majors FSC offers. Victoria Gelsonini, also a freshman, hopes the new vice president will be open to student feedback, and will consider what students want in their academic programs. She also hopes that administrators will invite more students to participate in the process. “I feel like we aren’t really that involved in it,” she said. Regarding internal faculty applying for the position, Flanagan said they would be evaluated on the same criteria as other candidates, and would not be considered before outside applicants. “The search committee has a set of criteria that they have developed in advance, and this is standard practice, and those criteria apply to all candidates equally. By definition, when you -Continued on page 6
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Martin looks forward to retiring, teaching
start a national search, you stipulate in advance what the criteria are, and typically, you don’t give any kind of preference or priority to internal candidates. And if you did, nobody from outside would apply. Everybody’s on the same footing,” he said. Colucci noted, however, that “the process was very open in terms of who could apply” and that “everyone was welcome.” Once the first-round interviews are complete, the committee will again review the 12 candidates and select three to five finalists to bring to campus for a full-day, comprehensive interview. During this day-long interview, candidates will meet individually with both Flanagan and members of the Academic Affairs Office who directly report to the vice president. An open forum will also be held, in which students, faculty and staff can all meet the candidates, ask them questions and provide feedback to the search committee, said Flanagan. Colucci said a feedback questionnaire could be used at the open forum, which would allow members of the community to submit their opinions to the committee. “The committee hasn’t talked about that yet … but it’s something we might do so that there would be a way for people to communicate what they liked or didn’t like about somebody.” Flanagan said this point in the process is particularly important. “On paper, they’re all spectacularly well-
qualified,” he said. “Now, you sort of shift from looking at their backgrounds and experience, and at this point, it becomes more of an issue of ‘fit’ - who actually would do the best job in this environment.” After the one-day comprehensive interview, the search committee will send a report to Flanagan regarding each candidate’s strengths and weaknesses, and he will make a final decision as to which candidate he will choose for the position. Colucci said she is excited about the chance to work with a new vice president of academic affairs, but is sad to see Martin retire. “It’s exciting to bring in somebody new at that level because it’s such a high-level position,
“The most important thing a search firm can do for you is to create your candidate pool - and they did a good job at that.” - Rita Colucci but at the same time we are really going to miss Dr. Martin, because he’s a really wonderful guy.” Hamel is excited about the new ideas that will be brought to the campus community with the addition of a new vice president. “We all love Bob - so it will be sad to see him go both from a colleague’s perspective and a friend’s perspective,” he said, “but change is good. It’s difficult, but good.” Flanagan hopes he will be able to choose a vice president who will fit in well with the dynamics already established between administrators of the college. “We have such a wonderful executive team here,” he said. “We’re really, really fortunate that the vice presidents we have here work so well together and are so talented they respect each other - and you don’t want anything to upset that! There’s a new element being introduced, and there’s an excitement associated with that … but then there’s a team-building experience that has to go with it as well.” Though Martin said he would miss his position as vice president for academic affairs, he believes he’s ready for a change. “I’ve done what I’ve been doing long enough.” He said he has a number of activities he is looking forward to in his retirement, including spending time with his three grandchildren and becoming an ‘Adiron-
March 5, 2010
dack 46-er.’ “When I was a college student, a lot of years ago, I worked at a summer camp, and I began climbing the 46 high peaks in the Adirondacks. … I’ve climbed a lot of those mountains, but I’m only about halfway through the 46. So one of my goals is to finish it up - to go back to the Adirondacks and become an Adirondack 46-er.” Martin will be returning to campus next semester, however, as a visiting lecturer in the Psychology Department. He said he is looking forward to getting back in the classroom and teaching the Behavior Modification course. Turgon said she is looking forward seeing what Martin is like in the classroom. Martin said he doesn’t plan on having a formal role in the vice president for academic affairs search. “I believe pretty strongly that people who are leaving shouldn’t be involved in picking their successor. I just don’t think that’s my place,” he said. “If there’s a way in which I can help out, in terms of meeting candidates who come to the campus, and talking about the position, or talking about challenges that are ahead for the campus, I’d be pleased to do that. But I don’t want and don’t expect any kind of formal role in the selection process.” Martin did, however, offer some advice to the candidates for the new academic affairs vice president position. “Know something about the institution,” he said, “its history, its culture, its programs, its aspirations. … Think in as clear-eyed and clear-headed a way as possible about what strengths you bring to the position. And as well, to be clear about what you don’t know and areas where you are going to need to learn and to get up to speed.” Flanagan also offered some advice to the candidates who will be interviewed this weekend. “I think the most important thing that an applicant for a position like this needs to do is that they need to take the time and put in the effort to understand Framingham State College. … The fact of the matter is that there is a unique culture and a unique set of legacies and attitudes that characterize Framingham State, and they need to take the time to learn that.” Hamel said that any candidate who chooses FSC will not be disappointed. “This is a great place to work, and I think that anybody who decides to come here will be pleased with that decision. … When you’re in a position like this, you end up loving your job. That’s why we’re here - we’re not in private industry and other areas, where, to be frank, you can make more money, because we feel like we’re making a difference.”
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March 5, 2010
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Music and Magic at FSC Matt Mikaelian/The Gatepost
Matt Mikaelian/The Gatepost
Matt Mikaelian/The Gatepost
SUAB sponsored a magician last Sunday.
Matt Mikaelian/The Gatepost
Erika Kruger/The Gatepost
Matt Mikaelian/The Gatepost
The Vagina Monologues at its first showing in The Forum The Random Jam event brought to足 gether musical acts from all over FSC. Below: The Animal Mouth radio show.
Kelsey Loverude/The Gatepost
Kelsey Loverude/The Gatepost
Kelsey Loverude/The Gatepost
Kelsey Loverude/The Gatepost
Kelsey Loverude/The Gatepost
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March 5, 2010
ARTS & FEATURES
FSC seniors showcase master y at Mazma nian
By Erika Kruger Staff Writer ach year, the Mazmanian Gallery features the senior thesis projects, giving students a chance to put their art on display and be publicly critiqued. In the past few weeks, the first set of senior thesis pieces have been shown in the gallery. Three artists - Amy Young, Jess Roy, and Liz Sousa - are the first to present their projects, each unique and beautiful. Amy Young decided to take a semi-abstract style and combine it with a portrayal of realistic objects. She used toys as her subject, abstracted to give them a feel of a distant memory. The toys, though some may consider them rudimentary and overused, were a perfect and interesting subject to use in her collection. The set of twelve variously sized paintings used interesting collage pieces, composed of newspapers, pictures and other material, underneath colorful pastels and subtle swashes of bright, vibrant colors. The collage underneath, occasionally using wallpapering lacquers, gives each picture a lovely, thick texture. Conceptually and visually, the underlay is very effective. even when stepping back and taking in the entire collection, but occasionally, a piece will have an outlying color in the collage underneath that creates some cacophony in the piece. The “Untitled” turtle and the “Untitled” deer were composed a bit awkwardly when it came to the collage in the background. Also, another issue with the pictures is that, even as a complete, well-organized collection, they could have used a better presentation. Some of the larger pictures were a bit more scattered, as the smaller pictures were grouped tightly together. The edges of the canvas, being upraised, create a naturally better presentation than if the canvas was cut and mounted flatly, though and it is effective with the gallery’s lighting.
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Overall, the collection is very well made and shows a tight unity in color and composition. Each piece is individual, but also can be seen as a puzzle piece in the cloud of memories that Amy presents. Roy’s collection is composed of three beautiful pieces, all very similar in size. Roy’s pictures depict a past time frame, namely during World War I. Beautiful, colorful scenes are made by using bright colors mixed with subtle grays and greens. The use of such different palettes creates almost a hazy, memory-like feel, as if the emotions in each painting were portrayed in the scene, rather than in the expression on the subjects’ faces. In fact, the faces of the beings in the pictures seem to be void of any severe emotion and seem complacent and generic. In the picture titled “Poppies,” Roy did not include distinct faces at all, but used the positions of each subject’s body as well as background scenery, ultimately to make the painting a unified whole. Drastic complementary colors are used in all three pictures, making forms and shapes stand out very effectively. The presentation of the pictures is also very effective. Each picture is upraised off the wall about two inches by a backing frame that brings it more forward into the light and gives it a dramatic touch. Curiously, Roy uses far more grey in “Poppies” than she does in the other two paintings. The title alone suggest a somber, sleepy feel, but the theme seems to wander a little and some more color could have been added to make it fit better in the collection. Roy has created very impressive works that are effectively eye-catching and beautiful when studied close-up. Her presentation of them is also nearly flawless and her work provokes further interest in the lives of her historical, unnamed characters. Sousa’s paintings stand boldly apart from the others, straying from the idea of memories, to the concept of nature
and natural surroundings. Her giant acrylic paintings splash the walls with high contrast shapes and bold lines. Figures of flowers, birds and small rodents rest in their respective habitats in a moment frozen in vivid color. Prime colors were the most widely used for the animals, making them stand apart from the grey of the rocks and black of the stems and twigs among which they live. The stark white background is effective in bringing the subjects forward, but leaves a little too much to the imagination. The foreground and mid-ground are made perfectly clear by a slate-colored acrylic wash that falls among the rocks, which are fabulously shaded and given appropriate highlights to show a good sense of texture. Some imperfections can be seen, though, and it seems that some of the underlying outlines, which are mostly meant to be covered with an overlay of the object’s true color, show out of some corners. Some spatters and rigid brush-ends are left and stray the eye away from some of the more natural detail. Unifying elements are found in all the pictures and it seems as if the collection is meant to be one perfect string of scenery, and is effectively presented side by side, allowing eyes to wander from one end of the room to the next, admiring the collection of four paintings as more of a whole. Though the presentation was beautifully arranged, the paper was flat, unbordered, and unmounted, leaving the edges buckled, and the papers slightly waved. Binder clips are used to hold it in place, giving it an informal feel that is not very pleasing compared to the detail in the animals and plants found in the piece. Sousa’s work is compelling and stunning. The contrast is beautiful and the use of bold, prime colors catches the eye before the natural movement of the picture allows a viewer to pan across the scene, and gracefully admire this charming little piece of nature.
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STUDENT VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER BALANCES SCHOOL, SERVICE By Katherine Landry Staff Writer
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t’s Monday morning and Joe Brienze is sitting in the Commuter Caf in the McCarthy College Center. With his laptop open, he is scanning his weekly planner to figure out how to get his Macroeconomics homework finished by Thursday morning. Wearing Timberland boots, worn-in jeans, a Medfield Fire Department sweatshirt and a Red Sox hat, this 20-year-old Framingham State sophomore only looks like an ordinary student. Brienze is far from it. As a full-time Business Administration student from Medfield, he balances two jobs, homework, and family like a pro. “I work two jobs to help support my mother and sister. I’m putting myself through school, so there are loans to pay.” Brienze works as a waiter, host or expo four evenings a week as well as Sunday mornings at the Noon Hill Grill in Medfield. These nights range from about 5-11 p.m., depending on the crowd. However, Brienze’s pride and joy comes from being a call firefighter for the Medfield Fire Department. His eyes light up as he says, “I have wanted to become a firefighter ever since I was a little kid living in West Roxbury. I would run to the window when I saw Ladder 25 and Engine 30 fly by my house.” It took Brienze a year to complete his training. He smiles and looks serious, yet proud at the same time. “We train every first and third Tuesday together.” Brienze doesn’t let this additional time commitment add stress to his already demanding schedule. “It’s what we have to do. I just want to help people; I’ll do what it takes.” Having one job is stressful enough for most full-time students, but Brienze loves a challenge despite the hardships. “Sometimes I just want to go home from Noon Hill and sleep. Then I’ll get a call for a motor vehicle accident or a fire alarm at three in the morning. Sometimes, we’re out for hours at a time. It’s exhausting. I wouldn’t change it for the world.” On average, Brienze is called to the fire department three times a week, so Photo courtesy of AllMoviePhoto.com
making time for homework is a challenge. His facial expression is more serious than before when he says, “I do homework when I can, but for the most part, I’ll do it late at night before I go to bed, and I’ll get up early before school.” Brienze is also more than your typical family man. His father, Anthony Joseph Brienze, passed away Nov. 27, 2005. “I miss him a lot. He was an amazing guy.” The holidays are hard for Brienze and his family. “It gets easier every year, but it’s still hard. I’ll visit his grave at least once a month. Sometimes I’ll just sit there for hours.” Commuting to school allows Brienze to spend as much time as possible with his mother and sister. “I love being at home,” he says with a huge smile. “I can help them out so much more.” Brienze’s family is proud of his accomplishments. “My family loves the idea of me being a fireman as long as I am safe. I do my best to do things right.” Of course, Brienze becomes overwhelmed at times. However, he chooses not to rely on his family for support. Brienze sits up straight and adjusts his hat. “I don’t want to bother them because they have enough on their plate. I’m alive. That’s what keeps me going. Hard work pays off in the end.” In the limited amount of free time he does have, he goes to the gym, or watches TV. If his friends are home from school, then, “I obviously hang out with them,” he says this with a laugh. Brienze’s plan for the future includes graduation from Framingham State College with a degree in Business Administration. Although he has not decided what exactly he wants to do with that degree, he is confident he will eventually own his own business. “I’d love to be a landscape designer or a restaurant manager.” The Commuter Caf is emptying as Brienze checks his phone for the time. Algebra starts in 15 minutes. At 5:00 pm, he has to work at the Noon Hill Grill. After, he will try to get his homework done and get a full night of sleep - hopefully without interruption from the fire department. With his bag packed, he adjusts his hat and heads to class ready to tackle the rest of his day.
At the Movies
“From Paris with Love” By Jenifer Polson Staff Writer
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ith a very James Bond-esque movie title, “From Paris with Love” is an action/crime/thriller combo, from director Pierre Morel (“Taken”), starring John Travolta, Jonathan Rhys Meyers (“Mission: Impossible: III,” “The Tudors”) and Kasia Smutniak. “From Paris with Love” revolves around American spy Charlie Wax (Travolta) and his newbie partner James Reece (Meyers). Reece is the personal assistant to the U.S. Ambassador to France, and newly engaged to his fiancée Caroline (Smutniak). Wax and Reece are assigned to a mission that quickly progresses from taking down a large drug ring to stopping multiple suicide bombers. Much like Morel’s 2009 movie, “Taken,” “From Paris with Love” relies on plot to pull in viewers rather than just action scenes and eye-catching special effects. This is not the best action movie that I have seen, but it is saved by a plot that builds on half-truths and surprising twists. The plot of the movie is more appealing due to the fact that the action scenes serve more of a purpose in the movie than just to add action. If you are looking for strictly a straightforward action movie where there is a clear-cut bad guy and the good guys have to face a million-and-one obstacles to finally get the bad guy, this movie is definitely not for you. “From Paris with Love” seems to be Meyers next pro-
gression in the action film genre. “Mission: Impossible: III,” though it had some semblance of a plot, relied more on the action sequences. “M:I: III” also gave Meyers a chance to get a taste of action movies, with an action hero character. From the opening scenes of “From Paris with Love,” there is a clear set-up of the plot. Mind you, the beginning of the plot is rather confusing, and you are not really sure whether Wax and Reece are good or bad guys. However, as the movie progresses, the uncertainty is what makes it all the more interesting. Wax is introduced in the movie as someone who is difficult to deal with, a hard ass who does not care about anything or anyone. And from the very beginning, it is clear that Wax has an unnatural attraction to weapons, yet it somehow fits his personality. Whereas, Reece is introduced as a successful academic personality who wants to have a more exciting job, but he is clearly not the best at the whole spy/ undercover agent gig. At the beginning of “From Paris with Love,” Reese’s character resembledhis “M:I: III” character, Declan. However, From Paris with Love really allowed Meyers’ to develop his special agent character from beginning to end. “M:I: III,” obviously, focused more on Tom Cruise’s character, Ethan Hunt, leaving Delcan to fall into the background. “From Paris with Love” gave Meyers the chance to show that despite his previous work in drama and war movies, he can step into the shoes of a special agent in an
action movie, get the job done and get it done well. Also, the pairing of Meyers and Travolta worked really well in this movie. The saying “opposites attract” could not have been any more correct when it comes to this pair. Wax and Reece are clearly characters who should not mesh well together and yet somehow, they just do, though it takes awhile for them to find that trust and that rhythm that any government agency partners need. As the working relationship between Wax and Reece progresses, there are some really amusing and interesting scenes between them. It is not clear as to whether Reece has as much of an influence on Wax’s character as Wax has on Reece, but it is clear, by the end of the film, that the two have formed a strong bond and friendship. It does not start out as the typical action movie. There is French music that sets an almost romantic tone, which eventually reappears later in the movie when Reece’s relationship with Caroline becomes an interesting twist and more prominent part of the plot. By the end of the movie, Reece shakes his prim and proper image, replacing it with the strong image of the agent that had been lying dormant within him. Wax has become more than just a ruthless assassin with a job to do. There is drug use, violence, language and sexual situations throughout the picture, so be forewarned. Overall, “From Paris with Love” is an action movie with a plot that will keep you interested. It may not be a “Fast and Furious”-type action movie, but if you enjoyed Morel’s “Taken,” you will definitely enjoy this movie.
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Hip-hop speaker urges crowd to understand importance of lyrics
By Spencer Buell Assistant Arts & Features Editor
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s students entered the Alumni Room on Monday, Feb. 22, Kanye West’s “Jesus Walks” played quietly through the overhead speakers. Mike “Ambassador” Bruny, the electric, animated speaker in a big yellow bowtie, greeted attendees with an extended hand and a toothy grin before beginning his presentation. An affirmation, said Bruny, is like a verbal “swagger” that prepares one for all of life’s challenges. “Who do I want to be today?” he asked a pantomimed mirror. “Despite the weather, despite who sits next to me, despite whatever’s going on today - my swagger is on.” He then popped his collar and strutted among the rows of chairs, beaming all the way through the 180-degree turn and the exaggerated walk back to the front of the room. He seemed always to be leaning forward when he spoke, taking turns looking directly into the eyes of audience members, evoking a “go-team”, “we-can-dothis” camaraderie normally reserved for a basketball team. At one point, the Ambassador, to describe his role as a mentor, pointed to a picture of a red-faced coach yelling to his team from the sidelines. “This is me,” he said. “I’m the guy who understands your capabilities. I’m the guy that understands what you’re trying to get after. I’m the guy who’s screaming after you if I have to in order to help you reach those goals you’ve set up for yourself.” Bruny’s focus, however, was not to help his audience to realize the power of sports, but rather to realize the power of music. His presentation, “7 Days of Hip-Hop Affirmations,” was a self-help style lecture with a contemporary feel, in which he quoted modern-day philosophers like Jay-Z and Nas. “I find hip-hop lyrics uplifting,” he said. “I want to share that with other people.” His PowerPoint slides, which served as the founda-
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tion for the lecture, revolved around a seven-day program. One lyric represents one idea for the day, and listening to that song throughout the day serves as a selfworth reminder and a confidence booster - an “affirmation.” On day three, the affirmation is “Winning.” “Put me anywhere on God’s green earth, I’ll triple my worth. I, will, not, Drake McCabe/The Gatepost lose,” is the lyric of the day. The lyric Mike “Ambassador” Bruny discusses comes from Jay-Z’s “U Don’t Know,” the power of music with the audience. which chronicles the artist’s rise from the he said, can serve as companions in times of need and can hard streets to superstardom. On this day, Bruny advises students to think motivate in times when determination is lacking. He said that this music-supplemented approach to affirabout their personal success strategies. He let the mation can be applied to all genres of music, and added that audience in on a secret about his “lucky sneakers” listeners should not be turned off by hip-hop’s reputation. - there is nothing lucky about his sneakers. But, he Despite how coarse or obscene the music may seem at first, said, “when I have those shoes on, someone is in he said what is more important is looking deeper for lyrics trouble and it isn’t me.” With Hova in his headphones, magic Nikes on which have uplifting qualities. “You have to look,” he said, his feet and “winning” on his mind, the Ambas- “not at the whole song, but at the pieces in there that can sador set an example for how confidence can be be used.” Clay Brokenbrough, a freshman geography major who personalized. says his “moto” playlist would feature A Tribe Called He inserted elements of his unique approach to Quest, called the presentation “insightful.” life throughout the 7 days of affirmations, once in“I’m a fan of hip-hop music,” he said, “so I could relate troducing the audience to the man named Howie who, he said, sits on his shoulder and whispers in to what he was talking about. I think he had a really good his ear. “Howie gonna do this? Howie gonna do message about the music.” But, he added, “I do wish he had that?” Howie asks him. Bruny said it is his own played some of that music for us.” Bruny’s hour-long presentation also covered affirmaresponsibility to turn up his music or lace up his tions titled “My Music,” “My Direction,” “My Gift to the shoes and continue in spite of that pesky, all too World,” “Support,” “Progress,” and “Preconceived Nofamiliar voice. He encouraged the audience to make personal tions.” It featured lyrics from Common, Ne-yo, Mos Def, motivational, or “moto” playlists, comprised of and Fabolous. His book, “Move the Crowd: 30 Days of Hip-Hop Afthe songs which mean the most to the listener and firmations to Change Your Life,” is an extended version of have the greatest uplifting power. These playlists, the presentation and is available for purchase online.
AMPUS CONVERSATIONS By: Spencer Buell and Tom O’Brien
“I don’t know what I’m doing, but I’d like to visit Australia. That’d be pretty sick to see the Great Barrier Reef.” - Crystal Conley, freshman
“I’m doing an alternative break in D.C. Better to help others than to go to Daytona Beach and get ‘shmangled.’” - Matt Rocco, senior
March 5, 2010
“I’m gonna be snuggling up by the fire in a log cabin in New Hampshire with my boys, D.W. and J. Money.” - Conor Flanagan, junior
What are you doing for Spring Break?
“Going to North Carolina, ‘Wooh!’” - Nicole Cirino, sophomore
“Baking a cake in my kitchen at least once a day for seven days.” - Jimmy Russo, freshman
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FSC students offered spring break advice, options By Ngozi Nwabeke Interim Copy Editor
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or some, March is all about basketball brackets, but for many college students, March is spring break season a time for them to get away from school for a change of pace. However, spring break presents temptation for some students to engage in a wild week of drinking and partying, especially with Mardi Gras falling in the middle of the month. Montreal is one spot where students are traveling more and more, especially on long weekends. Given that the legal drinking age is 18 in Canada, it makes sense that underage students, especially, are flocking there to have fun. Miles Bergstrom, a sophomore, is going to Montreal for spring break this year for a three-day trip costing less than $100 “My friend asked me if I wanted to go to Montreal,” he said. “I was hesitant at first, but then agreed. “I’m not one to get drunk, though I plan on having a few pints,” said Bergstrom. “For [one of my friends], yes, it means lots of strip clubs. For me, I will probably not attend the strip clubs and just go to a pub and try to watch a rugby game.” One FSC student, who wished to remain anonymous, “partied hard” in Montreal during his spring break last year. With four of his friends, he traveled to Canada for four days and they pooled their money to pay for the hotel and gas - $90 each for their hotel room, and $60 each for gas money. “When we got there, we checked in around 7 o’clock in the morning. First thing we did - went to the packie right down the street and we bought bottles upon bottles of alcohol. … So we bought a keg, we bought several bottles of hard alcohol and we dropped $208 on one bottle of Johnny Walker Blue Label. Right after that, we started drinking.” He started off drinking a bottle of Black Swan Sauvignon Blanc “and I drank the entire bottle in a matter of five minutes and after that, we started taking shots and my stomach could not handle it.” Lesson learned: “Wine is no good.” After a cheap McDonald’s dinner, the group went to a strip club and paid a $5 cover charge. After more drinks, they stayed until closing at 2 a.m., walking the two miles back to their hotel where they crashed. They woke up at 4:30 in the evening to begin drinking again. They repeated the same activities as the previous night drinking, dining, visting strip clubs and more drinking - for the next two nights. By the end of the four-day trip, he had spent $800 on alcohol and returned home with a mug for his mother and a sweatshirt for his girlfriend. He said, “I think there’s a huge hype, that when you’re in high school, you see these people go on spring break and you’re like, ‘Oh my God, I want to do that!’ and when you finally get there, it’s not really what happens, but you want to make it what happens.” According to webmd.com, a survey conducted by the Core Institute in 2005 reported that “Alcohol has been involved in 90 percent of all campus rapes - either the rapist and/or the victim were under the influence,” showing Students who are impaired by alcohol or drugs could potentially find themselves in compromising situations they may have otherwise avoided. A female student who wished to remain anonymous found herself in just such a situation when she traveled with a friend to the Bahamas last year. “I went because the drinking age was 18 there and I was planning to get drunk a lot and have an amazing and crazy time.” Around midnight on one of the last days of her vacation in the Bahamas, she and her friend were walking the deserted beach both drunk and high, when an unfamiliar man approached them. “Being drunk and high, I didn’t realize how absolutely sketchy this guy was. I sat down and my friend tried to bring me back to the hotel but I couldn’t really walk.” It was then that the man began to touch her inappropriately. “I totally sobered up at that point and tried to get away with my friend, but as I got up he continued until I pushed him away and yelled at him,” she said. She and her friend managed to get away and took an alternate route back to their hotel in case they were being followed. “I’ll never get that drunk and high ever again, because that situation could have been so much worse,” she said, realizing later the advantage someone could have over her, given how intoxicated she was. “If I was sober on the beach that night, I’m pretty sure the sketchy guy wouldn’t have seen an opportunity to try and rape me.” Paul Welch, director of the Counseling Center at FSC, said, “I think it’s important to use good judgment, so if something doesn’t feel right to you, trust that. I think if you’re planning on drinking, it might be helpful to have a buddy that maybe won’t drink and keep an eye on you.” Welch said that after each spring break, he sees people who
have had traumatic experiences. “Not a huge amount,” he said, “but you know, if something happens over spring break and it’s traumatic or something, I hope that they would talk to somebody about it and if they want to come in here, we would welcome that and encourage that.” Dean of Students Melinda Stoops was also concerned about students’ safety on spring break. “Before I was the Dean of Students, I was the Director of the Counseling Center, and I think in both positions, I’ve certainly come into contact - I’m not talking spring break here, but in general terms - with students who’ve had traumatic experiences. “I think traumatic experiences can happen anywhere whether it’s on campus, or at home or spring break. I think spring break just increases the risk,” Stoops added. She explained that because students are away from home and far from their “natural support,” they are “more likely to get lost, or lose track. You’re more likely to come into contact with a lot of people you don’t know and who your friends don’t know. So those factors by themselves can be potentially risky,” she said. Stoops thinks part of the reason so many college students participate in drinking and partying during spring break is because “college students get a lot of messages about spring break” she said, especially from MTV. “I mean, you turn it on and everyone’s partying on the beach and there’s the stereotype of people going and not just having a good time, but drinking a lot and hooking up a lot. So I think there’s this expectation that it is sort of a wild party,” said Stoops. Welch said, “I think part of it probably is going someplace where there aren’t any people telling you what you can do, like your parents, or residence life staff or anyone else that’s going to restrict your behavior. And so Tom Higgins/The Gatepost
Students prepare for spring break early. that freedom can feel good to people.” Welch acknowledged that going away to somewhere new “can be a formula for having a lot of fun, meeting new people, having a good time.” He added, however, “It also can potentially be dangerous.” He advised students who are traveling away from home for spring break not to leave a place with people you don’t know and not to leave drinks unattended as there could potentially be the risk of someone contaminating your drink with drugs while you are not looking. He also advised students to be prepared with contraception if they believe they are going to be sexually active. While Cancun and other tropical locales are known to be spring break hot spots for high school and college students, other Framingham State students are taking advantage of spring break by traveling with teams or clubs on campus. Kasey Phipps, a junior softball player at FSC, has gone to Orlando, FL for the past two years with the school’s softball team. The team travels together every spring for a tournament of 10 games, but is allowed some downtime in between double-headers. “On our days off, we either go to a theme park or the beach. At night, we go to Downtown Disney or out to eat,” said Phipps, along with the usual - lounging poolside and soaking up the Vitamin D. Phipps declined to say whether she and her teammates are ever involved in any partying while away on spring break, but said what she enjoys most about spend-
ing a week in Florida is “enjoying the warm weather with all of my friends … and playing on beautiful fields after we have been practicing in the school gym for two months.” Among other trips FSC students are taking this March is sponsored by the marketing club. This year the club has chosen Italy and the French Riviera as their spring break destination, and 48 students are going on the trip. Professor Sandra Rahman, advisor to the Marketing Club, said, “I joined Framingham State eight years ago and I noticed that there wasn’t a lot of exposure to the rest of the world and so I thought, ‘It’s such an important part of someone’s education to see other places.’ And so I proposed it to the Marketing Club.” Rahman said it was difficult to get the ball rolling when planning the first trip because “it was so different than what other clubs were doing.” Since then, the group has traveled to many international locations, including Barcelona, Paris and Costa Rica. “We go through an outside organization called EF Tours,” said Rahman who explained that the members of the club review a list of the trips offered by EF tours and go through a process the spring before the actual trip in which they conduct surveys, voting and finally choose their destination. Then, Rahman said, “they start marketing it right away.” After hearing about it from a friend who was planning on going, Cassie Derosier, a sophomore, made the decision last year to go to Italy with the Marketing Club. “Well, I’m into history because I’m a history major,” she said, “so I’m excited to see Pompeii and I’m just excited to see the city and see how much history’s there, see the architecture - and the art is a big thing for me. I’m so pumped to see it.” Rahman said she is not particularly worried about students getting into trouble because they “provide some rules of behavior, they sign the claims form so that they won’t be drinking. And we make rules that they always stay in at least [groups of] three and have meeting points so we’re always taking attendance.” She said, “It’s always a concern that everybody stays safe. But my experience has been, the types of kids who go on these trips are very responsible, so I’ve never been disappointed.” Rahman is confident that those who choose to travel abroad on these types of trips “tend to be more responsible kids out to have a good time and have fun and explore, but always being safe.” Not every student is escaping somewhere for recreation or education, though. The Office of Student Involvement and Leadership Development (SILD) is sponsoring a trip to Washington D.C., partnering with Habitat for Humanity to send students there to spend a little under a week to erect a house for a family in need. Kendra Sampson, one of the leaders for the Habitat for Humanity trip said, “I’m so excited. I’m really, really grateful for the opportunity to do it … and a lot of good people are going on it.” Sampson said her interest in going on such a trip had a lot to do with being able to be a part of something that’s so much bigger than herself. Julie giebler, also a leader on the Habitat for Humanity trip, said the group has raised “a little over $10,000. We got a huge grant from the alumni group - $5,000.” The group has done a lot to raise money to go on the trip, with the goal that no one would have to pay the full $650 out of pocket. Giebler said that everyone going on the trip only has to pay about $50 now, with all the fundraising and donations. Terrence O’Kane, a freshman English major going to Washington D.C., said it was his first time going on a charity-based trip. “The whole group seems pretty excited to go. We’ve all worked hard for this … It should be fun, because we’re a group of very different people, coming together for one cause.” O’Kane explained the work to be done in the short span of the week “will include raising the house frame, hanging drywall, mudding, sanding and painting. We have a lot of work cut out for us, but in the end it will feel good to know we put in the effort to help someone in need.” While Stoops is concerned about students on spring break, she said, “It doesn’t mean spring break has to be this dangerous, scary thing, but I think people should think about this ... these are risks they have a lot of control over. “You can choose how much you’re going to drink, and you can choose whether or not you leave the company of your friends or whether or not you choose to go with someone you don’t know, and under what condition. So, you know you can make safe choices on spring break.
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The Gatepost
March 5, 2010
Panel raises awareness about progress of African-American community
By Krysta Davis Assistant Arts & Features Editor
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rogress has been slow in coming,” Catherine McLaughlin, an English professor at Framingham State College, reminded those present at the first of what the panelists hope will be an annual event of Black History Month, “The Color of Progress.” A panel of three faculty members and one administrator, -Henry Tischler, David Baldwin, Edward Melegian and Catherine McLaughlin- spoke about the African-American experience from the perspective of their own personal knowledge, to raise African-American awareness at FSC. Organized by history professor Nicholas Racheotes and sponsored by the honors program, “the Color of Progress” was in the audience on that day, according to Tischler. As a sociology professor, Tischler looked out at his audience consisting of almost entirely of faculty and staff members, made the connection between faces which were mostly white and the few people of color. Tischler’s sociological point of view on how much progress is actually making here on campus and around the world was based upon his main question, “How fast and how long should we wait?” Even though interracial marriages are increasing and the number of middle class African-Americans is at an all-time high, not much has improved through the years. Injustice is still present for many African Americans and they have yet to reach equal power and acceptance. “Injustice is a commonplace,” McLaughlin said. With progress comes access to college for AfricanAmericans, who do not always have the family support or financial resources to get there. Baldwin wants professors to talk with students about going to college and what they need to do in addition to talking to par-
ents early on. “A lot of parents never experienced college, so they don’t know what they should be doing to help their child get into college,” Baldwin said. “It’s a very intimidating endeavor. Let them know it is possible.” Along with going to college, Baldwin also believes that “It’s up to colleges and universities to be more open and welcoming to those individuals on campus.” Students should feel a part of the community alongside knowing they are not alone: “The personal touch is the key.” “Music is a great meeting ground for everything,” Art and Music professor, Melegian said. He believes the ability of African Americans to create a type of music (Jazz) that is uniquely American is purely captivating. Despite the fact that the musicgrew out of a depressed situation, African Americans have been able to continue to develop and refine it throughout the twentieth century. “It’s like they were waiting to be freed and express themselves,” Melegian said. Even though the AfricanAmerican population were not allowed to read or write English, let alone learn how to read or write music, Melegian still finds it fascinating “That they not only invented Jazz, but that they continued to develop it. McLaughlin enlightened the audience with a memoir she had written about James Baldwin, a leading African-American novelist, and his experience through her eyes. “One must never in one’s own light accept these injustices ... but must fight them with all of one’s strength. And that fight, begins in the heart,” she said. McLaughlin repeated some of Baldwin’s many words of wisdom about his African-American experi-
ence and reminded those listening to the panel that afternoon to “ ... consider the relevance of this call to action, from a voice that spoke out.” David Baldwin said, “The label African-American is just that, a label…black is just a color in the crayon box, and we don’t match that.” After all panel members had spoken about the African-American experience from their own perspectives, Melegian, alongside the others present, was encouraged to participate in an open discussion. “Unfortunately, people have to change, and they get caught up in the labels,” he said. “We have a rationalized world view. It’s our compulsion to categorize,” Ellen Zimmerman, another Sociology department professor added. McLaughlin’s memoir begins, “The only hope of Western civilization, indeed, of all human kind, rests solely on our ability to reach beyond labels. To touch with exquisite tenderness, the naked face of humanity.” Therefore, encouraged those who attended this event that we all need to “Reach beyond what history has made of us.” McLaughlin said, “open our hearts and begin the fight.”
March 5, 2010
The Gatepost
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Heartwrenching family indie latest movie to show at Nolletti’s film series
Photos courtesy of AllMoviePhoto.com
By Spencer Buell Assistant Arts & Features Editor
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n the opening scene of Lance Hammer’s “Ballast,” a boy in a large blue parka, his feet crunching into the alluvial plains of the Mississippi delta, silently scatters a thousand-strong flock of shrieking birds. The audience views this scene through the eyes of an unseen character. The shaky, grainy camcorder image takes the flat, desolate scenery in from a hundred yards back. Professor Arthur Nolletti, Jr., in this semester’s installment of his independent film series, sung the praises of filmmaker Hammer’s first project and led the attendees through a discussion of a series of interesting topics that take shape in both the substance and the context of the subtle, yet moving film. The film follows the Dogme 95 tradition, which is a style of filmmaking that does away with expensive equipment and effects, and gets back to what Nolletti called the “fundamental elements of film.” Using only a few handheld cameras and shooting in all natural light, cinematographer Lol Crawley’s artistic achievement in “Ballast” earned him an award at the Sundance Film Festival in 2008 despite a very small budget. “A great film,” said Nolletti, “is not a film that is flawless but is a film with a vision that transcends those flaws.” This, he said, is the spirit and the challenge of Dogme 95 filmmaking. While writing this film, director Hammer toured the Mississippi and
found the area and its people fascinating. Following the tradition of his idol, French director Robert Bresson, he cast the roles of the three main characters with a woman he met in a barber shop, a man he met at a local church and a boy from a Boys and Girls club. After months of struggling to write a script which embodied the rich local culture, he instead scrapped the original he had written and allowed the inexperienced actors to write their own lines and to feel the role themselves. The result is a believable, comfortable dialogue, which, Nolletti said, the audience can “treat as music and hum along.” Nolletti, who said he was impressed by the amateur actors’ ability to communicate, described the flowing Mississippi accent in musical terms. He said that Marlee’s (played by Tarra Riggs) emotions are displayed through her “vocal range and variety of pitch and inflection.” He said when the characters connect, they “sing” at the tempo and at the volume that mimics” their counterparts is what he pointed out as a clear 4-beat rhythm. The musical dialect of the actors serves as the only music the audience hears in this film. The rest of the background audio space is filled with the ambient sounds of moving cars, the sweeping wind or footsteps in the soft, squishy soil. The sound, said Nolletti, “could be a study of this film in itself,” adding that if there were such an award, “Ballast” would win for audio production in independent film hands down. Nolletti said he loves to hold these independent film showings and discuss them with students because he wants students “to see some of the most creative things going on in American films by these directors that have shoestring budgets.” He was surprised, he said, to find out that the distributor from whom he bought the film for the showing was the director himself. He said directors like Lance Hammer often have to do much of the legwork for their films themselves because they cannot afford to hire anyone else to do promotion for them. But Nolletti said he did not simply show the film to honor the director. “This film is one of the rarities that gets better and better,” he said, adding this was his third time watching it so far.
The Gatepost
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Op/Ed
The Gatepost Editorial
Academic Affairs Vice President search firm unnecessary and costly
What could an extra $52,000 do for the Framingham State College community? It could cover the salary for a new assistant professor. With the student population growing, a new professor in any department would be incredibly beneficial to students and faculty - allowing more classes to be available for students and reducing the number of demands placed on the inundated faculty. Or $52,000 could help pay for more green initiatives on campus. College administrators say they are dedicated to making the campus more “green.” Fifty-two thousand dollars could pay for a new hybrid shuttle, or could help fund the switch from number-six heating oil, which FSC burns in the power plant, to something less harmful to the environment. Or $52,000 could be used for more laboratory and classroom equipment for student use. An extra $52,000 in FSC’s budget obviously could fund any number of improvements for the campus community. But FSC administrators decided to spend it on an entirely unnecessary search firm to help recruit an applicant pool for the vice president for academic affairs search. A director of human resources from another public institution who wished to remain anonymous said, “I personally don’t think they [search firms] are necessary.” We at The Gatepost agree. The college administration, working with the vice president for academic affairs search committee, should have conducted the search for candidates themselves. That $52,000 could have been put toward something much more useful and beneficial to the whole FSC community, particularly during this economic period in which state appropriations and college budgets have been cut. FSC administrators have been forced to make reductions to some essential pieces of the budget over the past two years because of the recession. Spending such a significant amount of money on a search firm whose tasks could have been accomplished just as successfully through the efforts of the FSC administration and search committee, particularly when other important areas are being cut, is fiscally irresponsible. The search firm’s primary task was to recruit potential candidates and generate an applicant pool - a duty primarily fulfilled by the arduous and skill-specific trade of making phone calls. (Those must have been some phone calls for $52,000!) Though active recruiting for a position as important as this can help to establish a well-qualified candidate pool, one would think that in this economy, potential applicants wouldn’t be difficult to find. According to Rita Colucci, FSC’s director of human resources, the search firm associates insisted their services are necessary in this poor economy because recruiting is more difficult, as potential applicants are apprehensive about making a career change. Why wouldn’t they have said that? They wanted to be hired! The Gatepost has no doubt that top-notch candidates could have been recruited without the help of an expensive national search firm. FSC employees could have created a pool of candidates just as impressive as the search firm’s, if not better. FSC has a distinctive personality and a community atmosphere of which we are proud. College employees know our aspirations and needs and are much more qualified to recruit appropriate applicants. A major search firm in Washington, D.C. cannot fully understand or appreciate the character of our college community. According to Colucci, the search firm is also assisting in “guiding” the college through the process of hiring a new vice president. This will be the third time in the past five years FSC has used an expensive executive search firm. In 2006, a national firm was used to hire President Flanagan, and in 2008, a local firm in Boston was hired to help find Vice President of College Advancement Christopher Hendry. How many more times will the administrators need to be “guided” through the process until they figure out how to do it themselves? According to Eva Gaffney, the director of public affairs at Bridgewater State College, her institution has only used a search firm once in the past 12 years. Furthermore, Bridgewater State also hired a vice president for academic affairs recently, and, according to Gaffney, did so without the aid of a search firm. Would it have been more work for FSC employees and administrators to conduct the search themselves? Certainly. Would the time and effort be worth saving the college $52,000 for more useful endeavors, especially during an economic crisis? Definitely.
March 5, 2010
State seal racist?
This past Monday, the Political Roundtable at FSC invited Navy veteran Eric Wasileski to their weekly meeting to discuss how the Seal of Massachusetts is racially offensive as well as violent, and needs to be updated. Curious about how one could find the state seal so objectionable, I decided to attend the discussion and hear him out. Wasileski argued that our state seal is racist because there is an image of an Indian holding a bow and arrow. When asked how the simple depiction of an Indian makes the seal racist, Wasileski could only respond with the fact that the state Commission on Indian Affairs takes issue with the seal, and that’s good enough for him. Wasileski then spoke about how the United States is an authoritative nation that glorifies war and the invasion of other countries. He pointed to the arm holding a broadsword on the state seal as reflecting that idea, and went on about how the formation of a one-world government would help to prevent this type of violence. I finally began to see the crux of his issue with the Seal of Massachusetts: Wasileski was nothing more than a peace-loving pacifist who takes issue with anything that even hints of violence, be it justified or not. Now while I firmly believe that Wasileski’s goal of world harmony is admirable and worthy of pursuing, I can’t see how any realistic person can connect these dots - especially when the state seal itself is a symbol of peace. A simple search on the state government’s Web site reveals that the Indian on the seal, which Wasileski deems to be a racist image, in fact signifies peace. This is indicated by his holding of the arrow pointed downward. Not quite the savagery Waliseski had in mind. And that image of a sword in hand? That’s Massachusetts’ military crest, which illustrates the state motto: “With a sword, she seeks quiet peace under liberty.” It was adopted during the Revolutionary War and serves as a reminder that it was through hard-fought battles that America’s independence was won. Hardly the type of violence that the latest Xbox game or Eminem album endorses. So let’s get real here. Eric Wasileski’s concern with the Seal of Massachusetts may stem from good intentions, but is misguided to say the least. Rather than focusing efforts on “updating” a piece of America’s past, why don’t we instead concentrate on upgrading a part of America’s future?
Chris Kopacko Assistant News Editor
Drake McCabe/The Gatepost
A poster in the commuter caf.
Letter to the Editor
We’re concerned about some recent events on campus. If you have been on campus the last couple of weeks, you’ve seen the group in front of the College Center talking to members of the community about impeaching President Obama. Of course, we would not want to impose on anyone’s right to free speech, and everyone is entitled to his/her own political opinion. That’s not what this is about. This is about when free speech hurts others, or is misleading, or creates a hostile, hateful, unsettling environment. The defacing of the image of President Obama used in this impeachment campaign in the likeness of Hitler is offensive. It is also hurtful to survivors of the Holocaust and their families, and to African Americans, and to anyone else who has suffered or been a victim of hate. This creates an atmosphere where people feel unsafe and where hate can proliferate. We want to be helpful and supportive in any way that we can. Contact the Counseling Center if you would like to talk more about this.
Drake McCabe/The Gatepost
Lyndon LaRouche supporters outside the College Center.
Respectfully, Paul Welch, LICSW Jeanne Haley, LICSW Bonnie Lewis-Gentry FSC Counseling Center
Spring break blues
With spring break in the corner of student’s minds, teachers are doing all they can to rein in wishful thinking of warm climates, relaxing days and stress-free nights. To conquer these daydreams, teachers are piling on the work. Exams, essays, presentations are overwhelming students across campus, and they all need to be signed, sealed and delivered by the time we check out for spring break. The problem with this, however, is that four-course loads’ worth of assignments is a little intense. Professors need to keep in mind that their class is not the only one that students are getting assignments for. They also need to remember that they are not the only ones who came up with the genius idea of having their exam on the last day before break. It’s important that teachers bear all this in mind, as well as show some flexibility when students express concerns about conflicts. When a large majority of students express similar anxieties, professors should work with them to create a less stressful schedule. Nenia Corcoran Editorial Staff We at The Gatepost welcome Op/Ed submissions from all members of the FSC community. Please limit opinions to 300 words and letters to the editor to 200 words. E-mail submissions to Gatepost@framingham.edu.
Op/Ed submissions reflect the opinions of their authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of The Gatepost or its staff.
SPORTS
March 5, 2010
The Gatepost
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Marathon Men Two FSC professors take part in races around the world By Josh Primak Sports Editor
It’s 9 p.m. on a Tuesday night. While most people unwind watching their favorite T.V. show, FSC professor Dr. Ben Alberti of the Sociology Department laces up his running shoes and prepares himself for a brisk winter run, which he does a few times a week. Even though the average person shudders at the thought of a three-mile trek across the Framingham evening in the dead of winter, there is a greater purpose behind Alberti’s regimen. He is running tough now in the hope that it will yield a better time in one of the half marathons around New England he plans on taking part in later this year. Though he got into it a bit late, running marathons is a tradition in Alberti’s family. His father, who still lives in
Economics and Business Department is also is an avid runner who participates in marathons. An active person, he got involved in running when he was looking for ways to stay in shape during the offseason for one of his other activities rock climbing. Planning to climb Mount Rainier, the tallest mountain in the state of Washington during the summer of 2002, Enz became a runner the year prior. “A friend of mine was training for the 2002 Portland, Oregon, marathon and asked if I would be interested in running with him. I started running with him having never run more than three miles in my life - and about halfway through the training, he told me that I had already done the hard part and that I should
Photo Courtesy of Ben Alberti
Alberti with his father and two brothers. Alberti’s native England, has been running full and half marathons for years. Three years ago, Alberti, along with his two brothers and father, all took part in the Great North Run, a half marathon that takes place in New Castle, England, for his father’s seventieth birthday. While it may be hard to believe when viewing his tall, lanky frame, the original reason Alberti took up his family’s tradition of running was not to run in marathons - but for health reasons. “I was getting a bit fat, or at least a little loose and flabby. Plus, my legs have always been skinny and I have a bit of a phobia against wearing shorts so I figured I would take care of that. “When I first started, I said ‘Oh, I’ll just do 5k’s.’ Then I started talking to one of my brothers and of course, as happens, competition started, and before you know it I’m planning to run the Windermere Marathon the following year. And that was it, really. Now, it’s an obsession.” FSC professor Dr. Michael Enz of the
enter the marathon. So I entered and completed my first marathon in the fall of 2002 at the age of 28.” Since beginning his marathon career in Portland, Enz has gone on to participate in several others, going as far as Anchorage Alaska to run. He will be participating in the 2010 Boston Marathon, having run in last year’s as well. As FSC professors with busy lives, free time is rare. While Enz’s runs vary from morning to night, most of Alberti’s runs take place between 8 and 10 p.m. during the week - when his wife is home from her job as a Taekwondo instructor and the kids are asleep. “I go through the neighborhood or I run at a track here in Framingham. During the weekends, I run through Callahan State Park. My preference is to run through the woods.” When the weather gets cold, Alberti’s training venue does not change. While most people would go indoors to the gym to run on the treadmill, Alberti remains outside for his runs - just lacing up
different shoes, equipped with yak tracks, specially designed for strenuous activity in the snow. “I don’t like running in the gym. I’m a bit timid when it comes to exercise I guess. There are all those other brawny men and women pumping iron. Another reason is I get bored and hot. When you’re running, you get pretty hot and you’re just on a treadmill. You’ve got a little red number on there and you’re just watching it go.” Alberti has unusual tastes when it comes to what he listens to on his iPod during his runs. “This is very nerdy of me, I guess, but I listen to lectures from a professor at Berkeley. I’ve also listened to the whole of Marx’s “Das Kapital”, as well as “The Origin of Species”. … Lots of people like to listen to music but I find that off-putting.” Running in marathons is no Photo Courtesy of Ben Alberti easy task. Even with the hours of training and preparation Alberti running with his daughter, Ruby. that both Alberti and Enz take have not been deterred and are planning part in, they have had their more races in the near future. While Enz difficulties during marathons. After Alberti participated in his first will be participating in this year’s Boston marathon, he ended up in the hospital Marathon, Alberti may be participating in a spring marathon in Newport, R.I. with a stomach illness. Enz has also had a mixture of and one in the fall in Lowell. What may have started as a way to experiences during his marathons, from “throwing up more than 10 times at stay in shape has become a major part my first marathon and being forced to of both men’s lives - even if the weather walk three miles to running a 2:56:20 at is a little unpleasant. Said Alberti, “It’s Philadelphia. My last three marathons not a chore for me to go out and run. In have been extremely rewarding. Boston fact, I get upset when I think the weather is truly the best experience, with people will be too bad for me to get out there. It makes me anxious.” lining the streets the entire course.” Despite the rough experiences both men have endured during marathons, they
Photo Courtesy of Micheal Enz
Enz finishing the 2009 Boston Marathon.
SPORTS The Gatepost
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March 5, 2010
Men’s Basketball falls just short of MASCAC title By Nenia Corcoran Sports Editor
After a heartbreaking loss on Saturday to Bridgewater State, the Framingham State Men’s Basketball team took its place as the MASCAC runner-up. The thrilling championship game was forced into overtime by Darius Yarrell, who sunk a three-pointer with just 20 seconds remaining in regulation play to tie the score at 59. However, two minutes into the five minute overtime, Framingham State lost their momentum and fell behind. They were unable to dig themselves out of their deficit a second time and they soon found themselves in foul trouble. Framingham fouled the Bears six times
during overtime, allowing Bridgewater nine points from the free-throw line. Despite 20 points by Yarrell and 15 by Josue Almodovar, Bridgewater State went on to win the MASCAC tournament 74-70. The loss ended the Rams’ seven game winning streak. Coming off this loss, the Rams were selected as the fifth seed in the 2010 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III New England Men’s Basketball Tournament. They squared off against fourth-seed Becker College on Wednesday night at Becker. The two teams found themselves having déjà vu from the previous year, when fourth-seed Becker defeated fifth-seed Framingham by a score of 95-71. The rematch did not get off to the start that FSC had hoped for, however, and they found themselves down 41-29 at halftime. The Rams were not ready to give up, however, and after a monumental comeback, Framingham managed to tie the Hawks at 75 with two minutes and 20 seconds left in regulation. In the battle that followed Almodovar’s jumper, both teams were held scoreless. As the clock ticked down, missed opportunities on both sides kept the score paralyzed at 75 all, and overtime appeared inevitable. However, with just three seconds remaining on the clock, a foul by Almodavar sent Becker’s Terry Jacobs Drake McCabe/The Gatepost to the foul line, where he knocked down two foul shots, giving his team all the cushion Framingham State fell to Bridgewater they would need to win the in the MASCAC Championship game game. The remaining three
on Saturday afternoon.
seconds would prove to be not enough for the Rams to force overtime, thus ending their season with a record of 16-11. In spite of their last two devastating losses, the Rams posted one of their best seasons since 2005. The Rams will graduate six seniors, including Yarell, Almodovar, Bill Carey, Roderick Jackson, Davis Saltmarsh and Douglas Ryan. Almodavar finished his Framingham State career with 1,706 points, ranking him second on the FSC all-time lead scorers’ list. Drake McCabe/The Gatepost Carey also ranked After being selected as the fifth-seed in the in the top ten overall scorers, with 1,168. ECAC Tournament, the Rams were defeated by Carey also holds fourth-seed Becker College. nearly all of FSC’s three-point records, including made the season progressed, we as a team came threes in a game, made threes in a season together and made defense our numberone priority, and what came of it was one and most attempted threes. Yarell is sad that his seasons here at of the nicest runs to the MASCAC finals Framingham State have come to an end. this school has ever seen. … In terms of “The experience playing for FSC was next year our expectations will be set high great because I was a part of a group that as usual, with around nine returners and a changed the look of our program, as well talented group of incoming freshmen to as the respect we now receive in regards to fill the gaps left behind by the seniors.” Almodovar said ,“We had a good season our program. I couldn’t be more satisfied. I will always miss it and its sad that it had overall, I’m proud of my teammates. We to come to an end. I will always be a ‘Big came up short, but Framingham State College basketball is on the rise. Every State’ Ram.” Junior Brendan Carter was proud of other MASCAC school better watch out the team’s performance this year. “As for FSC basketball.” Drake McCabe/The Gatepost
March 5, 2010
SPORTS The Gatepost
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On The Sideline
Women’s Basketball Player Kia Minor By Josh Primak Sports Editor
GP: How did you get involved in Basketball? Did you play any other sports growing up? Minor: I started playing basketball when I was five because my older brother and sister were both on teams and I felt left out. It was always the thing to do in New York, so I just followed suit. I fell in love with basketball as soon as I got strong enough to make my first shot. I played every sport I could growing up - softball, football, volleyball, track and soccer. GP: Who is your favorite athlete and why? Minor: My favorite athlete would have to be Larry Bird, because he wasn’t naturally gifted like some professional athletes are. He got to the NBA through pure determination and building on his fundamentals.
GP: How do you feel the coaching staff has done in your first season? Minor: I think the coaching staff needs to increase in numbers in order for us to do even better next season because she [Patricia O’Brien] does a great job by herself, but a little help is never a bad thing. GP: What was your first MASCAC playoff game like? Minor: Not only was it my first MASCAC playoff game, but it was my first playoff game in general, so it was very nerve-wracking and hard to get used to a whole gym just wishing defeat on you. GP: Is it difficult to balance school and sports? Minor: I’ve had to balance three sports and school since I was in middle school, so time management is not that difficult for me. I just have to keep in mind that education comes first - period.
GP: What is your most memorable Drake McCabe/The Gatepost moment in basketball? Minor: My most memorable moment Kia Minor led the Rams in scoring this season, averaging 12.3 points per game. this year was when I went to save GP: What will you miss most when a loose ball and I ran right into the the season ends? Minor: I think the fact that we made Mt. Ida bench and knocked four girls playoffs for the first time in at least GP: What areas do you think the Minor: The thing I’ll miss most about over while they were still in the chairs five years speaks loudly to the fact team needs to improve upon in order the season is my team. The whole because I was running so fast and I that our program is headed in the right to build a championship caliber chemistry of the team changes when couldn’t stop. you lose a person, and because of that direction. I think every team in the program? conference was championship caliber. Minor: One thing we need to improve I know that my team as well as myself GP: How do you think the team has We just weren’t able to fully capitalize on is playing well when we’re on the will remember this season for a very performed this year? Do you think on our potential like other teams were. road. long time. the program is going in the right direction?
Notable Rams Senior forward Joe Hurley of the Men’s Ice Hockey team was named to the All-MASCAC Second Team. Hurley led the Rams in points with 29, goals with 14, and assists with 15.
Ram Round Up Men’s Basketball 2/27 Loss 74-70 MASCAC Championship Game @ Bridgewater State 3/3 Loss 77-75 ECAC Tournament @ Becker College
The Gatepost
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March 5, 2010
Go i n g G r e e n Fo r S p r i n g Josh Kruger/The Gatepost
Josh Kruger/The Gatepost
Josh Kruger/The Gatepost
The Recycled Runway fashion contest asked students to create environmentally friendly attire.
Josh Kruger/The Gatepost Tom Higgins/The Gatepost
Tom Higgins/The Gatepost
Tom Higgins/The Gatepost
Larned residents celebrate winning the energy-reduction competition.
Tom Higgins/The Gatepost Matt Mikaelian/The Gatepost
Tom Higgins/The Gatepost
Open Mic Night
Matt Mikaelian/The Gatepost
Matt Mikaelian/The Gatepost
Matt Mikaelian/The Gatepost