From FSC to Croatia:
Hilltop Hears a Who!
Former FSC goalie makes it to the pros
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pg. 26
T he G atepost T he Inde pendent Weekly Student Ne wspa per of Framingham State College Since 1932
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FSC Dance club presents “Dancing All Over the World.”
Gatepost survey finds FSC seniors want more internship opportunities
By Ariana Shuris
Staff Writer An unscientific survey of 200 seniors at Framingham State College, conducted from Sept. 28 to Oct. 7, found that students want more internship opportunities and professional skills. Approximately one fourth of the 2010 graduating class was surveyed - 74 men and 126 women. Of the 200 students, 89 were residents and 111 were commuters. Approximately 31.5 percent (63) of the 200 seniors have completed an internship and 68.5 percent (137) have not. Of the 137 students who have not completed an internship, 88 said they were going to before graduating, including education majors who will be finishing up their student teaching before graduation. History chair Jon Huibregtse said in the history department, because internships are
Two snowmen chillin’ on the Dwight Quad.
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Visit The Gatepost’s Web site! www.thegatepost.com Our new photo gallery is up!
Tom Higgins/The Gatepost
Twilight-mania rampant, still growing, at FSC
not a requirement, students are encouraged to find them on their own. In the history major, internships are available for credit but are not mandatory for graduation. One anonymous survey respondent majoring in history said, “I blame myself more than FSC for not getting an internship yet.” Business chair Sandra Rahman, who supports internships, suggested looking at the bigger picture. “Now with the economy, it’s good to have an internship.” She said, “It’s hard to know what you want until you’re in the environment. If you can find out what you don’t want to pursue by doing an internship, it can be just as valuable as finding out what you do want.” In the business department, internships are offered for credit and are considered a free elective. Rahman wishes to see the internship program more developed in the near future, with more contacts and infor-
The season of giving pg. 21
Rams come up short against Curry
pg. 27
The Gatepost
12:30
Editorial Board 2009-2010 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
Arts & Features Editor Matthew Bushery
Assistant Arts & Features Editors Pam Barberio, Spencer Buell, Amanda Lefebvre and Tom O’Brien
SPORTS EDITORS Nenia Corcoran and Josh Primak
Assistant Sports Editors Jeff Mandeau and Chris McCabe
Opinion Editor Leanne Paradiso
PHOTO EDITORS Matt Bennett, Tom Higgins, Josh Kruger, Andrew Martin, Drake McCabe and Matthew Mikaelian
Comics Editor Steve Monroe
Advertising Editor ONLINE EDITORs Liz Anders and Jen Perrin
Administrative assistant Betty Brault
Advisor Desmond McCarthy
General Staff
Bryan Dagley Kelsey Loverude Krysta Davis Ashley Moran Nicole Dygon Shaeleen Perreault Sara L. Fortin Ariana Shuris Monique Thomas
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FROM WWW.WEATHER.COM
Forecast
GP: Can you give a brief summary of your resume?
Cok: As I stated, I got my Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology. I had worked as an academic researcher for 14 years at Washington University. ... I spent many years working in a research lab in an academic setting, but never [had] any teaching responsibilities. When I moved to Massachusetts, I actually moved here without a job. So a friend of mine told me, “Why GP: What are your hobdon’t you try teaching?” Drake McCabe/The Gatepost bies? I knew I also liked showDr. Stephen Cok ing people how to work in Cok: I like to run. I’ve run a lab on a one-to-one basis, and I thought, “Maybe it several half marathons. I like to ski in the winter, and I would be interesting to try it in a more formal sense.” like to play tennis. Gardening would be the main thing So I began working here ... and I found out that I really I like to do. liked the interaction with the students - trying to show them how different experiments work, how we set up an GP: What do you like best about Framingham State experiment, how we analyze the data, and so in working College? with them, teaching them how to do an experiment. GP: What made you decide to go into biochemistry?
Staff
Cok: Like many students here, I started at a community college in Grand Rapids, MI, and then transferred into Michigan State College. ... After I got my bachelor’s of science at Michigan State, I went to the University of Chicago, where I received a Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology. Following that, I moved to St. Louis at Washington University, where I had my first postdoc. there in the department of pharmacology.
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Cok: Remember that science requires good English skills! Learn to think. It’s easy to memorize - maybe more so for others than some - but the idea of taking ideas that you’ve learned and be able to synthesize them into coherent thoughts and ideas, and being able to express that in written form and in oral form - that’s the most important thing you can learn in college. I don’t care what field you’re in. The idea is to take these ideas into your own brain and bring them together and realize new concepts that you can express both verbally and written so other people can understand. … As a professor, my role is to introduce you to ideas and to try to force you to take those ideas and apply them to new situations. In that way, you’ll learn to educate yourself, you’ll learn how to learn the ideas and then how to apply those ideas to every situation. If you get those skills, you can do that anywhere and in any situation that you’re put in. I think that’s the best thing you can bring out in education.
Cok: I actually started out as a botany major, because I love plants, and then when I took organic chemistry, that just made sense to me. So I felt chemistry became my focus, but I still loved dealing with biological systems, so I thought, “biology … chemistry … how about biochemistry?” and it stuck. Once I started taking biochemistry classes, I really enjoyed looking at [that] side of different metabolic pathways that occurred in biological organisms, but it’s really organic chemistry [that] was my turning point. GP: What was your best experience in college? Cok: One of my best experiences [was] when I first got a job working in a lab. I was an undergraduate at Michigan State, and as a student project, we had to do some research in one of the labs. … And my experience there [made me realize] that I really liked working in a lab. It was tough learning about the subject, but actually doing experiments to figure out how things worked was one of the things I really enjoyed.
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Cok: Well, I went to a state college, so I like the idea of a public education, but what I like about Framingham State College is the size. [At] Michigan State, I didn’t get to know my professors until I got into their individual research labs, because I was just one of another hundred students. But I think here, especially teaching biochemistry, it’s such a small group that I really feel like I get to know the individual students very rapidly, and I like that one-on-one interaction. And I like having a small lab size - I like to get into the lab, and I like to see them learn to design an experiment and see them take that information and transform it into the lab report and to be able to demonstrate that they’ve learned it, and what they’ve actually measured in a lab. And when you see them catch on to it, you see their eyes go wide and go “Ahh, OK. Now that makes sense,” and then it’s all worth it. But you don’t get [that] unless you have a very small classroom environment. And that’s what I like about Framingham State.
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GP: What is your educational background?
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GP: Do you have any advice for students?
By Monique Thomas Staff Writer
Tuesday
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Dr. Stephen Cok Chemistry Department
Sunday
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Friday, December 4, 2009 Malicious Mischief - O’Connor Hall Parking Lot. Peanut butter smeared on vehicle, clear. Sunday, December 6, 2009 Assistance - Linsley Hall. Report of 3 dead mice in dorm room. Request for maintenance filed. Tuesday, December 8, 2009 Arrest - Larned Hall. Wednesday, December 9, 2009 MVA - Personal Injury Public. Maynard Road. MVA, MV vs. Pole. FPD, FFD, Verizon notified. Thursday, December 10, 2009 Alarm (Fire/Smoke) - Larned Hall. Alarm sounding, FFD on scene. Checks OK, no fire problem.
December 11, 2009
Gatepost Interview
Police Logs
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The Gatepost
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December 11, 2009
Dr. Shane Templeton speaks at Alpha Upsilon Alpha initiation ceremony By Monique Thomas
Staff Writer On Tuesday, Nov. 9, the Alpha Pi Chapter of the Alpha Upsilon Alpha, which is the honor society of the International Reading Association, held its initiation ceremony. Dr. Shane Templeton was the guest speaker. Templeton is the Foundation Professor of Literacy Studies in the Department of Educational Specialties at the University of Nevada/Reno. He co-authored the book “Words Their Way: Word Study for Phonics, Vocabulary, and Spelling Instruction.” In his presentation, “Reading and Spelling Development - Why Keep it a Secret?,” he emphasized ways teachers can help students in grades K-8 improve their vocabulary skills by reading and spelling, which are co-related. Education professor Dr. Diane Lowe introduced Lindsey McMahon, 2008-2009 Alpha Pi President, who welcomed the audience and gave a brief history of FSC’s origins as the first public normal school in the United States. She in turn introduced President Timothy Flanagan, who
also greeted the audience and spoke proudly of the success FSC has had as a great public college that not only is a reputable school for education, but for other fields such as fashion, consumer sciences, food and nutrition, among others. Dr. Lori DiGisi, President-Elect of the Massachusetts Reading Association, was introduced and welcomed the honorees into the “Professional Community” of literacy. Then the Alpha Pi 2009-2010 officers were installed and the recipients were honored, including honored alumni, Templeton, as an honorary member, and undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, early childhood and graduate students. Sara Mills, newly elected president of Alpha Pi, introduced Templeton, who walked the audience through the stages of literacy for children starting from kindergarten to around fifth grade. According to Templeton, learning word structure is “conceptual,” which is how spelling tests can give teachers an idea of how well the child is reading. As children advance, they become “conventional readers and writers,” making phonetic distinctions among words. For
example, he showed a child’s written piece in which the child spelled “feet” as “fyt,” pointing out that at this stage, “y” was used because it sounded like “e.” He said that around second grade, the child is a “transitional readerwriter.” Around fourth grade, the child is learning more word structure, learning about prefixes, suffixes, bases and roots to understand the meaning of words. He or she also learns cognates, which are words that look similar but come from different languages. For example, “quadrilateral” is an English word and “cuadrilatero” is a Spanish word. Finally, around fifth grade, Templeton said children are taught more about etymology. After the ceremony, Templeton autographed copies of his book. Framingham’s Alpha Pi Chapter is one of two active chapters in Massachusetts. It received its charter in 1994.
The Gatepost would like to wish the FSC community a safe and happy holiday season!
December 11, 2009
The Gatepost
FSC closing for a week over winter break
By Matthew Bushery Editorial Staff The entire FSC campus will be closed for the holidays from Friday, Dec. 25, 2009 to Sunday, Jan. 3. Regular campus hours will resume Monday, Jan. 4. According to an e-mail sent to all campus employees on Sept. 11, only people working for the campus police, the power plant, employees designated as “essential personnel” and employees working on “time-sensitive matters” will be allowed to work during this period. All “nonessential” campus employees are being asked to use accrued vacation leave, personal leave, compensatory time, flexible scheduling or take the leave unpaid. The e-mail, sent by Director of Human Resources and Affirmative Action Rita Colucci, states the school is allowing non-essential campus employees to make up the work hours needed to take these vacation days off throughout the entire semester. According to Colucci, the scheduling decision for the break was made by President Flanagan’s “senior staff.” Colucci stated non-essential employees may fill out a “Winter Holiday Schedule Form” if they want to work during the employed holiday schedule. “It’s not mandatory [vacation time], so let me just say that off the bat,” said Colucci. “We are providing a working option for employees, if they’d like to work. We’re keeping the Advancement House open if they want. “We have some employees who have some deadlines they have to meet, so they will be working. If other people really want to work, though, they can. Otherwise, people are going to be using their vacation or accrued compensatory time that they have for this holiday period.” Colucci believes most school employees are happy to have time off during the holiday schedule. “Most employees, the employees I’ve heard from anyway, really welcomed this [new schedule] because they do want to take this time off to spend time with family. What we try to do … is be cognizant of those employees who don’t
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One of the non-essential employees on campus is not happy about having to accrue sick time and/or use vacation time for the holiday schedule. This person stated, “Some people don’t have a lot of built-up work time to get these ‘vacation’ days off. … These [employees] want to be coming in for the shifts during that time period, but we
opportunity for the staff.” Carey added she doesn’t understand why some fellow campus employees disagree with the policy. “If these people actually read the policy handed to all of us, then they wouldn’t be frustrated with it and would actually understand the school’s intentions.” Non-essential employees on campus consist of the maintenance staff and the administrative assistants. Maintenance workers receive an hourly wage, whereas administrative assistants are paid salaries. Colucci stated, “I think this type of holiday schedule is good for the school. A lot of private institutions close during that week, and they have the flexibility to say to their employees ‘Take the whole week off - paid,’ but because our college’s employees are also state employees, we don’t have that same flexibility. ... Even if the fiscal situation was great, at the end of the day, we’re state employees, and state employees don’t just get to take paid days off. “By and large, I think the vast majority of our employees look forward to this … time [off]. What I’ve discovered here is that people work really, really hard during the semester to accrue vacation time, so this break will give them a nice break from that work.” Students have a range of opinions regarding the “allowed” leave time, as it is referred to in the e-mail sent by Colucci. Graduate student Rob Merlino understands the school’s decision to have certain employees not come in to work. “It doesn’t sound terribly bad. This is the way it works in most companies. … I’ve got family members who work in unions who recognize this kind of situaDrake McCabe/The Gatepost tion.” Rita Colucci Senior Allison Connolly disagrees with know the school likes to keep most of the campus’ elec- Merlino. She stated she “thinks it’s ridiculous [the] emtricity and heat off.” ployees have to fill out a form just to work. If the employNicole Carey, an administrative assistant in Crocker ees want to work, they should be allowed to work.” Hall, likes the school’s new holiday scheduling plan. “I Taryne Armata, a senior English major, agrees with love the policy,” said Carey. “When the administration Connolly. “It is ridiculous. It doesn’t make sense. Why tells you ahead of time that you can accrue this time at the have them work extra hard to be allowed to take off the beginning of the semester, then I think that’s a hell of an
“Most employees, the employees I’ve heard from anyway, really welcomed this [new schedule] because they do want to take this time off to spend time with family. ”
“It is ridiculous. It doesn’t make sense. Why have them work extra hard to be allowed to take off the holidays?”
- Kevin Tierney
- Taryne Armata
accrue a lot of vacation time. “We try to be very generous in allowing employees to accrue compensatory time - working overtime, working later or earlier in the day - and in lieu of being paid for the extra time, we add to [the employees’] compensatory time.” The campus implemented a similar holiday closing policy on Dec. 26, 2008 and Jan. 2, 2009. According to an article in the Dec. 5, 2008 issue of The Gatepost, titled “FSC closing during holiday to save heat,” the campus went with a “skeletal crew” during the winter schedule. The reaction from campus workers and students was mixed regarding the decision.
holidays?” Junior Patrick Hart, an English major, said he doesn’t “think it’s fair for the campus workers who are being told not to come in.” Aside from saving money by not having to pay employees during this week, Colucci stated the school will save money by not using electricity as well. Colucci, however, is unsure of the approximate amount of money the school will save by reducing the use of energy on campus. “I don’t know, really. We can’t really gauge that because we’ve never really had a break as long as this year’s break around Christmas.” She added there has been “no way to measure the school’s use of energy in the past.”
The Gatepost Archives
President Timothy Flanagan
Important information regarding your grades: Students who fail to achieve the necessary cumulative GPA for the Fall 2009 semester will be notified by the Dean of Students via student e-mail. If you are placed on academic suspension or dismissal, you will be notified during the week of December 28 and given the opportunity to appeal this decision. Further details will be provided in the e-mail. If you cannot access your e-mail account, contact the student helpdesk at 508-620-1220, ext. 4357. Failure to access your student email will not be grounds for an appeal.
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The Gatepost
Majority of seniors surveyed have not completed internships
professors, Career Services or friends and family. Sixteen students credited Career Services for assisting them in finding an internship. An anonymous survey respondent majoring in chemistry said, “Career Services has to ‘up’ the amount of chemistry-field connections and internships.” Another respondent was also critical of Career Services. “They [Career Services] need a wake-up call quick. In this job market, everyone needs connections connections that should be provided by Career Services. I went there to get help finding an internship and they sent me to that College Central Network, which is a huge search engine on ‘nothing’ jobs.” Director of CaDrake McCabe/ The Gatepost reer Services Rich Dr. Robert Johnson. Davino described interned because my major doesn’t require that I complete internships as “absolutely critical.” Davino said interning an internship. I think it is a positive experience because is one task every student should complete before graduatit helps give insight into a job that you may hold in the ing because it allows students to apply their knowledge and interests in a real-world setting. future.” Some professors oppose making internships mandatory Wildlife biology major Theresa Hurt plans on completfor all students. Consumer science chair Janet Schwartz ing an internship in the spring. She said, “I think it could be beneficial because the more experience you have now said, “Internships should not be required because an inwith this economy, the better chance you have at getting ternship has to come either because the faculty or a student has a need for it.” a job.” Internships require a lot of faculty preparation and Communication arts chair Robert Johnson said, “I think you’re going to see those percentages change. We’ve been time, said Schwartz. Therefore, “The faculty should really discussing how to increase the internship opportunities.” work toward creating meaningful internships for students” Johnson is aware that finding jobs in the communications in their department, she added. Spring semester of senior year is when most consumer field has become competitive, making it difficult for gradscience students complete their internships, said Schwartz. uates entering the work world. In the communication arts department, there are five Students in the consumer sciences major are encouraged by faculty members to find internships, while many search concentrations, with three requiring internships. Communication arts major Matt Lodi said, “I have not on their own for them. Consumer sciences major Jessica Fitzgerald is comyet interned. I have attempted to intern at a few places pleting an internship in the spring simply because it is a with no success, and really haven’t found the time with the requirement for her ‘health and community service’ conwork load during the semesters to do an internship as well. centration. Her course will be setting up the internship for I think interning is a great resume-builder.” her and giving her the experience she needs to become a diabetes advocate. Fitzgerald said, “If you don’t have an internship in the field, how else would be able to get into that type of ca“You can’t wait for experiences and reer?” Although Schwartz believes “FSC is working to inopportunities to fall in your lap.” crease the percentage of students completing them,” referring to internships, she still believes that first, “a student has to want it, be ready for it and see the value of it.” - Kevin Tierney English major Diane Garcia said, “I interned at a children’s literature publisher called Barefoot Books Inc. I think it is absolutely necessary for students to intern. Not only does it help build your resume, but for many jobs, the skills needed are learned on the job, so interning allows An anonymous survey respondent majoring in commu- you to learn these skills before entering the work world.” Davino said the number of internships is lower in the nication arts said, “My internship is what really helped me fall and higher in the spring. in preparing me for the job market.” “It’s easier to search for a spring internship while Of the 200 students surveyed, 53 percent said they were encouraged by professors to find an internship in their de- you’re back at school in the fall,” he added. A study completed by Davino in December, 2007 partment and 45 percent said they were not. The other 2 looked at statistics from fall, 2004 to summer 2007, trackpercent did not answer the question. Thirty-three students credited faculty for helping them ing the completion of internships by students in 15 departfind an internship in their major. Twenty-eight students ments. Five-hundred-and-thirty-one internships were underfound their internships on their own, with no help from mation for students. One anonymous survey respondent majoring in biology said, “Maybe requiring internships in majors would help students feel more prepared for the working world.” Geography major Christine Morrisey said, “I haven’t
taken in the time span, with approximately 177 internships completed each year. The study showed that each spring semester, there were more internships being completed than in the fall by students. His survey showed the departments with the largest number of students participating in internships over the past three years have been Consumer Sciences (110), Communication Arts (101), Psychology and Philosophy (83), Economics and Business (72) and Sociology (51). Davino concluded from his study, “Faculty, working in concert with Career Services and Employer Relations (CSER) are critical to increasing student participation in internships. Faculty must believe internships add departmental value and are critical to the overall student learning and the learning benefits must be communicated clearly to students.” Davino said, “If you’re graduating in May, 2010, consider finding an internship for the spring semester. The internship will increase your skills and your chances for landing in the field permanently.” Approximately 62 percent of students surveyed said they would rather receive professional skills than a traditional liberal arts education at FSC. Communication arts major Coreen Feeley said, “I feel it is great for some to receive a liberal arts education, but for me, I would probably rather receive professional skills as an undergrad. It seems pointless for me to be taking biology when I know for a fact I do not want to do anything with it. I would rather be taking more classes that are going to advance my knowledge and skills in the field that I’m studying.” Davino believes that both a liberal arts education and
“Your interests and passion, combined with your skills and what you learned in the classroom, lead you to a career.” - Rich Davino
professional skills are important and complement each other. “Neither is truly better,” he said. FSC’s tagline, “Discover, Achieve, Succeed,” is representative of a liberal arts program, Davino added. “It’s straightforward and accurate to the work we do.” Although Davino admits that a liberal arts education can be seen as unfocused and impractical, he believes the educational foundation here exposes students to multiple ways of thinking and broader skills. Johnson said, “Specialization is always good when times are good, but in tough times, specialization can be a hindrance … so a liberal arts studies education can help you.” When economic shifts occur, experts in specific fields suffer. Therefore, having an understanding of literature, art history, communications and even public speaking would be beneficial to students. An anonymous survey respondent majoring in communication arts said a liberal arts education is important because “most students don’t know what it is they want to do yet.” Huibregtse believes in a strong liberal arts educational foundation. “The skills you learn as a liberal arts major no matter what you choose as your major - skills of analysis, looking at data, synthesis, the skills of being able to work within a major, professors’ styles and expectations, learning to navigate through those waters - all those skills
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December 11, 2009
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The Gatepost
December 11, 2009
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Major of students surveyed favor career-focused courses -Continued from page 6
are useful in the work environment,” he said. As a professor, Huibregtse said he emphasizes the fact that the skills students are acquiring will help them in the job market. Johnson said, “The purpose of gen. ed.s is very much in line with what liberal studies means - you’re taking courses in a variety of different disciplines.” He believes it is important for students to complete these gen. ed.s in order for them to obtain a broad taste of what’s out there. Then, students can focus on their major by narrowing down their interests. Although students may not realize it now, “they will use that knowledge at some point in their lifetime,” Johnson added. Rahman believes to make use of a liberal arts degree, students must go further, educationally. She said, “I think if you’re a liberal arts undergrad, you need to have your sights set on grad school, because to find a job just within the liberal arts - it’s somewhat limited - but when you add something else, it becomes rich.” Although the liberal arts education gives students a broad base of understanding, professional skills are more applied skills for a specific career. She added that in the work place, both broad and specialized thinkers are necessary. An anonymous survey respondent majoring in biology said a liberal arts education “sets a knowledge base for expansion in future studies.” Schwartz said FSC offers students the skills to become functioning, educated professionals. “I don’t think it’s wrong to come out with a liberal arts degree, but it’s all about what you do with that. It means you’re a literate citizen.That’s one thing I like about FSC.” Sixty-two percent of the 200 seniors said they wanted to find a full-time job directly after graduation. Thirty-nine percent of students stated they were looking into pursuing graduate school in the near future after graduation. Rahman said, “I guess I’m surprised that so many want to go right away. It seems that my students want to take some time to work a little bit and then go back to school. I
“Overall, I’m sure we as a college could do
better in terms of increasing the percentage of students who feel that their education has served them.” - Dr. Robert Johnson
am happy to see that number, though.” Huibregtse was surprised by the number of seniors who want to go to graduate school right away, too. He added that because a third of history majors are secondary education minors, many of them will be pursuing grad school to receive their master’s degrees to teach. Corporate communication arts major Jeffrey D’Andrea said, “I plan on going to graduate school after college and law school to give me a wider choice of career options. A master’s degree allows a person to work within so many different fields.” Billie McGhee, a 2009 graduate who majored in communication arts, said, “Now you have to go to grad school to get a job.” Approximately 79 percent of survey respondents believed their majors have prepared them for a career after college, while 20 percent did not. One student was unsure and two students did not answer the question. Johnson said, “Overall, I’m sure we as a college could do better in terms of increasing the percentage of students who feel that their education has served them.” Huibregtse offered an example to explain why students might believe their majors haven’t prepared them for the careers they’d like to pursue. “In that 20 percent, there might be someone who wants to go to law school and is an English major right now … They may be thinking, ‘My major has not really prepared me for what I ultimately want to do, which is to practice law.’ Some may have no clue what they want to do and they’re just getting a degree,” he said. Schwartz said it all comes down to the students’ definition of being “prepared” in their majors. Schwartz added there are times when students enroll in a major and think, “Whoa - I didn’t know this was all this” or “I don’t feel like I’m good at it.” In the business department, skills are taught to students which can be immediately applied to a career after col-
lege, said Rahman, including accounting, finance and marketing. “Maybe in some of the other fields, it’s more of a
Dr. Jon Huibregtse. supported application - not direct. Many of our business students are working, and can see it applied in the work force right away,” she added. Davino said a major gives students focus and a platform from which they can potentially increase their skills set. “Your interests and passion, combined with your skills and what you learned in the classroom, lead you to a career,” he said. Kim White, a 2009 math and secondary education major, credited FSC’s math department for preparing her with the knowledge and teaching strategies necessary to become a teacher. “After college, I planned to get a job teaching high school math full time. Within weeks after graduation, I landed myself a teaching job,” she said. White was happy with the liberal arts education she received at FSC. “I sometimes get the most random questions - not math related - that I can rely on my liberal arts education to answer,” she added. After completing her Field Study II and student teaching courses, White was ready to step into the work world. “It’s hard to be fully prepared going into teaching, because you think you know everything you’re getting into, but it’s so much more than you can imagine. I do wish I had more field experience prior to graduating, though,” she said. Davino wonders what “prepared” really means to students. He added that most majors do not offer students hands-on learning or incorporate tangible, trainable pieces into their learning, such as using editing equipment, for example. Of the 200 seniors surveyed by The Gatepost, 105 believe their involvement in co-curricular activities have helped prepared them for a career after college. Eightyseven students said they are either not involved in these activities or they haven’t prepared them for careers, and eight students did not answer the question. Rahman said some students will only realize the benefit of their club involvement years after college is over. Involvement on campus will give students more confidence for careers after college, she added. Kendall Hatch, ‘09, who majored in English, said, “There were a few classes I took that really supplied me with some integral knowledge which I still use daily. That being said, I took quite a few classes where I pretty much forgot everything I learned the minute I walked out the door. I think that you kind of have to expect that with a liberal arts degree. Most of the real-life preparation I did was out of the classroom.” Hatch’s participation at FSC’s The Gatepost, as News Editor, gave him hands-on experience with writing and publishing. Right after graduation, Hatch’s goal was to get a fulltime job in the field of journalism or publishing. “While it took a few months and I had to make some sacrifices like moving back in with my parents and getting a part-time job at a grocery store, it did eventually happen.” Hatch now works full-time as a reporter covering Ashland and Holliston for The MetroWest Daily News in Framingham. Huibregtse believes involvement in co-curricular activities is a way of networking. “It’s a way for a freshman to meet a senior,” he said.
By joining a club, students will gain the skills and experiences that are going to help them in a professional setting. Biology major and SGA president Steve Whittemore said SGA has prepared him for his future in various ways. After serving on the executive board for three years representing his class, Whittemore became president of SGA in 2008. “I have a tremendous amount of budgeting experience, customer service skills, and leadership skills that I can take with me to any career that I choose,” he said. Whittemore said FSC offers a well-rounded education to its students and many extra-curricular activities and on-campus jobs that help encourage students to become more active citizens. Referring to students’ Drake McCabe/ The Gatepost understanding of the benefit of extra-curricular activities, Schwartz said, “I think they don’t get it. I really do. The idea of working on a team, working toward a goal, perhaps even articulating a stance on something - they don’t make the connection. I think they don’t get, that what you put in, is what you get.” Johnson said he hoped that communication arts students would find the radio station, TV club, graphics club, and photography club very useful. Kevin Tierney, a 2009 communication arts graduate, is currently a “starving artist” in California pursuing a career in the film industry. Tierney bases his problems finding a job on “a combination of the failing economy and the lack of immediate contacts given out once you’re about to graduate. You can’t wait for experiences and opportunities to fall in your lap.” Davino said maybe some students are not planning on actually doing much within these clubs, which would explain the results on this survey question. “I’m surprised that the results aren’t higher, he said - that students aren’t getting better prepared from their club activity.” Of the 200 seniors surveyed, 59.5 percent said FSC offers enough career-oriented classes and 34.5 percent said the college does not. Fifteen students did not answer the question. Davino said, “A large number of colleges and universities around the country offer a general-career course to prepare students for job searching.” Davino proposed offering a career-oriented elective at FSC, which would be applicable to every department. It could be an option for undergraduates to gain skills for future jobs. However, he is unsure if this would be the right path for FSC. Psychology major Andre Steenland-Gilbert said, “I believe that FSC is a great learning institution that unfortu-
“I believe that FSC is a great learning
institution that unfortunately is too resistant
to change and too concerned with its image.” - Andre Steenland-Gilbert
nately is too resistant to change and too concerned with its image.” In the consumer sciences major, all classes are careeroriented, said Schwartz. “Sometimes we’re criticized for being so professionally oriented,” she said. Students in the department come out with skills and knowledge in a very specific area, but it is up to them to figure out how to use these skills, said Schwartz. Libby Bamford, a ’09 fashion merchandising graduate, said, “Right now, I am working full time at a job that is completely unrelated to my major. I am a secretary and -Continued on page 8
Page 8
The Gatepost
December 11, 2009
Johnson: “We as a college could do better” The purpose of a college education, receptionist at a urology office.” defined by many stuBamford believes FSC did not properly prepare her dents, is “getting a for a career in her major. She said, “I think I could have piece of paper after benefited from a better internship, other than the awful four years” as proof one I was given. I also think the classes were not in depth of their completion of enough and I did not take away as much as I should have.” their traditional libBamford said she could have joined clubs to assist her eral arts education at in her major, but chose not to when attending FSC. “That FSC. is my own fault,” she added. An anonymous Rahman believes professional skills are constantly be- survey respondent ing incorporated into the business classes at FSC. Intern- majoring in business ship and mentorship programs are offered as well in the administration said department. The mentorship program sets students up with the purpose of a colpeople in the industry to further their career progress. lege education is “to In the history department, a seminar or “capstone” further expand my course has been mandatory for decades now, since higher knowledge and to education has been advocating courses such as that in uni- hang a piece of paper versities, said Huibregtse. in a frame in my ofSociology major Vanessa Colon said, “I wish they had fice.” more career orientated classes on campus. I feel like if Rahman said, “I they did, it would be beneficial to the students, in regards don’t think the idea to feeling better prepared.” was ever true [that a Seniors were asked about the number of courses they college education is have taken which have specifically prepared them for their just a piece of paper], future careers. but it might have been Approximately 21 percent of the 200 survey respon- truer in the past than dents believed between zero and two classes have specifi- it is today. Today, for cally prepared them for a career they would like to pursue sure, it is not a piece after college. of paper.” Thirty-seven percent of the seniors said between three She emphasized and five classes have prepared them. Drake McCabe/ The Gatepost that currently, busiApproximately 14 percent said between six and nine nesses are so eager to Dr. Sandra Rahman. classes have specifically prepared them. find talent that they’re Sixteen percent said between 10 and 14, and 6 percent looking at a student’s Nathan Phipps, ‘07, who majored in history, works as said between 15 and 20. college diploma as an indication of how qualified he or a program coordinator for a non-profit organization called she is. Rahman said, “We all go to college because it will Facing History and Ourselves. “I feel pretty lucky to have improve our standard of living. We want to get an income. gotten this job right out of school. “I think a large part the purpose of a college educa“I wish they had more career orientated classes A bachelor’s degree at least doubles your income. It’s the best investment you could ever make. I think the tenets of tion is to give you a context for the world that you’re on campus. I feel like if they did, it would be any society are to educate its citizens so we will be a more about to enter. I think liberal arts colleges like FSC are really important for people who may not have a strict idea civilized and efficient society.” beneficial to the students, in regards An anonymous survey respondent majoring in history of where they want to end up or what they want to do. to feeling better prepared.” said, “The purpose [of college] is to further my education You’re able to ‘test the waters’ a bit in lots of different in a specific area of interest that pertains to a certain goal.” fields and see what might fit best for you. - Vanessa Colon “I do feel FSC prepared me properly. However, I do Josiah Curtis, a 2009 politics graduate, is studying at New England School of Law in Boston and will be seek- think that you have to be a little self-motivated sometimes ing a position as a public interest lawyer after he graduates in order to get the full experience, and that is probably the case at most schools. I think I certainly would have benin 2012. “I believe that FSC prepared me very well to compete efited if I was challenged more by my professors to work The remaining seven percent said all of their classes at with private school graduates who are now my classmates. harder,” he added. FSC have prepared them for a career after college. Phipps was a member of Active Sociologists and the I personally believe that the purpose of a college education Huibregtse believes this opinion-based question is re- is to prepare students to be a positive influence in society president of FSC’s chapter of Amnesty International, and flective of the variety of perspectives students have on in whatever field they end up in,” he said. credits his involvement in activities and clubs for contribtheir education. “I think students get out of college what Curtis enjoyed the liberal arts education at FSC be- uting to his college experience. they put into it. I think if you want to work hard and give cause it provided him with a broad curriculum and has Schwartz defined a college education as a means “to yourself over to the professors - in the sense that they’re made him aware of a variety of issues. “That knowledge broaden your mind, to increase your curiosity, to see bethe experts in the field - you’re going to do really well and will be integral to my career,” he added. Johnson defined a college education as “the foundation for lifelong learning.” “No one graduating this year will land in He said, in college, students teach themselves how to learn new skills, their final career. The career path evolves how to train and teach themselves, over your lifetime, so don’t feel the pressure how to study and become more selfmotivated and self-actualized. to make the perfect career decision at this point.” When completing college, students should have a “closer or better - Rich Davino defined understanding of what they want to do for the rest of their lives, or at least what they don’t want to do,” Johnson added. Derrick Brown, a 2009 history yond your own life and develop knowledge and skills.” Secondary education minor Sarah Beckner said, “A graduate said, “You learn things, be it in classes or just living there, that you college education is not about going to classes or a degree. wouldn’t at home or in high school. It’s about figuring out who you are and understanding your College prepares you for what may place in the world.” A survey respondent majoring in communication arts come.” Drake McCabe/ The Gatepost Brown planned on becoming a said, “It’s too bad there is so much pressure to get a job. It teacher after college, but after student takes some of the fun out of school.” Richard Davino Davino believes students should be working toward teaching, realized his interests had changed. He now works in retail and perfecting their resumes, finalizing their career options your education will benefit tremendously down the road,” as a freelance writer, while still searching for a full-time and beginning a job search soon, so as to not miss out on he said. opportunities. job related to his studies at FSC. Rahman said students may not be able to visualize a Davino said, “No one graduating this year will land in Huibregtse believes a college education prepares stucourse’s impact on their future yet. Right now, students dents with necessary skills that they need to enter the their final career. The career path evolves over your lifejust see what they “think” will be helpful in their careers, workforce in some kind of professional capacity. “It also time, so don’t feel the pressure to make the perfect and are unaware of the larger picture, she added. career decision at this point.” is a time for students to be exposed to a variety of things Schwartz agreed, saying, “They just don’t know yet that they may or may not have been exposed to before,” what’s going to assist them further down the road.” he said.
-Continued from page 7
The Gatepost
December 11, 2009
Page 9
New graduation requirement to begin May, 2011 By Pam Barberio Editorial Staff Effective May, 2011, undergraduate students will no longer be permitted to participate in commencement ceremony until all course credits have been fulfilled. Currently, “students who are within two course credits of completing undergraduate degree requirements for graduation may participate in the annual commencement ceremony held at the end of May,” according to the 20092010 Framingham State College Undergraduate Catalog. However, “participation in the commencement ceremony does not constitute conferral of the degree.” Students accepted to the college during the 2006-2007 academic year, who will be graduating this coming May, will be the last to graduate under the existing policy which allows students to walk at graduation with two outstanding courses. They do not receive their diploma until the courses are taken. The new policy for graduation eligibility was passed in the 2006-2007 academic year, and is in effect for students who entered the college starting the 2007-2008 academic year.
“I still haven’t received my diploma. I’ve called the registrar’s office every month since September, and each time they’ve told me, ‘It’ll be here next month.’ If I hadn’t participated in commencement, I would have nothing to show that I graduated.” - Joe Harris
Dr. Robert Martin, vice president of academic affairs, said the new “requirement of participating in the ceremony is having met all the requirements for graduation. “The decision [to change the commencement requirements] did come out of discussions that we had in Academic Affairs, of which I was a part, and I supported the decision,” he said. Martin added, “With any policy … it’s a fairly lengthy review.” He said the proposal was first presented to college governance. The college governance committees consist of faculty, staff and students. The proposed plan was brought to the Academic Policies Committee, then to the All College Committee and finally to the president of the college. Martin said the policy was changed due to “an unacceptable number of people” who were two courses short
of earning their degrees who walked at commencement but were not returning to complete the courses. “So they never graduated,” said Martin. “That’s no good for them and it’s no good for the college” because one of the areas the college is evaluated in is its graduation rate. “Ultimately, we said, ‘Well, look, to graduate requires this [completion of all course credits], so let’s just keep it real simple.’” He added, “If someone is short, they’re short.” Dr. Melinda Stoops, dean of students, said this is “not the first time this has been a requirement. “Historically … you did have to have all courses completed to walk … and then it was changed, I believe in the early 90s, to have two outstanding courses.” Stoops said there have been students “who participate in commencement and then, even several years later, have never finished those two courses.” SGA President Steve Whittemore said, “Basically, I think the college and some departments require so much out of you. The [existing] policy is beneficial to many students to get out of here in four years.” Whittemore added he believes it is difficult for many students to complete all of their general education and major requirements within the traditional four-year undergraduate career. Whittemore is graduating this May after attending FSC full-time for five years. He said, “I guess without too much thought, I’d be against the [new] policy. In a lot of cases, it helps students to be able to walk with their class. A lot of students benefit to be with their friends - sometimes, it would be nice to have an exception.” However, Whittemore added he “can see both sides of it . … It [commencement ceremony] should be a completion.” Stoops said, “I think sometimes there’s a sense of finality and completion when you go through commencement and you celebrate even if you’re not done.” She added, “I think it’s also to promote students completing the degree in a timely manner.” Junior Krista Adam, an English major with a concentration in secondary education, said she believes the current graduation policy should not be changed because “the school really doesn’t help you catch up with your courses.” Adam added she thinks it should be the school’s responsibility to help students graduate within four years. “If they don’t want students with two credits short to walk, they should help them catch up,” Adam said. Adam noted that she has already had to take three sum-
That’s the Way the Cookie Crumbles
Wednesday, December 16, 2009 Order cookies and milk for finals!! Cookies will be delivered to your Residence Hall between the hours of 10:00 pm and 1:00 am. You may pre-order the cookies for your friend, roommate, student worker or for yourself by contacting the Class of 2011 at fsc2011@gmail.com or call and order the evening of the event at (508) 626-4615. Prices: 2 freshly made cookies: $1.00 Cold milk $1.00 Orders will be accepted until 12:00 midnight or until supplies last. Sponsored by: Class of 2011 For more information contact the Class of 2011 at fsc2011@gmail.com
mer courses in order to graduate in four years. Class of ’09 alumnus Joe Harris, 2008-2009 Opinion Editor of The Gatepost, participated in the commencement ceremony while he was still two courses short of earning his history degree. “It’s sad that FSC will no longer permit students with only two classes remaining to participate in May commencement. I had an amazing experience at FSC, and commencement was an exciting part of that experience,” said Harris. He finished his remaining two courses this past July and officially graduated in August. Harris is cuurently a graduate student at University of Massachusetts Boston. “I still haven’t received my diploma. I’ve called the registrar’s office every month since September, and each time they’ve told me, ‘It’ll be here next month.’ If I hadn’t participated in commencement, I would have nothing to show that I graduated,” said Harris. Regarding students whose anticipated date of graduation is May, 2011, Stoops said, “There’s still opportunities this intersession, over the summer and next intersession to
“If they don’t want students with two credits short to walk, they should help them catch up,”
- Krista Adam
make up … if you’re a course or two behind. “And then, of course, students can also, in their junior and senior year, if they meet the criteria in terms of the GPA … take a fifth course each semester,” said Stoops. A student’s GPA must be at least a 2.7 to be eligible for a five-course semester. The student must then be accepted by the registrar’s office because, as Stoops cautioned, “It’s a heavy work load.” Enrolling in a five-course semester does not cost any more than the tuition for the standard three or four course semester. Stoops said, “Actually, that’s the most economical way to make up a course.” In addition to completion of all course requirements, students must hold at least a minimum quality point average of 2.0 to earn their degrees.
Answer to wordsearch found on pg. 11
Page 10 By Tom O’Brien
The Gatepost
December 11, 2009
FSC enrolls first-year students in required Foundations program
Editorial Staff This fall semester, first-year students were required to complete a mandatory Foundations Seminar as part of the new FSC Foundations program. Though freshman experience programs have been offered at FSC for several years, this was the first time all first-year students who entered the college for the 20092010 academic year were required to attend the 50 minute, bi-weekly Foundations Seminar. The seminar class was paired with an academic course in which students are enrolled. Ben Trapanick, director of first-year programs said, “[The program] is a first-year requirement that students are required to complete prior to their sophomore year. It will be noted in the student records that they have completed the requirement.” According to the college’s “Foundations Proposal Statement,” the Foundations course aims to “assist first-year students with the transition from high school to college, and fosters their commitment to a college education.” During the seminar, first-year students receive support from faculty and staff in small, introductory-level classes aimed at supporting their intellectual, social and ethical development as members of the FSC community. Trapanick said, “The program is designed to help introduce first-year students to the college environment and to teach them what it takes to be successful here ... what is expected of them.” Thirty-seven sections of the Foundations course began in September. Some classes were grouped by students’ majors, but most were not. Each seminar class was led by a Foundations faculty member, a Foundations facilitator and a Foundations peer mentor, consisting of both FSC faculty and non-faculty members. Peer mentors are students who have been assigned to assist the classes. The program incorporates three different Foundations leaders to create a working relationship between the academic division and seminar of each individual program. As stated in the Foundations proposal document, “This collaboration, which may include a common use of technology or a joint articulation of course goals specific to the pairing, will help students to see the two segments of the course as one integrated experience.” According to Trapanick, leaders of these programs help to introduce students to academic college life, develop strong social skills and become involved in the college community. He added, “These are the three broad aspects that the program focuses on.” He also noted that while the Foundations courses do have guidelines and goals which must be covered, individual faculty and facilitators have some “flexibility” to choose their teaching methods, areas of study and weight of grading. Based on the individual course guidelines created by
“I find it unnecessarily arduous to lump together people who have these skills, and people who don’t. I’m not sure if assignments can change that.” - Mike Taylor
the faculty, attendance and participation in the seminar could affect the grade of the academic class. Trapanick said, “As for the grade, this varies by each course. Since it is part of a course, the faculty member of each course makes the determination about how much, if anything, the course will be worth toward the
final grade. There has never been anything more than 20 percent. There has been no credit awarded as well.” Freshman Amy Gothing said, “I hope the seminar doesn’t negatively affect my grade. Mine is worth 20 percent of my class grade.” According to the Foundations mission statement, the course must cover a minimum of three “learning strategies” including “time management, note-taking, learning style/multiple intelligences, study strategies for continuous learning, test preparation, review of graded work after its return and group presentations/preparation.” Freshman English major Jimmy Russo said, “We learned a couple different skills that are helpful - but I already knew them. We learned how to look up books in the library, but I figured out how to do this. I basically got a free 15 percent added onto my actual class grade.” The course also requires a minimum of two “expectations of the college.” For example, instructors teach newcomers to Framingham about “participation in communities both on- and off-campus, academic honesty, classroom and technology etiquette, benefits of general education, communication skills for addressing different campus audiences and campus resources.”
of places and events on campus to go to. It was basically an assignment that made us get involved in things that were happening around the school. ... At the events, we got proof that we attended, like a signature or a program.” The passport required students to attend various on-
“The program is designed to help introduce first-year students to the college environment and to teach them what it takes to be successful here.” - Ben Trapanick
campus events such as a movie as part of the International Film Series, an athletic event and one event sponsored by SUAB. Students were also required to meet with a professor and pick up literature about their major or minor. Sophomore Mike Taylor said, “I find it unnecessarily arduous to lump together people who have these skills, and people who don’t. I’m not sure if assignments can change that.” Pierre said, “I do understand why freshmen can feel forced to do the work as part of the seminar, but it really is a great stepping stone to being a better student. We are just trying to get students involved in helpful situations we don’t think they would normally be involved in.” Some Foundations classes also had final assignments, while others had none. Trapanick said, “In my class, I assigned a video diary as the students’ final project. Students could document their transition academically and socially [from the beginning of the The Gatepost Archives year]. ... Some students just have the passport to do.” FSC students hard at work in a classroom. Trapanick added that Trapanick said, “We do all this to try to increase the many faculty members are assigning reflection essays as independence of students in the college setting.” a way for students to “apply some of the skills they’ve Junior Barbara Pierre, a Foundations Peer Mentor, said, picked up over the semester.” “It’s a ‘Foundations’ class and that’s what we’re doing He said, “What we are learning is that, through these building a good foundation for the students to learn. ... The programs, we can make connections with students. ... qualities that we teach are really important.” We want them to know that faculty and the rest of the While there was some freedom in how the instructors community is interested in their success.” could teach the class, there were also topics that were Hughes said, “I actually got to know my class better universally covered by the program. All seminar classes because of the seminar. We worked together.” spent time on the advising and registration process as well Dr. Dale Hamel, senior vice president of administration, as major and minor investigation. finance and technology, is a member of the administration Pierre said, “When we actually sat down to talk about who facilitated a seminar for the first time this past the registration process, students’ eyes lit up! This can semester. be really difficult for students who don’t know how to Hamel said, “I’ve had a great experience with the do it. We got to work with them and help them make course. I hope it’s a program that’s beneficial to the decisions.” students. ... I enjoyed being back in the classroom setting. Trapanick said, “One third of our students come in I haven’t really been in that situation since back when I undeclared. We want them to start thinking about options was doing work with my doctorate.” as early as possible. Some are declared, but that doesn’t Hamel is among approximately 30 non-faculty mean they know everything about their major.” members paired with faculty in the program. He worked Sophomore Erin Hughes said, “The reason I liked the with English Professor Dr. Mark Seiden. seminar was because it walked me through the registration Hamel said, “It’s great to work directly with faculty. He process, which is always confusing for students. They is an excellent professor.” really made it clear, and actually helped me to pick the Seiden said, “[Hamel] is a terrific guy - a gentleman. best classes.” He does very important work here, yet he still puts forth Freshman Allison Lee disagreed with Hughes. “I think his intelligence for the good of all.” that it is the advisor’s job to actually ‘advise’ the students Seiden taught a course titled Approaches to Literature, in these areas. ... It shouldn’t have to be done in a large while Hamel facilitated the seminar. “It is my distinct classroom with assignments.” impression that my particular Foundations class really The assignments varied from one Foundations section seem more closely connected to the school than any to another. Many first-year students had to complete a freshman group I’ve seen in 35 years,” said Seiden. Foundations “Passport” assigned by their instructor. -Continued on page 11 Freshman Alex Martin said, “The passport was just a list
The Gatepost
December 11, 2009
Page 11
Gatepost earns national finalist award By Lauren Byrnes Associate Editor Last June, The Gatepost was awarded the 2008 Society of Professional Journalists’ (SPJ) “Mark of Excellence” national finalist award in “breaking news coverage.” The award recognized 2007-2008 Gatepost Editor-inChief Brad Petrishen, alumni Alex Smith and Jason Cook, and current Editor-in-Chief Madison Dennis for their “outstanding accomplishments in student journalism in the category of Breaking News Reporting” for their article “FSC on Alert,” published on February 29, 2008. The article concerned a bomb threat in Hemenway Hall.
Last April, The Gatepost received two first-place awards in editorial writing and breaking news coverage from SPJ in Region I, which includes the New England and Mid-Atlantic States. The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) was founded in 1909, and is “dedicated to encouraging the free practice of journalism and stimulating high standards of ethical behavior.” The SPJ does not distinguish between public and private institutions, or between graduate and undergraduate students. The Gatepost was competing against many talented students who publish their college newspapers at prestigious institutions across the nation.
This award is an honor not only for The Gatepost, but also for the college. This is the second year in a row The Gatepost has been recognized by SPJ. Last year, The Gatepost also earned the first-place award in editorial writing for Region I. The Gatepost was also honored as a national finalist in this category. We at The Gatepost are proud of our tradition of excellence in journalism. We are dedicated to producing a highquality newspaper each week for the campus community.
Foundations program prepares freshmen students for transition to college -Continued from page 10
Trapanick said, “The biggest determiner of the quality of the course is based on the people who teach it. You need to have the right people, and we really have great people. ... It’s not for everyone.” Trapanick said an e-mail was sent asking interested administrators and faculty members to become involved with the program. He said, “I spent a lot of time recruiting, myself. ... Most were very gracious to be given the opportunity.” Instructors of the academic classes and seminars gathered at a two-day meeting at the end of the 2008-2009 academic year to learn the curriculum of the Foundations program for the following year. Trapanick said, “This gave partners time to meet each other, and to learn the logistics of the program.” He added that these meetings helped professors and facilitators develop a pedagogy that is tailored to the developmental
needs of the average first-year student. Sophomore Krista Landry said, “I think the Foundations program is great for incoming freshmen. It provides a much better outcome than being thrown into the school unprepared. If I was a freshman now, and had to take it, I would jump at the opportunity to practice these skills.” Sophomore John Sears said, “The Foundations course wasn’t mandatory when I was a freshman, but I don’t know how I would handle being told so many things I already know how to do.” Freshman Sean Denahy said, “I got a ‘D’ in the seminar. That brought my class average down to like a ‘B.’ I thought it was kind of a waste of my time. I knew all the things that they taught me, but it was just at a bad time.” Trapanick said, “We’re having discussions about the every-other-week format. [By meeting only once every two weeks], it is very hard to connect with students. It even took me longer to learn their names, when in a
normal class, I would have known them all by the second or third week.” Andrew Fox, a first-year student at Bentley College said, “Our freshman program was also mandatory. It definitely had good intentions, but I just found it repetitive and not really effective. It really depends on whether or not you’re the type of student who needs the work.” Elise Luskin, a sophomore at Fitchburg State College, said, “We didn’t really have a strong freshman program here or anything like that. We just had orientation in the beginning of the year.” Alex Sotir, a sophomore at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, said, “We did have some freshman activities like the Pathways Program. ... but we also had to do thirty hours of community service as firstyear students. Let me just say in comparison to a normal program - it was unexpected.”
Holiday word search! By Nenia Corcoran
Page 12
The Gatepost
December 11, 2009
A R T S & F E AT U R E S
Hilltop Hears
a Who!
“Seussical the Musical” a smash hit
Josh Kruger/The Gatepost
“
By Nicole Dygon Staff Writer
All the thinks you can think when you think about Seuss” was the opening piece in “Seussical the Musical” on Dec. 3, 4 and 5. “All the things you can think” were thought through - and executed brilliantly by the Hilltop Players. The first night sold out to a nearly packed DPAC, with children and adults alike filling the seats. The props and scenery matched the traditional Dr. Seuss creative schemes of swirls, shapes and colors. Junior Jamie Coleman enjoyed the loyalty the props had to typical Seuss color schemes. “Props can really make or break a play, and they really stayed true to Dr. Seuss.” Sophomore Nicholas Avery “loved the play.” The cast was just as vibrant as the scenery, providing the audience with more than enough laughs.
The musical covered many of Dr. Suess’ classics, from “The Cat in the Hat” and “Horton Lays an Egg,” to “Green Eggs and Ham,” “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas” and many more. Coleman said, “I did like how they cast a female character in the role of the Cat in the Hat.” The Cat in the Hat was played by freshman Joanne Connolly. Although Connolly is new to FSC, she is certainly not new to theatre, and gave a stellar performance as everyone’s favorite cat. Shana Cohen, a junior, loved the details of the performance. “I thought it was amazing. I loved the make-up and how well everything was planned out. “ Sophomore Hannah Bruce also enjoyed the make-up. “I loved the costumes!” Adding to the performance was the remarkable voices of the cast. Emily Cormack, a sophomore, was impressed by the perfomances of the Sour
- Continued on page 15
The Gatepost
December 11, 2009
Twilight-mania rampant, still growing, at FSC
Photo courtesy of AllMovePhoto.com
Photo courtesy of Amazon.com
By Jenifer Polson Staff Writer
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ov. 20, 2009 was by far the most anticipated day of the year for avid fans of Stephanie Meyers’ adored phenomenon, the “Twilight” saga. There was no denying the popularity of the entire franchise when the newest movie installment, “New Moon,” broke multiple box office records during the first few days of its premiere. But what kind of impact is this beloved phenomenon having on our very own campus? Framingham State has had its own community for at least a year. Last year, two groups on campus co-sponsored a “Twilight” night at which they showed the “Twilight” movie over in the Dwight Performing Arts Center. They also had a drawing for “Twilight” merchandise ranging from the DVD and the soundtrack to a box set of all four books and a cardboard cut-out of Edward Cullen. There are a significant number of fans of the “Twilight” Saga on campus. There is a nice mix of fans who are not, as junior elementary education major Andrea DiTerlizzi put it, “Crazy obsessed” along with fans whom some might consider to be ‘obsessed.’ Though being called ‘obsessed’ does not bother one student, who asked to remain anonymous, a bit, she said, “I don’t feel silly or stupid when I say I am a ‘Twilight’ obsessed fan because the story line is so powerful and real even when the ideas of vampires and werewolves are not.” However, the interesting connection between the two groups is that no matter how intensely they like the “Twilight” Saga, seeing “New Moon” as soon as possible was pretty high on everyone’s list. Senior sociology major Vanessa Colon and senior fashion major Ashley Wilson both saw the midnight-premiere showing. On Nov. 19, Colon was bubbling with happiness as she waited to see the midnight showing, saying, “I’m just really excited. I want to see it really badly and I’ve been waiting forever.” Wilson, on the other hand, had been passing her time by putting her fashion major to work by making a personalized T-shirt to wear to the premiere that night. Wilson had been so looking forward to
Page 13
Photo courtesy of ThePlaylist.blogspot.com
the release of the “New Moon” movie that she “reread [all of the books] for the second time to prepare for the movie.” DiTerilizzi said she “would have loved to” see “New Moon” at the midnight-premiere showing, but had been unable to buy a ticket because the movie theatre sold out. However, she was able to see “New Moon” opening weekend. Senior English major Jillian Indelicato is another fan. “I love the books, but I’m not obsessed,” she said, and added she was able to attend the midnight showing. The desire to be the first to see the new movies does not seem to be an indication of whether a fan is obsessed with this worldwide phenomenon, but that same desire can definitely get people talking about the Saga. Wilson said, “I wouldn’t have read the books if I hadn’t wanted to know what everyone was talking about.” There are a few students who have been reading the “Twilight” series since the first volume was published back in 2005. There seems to be a larger number of students who have gotten hooked on the series from either the popularity of the movies or by word of mouth from friends and family. Sophomore English major Jessica Rennie said, “My younger sister was actually reading them, and I just picked up her book one day and started reading it - and I was hooked, and I had to get the second, third and then fourth book. … I’m not even sure some people knew [the books] existed before the movies came out.” Some students have even made new friends on campus because they are fans of the “Twilight” Saga. One student, who asked to remain anonymous, said, “I definitely have more to talk about with some people because of the subject when it comes up.” Another student has met some of her best friends through a common interest in the “Twilight” Saga. “We have ‘Twilight’ parties and ‘Twilight’ trivia nights. We all also went to see ‘Twilight’ three times when it came out, and we went to go see ‘New Moon’ together as well. We actually watched ‘Twilight’ on DVD before we went to go see ‘New
Moon,’” the anonymous student said. However, despite the obvious popularity of the “Twilight” Saga on campus, there are some students who are not into the phenomenon. Sophomore business major Tony Armata said, “When [“New Moon”] came out, you couldn’t go on Facebook without seeing someone’s status talking about how great [the movie] was. I just don’t know what the big deal is.” Senior sociology major Jenna Stewart made an interesting point when she said, “I think it’s part of our society to be fans of phenomenons such as the ‘Twilight’ series.” Yet, with the hordes of screaming teenage girls being shown on T.V. every time the cast makes an appearance (as happened in mid-November when Kellan Lutz, who plays Emmett Cullen, and Ashley Greene, who plays Alice Cullen, came to the Natick Collection), and the multitude of fan groups in existence, such as the “Twi-hards” (the die-hard “Twilight” fans) and the Twi-moms (Moms who love “Twilight”), there is not much surprise that so much exposure tends to make people who are not fans tired of hearing about the phenomenon so frequently. There are even some students who are fans of the phenomenon who do not understand the extent to which other fans go, such as when one anonymous student woke up at 5:30 in the morning to buy tickets for a Stephanie Meyer book signing in New York that went on sale at 7:00 a.m., and then ended up crying when she could not get any tickets because they sold out. DiTerlizzi said, “I think people are taking the fan thing a little too far with [the different twi-groups]. I think that it’s kind of stupid. I love ‘Twilight,’ but I’m not crazy obsessed with it.” there seems to be mixed feelings on campus about the possibility of some kind of “Twilight” group or club. Colon said, “That’s a little too hard core for me.” One anonymous student said, “Sure. Why not? I would totally support that.” Then, she added in amusement, “My friend would make it her life goal to get everyone who knew about ‘Twilight,’ liked ‘Twilight,’ or even heard about ‘Twilight’ to join.”
The Gatepost
Page 14
December 11, 2009
‘TistheseasonofgivingatFSC By Lauren Byrnes Associate Editor
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s the holidays are rapidly approaching, the FSC community has been getting into the spirit of the season by sending care packages and holiday cards to soldiers, as well as taking part in food, toy and blood drives. SGA sponsored a blood drive on Nov. 18, which had a good response from the campus community. “For the second time in a row, we’ve actually had to shut it down early because we got too many donors, which is kind of hard to believe,” said SGA President Steve Whittemore. According to Whittemore, the company SGA uses is from MetroWest Medical Center, but it doesn’t have the technology or the equipment to handle more than a certain number of donors. “It’s too bad, because if you have the people to do it, you shouldn’t really shut down, but I guess that’s a good thing that … there were that many people who were there,” he said. This year, SGA also “adopted a family” from the Brophy School in Framingham for Christmas. Whittemore said SGA was given a wish list for each of the three children, and the club was responsible for “furnishing their Christmas and making sure they had a good holiday.” Social Events Coordinator Nicole Dygon worked with President Flanagan’s office and Kathleen Brosnahan to find the family. “I knew that I really wanted SGA to participate in this, especially since it is such a wonderful cause. … We used money out of our Class and Club account to purchase all the needs of the three children we ‘adopted.’ … Senators were even generous enough to donate their money as well as purchase items for the family on their own.” Whittemore said SGA asked members to donate one item each, and for anyone who was unable to donate, the leftover items were purchased through SGA’s Class and Club Account. He estimated approximately $500 was spent out of SGA’s Class and Club. “We actually really enjoyed this gift program this year, so I’m sure this is something that the e-board will take part in next year,” Whittemore said. SGA sent over 10 packages of holiday cards to soldiers, and worked alongside SUAB to send care packages. They consisted of toiletries, crossword puzzles, electronic items and non-perishable food. One of the care packages was sent to FSC alum and former SGA senator Rob Berg, who is serving in the army in Afghanistan. Another was sent to Jace Meyers, whom SGA Senator-At-Large Danielle Farmer had already adopted through “A Soldier’s Wish Foundation.” Farmer said, “All together, we shipped eight boxes overseas to the two soldiers. The goods were for not only them,
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AMPUS By: Krysta Davis
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but for the men and women serving with them. We sent everything from books, to packaged foods, to shaving cream, to footballs.” SGA also raised money for soldiers by asking students with meal plans to donate their lunch on Veteran’s Day. “The donatea-meal went so well! I have done a lot of programs and tables on campus and I have never seen the campus come together the way they did for this project. “If there was one word I would use to describe this venture, it would be rewarding. Knowing that over 250 people on campus helped to make this happen was beyond describable. … Even after waiting for two hours in the Post Office on a Sat-
Tom Higgins/The Gatepost
President Flanagan, SGA President Steve Whittemore and members of the military holding a check and for Toys for Tots.
urday morning, I left with the greatest feeling of accomplishment,” she said. According to Director of Food Services Ralph Eddy, Sodexo collected “just over 500 pounds of food,” which also included $90 which was raised by selling “Helping Hands” for $1 at the Cyber Café, Juice Bar and the State Street Grille. The $90 was then spent on additional canned goods. Eddy said it is the fourth or fifth year of the drive, which began as Cans Across America, and is now called Helping Hands. “This year was definitely a little bit more challenging. Last year we raised just over 1000 pounds of food. … The pantry was still very appreciative of the amount of food that we did donate,” Eddy said. Sodexo also donated holiday joy cookies, peppermint hot chocolate and cider at the holiday tree of hope lighting on Tuesday, Dec. 1. A portion of the proceeds of the holiday joy cookies which are now being sold on campus goes to Toys for Tots. Sodexo also has a foundation called the Stop Hunger Foun-
ONVERSATIONS
“‘Dominick the Donkey’ because I don’t really have a good reason. It’s just funny and I like it.”
“‘Feliz Navidad.’ I like it because I’m the only one out of all my friends who knows what it means.”
- Molly Kooshan, junior
- Debbie Panameno, junior
“‘Feliz Navidad’ because when I think about Christmas, I think about that song and it gives me a good feeling.” - Rony Tshiamala, junior
dation which works with “second helping” food banks throughout the nation year round. Director of Student Involvement and Campus Events Rachel Lucking said that her office’s partnership with the United Way of Tri-County has gotten them involved with a program to sponsor families to put together packages for them during the holiday season. The packages for the families consist of toys, pajamas, grocery store gift cards and other necessities. SILD also sold ornaments for the tree of hope. The proceeds from the ornament sales went to Toys for Tots. Lucking said the final check for the donation to Toys for Tots was around $900, which included a donation from Sodexo, as well as the proceeds from the ornament sales. Lucking said the charity work FSC has been involved in this holiday season “really says a lot about how our campus community members are thinking beyond themselves about the Framingham State community [and] also the community at large, and really getting engaged civically.” Dean of Students Dr. Melinda Stoops said, “I think there were several different groups [and] organizations involved in opportunities this year and a variety of ways in which people could be involved in helping others. I think this year’s efforts were great and I hope to see even more people get involved next year.” Whittemore said, “I think we do quite a bit of community service as a college. … The college has really taken initiative on community service. Do I think it can be improved? Yes, but at the same time, we’re a state-funded institution, and financially, we’re not stable. We’re doing the best we can with what we have.” Junior Julie Giebler said, “I think volunteering is important in building character, especially for students. It's easy to make money, but making a difference is the tough part. Doing something as selfless as volunteering can really make a difference in your life, and most importantly the lives of those you're helping.” Sophomore Danielle Buskey said she grew up in a family that emphasized the importance of charity work. “Every Christmas, instead of giving presents to my siblings, we always agreed to donate presents to Toys for Tots. I feel like charity work should be done year around, not just during the holiday season.” Royce-Lynn Dunleavy, a sophomore, said, “The best thing one can do during the holidays is to ignore your wants to satisfy someone else’s needs. It’s so simple and you receive the greatest reward, - a “thank you” and a smile - which is so much better than an iPod.” [Editor’s note: Tom Higgins contributed to this article.]
What is your favorite holiday song and why?
“‘Jingle Bell Rock’ because it’s in ‘Mean Girls.’” - David Khoury, freshman
“‘Where Are You Christmas?’ I like this song because it reminds you of the true meaning of Christmas because today, it gets lost in material things.” - Anne Denis, freshman
The Gatepost
December 11, 2009
Page 15
Book Review My Name is Will: A Novel of Sex, Drugs, and Shakespeare
By Jessica DePamphilis Staff Writer
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or many college students, Jess Winfield’s debut novel, “My Name is Will: A Novel of Sex, Drugs, and Shakespeare,” may be the most entertaining Shakespeare you read in your four years of school. The novel captures the dual stories of the young grad student Willie Shakespeare Greenberg, an underachieving 25-year-old, who is writing a master’s thesis on the half-baked theory the real Shakespeare was a closet Catholic, and the real Bard, was as an 18-year-old Latin teacher exasperated with his students, yet to embark on fame. As the two William Shakespeares’ stories progress, they begin to intertwine in hilariously clever ways that make each man the Shakespeare he is meant to be. Willie’s story is set in the year 1986 on the college campuses of University of California, Santa Cruz and Berkeley, where Willie does everything but “Just Say No.” Instead of working on his master’s thesis, which has a rapidly approaching due date, Willie says “yes” to girls, drugs and the ride of a lifetime. After being cut off by his father for his slacker ways and finding himself short on cash, Willie agrees to deliver a giant psychedelic mushroom to a mysterious collector at the Renaissance Faire, stumbling across a number of adventures along the way. Among these adventures are a steamy bus ride to Berkeley with his thesis advisor Daksha, an anti-Reagan protest that winds up with him in jail and several hilarious encounters with a troupe of Shakespeare actors. On this journey, Willie meets an array of comical characters, from the crazed anti- Reagan protestor Jeremy, who gets Willie thrown in the slammer, to Jacob, the King of Fools, a slightly batty Renaissance worker who helps Willie reach his destination. Willie’s journey ends when he finally arrives at the Renaissance Faire and discovers the surprising identity of the collector he has been searching for, in addition to a run-in with a DEA drug raid. But “all’s well that ends well” for Willie, who in the end, completes the road to self discovery and manages to live up to the name “Shakespeare.” Back in 1582, we find the young William Shakespeare up to a few escapades of his own, which over time, start to bear striking similarities to Willie Shakespeare
Photo courtesy of Amazon.com
Greenberg’s exploits. William Shakespeare, like Willie, feels unenthusiastic about his work and has taken solace in the beds of the women of Stratford. Caught having a dalliance with one of his many ladies on Sir Thomas Lucy’s property, William is promptly dragged off to Lucy’s laundry room and tortured in a scene not very unlike the X-Rated torture Willie receives from his girlfriend Robin a chapter later. Back in Stratford, William finds himself faced with an old acquaintance who has charged him with the task of delivering a secret, and illegal, Catholic relic. William’s quest takes on a form similar to Willie’s, providing him with various life-changing experiences such as bedding and marrying his future wife Anne Hathaway, experiencing drugs for the first time, and even writing his very first lines, which come in the form of a crude but hilarious poem. William’s family provides rich supporting characters, such as his smart and witty younger sister Joan, his tipsy father John and supportive mother Mary, who encourage William and help him on his mission. In the end, William, too, must outwit the authorities to complete his task and the journey which form him into the more legendary of the two Shakespeares. After completing the book, the reader will discover that the stories of Willie and William Shakespeare mirror each other in both action and hilarity. To say that Jess Winfield knows his Shakespeare is an understatement - the world of the historical Shakespeare is created with near perfection, as is the equally hilarious, but more modern world of Willie Shakespeare. However, this novel will not appeal to everyone. Readers who are not Shakespeare-obsessed beware: the William Shakespeare sections of the novel are actually written in Elizabethan language, a very toned-down and less complicated version, but it is Old English nonetheless, which can be a turnoff for some people. Similarly, those who are Shakespeare-obsessed, and others, for that matter, should know the novel does take artistic license with history and is exactly what the title claims: if you can’t handle a little, actually a lot, of raunch, then steer clear. Though the novel may not appeal to all audiences, it is extremely well-crafted in both language and plot, using hilarious puns and an intriguing and heartwarming storyline about self-discovery that makes for a great read.
Hilltop Players in prime form for take on seussical - Continued from page 12
Emily Cormack, a sophomore, was impressed with the performances of the Sour Kangaroo and the Cat in the Hat. Cormack said, “The kangaroo played her part well, and I liked the Cat in the Hat. She was funny, upbeat and perfect for the role.” Freshman Sam Palmer portrayed the Sour Kangaroo. Her electric vocals suited her sassy role as the queen of cruel in the Jungle of Nool. This was not Palmer’s first performance in “Seussical the Musical.” Pamer stated she “did Seuss [in “Seussical the Musical”] in high school. It is one of my all time favorite shows. I was so excited to be in the show again.” Cormack said, “The casting for the show was done really well. Terrence [O’Kane] was a great JoJo.” Director Chris Chagnon said, “This musical has been a labor of love. “The cast is such a talented group of people and really worked well together considering all the problems we had. They did amazing,” he added. Palmer agreed. “I loved working with the whole
cast. With all the problems we had, we all got so close.” Anthony Pires, a freshman, brought Horton the elephant to life. This was Pires’ third time in the production, and first time playing Horton. Bruce said, “Anthony [Pires] was incredible.” Pires enjoyed the role of Horton. He said, “I can relate to the character of Horton because I sing to myself all the time and have an imagination.” The cast was predominantly comprised of freshmen. Sophomore house manager Keyona Bell supported the freshman cast. “I was surprised by the number of freshmen in the show and their talent.” Michael Long, a senior, said, “The freshman class is going to put on some really good productions in the future.” Freshmen Caitlin Feeney and Andrew Dupras played two of the three Wickersham Brothers. “Jumping around and working with the other two and figuring out our actions was my favorite part,” said Feeney. Dupras liked “getting to ‘monkey’ around with Anthony [Pires].”
Overall, the performance was highly interactive. Long said, “It was really fun when Horton [Anthony Pires] came up to me and asked if I had seen his clover - I thoroughly enjoyed the audience interaction.” Chagnon brought “Seussical” to FSC because “it is the only musical that does not get old.” Bruce said, “It was really fun and brought me back to my childhood.” Junior Julie Cormio agreed with Bruce. “I liked how we could remember the stories from our childhood - when you heard a song you knew you’d get so excited! “It was a lot of fun and the songs were catchy,” Cormio added. Daron Carlson, a junior, attended opening night. She said she “liked how put together it was for the first night. It was well rehearsed.” Bell also went to opening night and “thought it very good!” The performance was sponsored by the Hilltop Players and produced by sophomore John Gazard. Opening night of the performance sold out. Chagnon
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The Gatepost
December 11, 2009
FSC Chorus brings early h o l i d ay c h e e r w i t h co n ce r t By Tom O’Brien Assistant Arts & Features Editor
T
he Framingham State College Chorus performed a holiday concert On Tuesday, Dec. 8 in the Heineman Ecumenical and Cultural Center. The show, titled "A John Rutter Christmas" featured several songs from the composer John Rutter, as well as several other holiday tunes. The night performance was the group's second show in their holiday concert series. The group will be performing at the First Church in Boston on Dec. 15 to close out the chorus’ fall semester work. Mark Evans, arts and humanities program administrator, said, “Until now, I was not in the Christmas spirit. Yesterday’s rehearsal has successfully changed that." The group’s director, Paul Cienniwa, is a renowned choral director and soloist who has done work at Yale, MIT, Harvard and Depaul universities and with numerous ensembles. In addition to leading The FSC Chorus, he is director of Sine Nomine choral ensemble and Music Director at First Church in Boston. Accompanying the choir on piano was Jane Raithel, who has been the accompanist at Framingham State since 1999. Along with being the Co-Director of Christian Education at the Pilgrim Church in Sherborn, she is a music director for several Mass. public school theatrical programs.
A special guest appearance and performance was made by harpist Barbara Poeschl-Edrich, who has played in concerts with most major Boston orchestras, such as the Boston Symphony, Boston Baroque and Handel & Hayden Society. She is also on the faculty at Boston University. The FSC chorus took the stage with a subdued confidence that foreshadowed their strong performance. Dressed in black and cued by the staff of Cienniwa, the group opened the show with the holiday classic "Christmas Time is Here" by Lee Mendelson and Vince Guaraldi. This catchy number set a festive tone for the briefing of the concert. Opened by a cheery piano melody, this song was an early showcase of the group's harmony and talent. Tradeoffs among different voice types created a depth to the music that could only be described as orchestral - and very well done. Management of several key changes in the song indicated the group’s true grasp of the music, as well as the ability of both the accompaniment and director. The first song closed with a slowing of the tempo and the repeating of the title phrase, "Christmas time is here/ Christmas time is here." The group then performed a surprisingly unique rendition of "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" by Eddie Pola and George Wyle. While Raithel's piano playing was particularly strong in this bubbly holiday tune,
dynamic vocals from all sections made it a hit with the audience - some of whom could not help but sing along. Following the two performances of traditional Christmas songs, the group performed "Mi Y'Maleil, A customary Hanukkah song arranged by J. Flummerfelt. The melody's quality in this song was a refreshing change from the happy-go-lucky major/minor feel of traditional Christmas songs. With a background of softer piano, the vocal foreground of this tune particularly stood out, creating an environment conducive to hearing the tonal color and even timbre of each of the choir members' voices. This rendition transitioned nicely to another poppy song. This time it was Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmastime." Featuring a well-constructed exchange of singing coordinated between male and female voices, this song showed the beauty of supplanting one person's voice with that of a collective voice. Much like the way a 12-string guitar overpowers a 6-string, the FSC chorus' vocal melody was full-figured with thirds and fifths, in comparison to McCartney's original single vocal track. Synthesizer melody was also supplanted by a background of “oh’s” and “ah’s” from the tenor and bass section of the group. Poeschl-Edrich was the first of the night to perform a song composed by John Rutter - in the form of a harp solo. Her version of "Chanson de Mai" split the show - Continued on page 18
At the Movies
Photos courtesy of AllMoviePhoto.com
By Pamela Barberio Assistant Arts & Features Editor oomsday. The Apocalypse. Judgment Day. The end of the world. Whether you believe life as we know it is coming to a screeching halt on Dec. 21, 2012, the highly anticipated film “2012” is sure to make any non-believer of this prophesized date stop and ponder, “What if this were to actually happen?” For one family, the answer to this question was simple and pure - survive. And that is just what they did - over, and over and over again. The Curtis clan, consisting of the clichéd overworked, stressed-out dad, Jackson (John Cusack), his ex-wife, Kate (Amanda Peet) and their two small children manage to defy all odds of any realistic chances of survival throughout the entire movie. While the special effects were remarkably breathtaking and simply surreal, there comes a time when the viewer must throw his or her hands in the air and say, “Enough is enough.” In one scene in particular, although wonderfully staged, Kate’s boyfriend, Gordon (Thomas McCarthy), is attempting to launch a small aircraft, and fly the whole brood to safety. He is barreling down the runway in a single engine plane, remaining only a few mere inches, yes inches, ahead of the earth’s surface splitting and gaping behind them. Realistically, the people on board this plane would be shouting, “May Day” in terror as the earth devoured this plane - but this is, of course, a movie! Unfortunately, there are one too many scenes such as this one, making the survival of this family all too novel. The film did display a lot of horrific, yet eye-catching, can’t-turn-away-from-a-caraccident type of scenes - moments that were sure to suppress any emotions of disbelief caused by the instances of improbable death-defying acts. Picture this: the Statue of Liberty, the Eiffel Tower and the Sistine Chapel - gone. Imagine tidal waves standing hundreds of meters high, swallowing the country of
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2012
India. Envision the earth’s lands engulfed by the oceans. These aspects were, quite frankly, a little frightening and difficult to disregard knowing the alleged day of disaster is coming. Director Roland Emmerich has an apparent knack and obsession for Armageddonesque films. Such movies under his belt include: “The Day After Tomorrow,” “Independence Day” and “10,000 B.C.” Cusack delivers a great performance as the divorcé trying to win his wife and children’s love and trust back - which he succeeds in doing, of course. The ne’er-dowell finishes first, saves the day - and inevitably humankind - where have I seen that happen before? Charlie Frost (Woody Harrelson), is the stereotypical hippie living in the woods, down-with-the-government and conspiracy theories character. Although a small role for someone with a resume as lengthy as his, Harrelson does deliver the comic relief this film would have been starving for in the event of his absence. President Thomas Wilson, (Danny Glover), could have stepped up his performance and been a little more multi-dimensional. The man is, supposedly, meant to mirror President Barack Obama, and yet, lacked a lot of substance. The viewer will be begging for just a little more oomph, but it never comes. President Wilson does redeem himself, however, when he jumps ship (quite literally) and chooses to die with the American people. For someone looking for great entertainment, mind-blowing effects and something to do for nearly three hours, “2012” is superb. The storyline falls flat in some places, but then one must consider the length of the film - there are only so many possibilities of interesting turning points in a story about a family surviving the impossible. However, for a person in hopes that this film discusses historical content, (much like myself) - such as the Mayan calendar, prophesies made by Nostradamus and scientific evidence pointing to alleged catastrophic events which are inevitable, this film is as devastating as the aftermath of the natural disasters themselves.
The Gatepost
Page 18
December 11, 2009
Winter concert lifts holiday spirits for campus community
Tom Higgins/The Gatepost
Chorus members fill the Heineman Center with holiday music.
Director Paul Cienniwa leads the chorus in harmony.
- Continued from page 16
and gave the chorus a moment to "relax," as Cienniwa put it. He added, "He [John Rutter] is a composer who is very loved in the choral world. He's written many important works." Rutter is renowned for not only his composition of songs, but also his arrangement of choral renditions. The playing style and tonal quality of the harp created an interesting juxtaposition to the chorus' voices. With a very full harmonious sound, the harpist's performance almost mirrored the singing of the choir. Long arpeggiated chords (chords played note by note,) drew listeners down several different paths before resolving with the booming full harp strum that is so well known of the instrument. Her playing was stunning. After the solo ended, the harpist flawlessly segued into opening a song which the whole chorus joined. Poeschl-Edrich's playing accompanied the group in place of piano throughout another Rutter arrangement, "Angels' Carol." Working within the realm of a popularly heard song, Cienniwa did not disappoint with this unique rendition. The performance featured interesting parts such as a background of humming by male vocalists, followed by some serious belting from all. The female vocalists in the chorus had their time to shine in "Dancing Day," a Rutter composition consisting of several different songs, divided into two parts. Cienniwa said, "This work is for divided soprano and alto form. I didn't think I could ever find a harpist to play it, or a group to sing it - but I did!" A soprano and alto form song uses only those two vocal types. The eight male tenor and bass singers sat out for this set, leaving the women to sing. The song was introduced by a prelude on harp - a sultry and intense haunt that once again showcased Poeschl-Edrich's management of the instrument. The group fed off this and and responded with a strong rendition of the Rutter song "Angelus ad Virginem," a popular medieval carol written in Latin. The female vocalists used this song's chord progression as a playground for the group’s control of the upper vocal register. Their voices projected well throughout, filling the chapel with a full sound even in the absence of amplification. President of The Framingham State College Chorus Executive Board Chris Chagnon said, “We do need more men to join, although we still had a very successful semester. We doubled this year. We now have forty members.” The harpist then transitioned to "A Virgin Most Pure." This tune's shift back into English lyrics created an interesting contrast to the Latin words of the previous song. The meaning, which can sometimes be lost in the tumultuous sea of music that overlays it, can be understood by picking out the plot through lyrics. While sometimes
Barbara Poeschl-Edrich introduces a song with an impressive harp solo.
the repetition and length of songs in chorus concerts can cause the show to become boring, this song's easily distinguishable story of the baby Jesus was an energizing characteristic of the performance. The chorus ended Part I of the "Dancing Day" with "Personent Hodie," a Finnish tune with more lyrics in Latin. This was an example of how language does not need to limit the musical power of a song. My unfamiliarity with Latin led me to an interesting relationship between the accompaniment and the singing. Because I could not understand the words, my brain isolated the lyrics strictly into melody, rather than any kind of decodable message. The chorus’ voices resonated into an orchestral arrangement that sounded more like instruments. The male vocalists sat through through Part II as well, while a harp interlude introduced "There is no rose," another Rutter creation. This poignant carol was catchy, with repeated jumps back to the title/refrain "There is no rose." Static harp accompaniment hurried the performance along to "Coventry Carol," a song with a tensioncausing melody, and a surprisingly stirring meaning. This 16th century song refers to the story of the Massacre of the Innocents, in which King Herod of Israel ordered all male infants under the age of two in Bethlehem to be killed. Needless to say, the story’s meaning was portrayed considerably less intensely through the soothing vocals of the group, whose volume helped punctuate the lead up, and climax of the story. The chorus ended their set with all of the members rejoining on stage for a rendition of Rutter's "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," originally written by George Wyle and Eddie Pola. The male vocalists reclaimed their influence in the chorus with a strong set of trade-offs with the female sections. The two genders of voice contrasted with each other nicely, making for an interesting recital of this popular Christmas song. Tenors harmonized complementarily, and bass - robustly. In the female section, the 14 sopranos governed the melody, while the alto singers peppered the group’s sound with different tidbits of the song’s scale degrees - enough thirds and fifths to go around. This performance exemplified the group’s polyphony in the harmonizing of parts, the teamwork of timing and the cohesiveness required to sing in choral fashion. Ed Sawyer, one of nine FSC chorus members from the Framingham community, said, "This is my second semester working with the chorus. ... This show went well, and we have an enthusiastic group."
You are cordially invited to: The Holiday Show, hosted by Black Student Union On Monday, December 14th at Seven Thirty in the evening. Please join us in this celebration of Kwanzaa,Christmas and Hanukkah in the McCarthy CollegeCenter Forum. Refreshments will be served. All are welcome.
The Gatepost
December 11, 2009
December Happenings
Page 19
Former FSC President Heineman returns to the classroom By Lauren Byrnes Associate Editor
Courtesy of SILD T FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11
FSC DANCE CLUB PRESENTS: Dancing Around the World Free w/FSC ID, $7 without. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., Show starts at 7 p.m., DPAC Sponsored by: Dance Club SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12 Barnes and Noble Fundraiser Gift wrapping fundraiser! 8 a.m.–1 p.m., Barnes and Noble in Framingham Sponsored by: SUAB Seeing the Lights - La Salette Bus Trip 5-9 p.m. Free Event, Sign up in the Game Room Sponsored by: Catholic Newman Association SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13 Sunday Mass 5 p.m., Heineman Ecumenical and Cultural Center sponsored by: Campus Ministry Office MONDAY, DECEMBER 14 Last day of classes! BSU Holiday Show 7:30 p.m., CC Forum Sponsored by: BSU TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15 Reading Day! Study, Study, Study!
his semester, former FSC President Dr. Helen Heineman returned to the classroom to teach The 19th Century British Novel, an upper-level English class. Heineman was president of FSC from 1999 until 2006. Prior to being president in 1999, Heineman was vice president for seven years, and a faculty member for 17 years. She was chair of the English department as well. Heineman said she was asked by the Chair of the English department Dr. Elaine Beilin, to teach the class. “I thought about it, and first of all, I would do anything for her … and then I thought it might be fun, and it certainly has been,” she said. “I’ve been away from the classroom for a long time because of course, for the seven years I was president, I did not teach.” While being away from FSC, Heineman said she missed students the most. “We really have a very appreciative student [at FSC] and I always found that students were very appreciative of their education, very eager to learn. … All through the time I was president, I did miss my contact with students. I got it mainly through my interviews with The Gatepost at that time.” Beilin said she was happy Heineman returned to teach at FSC. “She was our Victorian lit scholar and professor, and was widely admired as a teacher, so the opportunity for her to come back and teach her specialty was too good to resist.” The 19th Century British Novel is a Group B class, and one class from the group must be taken by all English majors in order to graduate. Heineman’s class, which is an evening class, gave students another chance to fulfill their Group B requirement. Senior psychology major Kim Selwitz said she thinks former presidents coming back to campus to teach is beneficial to the students. “A former president, on top of having vast academic knowledge, is going to come to the table with significant experience and resources within the college that can only be beneficial to the student.” Junior English major Jessica DePamphilis said, “I think it’s great to have someone so experienced and who has been with the college at so many different levels teach a class that we really need that anyone can take.” Beilin said, “She’s really one of those teachers who has a real conversation with students. … One of her great strengths was always as a professor.” Heineman said, “I began as a teacher. I mean, I wasn’t someone who started my life saying, ‘I want to be an administrator someday.’ I always wanted to be a teacher from the time I was a little girl. Coming back [to FSC] is like coming home for me.” [Editor’s note: President Timothy Flanagan is teaching a criminology course this semester. The Gatepost originally hoped this article would focus on Flanagan as well as Heineman because of the unique situation of having a current and former president teaching at the same time. Flanagan was contacted in November and asked if a reporter could schedule an interview about his experience teaching the class, along with a class visit. However, he declined both offers from The Gatepost.]
NO CLASSES, all offices are open Barnes and Noble Fundraiser Gift wrapping fundraiser! 9 a.m.–2 p.m., Barnes and Noble in Framingham Sponsored by: SUAB Midnight Breakfast 10 p.m.—midnight, Dining Commons Sponsored by: FSC Dining Services WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16 Final Exams Start! How the Cookie Crumbles Order late-night delivery (10 p.m.- 1 a.m.) of cookies and milk to help study for finals! Contact fsc2011@gmail.com for pricing and information Sponsored by: Class of 2011
Drake McCabe/The Gatepost
Former FSC President Dr. Helen Heineman came back to the school this semester to teach an upper-level English course.
SPORTS The Gatepost
Page 24
December 11, 2009
Winter Break
Will it make or break your workout routine? By Sam DePina Staff Writer
This winter break will significantly change workout routines for some Framingham State College students who exercise on a regular basis. Since the campus is located far from many students’ homes, some students believe their daily exercise patterns will suffer because of a lack of accessibility to the FSC gym. Senior Jonathan Merced, a choreographer for the Framingham State College Dance Club, dances four times a week, a total of roughly 10 hours. Dancing and choreographing in the aerobics room are pretty much the only ways Jonathan stays fit and how he keeps up with his daily exercise routine. “I like choreographing a lot, and I like that I can stay fit while doing something I love,” said Merced. He added, “Dancing is something out of the ordinary, because instead of
going to the weight room, I just simply dance.” But for nearly one month, Merced won’t be able to keep up his daily exercise routine. Why? Because of winter break. Due to the dorms being closed, many FSC students won’t have easy access to a workout facility, hindering their exercise routines. Since Merced will not have a place to choreograph during the break, his workout routine will change drastically, from roughly 10 hours a week to possibly one or two hours a week, if he is lucky. Freshman Jimmy Le holds a work study job at the gym and also stays fit by dancing and lifting during his work study. During winter break, Le will not be able to maintain a steady workout routine. “I live 30 minutes away from college, and getting here would be a burden. I’m less motivated to work out during the break.” Junior Britney Spearin also has a vigorous workout routine. Spearin’s exercise schedule consists of a cardio warm-up for 15 to 20 Kelsey Loverude/The Gatepost
Drake McCabe/The Gatepost
Students take advantage of the gym before having to go home for break.
minutes, lifting weights for her arms, legs and back, and an intensive abdominal workout. All these exercises take Spearin about an hour-and-a-half to two hours to complete. Unlike Merced, however, Spearin does not have to worry about adjusting or decreasing her workout routine because of the break. Fortunately, Spearin lives close to the school and she can easily and conveniently walk to the school’s gym. “I have the convenience of coming to campus to work out and I think that
the gym being open during the break expresses FSC’s values for physical and mental health,” said Spearin. She works for the Boston Sports Club (BSC) and she exercises a lot. Spearin said, “Since working at the BSC, I recognize the importance of fitness and maintaining a healthy body with proper nutrition along with physical fitness”. Fortunately, this winter break will also not be affecting the FSC basketball teams’ workout routine. The - Continued on page 25
Interested in learning the 2nd most popular sport in the world?
Ram Round-Up
Want to play in a true Gentlemen’s Game?
Ice Hockey (1-6-1)
Sign up for
Men’s Rugby No experience necessary All are welcome Pick –up a Player’s Packet in SILD (CC 510) Any questions? Contact: mlong2@student.framingham.ed
Good Luck on Your Finals!!!
Dec. 5 at Plymouth State: Loss 4-2 Dec. 10 at UMass-Dartmouth: Loss 6-2
Men’s Basketball (3-6)
Dec. 5 vs. Anna Maria: Win 70-68 Dec. 8 at Williams College: Loss 88-50
Women’s Basketball (3-2) Dec. 8 vs. Curry College: Loss 75-66
SPORTS The Gatepost
December 11, 2009
Page 25
Students’ workout regimen interrupted by break - Continued from page 24
teams will be staying on campus while the rest of the students are home for winter break. For roughly three weeks during the break, athletes will be exercising extremely hard to prepare for the season and also the MASCAC conference. For these athletes, there is no winter break because it’s time to prepare for their most important games. Freshman Ceasar Veal does not mind staying at FSC during winter break. While most college students are home relaxing, Veal strength trains with the basketball team. When asked about forfeiting a much-needed break after finals, Veal said, “It’s basketball and it’s worth it and I’d do it anytime.” A typical winter break routine for a basketball player includes ball handling, passing, foot quickness, rebounding and shooting. Junior basketball player Evan Prince said, “It feels good to be here for winter break. We have the whole
Drake McCabe/The Gatepost
FSC athletes who get to stay on campus over winter break enjoy having the gym to themselves.
place to ourselves.” Prince looks forward to focusing on the growth of the team during break and becoming a “better team.” Prince prefers to stay on campus and continue his vigorous workout, rather than working 40 hours a week for three weeks like some other FSC students. “It’s my job being in the weight room, working out hard,” he added. While some students maintain their workout routines during break by using the facilities at FSC to exercise, others find it more difficult to keep up with their routines while off campus and will break their patterns unintentionally. Merced said, “I’m not happy about not having a place to choreograph for three weeks, but I’ll try my best to keep it up.”
On the Sideline Women’s Basketball Player Kerry Foley
By Josh Primak Sports Editor
GP: How did you get involved in basketball? Did you play any other sports growing up?
GP: What are your expectations for the team as well as yourself this season? Foley: I don’t want jinx anything -haha.
Foley: I’ve played organized basketball since the third grade. My older brothers played so I tried out and loved it. I played baseball and Tee-ball when I was much younger, before I started playing softball, which I played until high school. I tried soccer for a few seasons but didn’t really like it.
GP: Is it difficult to balance school and sports? Foley: It’s definitely hard to find a balance playing a sport and trying to get all of my school work done. It took me a while to figure out how to manage my time. GP: How do you feel the team has played so far this year? Foley: We’ve been doing great. Like I said before, we’ve won our first three games of the season which is an awesome start.
GP: Who is your favorite athlete? Foley: Candace Parker. GP: What is your most memorable moment at FSC? Foley: I don’t really have a most memorable moment. A lot of great things have happened since I started going to school here. GP: How do you feel the program has progressed? Foley: I think we are definitely on our way. We’re 3-0 right now which is a great start to the season and I am really excited to see how we do down the line. I have faith in our team to do well.
The Gatepost Archives
Kerry Foley is in her third season with the Rams.
GP: What will you miss most when the season is over? Foley: What I’m going to miss most will definitely be our senior captain, Toya Chester. She’s been one of the most positive influences in my college life and she has done so much for the women’s basketball program. It’s going to be really sad to see her go.
SPORTS
December 11, 2009
The Gatepost
Page 26
From FSC to Croatia
FORMER RAMS’ GOALIE MAKES THE JUMP TO PROS By Josh Primak Sports Editor
Sitting on a beach in Croatia, half a miliar equipment, Dundovich took to two-week tryouts, gaining a spot with world away from Loring Arena where the ice to play the game he had played the team. “I surprised myself with how well I he was the netminder for Framingham his entire life. Only this time, the stakes were a lit- played. I had never played at this level State, hockey was the last thing on Petle higher than trying to pick up a rare of hockey before - so it took me time ter Dundovich’s mind. Then, he got a phone call from victory for the struggling NCAA Div. to adjust to the speed. My confidence III Framingham State program - which was at an all-time high, because of supsomeone he wasn’t expecting. portive teammates and “It was from the president coaches at FSC, which of the Croatian team called allowed me to play and Medvescak. They asked me sign on with the team.” to come speak with them From lounging on vaabout possibly playing for cation, to now being part them in the upcoming season of a major European prowhere a goalie was needed.” fessional hockey team in Having spent his last a matter of weeks, the month living the festive life journey was unlike anyon vacation, Dundovich was thing Dundovich could certainly not in game shape. have fathomed. Unfortunately, time was “The experience was not a luxury he had if he like something out of a wanted to try out for the dream. I went from life team, which is one of the as a college student, to most successful hockey being put in press conteams in Croatia - having ferences as a Croatianreached the second group American rookie, and round of the InternationPhoto courtesy of Peter Dundovich taking trams to and al Ice Hockey Federation from practice every day (IIHF) European Cup. So, Former FSC hockey player Peter Dundovich through a city which reDundovich left the beach suited up for one of the most successful European sembled Russia during and headed for the ice rink professional teams this past year. the winter and Cancun, to strap on some goalie pads. Having not brought any of his won just one game in his last season Mexico during the summer. “I had the butterflies my first game hockey equipment with him to Croatia, with the Rams. During these tryouts, Dundovich and had to adapt the quick razzle-dazDundovich would have to use a handme-down goalie suit. “They asked me would be playing with professional zle european style of hockey. But it was to wear another goalie’s equipment hockey players from around the globe, pretty much smooth sailing after that.” Unfortunately, a slightly torn muscle and try out. This has a similar feeling including some who had played in the in Dundovich’s ankle put a screeching to wearing a pair of bowling shoes that NHL. Although the odds were stacked halt to what looked like a dream season are not yours.” In an unfamiliar country, playing against him, Dundovich didn’t back in a dream city for the Philadelphia nawith unfamiliar players, wearing unfa- down, and held his own during the tive.
Still, spending the season in Croatia, thousands of miles away from his family as well as his friends back at FSC, was an experience like nothing Dundovich will ever forget. “I was used to living away from home. Playing hockey had kept me away from home for years, but I had never experienced anything like this. The people are much different than in the U.S. It was hard to crack a joke using a movie quote that no one understood. Luckily for me, everyone spoke English, but I was the only U.S. player.” And the injury that Dundovich suffered last year has done nothing to derail his prospect for a professional career overseas. Dundovich has stayed in contact with the coaches of Medvescak and plans to try out again for the team this coming season. His team has jumped from the KHL to the Austrian Hockey League, which is at the NHL level, skating players from all over the world. In the meantime, Dundovich has received his Croatian citizenship, which increases his chances of playing with Medvescak, as a rule that only allows the team to have three import players would have decreased his chances of returning for another season. With a full season as a Croatian professional hockey player under his belt, Dundovich is, “looking forward to heading back there to make a bang!”
Men’s Basketball struggles against powerhouse williams
By Chris McCabe Assistant Sports Editor
The Rams dropped to 3-6 on the still young season, as they lost to nationally ranked Division III powerhouse Williams College by a score of 88-50. The Rams shot a mere 29.7 percent from the field, and did not do much better from three-point land as they only hit six out of 21 shots. It did not help that Williams College came out firing away in the first half. They quickly built a 15-0 lead over Framingham State. Captain Darius Yarrell tried to swing the momentum by slowing down the game in the hopes that the Rams would be able to set up plays and make some shots. But Williams College did not yield to the Rams’ slow and methodical approach to the game. They played tough defense and continued to make life difficult for the Rams offensively by stifling the shooters.
It was not until the final minutes of the first half that the Rams began to find a rhythm. They put up a quick 15 points, but still trailed 4923 at half. Just when it looked like the Rams were beginning to solve Williams’ tough defense, the Ephs took it to a whole other level and once again began to shut down the Framingham State shooters. Each shot was contested, and the rebounds were cleaned up by Williams College, which very seldom left the opportunity for secondchance points. The Rams were out-rebounded by Williams College 47-29. Williams College was not
only playing great defense, but they were also sinking shots left and right. They shot 64 percent from the field in the first half alone and ended the game by almost shooting 53 percent. They also made their trips to the free-throw line count as they made 20 shots of their 26 attempts. The Rams struggled all day offensively. Senior Josue Almodovar led the Rams in scoring with just 12 points. Framingham State men’s basketball looks to turn the season around in their upcoming game against Castleton on Jan. 5, after the month long intermission. The Rams fell to Division III top 25 powerhouse, Williams College. The Gatepost Archives
SPORTS Rams come up short against Curry The Gatepost
December 11, 2009
Page 27
By Nenia Corcoran Sports Editor
Tuesday night, the Lady Rams took the court against the Curry College Colonels after coming off a loss in a close game against Eastern Nazarene last week. The Rams got off to a slow start, scoring only 14 points in the first 10 minutes of the game. After a daunting first half littered with turnovers and Framingham fouls, the Rams had managed to hold Curry to only a three-point lead at the break. The Rams returned to the court for the second half and immediately cut
Drake McCabe/The Gatepost
The Rams struggled to produce the offense they desperately needed against the Colonels.
the Colonels’ lead to only one with a quick layup by Kia Minor. Shortly after, a Curry foul sent Emily Clark to the line, where she hit one of her two foul shots to tie the score at 35 all. But turnovers and fouls plagued the Lady Rams, and in the second half alone, they gave the ball up 10 times and had a total of 12 team fouls. The Rams were unable to gain the lead at any point, and they struggled to keep Curry from expanding its advantage too far. The Rams were given several chances to close the gap, but they were unable to capitalize on them. Curry sent Framingham players to the line 20 times throughout the game, but the Rams only managed to convert these gifts into seven points. With only five minutes left and the Rams down by nine, Framingham attempted to dig their way out of their deficit. The Rams continued to push the ball down the court, but they struggled to find the basket once in their offensive end. Curry was also finding ways to break Framingham’s press, and the Rams were starting to look discouraged. With a little over a minute left in play, Framingham’s Toya Chester fouled out while attempting to stop a fast break by Curry’s Carolyn Houston. Houston made the layup, and went on to hit her foul shot to give Curry an 11-point lead. During the last minute of the game, the Rams desperately tried to make
Drake McCabe/The Gatepost
Missed foul shot opportunities were the Rams’ downfall on Tuesday night against Curry College.
something happen with their offense, but the ball just wouldn’t fall in their favor. The game ended with a final score of 75-66. Nicole McConaghy led her team with 23 points, five rebounds and four assists for the night. “Tueday was a hard loss. I dont think we expected to lose. We just need to refocus. We will work harder in practice, work on limit-
ing turnovers, hitting our free throws, making more shots and playing better defense. I know we can play better. I’ve seen us play better. We just need to get back to the basics, and I know we can succeed and win games.” The Rams will not be at home again until after the holiday break. However, they begin their road trip on Saturday at Regis College.
Rams’ Basketball
Drake McCabe/The Gatepost
SPORTS The Gatepost
Page 24
December 11, 2009
Winter Break
Will it make or break your workout routine? By Sam DePina Staff Writer
This winter break will significantly change workout routines for some Framingham State College students who exercise on a regular basis. Since the campus is located far from many students’ homes, some students believe their daily exercise patterns will suffer because of a lack of accessibility to the FSC gym. Senior Jonathan Merced, a choreographer for the Framingham State College Dance Club, dances four times a week, a total of roughly 10 hours. Dancing and choreographing in the aerobics room are pretty much the only ways Jonathan stays fit and how he keeps up with his daily exercise routine. “I like choreographing a lot, and I like that I can stay fit while doing something I love,” said Merced. He added, “Dancing is something out of the ordinary, because instead of
going to the weight room, I just simply dance.” But for nearly one month, Merced won’t be able to keep up his daily exercise routine. Why? Because of winter break. Due to the dorms being closed, many FSC students won’t have easy access to a workout facility, hindering their exercise routines. Since Merced will not have a place to choreograph during the break, his workout routine will change drastically, from roughly 10 hours a week to possibly one or two hours a week, if he is lucky. Freshman Jimmy Le holds a work study job at the gym and also stays fit by dancing and lifting during his work study. During winter break, Le will not be able to maintain a steady workout routine. “I live 30 minutes away from college, and getting here would be a burden. I’m less motivated to work out during the break.” Junior Britney Spearin also has a vigorous workout routine. Spearin’s exercise schedule consists of a cardio warm-up for 15 to 20 Kelsey Loverude/The Gatepost
Drake McCabe/The Gatepost
Students take advantage of the gym before having to go home for break.
minutes, lifting weights for her arms, legs and back, and an intensive abdominal workout. All these exercises take Spearin about an hour-and-a-half to two hours to complete. Unlike Merced, however, Spearin does not have to worry about adjusting or decreasing her workout routine because of the break. Fortunately, Spearin lives close to the school and she can easily and conveniently walk to the school’s gym. “I have the convenience of coming to campus to work out and I think that
the gym being open during the break expresses FSC’s values for physical and mental health,” said Spearin. She works for the Boston Sports Club (BSC) and she exercises a lot. Spearin said, “Since working at the BSC, I recognize the importance of fitness and maintaining a healthy body with proper nutrition along with physical fitness”. Fortunately, this winter break will also not be affecting the FSC basketball teams’ workout routine. The - Continued on page 25
Interested in learning the 2nd most popular sport in the world?
Ram Round-Up
Want to play in a true Gentlemen’s Game?
Ice Hockey (1-6-1)
Sign up for
Men’s Rugby No experience necessary All are welcome Pick –up a Player’s Packet in SILD (CC 510) Any questions? Contact: mlong2@student.framingham.ed
Good Luck on Your Finals!!!
Dec. 5 at Plymouth State: Loss 4-2 Dec. 10 at UMass-Dartmouth: Loss 6-2
Men’s Basketball (3-6)
Dec. 5 vs. Anna Maria: Win 70-68 Dec. 8 at Williams College: Loss 88-50
Women’s Basketball (3-2) Dec. 8 vs. Curry College: Loss 75-66
SPORTS The Gatepost
December 11, 2009
Page 25
Students’ workout regimen interrupted by break - Continued from page 24
teams will be staying on campus while the rest of the students are home for winter break. For roughly three weeks during the break, athletes will be exercising extremely hard to prepare for the season and also the MASCAC conference. For these athletes, there is no winter break because it’s time to prepare for their most important games. Freshman Ceasar Veal does not mind staying at FSC during winter break. While most college students are home relaxing, Veal strength trains with the basketball team. When asked about forfeiting a much-needed break after finals, Veal said, “It’s basketball and it’s worth it and I’d do it anytime.” A typical winter break routine for a basketball player includes ball handling, passing, foot quickness, rebounding and shooting. Junior basketball player Evan Prince said, “It feels good to be here for winter break. We have the whole
Drake McCabe/The Gatepost
FSC athletes who get to stay on campus over winter break enjoy having the gym to themselves.
place to ourselves.” Prince looks forward to focusing on the growth of the team during break and becoming a “better team.” Prince prefers to stay on campus and continue his vigorous workout, rather than working 40 hours a week for three weeks like some other FSC students. “It’s my job being in the weight room, working out hard,” he added. While some students maintain their workout routines during break by using the facilities at FSC to exercise, others find it more difficult to keep up with their routines while off campus and will break their patterns unintentionally. Merced said, “I’m not happy about not having a place to choreograph for three weeks, but I’ll try my best to keep it up.”
On the Sideline Women’s Basketball Player Kerry Foley
By Josh Primak Sports Editor
GP: How did you get involved in basketball? Did you play any other sports growing up?
GP: What are your expectations for the team as well as yourself this season? Foley: I don’t want jinx anything -haha.
Foley: I’ve played organized basketball since the third grade. My older brothers played so I tried out and loved it. I played baseball and Tee-ball when I was much younger, before I started playing softball, which I played until high school. I tried soccer for a few seasons but didn’t really like it.
GP: Is it difficult to balance school and sports? Foley: It’s definitely hard to find a balance playing a sport and trying to get all of my school work done. It took me a while to figure out how to manage my time. GP: How do you feel the team has played so far this year? Foley: We’ve been doing great. Like I said before, we’ve won our first three games of the season which is an awesome start.
GP: Who is your favorite athlete? Foley: Candace Parker. GP: What is your most memorable moment at FSC? Foley: I don’t really have a most memorable moment. A lot of great things have happened since I started going to school here. GP: How do you feel the program has progressed? Foley: I think we are definitely on our way. We’re 3-0 right now which is a great start to the season and I am really excited to see how we do down the line. I have faith in our team to do well.
The Gatepost Archives
Kerry Foley is in her third season with the Rams.
GP: What will you miss most when the season is over? Foley: What I’m going to miss most will definitely be our senior captain, Toya Chester. She’s been one of the most positive influences in my college life and she has done so much for the women’s basketball program. It’s going to be really sad to see her go.
SPORTS
December 11, 2009
The Gatepost
Page 26
From FSC to Croatia
FORMER RAMS’ GOALIE MAKES THE JUMP TO PROS By Josh Primak Sports Editor
Sitting on a beach in Croatia, half a miliar equipment, Dundovich took to two-week tryouts, gaining a spot with world away from Loring Arena where the ice to play the game he had played the team. “I surprised myself with how well I he was the netminder for Framingham his entire life. Only this time, the stakes were a lit- played. I had never played at this level State, hockey was the last thing on Petle higher than trying to pick up a rare of hockey before - so it took me time ter Dundovich’s mind. Then, he got a phone call from victory for the struggling NCAA Div. to adjust to the speed. My confidence III Framingham State program - which was at an all-time high, because of supsomeone he wasn’t expecting. portive teammates and “It was from the president coaches at FSC, which of the Croatian team called allowed me to play and Medvescak. They asked me sign on with the team.” to come speak with them From lounging on vaabout possibly playing for cation, to now being part them in the upcoming season of a major European prowhere a goalie was needed.” fessional hockey team in Having spent his last a matter of weeks, the month living the festive life journey was unlike anyon vacation, Dundovich was thing Dundovich could certainly not in game shape. have fathomed. Unfortunately, time was “The experience was not a luxury he had if he like something out of a wanted to try out for the dream. I went from life team, which is one of the as a college student, to most successful hockey being put in press conteams in Croatia - having ferences as a Croatianreached the second group American rookie, and round of the InternationPhoto courtesy of Peter Dundovich taking trams to and al Ice Hockey Federation from practice every day (IIHF) European Cup. So, Former FSC hockey player Peter Dundovich through a city which reDundovich left the beach suited up for one of the most successful European sembled Russia during and headed for the ice rink professional teams this past year. the winter and Cancun, to strap on some goalie pads. Having not brought any of his won just one game in his last season Mexico during the summer. “I had the butterflies my first game hockey equipment with him to Croatia, with the Rams. During these tryouts, Dundovich and had to adapt the quick razzle-dazDundovich would have to use a handme-down goalie suit. “They asked me would be playing with professional zle european style of hockey. But it was to wear another goalie’s equipment hockey players from around the globe, pretty much smooth sailing after that.” Unfortunately, a slightly torn muscle and try out. This has a similar feeling including some who had played in the in Dundovich’s ankle put a screeching to wearing a pair of bowling shoes that NHL. Although the odds were stacked halt to what looked like a dream season are not yours.” In an unfamiliar country, playing against him, Dundovich didn’t back in a dream city for the Philadelphia nawith unfamiliar players, wearing unfa- down, and held his own during the tive.
Still, spending the season in Croatia, thousands of miles away from his family as well as his friends back at FSC, was an experience like nothing Dundovich will ever forget. “I was used to living away from home. Playing hockey had kept me away from home for years, but I had never experienced anything like this. The people are much different than in the U.S. It was hard to crack a joke using a movie quote that no one understood. Luckily for me, everyone spoke English, but I was the only U.S. player.” And the injury that Dundovich suffered last year has done nothing to derail his prospect for a professional career overseas. Dundovich has stayed in contact with the coaches of Medvescak and plans to try out again for the team this coming season. His team has jumped from the KHL to the Austrian Hockey League, which is at the NHL level, skating players from all over the world. In the meantime, Dundovich has received his Croatian citizenship, which increases his chances of playing with Medvescak, as a rule that only allows the team to have three import players would have decreased his chances of returning for another season. With a full season as a Croatian professional hockey player under his belt, Dundovich is, “looking forward to heading back there to make a bang!”
Men’s Basketball struggles against powerhouse williams
By Chris McCabe Assistant Sports Editor
The Rams dropped to 3-6 on the still young season, as they lost to nationally ranked Division III powerhouse Williams College by a score of 88-50. The Rams shot a mere 29.7 percent from the field, and did not do much better from three-point land as they only hit six out of 21 shots. It did not help that Williams College came out firing away in the first half. They quickly built a 15-0 lead over Framingham State. Captain Darius Yarrell tried to swing the momentum by slowing down the game in the hopes that the Rams would be able to set up plays and make some shots. But Williams College did not yield to the Rams’ slow and methodical approach to the game. They played tough defense and continued to make life difficult for the Rams offensively by stifling the shooters.
It was not until the final minutes of the first half that the Rams began to find a rhythm. They put up a quick 15 points, but still trailed 4923 at half. Just when it looked like the Rams were beginning to solve Williams’ tough defense, the Ephs took it to a whole other level and once again began to shut down the Framingham State shooters. Each shot was contested, and the rebounds were cleaned up by Williams College, which very seldom left the opportunity for secondchance points. The Rams were out-rebounded by Williams College 47-29. Williams College was not
only playing great defense, but they were also sinking shots left and right. They shot 64 percent from the field in the first half alone and ended the game by almost shooting 53 percent. They also made their trips to the free-throw line count as they made 20 shots of their 26 attempts. The Rams struggled all day offensively. Senior Josue Almodovar led the Rams in scoring with just 12 points. Framingham State men’s basketball looks to turn the season around in their upcoming game against Castleton on Jan. 5, after the month long intermission. The Rams fell to Division III top 25 powerhouse, Williams College. The Gatepost Archives
SPORTS Rams come up short against Curry The Gatepost
December 11, 2009
Page 27
By Nenia Corcoran Sports Editor
Tuesday night, the Lady Rams took the court against the Curry College Colonels after coming off a loss in a close game against Eastern Nazarene last week. The Rams got off to a slow start, scoring only 14 points in the first 10 minutes of the game. After a daunting first half littered with turnovers and Framingham fouls, the Rams had managed to hold Curry to only a three-point lead at the break. The Rams returned to the court for the second half and immediately cut
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The Rams struggled to produce the offense they desperately needed against the Colonels.
the Colonels’ lead to only one with a quick layup by Kia Minor. Shortly after, a Curry foul sent Emily Clark to the line, where she hit one of her two foul shots to tie the score at 35 all. But turnovers and fouls plagued the Lady Rams, and in the second half alone, they gave the ball up 10 times and had a total of 12 team fouls. The Rams were unable to gain the lead at any point, and they struggled to keep Curry from expanding its advantage too far. The Rams were given several chances to close the gap, but they were unable to capitalize on them. Curry sent Framingham players to the line 20 times throughout the game, but the Rams only managed to convert these gifts into seven points. With only five minutes left and the Rams down by nine, Framingham attempted to dig their way out of their deficit. The Rams continued to push the ball down the court, but they struggled to find the basket once in their offensive end. Curry was also finding ways to break Framingham’s press, and the Rams were starting to look discouraged. With a little over a minute left in play, Framingham’s Toya Chester fouled out while attempting to stop a fast break by Curry’s Carolyn Houston. Houston made the layup, and went on to hit her foul shot to give Curry an 11-point lead. During the last minute of the game, the Rams desperately tried to make
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Missed foul shot opportunities were the Rams’ downfall on Tuesday night against Curry College.
something happen with their offense, but the ball just wouldn’t fall in their favor. The game ended with a final score of 75-66. Nicole McConaghy led her team with 23 points, five rebounds and four assists for the night. “Tueday was a hard loss. I dont think we expected to lose. We just need to refocus. We will work harder in practice, work on limit-
ing turnovers, hitting our free throws, making more shots and playing better defense. I know we can play better. I’ve seen us play better. We just need to get back to the basics, and I know we can succeed and win games.” The Rams will not be at home again until after the holiday break. However, they begin their road trip on Saturday at Regis College.
Rams’ Basketball
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