VOLUME
80
NUMBER
19
M
a r c h
2 3 ,
2 0 1 2
GATEPOST@FRAMINGHAM.EDU
T h e G aT e p o s T Framingham Sta te Unive r sity’s inde pe nde nt stude nt ne w s p a p e r s in c e 1 9 3 2
Celebrating 80 years of integrity and professionalism
80 80
80th Anniversary Edition
2
First Gatepost editorial March, 1932 At last it is here! A school newspaper, The Gate Post, which has for so many years been a dream of faculty, alumnae, and students alike, we are expecting your criticism, and anticipating your commendations. Probably few students realize how much time and effort was spent by certain organizations of the school before such a possibility could be placed before the student body. Therefore, we of the staff wish to make a few acknowledgements which we feel sure will express the feelings of everyone in regard to the privilege of having this publication. First, we want to thank the committee of English teachers whose interest and enthusiasm has changed the idea of a newspaper from something vague to something tangible. With them it has been a question for sometime as to whether the school could establish a newspaper and carry it on successfully.
Meanwhile the Student Government Council had been working on the same idea and soon the two committees combined to work together on the growing prospect. We who are not members of those groups have no conception of the work done by them in furthering the interest of the publication. We must not forget the Hilltop News. Probably it was that organization which made us realize how much we would like a permanent newspaper. We add that the Hilltop News staff left the sum of twenty-one dollars to the Student Government to the use of the newspaper. The permanency of the Gate Post is at stake with your support, its growth demands your contributions, and its betterment rests upon your criticisms; we cannot do it all. Show us that you appreciate the work of the English teachers, the Student Government Council, and the staff of the Hilltop News.
EDITORIAL BOARD Spencer Buell
Staff Designers:
Editor-in-Chief
Abner Cavalcanti Melinda Collins
Kathleen McDonough News Editor
Staff Writers:
Kerrin Murray News Editor
Kärin Radock News Editor
Zack Comeau Arts & Features Editor
Joe Kourieh
Arts & Features Editor
Keir Cullen Janey
Assistant Arts & Features Editor
Matt Cook Sports Editor
Ty Foster
Assistant Sports Editor
Samantha Rawson
Talia Adry Kate Carignan Jennifer Hand Crystal Hederson Tara Kelly Samantha Lockard Bryan McKenna Carey Scouler Alex Shuman Heather Waxman Stacia Kindler
Opinions Editor
Kelsey Loverude Photo Editor
Danielle Vecchione
Photo Editor
Alexis Huston
Assistant Photo Editor
Ryan Boyle Online Editor
Laura Jarvis Advertising Editor
Gatepost Interview Raymond Boulanger Board of Trustees Chair By Kerrin Murray NEWS EDITOR By Kärin Radock NEWS EDITOR Please describe in detail your educational background and your law experience. I have a B.A. in economics from Trinity College in Hartford, Conn. I have a master’s degree in economics from the University of Michigan and a law degree from Yale Law School. After law school, I served three years as a Captain in Army JAG. I am a practicing business law attorney at Goodwin Procter, LLP in Bosservices area. When did you join the board of trustees and why did you choose to do so? I joined the Board nine years ago. Although I had no previous connection with Framingham State, I was looking for an opportunity to volunteer my time, experience and expertise to an educational institution that could have a positive impact on the lives of its students. I was fortunate to be appointed to Framingham State College as it was named then. I was attracted to Framingham State because of the demographics of the students attending Framingham State, who were primarily middle class and lower-middle class students who often held one or more jobs to earn their way through college. I also came from a lower-middle class family, and I was lucky enough to receive a scholarship for a portion of the costs of college, and then I worked several jobs to fund the remaining costs. What do you think has been the school’s greatest accomplishment over
Staff Photographers:
Allie Card Joel Kayima James Lindsay Margaret Walsh Betty Brault
Administrative Assistant
Dr. Desmond McCarthy Advisor
Alexandra Smith Graduate Assistant
www.thegatepost.com 100 State Street, College Center Room 410 Framingham, MA 01701-9101 Phone: (508) 626-4605 Fax: (508) 626-4097 gatepost@framingham.edu
March 23, 2012
furthering the various initiatives to improve and enhance educational programs and facilities on campus, including green efforts and diversity initiatives. This also includes continued progress in providing the students at Framingham State with the skill sets and knowledge that will permit them to engage in critical thinking, clear and effective writing and strong quantitative reasoning with a view to preparing them for productive and successful careers. I would also like to continue to assist the university in increasing its endowment in light of the likely decline in funding by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on a relative, if not absolute, basis over time. This increased endowment would permit higher levels of scholarship funding as well. What are FSU’s greatest strengths as an institution? I have been very impressed with the faculty members I have met. They seem photo courtesy of Goodwin Procter very dedicated and personally concerned about the success of their students. I also believe that the university leadership and staff have done a great job in advancing the university and are also very committed to the success of their students. What would you like people to know about FSU that you think they do not know already? I think that the general community does not fully understand that Framingham State is a strong teaching university that excels in educating its students and developing them into good, well-rounded and well-prepared citizens. And this is all done at a price that is far less than private colleges and universities. With what other causes or organizations do you work?
an ongoing emphasis on improving the quality of the educational experience and programs at Framingham State University, as well as residential life on campus. This process started under President Heineman and has continued under President Flanagan’s leadership. It is an ongoing effort that requires considerable focus and dedication by the leadership of the University and its staff and faculty. This focus and dedication has been evidenced in all of my dealings with all of them. What would you most like to accomplish during your term as chair? I would like to assist the university in continuing its positive momentum and
I have worked with the Winchester ABC program and the Winchester Scholarship Fund in the past. I also volunteer for an annual fundraiser for the Winchester Hospital. I have also coached various youth sports teams in the past. What do you like to do in your spare time? I love traveling, and combine hiking and walking with my travel, and have done so in various areas of the U.S., as well as Europe, South America, Nepal and New Zealand. I also enjoy watching and playing sports, and hope to return again next year after an eight-year hiatus to Red Sox Fantasy Baseball Camp as a catcher, although not a very good one.
80th Anniversary Edition
March 23, 2012
1
3
A look back at North Hall The campus now has a new “backyard” which faces Linsley Hall. In keeping with the school’s environmental efforts, North Hall also offers green-friendly elements like an underground geothermal well to heat and cool portions of
By Kathleen McDonough NEWS EDITOR By Kerrin Murray NEWS EDITOR By Kärin Radock NEWS EDITOR
The Gatepost archives
2
The Gatepost archives
After three years of construction, FSU added North Hall, its newest building in almost four decades, to the campus this past year. The project, which intended to offer more on-campus housing and keep upperclassmen from moving off campus, broke ground in Nov. 2009. Construction was completed on July 15, 2011, which allowed students to move in at the beginning of Sept. that same year. The 410-bed dorm overlooking Route 9 features a variety of bright and open suite-style room arrangements as well as double and single rooms. Students can take advantage of lounge areas, the conference room
appliances including a rainwater cistern. Costing just under $47 million to construct, the building was designed by Einhorn Yaffee Prescott Architecture & Engineering and built by Consigli Construction Co. Students were also able to contribute, sharing their ideas for the new residence hall, which led to co-ed living. Co-eds can live in the same suite as opposed to living in separate wings. In September 2010, school administrators, faculty, staff, students and construction workers signed
tion of the steelwork in the new building. emony for North Hall was held a year later on Sept. 15, 2011. Freshman fashion major Olivia Harvey said, “I think it’s a really great facility and the quality of the building is fantastic, but it’s rather expensive to live there.” Sophomore Spanish major Kaity Rossi said, “It is a pretty sweet res. hall, but the amount of TVs is kind of excessive and I hate that living there costs more.” Sophomore Lauren Doyle said, “I think it is a beautiful building! It is so modern and the backyard is cool!” Sophomore education major Mary Gill said, “I think North looks nice, but it’s very deceiving because I’ve heard there is a lot wrong with it. However, I would not like to live there.”
university celebrated the comple-
4
3
The Gatepost archives
Alexis Huston/The Gatepost
1. Outside view of North Hall early in its construction. 2. President Timothy Flanagan celebrates the new dorm at the ribbon cutting ceremony. 3. A glance at a double-occupancy room during construction. 4. FSU has a new “backyard” behind North Hall. 5. Student volunof volleyball in North Hall’s “Backyard.” 9. A view from State Street.
6
5
The Gatepost archives
7
Danielle Vecchione/The Gatepost
The Gatepost archives
9
Alexis Huston/The Gatepost
Alexis Huston/The Gatepost
4
80th Anniversary Edition
March 23, 2012
The buildings of Framingham State May Hall Normal School appointed by the Mass. Board of Education. She was a strong supporter of women’s rights.
Larned Hall
Named after Dorothy Larned, a French and English teacher who served as Dean of Women from 1943 to 1961.
Dwight Hall
Crocker Hall
Named after Lucretia Crocker, graduate. supervisor of Boston Public Schools.
Peirce Hall
Named after Edmund Dwight, a businessman and philanthropist who principals of the Normal School.
O’Connor Hall
Named after Martin F. O’Connor, the school president from 1936 to 1961.
Horace Mann Hall
Named after Horace Mann, part of secretary of the Mass. Board of Education.
March 23, 2012
80th Anniversary Edition
Heineman Ecumenical Center
5
Whittemore Library
Named after Henry Whittemore, Named after Helen Heineman, the president of the college from 1999 to
Corrine Hall Towers
Linsley Hall
Named after Corrine E. Hall, a teacher of household administration Named after James D. Linsley, a history professor who died of a heart
Foster Hall McCarthy Center
Named after D. Justin McCarthy,
in student population.
Named after Stuart B. Foster, who taught from 1921 to 1957, and served as the chairman of the chemistry department and was a member of the Framingham Choral Society.
Hemenway Hall
Doyle Tech. Center
Named after Arthur M. Doyle, the late vice president of academic affairs, who initiated the wireless laptop program at Framingham State.
Named after Mary Porter Tileston Hemenway, who founded the Boston Normal School of Cookery, which was later moved to Framingham and renamed the Department of Household Arts. From “Framingham State College,� by R. Marc Kantrowitz and Marianne Larson. Photos by Gatepost staff and courtesy of the Framingham State archives.
6
80th Anniversary Edition
March 23, 2012
Environmental science and criminology already successful
Allie Card/The Gatepost
Environmental science majors utilize tools to study igneous rocks. By Samantha Lockard STAFF WRITER Two new interdisciplinary majors drawallowing students to enter the 21st century job market with a broad range of skills in The environmental science major will have graduates as soon as this May, and criminology has already produced one graduate. Furthermore, the programs’ enrollment numbers look very encouraging to the admissions staff and department faculty members. Environmental science is an interdisciplinary major listed under the geography department. According to FSU’s website, this major “combines a strong foundation in science, emphasizing biology with broad training in geographical theory and techniques.” Students who major in environmental science are prepared for an array of job placement opportunities in “consulting, government agencies, private corporations ability to work as environmental analysts, town wetlands administrators, environmental educators or environmental scientists,” according to the description in the undergraduate catalog. Professor Carl Hakansson, coordinator for the environmental science program, said, “Environmental science weds science with politics, and oftentimes in the
past, people who are schooled in science are ineffective in policy and vice versa.” He believes that the creation of this major will supplement that need to give students a better “background for [entering] the work force.” According to Hakansson, creating the major was a laborious process that took approximately four years. While the major is listed as a subhead in the geography department, every department listed within the curriculum structure is an equal partner in the creation and execution of the program. “There were a few bumps in the road, but it’s also a really extensive review process,” said Hakansson. eral education Goal 10: Forces in the U.S. “Most of the students that are [majoring] in environmental science were either men class. There hasn’t been a drive to switch majors or a mass exodus, so to speak,” said Hakansson. Overall, there are about 10 departments involved to give a very broad spectrum of views. The environmental science curriculum committee was comprised of two biology professors, two geography professors and one physics/earth science professor. This is a major that is “truly unique,” said Hakansson. “It’s truly interdisciplinary. Other majors have a direct focus, whereas this is a hybrid type of major. -
cally, where we will be more open.” Geology Professor Dr. Larry McKenna is also an advisor in the program. He said he has two jobs for the major - to review the curriculum and act on an exam committee for students who choose independent studies, internships or theses. “These are marketable talents,” he said, which will prepare students for graduate school or immediate employment. A concern for McKenna is the data collection for the program. He said that while how to evaluate students’ progress post“A state university has a responsibility to the Commonwealth, to serve the Commonwealth,” he said. “We are to be good citizens and informed citizens … and [these students] are the people to save the country by making good decisions on policy and making informed policy choices.” There are currently 38 students enrolled in this major. Clary Couto, a senior environmental science major, is interested in the policy and sustainability issues that are faced on individual levels and in the corporate world. “I think every person … who knows how to surf the web can see that there is a ton of information on climate change and environmental impact,” she said. “People have, to some extent, been exposed to it by some type of media and in school through science teachers. This is the reason why
I think students are interested in learning more and more about what is happening.” Criminology, up until last year, had only been offered as one course at FSU. According to the undergraduate catalog, criminology is “an interdisciplinary baccalaureate program grounded in a strong liberal arts curriculum.” Ed Goal 12: Gender, Race and Class. Professors Daisy Ball and Vincent Ferraro were hired this year to teach criminology courses, in addition to Professor Christopher Murtagh, who is a FramingBall said, “We [Ball and Ferraro] have grown with the program as it has come about. I’ve seen a great interest in class participation. She said students are excited by the idea of using materials such as YouTube videos, news media. “There’s a real energy,” she said. “I’ve also seen involvement rise with the Sociology and Criminology clubs. Maybe the seed is planted in class to translate to a real setting,” Ball said. “We’re really interested in issues of social justice,” she added. According to Ball, those issues of social justice have made for stimulating class discussion, including current events and topics like cyberbullying. - Continued on page 9
80th Anniversary Edition
March 23, 2012
7
New director to launch capital campaign By Kathleen McDonough NEWS EDITOR Have you ever wondered where the school’s money comes from? Of course, much of the university’s funds come from the state of Massachusetts and capital bonds that are used to build dorms. But what about the rest of the money used to provide services, scholarships and any other things the university needs? That’s where the executive director of development and alumni relations comes in - with fundraising to pay for a lot of what happens on campus and for students. Just over a month ago, Eric Gustafson took this role at Framingham State University, replacing Chris Hendry, who left in 2011 to take a job at Fitchburg State University. Gustafson has a rich background in fundraising and alumni relations. He successfully implemented a major capital campaign as director of the annual fund and associate director of major gifts at Muskingum College in Ohio. The school raised a total of $65 million dollars, $10 million dollars more than thier goal. As a major part of this campaign, Gustafson brought “So I bring a good breadth of experience,” he added. Gustafson, who grew up in Northborough, Mass., attended Marrietta College for his undergraduate degree and UMass/ Amherst for his graduate degree, both in political science. He started in public rebefore taking a similar job at Anna Maria College in Paxton. Gustafson advanced quickly at Anna Maria College, a school he worked for durpublic relations, then alumni relations, then fundraising, and it all sort of went on from there,” leading to his current professional success. He most recently worked as director of advancement for Anna Maria, which prepared him for his work here at Framingham State. After working at Anna Maria for four years and achieving all the goals he had set, Gustafson decided it was the right time in his career to make a move. He described his decision to apply for this position at FSU: “This was just a great opportunity at a school that is really on the move and has made a lot of progress.” Although he will be doing similar work here, Gustafson noticed two major differences between the schools - the atmospheres of public vs. private higher education and the difference in size. Although students may think Framingham State is a small school, Gustafson used to work at a college with an undergraduate population of about 1,000 and total population of
about 1,600 - about one fourth of FSU’s. With just over a month under his belt here, Gustafson excitedly described his favorite part of FSU. “It’s the people. You couldn’t ask for a more interesting group of students, faculty, staff and alumni. It’s a great community,” he said, adding that he has received a warm welcome so far. As a part of his role at Framingham State, Gustafson will be launching the unicampaign. This effort seeks to raise a sigfacilities, new programs and initiatives. Some of the money will be considered unrestricted dollars, which Gustafson described as funds which can be used for a priority of the university. At this point, a campaign goal has not yet been set. Gustafson said, “It’s still in a study phase where we say, ‘What is the capacity of our alumni? What can our friends do?’” He added that his team does have some idea of what they think the goal will be, but are still researching. He is currently working with President Timothy Flanagan, Executive Vice President Dale Hamel and Lindsey Humes of develop a goal and strategy for the campaign. Gustafson said although he is not sure when, the school will, “at some point, … publicly kick off the campaign” by announcing the goal and talking about the campaign in detail. Right now, Gustafson and his department are “really starting to build those early relationships that are going to help us really know what we’re going to be able to raise - an important part of the early campaign process that every school does.” He added that although the school already has some strong relationships with alumni, his team will make an effort to reengage alumni in many different ways, one of which is hosting alumni events regionally and locally. “We try to take things to where they are, but we also do things right here on campus,” Gustafson said, such as reunion weekend and homecoming. As a part of the strategy to get alumni back to campus and “excited about the university,” Gustafson said his team will but also activities alumni were a part of at FSU, such as the upcoming 40th anniversary of football and 80th anniversary of The Gatepost. “It’s really about getting alumni … [to] connect with what their passion is at Framingham State. So if it’s an activity, if it’s a department, if it’s a sports team - whatever it might be - we want to try to get them re-engaged on that activity that meant a lot to them.” Gustafson said he will also be working traditionally with alumni classes at re-
photo courtesy of Dayton Photography
Eric Gustafson, executive director of development and alumni relations. unions to have them give back, such as the 50th reunion class this year that plans to make a gift to the university. “We’re really going to leave no stone unturned in this effort.” Gustafson understands how alumni might think. “Once you graduate, you go out and you start your career and have a family and you do other things. Framingham’s still part of who you are, but it’s not on the front of your mind the way it was when you were a student.” So, part of his plan is to get alumni to interact with students in order to remind them of their experiences here and showcase students’ accomplishments. He thinks that this will persuade them “to pay it forward to the next generation of students.” part of the campaign is scholarships and
them with the cost of their education. “State support continues to decline, so in
order to bridge that gap for our students, we really need to increase private support. … So that’s really our plan - to tell the story of the university and ask for [alumni] support.” As a board member of two foundations in Worcester - The Rainbow Child Development Center and the YMCA - Gustafson has a strong appreciation for helping the community and knows how much it can impact the lives of children and students. This is certainly why he believes branching out into the community will help the campaign. “That means students, parents, friends, grandparents - everybody, you name it - faculty and staff, former faculty and staff.” Gustafson said although he knows not everyone can make a large donation, “every gift matters.” With a positive outlook on this project, he added, “Together, the whole community will help us meet this goal and raise the funds we need.”
80th Anniversary Edition
8
March 23, 2012
Barbara Gardner, “political junkie at heart” By Tara Kelly STAFF WRITER It was a chilly evening in January when FSU trustee member and former chair Barbara Gardner came to campus to attend a board meeting. Garder is a self-proclaimed political junkie, and rightfully so: aside from her role on the Board of Trustees, she was a state representative from 1987 to 2001. During that time, she once served as the Majority Whip, or majority leader, which is the third-highest-ranking position in the State House. She also headed a funding committee for the 1993 Education Reform Act, and was also the Vice-Chair of the Joint Committee on Education, Arts and Humanities. In 2000, Gardner joined the Massachusetts Department of Education as Associate Commissioner for School Readiness. Today, she actively takes part in half a dozen projects, from the Holliston Affordable Housing Committee, to the Upper Charles Conservation Land Trust Board. She’s also a senior warden at her church. When she’s not active in politics, she’s reading about it. Needless to say, Gardner is a champion of public service. When she visited the campus this January, Gardner, along with 14 FSU students, had been adjusting to life in the states after a three-week trip to India over winter break. The trip was headed by English Professor Lisa Eck. “I get so excited every time I see a fellow India traveler,” she said as she ran into an FSU student. “It feels so long ago since we were there!” As a trustee, Gardner is passionate about promoting Framingham State University as a source of many opportunities. Her desire to improve public education, though, especially basic reading skills, probably started as early as when she was a student tutor at Framingham State. Years after she graduated from FSU, and was elected state representative, Gardner helped reform public education in Massachusetts. One of her personal accomplishments on Beacon Hill was writing a federal grant called Reading First, ensuring that schoolchildren could read at grade level by the third grade, and that teachers had the right training and tools to do so. Since then, she has co-founded the Bay nization dedicated to improving reading education in failing schools. Two years ago, the program was awarded a $5 million federal grant. Considering her list of accomplishments, it is incredible to think Barbara Gardner started out as a young woman who came back to college - after marriage and motherhood - earning the status of “nontraditional student” here at Framingham State. “Personally, I was most shocked when she told me how she was a Framingham State alum!” said Scott Shea, a sophomore, who became better acquainted with Gardner on the India trip. “I thought it was cool that we have a trustee who has a personal connection to our school.” Growing up near upstate New York, Gardner came to New England at 18 to
attend a two-year junior college. “My mother was of the opinion that I was just going to grow up and get married and that I didn’t need a college career. It was not a good choice for me,” she said. Gardner did marry, at 22. She had her three kids and was working part-time at the Hollis-
years. So I was one of those non traditional students,” she said. Gardner also worked at CASA and tutored students in reading and writing, to improve reading skills in failing public schools. “I got to understand some of
at the Holliston Public Schools and took “six or seven” classes in one semester and take so long. … I just wanted the degree,” she said with a relieved chuckle. After graduating in 1982 with an English degree, Gardner quit her job at the Holliston Public Schools and worked for Project Accept, a collaborative for out-ofdistrict disabled children to attend schools. She handled all of the transportation when the project was still new. Gardner did not take long to make an impression among her co-workers. “I was late to a meeting,” she recalled, “and everybody was looking at me and I said, ‘What’s going on?’ and they said, ‘Oh, in your absence, we decided you resentative,’ against a popular incumbent,” Gardner said with a shy grin. “So I just completely discounted it, and then they just kept asking me. I just kind of felt - maybe it was my experience here [at FSU], just taking a risk going back to college - you just have to take a risk when you run for Gardner spent nearly three months doing her own research before she ran for ofhad won - people who were “up there” in the State House, and observed them when they were in session. “After months of conjecture, and pros and cons, I decided to jump right into the race.” Luckily, Gardner seat when the incumbent stepped down
Talia Adry/The Gatepost
Gatepost staff writer Talia Adry (left) and Board of Trustees member Barbara Gardner (right) explore India during winter break. ton Public Schools when, at 30, she was encouraged to return to school by a local superintendent she was working for at the time, who told her, “You need to get your college degree.” As a wife and mother of three, Gardner searched for a school that would allow her to balance her class and study time with work at the Holliston Public Schools and at home with her family. Between 1975 and 1976, she considered some of the best colleges in Massachusetts - Wellesley College, Bentley University, Babson College, Boston College - before she found Framingham State and enrolled as an English major. “[It was] the only place I could afford that was close by, and where I could juggle family and school. So I came over here and started taking classes in the summer and in the evenings, and I did that for several
the inner struggles they had,” said Gardof their readiness for college. Some were more ready than others. A lot needed remedial help. There were some students whose language skills even then weren’t strong. That I didn’t expect, but it was nice to help.” Gardner said that her time as a Framingham State student was a “wonderful experience. I did fairly well [graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1982]. I had fabulous professors, and made lasting friendships with some of the other nontraditional students.” One of Gardner’s English professors would Framingham State - Dr. Helen Heineman, before she became president of the college. While Gardner mostly had to balance her schoolwork with her family life, she eventually took a leave of absence from her job
knocked on “something like 9,000 doors,” and eventually won in 1986. In her time as state representative, Gardner helped pass a bill that has affected all Massachusetts residents who attended public schools within the last 19 years - the Education Reform Act, in 1993, which introduced charter schools and standardized testing such as the MCAS. The act basically renovated K-12 education, according to Gardner. While high school students may dislike preparing for the MCAS, Gardner believes the bill altogether made “a huge difference in having Massachusetts be number one in the country in terms of performance” in education. takers would probably scowl if they heard Gardner fondly say that “it was a fun bill to work on,” but perhaps education reform was something she became passionate about after tutoring college-level students seeking remedial help in CASA. Gardner believes it is important that the public be able to understand, and get involved themselves, in what their government is doing. “Sometimes it’s a deep, dark hole, a mystery - up there: how does a bill really get signed into law? What really happens?” said Gardner, “but I think government should be as transparent as possible. That sort of thing interests me.” Since graduating from Framingham State in 1982, Gardner has observed the campus’ ongoing transformation. She said that part of President Heineman’s mission was to make the campus look more attractive to new students, and plenty of land- Continued on page 9
March 23, 2012
80th Anniversary Edition
9
Barbara Gardner, “politcal junkie at heart” - Continued from page 8
scaping and renovating of old buildings was performed. Gardner assisted in getting the funding for the restoration of the Heineman Ecumenical Center. She added that there used to be a loop of cars in front of Dwight Hall, now replaced by the quad. As for the changes in the students over the years, Gardner has the population is larger and more diverse. Academically, she is pleased to see that the incoming students’ SAT scores have risen, more majors are being offered, and there are more Honors students applying and being accepted to Framingham State. Gardner believes that Framingham State is still a very affordable college compared to its sister schools. “The university is trying very hard to move in the direction of making sure that needed in society,” she said. When asked for any advice for students about college life, and how to treat the delicate stage right before graduation, Gardner did not hesitate. “In college, you’re more free than you ever will be in your life,” she said nostalgically. “Take advantage of everything offered on campus - extracurricular activities, sports. Nurture those friendships because they’ll pay off in the job search or just in your personal life. And study hard: there’s a lot of competition out there. Jobs are scarce. I think it’s important for students not to go too far in their college experience without honing in on what they want to do, otherwise it’s kind of easy As a trustee, Gardner has been eager
to interact with FSU’s student population. During India trip, she was given the chance to befriend 14 students over a three-week
board meeting. Gardner had wanted to go there ever since her brother, a pediatrician, told stories of its beauty. -
like we were old friends, and I didn’t know much about Barbara before! “It was especially a hoot when she came to the back of the bus with me and Vikki [junior, Victoria Chipman] and claimed she wanted to sit with the “cool kids.” She slays me! [She was] one of the gang, legit,” he said fondly. Eck said of her India roommate, “It
“The university is trying very hard to move in the direcwhat’s needed in society.” - Barbara Gardner, Member of the Board of Trustees
self in a student-oriented trip, Gardner eventually asked Eck if she could join. Eck said, “she took a leap of faith. It felt to me that if she were to go, it would be in an unconventional way. She didn’t know a it would speak to her,” said Eck. Gardner was happy to have met and travelled alongside the students. Though a seasoned traveler, as Eck stated, Gardner learned what it was like to be a new one all over again. She was also impressed with the maturity of the students. “They were very smart, very insightful. They were so open and uniformly polite and respectful,” said Gardner, who admitted that she never was able to get to know FSU’s student community beyond seeing them on campus or meeting with the Board’s Student Trustee Kendra Sampson. Scott Shea had plenty to share when asked about spending time with Gardner in India. “She jumped into conversation just
was fun for me to learn she had been an English major and how she used all of her skills for that on Beacon Hill. That was renon-traditional student really launched her. And she’s just a great role model for being fearless and capable.” Eck reminisced on bonding with Gardner during the trip: “We really enjoyed being roommates - just the communal life, the late-night talks, the running jokes. She was such good company. I would recommend Barbara as a superlative roommate.” Eck recalled on the night before their group returned to the states, Gardner said to her, “Lisa, how are we going to explain all this back home?” Besides the marvelous sights like the Taj Mahal, or the physical immersion of two-hour yoga classes or whitewater-rafting on the Ganges river, Gardner admitted the discussions among the group members were her favorite part of the trip. Often, the discussions would
take place in a writer’s home or a teacher’s FSU affairs aside, Gardner could not wait to talk about her grandchildren. Next to a binder that looked to be as heavy and complex as a reference book for “Gray’s Anatomy” (probably for her meeting with the board) was a paper envelope of some beaming toddler, climbing into a plastic toy car. “His name is Gudeta,” Gardner, the grandmother, said fondly. “He’s from Ethiopia. He’s just starting to put sentences together. He was about a year-and-a-half when he came over, so now he’s about two and a half. He’s this happy, fat little toddler! And then there’s three blondies,” she said, taking out a new picture of six grandchildren, three of them with bright gold hair. She pointed to each one. “And this one is in college. I would have loved for her to come to Framingham, but she’s a California girl. They all live on the West Coast,” she said. Gardner has other interests than politics, although she admits it is “very hard to let go of.” She loves the outdoors. Whenever she travels, such as to India with the FSU trip this winter, she loves to hike and explore the new place she’s in, including interacting with the local people. Gardner may be a grandmother, but her enthusiasm for life and work is still infectious. It is something that most of the students on the India trip observed, and admired about her. And who wouldn’t? The highlights of Gardner’s life are what truly matter to her - improving education and its ability to reach all those who desire it.
Environmental science and criminology already successful eight free electives, leaving enough to satisfy a minor in another department, if the student so chooses. Chelsea Langelier, a junior criminology major, changed her major from sociology to criminology this past fall. “I originally had sociology with a concentration in deviance and social control, but looking at the major course worksheet, there were only a few courses that interested me,” she said. “There was much more variety in criminology and because it’s through all the different departments.” Langelier said. “These differences give a broader spectrum of career choices.” Alyssa Gough, a senior criminology major, started at FSU majoring in psychology. She changed to sociology, and then last year changed once more to criminology. “Being exposed to different curriculum [options] has been really helpful,” said Gough. “Ultimately, I want to do something involving criminal psychology.” According to Gough, this would be tracking habits and trends in criminals to gain better understanding of their behaviors and how those individuals impact society. She’s interested in organizing better prevention programs to stop criminals before crime happens. She said she has taken a range of sociology classes, and, she said, “I could prob-
- Continued from page 6
Dr. Ira Silver is the coordinator for the criminology major. According to Silver, when interviewing potential professors for the new department, the candidates “got freaked out” about having to take an administrative role as well as come to a new university. Silver stepped into the position, and the coordinator position will, hopeful-
The major stretches across the sociology, psychology, philosophy and political science departments. “Almost everyone is teaching something that relates [back to criminology],” said Silver. An initial concern of the professors in the sociology department, according to Silver, was that student enrollment in the department would decrease. However, sociology has barely seen a decline. Criminology has approximately 100 students, according to Silver, and of those students, Many students in the criminology program now were either incoming freshmen or undeclared students. The structure of the major is similar to that of sociology. Required courses for criminology students include Investigating Social Forces, Research Methods I & II and a capstone course in the form of an internship pertaining to criminology. The internship can be in criminology, sociology, anthropology or political science. In the criminology major, students are required to take courses in their core in at least two other departments, other than sociology, according to the undergraduate catalog. The program also leaves room for
Allie Card/The Gatepost
A microscope in Hemenway Hall used for the study of environmental science.
to my career aspirations somehow,” said Gough. “It’s taken a little thought outside of class, and some independent thinking, class relating to what I want to do. And I’m she said.
80th Anniversary Edition
10
March 23, 2012
Our Student Newspaper: What’s its role? For our 80th anniversary edition, we asked members of the administration and department chairs what they thought the role of an independent student newspaper was on our university campus. same vital role as community newspapers generally - to inform their readers about news and information relevant to the community they serve. Research on readership of college and uni- The challenge for college and university newsversity newspapers indicates that readership is paper editors and staff would seem, then, to keep pretty strong. Some studies indicate that 60% in close touch with their readership about news or more of college students read their campus and events that genuinely interest students, then paper on a regular basis. Readership of college to get the facts right and publish information in and university newspapers would appear to be a timely manner. much higher than general newspaper readership Of course another role and valuable contriamong college students, since studies show that bution of college and university newspapers is only about 20% of college students report regu- to provide an opportunity for student journallar readership of other newspapers. ists to develop, practice, and hone their skills as The research also shows that students read journalists. Ideally, this experience contributes their campus paper primarily to be informed and to their professional development in ways that kept up to date on campus events, happenings advance their career opportunities after graduaand issues. This suggests that the most impor- tion. Even if the newspaper staffer isn’t planning tant role that college and university newspapers a career in journalism, this experience should serve is to inform members of the university enhance his or her research, critical thinking and community about campus-related and student- writing skills – valuable skills for a variety of related concerns and developments. In this way, professions. college and university newspapers serve the Dr. Timothy Flanagan UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT
The Gatepost archives
Dr. Linda Vaden-Goad VICE PRESIDENT OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
A good friend of mine who advised a student newspaper for many years has the following quote of Mark Twain’s at the bottom of all of his emails: “If you don’t read the newspaper, you are uninformed; if you do read the newspaper, you are misinformed.” I love newspapers. I love reading them, recycling them and giving my “vacation hold” newspapers to schools and universities for their use in the classroom. And even more than the newspapers themselves, I love knowing that journalism students care so much about communicating with others that they spend literally days and nights working to know, as a journalist, when you have done enough to understand an issue. And in an academic environment where, in most cases, we never believe we have done enough to truly understand a situation - the juxtaposition between “hitting the deadline” and “writing the complete era where presenting one side of an argument, as is done in tabloid journalism, is more accepted than it ever has been, how do student journalists learn to be objective reporters? How do student journalists and their papers learn how to challenge themselves to the fullest in terms of being reporters instead of simply story-makers? one of the most important to the future of our world. We need good information - information we can count on. We need to take pride in being thorough. We need to care about the facts. We need to be tireless in seeking the many sides of an issue so that the articles written educate and energize. We need to respect our readers to the
point that giving them less than the truth would be a great disrespect to oneself. I am so proud of our university for caring enough about these issues of truth-telling that we have had a newspaper on campus for 80 years! It says something about our optimism, tenacity and respect for the ability of our community to learn. For 80 years, students at Framingham State University have labored to write stories that have informed people and made them better citizens because they understood something more completely. For 80 years, our journalism students have enabled others to make better choices by helping them to see the many sides of an issue. I am proud of our students and faculty who believe that our work in universities is the highest calling. And this week, as we celebrate 80 years of The Gatepost, I congratulate all of the hardworking students who, for 80 years, have tasked themselves to listen, write, rewrite and write again until the story is correct. I congratulate all of our faculty and staff who have stood by the sides of our students, giving them good feedback so they could always become better. It is important. So, what is the role of the student newspaper on our campus, a campus with a motto, “Live to the Truth?” I believe it is to tell the truth, to honor our readers, to make us think, to bring us the news about what is happening on campus, to keep in mind that there are real people on the other side of every story, to remember the complexity of every issue, to help our readers see more complexity (not less), to bring humor and lightness, to help us build community and to be a wonderful training ground for what can be among the most noble and important professions around the world. My advice: as student journalists, recognize how lucky you are to be
The Gatepost archives
in a university. Learn all you can. Sharpen your skills. Sit in the front of every class you take and listen, read, learn and write. Take languages. Study grammar. Do internships - several - and get experience in different types of settings. Learn photography. Take courses in web design. Study science and practice writing about it. Read broadly. Write poetry. Study economics. Go to all kinds of events on campus. Keep learning how to imagine your readers - all of them. Listen carefully to feedback. Make accurate notes. Don’t be too attracted to the sensational. See the humor in life. And, don’t give up. We are proud of you, and we look forward to the futures you will make.
March 23, 2012
80th Anniversary Edition
11
Dr. Elaine Beilin ENGLISH DEPT. CHAIR
The Gatepost is simply indispensable as a student voice on campus, because, as the front page proclaims, it is an “independent student newspaper.” That independence means that stuthe interviews, the editorials and the columns, conduct the surveys and take the photos. Every week, The Gatepost initiates campus conversations about academic and co-curricular issues, and to its credit as a serious newspaper, sometimes those conversations are heated and prolonged. More, Gatepost staffs have the opportunity to apply so many essential elements of a university education: curiosity; critical thinking, research and writing skills; problemsolving; perseverance; and teamwork. They also have to take responsibility for what didn’t work and what did. I’m an English professor, so of course, I’m going to quote a great writer. In Areopagitica, an argument against parliamentary licensing of printing, John Milton wrote: “Where there is much desire to learn, there of necessity will be much arguing, much writing, many opinions.” Those are words to live - by not only for a student newspaper, but also for the academic community that it serves.
Dr. Derrick TePaske COMMUNICATION ARTS DEPT. CHAIR
I have been at FSC/FSU since the late 1980s. During that time, the institution has changed greatly, in size, appearance, complexity, and - I think - richness. I’ve watched and appreciated The Gatepost mirror those changes, as the result of the hard work and dedication of almost a full generation of engaged and dedicated students (and advisors). Almost a hundred years ago, Walter Lippman observed that the “function of news is to...make a picture of reality on which [people] can act.” Much more recently, Congressman “Tip” O’Neil
The Gatepost archives
famously noted that “all politics is local.” When I put those two observations together, they represent a central theme and goal for my own teaching - something which I encourage in my students (and all of us): that we pay attention, no matter what our individual disciplines, majors, or personal perspectives (even initial prejudices) may be. That needs to start locally, before progressing rapidly (or at least eventually) to the global community to which we often pay lip service. Given my personal belief that almost ev(a source of wonder and opportunity, as well as frequent bewilderment), I am very glad that The Gatepost gets us started.
The Gatepost archives
Dr. Dale Hamel EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
The daily newspapers that I read are The Boston Globe and The Wall Street Journal; I note this because the stories that are presented in these two highly respected publications are through two very distinct lenses. That recognition is how I also view the “role of a student newspaper on a university campus,” that is, student newspapers provide the issues and news of the day that are important to students that are presented through a student perspective. of student newspapers are to provide an additional communication channel that is used to keep the entire community informed of news and events, as well as a medium for the expression of student thought through the editorial and letters-to-the-editor sections. A third, tangential function is to provide an exceptional experiential learning opportunity for students that are part of The Gatepost staff. Framingham State respected student newspaper, The Gatepost that performs all three of these functions exceedingly well. The Gatepost archives
Save
more than just
Money
8PSDFTUFS 3PBE t 'SBNJOHIBN
Show Your Student ID For $5 OFF Your Purchase of $20 or More!
FAMILY STORE Donation Center
Learn more at SATRUCK.ORG or call 1-800-SA-TRUCK.
s d n a us Tho Items of ving i Arr ily! Da
80th Anniversary Edition
32
March 23, 2012
80th in the works Alexis Huston/The Gatepost
Matt Cook/The Gatepost
Gatepost staff plan out pages. Danielle Veccihione/The Gatepost
Alexis Huston/The Gatepost
Danielle Veccihione/The Gatepost
corrections Thursday night. Matt Cook/The Gatepost
Editors bond in MC 410. Alexis Huston/The Gatepost