March 8, 2024

Volume 92 • Issue 19

Rolling into Spring!

March 8, 2024

FSUgatepost.com

Professor Marc Cote rolls ink on woodblocks at the “BIG INK” event on March 6.

Meghan Spargo / THE GATEPOST

Super Tuesday projected a repeat of the 2020 election

By Sophia Harris Editor-in-Chief The Super Tuesday results point to a repeat of the 2020 election in Massachusetts, with President Joe Biden leading the Democratic party and former President Donald Trump leading the Republican Party.

This year, Framingham staffed 10 polling locations covering 24 precincts on March 5th.

A change in this year’s national primary from 2020 is the choice to vote “no preference.”

A “no-preference” vote means you can vote in the primary national election without voting for a specific can-

didate.

No matter what party a voter is affiliated with, voting “no preference” would mean a voter does not support any candidate on the ballot.

According to the Associated Press, Trump won the Massachusetts Republican primary with 340,247 votes (60.0%).

President Biden won the Democratic primary with 524,372 votes (82.9%).

However, 58,975 Democratic voters in Massachusetts voted “no preference,” while 5,611 Republican voters voted “no preference” on Tuesday.

According to the Framingham City Clerk office, Biden won the vote of Framingham Democrats, taking 6,497 votes of 7,805 cast (83%).

“No preference” earned 558 votes, and Democratic challenger Dean Phillips received 317.

There were also 121 write-ins and 112 blanks, according to the City Clerk’s office.

Trump earned 2,025 of 3,985 votes cast (50.8%).

One hundred and one Framingham voters took Libertarian ballots on Tuesday.

Massachusetts is one of the 26 states with an option of “no preference,” although some have other titles for this vote such as “undeclared,” “noncommitted,” “caucus,” and “unrestricted delegation.”

News DEAN pg. 3 ADMIN ROLES pg. 4

Opinions SYMPATHY pg. 7 INTERTWINE pg. 7

Sports

See 2024 PRIMARIES Page 5

Panel discussion addresses Israeli/Palestinian history

By Raena Doty Arts & Features Editor Diversity, Inclusion & Community Engagement and Academic Affairs co-sponsored a “Series on Peace and Justice in Israel/Palestine.” The first event, titled “Israel/Palestine: A Historical Context,” was hosted in the Heineman Ecumenical Center March 7.

Three speakers gave presentations that provided context for the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas and answered questions from the audience.

The event was hosted by Joseph Coelho, the chair of the Political Science Department. He began the event by setting some ground rules of the

night, which had also been printed and left on each chair in the audience with a notecard.

Rules included requirements for submitting questions as writing on the physical notecard or through the chat feature on Zoom, active listening from attendees without interruption of the speakers, keeping discourse civil, and making sure discussion is fact based.

The first speaker, Noa Shaindlinger, a professor of history and political science from Worcester State University, has published a book called “Displacement and Erasure in Palestine: The Politics of Hope.”

Her presentation was called “Palestine since the Nabka,” which she said

Adrien Gobin / THE GATEPOST was aimed at educating about the his- NEED TO KNOW pg. 10 torical context of what Palestine has STATS pg. 11 been through since 1948.

Shaindlinger said “Nabka” means “disaster” or “catastrophe” in Arabic.

She said for many years before 1948, Palestine was a mandate of Britain, and added a mandate is not exactly a colony, but “the British kind of treated it like it was a colony.”

Shaindlinger added this changed in 1948, when Britain decided it was not “worthwhile” to occupy Palestine, and the newly formed United Nations (UN) “decided to partition it between two states - an Arab state and a Jewish Maddison Behringer / THE GATEPOST state.”

BIG INK pg. 13 See ISRAEL/PALESTINE Page 13 THE STITCH pg. 15

Arts & Features

INSIDE: OP/ED 6 • SPORTS 9 • ARTS & FEATURES 12

NEWS

2 | MARCH 8, 2024

Editorial Board

Gatepost Interview

Editor-in-Chief Sophia Harris Associate Editors Maddison Behringer Ryan O’Connell

Chantrell Frazier

Copy Editor Emma Lyons

Professor of Chemistry

News Editors Kaitlin Carman Adam Harrison Asst. News Editor Dylan Pichnarcik

By Rachel Tolmach Staff Writer

Opinions Editor Izayah Morgan

What is your educational and professional background?

My bachelor’s is in forensic science with a concentration in chemistry. I also did a minor in math, but you won’t see that on the diploma. I did that as an undergrad at Savannah State University, and then I immediately went to Florida International University, where I got my doctorate in biochemistry, which also had a forensics focus.

Sports Editor Adam Levine Asst. Sports Editor Riley Crowell Sophia Oppendisano Arts & Features Editors Raena Doty Jack McLaughlin

What is your role at Framingham State, and how long have you been here?

My name is Chantrell Frazier. I’m an Francisco Omar Fernandez Rodriguez assistant professor of chemistry through the Mary Miles Bibb Postdoctoral FelPhotos & Design Editor lowship, and this is my second year here Adrien Gobin at Framingham State.

Asst. Arts & Features Editors Owen Glancy Bella Omar

Asst. Photos & Design Editor Alexis Schlesinger Illustrations Editor Ben Hurney Asst. Illustrations Editors

David Abe Emily Monaco

Staff Writers Dorcas Abe Jesse Burchill Dante Curry Liv Dunleavy Kristel Erguiza Paul Harrington Heather Nuttall Andrea O’Brien Dan Lima Staff Photographers Izabela Gage Meghan Spargo Rachel Tolmach Staff Illustrators Marcus Falcão Kyle Walker Advisor Desmond McCarthy

E

O

Asst. Advisor Elizabeth Banks N THE GAT PE

@

T TH EGATEPOS

100 State Street McCarthy Center Room 410 Framingham, MA 01701-9101 Phone: (508) 626-4605 Fax: (508) 626-4097 gatepost@framingham.edu

What is the Mary Miles Bibb Postdoctoral Fellowship?

The Mary Miles Bibb Postdoctoral Fellowship is for new doctorates who are interested in teaching. The fellowship focuses on honing your teaching skills and also to help obtain a tenure-track position.

What motivated you to become interested in chemistry?

So, chemistry has always been kind of easy for me, but I’ve always wanted to do forensic science. I was very interested in the NCIS shows where you have Abby, who is like the super forensic scientist.

I also liked CSI and then also Criminal Minds, which was more of behavior analysis. I was really trying to figure out how to get into that field, and Savannah State had a forensic science program. You had to choose between chemistry and biology, and because I was inclined toward chemistry, I chose the chemistry track.

What motivated you to pursue a Ph.D. and become a professor?

Honestly, it was either going back to graduate school or getting a job, so I ended up getting accepted to the FIU doctorate program because my mentor said I could do it. And that’s kind of all she wrote. I literally just was motivated.

I also would like to mention that I’m the @T T Hfifth POSmy dad’s side to obtain a Ph.D. EGATEon My granddad, my grandma, my aunt, and my dad all have Ph.D.s, and they’re also

Courtesy of Framingham State educators as well. So, I’m the fifth out of that group.

How would you describe your teaching style?

Very interactive. Very hands-on. I tried to kind of dismantle the whole, ‘I’m your professor, you’re my student.’ I give you a great relationship. I want students to understand that they are capable of asking questions to me, even if they feel like they can’t. I try to make them as comfortable as possible because chemistry can sometimes be overwhelming.

And so I try to dismantle chemistry as being something very hard and make it so that people understand that anyone can understand it.

Who is your biggest inspiration for women from the STEM field?

I’m actually going to say, Marie Daly.

She was actually the first African American woman to receive a doctorate in chemistry in the United States. I resonate with her because I was also the first African American woman in my biochemistry program at FIU to get a doctorate in that specific department. And so, you know, I resonate with her just because she was a first, and I’m a first, and her history is so cool. She was in the Super Bowl commercial for Pfizer. She had like a little segment in there. But she’s credited a lot for the relationship between cholesterol and heart health, which we know impacts African Americans a lot.

And so that’s what I’ve been doing this semester. Just trying to, if a month has a theme, kind of introduce students to those scientists who have been involved in that way or relate in that way.

What is your best tip for studying and retaining information from lectures?

Practice, practice, practice. I know it can be tedious, but the more you practice something, the more you have contact with it on paper. It’s been understood and studied that that helps. Not only writing notes while in class, or even if you’re not a great note taker, just paying attention in class and then going back and practicing that concept, whether that’s through homework or through the worksheets that I provide, you just want to put in an equal amount of your class time and your studying time. So, if your class is an hour, put in an hour of study.

That’s how I think you can do really well trying to grasp the concept.

What’s a piece of advice you would pass on to undergraduate students?

Understand that your journey is just beginning. And it’s OK - it’s OK to make change. You know, all change is good change. Whether you’re comfortable with it or not, understand that the journey is just beginning, and changes want to happen, you know, regardless, so just learn to adapt to that and move forward.

Why should students take your Chem 107 class even if they’re not a chemistry major?

I just want everyone to learn chemistry. I think chemistry is involved in all aspects of our lives, and so understanding that just makes interacting with life that much more fun.

CONNECT WITH RACHEL TOLMACH rtolmach@student.framingham.edu

Police Logs Saturday, Mar. 2 10:11 Disabled Motor Vehicle, Hemenway Labs Assignment Complete

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Saturday, Mar. 2 11:46 K-9 Community Work, Polar Park, Worcester Assignment Complete

Saturday, Mar. 2 14:09 Code Blue Phone Hang-up, Athletic Fields and Parking Lot Assignment Complete

Tuesday, Mar. 5 11:08 Alarm (Fire/Smoke), Miles Bibb Hall Report Taken

NEWS

MARCH 8, 2024 | 3

Lauren Nolfo-Clements announced as new dean of STEM

By Kaitlin Carman News Editor Lauren Nolfo-Clements was appointed as the new dean of the College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), according to a Feb. 29 email from Dr. Kristen Porter-Utley, provost and vice president for academic affairs, to FSU faculty and staff.

Her appointment will begin July 15, 2024.

She is currently serving as the associate dean of administration, operations, & planning in the College of Arts and Sciences at Suffolk University.

Nolfo-Clements received a B.S. in biology from the College of New Jersey and a Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology from Tulane University in Louisiana. Afterwards, she was a wildlife scientist for the Humane Society of the United States.

Before obtaining her current position at Suffolk, she was a full professor who earned tenure and chaired the biology department for seven years, according to Nolfo-Clements.

Additionally, Porter-Utley said she is an “ecologist who has been working to catalog and study mammal populations in collaboration with high school and university students and others in the Boston Harbor Islands for about 15 years.”

Some of her accomplishments include “spearheading the infusion of National Association of College and Employers (NACE) competencies throughout the undergraduate experience at her university so students can use their personalized record of competencies to enhance their coursework,” said Porter-Utley.

Dean of Student Success and Persistence LaDonna Bridges said the search was extensive.

Bridges and Chemistry Professor Shelli Waetzig served as co-chairs of the search committee since it convened late September.

They were joined by Richard Beckwitt, biology professor; Michael Krul, chair of mathematics; Irene Porro, director of the McAuliffe Center; Mille Gonzales, dean of the library; and Jenny Melara, senior student in STEM. Although she was unable to disclose the number of applicants, she said it consisted of “a robust candidate pool from across the country.”

Bridges described leading and participating in such a search as a tremendous responsibility that requires

serious commitment and dedication from the volunteers due to its intensive nature.

She said, “Each member committed

student to be part of the process, and they took recommendations from STEM faculty which resulted in Melara being appointed to the search commit-

Courtesy of Suffolk University to weekly meetings throughout the fall semester and into the spring semester.

Some of these meetings were much longer than one hour in length.

“It is voluntary but also an honor to

tee.

“We were beyond thrilled to have Jenny Melara participate. Her voice was extremely important in all of our meetings. We were confident she

“I really like schools that are focused on giving local students opportunity … lots of first-generation college students - people that might otherwise have not gone to college at that regional university did not exist.”

-Lauren Nolfo-Clements Incoming Dean of STEM be asked to participate in a search of this level,” she added.

According to Bridges, it was important the committee included a STEM

Weather

helped us view candidates from a student perspective,” said Bridges.

Nolfo-Clements said there were multiple reasons why she wanted to

become a member of the FSU community.

“One, it is a school of STEM, which, right now, I am in the College of Arts and Sciences - I really wanted to return to a more STEM-focused position.

I really enjoy working in STEM in general,” she said.

Nolfo-Clements said she appreciates the “educational format of STEM. … I like that it is skills-based and it gives students opportunities to get into specific types of jobs. It is something I am really passionate about.”

Additionally, she added the thought of working for a regional university instead of a private one, like Suffolk, was appealing.

Nolfo-Clements said, “I really like schools that are focused on giving local students opportunity … lots of first-generation college students people that might otherwise have not gone to college at that regional university did not exist.

“I am really into the access and opportunity mission of regional schools,” said Nolfo-Clements.

She said she has many goals she would like to accomplish during her career at FSU. Nolfo-Clements said, “A major goal is linking education more to … industry, state, and federal partners to get an idea of what they [employers] want to see [in] the next generation of the workforce.

“Working with them to help shape the student experience so when students [graduate], not only do they have those variety of skills, both hard and soft, but that they know how to professionally present themselves and navigate in this workplace experience,” she added.

Margaret Carroll, the current dean of STEM, will soon be rotating off her position and returning to the faculty, according to Bridges.

“Dean Carroll was among the inaugural academic deans at FSU, all of whom came from the faculty. There was originally a limit on the number of years these first deans would serve, but the pandemic and other issues led to extending the service of the original deans,” said Bridges.

Bridges added, “We are celebrating a successful search and looking forward to working with and learning from Dr. No.”

CONNECT WITH KAITLIN CARMAN kcarman@student.framingham.edu

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

Sunday night Mar. 10 A chance of rain before 11pm, then a chance of snow between 11pm and 3am.

Monday night Mar. 12 Partly cloudy, with a low around 35. Breezy, with a northwest wind 20 to 25 mph.

Tuesday night Mar. 14 Mostly clear, with a low around 30. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph.

Wednesday night Mar. 16 Partly cloudy, with a low around 35. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west after midnight.

Monday Mar. 11 Partly sunny, with a high near 45. Windy, with a northwest wind

Tuesday Mar. 13 Sunny, with a high near 50. Breezy, with a northwest wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

Wednesday Mar. 15 Mostly sunny, with a high near 55. Northwest wind around 10 mph.

Thursday Mar. 17 Mostly sunny, with a high near 55. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

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

4 | MARCH 8, 2024

NEWS

Professors appointed to open administrative roles

By Adam Harrison News Editor Provost Kristen Porter-Utley announced that four professors were appointed to administrative positions beginning Sep. 4, 2024.

Joseph Adelman will be the coordinator for the Arts & Ideas, Lissa Bollettino will be the director of CELTSS, Kimberly Arditte Hall will be the coordinator for the RAMS 101 program, and Patricia Sánchez-Connally will be the assistant coordinator for the RAMS 101 program.

The professors applied for the positions in late 2023 and early 2024 and were appointed in mid-February.

To accommodate for the added workload, these professors will be given course releases and will only be required to teach one or two classes per semester.

A course release offers the professors extra schedule space “that gets filled in with the administrative time for working on the program and coordinating with everyone who’s organizing an event, at various meetings, and things like that,” Adelman said.

The standard course load for a professor is three classes. He said he will only be teaching one class in the Fall 2024 semester due to a course release for an outside obligation, as well as the course release for his new position.

Adelman said he will return to teaching two classes in the Spring 2025 semester.

He applied for this position because he has been a member of the Arts & Ideas Committee for several years and involved in a variety of events, and “this seemed like a natural extension of that work. It was a way to contribute to the University and help develop a program that’s quite important to the mission of the University,” he said.

As Coordinator of Arts & Ideas, he is responsible for listening to event ideas from faculty, staff, and students, and choosing which ones get funding with the help of the committee.

“We are always interested in doing things that students are interested in attending. … The basic premise is to

theme for the upcoming year’s events.

“There’s an Arts & Ideas Committee that is made up of several faculty, several staff, and several students that solicits suggestions from the University community for the theme, and then works to develop one,” he said.

Working with an administrative assistant, he will work “with the people who are sponsoring and who are directly in contact with the speaker, the program - whoever that is - to ensure that the funding gets taken care of, and to make sure that all the details of the visit are taken care of,” he added.

He will also work to promote the program both within and outside of the University.

In his new position, “One goal is connecting more with the community - and not just the University - but the Framingham and MetroWest communities around us,” he said.

After the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns, in-person meetings and events were suspended and people changed their habits of interacting with the world, he said.

@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com

children in the school system, he already has some built-in connections with the community, he said.

Adelman said he wants to “try to be

“One goal is connecting more with the community - and not just the University - but the Framingham and MetroWest communities around us.”

- Joseph Adelman Professor of History Adelman said, “We’re still figuring out what the new world looks like, so I think that means continuing to rebuild in person, continuing to figure out the best ways to make use of online-interactive events and really trying to develop some coherence to what we’re doing with our programming in a post shutdown world.”

Courtesy of Framingham State bring conversations about what’s going on in the world and to bring events of artistic expression in all of its forms to campus,” he said.

In addition, they work to create a

Courtesy of Framingham State

During his time as coordinator of the Arts & Ideas program, Adelman intends to further expand outreach to the local community.

As a Framingham resident with

a little more systematic and purposeful about it [community outreach], and think about how we design events to attract people - not just from on campus - but to be a resource for the community.”

He encourages students to get involved with the committee and to recommend events they would be interested in having.

“Each of these events costs money, and we want to spend money that will be worth it to the community, and the students are number one on that list. So propose events, take part in the committee, go to events, and help us figure out what events you’d want to go to,” he said.

Professor Patricia Sánchez-Connally will be assuming the role of assistant coordinator for the RAMS 101 Program.

Two of the major changes to her day-to-day schedule include meeting with the coordinator for the RAMS 101 Program and other faculty to provide support, and a course release to accommodate that time commitment.

“I am looking forward to continuing to expand what the RAMS program has done so far. The folks who have been leading the program have done a lot of work. … So I’m excited to first learn more about the program and faculty’s experiences with the program, and then expand on that,” she said.

She taught one of the three pilot RAMS courses for the Generation One program in the Fall 2023 semester. “My

own research focuses on first-generation immigrant college students and students of color, so I have had years of doing research, working, advocating for, and mentoring first-year first-generation students,” she said.

Sánchez-Connally said, “I think that it’s a great connection - in bringing some of my strengths to the program.”

Most incoming students have to take a RAMS course their first semester, so this position entails a lot of responsibility, she said.

“It is important for us to be able to provide specialized services to students, especially those who are first-generation, low-income, students of color, and veterans,” Sánchez-Connally said.

She said it is important to rely on student experiences to create plans for the future and to determine how they will integrate those changes.

“I would love to be able to provide that space where we are learning from the experiences of our first-year students so that we can expand and make the program better,” she said.

As assistant coordinator for the RAMS 101 program, she will be working closely with the new coordinator for the RAMS 101 program, Kim Arditte Hall, to provide training over the summer for RAMS faculty and provide them with the skills to make the student experience better.

She will also be working closely with Arditte Hall to analyze data from different surveys that students are given to further enhance the student experience, she said.

Sánchez-Connally said she wants to focus on solving problems and making the experience better for all students.

“Even though it may affect a minority of students, it is still really important,” she said.

“We may have students who have gone to other colleges, and when they attended their first year here, they’re new to the school - but aren’t a part of the program,” she said.

Issues regarding the onboarding for students and what help the RAMS program can provide are brought up at their meetings, she said.

Sánchez-Connally said, “It’s a lot of work to do and I’m excited! I’m looking forward to it!”

CONNECT WITH ADAM HARRISON aharrison3@student.framingham.edu

2024 primaries Continued from Page 1 The states and territories that had an option of “no preference” on their ballot were Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Northern Mariana Islands, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Virgin Islands, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and American Samoa, according to an article published by MassLive.

There were options in other states such as Vermont, Oregon, and Washington, D.C. for voters to write in candidates.

David Smailes, a political science professor at Framingham State, said, “Super Tuesday is important because it gives voters a chance to express where they believe their party should be going.”

He added, “In some states, voting on Super Tuesday will decide which candidates will be running in Senate and House races this fall.

Smailes said, “It’s especially important for young voters to begin to make their voices heard in all of these decisions, and Super Tuesday is an important first opportunity for them to shape their futures by shaping the fall elections.”

Political Science Professor Sam Biasi said, “Unfortunately, we live in a context in Massachusetts where our votes are not very powerful.”

They added that even though “we are powerless, some of the power that we might have is to register discontent.”

Biasi said every voter has to make their own ethical decision in who they vote for.

They added, “One of the ways that you can express power in this election is by voting on the ballot in a way that aligns with what Palestinian activists or other people call for.

“Vote in the primaries because there’s no current mainstream part of American politics that has any interest in stopping this or not supporting Israel,” Biasi said.

Representative Jack Patrick Lewis of Middlesex 7th district said, “With armed conflicts and humanitarian crises worsening each day, abortion restrictions spreading across the

NEWS

country, and fundamental democratic principles under attack, it is as vital as ever that everyone is involved in this year’s elections.”

Lewis added, “While voting is foundational, there are other opportunities to get involved, including volunteering and organizing. My first campaign was organized by high school and college students, and the background of most successful campaigns are committed young people.”

Massachusetts Democratic Chair Steven Kerrigan said in a statement to The Gatepost, “Super Tuesday is a critical day in the presidential election process and Massachusetts plays a pivotal role.”

He added, “This November, young people will help decide whether our government continues to tackle the issues they care about most, like canceling student debt, protecting access to reproductive care, and ensuring we are doing all we can to address climate change. The alternative is a vote against all of that and so much more.

Now is not the time to sit on the sidelines.”

Dawna Phillips, 54, voted at the Brophy Elementary School in Framingham on Tuesday.

She said she is voting “no preference” in order to advocate for a “cease fire in Gaza.”

She added this was her “first time ever voting “no preference.”

Phillips said although she always votes in the national and local primaries, “This time feels meaningful.”

A protest was held in Cambridge on Saturday, March 2 to call for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and to advocate for a vote of “no preference” on Super Tuesday.

According to an article published on March 2 by The Boston Globe, “In Cambridge, demonstration organizers encouraged the crowd to use Tuesday’s presidential primary election in Massachusetts to choose the ‘no preference’ option on the Democratic ballot to show their opposition to President Biden’s support for Israel in its war against Hamas in Gaza and US aid to Israel.”

The intention of the protest was for Massachusetts voters, who historically vote Democratic, to make enough of an impact to sway the primary election results.

Sophia Harris / THE GATEPOST Connect Parish Church serving as a voting location for precinct 17 and 18 on March 5.

Beth Folsom, 46, voted at the Connect Parish Center on Tuesday and voted in the Democratic primary.

She said she reasoned that voting “no preference” was “just too risky.”

Folsom added, “We cannot have a repeat of the 2016 election.”

Aside from voting “no preference,” voters in Framingham were concerned about topics such as the economy, immigration, and women’s rights.

John Feeney, 69, who voted at the Brophy Elementary School, said he is looking for someone to “lead the country and thinks about everyone,” adding, “I don’t see that” in this year’s primary candidates.

He said the issues he is most concerned with are the lack of resources available for both residents of Massachusetts and Framingham because of the immigration crisis.

Feeney said inflation is one of his biggest concerns while voting.

“I’m retired. I have a specific amount of money. I can’t buy something that costs twice the amount of money that it was four years ago.”

Brian Sullivan, who is in his 50s, voted at the Connect Parish Church, said, “When you vote, you want to feel like you are making a difference.”

He added the age of both the Democratic and Republican candidates is one of his concerns while heading to the polls.

He said the considerations he took with him to the polls were policies regarding education, senior care, the economy, and the wars happening across the world.

Many Framingham State students also voted.

Freshman Kendra Traywink said she voted by mail-in ballot.

Traywink said it was her first time voting. “If you want your voice to be heard, you should go for it. ... It’s your choice if you want to or not - you just might as well know you can do it.”

Junior Dyanna Londo said, “Everyone should be voting because it’s our future and everyone should have a say on what their future looks like.”

Londo said the most important is sue to her is the economy. “The economy is so bad and we should be looking to make it better.”

Sophomore Kelsey Gendreau said she plans on voting in the upcoming presidential election.

“It’s important that everyone gets a say on who’s leading the country,” she said.

Gendreau said the most important issue that would influence her vote is a candidate’s social ideologies and their stance on climate policies.

Junior Sam Kill said he is concerned about diversity and equity and is interested in an economic reform that promotes welfare.

Senior Dimitry Martin Madrona said, “I’d also like to see more money put into the country itself, rather than being put off to other countries.”

He added, “I’d like to see more money put into homelessness and migrants because you see a lot of migrants and homeless people - more prevalent especially on the West Coast. The United States should put more money into more programs and more centers.

“You can’t be in the mindset that ‘if I vote nothing’s going to happen,’ because I feel like so many people, especially in our generation, don’t see the

MARCH 8, 2024 | 5

David Abe / THE GATEPOST need to vote because it’s going to be red or blue,” Martin Madrona said.

Sophomore Leena Elvayouni said she voted “no preference” on Tuesday’s ballot.

She said she cares about issues such as women’s reproductive rights, health care, equal access to education, and the economy.

She said she had “Palestine in mind” while voting in Tuesday’s election.

Senior Marlee Griffen said, “Palestine is a big one for me. I’m seeing a lot of that on social media.”

She said, “People are really upset with Joe Biden because of his lack of stance for Palestinians.

“The two-party system is being questioned a lot right now,” she added.

Griffen said, “I think that [voters] are tired of the two-party system where we are forced to choose between two old guys.”

She added, “They just aren’t representative of actual Americans. I’m seeing more third-party candidates gain popularity.”

Freshman Leona Jones said the fentanyl crisis and mass gun violence are relevant and concerning issues for her.

Freshman Audrey Desmond is also concerned about gun violence.

“I feel like every time guns are mentioned, your immediate thought is it’s not protection - it’s violence,” Desmond said.

Discussing the “no preference” ballot option, Sophomore Jack Bryk said people should be educated before choosing a party and should never “go in blindly based on hearsay.”

Senior Niko Salado said, “I care about racial inequality. I care about making sure that the houseless have places to sleep. I care about making sure that everybody has something to eat, and that we take care of our children, and that we educate them properly.”

Sophomore Amanda Moriarty said she feels there are a lot of things wrong with the world and it is important to vote.

Moriarty said the most important issues for her are women’s rights and abortion - access to health care.

Sophomore Faith Wangui said, “I just feel like when it comes to voting, I have to look at the person that I’m voting for.”

Junior Sasha Charmant said, “When I was little, I felt like the presidents knew everything and they were someone to look up to. Then you grow up you learn that there’s a lot of corruption and they are definitely not perfect. So try to find someone close to perfect - but no one is perfect.”

CONNECT WITH SOPHIA HARRIS sharris9@student.framingham.edu

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6 | MARCH 8, 2024

OP/ED THE GATEPOST EDITORIAL

Saftey & Security In the March 1 issue of The Gatepost, News Editors Adam Harrison and Kaitlin Carman reported on instances of vandalism in Corinne Hall Towers and Larned Hall.

Perpetrators of any building damage have not been publicly identified as of press time, March 8, which leaves residents of both Towers and Larned to bear the cost of repairs at the end of the academic year. Hundreds of students will not have all or part of their $100 room deposit returned if the culprits are not identified.

The vandalism included broken exit signs and damaged laundry room and elevator doors.

While vandalism has not increased on campus since last year, it remains a frustrating issue for resident students, who all ask one question: “Why do I have to pay for this?”

And is it fair that all students in a building have to pay for the destructive impulses of a few?

The Gatepost Editorial Board believes all students in a residence hall should not have to pay for damages in their building.

Damaging a student’s own, individual dorm room is another case - that should come out of that resident’s deposit.

But not damage to public spaces everyone uses. It raises the question of security on campus and in residential buildings.

Is it sufficient? Is it working? If it were, wouldn’t the student or students be found and charged for the damages?

If the security cameras are not working, then FSU has a much larger problem regarding student safety.

Vandalism is one concern - but the much larger issue at stake is the safety of all students if these security devices are not operable.

Students are promised a certain degree of safety on campus, and if the cameras in resident halls are not working, that strips away a layer of security from the resident students.

As of March 8, we do not even know if the vandals are Framingham State students.

If the resident hall security cameras that monitor hallways and elevators are not fully operational or the images are low quality, students should be aware of this.

If they are working, why aren’t they being used to identify vandals?

If all students were not liable for paying for the damages of a few, and the cost came out of the University’s budget, the camera quality might be better.

When a student joins the Framingham State campus, they and their families are promised a level of safety and security while living here.

The University should be transparent about what is and is not operable as students are paying to be here. If there is a level of respect students should maintain while living here, there should be a level of transparency from the administrators of the place they live.

While students at Framingham State obviously have the responsibility to behave themselves, Framingham State obviously has the responsibility to keep them safe with a working security camera system.

There are also spaces in residence halls where additional cameras should be placed.

This would include but is not limited to high-risk areas such as the residence hall stairwells.

This would not only help students feel safer, but it would also hold those who make the wrong decisions accountable.

Operational high-quality cameras would also monitor trash and item buildup that often goes unnoticed in these unseen locations.

Operational high-quality cameras are not an unrealistic ask.

This should be the bare minimum, the first line of defense for families and students who have faith in the promise that Framingham State is a safe environment.

And if this is the case - if the cameras are producing high-quality images - what should Framingham State be doing better to find the perpetrators of the vandalism?

Emily Monaco / THE GATEPOST

Have an opinion?

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

Anyone can submit.

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

Just do something

By Raffi Elkhoury Guest Columnist Do you want to pursue a passion? Do you want to feel connected? You should get involved with student organizations.

In the vibrant tapestry of college life, finding your niche can be a transformative experience. Clubs, and student organizations, are a space for people who may not have fallen into a group of friends in college. They are a space for people who want to collaborate and share similar goals, aspects of identity, motivations, or hobbies.

Every night on campus different communities come together. They are conduits for channeling our passions and through them, we can make meaningful connections that extend beyond our college years.

The student organizations on a college campus represent the many pockets of students that meet and connect on a regular basis.

We are diverse.

The different backgrounds, ambitions, beliefs, and hobbies of our student body are reflected in our clubs, a collage of almost 50 student organizations, each of which has a specific mission that reflects something we as a student body value.

Each is a glittering gemstone in the mosaic.

It is vital to have access to spaces where authenticity is cel-

Maddison Behringer / THE GATEPOST Outing Club member climbing May 2023. ebrated and understanding flourishes.

Student organizations provide a haven where we can be ourselves, where conversation begins, and where we can challenge our understanding of the world.

These spaces lie at the intersection of individual interests and collective goals.

So why not make the most of this journey?

Join a club, attend events, and if you find something is missing, consider creating a club of your own.

It is easier than you think!

With each passing year, new clubs break ground creating entire new communities that add to the tapestry of campus life.

Student organizations aren’t just social circles - they are platforms for change, for finding your voice. They are outlets for exploration, where you can shed a spotlight on the values

Maddison Behringer / THE GATEPOST Members of the Cosplay Club at an event February 2024. that matter to you.

The potential within these organizations is as boundless as your own potential.

Seize the opportunity and let the canvas of student life reflect the brilliance of your unique contribution.

Catch the Outing Club for rock climbing each week. Or maybe Cosplay Club is more your style. Join Student Government and become an advocate. Whatever you do here, just do something.

OP/ED

MARCH 8, 2024 | 7

Intertwine

By Alexis Schlesinger Editorial Staff If it’s your first time being alive, there’s a lot you don’t know. As you continue on living, you begin to realize the truth in this over and over.

To quote William Shakespeare - “A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool.”

With all that we don’t know, how do we learn as much as possible? How do we explore ourselves?

How do we get as much as we can out of this life?

I do know this much - we can’t do it alone.

There can be a lot of pressure to do things on your own, to “push through it.” That you might be disturbing someone else’s peace by not being at your own.

It’s true that there can be strength in being on your own. You can learn a lot by taking time to sit with your thoughts. Sort things out in your head and you can learn a lot about yourself.

However, it’s not the only way you should grow.

It is incredibly important to find those who you can grow alongside.

A garden cannot exist in its greatest beauty with only one flower.

It can’t serve its full purpose.

Of course the flower is beautiful by itself. Look at it closely, see the intricacy in its petals - not one will look

exactly like another. There is so much to be said about it on its own.

Now think of the wonder you feel walking into a garden with many flowers. How you can find the similarities and differences in each of their beauty, their individuality, while also growing alongside each other.

At different rates, different colors, different sizes, but together nonetheless.

You can’t be afraid to coexist. You will not hinder someone else’s growth by simply being at their side, or allowing them to be at yours.

You will both grow all the same.

Perhaps you’re scared to plant new seeds beside your own because flowers have been lost from your garden before.

The dandelion you’ve tried convincing everyone is a flower, not a weed, has finally blown away in the wind. Someone careless has plucked your favorite tulip straight out from the ground beside you. Your carnation has wilted.

You can’t let this make you give up on tending the rest of the garden.

Weeds will start to grow, and petals will start to fall from those you neglect if you let the few you’ve lost define how you keep your grounds.

Take care of what you have right now.

It will never be pleasant to lose any flower. You worked hard to keep the

beauty of your garden.

Keep it clean, uniform, and thriving. You give it sunlight, water, fertilizer. You plant your favorite seeds carefully. You put your time and your love into them.

Despite it all, it may not be enough for one, or even some.

Losing just one piece of what you’ve created can leave an emptiness. Maybe the roots are even still embedded in the soil.

There will be those who thrive greatly alongside you and that is what you must focus on. Keep your eyes on the beauty of what is alive.

There will be those who give you what you need to grow. You must allow them.

There is something incredibly earthly, incredibly human about togetherness.

The way hands hold, the way pinkies promise, the way voices harmonize. The way heads nest perfectly into shoulders when we embrace.

We, as human beings, are perfectly genetically made up to intertwine.

We have to honor that we exist in this way. We must grow alongside each other.

Courtesy of Alexis Schlesinger

Offer sympathy, not superiority

By Raena Doty Editoral Staff Bill 2885, introduced to the Missouri House of Representatives Feb. 29, would require any school teacher or counselor who “commits the offense of contributing to social transition” to register as a sex offender.

According to the Riverfront Times, a local St. Louis news source, teachers and counselors would be required to register as a Tier 1 sex offender, which, despite being the least severe charge, places trans allies among those in possession of child pornography or those who attempt sexual acts on children.

I’m from Missouri. I grew up in St. Louis, and even though I came to school in Massachusetts and want to explore the world, Missouri is what’s in my head when I think of “home.”

And as someone who wants to be an educator?

This bill has me seething.

I could talk about so much - I could talk about the terrible history of the sex offender registry and how it’s been weaponized to scaremonger about queer people. I could talk about how important it is for schools to intervene when parents aren’t supportive of their kids. I could talk about how much I love and support trans kids, because I know they need it.

But I know what response I’ll face writing an opinion piece like this in Massachusetts.

“I can see why you moved away from Missouri.”

“What do you expect from a red

state?” search the Missouri sex offender reg“Honestly, we just need to get rid istry for fear of what could happen if of the whole state - there’s no saving this bill passes and I decide to go back that.” home and teach in my hometown, I ask And every time I imagine these that you don’t sit on your high horse words - these words I’ve heard before, just because you come from a blue though never at a time in such poor state. taste - I get angrier.

I don’t mean to imply everyone in The first pride parade and festi- Massachusetts reacts this way when I val I went to was in Missouri. I’ve at- talk about the issues in my home state, tended rallies with hundreds, but I’ve heard it enough to even thousands of peogrow weary. ple fighting for such Missouri is such noble causes in a wonderful Missouri. My place to be. So oldest friend, many peoa person I’ve ple there known since find home the first day in niche of kindersubculgarten, is a tures and trans perthriving son studycommuing to be an nities built educator in on the conMissouri. tributions of And I care those with marmore about proginalized identities tecting the people I - people of color, love, the people who queer people, womRaena Doty / THE GATEPOST en, people from mistand by me, than I care about giving up nority religions, dison a situation the people around me abled people, and many, many more.

It is the presence of these people, have deemed hopeless from a thounot the absence, that causes bills like sand miles away.

I’m not asking you to rally for 2885 to reach the House floor.

Erasure of minorities aids those who teachers and trans children in Missouri - this isn’t your home turf and there want to erase minorities, and activism are so many great causes right on your should be founded in love and solidarity for those around you, not hatred for front doorstep to fight for.

But when I’m taking time to re- the enemy.

To be clear - Rep. Jamie Gragg, who presented the bill, has no co-sponsors as of March 7.

Erin Reed, a journalist who specializes in reporting on laws that pertain to the LGBTQ+ population, said on Twitter, “I honestly don’t believe something like this could pass, even in Missouri.”

But it is not the only proposed bill that forces teachers to act in accordance with conservative agendas, and it is not the only bill that strips away the rights of transgender youth.

Massachusetts is not so different from Missouri that this could never happen here. In my time living in both states, I have seen people just as cruel and bigoted in each - and I’ve seen an astounding amount of love and support from most of the residents of both states.

People are people. Missouri, Massachusetts - doesn’t matter. Queer people will continue to exist in both, and are all under threat of illogical, unfair treatment by bigots. I am glad Massachusetts has more protections in place for queer people than Missouri does, but it’s by and large not because of any moral superiority of the residents.

If your first instinct when tragedy strikes is criticism instead of kindness, support, and sympathy, ask yourself whether you’re thinking about the right people.

Ask yourself whether you’re judging based on the oppressors instead of those who need help from oppression.

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

OP/ED

8 | MARCH 8, 2024

Campus Conversations

By Dylan Pichnarcik and Alexis Schlesinger, Editorial Staff, and Izabela Gage, Staff Writer

“What are your plans over spring break?”

“I’ll be writing scripts and continuing some projects.”

“Spend some time with my family and hang out in my cabin.”

“I have no plans so far, but I’m the type to roll with the punches when something comes up.”

- Zachary Morrison, freshman

- Sean Keaveney, freshman

- Alex Szarka, senior

“I’m visiting my friends who go to college in North Adams.”

“Visiting friends that go to other colleges.”

“I’m going to drive down to New Jersey and visit my dad.”

- Jordan Newell, senior

“I’m driving five hours to go visit my boyfriend in Pennsylvania.”

- Zophie Greenwald, sophomore

“I will be working and hanging out with family.”

- Emily Crossin, sophomore

@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com

- AJ Green, sophomore

“I’m a student teacher so I got a break in February and I get one in April. So I’ll just be doing work.”

- Thomas O’Leary, sophomore

“Hanging out with my friends.”

- Cory Murtagh, freshman

- Olivia Heafey, senior

“I’ll be watching ‘Young Royals.’”

“I have no plans yet.”

- Abrianna Ouellette, sophomore

- Audrey Ouellette, sophomore

SPORTS

MARCH 8, 2024 | 9

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10 | MARCH 8, 2024

SPORTS

Fundraising to Florida: FSU sports travel for Spring Break

By Adam Levine Sports Editor Steven Burbank said the first time he traveled to play baseball was from Boston to Virginia his senior year of high school with his club team.

Burbank, now an FSU junior, is a captain and the starting shortstop of the University’s baseball team, he said.

Brooke Grassia said in high school she drove five-to-six times to Connecticut for tournaments and stayed for a few nights each time. She said the first time she traveled on a plane to play softball was to Florida during her freshman year at FSU. Grassia, now a junior, is the starting shortstop of the University’s softball team, she said.

Leah Green said the first time she traveled overnight for a lacrosse tournament, she was in seventh grade. She said her older sister also played lacrosse and they traveled together with their dad to tournaments.

Green, now an FSU junior, is a captain and a starting attack on the University’s women’s lacrosse team, she said.

These athletes have spent the past year fundraising with their teammates and will travel with their respective teams this Spring Break to Florida for nation-wide competition - an experience which helps them grow as athletes, individuals, and teammates.

All three athletes said the school does not pay for any of the trip and the team fundraises as much as they can to minimize their out-of-pocket expenses.

One of the popular ways the baseball, softball, and women’s lacrosse teams raise money for their trips is by working at Gillette Stadium at a concession stand, all three of the athletes said.

Burbank said the baseball team also hosted a 100-inning baseball game in the past to find unique ways to fundraise. Overall, he said fundraising is a “grueling process.”

Grassia said the softball team hosts training clinics, a golf tournament, and a calendar raffle to raise funds. Participants in the calendar raffle purchase raffle tickets and a winner is drawn each day throughout the month. She said she has not had to pay out of pocket for her trips to Florida with the softball team.

Green said the women’s lacrosse

team hosts a calendar raffle once a year and has hosted a thrift store popup as fundraising events. She said the team still pays a portion of their own expenses for the trip despite their fundraising efforts.

Burbank, Grassia, and Green all said their packing list is simple, but no different than traveling for any other game. They bring all their equipment and may leave only a few unnecessary items behind.

They said their focus is on game-related packing - such as jerseys and equipment - rather than vacation outfits. The most important thing is to have the bare essentials to play - their jersey and their glove and bat or stick and mask, whichever is needed for their respective sport.

After the long process of fundraising to spend their Spring Break traveling for their sport, each athlete recalls what they learned from the experiences.

Burbank said he and the other upperclassmen have been telling the freshmen, “It’s a lot. We go down there and you play baseball.”

He said traveling for baseball in warm weather with no school to wor-

about. It’s kind of relaxing.”

He said last season the team drove down to Myrtle Beach, but this year they are taking a plane to Florida. “It was a long, long bus ride. … With the bus ride, it was to get on the bus, hopefully get comfortable, maybe sleep a little bit, and then just drive all the way there.”

Burbank said, “It’s truly a business trip.

“The priority is baseball and it’s a huge focus when we’re down there. Ev-

Courtesy of FSU Baseball FSU baseball on the bus to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina during Spring Break 2023. ry about “feels almost like a day in the life of a major leaguer. It’s just you show up and you play baseball. It’s kind of nice.”

The baseball team traveled to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina the past two seasons, but is traveling to Davenport and Auburndale, Florida this year.

Burbank said, “It’s just nice being somewhere where it’s just a different climate, a little warmer, and just playing baseball with nothing else to worry

Courtesy of FSU Softball FSU softball out to dinner in Florida during Spring Break 2023.

@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com

Courtesy of FSU Women’s Lacrosse FSU women’s lacrosse in front of their house in Florida during Spring Break 2023.

erything revolves around it,” he added.

Burbank said the team spends most of their free time relaxing and spending time together. He said a common team activity is mini golf.

Burbank said last year he played mini golf four days in a row. “It usually gets very competitive.”

He said he has learned independence and his love for baseball from these trips.

Burbank said, “All we know is what time the bus leaves for the game and what time we have to be back in our rooms by. You have to manage yourself.

“You kind of learn how much you really love the sport because it’s a grueling week and it’s a lot of mental and personal battles,” he added.

Grassia said in high school people did not understand why she spent her summers traveling for softball.

“Only a select few people who really want to take their sport to the next level play club and go out of their way to spend weekends in the summers playing sports. … You learn your priorities and how much you’re really willing to put aside to play your sport,” she said.

Grassia said traveling to Florida with FSU is the “best weekend of your life, but really all you can think about is the fact that you’re about to go to Florida to play 10 softball games and

you can’t believe that you have to play 10 softball games in five days.”

She said it’s a “full circle moment” when you realize you are traveling for a week of softball with your best friends.

Grassia said when traveling you need to be “smart” and “it’s all on you.

“When you go to Florida with your teammates, it’s really you and them against the world,” she added.

Grassia said she is grateful for the experience of traveling to play softball.

“We do a lot of work for it. … A lot of teams don’t even get to travel at the college level.”

She said the team’s trip to Florida is “the best bonding exercise anybody could come up with.”

Grassia said they have to work together to manage their time outside of games to be ready to play every day. They live together for a week, eat meals together, and often meet each other’s family who have also traveled for the experience.

“That’s the best form of team bonding that you can have when you go headstart into the season,” she said.

Green said she has to “mentally prepare” for the long day of travel with the team.

She said the team bonds together throughout the trip and becomes closer. “I’ve noticed that there has been a difference coming home in how close we are together. It’s a huge team bonding thing. I’m so grateful that we do it.”

As a junior and a captain, Green said she tells the freshmen to “just soak it in” when they are preparing for the trip.

She said after her trip her freshman year, she “felt so much more connected to the upperclassmen especially.”

Green said another piece of advice is to “be open to hanging out with everyone” on the trip, reiterating it is a bonding experience unlike any other.

She said as an individual, these trips teach her more independence. Before coming to FSU, Green said she had never traveled without her parents.

She said going on the trip to Florida has given her the confidence and knowledge to travel on her own.

Green said the best part of the experience is learning how to have fun and still win.

“We’re playing at this awesome facility in this really nice weather - just have fun with it,” she said.

CONNECT WITH ADAM LEVINE alevine5@student.framingham.edu

SPORTS

MARCH 8, 2024 | 11

Spring sports are ‘Ram ready’

By Sophia Oppedisano Asst. Sports Editor

CONNECT WITH SOPHIA OPPEDISANO soppedisano@student.framingham.edu

Women’s Lacrosse The Framingham State Rams women’s lacrosse team is ready for redemption this season after losing their MASCAC Tournament final matchup to Westfield State last season.

The Rams completed their season with a 12-8 overall record and a 5-2 conference record, handily defeating those five conference opponents.

Notable returners for Rams lacrosse are Captains Hannah Guerin and Regan Fein, who were both selected as MASCAC All-Conference Team members. Guerin was selected as MASCAC’s Player of the Week twice, and Fein already broke the school record for draw controls this season.

The Rams scored an average of 16 goals per game and had a 51.6 shooting percentage during the 2023 season.

The team was ranked second in the 2024 MASCAC preseason poll.

Captain Brooke Phelps said, “We are focusing on ourselves and we are focusing on things we can control. A big word for us is ‘composure’ and it is one of the most important qualities of our team, if not the most important one.

Mental toughness flows through our team, and we owe a big thanks to our coaches for that.”

In October, the program found new leadership in Head Coach Casey Bradley ’22, an alumna of Framingham State women’s lacrosse.

“We are so lucky to have Coach Casey with us,” Phelps said.

“The fact that she is an alum makes the process easier. She understands our values and goals more than the average coach. That translates well to our new team members - they share the drive we have to win the championship,” she added.

As of press time, the Rams have an overall record of 1-2 as they prepare for their first conference matchup of the season against Mass. Maritime Academy March 9.

“I am very excited for the conference games! Our team has big goals this season and I am super excited to see our hard work pay off,” Phelps said.

The team is also preparing to head to Panama City Beach in Florida to face off against Western New England and Keene State universities.

“Keep an eye on those stats. We have a really talented group of girls on this team and we are continuing to break records and reach our individual goals,” Phelps said.

Baseball The Framingham State baseball team is ready for their return to the field after coming up short in the MASCAC Tournament semi-finals this past season.

The Rams were ranked fourth in the 2024 MASCAC Preseason Poll after finishing last season with an overall record of 26-15 and a conference record of 15-6.

Their regular-season success captured the program’s first-ever MASCAC Regular Season Title.

Captain Robert Johnston said the rankings “don’t mean anything.

“We were sixth in last year’s preseason poll and look how that turned out,” he added.

The team went into the 2023 postseason as the top seed for the first time in program history and hosted the tournament. Their playoff bid was cut short after falling to fourth-ranked Mass. Maritime Academy in the semifinals.

Captain Steven Burbank said the ranking is “understandable, but also feels like a little fuel to our fire.

“We finished first in the conference last season and didn’t have the postseason we were looking for so I thought [the ranking] would’ve been higher,” Burbank added.

The Rams are going into the 2024 season with new leadership in Head Coach Sean Trindall, who was hired to run the program this past October.

“He has done a good job of communicating with everyone and we’re excited to pursue our goal of winning the

MASCAC,” Johnston said.

Burbank said the team is excited to get back out and compete at the highest level.

“It’s always a blast being out there with the guys - giving everything you have to try to win the first conference championship in school history,” he added.

“We have a really good team and returned practically the entire lineup - it should be fun to watch us hit,” Johnston said.

The Rams had a combined .306 batting average and a .406 on-base percentage last season.

“I really think we’re going to hit this year. It’s a very tough lineup to work through one to nine,” Johnston added.

The Rams start their season March 12 against Emerson before heading to Florida to play national opponents.

Softball The Framingham State softball team is storming back to the field hoping for a three-peat this season after winning the MASCAC Championship the past two years.

The Rams completed the 2023 season with a 33-13 overall record and a 13-1 conference record, securing them the 2023 MASCAC Regular Season Title. Their success in 2023 helped to boost them to a number-one ranking in the 2024 MASCAC Preseason Poll.

Among the returning players for the Rams is MASCAC Pitcher of the Year and a Team Captain, Ally Moran, who earned a record of 21-5 in the circle and boasts a 1.16 ERA. Moran said the team has a “genuine camaraderie” this season.

“We just need to do what we’ve done in past years - we have to continue playing solid defense and getting timely hits to win games. Those two things have definitely played the largest role in our success,” she added.

The Rams’ defense resulted in shutouts in 12 of their 33 wins and the offense tallied 76 doubles and 26 home runs throughout the 2023 season.

Eight of those home runs belonged to Captain Gwendolyn Car-

penter, one of the seven players tabbed as MASCAC All-Conference Team members last season.

Carpenter said it’s an “awesome feeling” for the team to be looking for their third straight championship.

“It’s no easy feat - this is a completely different team than each of the last two seasons so figuring out our identity and playing to our strengths will be important,” she added.

Carpenter also noted the “great group of underclassmen.

“With such a small team, there will be plenty of opportunities for them to step up and get experience so I’m excited for them!” she said.

Both Moran and Carpenter said the team is looking forward to their yearly trip to Florida, where they will play eight games against national opponents.

“Winning is definitely fun and something we have been able to do over the last few years but I’m looking forward to making memories that may not be strictly on the field,” Moran said.

“I love this team and I love the way we play together. It’s a great group of girls who love to play softball,” Carpenter said.

The Rams play the University of Hartford in their season-opening doubleheader at home March 8 before heading to Florida.

Women’s Track and Field

The Framingham State women’s track and field team prepares to begin their season at the BSU Bears Invitational, hosted by Bridgewater State March 23.

The women’s track and field 2024 MASCAC Preseason Poll has not been released yet.

However, the Rams have shown growth over the past few seasons.

Framingham State was ranked fifth out of six teams in the 2023 MASCAC Preseason Poll, but exceeded expectations for the season.

Framingham earned MASCAC titles in four different events and earned a third-place finish at the 2023 MASCAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships April 29.

Alumni Casey McCauliffe and Emily Newcomb finished first in the 10,000-meter run and the 3,000-meter steeplechase, respectively.

Junior Kaylee Beck earned Framingham’s other two MASCAC titles with her first-place finish in both the shot put and hammer throw, but is not competing this season.

Alongside Beck is junior Alyssa Caputo, the Rams’ returning discus thrower. Caputo became the first Ram to qualify for DIII New England’s last season.

Beck, McCauliffe, and Newcomb earned spots on the MASCAC All-Conference team for their first-place finishes at the MASCAC Championships.

Adrien Gobin / THE GATEPOST Freshman Kate Buban enters her deFSU baseball player pitching during the but track and field season after earn2023 season. ing 2023 MASCAC Rookie of the Year

for women’s cross-country. She has already made her mark as one of the team’s elite runners.

Buban is one of 11 freshmen in the constantly growing program. There are currently 22 athletes on the roster, only two of whom are seniors and four of whom are juniors. The underclassmen dominate the roster, which shows the continuous growth over the past seasons.

The Rams’ new Head Coach, Mark Johnson, leads the track and field team for the first time this season. Johnson is in his seventh season on the coaching staff after serving as the assistant coach since 2017. He was hired as the men’s and women’s cross country head coach, women’s track and field head coach, and staff assistant in November.

Adrien Gobin / THE GATEPOST FSU women’s track and field athlete running during the 2023 season.

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12 | MARCH 8, 2024

ARTS & FEATURES BIG INK leaves a BIG impression on FSU

By Liv Dunleavy Staff Writer Arts & Ideas made a splash on Tuesday and Wednesday March 5 and 6 with the invitation of BIG INK and their portable printing press “The Big Tuna” for a woodblock printmaking workshop titled Big Ink for Big Hearts.

The event was held in the McCarthy Forum and displayed artwork carved and printed by students from FSU and participants from off-campus locations.

Throughout both days BIG INK was continuously inking and printing 14 large blocks of wood carved with images representing this year’s Arts & Ideas theme of Courage + Resilience.

Marc Cote, a professor of studio art who specializes in printmaking, said he proposed this idea to the Arts & Ideas committee last year, and once it was approved he invited BIG INK to come assist in the woodblock printing.

“I knew about them from my experience in different printmaking conferences across the country. I’ve also seen Lyell [Castonguay]’s artwork up in Maine at art fairs,” he said.

Castonguay, one of the two founders of BIG INK, explained, “I ran into him when I was doing an art market one summer where I was just selling my own personal work, and that was when the conversation started about doing something here at Framingham State.

“It’s been two years or so since the genesis of this whole thing happened,” he added.

Cote said his next step after getting necessary funding was reaching out to faculty across campus to aid in finding classes to participate in the event.

He said, “I thought the RAMS seminar classes would be good groups to participate in this project because they’re coming into the University and getting acclimated to the school and working in group projects.

“It was a goal of mine to reach outside of the Art Department and to be very inclusive across the campus,” he added. “We also had my general education course, Introduction to Drawing … so there’s a good sampling of the disciplines across campus, and I was pleased to see they were energized and excited to do the work.”

One of the Introduction to Drawing course students, Bee Simmons, a senior math major, said she took Introduction to Drawing for fun this semester, as she has already fulfilled the general education requirement.

Simmons said the students of the Introduction to Drawing course were invited to the event to print their work during their normal class time.

She added the students were asked to create a wood piece that shows off

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Courage + Resilience.

“As a class we decided to submit some names of people we thought resembled that. For the people we did, we had MLK; Rosa Parks; Srinivasa Ramanujan, who is a famous mathematician from the 1920s; Marie Curie, who was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize; and then Katherine Johnson, one of the women behind the first NASA landing,” she said.

Simmons also explained she has worked in the past with rubber-block relief printing, and though she doesn’t have prior experience with woodblock

and publicly accessible,” she said.

Burnet explained that usually a press the size of “The Big Tuna” would weigh around 2 tons, a hefty weight compared to the meager 700 pounds of “The Big Tuna.”

“We are trying to bring the printmaking studio to the artist or the people who want to learn how to do this process. So it’s really unusual and kind of like the big fish out in the ocean - it’s rare and unique, and a play on words, it prints big and it’s ‘The Big Tuna,’” she added.

Gabbi Prego, a senior, participated

Maddison Behringer / THE GATEPOST “The Big Tuna,” BIG INK’s mobile printing press, in front of a print at the “BIG INK” exhibit in the McCarthy Forum March 5 and 6. printing, students in her Introduction to Drawing class were taught it recently. She added in the following class period, their piece for the event was completed.

“I highly recommend trying it out.

It’s a lot of fun,” she said.

Carand Burnet, the other half of BIG INK’s founders, said she is not a printmaker but shares a deep appreciation for the craft. She and Castonguay decided over time that instead of making their large prints all by hand, they would need a large press to print their woodblocks more effectively, and this is what set the wheels of BIG INK’s one-of-a-kind mobile printing press, “The Big Tuna,” into motion.

“In 2016, we did a Kickstarter campaign, and we raised enough funds to have this press custom made for us, and we’ve done a bunch of modifications to make it really lightweight.

“There’s probably less than a dozen presses in the country that are this big

in carving a woodblock piece for the event through one of Cote’s classes this semester. She explained the piece she carved was based on the Martha’s Vineyard cliffs and their involvement in protecting the land of the Indigenous American tribes.

Another local participant group involved in this event was The Learning Center for the Deaf in Framingham.

Rita Child, a high school senior at the institution, said that though she doesn’t plan on doing art full time and wants to become a lawyer, art is a hobby that allows her to express her creativity on the side.

Child said she had no prior experience with woodblock printing, but remembers carving rubber stamps as a child at The Learning Center for the Deaf in elementary school.

“It’s a smaller school. The community is very small. We are very connected and that has positives and negatives. We experience a lot

of things together as a community as opposed to individually. We all use American Sign Language - I learned so much through my language, and collaboration is beneficial outside of school as well as in school,” she said.

“We just met Marc for the first time and it was like, ‘OK, we are so excited to be here and do this project. Let’s go!’ And then we didn’t hear anything for like three months. We waited and we waited, but it’s a fantastic experience, really just incredible,” she added.

Jennifer Mulkerrin and Julie Brigham, both art teachers from Northbridge High School, also participated in Big Ink for Big Hearts, as their students were invited to create woodblocks for the event.

Mulkerrin said when Cote reached out to propose the idea, she was unsure of which class would be able to start the piece since they’d need to work on it all year and their classes are often semester based.

“I thought it’d be a great project for our National [Art] Honor Society.

So this was done after school, all just volunteer hours from students,” she said.

She added they’re also both alumni of FSU from the Class of 2003, and Cote was their printmaking professor, so being at the event was something of a full circle moment. She said the students hadn’t seen their piece printed yet.

“I think this is going to be this great crescendo moment when they get to really see it. We’ve proofed it, so we’ve seen it a little bit, but to take that original drawing, the sketch, and to see it develop into a final print and to be displayed with others is really going to be amazing - a sense of fruition and completion,” she said.

Castonguay explained that relief printmaking, in his opinion, is the most approachable form of block printing, and it was great to involve many people who are non-artists or who don’t consider themselves visual artists.

“I think the idea of resilience, perseverance, seeing something through to the end - that is what this whole thing is about. It’s a lot of work, you know? Just finishing the project is huge,” he said.

“The way they have a montage of different images that have a political or social justice message really matches nicely with the theme of relief printmaking, because traditionally, relief printmaking was a mass-produced thing that was easily disseminated to just general people.

You didn’t have to have wealth or privilege to be able to access it.”

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Israel/Palestine Continued from Page 1 She showed a map of the partitioned land in 1948, and explained the Palestinian state, where Arab people were segregated, was not contiguous, and some of the territory in the Israeli state had large Palestinian populations that were now displaced.

Shaindlinger said the Palestinians, who made up the vast majority of the population, were also allotted only 45% of the land, while the Israeli minority had 55% of the land.

She said during this time, the area grew very violent, especially from the Israeli government moving Palestinian citizens out of their homes, which created “acts of violence and then vengeful acts,” and added this evolved into Israeli militias attacking Palestinians in their own state.

At the same time fighting was happening internally, Shaindlinger said the Israeli army - “what became the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF)” - was at war with various Arab countries, which caused more violence, particularly for Palestinians who lived on the borders.

Shaindlinger also clarified when talking about borders, she meant socially constructed borders, and “they hinge on agreements between states.”

She said armistice agreements were reached by the end of 1949, at which point Israel wanted to join the UN but didn’t get enough votes to do so because of the way they treated Palestinian refugees.

After, she added, Israel negotiated with other Arab countries “over the heads of the refugees,” which eventually made it possible for them to have a spot in the UN. “Basically, Israel was admitted into the UN with the promise of talking and discussing,” she said.

She said between 1949 and 1967, the Gaza strip on the western corner of Palestine was controlled by Egypt until Israel took over governing them, which caused the number of Palestinian settlements to increase as the number of refugees went up.

Shaindlinger said eventually the Oslo Accords, an attempt to reach peace between Israel and Palestine in the 1990s, “actually created an expansion of the settlements,” as well as Israeli military presence.

She added what people think of as the Palestinian border is actually “a barrier imposed by Israel controlling the sea,” and Egypt has aided in enforcing the border that keep Palestinians contained for 17 years.

After Shaindlinger was done with her presentation, note cards with questions were gathered from the audience, and Coelho facilitated a question and answer session.

One attendee asked, “In your view, how aware is the average Israeli of the history of dispossession?”

Shaindlinger said she believes most Israeli citizens know what has been done to Palestinian citizens.

“It’s not that they don’t know.

Most Israelis served in the military,” she said. “People know. They don’t want to know, but they know.”

She added in her research, she has read literature from the era of the initial creation of the Israeli state, and that literature contains evidence to suggest that even back then, Israeli citizens knew what was happening.

Coelho introduced the next speaker, Sam Biasi, a professor of political science at FSU. They said their presentation was titled “Hamas, the Palestinian Authority, and Israel: Roles, goals, and strategies,” and their academic interests include “civil wars, insurgencies, and terrorism.”

Biasi said they aimed to educate the audience about “the primary goals and strategies” of the different political groups involved with the conflict in Israel and Palestine today.

They started by talking about the Israeli leadership, including current Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir.

Biasi also introduced Baruch Goldstein, who they said was a “Brooklyn-born Zionist” who, in 1994, put on his IDF uniform, took his guns, walked into a Palestinian mosque, and shot 20 Palestinians before the crowd killed him.

Zionism is a political movement that calls for Jewish people to inhabit Jerusalem, and is associated with Israel and its Jewish citizens.

“This sparked a cycle of violence that continued and culminated into probably the third most violent period of Palestinian history,” they said.

Biasi said, “Baruch Goldstein is a hero of the settler movement,” and his picture was formerly hung in BenGvir’s office.

They said the center-right party that governs Israel believes in “something called Eretz Yisrael,” which means “Greater Israel,” and includes Israel and the West Bank and sometimes Gaza and parts of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt.

Biasi said the way this Israeli state is framed allows for people in Israel to frame the conflict with Palestinians as a conflict between Jewish and Muslim people, rather than between Palestine and Israel.

“The goals of the far right in Israel - certainly, the Israeli government in general - are to essentially spread and maintain the Jewish demographic advantage. That includes - in fact, requires - destroying the Palestinian nation,” they said.

They added, “Destroying the Palestinian nation can also be called genocide.”

Biasi said because of this, Israel has interest in maintaining its relationship with the United States because the U.S. supports Israel financially.

They added Israel’s main strategies for pursuing its goal of destroying Palestine are “strategically placing settlements,” “mass casualty bombing and massacres of Palestinians,” and “public diplomacy and their attempts to influence American politics.”

Biasi said the majority of Israelis support these policies and oppose a two-state solution in which Israel and Palestine would both become inde-

pendent states.

Next, they presented on the Palestinian leadership of the Palestinian Authority, a body created under the Oslo Accords.

They said Mahmoud Abbas, president of the State of Palestine and current leader of the Fatah party, believed in the 1970s armed struggle was necessary to liberate Palestine, but later shifted his strategy to peaceful negotiation.

Biasi said the Fatah party believes in a two-state solution, but specifically a two-state solution that results in a Palestinian state ruled by Fatah.

They added the party uses “internal repression” among Palestinians to prevent other voices - frequently Hamas voices - from gaining traction.

They said support for the Fatah party is incredibly low among Palestinians - about 16% on the West Bank and 18% in Gaza.

Biasi said the mantle of unarmed violence which the Fa-t a h party abandoned was then adopted by Hamas, who have not said much about what a Palestinian state would look like. They added Hamas has stated they want a single Palestinian state that would include what is currently Israel.

They said some of Hamas’ primary tactics include attacking Israeli citizens as a form of terrorism, guerilla warfare, and kidnapping and keeping hostages. Biasi added formerly Hamas did use suicide bombing, but g a v e up on that in the mid-2000s.

Biasi said support for Hamas has tripled since the events of Oct. 7, 2023, the start of the Israel-Hamas armed conflict, but Palestinian support for Hamas is only approximately 2% more than support for “nobody.”

“It’s not that Palestinians all of a sudden radically support violence,” they said. “What we can see is a sort of dynamic going on that we can observe other places as well - that is, cycles of violence and mutual violence.”

Biasi said Israel and Hamas are “locked in a sort of equilibrium in which Hamas’ violence justifies the far right in Israel and increases the support for the far right in Israel, just as the far right in Israel’s violence increases support for Hamas.”

During the question and answer portion of the event after Biasi’s presentation, one attendee asked, “Can you speak to the size of Hamas and the age of its members?”

Biasi said Hamas’ members tend to skew young, in part due to the fact that Palestinian population skews young, so most of Hamas’ members are in the range of 16-28, except leadership, which tends to be in their 40s and older.

They added experts struggle to estimate the size of Hamas, and estimates range from 10,000 to 40,000.

The final presenter was Reema Zeineldin, associate vice president of Academic Affairs. She is a Palestinian immigrant whose father is from Gaza and whose mother grew up there.

Zeineldin said her presentation was about “Palestinian lives within a

MARCH 8, 2024 | 13

historical context,” specifically focusing on civilians in Palestine.

She showed a picture from the 19th century of a family dressed in traditional Palestinian clothing, and said she wore her own traditional dress.

Zeineldin said she was dividing up her presentation by breaking it into different eras based on political changes, and started with the era from the beginning of the 20th century to 1947.

Her slideshow presentation displayed photos, including a picture of protests of the Balfour Declaration and a Boy Scout troop in 1924.

Zeineldin’s next slide showed a graph with the number of people in Palestine every year, starting in 1871 when Palestine was under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. The Jewish population in Palestine, including both Jewish Palestinians and Jewish immigrants, was listed next to the total population.

She said several increases in the Jewish population in Palestine, higher in proportion than the general increase in population in Palestine, were caused by British and other European encouragement for Jewish people to move to Palestine, as well as Zionist movements.

Zeineldin said in 1947, Arab citizens far outnumbered Jewish citizens, but the Nabka resulted in 750,000 Palestinian refugees, as well as 531 villages destroyed and 31 massacres committed.

She showed pictures on her slideshow from the 1950s to the 1990s, including a photo from 1956 of her own mother’s high school graduation.

Zeineldin added at this time, her mother was already a teacher because so many refugees were entering Gaza that they didn’t have enough teachers to educate them all without recruiting high school students who would take their own classes at night.

She also included a photo from 1966 of her father’s family and a photo from 1967 that included her grandfather.

One picture, from 1987, showed the “Intifada,” which Zeineldin said means “shake off,” and said the Intifada was caused by Palestinians rebelling against poor treatment by the Israeli government.

“They decided they can have an Intifada, and this was in the form of young people and children throwing rocks at the Israeli occupying forces - and in return, they got rubber bullets, live ammunition, imprisonment of little children, and clear orders to break the bones of Palestinian children,” she said.

She showed photos from the Oslo Accord era next, which demonstrated how Palestinians were segregated from Israeli territory, and said anyone who had to go into Israel for work or errands would have to go through security every single time.

Zeineldin said Israelis and Palestinians had to live under dramatically different laws - “Israelis were under civilian rule, but Palestinians were

See ISRAEL/PALESTINE Page 16

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ARTS & FEATURES

Diversity Dialogues hosts Janine Fonda for women’s history discussion

By Jack McLaughlin Arts & Features Editor The Center for Inclusive Excellence (CIE) hosted award-winning writer Janine Fonda for a discussion as part of their Diversity Dialogues event series March 7.

The discussion focused around the voices of women - from suffragettes to the voices of resilience of women from diverse communities - in conjunction with Women’s History Month.

CIE Director Jerome Burke opened the event by introducing Fonda to the audience. Fonda is the recipient of over 25 regional and national awards, and has over 15 years of business, online communication, and multicultural marketing experience.

Fonda began by thanking those in attendance, explaining she lived in Framingham for 10 years and said, “It’s good to come back and see what’s happening - what’s going on.”

She invited Joyce Emery, another speaker for this event, to introduce themselves to the audience.

Emery lives in Framingham and was born in Winchester - and is a doll collector and genealogist. She said she’s been collecting dolls since 1999, and said, “I just kind of fell into it by accident.”

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“I have been collecting and now I combine my genealogy and history with dolls,” she said.

After this, Fonda told the audience that the presentation prepared for them will allow them to “learn from a different frame of reference.

“We’re going to share with you our lens,” she said.

She explained that the presentation has five years worth of chronicling over 100 women - mostly from Massachusetts - and their stories in such a way that the audience can associate with.

The presentation began with a question for the audience. Fonda wanted to know if anyone knew Barbara Holland - a previous director of diversity for the University - by providing a photo of them.

After this, Fonda urged the audience to “really retrace your own lines.

“If we don’t, we are truly disrespecting the heritage that has blessed this space,” she said.

Fonda explained to the audience that Holland was a “rare student” that came from one of the first modern African American schools, which Fonda said gave her the chance to bring more to this space and to education.

“There’s a bigger story in there,” she said.

Next, she introduced the audience to Edwina Weston-Dyer, who lived close by to the University. Framingham State is in possession of archives of her research.

Weston-Dyer’s research was heavily focused on Crispus Attucks, known to be the first American killed during the Revolution in the 1700s.

“I’m just happy that the University has archives because I would love to actually visit those archives in-depth at a point, but she had a phenomenal career,” Fonda said.

Fonda told the audience that it’s important that we don’t forget the names of these people, to learn them and who they were.

She then introduced Lucy Lewis, another speaker at the event. Lewis’ lineage is traced back to the Salem Witch Trials.

“Now a lot of people might say ‘Oh my goodness! I never really equated the African American experience within a very limited lens,’” Fonda said.

“But we have other stories.”

Lewis introduced herself to the audience, and explained that she’s been a genealogist since around 1995.

She said that her family’s origins were originally a mystery to her, and began to research her origins after her son once came home from school distressed because of a family tree project assigned to him.

“Well that broke not just my heart, but the grandmother’s hearts,” Lewis said.

Through her research, she discovered her grandmother’s father was a Black loyalist which helped explain a family mystery of why he came from Nova Scotia.

She explained to the audience what Black loyalists were - slaves who fought with the British during the American Revolution with promises of being freed after the war.

Despite the British losing the war, they kept their promise with the Black loyalists and gave them their freedom by bringing them to Nova Scotia.

“And so the family stayed up there and flourished, and he came back and began a family in Cambridge,” she said.

After Lewis spoke, Fonda talked about how her family’s origins were also not entirely known to her. She said that she wasn’t aware of her grandmother migrating to the United States from Jamaica until PBS contacted her with stories from her family upon the reopening of a museum.

“We had several family [members] whose photos were on exhibit there when they reopened - but who would have known?” Fonda asked.

She also pointed out her aunt, Irene Morgan, who Fonda said won a Supreme Court case about busing “10 years before Rosa Parks.”

Fonda then brought up Maria Stewart, who she explained was the “first woman to not only voice her opinion, but to speak before men.

“Remember, women back in that

day were not allowed to speak to a mixed audience - a woman could not speak to men in any kind of forum that you have,” she said.

“But she did.”

She brought up one of Morgan’s quotes, which was “When I cast my eyes on the long list of illustrious names that are enrolled on the bright annals of fame among the white, I turn my eyes within and ask myself, ‘Where are the names of our illustrious ones?’”

Fonda explained how when Morgan would speak before an audience of men, it was considered radical for the time and that her audiences of men “didn’t leave.

“They actually stayed to hear her,” she said.

She shared another quote from Morgan, which was “How long shall the fair daughters of Africa be compelled to bury their minds and talents beneath a load of iron pots and kettles?”

After this, Fonda talked about the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848, where many important women met who would later be key in the Suffrage movement.

At this convention, there were no Black women in attendance and only one Black man, Frederick Douglass.

“There were no Black women invited, and they really advocated for the right of white women to vote. It was really a marker in the sand, which is why I never begin there,” Fonda said.

“It was iconic for what it was, but it also got us to really see the divides, when we really look at communities,” she added.

She continued by explaining how many of these women had to have a voice for avocation with the absence of allies, people, and the law.

“And for them, they should be seen,” Fonda said.

Fonda then said this event gave these women the chance to have their true stories told and represented in different ways.

One of the ways she mentioned was having the living history in the room.

“Barbara Holland, Edwina Weston knowing these names, that is by the way that we find them,” she said.

She asked the audience if there were any students in attendance, and gave them the advice to “carry the torch.

“Carry the torch with wisdom and courage. Because that is what will carry this legacy.”

Lewis concluded the event by giving some wisdom of her own to those in attendance.

“Whatever your gifts, whatever your talent, whatever your strength, find the shoulders that give you the courage that your place is the place of making change,” she said.

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ARTS & FEATURES

MARCH 8, 2024 | 15

FSU fashion takes on NYFW

By Bella Omar Asst. Arts & Features Editor Jazmany Reyes, Framingham State fashion design student, debuted his first collection “Passion,” for this NYFW (New York Fashion Week) season on Feb. 8 at the Copacabana nightclub.

His brand, Jazmany the Label, made quite the impression opening the three-act show produced by Kyla Geyer, Parsons student - sending 10 stunning pieces down the runway.

Designers Phoebe Dragseth and Nadia Hoskey also presented collections in affiliation with Geyer.

Reyes said, “The whole aim of the collection was to make women feel beautiful. … Pieces that women are going to feel great in.

“So, I went with a lot of sleeveless tops, skirts, and sleeveless dresses as well. I wanted to make something that was beautiful, but also very simplis-tic,” he said.

Reyes did not want to restrict these pieces to the runway, “This isn’t just like runway stuff, you can pair this [‘Corkscrew Top’] with a casual look with jeans, you can style it however you want to,” he said.

And flattering wearability is exactly what Reyes achieved with versatile sets, dresses, and tops - all hand-fashioned out of visually interesting laces, sequined, and sheen fabrics.

My favorite gown of the night, the “Lilac Sunrise” strapless cocktail dress flounced down the runway with its purple asymmetrical bubble skirt catching the light, a refreshing approach to the popular silhouette.

The theme of asymmetry continued with the “Skin Kiss” white dress, featuring more exposed shoulders and a delicate lace skirt. The dropped waist and form-fitting bodice make this look undeniably flattering.

The final gown of the night, the “Galactic Girl Sequin Dress” was a floor-length, sequined vision on model Dani Simone (on Instagram @dani_simonee), featuring iridescent, almost Paco Rabanne-like sequins and a sweetheart neckline.

Even worn by Reyes himself, the “Peacock Top” was styled for the runway over a white, bodycon set. The plunging black lace framed by dramatic white ruffles gave this masterfully crafted blouse a level of drama and volume scarcely seen on the runway today.

The “Corkscrew Top” played multiple roles in this collection as the romantic lace-trimmed tube top was paired with ruffled skirts and even loose-fitting jeans.

Styled with the same ruffled skirts and denim was the highly-constructed “Baby Doll Top.” This versatile piece in navy, while mature with its peplum silhouette, still provided that signature allure with a faux exposed brassiere.

A white cheeky mini skirt, dubbed “Pleats and Thank You” added a sense of playfulness to balance the otherwise more elegant garments. The thin pleats and wide waistband made it pairable with essentially every other top in the collection.

This included more fun strapless going-out tops, utilizing the same sequined fabric from the “Galactic Girl Sequin Dress.”

Carrying over that statement-making black lace, a grungy bustier top in the same fabric was styled with a low-waisted mini skirt, featuring an undone asymmetrical train, called the “Party Star” look.

With only a month of notice to prepare this collection, Jazmany Reyes stood out as one to watch in the fashion world against the backdrop of a busy NYFW.

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Raena Doty / THE GATEPOST A community-made poster board covered with student answers to the question “How much did your most expensive textbook cost?” to celebrate Open Education Week March 4-8.

Henry Whittemore Library teaches about open educational resources

By Raena Doty Arts & Features Editor The Henry Whittemore Library hosted a webinar titled “What’s the ‘open’ in open educational resources - and why does it matter?”

March 6.

The webinar was a part of Open Education Week, honored in 2024 from March 4 to 8. The week is an annual celebration of the open education movement and its proponents. It was run by Rebecca Dowgiert, scholarly communications librarian.

Dowgiert began the presentation by explaining what intellectual property is and how it relates to the history of open licenses.

“Above all, the open licenses were created to be a tool for managing scholars’ and academics’ intellectual property,” she said.

She added when people don’t own their intellectual property, they can license it directly or allow a publisher to license it, both of which generally cost money to the person buying the license.

Dowgiert cited two main changes as the catalyst to the start of the open education movement - one, “open values,” and two, authors’ rights.

She said people with open values wanted to see education made cheaper and more accessible, and added this coincided with the rise of the internet, though the ideas existed before the internet became popular.

“There were folks who were like, ‘We would have open and free schooling. It shouldn’t cost people everything,’” Dowgiert said, and added open values included no-cost sharing, collaboration, and transparency.

She said authors’ rights are “the creators’ rights to manage their intellectual property as they see fit,” and in this case had to do specifically with their right to publish their property on the web.

Dowgiert said this incited the formation of the Creative Commons, an organization dedicated to making it possible and easy for information to be spread freely on the internet, and the Creative Commons wrote creative commons (CC) licenses that allow creators to easily declare how their work is allowed to be used.

She identified six commonly used licenses based on four different factors of how the li-

censes dictate a piece of intellectual property can be used - whether or not it requires attribution, whether derivative work can be licensed under a different type of license, whether profit can be made off derivative work, and whether or not changes can be made at all.

She added all CC licenses require attribution, but the other three factors can be changed in different combinations for different licenses, and the six most common licenses all have easy-to-identify icons that can be added to websites and HTML code that makes the sites easy to search.

Dowgiert also said material in the public domain, while not technically licensed, also has an icon for ease of access to wide audiences. Public domain includes resources that can be used in any way, for any reason, with or without credit.

She said part of why open educational resources (OERs) are important is because they allow resources and information to remain updated continuously.

“Instead of just a static thing that sits out there - made one year and never changed again - you could take it and you could update it,” she said.

Dowgiert added OERs also give opportunity for more interactive experiences for students in the classroom.

“You could engage them in creating information, not just reading it,” she said. “You could have an open textbook and the students could update or improve it, and it can be used by people later. … Some people go in and have their students create or edit Wikipedia articles. …

They can be required to help design their final exam.”

She said open education pedagogy often helps dismantle the power dynamics of the classroom as people tend to think they should be.

“This is being created as people go along, so they can help guide and facilitate, but they’re not just standing there and saying, ‘I am the font of all knowledge, and you’re just going to sit there and passively try to remember it long enough to pass the final,’” she said.

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Israel/Palestine

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Of the films I’ve discussed in this column, “Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky” is easily the most divisive. Amongst people who’ve seen the film, it seems like half love it, while the other half hate it. It might be the most controversial Hong Kong martial arts film of all time.

Personally, I’m firmly on the side of loving it.

On the surface, this may look like your average Hong Kong action flick, but underneath it is absolute chaos.

Director Lam Ngai Kai worked together with cinematographer Mak Hoi-Man to craft a kung-fu movie unlike any that came before it.

“Riki-Oh” follows the story of Ricky as he is incarcerated in a futuristic prison in order to track down the remaining members of a corrupt gang of opioid distributors who killed

When “Riki-Oh” first released in Hong Kong theaters in 1991, it was given a Category III rating, which disallowed anyone younger than 18 years old from seeing the film. It was one of the first films to achieve this ranking with zero nudity, and as such did not perform well at the box office.

However, it became a home release hit after children heard of the film and wanted to see it themselves at home.

In America, it was released two years later in 1993 and became a cult hit for its ultra-violence and hilariously bad English dub. Its campy nature and cult status led to it developing a massive underground following that still persists to this day.

While I desperately want to go into detail describing all the insane things that happen in this film, doing so would be a disservice. I went in completely blind, only knowing it was gory, and came out with a massive appreciation for this film.

Something noteworthy to point out about this film is it’s based off a Japanese manga simply titled “Riki-Oh.” The movie sticks fairly close-

ey /

By Owen Glancy Asst. Arts & Features Editor

his girlfriend.

Ricky is a surprisingly great protagonist, and this can be owed to his empathetic writing and Louis Fan SuiWong’s excellent performance. This, combined with how hateable the villains are, culminate in the highlight of the film, its action scenes.

I won’t sugarcoat it, this is probably the most violent film I’ve ever seen. The practical special effects are so impressively realistic, yet overthe-top, that even the smallest skirmishes are more entertaining than most entire films.

Every insane, gory thing you could think of happens in this film. Dudes get skinned alive, crushed under a hydraulic press, and even put through a food processor. It does not hold back in the slightest, and doesn’t even pretend to hide under the guise of “decency.”

Not everything here works though. Compared to “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg” and “House,” this film has far more issues.

The plot is fairly p r e dictable, the side characters are extremely forgettable, and the few female characters are very poorly written. Even more so than those other movies, this is a cult film through and through.

urn

‘Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky’

bly not. Unfortunately, with American politics the way they are, we are somewhat powerless to affect policy,” they said.

They added President Joe Biden’s response is “out of step with the furthest right that American politics has ever been,” and said when there was a massacre in Lebanon in 1983, Reagan “essentially called it a genocide, and so we are currently, in our politics, far to the right of Ronald Reagan.”

They said people should “pay attention, stay educated, and be vigilant - talk to your friends, talk to your family,” but unfortunately there is a bias toward Israel in the media.

One attendee said, “Please make a comment on the view that university faculties around the country have a responsibility to, number one, help protect free inquiry about issue of war and genocide, and two, oppose the destruction of schools and universities in places like Gaza.”

Zeineldin said journals for higher education have been surprisingly quiet about the destruction of universities, and added when she submitted a well-researched paper about the topic to a journal, they rejected it.

She added, “When something big happens, we’re always trying to encourage professors to take time to talk about it in the classroom. But when something big happens like this in Palestine, it’s like nobody cares and nobody talks about it.”

Biasi said they believe the biggest threat to free speech in the U.S. is the possibility of censorship due to Palestine.

nH

under military rule.”

She showed photos of the wall that separated Israeli territory from Palestinian territory, including Palestinians who had to cross the checkpoint to buy supplies due to insufficient supplies in their territory and a Palestinian man working on his farm in Israeli territory who looked over to his house in Palestinian territory.

“He has to go through this checkpoint on a daily basis. This farmer is not allowed to dig for water, have a well on his own land. Israel comes, digs that well, takes the water into Israel, sells it back to him at the rate of roughly seven to 10 times what it sells it for to Israelis who are in the nextdoor settlement filling their pools with water, and he hardly has enough water to water his crops,” Zeineldin said.

The last photo Zeineldin showed was a photo of her own family from 1981, one of her last visits to Gaza.

In the photo, she identified several family members who have been affected by the Israel-Hamas armed conflict, including a cousin whose son-in-law was shot while buying supplies and daughter was shot by a sniper, a cousin who lost her son after he was bombarded in his home, and a cousin whose husband died after he could not receive medical attention.

She added the house where the photo was taken was destroyed because the resident of it worked as a provost at a university, 150 members of her and her husband’s family have died, and all surviving members have

been displaced.

“That’s just speaking about my family. Now think about it in the larger context of the atrocities committed

by Israel, with the support of our tax dollars,” Zeineldin said.

After all three presenters were done, a question and answer session was hosted where attendees could ask questions to all of them at once.

One attendee asked, “There was a huge increase in the number of Jewish immigrants before 1948 - why was that?”

Shaindlinger said this is in part due to antisemitic hostility in Europe following World War II, as well as the U.S. and Canada refusing to accept Jewish immigrants.

One attendee asked, “What are the education opportunities available for young people in Gaza today?”

Zeineldin said all higher education institutions in Gaza have been destroyed by Israel, and all of them were young institutions.

Another attendee asked, “What can we do to try to stop the violence? Our next two possible presidential leaders don’t seem to want to truly address this. Our tax dollars are funding Israel’s military. Our political system seems to be in shambles. What do we do?”

Biasi suggested looking for local protests, adding there are many in Boston, donating to charities, calling local representatives, and joining boycotts against brands supporting Israel.

“Is it enough? Is it going to move the bar? I don’t know, and proba-

Be

Continued from Page 13

The last attendee-submitted question answered by the panel was, “The two-state solution seems to be a fantasy due to recent events. What is more realistic in your point of view for a solution to the conflict?”

All three panelists agreed that the two-state solution was never realistic.

Zeineldin said the Israeli-Palestinian conflict resembles South Africa during the apartheid era, which needed to be dissolved entirely in the end, and she believes the country needs a one-state secular solution where Jewish and Arab citizens are equal.

Shaindlinger added the dissolution of the apartheid was in many ways unsuccessful, but people can learn from the mistakes made then.

Biasi said, “As an American who I guess very foolishly thought that we all agreed on some level that secular liberal democracy is desirable … I have felt insane to see people say that Jews need a state in order to be safe.

We see Biden repeat this consistently.

“Kind of scary considering he governs a number of Jews who he is telling, ‘You are not safe,’” they added.

The second event in the “Series on Peace and Justice and Israel/Palestine,” titled “Untangling the Discourse: Exploring Complex Terms in the Israeli-Palestinian Context,” will be hosted at 4:30 p.m. April 16 in the Heineman Ecumenical Center and over Zoom.

CONNECT WITH RAENA DOTY

rdoty@student.framingham.edu

ly to the manga, with a couple of minor changes. This was a trend in the early ’90s, with “City Hunter” and “Crying Freeman” being two other manga turned live-action adaptations in Hong Kong.

Neither managed to achieve the same level of quality or staying power that “Riki-Oh” enjoys, although the “City Hunter” movie stars Jackie Chan and can be a fun time with some friends.

“Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky” is an absurd film that, despite its rocky release, has endured as a symbol of creative expression and freedom since 1991. Its signature style, overthe-top gore, endearing protagonist, and phenomenal direction have only added to its credibility and elevated it from a cult film to a hidden gem in the vast world of cinema.

While those sensitive to violence should steer clear, anyone brave enough to venture forth with this film will find something much better than they initially bargained for. My advice, give it a try, it might become one of your favorites.

“Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky” is streaming exclusively on The Criterion Channel, otherwise it must be purchased on Blu-Ray or DVD.

CONNECT WITH OWEN GLANCY

oglancy@student.framingham.edu

ARTS & FEATURES

MARCH 8, 2024 | 17

And the winners should be… 2024 Edition Best Visual Effects

By Jack McLaughlin Arts & Features Editor It’s always remarkable what you can do with a small budget for VFX, like what was done in “Godzilla: Minus One,” but it’s also just as impressive when you have a lot of money put into VFX and it shows.

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” was one of the best blockbusters last summer, seemingly a fluke in the midst of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) slowly losing its audience. One of the biggest aspects that separated it from its fellow MCU films was the visual presentation.

The character Rocket Raccoon is without a doubt the emotional backbone of this film, and is entirely computer generated. The crew behind

the VFX did an excellent job telling this character’s story visually with the best effects that the MCU has had since “Infinity War.” Even the practical effects look incredible. From the sets to the design of The High Evolutionary, this movie is a visual feast for the eyes.

This was one of my favorite films of last year, and its VFX goes above and beyond to tell a satisfying and emotionally compelling story.

By Owen Glancy Asst. Arts & Features Editor The best visual effects Oscar is typically awarded to a big American blockbuster, whether it be a giant scifi epic, or the latest superhero film.

It is incredibly rare to see a foreign film, let alone one made on a budget of only $15 million get nominated.

What “Godzilla: Minus One” is able to achieve with such limited resources is frankly astonishing. Whether it’s seeing the iconic monster destroying Ginza or simply watching him swim toward boats, it all looks excellent.

“Godzilla” as a franchise has always been synonymous with special effects, especially practical effects.

While this film does away with the classic rubber-suit Godzilla is known

for, the tradeoff is a more flexible, realistic, and menacing monster than ever before.

While it isn’t the only film from this year to have incredible CG effects - “The Creator” and “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” come to mind it’s the only one where the CG went above and beyond expectations to deliver something both entertaining and memorable.

Even if some of the other nominees look just as good as “Godzilla: Minus One,” none of them deserve it nearly as much. This film managed to compete with and surpass big budget Hollywood franchise films with a fraction of the money. If that doesn’t deserve recognition, I don’t know what does.

Best Animated Feature

By Jack McLaughlin Arts & Features Editor “The Boy and the Heron” could have been the more narratively satisfying story, but “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” pushed the medium of animation to what feels like its absolute limit.

From the first frame, the electrifying style of this movie is present and each scene looks undeniably gorgeous. The story explores Miles Morales even deeper as a character while simultaneously giving us a host of new spider-people to latch onto, while keeping some from the first movie.

For fans of animation and the titular web-slinger, it is jam-packed with so many little details to love like its

score, script, and performances.

The Spot (Jason Schwartzman) easily became one of the best onscreen villains for Spidey, mixing both a hilarious and terrifying presence with one of the coolest designs of a Marvel villain put to screen.

Metro Boomin’s original soundtrack for the film is used to enhance many of the scenes, especially the track “Am I Dreaming” being the song for the credits.

The rather abrupt ending is divisive, with many arguing it feels like “part one” of a larger narrative. I felt the ending, while quite literally leaving the audience hanging, is simply set up for what will likely be an even crazier conclusion but gives you enough for a relatively satisfying ending.

By Owen Glancy Asst. Arts & Features Editor The year 2023 was undoubtedly amazing for animated films, from “Nimona” finally releasing, to “Blue Giant” adapting a classic manga into a new animated classic. However, the two that stand at the pinnacle of these films are “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” and “The Boy and the Heron.” Of them, “The Boy and the Heron” is the superior film.

Hayao Miyazaki finally came out of his 10-year retirement to create another masterpiece, and it feels like he never left. The film is not only beautiful from a technical standpoint, but from a story-telling perspective as well.

This film tells such a mature and

complete story in only two hours, something that for as good as “Spider-Verse” was, even it could not manage.

Every character is extremely memorable, and voiced to perfection in both English and Japanese. For most anime films, the English dub is so bad it’s not even worth bringing up. However, here it legitimately might be just as good as the original Japanese version.

“The Boy and the Heron” accomplishes the incredible feat of being better than nearly every single film that came out last year, including many of the Best Picture nominees.

While its competitors are good, this is the only film from that bunch that truly goes above and beyond.

Best Picture

By Jack McLaughlin Arts & Features Editor So many fantastic movies came out last year, but even after my first viewing of “Oppenheimer” in July, I was positive this was going to be Christopher Nolan’s first Best Picture winner.

I’m someone that would identify as a strong criticizer of Nolan’s body of work, especially his more recent films. “Oppenheimer” did the unthinkable and made me downright love a Nolan film, something I never thought would be possible after “The Dark Knight.”

The cast is stacked with incredible performances, which is led by Cillian Murphy’s killer lead role.

Other amazing additions to the cast include Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, and Matt Damon, amongst a countless number of others.

CONNECT WITH JACK MCLAUGHLIN

jmclaughlin7@student.framingham.edu

Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema continues to prove himself to be one of the best in the industry.

Every shot looks beautiful and is accompanied by a stellar score from Ludwig Göransson.

While the leadup to the Trinity Test was riveting, it’s the last hour where the fallout and ramifications of creating a weapon like this are explored is where this movie is at its absolute peak.

I never thought I’d say this, but Nolan pulled off an amazing feat with “Oppenheimer” and I think it has the best shot of Best Picture this year.

By Owen Glancy Asst. Arts & Features Editor The Best Picture Oscar is simultaneously the most prestigious and most contentious award every year.

With a few exceptions, it always feels like the academy selects the most bythe-books safe pick for this award, regardless of what actually deserved it.

Last year, we saw “Everything, Everywhere, All at Once” win this award.

That was a weird film that in any other year, the academy would not have normally picked. This year, there is another strange film that deserves as many accolades as it can get.

“Poor Things” is a genuine masterpiece. The set design is absolutely gorgeous, the score is memorable and masterful, the characters are both sympathetic and quirky, and the story is simultaneously empowering and tragic. It’s everything you could ask for in a film,

rolled into one.

Rarely with feminist films these days do the protagonist and messages come across as powerful as intended. Oftentimes we get impossibly perfect female protagonists who only further detach themselves from the audience.

Here, we get a real person. Bella Baxter is flawed and not exactly the ideal role-model. However, because of her realism, we can relate to her and her feminist ideas and actions.

In a year full of excellent films made by some of the best filmmakers of all time, “Poor Things” stands out as, in my opinion, the only one to push the medium further and really challenge both the filmmakers and audience.

CONNECT WITH OWEN GLANCY

oglancy@student.framingham.edu

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18 | MARCH 8, 2024

ARTS & FEATURES

‘Lisa Frankenstein’ - bringing camp back from the dead

By Emily Monaco Editorial Staff

The film “Lisa Frankenstein” was released just in time for Valentine’s Day. The comedy-horror was directed by Zelda Williams, the daughter of famous comedian and actor Robin Williams, and written by Diablo Cody, writer of “Jennifer’s Body.” These two talented women came together to create an instant cult classic.

Perfectly campy in every way, the film is set in 1989 and centers around high school senior Lisa Swallow (Kathryn Newton). Lisa is still getting acquainted with her new school and new family after witnessing the gruesome murder of her mother.

Throughout the film, instead of sympathy and compassion, everyone brushes off her trauma and expects her to get over it.

Playfully referred to as a “comingof-rage-story” on its IMDb page, “Lisa Frankenstein” captures the struggle and awkwardness of a teenage girl growing into herself.

She starts so shy and quiet and becomes this ultimately unforgiving goth babe. The character development of each role in the film is phenomenal.

Lisa is not like other girls, I know how that sounds, but it’s true.

How many girls spend their time in a graveyard hyper-fixating on the spe-

cific grave of a young Victorian man?

She’s so weird, and I love her for that.

Tucked away and scolded by her new stepmother, she unknowingly makes a wish to bring the deceased man back from the dead.

Creature, played by Cole Sprouse who is known for his role in “The Suite Life of Zach & Cody,” finds Lisa and the two begin an odd, but touching relationship together.

This is one of those movies where moral justification is a prevalent theme. The people who deserve to get what’s coming to them actually do which is so refreshing for a film these days. How often do you watch a movie and see instant justification via an axe? Not often.

The set design alone is enough to blow you away - everything is authentically ’80s. It has something for everybody to enjoy. From the pastel bathrooms to the poster-scattered walls and Walkmans galore, “Lisa Frankenstein” perfectly captures pop culture from the late ’80s.

The costumes are so attentive to detail. My personal favorite is the one she wears toward the end of the film.

A big beautiful black costume made of tulle mimicking that of a Victorian dress while also staying true to being so totally retro.

The creativity of the director and the film should also be praised.

Specifically, the opening credit scene is entirely animated. The amount of time it must have taken them to animate such a beautiful backstory for Creature must be acknowledged and appreciated.

Williams’ past directorial projects include short films such as “Shrimp” and “Kappa Kappa Die.” She also has been acting since 1994 in various films, music videos, and TV series.

“Lisa Frankenstein” is her first ever feature-length film.

Although receiving a 6.2/10 on IMDb, audiences have taken to social media platforms such as TikTok t o share their overall love for the film. Most fans rave about the good qualities such as engaging storytelling with creative writing and the elements of horror that don’t overwhelm the major plot points of the film.

You will laugh, you will cry, and periodically, feel second-hand embarrassment for each character.

The film’s fanbase will argue that this movie is underappreciated and I wholeheartedly agree.

This is the kind of film that won’t be appreciated until five years after it has been released. It is a much-needed experience for audiences - it is just overall silly. We need more silly films - the industry is over-saturated with serious topics and remakes.

If you haven’t yet seen it, it is an absolute must-watch. A film to die for.

Emily Monaco / THE GATEPOST

Rating: A

+

10/10 w ould rise from the dead to s ee again

CONNECT WITH EMILY MONACO

emonaco@student.framingham.edu

‘The Indigo Disk’ - the school-sponsored fight club

By Paul Harrington Staff Writer

If you thought the school trip ended in Kitakami, then you must have misread the permission slip!

“The Indigo Disk,” the second half of the “Pokémon Scarlet and Violet” DLC “The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero,” which was released in December 2023, is a substantial step forward from “The Teal Mask” in terms of content and difficulty, and is just the right challenge this game needed.

This second part was advertised to players as the follow up to “The Teal Mask” and expanded upon the introduced characters of Kitakami and established conflicts in the first half.

The second half of the academy field trip follows the player being hosted as a guest at the Blueberry Academy for an exchange program.

The artificial biomes of Blueberry Academy sets up four to explore.

These each hold different Pokémon based on climates as follows - a beach biome, a rigid mountain, a sweltering hot savannah, and the Antarctic.

As soon as the player enters, they are immersed into the culture of Blueberry Academy, which focuses only on the concept of battles. The dedication to battle culture is incorporated into the curriculum, the method of battling done by students, and also the teams curated by trainers.

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The main reason trainers attend ing “one with the Pokémon” players this school is to have a shot at the BB can run around the map as the selectLeague challenge in hopes of becom- ed Pokémon, and can engage in fights with wild Pokémon. ing champion.

The biggest drawback to this feaThe Blueberry League Elite Four consists of five trainers, with four tri- ture is that you can only use it in the als you can do in any order, and a riv- Blueberry Academy overworld - but eting champion battle to wrap up the it’s nothing to lose sleep over.

Another mechanic that was long story. overdue - and should have The trial chalbeen in the base game lenges before Elite is the return of LegendFour matches are ary Pokémon in the all diverse from one overworld. another and do not feel D o i n g similar to each other in in-game terms of content. The q u e s t s one that stuck with me known as Bluethe most was my fiberry Quests nal trial with the Elite (BBQs) and Four Member Drayton. ranking up the Drayton’s challenge number of comis so simple because it is pleted quests aljust a battle. But before you get your hopes up, you then Kyle Walker / THE GATEPOST lows players to obtain legendary learn that you can only use Pokémon you have caught during treats to then summon Legendary your time here. This prompts players Pokémon.

Though the average fan probably to think outside the box and try out transferred all their Legendaries in different teams.

Aside from the fighting frenzy of from previous games, they canBlueberry Academy, there are a lot of not deny that two is always better returning Pokémon and mechanics for than one.

The quintessential core to the players to use during their time here.

The feature that I found myself using journey of a Pokémon trainer is their the most would easily be the Synchro starter Pokémon. The ability to catch starter Pokémon in the overworld is Machine.

By doing an in-game questline, you one that pushed me to originally buy unlock this feature which allows you it.

The ability to transfer Pokémon to play as your Pokémon. By becom-

from past games into this current generation makes me feel more connected than ever to my previous journeys through the various regions. To see them with badges of valor is amazing.

“The Indigo Disk” is then complimented by a free epilogue titled “Mochi Mayhem.” This hour of content is sure to make even the most serious players laugh.

Players are invited back to Kitakami with their friends from Paldea.

But it seems everyone in the town has been possessed by the new Mythical Pokémon Pecharunt’s “mythical mochi.” Players go through various battles to save the day. Though short, this epilogue was a fun way to wrap things up.

Overall, the trip to Blueberry Academy was refreshing, and created enjoyable challenges with leeway for flexibility in creating teams. I still think that with a little more polishing, this could have been an A+.

Rating: A ‘The Indigo Disk’ was super effective

CONNECT WITH PAUL HARRINGTON pharrington@student.framingham.edu

ARTS & FEATURES

MARCH 8, 2024 | 19

‘HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES’ - looks like we all get the picture

By Dan Lima Staff Writer Throughout their 43-year-career span, Chicago’s Ministry have made quite a name for themselves in the music business.

From their humble beginnings in the new wave movement to becoming one of the founding acts of the industrial metal subgenre, the six have formed one of the most innovative and influential groups of their time. They have influenced future artists with landmark releases such as 1988s “The Land of Rape and Honey” and 1992s “Psalm 69.”

The 2020s saw a new beginning for them with their 2021 album “Moral Hygiene,” receiving high praise as “a step in the right direction” in comparison with their outputs from the past decade - particularly, “AmeriKKKant” from 2018.

Their latest release “HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES,” starts the month with their ongoing relentless tirade against the alt-right, internet trolls, and the powers that be with their destructive blend of crunchy guitars, flashing synthesizers, and warping samples.

While “Moral Hygiene” did leave an impression on me - mostly for its theme rather than its music - I

Puzzles

ACROSS 1. “Bring on the weekend!”

5. Provide with funding 10. Relative of jelly 13. Toward Antarctica’s pole 14. Mattress brand 15. One, in Montreal 16. Small map add-on 17. *1994 legal thriller starring Susan Sarandon 19. *UNICEF or the Red Cross, briefly 21. Term of address 22. Sly __ fox 23. Neighbor of Can. 26. Hybrid instruments with shoulder straps 30. Outpourings 32. Like the “Illiad” or “Odyssey” 33. Dried poblano pepper 36. Telling lies... or a hint to interpreting the starred clues’ answers 42. Name hiding in “cast a shadow”

wouldn’t rank it high on my list of favorite Ministry albums.

That is not the case for “HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES,” however, as it builds upon and improves what was started in its predecessor with a little more variety sprinkled in.

Despite the rather poor lyricism and acknowledging the fact that the group is past their prime, I would give this album a pretty high score overall.

I would say this album is more worthy of being labeled as “their best since 2006’s ‘Rio Grande Blood’” than “Moral Hygiene” was. All thanks to its vicious attack of sharp guitar riffs, massive electronics, pulsating bass, powerful drumming, and frontman Al Jourgensen’s robotic shouts of protest against the corrupt with power, and the corrupt without power.

The opener “B.D.E” and leading single “Goddamn White Trash’’ set the tone with their hammering catchiness and energy composed of synths and guitars paired with resentment toward right-wingers.

That same intensity is cranked to 11 on the fun nonsense that is “TV Song 1/6 Edition” with its glitchy, sample-fueled, thrashy power.

There is still affinity for groove and danceability to be found. Some examples are the third track “Just Stop Oil,” a climate activist banger with a disco

feel reminiscent of their 1989 single “Burning Inside,” and the track “It’s Not Pretty” which contains subtle brass and string additions to go along with its festive force.

The arena-rock sound on the album that Jourgensen teased back in 2021 is noticeable in tracks like “Aryan Embarrassment,” the former containing a feature from punk-rock ambassador Jello Biafra, and the anti-corporation anthem “New Religion.”

Both of these tracks contain a massive sound delivered by both the guitar/synth composition and pro-duc tion, resulting in a powerful and hard-hitting experience.

But there is more to this album than just loud, cranky heavy metal.

“Cult Of Suffering” sees Gogol Bordello’s main man Eugene Hütz take over the microphone for this soulful anti-war tune with gracious backing vocals and smooth grooves akin to the classic “Why Can’t We Be Friends?” by War. The album closes with a modernized, guitar-driven cover of synth-pop classic “Ricky’s Hand” by Fab Gadget, which is a nice tribute to the band’s origins.

Overall, I’d say Uncle Al and his friends have made quite the recovery from their musical fallout and it shows. “HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES”

43. Yogi who said, “The future ain’t what it used to be” 44. Led, as a group 48. “For real!”

50. Regarding 51. Archer’s skill 54. “Sister Wives” network 55. Word before “mall” or “poker” 57. *NBA team that won the 2016 championship 62. *”I’m serious!”

64. Fix firmly 65. Kylo ___ 66. Applies messily 67. Program for streaming shows 68. Meditation syllables 69. Patron of a March celebration, informally 70. Art ___ (building style) DOWN 1. Musical sound 2. It really blows!

3. Repeated 4. *Has fun on a windy day 5. This, in Mexico 6. First P.M. of India 7. Leftovers in a wine bottle 8. How Advil is sold, for short 9. Power unit 10. *Romeo’s love interest 11. Founder of the Shakers 12. They’re longer than yards 13. Knight’s 21-Across 18. Costa ___ 20. A ways 24. Tennis great Arthur 26. Soviet intelligence org.

27. Before, in verse 28. Currency that’s also a synonym of “desire” 29. Droops 31. *Like some pigs 34. High degree 35. Indian tea 37. Absolutely nothing

is about everything you could expect from Ministry - political preaching over barking guitars and punchy keys, creating the soundtrack to the hysteria running rampant across the world.

Ironically, it feeds hope to their masses of fans that more quality music is set to release in the near future.

It’s not as good of an introduction to the band as their earlier outputs are, but anybody familiar with them, or the genre itself, is bound to be fueled and amazed by this addition to their catalog.

If “Moral Hygiene” was a step in the right direction, “HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES” is a leap forward into strengthening Ministry’s reputation as champions in both the industrial and metal music fields.

Rating: A Yes, Al, I get the picture.

CONNECT WITH DAN LIMA dlima2@student.framingham.edu

38. Like alkali metals but not noble gases 39. Big vase 40. Lead-in to -dent or -angle 41. Santa’s is red and white 44. Play-Doh producer 45. Hold in high regard 46. *Beings from another world Puzzle solutions are now 47. “That’s an order!” exclusively online.

49. NYC transportation org.

52. Freeze over 53. Black ___ (deadly snake) 56. High degrees 58. One may be bulletproof 59. Temperature control acronym 60. Taken-back auto 61. Fuel additive brand 63. Large storage container

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PHOTOS

20 | MARCH 8, 2024

(Left) Lyell Castonguay and Professor Marc Cote placing a protective sheet over a fresh print at “Big Ink” March 6.

Adrien Gobin / THE GATEPOST Marc Cote applying ink to a woodblock at “Big Ink” March 5.

Meghan Spargo / THE GATEPOST Participants at “Big Ink” hanging up a print March 6.

Maddison Behringer / THE GATEPOST

Maddison Behringer / THE GATEPOST Carand Burnet applying ink to a woodblock at “Big Ink” March 6.

Adrien Gobin / THE GATEPOST Participants at “Big Ink” picking a print off of a woodblock March 5.

Meghan Spargo / THE GATEPOST Students looking at a print of Muhammad Ali at “Big Ink” March 6.

Spread by Associate Editor Maddison Behringer

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