15 minute read
PARKING PETITION pg
from March 6, 2020
by The Gatepost
By Evan Lee News Editor
A petition to allow resident students to park on campus during weekends was recently spread throughout social media by FSU students.
The petition was created in response to a campus-wide email issued by University Police stating the weekend parking policy.
According to the email, resident and commuter students can only park in the Salem End Lot between Friday evening at 3:00 p.m. and Sunday night at 11:00 p.m.
Students are never allowed to park in the faculty/staff parking lots of Normal Hill, A-Zone, O’Connor Hall, Bement, the Welcome Center Lot, Adams Lot, and Linsley Lot, the email stated.
The petition states, “For at least the minimum of the past 4 years,” students have been allowed to park in these lots. And now, University Police is attempting to enforce a rule that denies them the ability to do so.
Brad Medeiros, chief of University Police, told The Gatepost there has been no change to the weekend parking policy. Rather the email was intended to remind students that these policies are still in place.
The initial email caused confusion among students, who thought the parking policy was changing, and it was “not well received,” Medeiros said. University Police issued a second email to clarify the situation.
The weekend parking policy exists to ensure enough space is available for commuters and faculty to park when they arrive on Monday mornings, Medeiros explained.
When the rules have not been enforced, resident students have left their cars parked overnight and into the weekday period, he added.
Junior Shelby Corbin, who signed the petition, said, “I think that it’s hard for us to see so many close, open spots on campus.
“I know many of us juggle multiple jobs and school,” she added. “Having the convenience of a quick walk to your car to go to work after a full academic day would be one less thing for students to worry about.”
Junior Sarah Parker said, “While I would like to be able to park in the upper campus lots, I do understand why it’s not allowed.
“Students would definitely be more apt to leave their cars in those lots on Sunday nights, which would affect faculty parking.”
Recently, University Police has noticed an uptick in non-compliance with the parking policy, according to Medeiros.
Forty cars belonging to residents remained in the faculty/staff lots on Weather
Sunday night Mar. 8 Partly cloudy, low near 35. S winds around 5 mph.
Monday morning, Feb. 24, he said. This is in addition to 22 resident cars left parked overnight in the commuter lots that same day.
“It’s a very difficult situation in the morning when everyone is arriving and 40 spots are already taken,” Medeiros said.
“We don’t like to write tickets, and I’m sure nobody likes to receive them,” Medeiros said. “It would make it a lot easier if everyone just parked in their designated lots.”
The parking petition has received 1,672 signatures by The Gatepost’s print deadline. However, it is unclear how many signatures are from FSU students as the petition is public.
Safety was a common concern brought up in the petition comments, particularly when it comes to parking late at night.
Sophomore Autumn Nisby commented, “Sometimes, I work before 6 a.m. and after 11p.m. I do not want to walk miles around campus in the pitch black and feel unsafe.
“We pay 500 dollars for parking miles away - which is absurd,” she added. “On weekends, commuters are not at the school, so us parking behind our dorms makes sense. Professors are not here either, so not letting us park here doesn’t make any sense at all.”
She concluded, “Feeling unsafe on
Courtesy of change.org
-Autumn Nisby, sophomore
my own college campus SHOULDN’T be the case.”
Medeiros maintained, “We have a safe campus.” He added the RamTram and police escort are available options for students who must park off campus to the Union, Franklin, and Maple lots between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m. on weekends.
STC Dispatch can be reached at 508- 215-5920. The last calls are honored at 1:45 a.m.
University Police also offers a safe
-Sarah Parker, junior
pervisor on duty before 2:00 a.m. as well, according to Medeiros.
However, “We can’t have University Police used as a taxi service,” Medeiros said. University Police requests that the escort service only be used “when absolutely necessary and when no other options are available,” according to its website.
Regarding the current parking policy, Medeiros said, “Anything is up for discussion.”
It is a topic of concern for the University’s Parking Committee and one that Medeiros said he expects to be brought up at the upcoming Administrators’ Forum March 10.
University Police does not receive any revenue from the parking tickets it issues, Medeiros added. The proceeds are used to fund scholarships for students.
According to Vice President Dale Hamel, approximately $100,000 of the current fiscal year’s financial aid budget is funded through parking ticket net revenues.
[Editor’s Note: Associate Editor Cara McCarthy contributed to this article]
after dark.
The Student Transportation Center (STC) offers an on-call dispatch service
Monday night Mar. 9 Patch fog, mostly cloudy. Low near 40 SW winds around 5 mph.
ty escort service from 2:00 a.m. until dawn every day. Special arrangements for an escort can be made with the suCONNECT WITH EVAN LEE elee5@student.framingham.edu
Wednesday Mar. 11 Partly sunny, high near 55. NW winds around 5 mph. Thursday Mar. 12 30% chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy, high near 45. NE winds around 5 mph. Forecast provided by the National Weather Service www.weather.gov Tuesday night Mar. 10 50% chance of showers. Patchy fog, mostly cloudy. Low near 40. SW winds around 5 mph. Wednesday night Mar. 11 40% chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy, low near 35. NE winds around 5 mph.
By Leighah Beausoleil Asst. News Editor
By Dan Fuentes Staff Writer
Six funding requests and changes to the SGA constitution were approved during its meeting March 3. The Onyx art and literary magazine requested funding for the printing of this semester’s issue and its launch party.
The funded items include stickers, refreshments for the party, decorations, and between 200 and 250 printed copies of the magazine, according to Olivia Banks, Onyx president.
The Onyx was approved for the full amount of $2,350.
The Students of Caribbean Ancestry (SOCA) requested $2,100.43 to fund their Caribbean themed carnival party.
The funded amount will pay for the cost of the DJ, decorations, and lighting rentals.
Jennae Herbert, president of SOCA, told SGA that carnival time “is a cultural celebration - a historical celebration - that is important to us because it signifies emancipation and freedom.
“It is celebrated every year within the Caribbean communities, and we wanted to have a party to help celebrate and signify that for students who wanted to participate in those activities on campus,” she added.
SOCA’s request was approved for the full amount.
Black Student Union (BSU) requested a funding amount of $1,347.40 for their Culture Show.
The total amount will go to pay for flags, water bottles, performers, prizes, shirts, and a backdrop for pictures and future events.
Danielle Shaw, SGA outreach and events coordinator, proposed amending the request to only allow FSU students to receive water bottles due to SGA bylaws.
BSU agreed to the amendment, and the request was approved for the full amount.
M.I.S.S. presented three different funding requests for their M.I.S.S. Madness week.
The first request was for Cirque Du M.I.S.S., a circus-themed event that will be replacing the club’s annual carnival.
M.I.S.S. requested $11,441.21 for Sodexo catering, SilverScreen design for new merchandise, a DJ, and supplies from Amazon.
Mariah Farris, SGA senator and vice president of M.I.S.S., said, “I know there are four items and that’s a few more than average, but we got an extremely good deal, so it’s 100 to 150 of each item.”
“We haven’t had merch at all since
September 2018 because we have been able to stretch our merch and be able to make what we have last,” she said.
The amount requested was approved in full.
The second M.I.S.S. funding request of $1,386.50 was for its dodgeball tournament.
The funding includes the purchasing of food - including hamburgers and hot dogs - supplies and prizes from Amazon.
According to M.I.S.S. members, there is a sign-up page on Ramlink. There are six teams of six people with one being the team leader.
This amount was also approved in full.
The last funding request was for their new “Wild ‘n Out” event for a total of $114.47.
The funding includes the purchasing of buzzers and T-shirts from Amazon.
The third and final M.I.S.S. funding request was approved in full.
SGA Vice President Abigail Salvucci and SGA President Matty Bennet presented new amendments to the SGA constitution to be approved for the 2020-21 academic year.
These amendments were all approved.
Of those amendments the most notable include the removal of the publicist and recruitment coordinator.
Salvucci said after much discussion, she and Bennet decided to remove the position due to insufficient tasks to give to the appointed member.
The position’s tasks will now be divided between the secretary and president.
They also presented a new position for their eBoard, a diversity and inclusion officer.
The position entails coordinating one event per semester, working with affinity groups, student organizations on campus, and meeting with other members of FSU faculty and staff to discuss diversity.
Bennet said, “It’s an eBoard position that I think is long overdue for student government. I worked really closely with Connie to draft this position because I wanted input from her. This is her wheelhouse.”
Connie Cabello is the vice president for diversity, inclusion, and community engagement.
Ewnie Fedna was appointed by SGA members as a new senator-at-large. The “U-Rock” award was presented to Salvucci.
CONNECT WITH LEIGHAH BEAUSOLEIL lbeausoleil@student.framingham.edu
CONNECT WITH DAN FUENTES dfuentes@student.framingham.edu
By Leighah Beausoleil Asst. News Editor
Yumi Huntington Park, an art history professor, will be the new Arts & Ideas series coordinator beginning fall 2020, according to an email from Scott Greenberg, associate provost.
Lisa Eck, the current coordinator, said she will be stepping down to run for chair of the English Department. Arts & Ideas is a series of speakers, performers, exhibits, and films that take place throughout each academic year based around a theme, according to the University’s website.
Eck has coordinated the program since she revamped it from the “Arts & Humanities” series in 2013.
“I loved every moment of it,” Eck said. “They have become a part of my DNA as a thinker, expanded my worldview, and enlivened my teaching.” Park has been a member of the series committee since spring 2018.
“Dr. Park shares my philosophy that co-curricular events are a central part of the college experience,” Eck added. “Coming together to explore arts and ideas as a community is what college campuses are all about!”
Park said, “Dr. Lisa Eck has already developed the Arts & Ideas series into an extremely dynamic program by including so many different disciplines, students, and FSU communities of faculty and staff.
“I feel extremely honored to be in a position to carry on her legacy,” she added.
Park said the series for 2020-21 will be organized around the theme of “The Public Self: Citizen as Change Agent.”
“Because 2020 is an election year, Coronavirus
Arts & Ideas will focus on considering how members of the FSU community define their public selves and how we can civilly and productively engage with the broader public,” she added.
Park said she envisions the series becoming broader, and to include STEM, business, and education disciplines - which was previously suggested by Eck.
She said she would also like to see more student club representatives involved in the event-planning process.
“By listening to students’ voices, we will encourage people to come together across colleges and disciplines, fostering interactions between students, faculty, staff, and other members of the FSU community,” Park added.
President F. Javier Cevallos said, “Dr. Eck has been the heart and soul of the Arts & Ideas series since before I arrived at Framingham State University. … I am so grateful for her service to FSU in this capacity.”
Cevallos added he believes Park will “bring a lot of passion and energy to next year’s program.”
Cevallos, Eck, and Park all encourage students to get engaged with the series and attend the events.
Eck said, “Everyone thinks they are too busy, but the series will feed you in ways that motivate you and energize you.”
She added, “Take advantage of the intellectual life on this campus and you won’t regret it!”
CONNECT WITH LEIGHAH BEAUSOLEIL lbeausoleil@student.framingham.edu
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CONNECT WITH CAROLINE GORDON cgordon4@student.framingham.edu decisions on the best information available,” said Nowak.
She also provided a link to the Centers for Disease Control and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health websites.
The COVID-19 Coronavirus is an upper-respiratory disease that originated in Wuhan, China and has spread internationally.
A UMass Boston student was the first person in Massachusetts with a confirmed case of the virus.
According to NBC Boston, there are over 250 people in Massachusetts who are self-quarantined.
The CDC has categorized the virus as a public health emergency.
Students need to be cautious since people are living in close quarters, and our campus environment makes it easier for one to catch an illness, according to Ilene Hofrenning, Health Center director.
“People are eating, living in dorms, and going to classes together, making it easy to contract viruses,” she added.
Hofrenning said she is working with other schools to prevent the spread of Coronavirus.
“I belong to a group called College Health Association of Directors, Administrators, and Nurse Directors. We meet once a month and stay in contact through email,” said Hofrenning.
“Framingham State has a pandemic preparedness plan, and we are updating that considering the Coronavirus,” she said. “If there was an outbreak on campus, we would know how to communicate with the students, how to isolate infected students, and how to provide medical attention.”
The Coronavirus is considered dangerous because there is little known about the disease and it is contagious.
“The fact that it is so easily transmissible from person to person is scary. Also, we don’t know exactly how it is transmitted or the duration of the incubation period, though we can make good guesses,” said Hofrenning. “Being transmitted from animals to humans is another concerning aspect.”
Hofrenning dismissed the use ofmedical masks as a method for avoiding the disease.
“Masks are not recommended by the CDC. Once a mask gets wet and you breathe air, it is humidified. Once it gets damp, viruses can sneak through. You also must take the mask off for eating and other instances. They kind of give you a false sense of security,” said Hofrenning.
Lorretta Holloway, vice president for enrollment and student development, told The Gatepost the Health Center reached out to those who could have travelled to China.
“In January, the Health Center talked to the director of International Programs to get a list of people who have travelled over the winter break - particularly, people who travelled to China,” said Holloway.
“We reached out to a list of students who studied abroad, who lived in China, or might have travelled to China. The Health Center emailed all of those students just to let them know what they need to be doing before they go back to campus,” she added.
“There’s a general protocol for communicable diseases,” Holloway said.
She said the University would track an infected student’s class schedule, campus involvement, and whether they are a commuter or resident to help the University develop a response.
Holloway said since athletes travel more than most students during spring break, they are at a higher risk of contracting Coronavirus.
“I went to talk to the director of athletics to see if NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) has issued any advisories about domestic travel, because athletes travel the most of students domestically,” said Holloway. “We are making sure people are informed and are taking care of themselves - not just students - but everyone in the campus community.” Academic Affairs has a plan in place for students studying abroad.
“Academic Affairs is working on a plan where if a student comes back and their program is not providing them with an online class, we can figure out how we can do directed study with them. It’s not their fault this once-in-a-lifetime outbreak is going to get them behind a semester,” said Holloway.
Cevallos said the University has a plan in place for an epidemic.
“It was a plan that started in 2013 when we had the H1N1 virus, so we have the contingency plans in place,” he said. “There is an emergency management team that meets on a regular basis and updates those things.” The president said the University is advising students who are studying abroad to return.
“We have sent emails to students studying abroad with advice to, ‘Please, come back,’ and that’s specifically been for students in Italy. I think we have 12 students in Italy. Some of them are already back, and some of them will be coming back.
Cevallos said the University advised students to come back, but cannot force them to return. Graphic by Kathleen Moore, Information courtesy of Framingham State
