‘Croquet & Coquette’ at sunset
By Dylan Pichnarcik
Associate Editor
Nelson Peña de Jesús, president of Nestlé USA’s Global Culinary Kitchen, has withdrawn as the 2026 Undergraduate Commencement keynote speaker, according to President Nancy Niemi.
In an email sent to the University community, Niemi said Peña de Jesús withdrew after
expressing “concern that the attention surrounding his participation could distract from what should be a joyful and celebratory moment for the Class of 2026.”
She added, “Our focus remains where it belongs - on honoring the achievements of our students and celebrating all they have accomplished.”
University officials are now working to identify a new
speaker for the ceremony.
Peña de Jesús was announced as the 2026 Undergraduate Commencement speaker in an email from Niemi on March 26.
Following the announcement, students and community members expressed concern about the decision, including six individuals who wrote a letter to the editor of The MetroWest Daily News.
By Francisco Omar Fernandez Rodriguez Arts & Features Editor
Fresh Check Day was hosted in the McCarthy Center forum on April 8. Several groups ran tables, including Wellness & Prevention, SEALS, the Counseling Center, and many more.
Pamela Lehmberg, director of Wellness & Prevention, said Fresh Check Day is an annual fair about mental health.
“It’s a way for people to increase their understanding of resources available on campus and locally,” Lehmberg said.
The fair helps promote mental health and suicide prevention, she said.
“It’s a way to destigmatize seeking help,” Lehmberg said.
Nicholas Marinelli and Isabella Baldino, a program specialist and program coordinator from Connecticut Children’s Office for Community Child Health, said they are part of the Fresh Check Day programs team.
Marinelli said, “It’s a mental health awareness and suicide prevention program for college campuses.”
They help students learn about the available resources for them, and they teach what are some of the “risk factors” students can identify in their peers, he said.
Onyx Lovely / THE GATEPOST
(Left) Samantha Swenson, Emily Crossin, and Emma-Claire Vanderslice chatting over their tea at the Fashion Club Tea Party on April 8.
Adrien Gobin / THE GATEPOST
(Left) sophomore Reese Neale and senior Meghan Johnston petting Belle, one of the therapy dogs at Fresh Check Day on April 8.
E ditorial Board
Editor-in-Chief
Sophia Oppedisano
Associate Editors
Adrien Gobin
Dylan Pichnarcik
Multimedia Editor
Antonio Machado
Copy Editor
Cole Johnson
News Editor
Bella Grimaldi
Asst. News Editor
Avery Slavin
Opinions Editor
Izayah Morgan
Sports Editor
Izabela Gage
Asst. Sports Editor
Taylor Kimmell
Arts & Features Editor
Francisco Omar Fernandez Rodriguez
Sarah Daponde
Photos & Design Editor
Alexis Schlesinger
Asst. Photos & Design Editors
Christy Howland
Onyx Lovely
Illustrations Editor
Marcus Falcão
Staff Illustrators
Rileigh Kelley
Tobias Cotton-Selman
Staff Writers
Zaynab Ahmed
Jesse Burchill
Kristel Erguiza
Julien Fernandez
Paul Harrington
Dan Lima
Kate Norrish
Wenchell Pierre
Nathan Piette
Andrew Ramirez
Staff Photographers
Meg Dame
Advisor
Desmond McCarthy
Asst. Advisor
Elizabeth Banks
Graduate Advising Asst.
Emma Lyons
Gatepost Interview Emilce Cordeiro
World Languages Department Chair
By Bella Grimaldi News Editor
What is your academic and professional background?
My master’s degree is from Argentina, and it was in Argentinian literature - specifically about the authors who disappeared in my country during the dictatorship. The dictatorship was from 1976 until 1983. So then I moved to this country in 1998 and I ended up in the Philadelphia area. And I applied to Temple University and UPenn in Philadelphia. I was accepted into both, but Temple offered me a teaching assistant position and they paid for my tuition, so my selection was easy. I went to Temple, and from there, I got a PhD in 20th-century literature of the Southern Cone. In my PhD, I continued with the topic I started with my master’s. … At Temple, I was able to find materials that in Argentina I couldn’t because the military group destroyed many of the books, or people who had the books hid the books. … And then I moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, from Philadelphia, and I got a visiting position at Raymond Walters College - that is a branch of the University of Cincinnati. And they offered me a tenure-track position, but my family decided to move to Boston, and so I was not able to take that job. I ended up working at WPI - Worcester Polytechnic Institute - here in Massachusetts. I was a visiting professor there, until I saw an ad for a tenure-track position here at Framingham State, and I applied, and I got it.
What drew you to FSU?
Well, the fact that I was looking for a permanent position. And when I came to the interview, I enjoyed the faculty I met that day. And the fact that they gave me free range - so any initiative I had, or courses I propose - they said yes to everything. So for me, coming from other schools that were very rigid, I was able to basically do what I enjoy the most. So specifically, I proposed several courses dealing with films of Latin America about political issues, gender issues, controversial issues - so it was a no-brainer. I said yes immediately.
What inspired you to teach Spanish?
Well, I prepared myself to teach literature. But when I moved to this country, I started working
teaching the language first. So at Temple, I did both. I did training to teach the language - that is a completely different skill you need to have to teach your language. So basically, it was the need of the times. I needed a job, and I had to adjust my idea of what I wanted to do with the reality of the time when I came to this country. Then I enjoyed it so much that I continued teaching literature and culture classes and cinema classes, but at the same time teaching languages. And I really enjoy teaching the basic levels of the language. Not a lot of people like that, but I like to see how the students evolve from nothing to being able to talk, so I enjoy that a lot.
What are some of your hobbies or something students wouldn’t expect about you?
I dabble in many things. I enjoy swimming a lot - swimming in the ocean. That is, the ocean is my place in the world. I watch a lot of movies, and I go to the cinema and watch independent films every chance I have. And I belong to a book club and sometimes, I’m
taking drawing classes - painting classes.
What is your advice for students at FSU?
My advice to them, and I think everybody, every professor, says the same - is to talk to your professors - to communicate with them. When students are having problems, especially at the beginning, I always recommend talking to the professor. So, things can change if you talk. And also, I will say stop looking at your phones all the time, every time, every afternoon, when I go to my office, to my classroom, at the library - I pass through several classrooms and I see all the students waiting for the professors, looking at their phones, and I say, “What a waste! What a waste of opportunity to talk to the other students you have there in the classroom.”
Courtesy of Emilce Cordeiro
Administrators respond to student concerns about commencment
By Bella Grimaldi News Editor
SGA held their second Administrators’ Forum of the academic year, providing club representatives, among other students, with the opportunity to voice their campus concerns on April 7.
This year, the forum was structured differently, as there was time allotted for administrators to ask questions to students.
This new segment was in addition to the portion of the meeting at which Luke Yubeta, SGA student trustee, posed pre-submitted questions to the panel of administrators.
Each of these segments was allotted 20 minutes, followed by time for open forum questions or concerns from students.
The administrators in attendance included President Nancy Niemi; Provost Kristen Porter-Utley; Meg Nowak Borrego, vice president for Student Affairs; Robert Totino, vice president of Finance, Technology, and Administration; Iris Godes, vice president of Enrollment Management; Lorretta Holloway, vice president of Student Success; Jeffrey Coleman, vice president of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement; Eric Gustafson, vice president of Development and Alumni Relations; and Erin Nechipurenko, Vice President of Legal and Government Affairs.
Other members of executive offices who attended were Ryan Hacker, associate vice president of Facilities and Capital Projects; Glenn Cochran, assistant vice president of Student Affairs; Stephanie Crane, director of Residence Life and Housing; Michael Newmark, director of Dining Services; Carey Eggen, deputy director of Athletics; and FSUPD Sergeant Harpreet Singh.
Senior Ava Renée Gagne raised her concerns about the selection of the Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony speaker.
She said despite the withdrawal of the previously announced speaker, Nelson Peña de Jeśus, this is still an important matter to be discussed.
Peña de Jeśus, the president of the Global Culinary Kitchen with Nestlé, withdrew because of his “concern that the attention surrounding his participation could distract from what should be a joyful and celebratory moment for the Class of 2026,” according to an email from Niemi.
Gagne said, “Commencement speakers should celebrate academic achievement and the triumph of students from many walks of life who have overcome the odds and adversities to be here.
“I’m here to ask the administration to consider the implications of our choices of speakers going forward - what it signals about our values, especially,” she said.
Niemi responded, “I can’t argue with anything you said, and I don’t intend to.”
She said the motivation behind selecting Peña de Jeśus was to celebrate the legacy of Ruth Graves Wakefield, the creator of the chocolate chip cookie.
Niemi said, “I want to take responsibility for that. … The Commencement Committee had nothing to do with it.”
She said other potential speakers had turned down the offer. “Then Nestlé showed up and said, ‘Well, yes,’ and so that’s the path we took.”
She added, “I’ve been trying to get Nestlé’s attention, because I would like them to contribute to our University as a result of owning the recipe that we have.”
Niemi said the University is actively looking for a replacement speaker and she welcomes suggestions from members of the FSU community.
She said the main difficulties with finding a speaker is the University does not pay commencement speakers for their participation and there is now a time limit with commencement coming up on May 23.
“We’ll figure out how to have a commencement speaker worthy of your walking across the stage for,” said Niemi.
Yubeta said the first submitted question came from a student who was previously a commuter who asked if there was a way for the University to designate an area for students
Police Logs
Monday, April 6
10:21
Harassing Phone Calls, FSUPD
Monday, April 6
6:04
Fire Alarm, Miles Bibb Hall
who do not live on campus that is only accessible by ID.
Totino said this concern was raised in survey responses the University received when compiling the Campus Master Plan.
“We’re just starting to get our hands around this multi-page document, the Campus Master Plan, to help identify what would be a really good space for commuter students,” he said. “So we’re just starting to figure out what projects we’re going to be tackling in years 1, 2, etc., all the way through, but we know this is something that has to be identified to have a true space for commuter students.”
Yubeta said a student asked how elevator and security camera issues are being addressed.
Hacker said Facilities has worked to be more proactive about elevator malfunctions by having the University’s vendor stock extras of parts that commonly fail or break.
He added one of the main causes of elevator failures on campus is due to people holding the elevator without using the button to keep the doors open. “We’re going to look into [elevator] education - some signage.”
Hacker said the elevator door and track sensors get clogged with debris that can put the elevator out of service.
He said, “We actually did a training for our maintenance staff to be on the lookout to better clean those tracks.”
Nowak Borrego said, “The cameras are a group project” because the process of buying, setting up, and installing them across campus is a collaboration through different campus departments.
FSAB President Kira James asked, “How do we go about
telling people that there needs to be a camera somewhere?”
She said her club’s office in the McCarthy Center has had a couple of items stolen and she has filed reports through FSUPD about it.
Nowak Borrego said it is important to file a police report so there is documentation of where cameras are needed and can be installed over the summer.
She added if students suspect a camera is not working, to file a Facilities work order so the camera can be checked.
Yubeta said a student asked if it were possible for class schedules to be provided further in advance.
Porter-Utley said she has been trying to push for annual scheduling in Academic Affairs, in which schedules are made for the year instead of for the semester.
She said resource constraints are one of the problems with some classes needed for graduation not being offered every semester.
Niemi asked students what they would say to people at Accepted Students’ Day about their experience at FSU.
Students said the close-knit community, small class sizes, connections with professors and their enthusiasm for their work, and the commuter-friendly environment at the University are all reasons they have enjoyed their time at FSU.
Tuesday, April 7 1:42
Fire Alarm, Corinne Hall Towers
CONNECT WITH BELLA GRIMALDI igrimaldi@student.framingham.edu
Wednesday, April 8 10:49
Fire Alarm, Peirce Hall
Izabela Gage / THE GATEPOST
(Center) President Nancy Niemi discussing student concerns at SGA’s Admin Forum meeting on April 7.
CIE hosts discussion on Iran War
By Francisco Omar Fernandez Rodriguez Editorial Staff
The Center for Inclusive Excellence (CIE) hosted the discussion, “Beyond the Headlines: Making Sense of the Iran War,” on April 1.
David Keil, computer science professor, said the FSU Human Rights Group pushed for this discussion to take place.
The FSU Human Rights Group is a faculty, staff, and student group that studies and works on “meaningful action in the face of escalating existential global crises and their local manifestations,” according to Jonathan Martin, sociology and criminology professor.
Joseph Coelho, chair of the political science department, and Martin led the discussion.
Coelho said miscalculations and missed opportunities led to distrust between Iran and the United States, and when important events in the past shape the decision making for the path ahead, it is called “path dependency.”
“Sometimes, those decisions in the past and those events narrow what we can or cannot do in times of war,” Coelho said. A particularly important event in Iranian history was a coup in 1953.
Iran’s prime minister at the time, Mohammad Mosaddegh, won elections because he often spoke about nationalizing Iran’s oil, Coelho said. This, and the fact that Great Britain had been investing in Iran’s oil infrastructure, led to the United States’ CIA staging a coup which disrupted their government.
“The fact that the Americans overthrew a democratically elected government - that is really part of their national consciousness today,” Coelho said.
While the Shah was in power, Iran had good relations with both the United States and the Soviet Union, and they had one of the strongest militaries in the region because the United States trained Iran’s military at the time, he said.
Most Iranians alive today were not around during that time period, though. “About 70% are under the age of 30, so it’s a relatively young society, right? So a lot of them romanticize. They see pictures. They read about Iran during the era of the Shah,” Coelho said.
While Iran had a sense of “openness” to the rest of the world at the time, it was still an autocracy that didn’t sit right with their rising middle class, he said.
Leading up to the 1979 revolution, when Ruhollah Khomeini became Iran’s supreme religious leader, he spoke about women’s rights and keeping religious figures out of politics. However, once in office, he monopolized his power, Coelho said.
“A lot of those nice things he was talking about - none of those things materialized, as we know,” Coelho added.
The 1979 Iran hostage crisis, during which Iran took hostages from the American Embassy in Tehran, caused a rupture in relations between Iran and the United States, he said.
President Jimmy Carter struggled to get the hostages released, but as soon as President Ronald Reagan came into power, Iran released the hos-
tages in hopes of the new president adhering to their demands, Coelho said.
Reagan did not, and Iran viewed it as a betrayal, he said.
Khomeini’s regime was able to consolidate more power in the ’80s during the Iran-Iraq War.
During the war, the only country providing military support to Iran was Israel, which saw Iraq as the bigger threat to the region, Coelho said.
After this war and the Persian Gulf War, Iraq was seen as “neutralized,” and Iran started to antagonize Israel, he said.
Iran started to support organizations that engage in terrorism in the Middle East, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, he said.
Through these groups, they can “create tremendous amounts of destabilization in the region through its proxies,” Coelho said.
They saw Hamas as a “geopolitical opportunity to instrumentalize this conflict,” Coelho said.
After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, Iran offered intelligence to the United States, he said.
At this point, the Taliban and al-Qaida were adversaries to Iran, he said.
When President George W. Bush gave his speech about the “axis of evil,” he included Iran in that axis alongside Iraq and North Korea, Coelho said.
Coelho said that was, to him, a miscalculation because Iran was trying to help the United States with its “War on Terror.”
Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction, but they were still invaded and their ruler was killed, he said.
Libya gave up their nuclear program and their ruler was also killed, he said.
Coelho said North Korea accelerated its nuclear program, and now they have nuclear weapons that can reach the United States. Iran followed suit, seeing it as the only way to defend themselves, he said.
“It just makes rational sense for the Iranians to do this at this point,” Coelho added.
Martin said it is difficult to argue the United States and Israel’s war is “morally justified,” as the consensus among experts and even Trump’s own former director of national counterterrorism, Joe Kent, is there is not any evidence of an imminent
threat from Iran.
Kent resigned when the war in Iran started, he added.
Martin said negotiators reported before the war that Iran was willing to compromise, and then it was attacked.
Martin said, “This was a war of choice by the Trump Administration,” and it violates U.S. law because Congress didn’t approve it.
It also violates international law, which states it is only acceptable to attack a country in self defense, he said.
In the war, it has been “well documented that the U.S. and Israel have bombed quite a few hospitals, schools, civilian neighborhoods, killing thousands of people, many of them civilians,” Martin said.
The oil facilities in Tehran have also been bombed, releasing oil and toxic fumes into the water and air, he added.
“To me, it’s pretty clear that a strong case can be made that both the U.S. and Israel are guilty of serious war crimes,” Martin said.
To understand the causes of the war, it’s useful to understand right-wing authoritarianism and imperialism, he said.
Martin said Secretary of State Marco Rubio admitted the United States had to attack Iran because they needed to support Israel’s decision to attack.
Martin asked, “But why was Trump the first president to be able to be convinced by Israel to do this, even though some of his own military and intelligence people warned him against it?”
He said there is “clearly some overconfidence there.” Trump is a “president who is used to breaking the law and getting away with it, to be blunt about it.”
Martin said Trump instigated the insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, and pardoned involved individuals who contributed to the violence.
Trump also invaded Venezuela, kidnapped their leader, and wasn’t punished for that either, he said.
Another factor is “incompetence,” Martin said.
He said Trump admitted he didn’t know Iran was going to close the Strait of Hormuz and how it could affect the global economy.
Some of the top U.S. military leaders are there because of their loyalty to Trump rather than their experience, he said.
“I think there’s a side of the administration that was egging him on or agreeing with him because they’re yes men, because that’s who he hires,” Martin said.
Distracting citizens from growing discontent is another cause, he said.
The war is a way to pull focus away from various issues, such as the economy, the violence from ICE agents, Trump’s close connection to Jeffrey Epstein, and the upcoming midterm elections, he said.
“Possibly, there’s the desire to kind of generate a crisis. Trump has shown a willingness to do this, to create crises in order to use them as an excuse to further repress the population,” Martin said.
If the war accelerates and serious protests happen, Trump could use that “to invoke the Insurrection Act and possibly cancel the election,” Martin said.
Authoritarian leaders go to war to both maintain and expand their power despite increasing public opposition, he said.
“Trump is a classic right-wing authoritarian,” Martin said.
There are also longstanding factors that go beyond Trump, he said.
Throughout history, the U.S. has intervened militarily in other countries several times. “Our country has repeatedly invaded, bombed other countries, and instigated coups with questionable justification,” Martin said.
He said there is a pattern of the U.S. going to war over false justifications. The public is misled and initially supports the war, they stop supporting it when costs rise, and then they find out they were misled.
Often, it becomes clear in retrospect the real motivation was gaining political influence over a country and getting their valuable resources, he said.
“Not for the country as a whole, necessarily, but especially for our multinational corporations that are operating over there,” Martin said.
Also, war benefits the country’s military industry, which makes large profits off of war and has a “huge influence in Congress,” Martin added.
Onyx Lovely / THE GATEPOST
(Left) Professor Joseph Coelho and Professor David Kiel answering questions at the “Beyond the Headlines” discussion on April 1.
The life and legacy of former University President Paul Weller
By Sophia Oppedisano Editor-in-Chief
President Nancy Niemi notified the University community of the passing of former University President Paul Weller in an email April 3. Weller was the president of then Framingham State College from 1985 to 1996. He led the College through its 150th anniversary in 1989, oversaw the
brought us together.”
Niemi wrote in her email, “Those who knew him remember not only his leadership, but also his warmth, humor, and generosity of spirit. They describe a remarkable ability to connect with others and to create spaces where ideas - and people - could thrive.”
In an interview with The Gatepost, Niemi said although she did not have the opportu-
that he did.” The impact of projects such as the Arts & Humanities series and the McAuliffe Center and the way they have continued to “thrive” is proof of his lasting legacy on campus, she added.
Irene Porro, director of the Christa McAuliffe Center, said she is grateful to Weller for “understanding the impact the center had not only at the time, but for the future.”
door of Weller’s house. She said that was a particularly “edgy” thing to do, but Weller found their antics funny and handed them candy. “I think it was unusual at that time, when there was quite a distance between the leadership of a college and the students, that I felt I could walk into his office at any time, we could sit and have a conversation, and he would value my
“Those who knew him remember not only his leadership, but also his warmth, humor, and generosity of spirit.”
-
Nancy Niemi University President
creation of the Christa McAuliffe Center in 1986 following the Challenger disaster, and implemented the first Arts & Humanities series, according to Niemi’s email.
Weller received a BS in chemistry from the University of Illinois and went on to earn his PhD at Cornell University before embarking on a career in higher education. According to his obituary, Weller was known as “warm, chatty, and always upbeat,” and he always “acted on his belief that being together, talking and reasoning together,
nity to know Weller personally, she knows the University is a better place because of his “generous leadership.
“To me, the most vivid and inspiring part of President Weller’s legacy is his belief in our community and its power to work together to do what universities do best: harness learning to share in the development of making the world better,” she added.
From speaking with those who knew and worked with Weller, Niemi said she believes “kindness drove everything
She expressed how his work in making the center possible allowed the University to commit to carrying McAuliffe’s legacy forward. “This is a living and evolving institution that will impact people well into the future,” Porro added.
Sue McDonald, Class of ’95, and former Editor-in-Chief of The Gatepost, said she remembers Weller as “incredibly approachable.”
One of her favorite memories was when The Gatepost staff went trick-or-treating for Halloween and knocked on the
perspective. That philosophy carried through the entire administration, which made FSC a very special place to obtain a degree,” McDonald said.
After leaving Framingham State, Weller retired to Sarasota, Florida.
Niemi said, “I hold the change he helped foster close to my heart and carry it with me as an important part of the work we do together now.”
CONNECT WITH SOPHIA OPPEDISANO soppedisano@student.framingham.edu
The life of Mason Albano honored at Pause 4 Paws
By Avery Slavin Asst. News Editor
Friends and family of Mason Albano joined the FSU community on April 2 for the Pause 4 Paws event held in honor of his life.
Mason, a first-generation business management student, passed away on March 21. He was 20 years old.
To honor his interest in canine rescue, a comfort dog event with K-9 Ramsey and friends was held in the McCarthy Forum. From Upton to Greenfield, police departments from across Massachusetts brought their K-9 companions to bring comfort to the FSU community.
In addition to being able to spend time with the comfort dogs, attendees could watch a presentation of slides played on the screen in the front of the room. One slide included a compilation of photos of Mason and his own dog, Ruby Basil. Mason is remembered as someone who could light up any room he walked into.
Melissa Farrell, known as Aunt Missy to Mason, said even though he was quiet, he was attentive, always noticing “the world and the people in it.” Farrell, who was incredibly close to Mason, eulogized him at his funeral.
In the eulogy, she said his kindness left a big impact on the people around him, and he “carried a gentleness that made people feel safe and calm.”
People who knew Mason also describe him as funny. Farrell refers to him as the “family comedian.”
Sophomore Cooper Lacina, a close friend and suitemate of Mason’s, said, “He always had a small circle of people he would let into his life, and I’m honored that I was one of those lucky few. He was the most loyal friend I’ve ever had. I knew he would have stood up for any of us 100-to-1 if he had to. We miss him dearly.”
Farrell said she learned a lot about Mason from his friends, and they shared with her he had said to them he was “the CEO of his own life.
“He dragged his friends on countless adventures, and they all knew never to wear their good sneakers, and that wherever they were headed was at least a mile walk deep into the woods,” she said.
Another friend and suitemate of Mason’s, sophomore Caleb Ingelido, said he was a “truly unique person. He had a oneof-a-kind presence that can never be replaced, and he will be greatly missed by those who had the privilege of knowing him.”
Farrell said he was determined, wise beyond his years, and always had an answer for everything.
“Mason had dreams. He was going to do so much - be so much. He was already enough. He just didn’t know it,” she said.
Junior Logan Winsor, anoth-
er friend of his, said, “You’ll never find someone like Mason. He had an incredible vibe about him that always got you to smile.
“Even when he was quiet, you’d always know he was there - whether he was making some silly comment or just messing with all of us. He was always the life of the party.”
Farrell said she wants everyone to honor Mason by “loving louder. Be kinder. Find joy in the simple things. Slow down and soak in the beauty of nature. Say his name. We must move forward together, but we will never move on from Mason.”
CONNECT WITH AVERY SLAVIN aslavin1@student.framingham.edu
Courtesy of Logan Winsor
OPINIONS
THE GATEPOST EDITORIAL
The invites are out. It’s on you to show up.
The odds are, you’ve heard it before:
“This campus is so boring.”
“I never know what’s going on.”
“There’s nothing to do here!”
The sentiment of these statements has been heard time and time again by members of The Gatepost Editorial Board. Students often express how our campus is too quiet and too dull to have any fun, or even consider staying at their residence halls over the weekend.
We disagree.
From Drag BINGO to Diversity Dialogues, there are a myriad of activities and events across campus that serve the wideranging interests of our community, and almost all of them are advertised in weekly or monthly Campus Currents and Arts & Ideas emails, and on RamLink, which can be accessed via the SharePoint website.
The options are incredibly accessible to all of us and it is the work of many people on campus, including resident assistants, student organization members, and The Center for Student Experience (EXP), to put together events that might interest resident and commuter students alike.
Resident assistants are contracted to put on a certain number of events per semester. They order food and supplies, create flyers, and take time during the week and even weekends to put on events. In many cases, very few or no residents show up.
Attendance at even the most popular events, such as BINGOs hosted by Framingham State Activities Board (FSAB), is declining. Just last week, Jujubee, a popular former finalist on Ru Paul’s Drag Race performed at Drag BINGO and students walked out in the middle of her final song after they realized all the prizes had been awarded.
Not only is this rude to the performer, it’s disheartening for FSAB members to watch students walk out of an event they booked a performer for after expensive prizes are handed out.
Events like these are meant to be fun, engaging, and an opportunity to have a new experience with friends and peers you might only see in more academic settings. While prizes are certainly fun, they should not be the main point of why students are briefly attending these events.
What is the catalyst for our lack of involvement?
Are students worried about being judged, embarrassed, or
Bodies odies odies
By Antonio Machado Multimedia Editor
Words carry so much weight.
Words dig deep, even if sometimes they aren’t intended to. They burrow into the mind until they hit the subconscious so they can extract insecurity. However, it doesn’t take much digging to extract. In fact, insecurities are usually found on the first thing anyone seesthe body.
It’s almost certain that everyone, at some point or another in their life, has been told something in passing about their body that has followed them with their every move, chasing them into darkness and trapping them in the mirror. Everyone’s relationship to their weight is intrinsic and personal to them, and when an external force comments on that relationship, it can completely shake someone’s psyche.
You are perceiving it, but they are the ones feeling it.
Recently, it seems discussions about people’s weight have become mainstream online. Since the rise of weightloss medications, everyone has become so hypersensitive to the tiniest fluctuations in people’s appearances.
As a society, we so easily hyperfixate on appearances, so naturally, it’s easy to notice when appearances change.
Throughout the past decade, we’ve constantly seen public figures have their looks picked apart and analyzed.
Chadwick Boseman was ridiculed online for years due to his weight loss, only for it to be revealed he was silently battling colon cancer.
It is nearly impossible to see a single post about the Wicked cast without someone commenting on Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo being thin women, or making unfounded claims that they are struggling with eating disorders.
Actress Kelly Osbourne was under fire for days after people on the internet said she looked “sickly” and “skeletal” after the BRIT Awards red carpet, to the point she made a statement which read, “I’m currently going through the hardest time in my life. I should not even have to defend myself.”
Even this past week, Alexa Demie appeared on a red carpet for the first time in four years, missing her buccal fat - a natural phenomenon that happens as you age - and is now receiv-
thought of as “losers” at public events?
Is it truly just that students are too busy with academics, jobs, and maintaining relationships?
The fact of the matter is, the complaints are there. What would it take to engage students in extracurricular activities, learning series, and the many events with wonderful speakers invited to campus?
Events such as career fairs or events with prizes are highly attended because there are measurable benefits to going. Other events with no perceived payout might be more difficult for students to justify stepping away from homework or just relaxing in the residence halls to attend.
One of the best and most important aspects of the Framingham State experience is these events are free and offer students the opportunity to expand their ideas and perspectives and learn something new. Not only is that incredibly valuable experience in your early 20s, but the chance to critically engage with peers, professionals, and faculty at these events can lead to future connections and inspiration for academic work and careers.
Low-stakes events such as paint nights, wellness walks, and gatherings put on by RAs are held so students can step away from the stress of academics and relax with peers who are experiencing those same strains and connect with each other.
We also have an incredible group of student athletes who represent us at home on a weekly basis in the Logan Gymnasium in Dwight Hall, the Maple Street Fields, Bowditch Field, and Loring Arena. All of these venues range from a 2-minute walk to 5-minute drive from campus. If you’re looking for something to do, check the schedule on fsurams.com, grab your roommates, friends, or classmates and support our Rams.
The more students attend events and speak up about what they want to see and do on campus, our community will become more engaged and even closer than before.
We can use our small campus and tight-knit faculty and staff to our advantage. Faculty, staff, and student organizations want to hear from us. They want to know what will engage us.
But it’s on us to speak up.
Let’s turn complaints into action and transform this campus into a hub of involvement.
ing hate for losing weight and changing her appearance.
People seem so eager to point out any minor changes to someone else’s body in a negative light, regardless of the circumstances that might’ve caused the change.
Sometimes, the picture is painted under the guise of concern, but how concerned can you be when you are making jokes at the expense of their appearance?
People mistake observation for intimacy. We believe perceiving a change makes us entitled to the why.
But the why belongs to the individual. It is the one thing that should be allowed to stay hidden beneath the canvas.
We spend so much time talking about each other’s looks and seeking out beauty secrets to make our bodies look the best.
Isn’t the secret that we all want to love ourselves?
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and we spend so much time beholding ourselves. Your biggest critic is trapped inside your body and will never stop critiquing it. By engaging in a culture of body criticism, we subject ourselves to it and become trapped in a cycle of unhappiness.
Insecurity makes us human.
But humanity makes us mean.
The tendency to judge ourselves can so easily be projected onto others, who are also likely under the same microscope.
It’s impossible to know the circumstances people are under or how they view themselves,
and the relationship between those two things is much more fragile than it may seem.
Words carry so much weight, but why is carrying weight seen as a bad thing?
Weight fluctuations are completely normal, and every human body is unique. Beautiful and healthy are not monoliths, and it’s wrong to assume you understand how someone else’s body functions.
It is so easy to project your expectations of how someone should look onto them because it has become socially acceptable to do so.
An expression of worry can so easily be taken as an expression of hate that will only exacerbate issues people may be facing.
There are so many better, more sensitive ways to navigate expressing concern, just as there are so many better ways to compliment someone’s appearance without commenting on their body.
A person’s physical appearance is often the least interesting thing about them, but it is always the first topic of discussion. Conversations surrounding people’s bodies are always uncomfortable for every party involved, so maybe it is best to stop them altogether.
Words carry so much power.
Instead of using them to unearth insecurities, use them to plant kindness and let the rest stay buried.
Campus Conversations Are
you involved on campus? Why or why not?
By Adrien Gobin, Associate Editor, and Izayah Morgan, Opinions Editor
“Anything that’s Black involves me, so I try to be there.”
- Christina Kpendema, junior
“I think I do it through clubs - Outing Club and FSAB - because they’re really fun events, but I try to get more involved on campus.”
- Vidaliz Figueroa, junior
“I’m an RA. I do events and help students get involved with any service they might need.”
- Karen Araujo, sophomore
“Honestly, no, because I’m always so busy and don’t have time.”
- Massiel Aquinoo, freshman
“First semester, I was in BSU. Nowadays, I just find less time to go out and spend time in the community. I’m also not as informed on stuff going on.”
- Yonatan Zeref, freshman
“Not really, I’m not an outgoing person. However, if I got the chance, I would.”
- Devaun Davis, freshman
SPORTS
Women’s lacrosse clips Falcons in dominant win
By Izabela Gage Sports Editor
After scoring eight goals in the first quarter, the Framingham State Rams took a dominant 15-2 win over the Fitchburg State Falcons April 4.
This win improves their conference record to 1-1 and their overall record to 4-7.
Fitchburg won the first draw control, but Framingham regained offensive control after sophomore Lily Malloy caused a turnover and junior Olivia Berggren picked up the ground ball.
Just 30 seconds later, freshman Jenna James netted the first goal of the game off an assist by freshman Kate McGovern.
The Rams did not let up, and after the Falcons won the following draw, freshman Kylie Thomas caused a turnover, and Captain Lindsey Cox, a junior, picked up the ground ball.
James scored her second goal off an assist by McGovern taking the lead 2-0.
Fitchburg’s Nevaeh Chiacchia gained possession for the Falcons on the next draw control, but sophomore Emma Kendzulak forced a turnover and picked up the ground ball. She then took a shot on goal, which was saved, and McGovern went in for the rebound and found the back of the net for the Rams.
Senior Kelley Debellis won possession for the Rams, and the McGovern-James connection was successful again, with James breaking through the Falcons’ defense to take a 4-0 lead.
A green card on Fitchburg put Framingham a man-up, which they capitalized on when a pass from Captain Alessia Lye, a senior, allowed James to score once again.
After Fitchburg’s Noelle Kennedy gained possession of the ball, sophomore Haleigh Cyrus caused a turnover and cleared the Rams’ defensive zone.
Lye passed the ball to Kendzulak, who found a gap in Fitchburg’s defense to send the ball into the net for Framingham’s sixth goal.
Kendzulak won the following draw control, but unfortunately turned over possession, and Fitchburg picked up the ground ball. However, their attempt to clear their defensive zone failed, and the Rams regained offensive control.
Sophomore Madeline Bosma scored off a connection from Lye, and Framingham claimed a 7-0 lead.
The Rams did not let up, and after another green card on the Falcons, James capitalized on a pass from Debellis to put another point on the board.
The last 4 minutes of the first quarter were quiet, with both teams fighting for possession of the ball.
Kendzulak tried to tally another point for the Rams, but it was stopped by Fitchburg’s goalkeeper Caitlin Persson.
Only 2 minutes into the second quarter, a green card on the Falcons gave the Rams an extra player advantage, and Debellis earned a free position shot after a foul by Fitchburg, which was
successful.
McGovern took a shot on goal, but it was saved by Fitchburg’s subbed-in goalkeeper Dakin Kovatch.
The Falcons caused a turnover, and a minute after they successfully cleared their zone, Chiacchia put the first point on the board for Fitchburg.
Both teams’ goalkeepers, Captain Bella DiMare, a senior, and Kovatch, stayed strong in net for the remaining 9 minutes of the second quarter.
Kovatch saved a shot each by Debellis and James, and sophomore Emma Scully caused a turnover to give possession back to the Rams.
McGovern and Debellis each took a shot on goal, both of which were high, and sophomore Sarah Lewis tried to find the back of the net only 12 seconds later, but Kovatch held strong.
In the last 3 minutes of the quarter, the Falcons had a surge of energy on offense, and Samantha Azzari tried to break through DiMare’s defense, but was unsuccessful. She then earned a free position shot, but DiMare saved it.
Framingham came back from halftime invigorated. Freshman Katie Pizzardi won the initial draw control in the third quarter, and Debellis scored, assisted by Lye, less than a minute and a half in.
Thomas won the following faceoff, and the dynamic duo of McGovern and James collaborated on another goal only 34 seconds later to take a 11-1 lead for the Rams.
Fitchburg gained offensive control and took a shot on goal, but sophomore Allison Wurms, who was subbed in for DiMare, did not let it into the net.
Framingham then successfully cleared their defensive zone, and McGovern netted her second goal, assisted by Debellis, to give
the Rams an 11-point lead.
Chiacchia earned a free position shot after a foul by Framingham, but she could not find a gap in Wurms’ defense.
The Rams then had an extra player on the field after a green card on the Falcons, and Bosma took advantage and found the back of the net, assisted by Debellis.
For the next 5 minutes, the teams fought for offensive control before a green card on Fitchburg’s Nola Patty gave the Rams another man-up opportunity. Kendzulak tried to capitalize, but her shot went wide.
McGovern received a free position shot after another foul by the Falcons, but Kovatch made the save.
Framingham remained aggressive, with James and Kendzulak both trying to break through Fitchburg’s defense, but one shot was high, and the other was saved by Kovatch.
With just 1 minute remaining in the third quarter, Fitchburg fouled, and McGovern was rewarded a free position shot, which she successfully made to bring the score to 14-1.
At the start of the fourth quarter, McGovern earned another free position shot, but Fitchburg’s third goalkeeper, Alexis Muse, stood strong in net.
The Falcons took control of the ball after clearing their zone, and Azzari tried to break through the Rams’ defense before receiving a free position goal opportunity, but freshman goalkeeper Mikayla Harvey saved both shots.
Fitchburg’s Paige Marchand picked up a ground ball and took a shot on goal, but it went wide.
Framingham attempted to clear their defensive zone, but Fitchburg gained possession of the ball and took another shot on goal, which Harvey saved.
The Rams remained aggressive and James tried to net the
ball, but it was sent wide. Bosma snagged the ground ball, and after a pass from Debellis, James broke through for Framingham’s last goal of the game.
After another save by Harvey, the Rams regained offensive control, and James tallied another shot on goal, but it was unfortunately saved.
Framingham received two green cards, giving Fitchburg an extra player advantage. Azzari earned another free position shot, which Harvey did not let into the net, but Marchand put a second point on the board for the Falcons a minute later.
Both teams fought for possession of the ball for the remaining 3 minutes, and after a wide shot by Bosma, the game ended with the Rams up 15-2.
McGovern said, “Offensively, we moved the ball with pace and did a great job passing quickly while limiting turnovers. I think it was one of our best offensive games this season.
“Defensively, we worked really hard and communicated well, which helped limit their shots,” she added.
James, with seven goals against Fitchburg State and two goals and an assist in their loss against the University of Southern Maine, earned MASCAC Rookie of the Week for the third time this season on April 6.
James said, “I think everything was just clicking, and I felt really confident going into the game. My teammates were setting me up really well, and I was able to find open space and finish my shots.”
McGovern had two goals and five assists in the win, making her an important playmaker on the field.
McGovern said when trying to be strong with making plays and scoring, “It comes down to the opportunities I’m given. If my teammates are getting open and working hard, I’m going to do my best to find them the ball. And if I have a chance to score, whether it’s created by me or my teammates, I’m going to take it and try to finish.”
She added, “Keeping my head up helped a lot. I trust that my teammates will get open, so it’s really about timing. Fitchburg didn’t pressure out as much, which also made it easier to find those opportunities.”
The Rams face the Salem State Vikings on their home turf for another conference matchup April 10.
James said going into the rest of the season, “it’s just about staying consistent and keeping the same mindset. We know the teams are going to be tougher, so we have to work even harder in practice and stay focused.”
McGovern said the team is focusing on “understanding our potential. We have a lot of skill this year, and to compete in tougher MASCAC games, we just need to play more cohesively as a team.”
Adrien Gobin / THE GATEPOST
The women’s lacrosse team celebrating a goal in loss to Southern Maine on April 1.
Women’s track and field breaks records at Jim Sheehan Invitational
By Taylor Kimmell Asst. Sports Editor
The Framingham State Rams traveled to Fitchburg State April 4 to compete in the Jim Sheehan Invitational, placing 8th of 27 teams.
The team found great success during the meet, with three records broken and an inaugural appearance in the program in the pole vault event.
Head Coach Mark Johnson said, “Excitingly, every record on the board now is from 2023 or later.”
FSU was led by a first place finish by junior Kate Buban in the 10K. Her performance in this event not only allowed Buban to qualify for NCAA Regionals later this season, but broke the program’s previous record in the event.
The previous record, according to Johnson, was held “by Casey McAuliffe with a 39:23.78. She set that in 2023 as the first Ram to qualify for the NCAA regional championship.”
“Kate’s new record is 39:03 and change, and has her currently ranked 60th in the nation in the event [for D3] which is wild,” he added.
Buban said, “It felt really rewarding to break the 10K record because it was something I didn’t imagine being able to do after coming into this track season. I was coming off a stress fracture from cross country.”
Buban’s recent performances earned her the title of MASCAC
Runner of the Week April 7, making her the first athlete from Framingham to receive the honor.
Freshman Emma Foley placed 7th and set a new record with 17.15 in the 100 meter hurdles, breaking the record junior Jamie Moniz set during the 2025 season.
Foley said it shocked her to break the hurdle record. “When I finished running, I felt an immediate relief since I was so nervous. Then I found out that I broke the record, and I was really excited.”
Senior Sarah Campbell was FSU’s sole competitor in both the 400 meter dash and the 3000 meter steeplechase, placing 26th and 4th, respectively.
The Rams had two runners competing in the 800 metersenior Lydia Marunowski, who came in 21st place with a time of 2:48.05, and junior Justinne Quinanola, who came in 24th place with a time of 2:50.35.
In the 1500 meter, senior Meghan Johnston came in 23rd place at 5:30.88, followed by freshmen Molly Oravec in 42nd place at 6:38.32 and Grace Bovill in 45th place at 6:53.30.
Sophomore Abigail Flanagan placed 4th in the 5K, finishing at 21:27.88. After her was sophomore Alison Hood in 9th with a time of 23:37.69.
Rounding out the running events were Framingham’s 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams.
After breaking the program’s record at the opening meet this
season, the 4x100 team of Child, freshmen Lily Gouvia and Reagan Laprade, and junior Cassandra Toth finished with a time of 53:69, off their current record by mere milliseconds.
In the 4x400, senior Natalie Grimaldo, sophomore Reese Neale, freshman Sarah Bashore, and Marunowski ran a 4:44.50.
In the field, a record was broken in the long jump and one was set in the pole vault.
Foley broke her second record of the meet with her performance in the long jump, clearing 4.8 meters and placing 10 out of 39 athletes.
Foley said after fouling her first two attempts, she was “nervous that I wasn’t going to even have a mark. But on my last jump I was able to break the school record.
“It honestly feels so surreal that I have broken records this early on in my career. I owe it all to my amazing coaches and friends that support me through everything. I’m so incredibly grateful and happy to be a part of this team,” she added.
Placing third out of 32 overall in the javelin was Moniz with a 33.14 meter throw.
Sophomore Ashley Caputo placed highest for FSU in both discus, throwing 21.75 meters, and hammer throw, throwing 20.73 meters.
In shotput, junior Cali Leger was the Rams’ top finisher, earning 10th place with a 9.58 meter throw. Caputo placed 19th with a 8.94 meter throw.
Laprade made the first appearance in the pole vault in program history, placing 5th and clearing 2.45 meters.
Laprade said, “I’ve been pole vaulting since my freshman year of high school. I’m so happy that I was given the opportunity to vault here at Framingham, and so honored to be the first one.”
During the meet, Laprade also competed in the 100 meter dash and hurdles, 4x100 relay, and triple jump. She said, “It means a lot to me to be able to compete in five events. I’m honored to have the opportunity to compete for FSU.”
Laprade said her primary goal is to “PR in all my events in these upcoming meets and place well in my events at MASCACs.”
The Rams travel to Regis College April 10 to compete in the Regis Spring Classic.
Buban said, “We have great potential to not only better ourselves, but also the program. We are a very young team and I am excited to see what else is accomplished.”
Stats sourced from fsurams.com and MASCAC.com
CONNECT WITH TAYLOR KIMMELL tkimmell@student.framingham.edu
Baseball splits doubleheader against Buccaneers
By Izabela Gage Sports Editor
The Framingham State Rams came back from a 4-0 deficit to win the first game 5-4, then dropped the second 7-3 in a doubleheader against the Mass. Maritime Buccaneers April 7.
This win and loss bring their conference record to 1-9 and their overall record to 3-15.
The Buccaneers wasted no time and capitalized on early opportunities at the top of the first inning. After a walk and a stolen base, their next batter singled to right field and advanced to second on an error by the Rams.
The next swing was a home run, bringing in all three runners for a 3-0 lead. They added another run on a ground ball to put them up 4-0.
Framingham responded quickly in the bottom half. Sophomore Christian Cox earned a walk, junior Johnny Lynch hit a single, and sophomore Nicholas Kutcher drove in the Rams’ first run with a single of his own.
Sophomore Rosco Palmer added a sacrifice fly, and Lynch made it home to cut the deficit to 4-2.
After a quiet second inning, pitcher Josh Sunderland, a senior, kept the Buccaneers scoreless in the top of the third.
Sunderland tallied his 100th career strikeout in this win.
Sunderland said he’s been dealing with a shoulder injury, so achieving this “felt awesome.
“I never really thought about it much until this year, and seeing how close I was to getting it done. In-game, I had no idea
I had hit 100 - it was only after that I found out,” he added.
He said, “I’m happy that I was able to get it done, and also for the team’s win.”
Sunderland said, “Battling in games with the team is the best way to play this sport. Team accomplishments come first, and with that come the solo ones as well.”
Cox singled to right field at the bottom of the third before stealing second.
Kutcher then advanced to second on an error, and Cox scored unearned.
The Rams’ defense prevented Mass. Maritime from scoring in the fourth inning.
After two outs for Framingham, junior Colin Johnson earned a walk, stole second, and then advanced to third on a wild pitch.
Sophomore Massimo Mondi followed with a single, and Johnson made it home to tie the game 4-4.
Freshman pitcher August Hayes held down on the mound to keep the score tied, but the Rams went down in order in the bottom of the fifth.
The sixth inning was uneventful for both teams, and Framingham’s defense was strong at the top of the seventh. Though the Buccaneers made another hit, the Rams did not let them get into scoring position.
At the bottom of the seventh inning, Cox walked before Kutcher singled to center field, allowing Cox to advance to third. Palmer and freshman Ryder Brown earned a walk each, and
Cox scored to take the first-game win 5-4.
Cox said his mindset going into his last at-bat “was getting on base for the team. I was fortunate enough to grind out a walk.”
He credited his teammates for putting him in a scoring position to make the game-winning run.
Cox said, “This comeback says a lot about this team. We are all hungry for that win, and to chip away all game was an electric feeling.”
After a scoreless first inning in the second game, the Buccaneers had two hits by pitch and a series of fielders’ choices, which led to a run in the second.
Framingham answered quickly, with junior Scott Paquette delivering a clutch two-out double to give the Rams a 2-1 lead.
The momentum shifted in the third, when Mass. Maritime capitalized on errors, scoring two unearned runs.
Later in the inning, a fielder’s choice allowed another run, and soon after, the Buccaneers stole home unearned.
The Rams attempted to respond in the fourth inning, cutting the deficit to 5-3 after another Paquette RBI single.
The fifth inning was quiet for both teams, and the Buccaneers then added unearned insurance runs in the sixth, scoring on errors.
Despite Framingham making two hits in the bottom of the sixth and one in the seventh, they were unable to convert, and the game ended 7-3 in favor of the Buccaneers.
The Rams fell to the Gordon
College Lions 11-5 April 8, bringing their overall record to 3-16, while their conference record remains 1-9.
Most recently, Framingham lost 16-8 the Worcester State Lancers at home April 9. This loss brings their conference record to 1-10 and their overall record to 3-17.
The Rams travel to face the MCLA Trailblazers for another conference matchup April 11.
Stats sourced from fsurams.com and MASCAC.com
CONNECT WITH IZABELA GAGE igage@student.framingham.edu
Adrien Gobin / THE GATEPOST Sophomore Keith Ramsey pitching against Worcester State on April 9.
Softball makes late comeback in doubleheader
By Taylor Kimmell Asst. Sports Editor
The Framingham State Rams split games in a conference double header April 4 against the Bridgewater State Bears, dropping the first match 11-1 and winning the second 9-1.
Following this match, the Rams bring their conference record to 2-2 and their overall record to 6-12.
The Rams took the field at the top of the first, with a catch by sophomore Gianna Paolino in right field securing the first out.
BSU’s second batter caught a piece of a pitch, sending a hard drive to center field, where sophomore Isabella MacDonald knocked it down, allowing the runner only a single.
A line drive to left field on the next play allowed a Bears’ runner to single and advance a runner to second. The next at bat yielded a walk, loading the bases for Bridgewater.
The next batter worked the count for a walk, scoring an unearned run. Batter number six sent a drive to center, bringing in another runner.
Sophomore pitcher Audrey Gauthier struck the next batter out looking, then made a third out when she caught the next batter with a high fastball for a strikeout.
Sophomore Ellie Etemad-Gilbertson was the lead-off batter for the Rams, making contact during her first at-bat, but the ball was caught by BSU’s shortstop.
MacDonald stepped to the plate next, but a catch by the Bears’ third baseman got her out.
Captain Eliza Carignan, a junior, made FSU’s third out, striking out at the plate.
Bridgewater continued to be effective on offense, with a bunt and two singles quickly loading the bases.
The Bears’ fourth batter of the inning sent a rocket to center, doubling and clearing the bases to bring the score to 6-0.
A catch in center by MacDonald, a strikeout by Gauthier, and a throw by catcher and Captain Jocelyn Pepe, a sophomore, to catch a runner stealing third base made three outs against Bridgewater.
At the top of the third, sophomore Julie Chisholm took the mound.
After a BSU runner walked and advanced to third, a hard shot up the middle brought her in, scoring the team’s seventh run.
Bridgewater was able to get one more runner across the plate before the end of the inning, scoring a run on a sacrifice fly to center, while Paolino caught the next batter’s shot to right field.
Unfortunately, the Rams’ only success at the plate during the third inning came from EtemadGilbertson, who worked the count for a walk.
BSU’s scoring streak did not let up in the fourth, and they scored three runs.
Sophomore Ava Gray managed to get a hold of her first pitch at the bottom of the fourth, sending the ball into deep right field for a ground-rule double.
Sophomore Amanda Roche also made contact, with errors by BSU’s infield allowing her to make it to first and advance Gray to third.
Freshman Maddie Belette also made it on base, but Bridgewater accumulated three outs before any runners could be brought in.
After holding BSU to zero runs in the fifth inning, the Rams managed to put up a run. Junior Riley Eagan walked, then advanced on a single by MacDonald. Carignan stepped to the plate, sending a ball to the center field gap for a double and scoring Eagan.
Despite this success, the Bears made three outs, ending the match in their favor with a score of 11-1.
Framingham began the second match in the field, with junior pitcher Peyton Farris taking the mound.
The Rams made effective plays in the first inning, tallying three outs on BSU’s first three batters. Etemad-Giblertson caught a fly ball in left field, sophomore Mikayla Yuricheck made a catch at second base, and MacDonald caught a line drive to center field.
Unfortunately, the bottom of the inning did not bode well for FSU, and the Bears collected three outs before the Rams could attempt to tally a run.
Framingham continued to play well defensively, holding two runners on base and preventing any runs.
Pepe was first to bat for the Rams in the second inning, hitting a short ball but beating the throw to first, then stealing second on the following pitch.
Roche and Yuricheck both struck out, then Paolino battled back from a 0-2 count for a walk.
Farris was the third out of the inning, and the Rams took the field once again.
An overthrow by FSU allowed the Bears to put a runner in play. A fielder’s choice on the next play got the runner out at third, but allowed the batter to make it on base.
On the next play, a double to left field scored the runner from first, allowing the Bears to score the game’s first run.
Two plays by Carignan at third base allowed Framingham to close out the inning quickly.
The Rams were able to tie the game in the bottom of the inning. Etemad-Gilbertson made it to first on a walk, then MacDonald hit a ground ball down the first-base line. She was thrown out, but advanced Etemad-Gilbertson to second.
Carignan was able to make it to first due to a fielding error by BSU, allowing Etemad-Gilbertson to cross the plate.
Two plays in the field closed out the inning with only one run scored by FSU.
A play off a ground ball from Carignan to Gray made the first out of the fourth inning.
BSU’s next batter singled, then a catch by MacDonald in center field earned the Rams another out. Farris struck the next batter out looking, ending the first half of the inning.
Roche started a rally for FSU, hitting a double to the gap between center and right field.
Yuricheck also found a gap, hitting a single between shortstop and second base and advancing Roche to third.
A strikeout and a failed bunt on the next two batters did not dull the Rams’ efforts.
Etemad-Gilbertson stepped into the box and sent a hard shot to left field, bringing in runs
from both Roche and Yuricheck to snag the lead for FSU.
MacDonald put her bat on the next ball, hitting a single to bring in the run from EtemadGilbertson.
MacDonald successfully stole second base, but a caught fly ball ended the inning shortly after.
Framingham’s defense held strong at the top of the fifth, with three consecutive outs on plays to first by Carignan, freshman Nina Buda, and Farris.
On the offensive end, Pepe led off for FSU with a single hit up the middle.
After a strikeout on the following batter, Yuricheck reached first on an error and advanced Pepe to second.
Belette hit a foul ball down the third-base line that was caught by a BSU fielder, marking the second out.
During her at-bat, Buda worked the count for a walk, loading the bases. All three runners were left on base, as a play by Bridgewater’s third baseman caught Etemad-Gilbertson out at first.
The sixth and final inning went completely in the Rams’ favor.
Farris struck BSU’s first batter out looking. The second and third batters grounded out to second base and the pitcher’s mound, respectively.
MacDonald started Framingham’s final at bat off strong with a triple to center field.
On the next play, Carignan hit a sacrifice fly to center, allowing MacDonald to tag up and score.
Gray stepped into the batter’s box next, sending a ball flying over the fence for a home run.
Gray said her success at the plate comes from trusting her teammates to find success in front of her.
After her first few unsuccessful at-bats, Gray said, “Going into my last at-bat, I trusted myself to just put the ball in play, and a home run came from that approach.”
She said between pitches, she steps out of the box to “take a deep breath and refocus on the next pitch. In softball, it’s really important to let go of past at-bats and stay focused on the present moment.”
Pepe also made contact, singling with a hit to right field.
After Roche got out on a fly to center, Yuricheck hit a ball to right field, making it to first and sending Pepe to second.
With two runners on, Paolino
hit a walk-off homer over the fence, scoring three total runs and ending the game with a score of 9-1 Rams.
Gray said the success during the second game came from the teams’ effort and “our ability to attack early. … In game two, we came out aggressively right away and brought much better energy.
“Staying loud in the dugout and supporting each other made a big difference and helped keep everyone locked in,” she added.
Gray said the make-or-break aspects of offense and defense are “energy and adjustments.
“In game two, we did a much better job staying positive and making adjustments throughout the game. Peyton throwing so many strikes was huge for us. She really stepped up and set the tone defensively,” she added.
As Gray mentioned, Farris’s pitching was a key contributor to FSU’s win, with her allowing only five hits and one run, and striking out three batters.
Farris said she finds her success on the mound “with the help of my teammates. I have to have a solid defense behind me, and they’re doing a great job. Just looking at my catcher, looking at my first baseman, shortstop, third baseman, everyone - they just all bring me up.”
Farris said Framingham’s overall success during the second game, after a struggle during game one, came from the team realizing “we’re better than we were in the first game. We take everything and learn from it. We realized that’s not who we are and that we’re better than that.”
The Rams split a conference double header with the Worcester State Lancers, losing 9-1 in game one and winning 11-1 in game two. These matches bring FSU’s conference record to 3-3 and their overall record to 7-13.
FSU will host the MCLA Trailblazers in a conference matchup April 11.
Gray said coming into the next few games, the plan is to “come out strong and set the tone early, especially with our bats in the first inning. … Overall, we just need to stay consistent, keep our energy up, and focus on scoring more runs than our opponent.”
Stats sourced from fsurams.com and MASCAC.com
CONNECT WITH TAYLOR KIMMELL tkimmell@student.framingham.edu
Adrien Gobin / THE GATEPOST
Sophomore Kate Brodzinski at bat during doubleheader against Anna Maria on March 29.
ARTS & FEATURES
The worst moment is the best movie - ‘The Drama’
By Antonio Machado Multimedia Editor
Marriage is an interesting concept.
To devote oneself entirely to another person in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, and for better or for worse is a difficult thing to wrap your head around when you never truly know the depths of the person with whom you’re willing to dive into the disparities of life with.
Kristoffer Borgli’s “The Drama” navigates that difficulty masterfully. The faint aroma of a prenuptial romcom is quickly wafted away by a shocking dark comedy - expertly written and even better acted.
The film follows Charlie (Robert Pattinson) and Emma (Zendaya) as they wearingly navigate the week leading up to their wedding following Emma’s particularly horrifying drunken confession of the worst thing she has ever done in her life - at a dinner with the best man, Mike (Mamoudou Athie), and maid of honor, Rachel (Alana Haim).
Zendaya’s usual methoddressing campaign only served to beautifully conceal the unsettling secret that serves as the drama that drives the entire film, which was hidden from every single advertisement despite being the entire plot of the movie - and naturally, won’t be stated in this review.
“The Drama” is not a movie that necessarily follows a
linear story. It’s a movie that follows and studies the actions of its characters.
Throughout the film, the audience observes Charlie’s existential crisis about his willingness to commit to Emma, and Emma’s desperate pleas for everyone to simply forget about her confession and move on.
Every aspect of both the actors and the setting play such a vital role in the film, which while true for most movies, makes discussions surrounding the events even more fruitful.
It is rare to see a film that expects the audience to be intelligent. Set against the backdrop of liberal Boston, the film is not race blind, nor does it ignore that Pattinson is British. However, those aren’t themes that are explicitly explored - they just play key roles in the decisions of every party involved.
a sort of antagonist in the film, wherein she specifically takes the most offense to Emma’s confession. She places more weight on the nature of the action than the people harmed by it, begging the question, “What people are afforded grace in a society that has weaponized morality?”
Tobias Cotton-Selman / THE GATEPOST
It would be difficult to root for the couple to follow through with their engagement were it not for the flashbacks that so beautifully set up their adoration for one another. Part of that can be attributed to Borgli’s stupendous directing, but so much of the credit belongs to Zendaya and Pattinson’s performance. Zendaya is indisputably one of the premier Gen Z stars. As a movie star, model, and sometimes singer, she is an absolute force to be reckoned with. However, so rarely has she been given the opportunity to fully utilize the magnitude of her talent in a film before.
There’s no visible artifice. Pattinson and Zendaya simply marry the vulnerability and throw caution to the wind, submerging themselves completely in “The Drama.” Regardless of the circumstances, the film is intrinsically about the love between these two characters, and the leads navigate that love ’til death do them part. This film is more than a harrowing reminder that it’s difficult to fully know and understand someone. Marriage is not a celebration of what you know and love - it’s the faith and endurance of what you don’t.
If marriage is a dive into the unknown, “The Drama” suggests the depths are far more dangerous than anyone can imagine. It’s a cynical, brilliant, and deeply uncomfortable glimpse into the cost of forever.
The film is suffocating. Pattinson is at his best when he is doused in a foreboding gloom, and this movie capitalizes on that with a comedic edge. He juggles every emotion expected of a breakdown with finesse, and at times, it makes you desperately want to look away.
Haim in particular serves as
Undoubtedly, Emma is something new for Zendaya, and absolutely a career-best performance for her. In this film, she is restrained, subtle, and nuanced, digging into something old that she has long since buried. She borrows the blues of “Euphoria” and accentuates them with the razor edge of “Challengers.”
Experiment all the time. Confused, occasionally
By Izabela Gage Editorial Staff
If you’re anything like me, you’ve been waiting patiently for almost four years for a new Harry Styles album.
It’s evident Styles took his time exploring different genres. “Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally” is more electric and experimental, following the emotional third album, “Harry’s House.”
While the music is synthheavy - don’t expect disco. Instead, he blends whimsical energy with introspective lyrics, producing a record where you never know what to expect.
Styles opens the album with a slow widening lens titled “Aperture,” running for 5 minutes and 11 seconds.
Atmospheric synths layer gradually, building into a hypnotic sound. Styles doesn’t throw you into the world of the album - he lets you settle into it.
“American Girls” softens the tone, introducing a steady piano chord progression that contrasts nicely with its punchy bass line.
The balance gives the song a relaxed but purposeful feel, and the chorus lands effortlesslycatchy without feeling forced.
Then, “Ready, Steady, Go!” snaps that calm in half. It’s chaotic in a way that feels intentional and fun. Styles plays around with vocal filters while an infectious guitar riff
drives everything forward.
The production in “Are You Listening Yet?” strips back, giving space to a more vulnerable, talk-sung vocal delivery - which is the first time in his career he has leaned into that style.
The frustration in lines like “You like the way she talks / But never what she says” and “The world is screaming, so / you start to scream right back” feels pointed but a bit reflective, as if he’s questioning both himself and the world around him.
The drums and bass add a subtle tension, giving the track a distinct LCD Soundsystem edge.
He introduces movement again with “Taste Back,” which is softer in tone, but the way the synths blend into his trailing vocals feels effortless and is honestly what hooked me first.
“The Waiting Game” leans heavily into lyricism, offering one of the album’s most emotionally sharp moments.
What begins with a simple guitar line gradually unfolds into the complexity of lines like, “Do you tantalize or titillate / Knowing it won’t make the grade?” The callout feels directed, capturing a quiet resignation.
“Season 2 Weight Loss” stands out immediately, if only for its title.
Despite the oddity, the lyrics hint at reinvention and self-awareness with lines like, “It’s kind of sad, but there’s something I know / Too many
things for you to analyze / You’re steaming in, swinging with your eyes closed.”
Styles shifts into something more delicate with “Coming Up Roses.” The arrangement opens up, allowing space for orchestral elements to build and recede, creating a beautifully layered sound.
The lyrics are grounded in the idea that not everything is meant to last and that acceptance can be its own peace.
It feels expansive, easily standing alongside some of his strongest work like “Sign of the Times” and “Fine Line,” making it my favorite off the album.
He leans into pure fun with “Pop.” It’s bright and a little tongue-in-cheek, with lyrics that feel almost nonsensical at times.
That playfulness works in its favor, and it’s the kind of song that makes you want to dance.
Styles keeps the energy alive with “Dance No More.” His lyrics invite you to let go and just enjoy the moment.
There’s a late ’70s and early ’80s influence woven through it, echoing the upbeat feel of “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson.
Following the exciting energy, “Paint By Numbers” brings the album to a more reflective place.
Despite being the shortest track, it leaves a lasting impression as it ends on an unresolved chord that mirrors its message.
Rating: ADIY: Give yourself an anxiety attack
CONNECT WITH ANTONIO MACHADO amachado4@student.framingham.edu
Lines like “It’s a lifetime of learning to paint by numbers / And watching the colors run” capture the tension between structure and unpredictability.
Finally, “Carla’s Song” acts as a gentle closing statement. Built on repetition, both musically and thematically, it explores the comfort of routine.
Lines like “Saw the light in the gold that you discovered / Through your eyes, in awe / Melodies like the tide / It’s all waiting there for you” feel reflective without becoming heavy-handed.
The album isn’t exactly what Styles said it would be - it leans more into a 2010s indie electronica sound instead of the vintage techno vibe he teased in interviews.
At times, it’s missing the clear direction that made his self-titled album and “Harry’s House” so cohesive.
It’s like he was experimenting between marathon runs in Tokyo and Berlin.
And as a lifelong fan of Styles, it might not be his most polished album, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be my most-played album of the year.
Rating: B+ I’d wait another four years for Harry.
CONNECT WITH IZABELA GAGE igage@student.framingham.edu
Fresh Check
Continued from Page 1
Baldino said to set up these events they work with a program coordinator from the campuses who reaches out to them. These coordinators get volunteers and staff to run the booths.
“It’s just a really great event to bring the entire campus community together,” Baldino said.
The two of them ran a table beside Jennifer Siegal, the manager of communications and programs at the Parmenter Foundation.
She said their booth focuses on the UGrieve program, which is a new program meant to teach students how to support each other when experiencing a loss, either on campus or off.
Angela Crocker, the executive director of the Parmenter Foundation, said over the past few years they have started to work with the Jordan Porco Foundation in order to help college students learn about the UGrieve program.
“It’s not just for somebody who’s had a loss. It’s really for the friends who want to support somebody who’s struggling,” Crocker said.
She said it was exciting to see so many students attending the fair.
“It’s just been really great to see how much the students care about themselves and each other,” Crocker said.
Jordan Lyon, a sophomore nutrition major and SEALS member, helped run the 9/10 table.
According to the Fresh Check Day website, one in 10 college students contemplates suicide. They want the other nine to
be able to recognize and help whoever is struggling.
Lyon said they talk about “knowing warning signs and action steps and ways to help friends, family, peers - kind of anyone if they’re seeing certain signs.”
Some of the warning signs are isolation, changes in someone’s behavior, depression, and selfharm behavior, she said.
The “action steps” include asking direct questions to the person who’s struggling.
“Many may think that those might give them the idea to do so, but it will absolutely not, and it will instead help them voice their feelings about what’s happening,” Lyon said.
The next step is calling a professional, she said.
Therapy pets from Pets & People were at the fair as well. Maria Davis came with her therapy dog Belle, who is a Great Pyrenees, she said.
“She’s 2 years old. She’s been doing therapy work since she was 4 months old,” Davis said.
Mary MacInnes came with her therapy cat George, a Siberian Forest cat.
“He’s been with Pets & People now for almost four years,” MacInnes said.
At the CIE’s table, Jerome Burke said they are promoting overall wellness. “A big part of wellness is your mental health, right?” he added.
He said they want “a campus where all of our students feel included.”
They decided to emphasize the words diversity, equity, and inclusion on their posters and shirts to show their support, he said.
He said they have resources dedicated for the LGBTQ+ community because it’s “something that’s very important to the CIE - making
sure that marginalized communities are still supported.”
Nathalia Faria is the case manager and coordinator of Student Support Resources, and she said being involved in “something greater” helps with mental health.
The table featured several nonprofits, some of which donate to the Rams Resource Center, she said.
Josh Clark, a grad student, ran the table for Veteran and Military Services.
On the table was a bowl of small balls with various “stressors” written on them. The bowl usually has water in it, but this year they opted not to for cleanliness’ sake, he added.
The balls float, and trying to hold them all down with one hand is impossible, he said.
“Basically, what it’s all about is understanding your stressors and understanding to reach out for help in different ways,” Clark said.
Oliver Swanson, a junior international business major and a SEALS member, said their table focuses on teaching students about safe substance usage.
He showed them healthy dosages of weed and alcohol “so that people can consume more mindfully and keep themselves safer and other people safer and look out for people,” Swanson said.
Amy Young-Sadler, the harm reduction coordinator for the SAFE Coalition, said they work mostly out of Framingham and help people with substances. They teach people how to use Naloxone and how to use test strips to test for drugs, she said.
Young-Sadler said part of their job is “just to talk to
The Book Report: Dante’s ‘Purgatorio’
By Kate Norrish Staff Writer
Halfway through my journey of writing this column, I found myself at a crossroad - which book of “The Divine Comedy” should I talk about?
That’s right, we’re talking about the guy who is often seen as the GOAT, the man who makes almost every writer feel inadequate, The Supreme Poet himself - Dante Alighieri.
The reason I decided on “The Purgatorio” - written around the beginning of the 14th century - is because everyone knows “Dante’s Inferno,” and “The Paradiso” has developed a group of devoted fans, but “The Purgatorio” is often cast aside and labelled as the black sheep of the trilogy, which is unfortunate, because it’s my favorite.
After exiting Hell by literally climbing up Satan’s back, Virgil continues his quest to help Dante achieve God’s approval by taking him up the mountain of Purgatory.
Unlike in “The Inferno,” where almost every character is in a horrible headspace as they spend an eternity in literal Hell, “The Purgatorio” holds a welcome spark of light and humanity.
We get to see a different side to our two main characters. Dante’s deep empathy that dulled throughout “The Inferno” reappears as camaraderie as he is able to journey alongside - rather than gawk at - the dead.
The book also explores the awkward position that Virgil
finds himself in. Because Virgil has been placed as a resident of Hell, he explains to Dante that he will soon be unable to be Dante’s guide.
While the text never says it directly, I couldn’t help but loom over this thought, as Virgil and Dante are inseparable, in both the text itself, and in the public’s mind of this book. The concept of having an entire book in The Divine Comedy where he never shows up feels unnatural.
With that being said, the process of becoming pure enough to enter Heaven is inconsistent in tone.
One minute, Dante and Virgil are learning about prideful people having to carry large rocks, and the next, they see envious people with their eyes sewn shut with metal wires. I would actually consider it an advantage of the book.
While “The Inferno” is about the worst of humanity, and “The Paradiso” is the best, “The Purgatoro” shows humans as they are - with gross bodies filled with blood and organs, immense love for other people, and a little too much fascination for their own good. Without spoiling too much, the conclusion of this part of the poem reminds us of what many critics of “The Divine Comedy” fail to understand - Dante, both the author and the character, does not agree with his worldbuilding. It is unfair, and many of the people
folks about how they can keep themselves and other people around them that they might know safe if they’re using substances.”
Maggie McNeill is a program manager from Call2Talk, and she said they provide free confidential support 24/7. They focus on helping people who feel suicidal and are in a crisis, though they will help anyone who calls regardless, she said.
Bianca Furtado, a senior psychology major, helped run a table for the Psychology Club and the Psi Chi honors society.
“We’re here to just improve self-esteem and also build strong connections with others,” Furtado said. They had thank-you cards and journal prompts to help express gratitude and mindfulness, she said.
Laila Jenkins, a senior psychology major and president of the Black Student Union, had posters where participants could write what their safe space is. They wanted to help students remember to use that safe space when they’re feeling depressed, because it should be a good place to decompress, she said.
Abrianna Ouellette, a senior psychology major, helped run the FSAB’s art-focused table. Their goal was “to promote how art is a positive impact on mental health and mindfulness in general,” Ouellette said. They gave out coloring books and pencils and helped participants make their own slime, she said.
CONNECT WITH FRANCISCO OMAR FERNANDEZ RODRIGUEZ ffernandezrodriguez@student.framingham.edu
he meets in both “The Inferno” and “The Purgatorio” are his real-life friends, trapped by religious politics. I also find it an interesting moment when Virgil explains that several deadly sins are corrupted forms of love, considering there is evidence that Dante was a victim of sexual abuse as a
child, as well as being betrothed before he reached his teen years, causing a strained relationship with his wife.
This was exacerbated by the fact that he was married off in exchange for an unusually small dowry, according to the book “Dante: A Life” by Alessandro Barbero. In both “The Divine Comedy,” and Dante’s other surviving long form work, “La Vita Nuova,” he discusses the result this had on him. Many of Dante’s works focus on love as something terrifying that needs to be restrained. This is no exception.
Dante’s fixation on Beatrice - his lifelong muse whom many believe was a fictional character - is something that makes him incredibly nervous. He realizes that he is destined to be in various circles of Purgatory, and even his
relationship with Virgil, which includes bridal carrying and face kisses, is mostly ignored in favor of Beatrice by the other characters, Virgil included.
This is fascinating when acknowledging that Beatrice is seen exclusively as a romantic interest to Dante, whereas the exact nature of Dante and Virgil’s relationship is left almost entirely ambiguous.
To put it simply, with every part of “The Divine Comedy,” I and many other people could talk about “The Purgatorio” for hours and still only be scratching the surface of everything this book has to say. However, this part ties Dante’s Heaven and Hell into a nice little combination that gives Dante, Virgil, and the reader a still dark but necessary breather.
Because “The Divine Comedy” was originally published in Italian, I would recommend reading the English translation by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, (known for poems such as “Paul Revere’s Ride”). However, if you struggle to understand the epic poem format, there are also various prose versions to choose from.
And because this book begins on Easter Sunday, you can, if you want, read it alongside children’s books about bunnies.
CONNECT WITH KATE NORRISH knorrish@student.framingham.edu
Tobias Cotton-Selman/ THE GATEPOST
“Insecure” co-creator and star Rae
“It Ain’t Me, ___” (1964 Bob Dylan song)
*Metallic house exterior (Read six letters in this answer counterclockwise, starting at letter three)
24. Pub picks
26. Increases, as excitement
28. “Starry” fall flowers
32. Bizarre
34. Duck or wince
35. *Conscious robot, some say (... letter three)
39. Actress Penelope
40. Spitball, e.g.
41. Operatic highlight
42. *They’re in butter and beef (... letter two)
45. Static ___
46. Enter traffic
47. Football throws
48. Minor skateboarding injury
51. Simba’s call
53. Pink or purple
54. With 55 -Down, Dr. Seuss, for Theodor Geisel
56. Back, as a film
61. Martial ___
63. *H2O particles (... letter eight)
65. Italian currency before the euro
66. Kind of acid in proteins
67. Octagonal sign
68. Circle around, and a theme hint
69. What raises dough?
70. “___ does it!”
DOWN
1. Mosque leader
2. Grainy building in a farm photo?
3. Overlook for an Oscar nod
4. Goals
5. Hucksters’ pitches
6. Pitcher or batter from San Diego
7. Singer Grande, to friends
8. Govt. IDs
9. Data size unit
10. Float like a buoy
11. Fool’s month?
12. Facial hair for a ZZ Top member
13. Trims the border of
18. Begin
22. Trash pickup site
25. “Ugly” holiday top
27. Lofty beliefs
28. Eyebrow shapes
29. “Buona ___” (Italian for “Good evening”)
30. Like a well-installed clothesline
31. Skin ailment
33. Odds’ partner
35. Branded goodies
36. Eye’s light controller
37. Largest Sudoku number
38. Comedy bits
43. Johnny or Lily-Rose
44. Where to 46-Across
45. Certain pool shot
47. Repeat unthinkingly
48. Will definitely
49. Something unusual
50. Old-school
52. Australian, French and US tennis events
55. See 54-Across
57. Shot in the arm, maybe?
58. ___ Beauty (mall fixture)
59. Corp. heads
60. Best Play or Best Breakthrough Athlete
62. Deplete
64. Aunt, in Asuncion or Alicante
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