February 5, 2021

olume

ssue

atepost.com

ebruary

Creature from the Nor’easter

sno y

Donald Halsing / THE GATEPOST

ure atches the sunset from outside the hittemore ibrary eb. .

Board of Trustees meeting focuses on diversity, academic programming, and tuition freeze

By Leighah Beausoleil News Editor

By Steven Bonini Staff Writer The Board of Trustees discussed increased diversity initiatives, two new proposed bachelor of fine arts degree programs, and a tuition freeze at its hybrid meeting Jan. 27.

Diversity Initiatives Constanza Cabello, vice president of diversity, inclusion, and community engagement, discussed the increase in professional development opportunities available that focus on

race, racism, and white privilege.

Cabello said her office applied for a Higher Education Incentive Grant Fund. She added those funds would provide the University with the ability to “run a multi-day anti-racist policy review institute for our campus leaders.”

She said the goal for next academic year is to begin putting what was learned through the programming into practice.

“It’s great that we’ve been able to spend some time learning,” Cabello said. “But our equity outcomes aren’t going to change unless we actually apply that learning to our practice.”

She highlighted the importance of

Two FSU alumni elected to Statehouse

By Steven Bonini Staff Writer

Framingham State alumni Jake Oliveira, 34, Class of 2008, and Adam Scanlon, 24, Class of 2019, were sworn in as Massachusetts State Representatives on Jan. 6, 2021.

Oliveira, a Democrat, represents Hampden’s 7th District, which includes the town of Ludlow and as well as parts of Belchertown, Springfield, and Chicopee. Scanlon, also a Democrat, represents Bristol’s 14th District, which includes North Attleborough and parts of Mansfield and Attleboro.

Oliveira said as a newly elected policymaker, one of his main focuses will be taking on the COVID-19 pandemic.

“People are hurting right now,” he said. “The virus is taking its toll on our physical health. The isolation is taking a toll on our mental health.

“First thing is working with our partners in the federal government - our congressmen, our U.S. senators - to make sure that there’s funding relief that’s coming from the federal government to our states and our communities,” he added.

Another key issue Oliveira intends to focus on is education and elimi-

keeping in mind not only students of color, but also faculty and staff of color.

Cabello said she works closely with the Employees of Color Affinity Network. The group has been collecting data of colleagues at the University on “how best to support them moving forward.”

She added the data will be presented to her team within the next week.

“There will definitely be some action items from that in terms of how we can create a climate in a culture for faculty and staff that is welcom-

See BOARD OF TRUSTEES pa e

News SGA pg. 3 COVID-19 BY THE NUMBERS pg. 8-9

Opinions

VACCINE ROLLOUT pg. 10 WHERE’S JUSTICE pg. 11

Sports nating student debt.

“Within our public education system, we need to make sure that we have reliable funding that’s promised - especially to our gateway cities and struggling school districts,” said Oliveira.

In regard to higher education, he said, “Our community colleges, our two-year degrees, our certificate programs, our vocational programs, that still require some level of higher education - we need to make sure that those programs are funded so it doesn’t fall onto the backs of stu-

See STATEHOUSE pa e

Courtesy of Jared Gordon-Anderson MEN’S BASKETBALL pg. 12

Arts & Features “SOUL” pg. 13 BEST OF 2020 pg. 14-15

INSIDE: OP/ED 10 • SPORTS 12 • ARTS & FEATURES 13

NEWS

E

Editorial Board

Gatepost Interview Zeynep Gönen

Editor-in-Chief Ashley Wall Associate Editors Donald Halsing Cara McCarthy

Sociology and Criminology Professor

By Haley Hadge Staff Writer

News Editor Leighah Beausoleil Asst. News Editors Dan Fuentes Ashlyn Kelly Arts & Features Editors Brennan Atkins Jared Graf Opinions Editor McKenzie Ward Asst. Opinions Editor Emily osenber Design Editor Kathleen Moore Photos Editor Caroline Gordon Sports Editor Danielle Achin Staff Writers Maia Almeida James Barraford Patrick Brady Steven Bonini Sean Cabot Haley Hadge Branden LaCroix Caroline Lanni Johan Perez Abigail Petrucci Lydia Staber Advisor Dr. Desmond McCarthy Asst. Advisor Elizabeth Banks

What is your role at FSU, and what does your job entail?

I’m a faculty member in the sociology and criminology departments. I teach courses in sociology and criminology, mostly criminology. In sociology, we have different majors and criminology is a big major, and I’m one of the faculty there. So, my role is teaching, but I also try to engage in other activities - trying to organize events and of course serve on certain committees and support students in different ways.

What is your educational and professional background?

I have an undergrad in economics.

I received my undergraduate degree in Turkey, which is where I am from. I thought economics was a major that I would get a good job from. Then once finished, reali ed anted to learn about society and other things that interested me. I got accepted to a Ph.D. program in the U.S. at Binghamton University. So, I came to the U.S. to study sociology and to be a teaching assistant in the university’s sociology department.

I became more and more interested in the issues of prisons and police, especially because of what was going on in the United States. I focused more of my studies around those issues, which then connected me to criminology. I went back to Turkey in 2011 and continued to work there at a couple of universities. I also worked as an academic journal editor. There were political problems happening in Turkey where academics were being affected. I was being affected by it, too. Because of my political beliefs and position, I was no longer able to work there. I returned to the U.S. four years ago when this position in the sociology department was created as a solidarity position with academics in Turkey. I really liked it, so I’m here to stay.

them. I think their knowledge is coming from their experiences, and it relates to what I’m teaching most of the time. If I’m teaching sociology or if I’m teaching criminology, I think most of the time, there are real, personal, direct connections to what they’re experiencing, and it is great to see how FSU can be a place where people can make sense of their e eriences. y field es ecially allo s me to create that connection and find that connection with the students, and I really appreciate that about the students here. Also, most of our students are also working and have other things going on in their lives and this, to me, is much more real. I want to serve real people. I appreciate the student body here, the whole student population. The difficulties, the various backgrounds, the kinds of things that they bring to the classroom - all of them really. It’s in line with what I’m trying to do as an educator, and what I’m trying to teach. So, it really makes sense to me to be here.

What do you like most about working with students at FSU? I really like the students here, in terms of their diverse backgrounds, their class positions, meaning they are not necessarily coming from the wealthiest segments of society. I like to serve this student body - I like to engage with

What is something that your students would be surprised to learn about you?

I used to be a yoga teacher. I’m really into dancing. They would be surprised to know that I could dance anywhere outside in public if I feel like it. If they see me in a public space dancing, they

Courtesy of Framingham State shouldn’t be surprised.

What are some of your hobbies?

Movement stuff - I like doing things ith my body. find it healing. m really into reading poetry, and I’m starting to write more and more. I also like hiking. I can say that nowadays, I’m getting more into writing poetry and imagining myself more as a poet in the future.

How has COVID-19 impacted your job?

Like many others, I had to take things online. It seems like online classes might require less work, but on the contrary, it’s proved to be really labor-intensive.

We have to think about many different ways of teaching as not everything could be easily transferred to an online medium. Also, finding ays to engage with my students in the online venues - either by Zoom meetings or on the discussion board in the Blackboard - I had to research, discuss with my colleagues ways to teach better in these environments,, and it is really a different way of teaching in many ays, and it definitely created more work. It became a little bit disappointing, not only because of the online situation, but how COVID has impacted many of our colleagues and

See GATEPOST INTERVIEW pa e

Police Logs Monday, Jan. 25

Wednesday, Jan. 27

larm ire/ mo e Towers Hall hec s O /Turned o er to es ife

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

@TheGatepost

atepost.com

Monday, Feb. 1 afety Escort alem End ar in er ice endered

uspicious ac a e oster all hec s O

Tuesday, Feb. 2 ot

roperty ama e orace ann all eport Ta en

Wednesday, Jan. 27 oise omplaint Towers Hall nfounded

Tuesday, Feb. 2 otor ehicle ccident Towers Hall eport Ta en

Wednesday, Jan. 27 i htin nspection ampus ide ssi nment omplete

Tuesday, Feb. 2 uspicious cti ity olice epartment eport Ta en

NEWS

E

SGA discusses snow removal and textbook costs

By Ashlyn Kelly Staff Writer SGA discussed snow removal and mask filters, among other concerns, during its Jan. 26 meeting over Zoom.

Student Trustee McKenzie Ward started open forum by raising concerns about the lack of timely snow removal on campus.

Ward said, “With the snow today, I was trying to get up the Towers Hill to park behind Larned. They hadn’t plowed at all. My car almost actually went down the hill, so that’s extremely dangerous. I think maybe being a little bit more proactive.”

She said she also slipped on the stairs behind the McCarthy Center because they had not been salted and shoveled.

SGA Advisor Sara Gallegos recommended Ward report the incidents to FSU Campus Police.

Senator Eryca Carrier also expressed concern over the lack of communication regarding snow emergency parking. “[There was] no email about changing our parking or anything today [Jan. 26],” Carrier said. “I feel like that might pose an issue soon - particularly for commuters because it’s really hard to clear the whole lot considering it’s full of cars right now.”

Senator Hillary Nna discussed the videos transfer students are required to watch about sex and consent.

“If we’re doing trainings that aren’t really teaching us how to respect each other, and respectfully address and talk about these issues and the seriousness of them, I think that’s an issue,” she said.

Nna then commented on the similarities between the FSU seal and the seal of Massachusetts.

Nna said, “Governor Baker just signed into law a committee that is going to review that seal. There’s a lot of

issues that the native community has had with it. I didn’t know … if we could use what the state is doing to help push stuff with our school crest.”

SGA President Olivia Beverlie said the Institutional Inclusive Excellence Committee has been working on the seal since last semester and has “been talking to the local native tribes about hat s ecifically e should be doing about this and involving them within the discussions.

“This is going to have to be more than just us changing our seal - we’re trying to do a lot of education surrounding it,” she said.

Nna also raised concern about mask filters not lasting for very long.

“They’re handing out new masks again, and I know we talked about the filters not lasting very long. So as wondering if they were going to hand out filters or if e could advocate for that,” Nna said.

Beverlie said she had already ordered COVID-19 personal protective equipment during the fall semester.

“We ordered hand soaps, hand saniti ers, and enough mask filters to give each student like five. And then e also ordered stress balls. My idea with that is we can give them out at testing like kind of how we did the vote masks,” she said.

Senators will be expected to help pack the grab-and-go bags, according to Beverlie.

Nna then proposed a free textbook swap for students.

“We could organize a free book exchange,” Nna said. “Just from last semester, I have a bunch of textbooks that I would love to gift to somebody so that they don’t need to struggle at all.”

During her report, Ward said she has started to plan the Administrators’ Forum for “hopefully sometime later in February” as well as working on the new SGA newsletter.

She encouraged senators to write

about any committees they may be sitting on or work that SGA is doing, such as engagement, anti-transphobia or anti-homophobia.

Beverlie said there are still committees that need student representation on them.

“For those of you who are upperclassmen and aren’t sitting on a committee yet, please reach out to me,” she said. “As of right now, [All University Committee] is still full but we could always use another person on [University Curriculum Committee], [Academic Policies Committee]. … Just reach out to me and e can figure that out.”

SGA was due to swear in a new senator, but the senator was not present at the meeting.

Student Activities Trust Fund Treasurer Ewnie Fedna said Big Budget will happen on Feb. 19.

She said the Finance Committee is “just nearing the end of seeing all of the organizations before we do grouping and vote on those groupings and allocations for Big Budget,” and they plan to see all organizations by Feb. 4.

Outreach and Events Coordinator Mariah Farris said she met with Gallegos to brainstorm ideas for events this semester.

“We came up with a few ideas on how we can get this semester rolling and what we can do to get some of the students back on point with each other, and connecting and engaging with each other.” iversity and nclusion fficer Paola Bilbraut said she spoke with Lorretta Holloway, vice president for enrollment and student development, about setting a date to show the “Black Boys” documentary.

“There’s a panel on the 18th for the documentary and a processing on the 25th, so ideally we’d want to show it anytime before then so that we can advertise,” she said.

She also said that she had continued

thinking about creating a subcommittee to “come up with ideas, separate from the activities in regards to affinity groups and diversity on campus.”

Gallegos said there are fewer residents living on campus this semester than last semester. “ haven t gotten the final re orts, but we’re seeing 100 to 200 fewer students living on campus - just so you all know that’s kind of like the outlook of what we’re seeing with students,” she said. “We also don’t know what enrollment numbers are like for the spring semester because add/drop is next week.”

Gallegos added it is very important for all students coming on campus to get tested for COVID-19 weekly on Mondays or Tuesdays.

Beverlie said, “If you do live on campus and you don’t get tested, you will get kicked out of the residence halls.”

Ward announced the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education has changed the requirement for student trustees to be full-time students - part-time students are now eligible.

She said, “[This] is huge for community colleges, especially since a majority of their students are part-time, so, this opens up the student trustee position and makes it more accessible to all students, rather than the full-time students.”

Ward added, “I think that’s a huge win for part-time students and even full-time students because no student should be left out of the governing process of their school.”

[Editor’s Note: Student Trustee McKenzie Ward serves as Opinions Editor for The Gatepost.]

CONNECT WITH ASHLYN KELLY akelly8@student.framingham.edu

Gatepost Interview continued from page 2 students. Their lives have been disrupted. Not being able to reach out to them, not being able to understand the difficulties, not being able to hel has also been a bit disheartening. This is also something that is still happening.

We’re losing students, not necessarily health-wise, but in terms of what they

were doing here. Some of the students can’t come back and cannot continue their studies, at least for the moment.

Those are the types of things that I still struggle with - I struggle with how to help, how to support, how to be useful at this time, when everybody is obviously impacted, including myself.

Do you have any advice that you’d

Weather

Sunday night Feb. 7 artly cloudy. o near . inds around mph.

Monday night Feb. 8 chance of sho ers. ostly cloudy. o near . inds around mph.

Monday Feb. 8 ostly sunny. i h near . inds around mph.

Tuesday Feb. 9 chance of precipitation. ostly cloudy. i h near . inds around mph.

G

T TE

E

T

like to give to FSU students - especially given the difficult times we’re in right now?

Know that the most important thing is your health and your well-being.

We are living through unprecedented times where there are multiple crises.

It is not just an independent issue.

It’s an economic crisis, political crisis, global warming - there’s so many crises

that are going on, and it is impossible not to be impacted. One thing that I can say that I also try to remind myself, is to take care of yourself. Try to take breaks. Self-care is such an important thing, especially in these hard times.

CONNECT WITH HALEY HADGE hhadge@student.framingham.edu

Forecast provided by the National Weather Service . eather. o Tuesday night Feb. 9 Wednesday night Feb. 10 chance of sno . ostly cloudy. o near ostly cloudy. o . inds around near . inds mph. around mph.

Thursday Feb. 11 ostly sunny. i h near . inds around mph.

Wednesday Feb. 10 artly sunny. i h near . inds around mph.

E E

E T T

E T E

E

E

G TE O T. O

E

Board of Trustees continued from page 1

ing and inclusive as well,” she said.

Cabello said the Institutional Excellence Committee is continuing to meet.

“The group is comprised of individuals from all over campus, and our main goal is being able to really be a sounding board in a place where policy review can take place,” she added.

“We want the individual departments to really do that, but we also understand that there are also policies or practices that might need a home for review, and so our group has been thinking about what that process might look like in the coming year,” Cabello said.

She announced she is co-chairing the Steering Committee of the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education New Undergraduate Experience Project.

Cabello added the project is “centered around racial equity,” and is “really informed by the campus-level work that we’re doing in terms of - how do we not only do this work within FSU, but create racial equity throughout all of public education in Massachusetts?”

She said the committee will have a new document by April with more information.

Cabello discussed work the Center for Inclusive Excellence (CIE) has been accomplishing, including programming for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, planning for Black History Month, and launching a racial healing transformation program.

She highlighted the discussion space the CIE created for students after the insurrection that took place at the Capitol on Jan. 6.

Cabello said, “We had a really healthy discussion on that, but it really highlighted some of the ongoing inequities in our nation.”

NEWS

Academic Affairs During the Academic Affairs report, Trustee Nancy Budwig presented the two potential bachelor of fine arts (BFA) degree programs for graphic design and studio art.

Budwig said the benefit of having a BFA instead of a bachelor’s of arts degree in these areas is the ability to go on to graduate school.

“The idea here is that we are not simply adding on majors, but we’re reshaping some of the existing ma-

Board of Higher Education.

Budwig discussed a “cross-divisional initiative” aimed at helping enrollment and retention.

This initiative includes closer collaboration with the Early College Program and additional support for transfer students, she said.

Budwig added one of the initiative goals is to design a program similar to the first-year RAMS 101 program for transfer students, but the program will be at a higher level.

“The idea here is that we are not simply adding on majors, but we’re reshaping some of the existing majors to make sure that we’re delivering in the ways that will be helpful for our students.”

-Nancy Budwig, Trustee jors to make sure that we’re delivering in the ways that will be helpful for our students,” she said. “Not only while they’re at FSU, but as they continue on their career path.”

Trustee Hope Lozsno Bielat said, “The BFA program really is a professional degree, and I think it allows the students to go on immediately into the job force and get a return on their investment.

“It really does play into our goals of higher enrollment and racial equity,” she added, “and I think it’s a program that’s worth getting behind.”

The Board voted unanimously to allow the University to seek approval of the degree programs from the

She said the program is meant “to help them feel like they belong and onboard them in a smoother way, so they have higher retention.”

Budwig said another initiative within Academic Affairs is to have policies “reviewed for any kind of unintended effects that might inhibit students’ success.”

She added collaboration efforts with the MetroWest community is another initiative.

“This is obvious for so many reasons as a public university,” she said.

“Despite COVID and everything going on - how are we making sure that FSU is seen as a value to the communities of which it’s a part?”

Courtesy of the Finance Committee

@TheGatepost

atepost.com

One example of how the University is involved with the community is through STEM Week, Budwig said.

She discussed the increased number of faculty taking sabbaticals.

“At first, you might say that seems odd,” Budwig said. “But it turns out that there were a lot of delays. …

Given that enrollments are a little bit low, and we are not only hoping - we’re expecting them to be on the up and up.

“If there was a time where we had to have more faculty on sabbatical, this would be it,” she added. “So, this is a contractual kind of obligation, and what we heard about were the plans in place by the various deans and provost to just make sure that the courses could be covered.”

Finance Proposals During his report, Trustee Michael Grilli presented three resolutions that were voted on by the Board.

The first proposal was for the FSU Budget Committee to develop the Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) budget with the cost of fees for day undergraduate students and room rates remaining the same as in the FY21 budget.

The Board voted unanimously in favor of the resolution. Student Trustee McKenzie Ward abstained.

The second proposal was for the Board’s authorization of FSU’s participation in the Retirement Incentive Program.

“Any of the actions here will require higher ed to take action on it,” Grilli said. “But what we’re looking for is the trustees to endorse our association with this proposal.”

Trustee Lozsno Bielat said she was concerned the University might be “overloading” on adjunct faculty.

President F. Javier Cevallos said the University is limited to 15% adjunct faculty, adding hiring part-time faculty is not the University’s goal.

He said the program is not mandatory, and the vote would only be authorizing the University to move toward discussions with the unions.

The Board voted unanimously in favor of the resolution.

The last proposal was for the Board’s support in the organization of a “University Community Club” at the Warren Conference Center.

The Board voted unanimously to support the proposal.

Enrollment Updates Lorretta Holloway, vice president for enrollment and student development, said the number of applications is down, with those from students of color down approximately 20%.

She said nationally, this is a problem students of color face for reasons including being a first-generation student, having other responsibilities, the online school experience, and receiving little to no support in applying for college in the current remote setting.

She added although the number of applications is down, the number of students of color who have accepted

See BOARD OF TRUSTEES pa e

Board of Trustees continued from page 4 admission has increased.

According to Holloway’s data, out of five of FSU’s sister institutions, FSU ranks the lowest in change for aggregate applications from Fall 2020 to Fall 2021 - down by 10.7%.

Salem State University applications are down by 10.9%, Bridgewater State University 13.3%, Fitchburg State University 17.3%, Worcester State University 18.9%, and Westfield State University 28.3%.

The total spring semester headcount for undergraduate degree-seeking students decreased by approximately 11% - with 2,901 students enrolled in the spring 2021 semester compared to 3,264 students enrolled in the spring 2020 semester, according to Holloway.

As of Dec. 11, 2020, resident housing occupancy for the fall was at 699 students. Spring housing resident reservations decreased to 599 students, with 57 of those being new reservations, according to Holloway.

Alumni Relations Eric Gustafson, vice president of development and alumni relations, said fundraising “is going well,” and the University has successfully leveraged the “Commonwealth Endowment Incentive Program.”

Gustafson said the Program was created by the state Legislature to match 50 cents on the dollar and new gifts to endowment to the Framingham State University Foundation.

He reported a grand total of approximately $1.473 million in donations.

“We’ve been able to leverage that matching money pretty successfully, and not only some existing donors, but also brand-new donors,” Gustafson said.

He added his office has seen their big donors stay with them, but are struggling with small donors.

“We are trying to work on the what we’ll call ‘the bottom of the pyramid’ of fundraising in terms of the smaller gift donors, and how we can get some of those folks who we may have lost over the last year back to supporting the University, and the alumni engagement side,” he said. “We continue to be all virtual - no events in person.”

He hopes come summertime, Alumni Relations will be able to have modified in-person events, but said it will rely on when the vaccine is rolled out.

“We had to defer last year’s 50th reunion class,” Gustafson said. “We don’t want to have to do that again.”

In the meantime, Gustafson said Alumni Relations are trying to build up their social media presence and create more video content to keep alumni engaged.

He added the Danforth Art Museum has been receiving great attendance via digital events.

Gustafson said his department is trying to promote the museum “as a really safe place to go to see some art and that’s not crowded.”

NEWS

He said the Danforth Art School has been significantly affected by the pandemic as they are not able to host most classes in person.

“We’re hoping that by the end of the school year we’ll be able to bring youth together in some form for in-person classes, and then they’re just starting a number of new initiatives right now to try to bring in additional revenue to make up the

E

that additional research into the issue confirmed that we had no exposure,” she added. “All of our information was encrypted, but we went ahead and actually took one more step and physically removed all social security numbers from the system to further mitigate any future risks.”

Neshe said another hack was attempted, but Galang confirmed that

colleges where “about 70% of those students are part-time students.”

President Cevallos then gave the athletic program update, reporting that the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) decided to cancel the fall and winter season for sports.

He added there has not been a decision on spring sports, but a call will be made sometime in February.

Courtesy of Lorretta Holloway revenue lost from those in-person classes,” he added.

Compliance Audit and Risk Committee Trustee Dana Neshe gave the Compliance Audit and Risk Committee (CAR) report.

She said one of the main goals for the University is to construct a standard and a template for all policy-making areas to use when they create their policies and procedures.

“Once that’s done, there’ll be some training that’s done for the entire community,” she said. “And that should put us into really good speed when it comes to having a consistent approach to departments, and other areas having policies and procedures that we have to help guide our activities.”

In regard to the Commonwealth Commitment audit, Neshe said the audit lasted 13 months and the final report had “no findings.

“The program is running well, controls are in place, and the auditors had no new criticisms or even suggestions for us,” she said.

Neshe said the CAR meeting ended with some updates from Roy Galang, information security officer.

She said the first report Galang gave was on a Blackboard breach that occurred during the summer.

“Blackboard was in fact breached and some other universities that were using the system had confidential information and PPI basically, that was exposed,” said Neshe.

PPI stands for pay-per-install, which is a file-infecting virus used to steal personal information.

“Roy was able to confirm for us

G

T TE

E

T

neither the University nor any of its vendors were affected.

Another topic Neshe discussed was Cyber Awareness Month in October.

She said Galang’s team provided some “additional training to the University population.”

In regard to cybersecurity, Payment Card Industry (PCI), and phishing, Neshe said the University has had “very, very good adherence” to phishing standards and is “exceeding national [the] average” on the issue.

Neshe said the last thing Galang reported at the CAR meeting was a couple of new projects the area is working on.

“One is a new security information event manager which is very exciting for those folks - probably not for anybody else, but it’ll help them track all of their alerts, fraud alerts, and other things in a more holistic and appropriate fashion,” she said.

“They’re also getting ready to implement LogicManager, which is a governance risk and compliance system to help with reporting and compliance testing,” she added.

Student Trustee, Sports, and Student Spotlight Student Trustee Ward reported a new initiative signed into law by Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration allowing part-time students to now run for student trustee in colleges across the state.

This is a change from the former law which only allowed full-time students to run for student trustee.

Ward said this is a “great” change as it opens up a lot more accessibility to students attending community

E E

E T T

E T E

E

Cevallos said he hopes they can have spring sports events such as baseball, softball, and other outdoor activities.

He turned the floor over to the Student-in-the-Spotlight, introduced by Bruce Bucci, an American Sign Language (ASL) professor.

Student-in-the-Spotlight Emily Pacheco is majoring in ASL and is working to become a sign-language interpreter.

Pacheco thanked Luce Aubrey, an ASL professor, who she said drove down to Rhode Island and gave a presentation about a new four-year program focused on interpreting at FSU. Pacheco said she attended the presentation, spoke with Aubrey, and applied to FSU. She added at FSU, she had the opportunity to study abroad in Scotland, where she learned a new form of sign language.

“Sign language is not international. Every country has their own, so I decided to learn a new language that was one semester,” she said.

Pacheco said in her junior year, she started an ASL club.

“There are beautiful clubs and communities here at FSU, but there really wasn’t anything for the deaf community, and that is where my heart is,” she said. “My parents are deaf.”

She said as the president of the club, she’s been able to accomplish a lot and it’s been “an amazing experience” watching it grow.

CONNECT WITH LEIGHAH BEAUSOLEIL lbeausoleil@student.framingham.edu CONNECT WITH STEVEN BONINI sbonini@student.framingham.edu

E

G TE O T. O

E

Statehouse continued from page 1

dents even further right now.”

Oliveira said he was the first in his district to enter the race for state representative and he did not face a primary challenger.

“There was actually another Democrat who was in briefly, but before the filing deadline of the paperwork, he dropped out and supported me,” he said. “It allowed me to focus directly on the general election campaign right away.”

Oliveira said he was familiar with his Republican opponent, James Harrington, as they had both previously served on the Ludlow School Committee together.

“He already had name recognition outside of our hometown of Ludlow,” said Oliveira. “So, when we were moving into the general election, I knew it was going to be close and we focused our campaign on direct contact with voters.”

Oliveira said having direct contact with voters was difficult this election season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It was very hard this election season for any candidate running for any office because you kind of had to change the way you campaign,” he said. “There are very few events that you could go to, to interact with people.

“When I got into the race, it was in early February, which meant that the virus really was out there, but it wasn’t well known. And it wasn’t at a pandemic level yet,” he said.

Oliveira said he had to move a number of scheduled events - making fundraising far more difficult.

“I’m a people person,” he said. “I enjoy meeting new people, and it was really hard for me at the beginning of the campaign - in March and in April.”

Oliveira said following Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker’s Phase-3 initiative, he wrote an op-ed in his local newspaper that outlined how he would socially distance canvass.

“I would wear a mask. I back away six feet from the door. I would carry hand sanitizer,” he said.

He added going door-to-door was different than in past years because more people were home due to the stay-at-home advisory issued by Baker.

Oliveira said in previous years, when a candidate knocked on doors, there might be a 20 to 25% answer rate, but because people were home, it was closer to a 40% answer rate.

“People were cooped up for so long that they were looking to talk to people,” he said. “They saw you coming on in as something that was helpful to them - just to manage the crisis.

“We knocked on thousands of doors between July all the way to election day in November,” he said.

“And I think that’s what really makes a difference in these types of campaigns.

“You’re going to represent roughly 42,000 people, and you can make an impact by introducing yourselves to folks at their doorsteps,” he added.

Oliveira’s margin of victory against

@TheGatepost

atepost.com

NEWS

Harrington was approximately 0.7% or 169 votes. The final vote tally was 11,262 to 11,093, according to the Associated Press (AP).

He said although he won the elec-

we knew we were winning by a very slim, slim margin - by 134 votes,” he said. “Unfortunately, and it was human error and she ’fessed up to it, but the town clerk in one of the com-

Courtesy of Jake Oliveira tion, there was a mistake made by one precinct on election night that doubled his opponent’s total vote count, leading Harrington to believe he had been victorious.

“In any type of campaign, campaigns typically have what they call poll runners that go to each one of the polling locations and collect the numbers that are printed out from the ballots that are counted by the machine,” he said.

“We had people there at all 12 of

munities in Belchertown, who is the chief elections officer, actually doubled my opponent’s count in one precinct when she reported it to the AP.” Following the mistake, Harrington declared victory.

Oliveira said he waited until the next morning to contact the Belchertown City Clerk to confirm the numbers reported were correct.

He said the city clerk admitted to her mistake and called the AP that morning. The race was then called in

Courtesy of the Adam Scanlon the polling locations in the district taking pictures. They’d send them into our campaign. We tally them in an Excel spreadsheet, so we would get the numbers before it was even reported in the press,” he added.

“When we got those numbers in by about 9:30 [p.m.] on election night,

his favor.

Two-and-a-half weeks later, Harrington asked for a hand recount, following which Oliveira picked up an additional 35 votes, he said.

Reflecting on his time at Framingham State, Oliveira said it’s not just about getting a degree, but also

about meeting people during college that makes it all worthwhile.

He said he is still in contact with many of his friends from college, and they keep in touch often through group messaging.

“Many of us were members of the Freshman Experience Program in Larned Hall during our freshman year of college, and we’ve stayed together all the way through,” he added.

Oliveira said although he made a lot of friends in college, he will never forget the professors he had and what they taught him.

“When I was in the government department, we had kind of very, very long-serving faculty members that were terrific, and were a wealth of information,” he said.

Oliveira said he would recommend Framingham State to any graduating high school senior. “Go there and take a look, because you will get a high-quality education at a very affordable cost,” he added.

State Rep. Adam Scanlon said his priorities going into this next session will be to help senior citizens and fight for a “robust transportation system.”

Scanlon said he will fight for education and make sure local schools and institutions of higher education are funded, ensuring that “we continue to curl back at standardized testing and look at ways to educate children in a more individualized type of setting and moving away from standardized testing.”

He said he will also be focused on the environment and would like to see the country adopt completely renewable energy by 2050.

Scanlon said he doesn’t align himself with either the “moderate” or “progressive” wing of the Democratic Party, and said his goal is to do what’s best for his district.

“I want to hear from my constituents, and I’ll act on their behalf. And if there’s an issue that I feel strongly, but what my district feels stronger about, then I’m going to go with what’s best for my district,” he said.

“I like to be a consensus builder, and hear what everyone has to say,” he added.

Scanlon said his Democratic challenger in the primary election, Patrick Reynolds, was a former classmate of his and the race ended up being the closest election that year in Massachusetts.

Scanlon was declared the victor by 118 votes.

In the general election, Scanlon said he defeated his Republican opponent, John Simmons, by approximately 9 percentage points, 54% to 45%.

“I was extremely thankful as not only a candidate, but as a voter, for the vote-by-mail initiative that was rolled out by the Secretary of State’s office,” he said. “And I’m hoping that can continue in the future to help increase voter turnout.”

Scanlon said campaigning during COVID-19 was a challenge for him as well.

See STATEHOUSE pa e

NEWS

Statehouse

continued from page 6

“I had to drive around to a ton of houses to get signatures. And it was difficult because normally what you do is you stand outside a grocery store, and just get signatures that way,” he said. “Nowadays, you have to go to people one by one by one and it’s a very arduous task.”

He said a majority of his campaign was conducted digitally with the help of many organizations.

“The way that we conducted our campaign was largely through social media and phone banking - making a lot of calls to voters in the district, as well as working with a lot of organizations like the Mass AFL-CIO, the Massachusetts Teachers Association, and the Sierra Club,” said Scanlon.

“Working with great organizations like this was truly important to our victory.”

Scanlon said he also received a lot of grassroots support as well as assistance from people in his community who just wanted to help out.

His campaign didn’t necessarily have the most money, but “we had

the biggest team in terms of grassroots support,” he said.

Reflecting on his time at Framingham State, Scanlon said he had close relationships with his professors and still connects with some of them fair-

E

“I was also involved in a number of committees. I was involved on the Strategic Planning Committee, and I was involved with the hiring committee for a new provost, so I got to know a lot of people,” he added.

“When I hear from students who graduated about the great time they had while at FSU - the jobs they love or the families they have started I know why I keep teaching.”

-Christopher Latimer, Professor and Chair of the Political Science Department ly frequently.

Scanlon also talked about being part of the Student Government Association (SGA) and how his time as a member has impacted his political voice.

“I learned how to put my own voice to action, and I got to be more involved,” he said.

Scanlon said what he likes the most is being able to reach out to his former professors and ask them their opinions on certain issues, which helps him be a good consensus builder.

“That’s the biggest thing that I learned - and being a good listener,” he said.

Framingham State University President F. Javier Cevallos said he was proud to learn of Oliveira’s and Scanlon’s elections to the Statehouse.

“I know both Jake and Adam personally, and I believe both will make excellent state representatives,” he said.

“I’ve known Jake for several years through his work as an Executive Officer for the State University Council of Presidents, and I’ve come to respect his insight and ideas on improving public education in Massachusetts,” he added.

“I knew Adam as a student at FSU and was impressed by his leadership abilities, which were recognized with an award from our Alumni Association,” said Cevallos.

He said he believes it’s particularly valuable when young people get involved in politics. He hopes Oliveira’s and Scanlon’s time at the University has “provided them with insight into the importance of public higher education in providing access and opportunities to students from many different backgrounds.

“I’m also confident they learned to be critical thinkers who will examine all aspects of an issue before coming to a well-reasoned decision,” he said.

Christopher Latimer, professor and chair of the political science department, said of Scanlon, “Adam was a strong student. … He was very unassuming. I believe that was one of his greatest strengths. Never underestimate him.

“I am always excited when students from FSU accomplish anything they put their minds to,” said Latimer.

“When I hear from students who graduated about the great time they had while at FSU - the jobs they love or the families they have started - I know why I keep teaching,” he added.

David Smailes, professor of political science, said he knows Scanlon well, and from the moment he met him, knew he had a strong commitment to helping others.

“I think a strong case can be made that state and local government are the most important places for governing, since many of the decisions made at those levels directly change the lives of the people of the commonwealth, and I’m glad Adam will be a part of that,” he said.

“I always admired Adam’s willingness to listen to others and his ability to understand their perspective, and I’m sure during his time at FSU, he learned a great deal about the many diverse and challenging aspects of the lives of the people he met here,” said Smailes.

“I have every confidence he will take that experience with him to the Statehouse,” he added.

Olivia Beverlie, president of SGA, said this is a tremendous victory for both Oliveira and Scanlon.

“I hope that they continue to work for a better future for their constituents and the commonwealth,” she said.

CONNECT WITH STEVEN BONINI sbonini@student.framingham.edu

G

T TE

E

T

E E

E T T

E T E

E

E

G TE O T. O

NEWS

E

COVID-19 by the numbers February 5, 2020

By Donald Halsing ssociate Editor

By Leighah Beausoleil News Editor

By Kathleen Moore esi n Editor At least 100 million cumulative COVID-19 cases were reported globally based on data from various sources taken Feb. 3.

Over 1.3% of the global population has contracted COVID-19 since the outbreak began over a year ago.

Framingham State University administered 707 tests within the past week, and 2,141 tests within the past 30 days, according to the COVID-19 data page on the FSU website.

No positive tests were returned within the past week, according to the page. The 7-day negative test rate was 100%.

No individuals were isolated on or off campus. Four people were quarantined on campus.

A total of 2,083 negative, and 11 positive results, were returned in the past 30 days. The 30-day negative test rate was 99.47%.

Cumulatively, 6,299 Framingham residents, 9.2%, tested positive for COVID-19. The City of Framingham reported 1,152 active cases.

There were 2,334 new infections, 1,992 new recoveries, and 45 new deaths reported since Dec. 9. The number of people infected increased by 297, or 7.5%, over the past eight weeks.

Approximately 18% of those who contracted the virus remain infected.

Over 78% have recovered and approximately 3.3% have died.

The overall death rate from COVID-19 in Framingham is 0.3%.

Cumulatively, 504,564 Massachusetts residents, 7.3%, tested positive for COVID-19. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health estimates there

are 64,431 active cases.

There were 245,240 new infections, 184,579 new recoveries and 3,493 new deaths since Dec. 9. The number of people infected increased by 57,168, or 22%, over the past eight weeks.

Just under 27% of those who contracted the virus remain infected. Over 70% have recovered, and approximately 2.9% have died.

The overall death rate from COVID-19 in Massachusetts is 0.21%.

Cumulatively, 26,545,905 United States residents, 8%, tested positive for COVID-19. The New York Times reported 119,014 active cases.

There were 11,131,992 new infections, 4,947,015 new recoveries, and 160,303 new deaths since Dec. 9. The number of people infected grew by 6,024,674, or 39%, over the past eight weeks.

Just over 57% of those who contracted the virus remain infected. Approximately 41% of the population has recovered, 1.7% have died.

The overall death rate from COVID-19 in the United States is 0.14%.

Cumulatively, 104,333,878 people globally, 1.35%, tested positive for COVID-19. The New York Times reported 522,143 active cases.

There were 35,194,062 new infections, 13,384,723 new recoveries, and 691,265 new deaths since Dec. 9. The number of people infected grew by 21,118,081, or 30.5%, over the past eight weeks.

Approximately 42% of the world population remains infected. Over 55% have recovered and 2.2% have died.

The overall death rate from COVID-19 globally is 0.03%.

Data sources: Framingham State University City of Framingham Mass. population: U.S. Census Bureau – QuickFacts Massachusetts U.S. and World population: U.S. Census Bureau – U.S. and World Population Clock Mass. data: WCVB Channel 5 Boston, Mass. Dept. of Public Health U.S. data: CDC, New York Times Recovery data: Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center World data: WHO, Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center *Calculations for new infections, recoveries, deaths, and infected population size change are made using both data from this week and last week’s data published in The Gatepost. New data collected Wednesday before publication.

Kathleen Moore / THE GATEPOST

Framingham

Kathleen Moore / THE GATEPOST

@TheGatepost

atepost.com

NEWS

Massachusetts

E

Kathleen Moore / THE GATEPOST

United States

Kathleen Moore / THE GATEPOST

World

Kathleen Moore / THE GATEPOST CONNECT WITH DONALD HALSING dhalsing@student.framingham.edu

G

T TE

E

T

CONNECT WITH LEIGHAH BEAUSOLEIL lbeausoleil@student.framingham.edu

E E

E T T

E T E

E

CONNECT WITH KATHLEEN MOORE kmoore8@student.framingham.edu

E

G TE O T. O

OP/ED

10 | FEBRUARY 5, 2021

O P / ED THE GATEPOST EDITORIAL Baker’s vaccine rollout is behind the curve As of Feb. 2, Massachusetts has only administered 625,477 vaccines, with 1,156,375 vaccines distributed to vaccination sites, according to The Boston Globe. Only 126,560 individuals have received both doses of a vaccine.

It’s encouraging that the state has begun vaccinating the general population. However, it’s disheartening that such a small percentage of the state’s 6.89 million residents have been vaccinated nearly two months after Pfizer and Moderna were approved by the FDA for emergency vaccine rollout.

While the Baker administration may be trying its best, its vaccination plan lacks a certain level of clarity.

The state is currently in the first step of the Phase 2 rollout plan. Phase 1 included healthcare workers, long-term care facility residents and employees, and first responders. Phase 2 Group 1 includes those who are 75 and older.

Although currently ineligible for the vaccine, Phase 2 Group 2 will include individuals aged 65-plus and those who have two or more serious medical conditions. It also includes people who live and work in low-income and affordable senior housing.

Because the vaccine rollout is being implemented in phases, those who fall into the Phase 2 Group 3 category, such as public health, K-12, grocery, and transit workers, are still ineligible to receive the vaccine.

The system the Baker administration has devised is just as confusing in practice as it is to explain. What do all these “phases” and “groups” mean? “When can I get the vaccine?” and “Where do I fall?” are questions people have been asking.

Those who are not yet eligible to be vaccinated have been left in the dark. Gov. Baker has not explained the reasoning behind the different phases clearly enough.

If he explained the restricted rollout is intended to prevent overwhelming the healthcare system by first vaccinating the largest source of COVID-19 hospitalizations - the elderly - people might be more understanding. However, he has not been clear about this.

If he explained the state is holding back vaccines to ensure people will be able to get their second doses, people might be more understanding. However, he has not been clear about this.

If he explained that states don’t know how many vaccines they will be receiving because coordination at the federal level is lacking, people might be more understanding. However, he has not been clear about this.

Why, after two months, is Massachusetts still only allowing those in Phase 2 Group 1 as well as those previously eligible to get the vaccine?

Because Gov. Baker has a plan, although he hasn’t been clear in explaining said plan.

However, the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination program in Massachusetts has experienced numerous pitfalls.

The state has made requesting a vaccination appointment difficult, especially for people who may face challenges accessing the internet.

Many of the elderly, who are in Phase 2 Group 1, do not know how to use the technology necessary to make an appointment. Gov. Baker stated on Feb. 3 that the state will be establishing a call center, which will allow individuals to make appointments over the phone. This method of booking an appointment should have been created earlier to increase accessibility and limit confusion concerning booking appointments.

The limited location of vaccination sites is also a concern. People who rely on public transportation might not be able to reach vaccination sites easily due to severe service reduction on public transportation routes as a result of the pandemic, including on the MBTA. Although there are local, general, and mass vaccination sites spread across the state, appointment slots are limited due to the high demand, and the mass.gov website states appointment slots will be added on a “rolling basis based on supply from the Federal Government.”

The rollout is not limited by a lack of funding. Since March 27, 2020, the Commonwealth has been under a Major Disaster Declaration, according to the state government’s website.

Under this declaration, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) has access to federal funding to cover the costs of emergency operations centers, including funds for “equipment and supplies required for storing, handling, distributing/transporting, and administering COVID-19 vaccines,” as well as facilities and support staff.

The state government has the resources to set up as many vaccination sites as possible.

However, only a handful of mass vaccination sites have been set up, and vaccines have been distributed to a sprinkling of healthcare providers and pharmacy locations.

There’s simply not enough vaccination sites.

If we are going to move past Phases 1 and 2 into Phase 3, we need more mass sites so vaccines can be administered at a faster rate.

April is the target date set by the Baker administration to begin Phase 3 vaccine rollout.

At the current rate, we don’t believe people from Phase 3 will begin receiving their vaccinations by that time.

Health care professionals and government leaders such as Gov. Baker are urging the public to get the COVID-19 vaccine, and yet, only a select number of individuals are actually eligible.

Clearly, their message is contradictory.

Furthermore, the state’s vaccination sites cannot currently cope with the limited number of those eligible to be vaccinated.

Americans waited nearly a year for a vaccine, and although two are available, most Massachusetts residents are still waiting and have no clear idea when it will be their turn to get the vaccine due to the confusing nature of the vaccine rollout program.

It’s time for Gov. Baker’s administration to acknowledge the flaws in its rollout plan and do right by all Massachusetts citizens.

We no longer have time to be patient when this vaccine could mean life or death.

Have an opinion?

Feel free to email it to: gatepost@framingham.edu Opinions should be about 750 words.

Anyone can submit. @TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com

Social media is not news

By Emily Rosenberg Assistant Opinions Editor We can all admit to having spent more time in a day scrolling through social media than reading.

No matter how many times my mom responds “...Facebook” when I ask what she’s reading, nothing will ever substitute the real thing - a newspaper.

Why bother? It’s boring.

The Washington Post alone publishes around 1,200 stories per day; and that’s less exciting than what your “friend” ate for lunch?

Though the news can be boring, depressing, or silly on occasion, it is an essential source to forming your views of the world - politics, education, your peers, everything.

Yet, more and more we’re relying on social media such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok, and Reddit to deliver this valuable information to us. Whether it’s the restriction of paywalls on journalism sites, the lack of trust in modern journalists, or the thrill of seeing a story unfold as everyone goes bananas over a politician, it has become clear that amongst the young generation, following official media has become old news.

Of course, how could anyone feel inclined to read the news when everyone from the 13-year-old you babysit to your 99-year-old grandma are sharing their hot takes? This is a lot more intriguing.

Instead of learning from the facts, we’re learning from anger.

While social media can expose us to opinions and perspectives all around the world, it has also stripped our ability to first interpret and gather our surroundings on our own. Instead of reading and sharing straight news from sources such as The Boston Globe, social media users share snapshots of headlines from accounts that are often unverified and include commentary that are typically aggressive and critical.

This might be a way to snap someone mindlessly scrolling out of a trance and encourage them to get involved, but it also forces them to take a specific position on the story without even knowing all of the facts. It seasons their view before they have a chance to see everything. Furthermore, if the reader never encounters the rest of the story elsewhere, they may only consume the guided or corrupted piece, leading them to spread an obstructed or incomplete perspective.

It’s also crucial to consider where the information is coming from. Is the person qualified to be speaking on the issue? What experience or knowledge do they hold? After all, they could be just another average angry citizen with less credibility on the topic than you.

Unverified accounts could be spreading disinformation to stilt our views. They could also be sharing misinformation or completely false information unintentionally. This not only hinders your ability to shape an unbiased and fair perspective of the world, but if you share it, it will also harm everyone else, too. It also makes you look incompetent.

While a lot of official news sources are biased as well - rejecting certain facts and using selective diction - they are far less likely to report false news due to their high status and professional staff. Reading and watching multiple sources can also help you recognize partisan or stilted journalism.

Also, ask why they want your attention as intentions and identities can often be performative or deceiving.

For example, in 2016, Russia allegedly created hundreds of thousands of accounts on Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, and Twitter to spread propaganda and radicalize followers.

Social media can be a great place to convene with others and share ideas, but it has become a catalyst for misinformed, angry citizens. When we rely on our social media friends to give us the scoop on everyday happenings, we only hear the stories they care about out of the millions that are published every day. Your perspective of the world will be shaped by the words they think and say and you’ll begin to see the world through the rants they post and share.

Journalists dedicate their whole lives to delivering the truth, so why not put our faith back in them?

It can be as easy as opening up Spotify to the podcast section, turning on Channel 7, or Googling “news.” If you’re here, it looks like you’re already off on the right foot.

Where is justice?

OP/ED

FEBRUARY 5, 2021 | 11

By McKenzie Ward Opinion’s Editor

Jan. 6 truly felt like a movie as I watched as the Capitol Building was stormed for the first time since 1814 when British troops set fire to it and other government buildings during the War of 1812.

This time it wasn’t the British.

The threat to democracy was much closer to home.

Watching as over 2,000 individuals stormed the building, all I could think of is how could this be happening?

Why did President Donald Trump tell those who attacked a building that symbolizes democracy and freedom that he loves them?

Why was I not as shocked as I should have been?

When I visited D.C. in January of 2020, I was forced to pass through various security checkpoints and saw multiple U.S. Capitol Police officers before I even entered the building.

I was even questioned by one of the officers about what I was doing when I was standing on the street next to the Capitol Building as I looked on my phone to see where my Uber was.

How did these people manage to storm it?

For days following the attacks, we

were bombarded by photos of those who stormed the Capitol – extremist Trump supporters, members of Proud Boys, and others who should be considered domestic terrorists. As I was forced to see the faces of those who have no respect for our nation’s Constitution, I became angrier with our government.

What I find most repulsive about the attack on the Capitol is the number of individuals who encouraged this event to occur: U.S. Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene, Mo Brooks, Lauren Boebert. And, even the former president, Donald Trump played a part to inspire the 2,000 individuals to storm the Capitol as they screamed “Hang Pence,” carrying zip ties in their hands, and hatred in their heart.

Boebert used her Twitter account to tweet live updates during the attack on Capitol Hill by tweeting that lawmakers were being moved to the House Chambers, and then she later tweeted that Speaker Nancy Pelosi was being removed from the chambers. Following the attack, she refused to allow Capitol Police to search her bag when it set off metal detectors ac-

cording to the Boston Globe. She was soon let into the House Chambers.

Greene is a known QAnon supporter and has a history of allegedly calling for the executions of Democratic lawmakers and following the attacks, she conflated the Capitol insurrection with nonviolent Black Lives Matter protests from last summer, according to the Washington Post.

Brooks spent his time prior to the attacks pouring gasoline on the fiery hatred and anger held by those who stormed the Capitol by encouraging individuals to “fight for America,” and Rep. Paul Gosar promoted the Jan. 6 protest, according to an article from The New York Times.

And for months, Trump used his Twitter account to make false claims of election fraud, claimed that he had won the election, and encouraged his supporters to challenge the election results. Following the attack, he was impeached with only 10 Republicans Congressmen who had enough courage and integrity to stand up against Trump.

We must now hold faith in our Senate that they will hold Trump responsible for this attack. But we also need

to be holding GOP members who encouraged it, attended it, or did not condemn the attack.

This insurrection and attack on our nation’s Capitol never should have happened and we need to hold those who encouraged and refused to condemn the actions of these terrorists responsible for the pain they have caused our country.

The selfish actions of those who refused to believe that Trump lost, resulted in the death of Air National Guard Veteran and U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who gave his life protecting lawmakers from barbaric rioters who beat him. It has been 30 days, and no one has been charged yet according to Forbes.

Where is his justice?

Officer Sicknick and his family deserve justice.

Our country deserves justice.

Our citizens deserve justice.

Every GOP member involved in this event needs to be held responsible and fired.

Campus Conversations What are your goals for the spring semester?

By Donald Halsing, Associate Editor

“Pass my classes.”

“Survive.”

-Ben McGhee, senior

-Tadiwa Chitongo, sophomore

“My goals for the spring semester would be to, obviously, pass my classes with good grades, especially with everything that’s going on. And then, to just hang out with my friends more as safely as I can. Last semester, I was very worried and I didn’t talk to them a lot. So, just reconnecting with people.”

“My goal is to make a better schedule, and to get better grades than I did last semester.”

-Paulina Memsah, sophomore

“Just trying to find a good balance with everything going on.”

-Sabrina Grammatic, junior

“Honestly, just get my work done and graduate.”

-Dahir Hersi, senior

-Alexis Burleigh, sophomore

Op/Ed submissions reflect the opinions of their authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of The Gatepost or its staff.

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

12 | FEBRUARY 5, 2021

SPORTS

SP O RTS

Men’s basketball team stays motivated despite season cancellation

By Danielle Achin Sports Editor The Framingham men’s basketball team had hopes of playing their 202021 season but COVID-19 restrictions kept them off the court.

Senior Jared Gordon-Anderson and Juniors Tomas Donoyan and Tajahn Joyner were eager to move back on campus for another chance to play, but despite the anticipated season’s cancellation, the ne s as still difficult to accept.

“I went to live on campus and have online classes because I thought we were going to be able to play,” Donoyan said. “But a couple weeks in with the regulations and having to reserve gym time, I knew it wasn’t going to work out - but there was nothing we could do.”

Gordon-Anderson graduated from Framingham High School and joined the FSU team ready to prove himself to his teammates and coach.

“I played basketball and hockey all throughout elementary school,” Gordon-Anderson said. “Going into middle school, both were winter sports so I had to pick one and from then on, it’s been basketball.” ordon-Anderson ended his final season scoring an overall 209 points, with 40 steals, 14 blocks, and 70 assists.

Joyner is originally from Amherst and has been involved in the sport since before he learned to walk.

“I grew up playing basketball and football,” Joyner said. “I was better at football but I’ve always liked basketball more - it was more fun.” oyner finished his 1 season with 84 assists, 107 rebounds, 39 steals, and scored a total of 186 points.

Donoyan came to FSU after graduating from Belmont High School and has been playing basketball since early elementary school.

He scored a total of 48 points, with 7 blocks, 15 steals, and 19 assists for his overall 2019-20 season.

While the decision to cancel winter sports was still up in the air, the

Jared Gordon-Anderson (#1), Tajahn Joyner (#2), and Tomas Donoyan (#33) gather with their teammates courtside during a game.

Courtesy of Tajahn Joyner

o tion to ractice as still a difficult task for the team.

“We were told to treat each prac-

“There were certain drills we couldn’t do.

It was all individual work. At that point, everyone knew if we couldn’t practice with each other, we wouldn’t be able to play against another team.”

- Tomas Donoyan, junior men’s basketball player tice as if we were still going to play,” Donoyan said. “But there were certain drills we couldn’t do. It was all individual work. At that point, everyone knew if we couldn’t practice with each other, we wouldn’t be able to

Courtesy of Tajahn Joyner

@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com

play against another team.”

Although they’re saddened they won’t get to prove their talent on the

court, Head Coach Bill Raynor keeps the team motivated and hungry to play for next season. he men re ected on the lessons Raynor displays to the team both on and off the court.

Courtesy of Jared Gordon-Anderson

“Something he says all the time is that he loves competition, and if you don’t compete, you aren’t playing,” Donoyan said. “Whatever obstacle you got in front of you, if you compete, even if you might not win in the end, someone is going to notice.

“He’s the type of person who isn’t satisfied ith anything but your best,” Donoyan added.

“Freshman year I was cutting it real close to being able to play, and he kept it real with me and told me if this is what I wanted, I need to try harder and buckle down,” Joyner said.

“Throughout the years, he never gave up on me and still hasn’t.”

Gordon-Anderson said, “He related basketball to real life, always saying there is an opportunity knocking and we could either embrace them or shut them off.

“He advocates nothing good comes easy - you have to make yourself uncomfortable,” he added.

The men had some advice for upcoming teammates having experienced both the chance to play and having a season taken from them. oyner said, “ m a firm believer everything happens for a reason. So, I would say to just stick with it.”

“It’s the will to keep going when times are rough,” Donoyan said.

“Keep working no matter what each practice or game gives you, anything can change the next day.”

Gordon-Anderson said, “Try and get the best out of each other. Everyone has something to bring to the team and you just have to get the confidence out and ush them.”

CONNECT WITH DANIELLE ACHIN dachin@student.framingham.edu

ARTS & FEATURES

FEBRUARY 5, 2021 | 13

ARTS & FEATURES

Pixar’s ‘Soul’ is intended for adults

By Patrick Brady

Staff Writer

“Soul,” directed by Pete Docter and Kemp Powers, is an animated dramedy which most notably features the voices of Jamie Foxx as Joe Gardner and Tina Fey as 22. Docter previously directed other Pixar movies, such as “Inside Out,” “Up,” and “Monsters Inc.” he film as released as a isney original film ec. 5 due to 19’s impact on theatrical releases. It became the first feature-length film from Pixar not to be released in theaters world-wide.

Shortly after landing a once-in-alifetime jazz pianist gig, Joe, a middle school band teacher, finds himself on a stairway to the afterlife after falling into a manhole. Unwilling to die, he escapes, but ends up in the “Great Before,” where soul counselors prepare unborn souls for life.

After being mistaken for a soul counselor, Joe is assigned to train 22 - a soul who sees no point in living on Earth. Joe then proceeds to assist 22 in finding a assion, so she can comlete her badge by finding her “s ark.” nlike most animated films, the comedy was natural, rather than forced. I found myself laughing out loud on multiple occasions. Rather than focusing on cheap slapstick

gags, the comedy relied on witty dialogue and hilarious brief cutaways.

Pixar is known for its outstanding animation, and this film is certainly no different. The buttery smooth movement of the characters and facial designs were something to behold. And the city scenery was complete and utter eye candy - the colors were vivid and the textures were incredibly detailed.

Along with the stellar animation and comedy, the film as sur risingly deep and geared toward adults. While most i ar films do have instances of mature thematic elements, “Soul” goes a few steps further by exploring the theme of existentialism throughout the entire movie, without exerting kid-friendly gags.

The subject matter was never dealt with in a light-hearted manner and the tone of the film as dramatic for the most part.

Although the film never ent into PG-13 rated territory, it was not aimed at kids. For much of the movie, the characters contemplated the meaning of life and their purpose on earth. There was only one sequence where 22 slaps Joe repeatedly in the face - hen felt the film relied on slapstick violence, rather than profound humor.

Much like Wes Anderson’s “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” the PG-rating wasn’t

ACROSS 1. Is priced at 6. Touches up, as text 11. Remote purchase letters?

14. Capital of Ghana 15. ___ code (laws about punishment) 16. Broke bread 17. What kept an infamous emperor grounded?

19. 41, for 20 and 21 20. Asian capital with a bamboo-shaped skyscraper 21. “The Addams Family” cousin 22. Packaging supply 23. “My treat” 24. JFK overseer 26. Musical works 28. Fabric problem 29. Pair up permanently, as pigeons?

31. Taxpayer, say 33. Awards for Serena Williams 34. Ballerina’s garment 35. High volcano in Italy 37. Attack ad, at times 40. Comes back in a basketball game?

representative of the audience’s age.

In fact, many kids will most likely be bored out of their minds for a huge ortion of the film. es ite being animated, the film s characters only spend time in two locations throughout the entire runtime.

Although there were not many characters in the film, each voice actor voiced their character exceptionally well. In particular, Foxx and Fey’s voice acting was frankly some of the best I’ve ever heard in any animated show or movie. They each had a wide variety to their voices, which brought the characters to life. ven though the film as held back with a PG-rating, it is more profound than most movies I’ve seen. Both Foxx and Fey’s characters were fully eshed out and the conversations about life they had were uncompromising and intelligent. In a way, their interactions made me forget I was watching an animated movie - the dialogue was incredibly wholehearted.

Although the film is a less, do wish it was marketed differently. After all, the trailers made the film out to be the typical run-of-the-mill animated movie with quirky characters and colorful settings. While I do understand Disney was trying to make revenue by marketing to children, it is simply misleading.

Death and the existence of life are

44. Has a mishap similar to biting the tongue?

46. Word after “palm” or “peanut” 48. Bearish 49. Abbr. before a phone number 50. Lead singer of U2 51. Swooping mammals 52. “That joke wasn’t funny!”

54. Pianists’ practice pieces 56. Prior to A.D. 57. Attracted attention ... or what 17-, 29- and 44-Across have, based on their first letters?

59. Archie Manning’s youngest 60. Everyday 61. Sundance film 62. Animal’s lair 63. “Rabbit food” 64. They smell DOWN 1. Synagogue singer 2. It includes Australia and New Zealand 3. Acts economically 4. Movie cliche, e.g.

5. Stuffing herb 6. Antipollution org.

7. Drift from a course 8. Currently contending 9. Picture that can’t be Photoshopped 10. Cunning 11. Tastes some wine, perhaps 12. Astonish 13. Rivals who often win out 18. Most abundant 22. Certain Oklahoma resident 25. Guarantee 27. Union contract?

29. Brain cell 30. Weak 32. State of balance 36. Worked hard 37. Gave the cold shoulder 38. Wondrous event 39. Beatles manager Brian

intense and are not always age-apro riate sub ects to tackle in a film.

But thanks to Pixar’s exceptionally talented writing and directing staff, they were able to do the impossible imply that death is not the end, but rather the beginning of life.

“Soul” is a film not to be missed.

Pixar has matured with its audience and is striving to not rehash the same storyline repeatedly. ven though the movie e by uickly, as left satisfied in the end.

Adult-targeted animation is a steping-stone for the film industry, and I fully support it.

ADMIT ONE

Grade: A

Pixar is all grown up ADMIT ONE

CONNECT WITH PATRICK BRADY pbrady@student.framingham.edu

41. Tallinn’s land 42. Gizmos 43. Latin phrase meaning “indefinitely” 45. Astronomer’s cloud 47. Red-ink figures 50. Good, in Guadalajara 53. Face-to-face exam 55. Skinny 57. “Decorates” with CottonPuzzle solutions are now elle exclusively online.

58. “Happily ever after,” for many a fairy tale

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

14 | FEBRUARY 5, 2021

ARTS & FEATURES

The Best

By Brennan Atkins Arts & Features Editor

Hulu

“Animaniacs” has always been a show that can appeal to both children and adults. You get silly songs and cartoon slapstick for the kids, but also, a satire that often mocks American politics for the parents.

There is an abundance of shows that try and deliver politically correct messages, and unfortunately, it blows up in their face when parents say that their show is becoming too “political.”

The Animaniacs genuinely do not care if you disagree with their message, and frankly, if you disagree with them, you are more than likely a character who would be goofed on by the Warner siblings.

These messages aren’t soft either - equal rights, social media, and even a clever allusion to gun violence in an e isode titled “ un ontrol,” are all to ics tackled in a very res ective manner, hile also being hilarious.

The music in “Animaniacs” is almost as popular as the show itself, and the highlights of this show are most definitely the rofoundly oke songs resent in the e isodes. y ersonal favorite takes lace in e isode one, in which Yacko, Whacko, and Dot accuse reboots of being soulless cash grabs, and calls out some of the biggest companies in the entertainment industry today.

If you are even a little bit of a fan of the original series, then I highly recommend you watch the new Hulu reboot, as the Animaniacs are crazier and zanier than ever.

By Caroline Gordon Editoral Staff If you know me, you know I love rock music. Usually, I dig through Spotify for classics such as ed e elin and he Rolling Stones. Recently, started listening to A and loved their new album, “POWER UP.” efore listening to this album, rarely listened to A . he only song kne off the to of my head was “Hells Bells.”

After listening to this album, particularly the song, “Shot in the Dark,” which is my new gym am, consider myself an A fan. he lyrics rhyme such as, “ eah electric s arks A shot in the dark eats a alk in the ark, yeah.” find these lines articularly en oyable because they don t have any dee er meaning and they added “beats a walk in the park” solely because it rhymed.

Despite the lyrics not offering much other than a crazy night, the song itself is thrilling.

Similar to other A songs, “Shot in the ark” begins ith ust the sound of an electric guitar building up to the vocals.

Besides “Shot in the Dark,” another favorite from this album is “Realize.”

Similar to “Shot in the Dark” there is a lot of rhyming. But, I prefer the words used in this song such as spine, hypnotize, and paradise as they are not as bland as the lyrics in “Shot in the Dark.”

These two songs are now at the top of my playlists, and I don’t feel outdated listening to 70‘s music.

“POWER UP” is the best rock album of 2020.

Leidseplein Presse

By Caroline Gordon Editorial Staff

Netflix

@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com

Although there ere many sho s released in , have to ick the et i thriller, “ he aunting of ly Manor” as the best show of the year.

With only nine episodes, the season’s drama, chilling tales, and quirky characters, kept my eyes glued to the screen. he lot focused on a young oman ho is lagued by the trauma of itnessing her fiance get hit by a bus. She is an American nanny who moves to England to take care of the children whose parents are recently deceased.

During her time as a nanny, she has bizarre encounters with the children as they start to act out violently and talk about interacting with ghosts.

This series does not shy away from representing diverse kinds of romantic relationships. The nanny falls in love with the gardener, who is also a woman. Two of the other main characters working at the manor, start an interracial relationship. These different demonstrations of what love looks like makes this show relatable to all.

I enjoyed this series because it was not only scary and thrilling, but it was heartwarming as the strong relationships were central to the plot.

The acting, especially by the young children, was incredible.

Amelie Bea Smith, the actress who plays the little girl, Flora, has acting skills beyond her age group, making the show more dramatic. ictoria edretti s erformance as the nanny, ani, is realistic as she manages to co e ith the death of her fiance, hile also e loring her se uality.

This is a must-see and easily the best show of 2020!

ARTS & FEATURES

By Jared Graf Arts & Features Editor

FEBRUARY 5, 2021 | 15

of 2020

If you haven’t heard of The Kid LAROI yet, you will soon enough.

With more monthly Spotify listeners than Kendrick Lamar or Jay-Z, the Australian emo-rock-pop-rapper was catapulted into the spotlight mid-2020 after the release of his debut mi ta e, “ SA A .”

The project is the 17-year-old’s coming-of-age story - as he spills his thoughts and emotions into lyrics you can feel.

On songs like “I WISH” and “SO DONE,” LAROI croons with conviction about failed relationships and comes to terms with heartbreak.

Although The Kid’s lyrics are often subpar and surface level, his ability to resonate with his audience through catchy melodies and infectious instrumentals com ensates for any shortcomings. “ S ” and “ A R” are direct re ections of this. ith generally short run times, “ ” holds attention and retains its re lay value ithout becoming re etitive. he ro ect is more o than hi -ho - but with melodies so versatile and captivating it doesn’t matter what the genre is.

Songs such as “TELL ME WHY,” “ERASE U,” and “MAYBE” show off the young artist’s impressive vocal range and should be played at full volume.

LAROI taps Lil Mosey, Juice WRLD, and Machine Gun Kelly for guest verses, while Benny Blanco, Scott Storch, Taz Taylor, and other big names handle production.

Whether you can relate to The Kid or not, one thing is for certain - you will be singing along with him. “ SA A ” solidifies a s ot for AR in the budding orld of emo-ra and serves as an integral iece of hat seems to be a romising career.

By Emily Rosenberg Editorial Staff he first season of “ oey s traordinary laylist” remiered on an. 7, giving us a little bit of nostalgia for when we were obsessed with “Glee.”

Zoey is a programmer who, after experiencing an earthquake during an MRI, discovers she can hear people’s innermost thoughts through songs. Suddenly, her best friend, played by Skylar Astin, the “Pitch Perfect” heartthrob, is singing “Sucker” to Zoey in the middle of a department meeting, and her father, who was diagnosed with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and cannot move or speak, is dancing around the living room singing “True olors.” e re also blessed ith more silly erformances hen some do ey male rogrammers bust out “ esus hrist Su erStar” in reaction to their ark uckerburg-like arriving at the office and auren raham as the sassy, no- S boss hilariously erforming her rendition of “ an t et o Satisfaction .” horeogra hed by andy oore, the songs are erformed ith authenticity - most actors inner voices are ra and not broadway ready - emphasizing how music has the ability to express our most simple and intense desires.

Throughout the show, Zoey’s gift allows her to help others and understand those around her as she navigates her father’s illness, being a woman in tech - and a frustrating love triangle. As a bonus, Alex Newell gives a glamorous performance as Zoey’s apartment neighbor and the only person who knows about her powers. ou can stream the first season no on ulu and there is a ne e isode of the second season every uesday on .

NBC

By Cara McCarthy Associate Editor While 2020 may not have been the best year for us as people, pop-punk band All Time Low brought us something to lift fans s irits hen the -1 andemic started - “ ake , Sunshine.”

Alex Gazkarth, Jack Barakat, Rian Dawson, and Zack Merrick came together for their eighth studio album and once again did not disappoint their fans.

Not only was the album itself well written, carefully composed, and screamed nostalgic vibes for their older fans, it also gave them their second highest charting song of their 15-year long career as a band ith the single, “Monsters” featuring blackbear.

The song showcases the band’s dynamic rhythm with Gazkarth’s powerful vocals on the chorus. “I’m wondering, hy do all the monsters come out at night? hy do e slee here e ant to hide? hy do run back to you, like I don’t mind if you f*** up my life?”

The band decided once the pandemic hit that they would release their album earlier and every week would hold nstagram ive sessions - called “ A ” streams - ith their fans to debut each song on the album.

Once the band made its way through the album, it was released to the public on April 3. n an intervie , a karth said the “ A ” streams “felt like hristmas” because the band as able to itness their fans first im ressions of the album live.

Fueled by Ramen

By Patrick Brady Staff Writer

Netflix

“ eath to ” is a et i original film from the creators of the hit series, “ lack irror.”

Rather than focusing on the Sci- i genre, the film moves into comedy territory. ed by a su erb cast, the film is reminiscent of “The Onion,” which satirizes the real - and fake - events of 2020.

“Death to 2020” is a parody of modern-day politics. Most of the content covered ranges from somewhat realistic to absolutely absurd. he film is do nright hilarious and offensive at the same time. n other ords, it does not take itself seriously whatsoever. ven hen covering the more serious to ics, the film succeeds in being funny, but also some hat mean-s irited. n all honesty, could tell that “ eath to ” ould not sit ell ith rum su orters after the first fe minutes. hile some may find the social commentary irritating, found it insanely hysterical.

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

PHOTOS

16 | FEBRUARY 5, 2021

2020: A Year in Review

Spread by Ashley Wall/ THE GATEPOST FRAMINGHAM STATE UNIVERSITY’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1932 | FSUGATEPOST.COM