Campus Currents

Arts & Ideas is proud to present our 2023-2024 series – a year of must-see speakers, exhibitions, films, and workshops – exploring the theme of Courage + Resilience.

In the present day, we all confront pressure and obstacles as we struggle to do the right thing. With courage, we live our own truth and follow our ethics. With resilience, we fight for our rights to equity and justice along with access to healthcare, proper working conditions, and good relationships. We write our own stories of being courageous and overcoming our struggles with a resilient spirit. Let’s share our stories to inspire our communities.

Below are events coming up this month to kick off the series: 

SUSAN METRICAN: MAZMANIAN GALLERY EXHIBITION
Wednesday, September 13, 2023
Reception in Mazmanian Gallery at 3:30 PM
Lecture in Alumni Room at 4:30 PM (Hybrid Format)
Zoom Registration Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAuc--trDkjE9Q4gDu8kMWdeQHf7T6YglRo

Thai-American artist Susan Metrican will present an exhibition in Mazmanian Gallery and speak about her work. Metrican explores motifs that have been translated across multiple formats; folktales, textiles, architecture, and small useful objects which allow the symbols and characters to connect and continue “traveling” through time and space. She considers the movement of interpreted ideas onto various forms across national borders and throughout history and their shape-shifting reanimation as they introduce new modes of being. Fluid approaches to form, flatness, and image address this multiplicity, as the artist’s lived experience mingles with her subjects’ own trajectories.

Sponsors: Arts & Ideas, the Division of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement

FILM SCREENING: ACROSS THE RIVER TO FREEDOM SERIES
Wednesday, Sept 27, 2023 at 12:30 PM in Alumni Room

Historian and producer Irene Moore Davis offers a film screening of Across the River to Freedom: Mary and Henry Bibb and Across the River to Freedom: Lucie and Thornton Blackburn, the heroic stories of fugitive slaves and other Black abolitionists. The documentaries will be followed by a Q&A with Ms. Davis, recipient of the Harriet Tubman Award for Commitment to a Purpose from the Ontario Black History Society and named to the 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women.

MARY MILES BIBB, ABOLITIONIST, TEACHER, AND FRAMINGHAM'S FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN GRADUATE: THE CANADIAN YEARS
Thursday, Sept 28, 2023 at 9:00 AM in Alumni Room
Zoom Registration Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIpde2srjwoGdDt4HF_OkXberrEnO9Q3if4

Irene Moore Davis, Canadian educator, historian, and documentary film producer, brings to life the story of Mary Miles Bibb (FSU’s first African American graduate) and her role in Canada’s underground railroad and the publication of The Voices of the Fugitive, one of Canada’s first Black newspapers. Moore Davis, a teacher at St. Clair College and research associate for the University of Windsor and Ontario Heritage Trust, will screen the documentary she produced, Across the River to Freedom, and lecture on the critical impact of Mary Miles Bibb, recognized as a Person of National History Significance on Canada, and other Black Canadian abolitionists.

Sponsors: Arts & Ideas, the Division of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement, and the Political Science Department

Partnership with The Amherstburg Freedom Museum of Ontario, Canada and The Essex County Black Historical Research Society in Ontario, Canada

Throughout the Academic Year take part in the:

CHALLENGES OVERCOME CAMPAIGN, IN FALL AND SPRING SEMESTER, 2023-2024
Ending Ceremony on Thursday, April 25, 2024, at 4:30 PM in Alumni Room (Hybrid)
Campaign Leader: Sabrina Grammatic

Overcoming personal struggles should be celebrated, but it can be difficult to share these struggles with others. Now you have the opportunity to do so! Share your story about overcoming a challenge in your life through a form (https://forms.gle/AupgnUqHFUKj2ffX6) submission and come to our in-person event April 25th at 4:30 pm in the alumni room to see other's stories and also share your own! You can be anonymous, or you can opt to speak about your experience. No matter what, know that you are courageous for sharing your triumphs!

Join the staff at the McAuliffe Center on the McCarthy Center Patio and use telescopes to observe Saturn and Albireo (double star)! McAuliffe Center staff are available to answer your questions about telescopes and our Universe.

Tuesday, Sept. 5th (Today!)
Stop by anytime between 8 and 10 p.m.

The Center for Inclusive Excellence is holding two events early in the semester to welcome new and returning students back to campus. Swing by the Center at 120 O'Connor Hall and meet new CIE Director Jerome Burke!

CIE Open House
Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023 (today!)
1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The Center for Inclusive Excellence invites you to participate in our Fall 2023 Open House on September 5 from 1:30 pm to 5:00 pm. This exciting event will take place in the CIE (O'Connor 120) and aims to introduce the campus community to the resources and opportunities offered by the Center. We warmly welcome students, staff, and faculty to join us for an enriching experience.
The CIE values collaboration with your department and intends to continue working together.
Refreshments will be provided for everyone at the event, and there will also be exciting opportunities for games and prizes.

Welcome Reception
Tuesday, September 12, 2023
3:00PM

Join us at the Welcome Reception hosted by the Center for Inclusive Excellence! Whether you identify as a First-Gen student, BIPOC, LGBTQ+ member, or a valued ally, this event is designed for you. Discover the myriad of resources and support that the Center offers as you embark on your academic journey. Engage in meaningful conversations, connect with fellow students, and gain insights into how the Center fosters an inclusive and empowering environment for all.

Diversity Dialogues

There is a growing trend of calls to ban books in schools and other public institutions. Interestingly, the books that are facing these challenges are often those that promote anti-racism and support marginalized groups such as LGBTQ+ communities and immigrants.

In response to this, the Center for Inclusive Excellence, in partnership with the Henry Whittemore Library, will be launching a series called 'Diversity Dialogues.' This series aims to foster thought-provoking discussions centered around the impactful themes found in the book 'The 57 Bus.'

1. Discrimination and Social Justice
Date: Thursday, September 14, 2023
Location: Center for Inclusive Excellence, O’Connor Hall, 120
Time: 12:30PM- 1:30PM

2. Gender and Sexuality
Date: Thursday, October 5, 2023
Location: Center for Inclusive Excellence, O’Connor Hall, 120
Time: 12:30PM- 1:30PM

3. ‘What Does That Word Even Mean?’
Date: Thursday, October 19, 2023
Location: Center for Inclusive Excellence, O’Connor Hall, 120
Time: 12:30PM- 1:30PM

4. Restorative Justice
Date: Thursday, November 16, 2023
Location: Center for Inclusive Excellence, O’Connor Hall, 120
Time: 12:30PM- 1:30PM

Jenna Billian: Zekher Tzadik Livrakha
Danforth Art Museum, September 7-14, 2023

Zekher Tzadik Livrakha translates to “May the Memory of the Righteous Be a Blessing,” and in this week-long pop-up exhibition, Jenna Billian explores the rituals and traditions around death and mourning in the Jewish faith. Her year-long collaboration with the community merges conversations of shared experiences with a unique and vibrant artistic style, culminating in a seven-day immersive installation at the Danforth.

Billian is a past recipient of the Danforth's Annual Juried Exhibition Emerging Artist Award.

This project is supported by a grant from the Combined Jewish Philanthropies Arts & Culture Community Impact Grant Fund.

For more information visit danforth.framingham.edu. 

The Center for Student Experience & Career Development is hosting its fall Job & Internship Fair.

Tuesday, Sept. 12, 12:30 p.m.
McCarthy Center Forum

Attend the fall Job & Internship Fair to find local part-time job opportunities, on-campus work study and student employment positions and/or network with area employers to learn about future internship opportunities. You can find a list of employers attending the Fair is in Handshake.
Be sure to prepare for the fair by meeting with a career counselor. Make an appointment in Starfish or reach out to us at careerdevelopment@framingham.edu.

Homecoming & Family Weekend will be here before you know it! Make your plans to take part in the fun and excitement now!

Friday, September 22 and Saturday, September 23

Highlights include:

• A performance by the Bruce Mattson Band on Friday at 4:30 on the McCarthy Center Patio, along with a free food truck.
• Casino Night on Friday from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Forum.
• A performance by the Suit Jacket Posse in DPAC
• The annual Moonlight Breakfast from 9 to 11 p.m. Friday
• Great sports viewing with Football, Women's Soccer in action
• Several programs specifically for families of current students, including classroom experiences, a meeting of the Family Network and more.
• Alumni events, including the Alumni Endzone gathering, Class Meetups, an Alumni of Color Networking event and much more!   

For more information, including a complete list of events and registration details, visit www.framingham.edu/homecoming. 

Study English with us this Fall!

Beginning through high advanced courses.
Daytime (intensive), evening, and Saturday classes.
Fall semester begins on September 6.
Registration is open through September 16.

Whittemore Library Events Fall September 2023

Bookable Study Rooms Now Open!
You can now book our Group and Individual Study Rooms! Visit https://framingham.libcal.com/reserve/individualstudy or https://framingham.libcal.com/reserve/groupstudy for more information and to reserve your time!

Seed Library Closing!
Friday September 15, 2023

The last day for the Whittemore Library Seed Library will by Friday September 15, 2023. Thank you for a great first season of seeds! If you would like to return seeds, please bring them to the library or contact Library Dean Millie Gonzalez (vgonzalez@framingham.edu). We look forward to sharing seeds again next spring.

No Homework Book Club
Wednesday September 20, 2023
12:30pm-1:30pm
Whittemore Library UM-14

Join the Whittemore Library for the No Homework Book Club! What is the No Homework Book Club? It’s a discussion group for people who like to read and talk about books but don’t want to do assigned reading! It’s for people who are looking for their next great read! It’s for everyone, whether you finished a book last night or last month!

Each meeting will feature a discussion topic to get the conversation started and you don’t need to read anything ahead of time. Just join us for a fun discussion about books and reading!
Registration and more information: https://framingham.libcal.com/event/10952988

Workshop Wednesday: Ram Search
Wednesday September 27, 2023
1:30-2:15 Whittemore Library UM-14 (https://framingham.libcal.com/event/11073122)
6:30-7:15 Zoom (https://framingham.libcal.com/event/11073153)

Ram Search makes searching the Henry Whittemore Library's databases and online research simple, but finding the right articles and materials can be more difficult. Join the Research and Learning Staff and learn how to refine your searches and use filters to help you search better and find resources easier. Staff will lead you through search techniques and be available to answer your questions.

Imagine 2200: Climate Fiction for Future Ancestors with Tory Stephens Climate Fiction Creative Manager for Grist
Wednesday, September 27, 2023
6:30pm - 7:00pm
Zoom

The Whittemore Library is participating in CREW Week! Join Tory Stephens of Grist Magazine, an independent non-profit media organization focused on the climate crisis, and learn how he created Imagine 2200: Climate Fiction for Future Ancestors. Imagine is a storytelling initiative that calls for fiction writers to envision the next 180 years of equitable climate progress, imagining intersectional worlds of abundance, adaptation, reform, and hope. The initiative also seeks narratives that center solutions from the communities most impacted by the climate crisis, and stories that are rooted in cultural authenticity (a deep sense of place, customs, cuisine, and more) and rich subcultures that uplift traditions not often seen in mainstream literature. Over the course of three years the project has encouraged 3,000 plus writers from 91 countries to submit stories, and of which 700,000 people have read. Writers and readers alike will enjoy this climate justice romp.

Zoom link and more information: https://framingham.libcal.com/event/11078572

The Admissions Office encourages everyone to Save the Date of our two Fall Admissions Open House Events on campus.

Saturday, Oct. 14

Saturday, Nov. 4

These events are among our best opportunities to promote the FSU community to prospective students! 

Dr. Thomas Koshy, Professor Emeritus of Mathematics, had four articles published in May:

1. Sums Involving Gibonacci Polynomial Squares, The Fibonacci Quarterly, 61:2 (2023), 98--104.
2. Sums Involving Gibonacci Polynomial Squares: Graph-theoretic Confirmations, The Fibonacci Quarterly, 61:2 (2023), 119—128.
3. Sums Involving Jacobsthal Polynomial Squares, The Fibonacci Quarterly, 61:2 (2023), 135—142.
4. Sums Involving Gibonacci Polynomial Squares: Revisited, The Fibonacci Quarterly, 61:2 (2023), 153—161.