Campus Currents (remote learning edition)

Students in Karen White's Coordinated Program in Dietetics class have begun creating a weekly newsletter, "Framily Wellness Vibes," with information for the community on health and self-care during these extremely stressful time.

It includes tips on surviving classes in a remote environment, healthy food recipes, quarantine wellness advice, and more!

To view the first issue, Click Here

A reminder that The Gatepost is still producing great content every week. Don't miss the latest stories at: http://fsugatepost.com/

Framingham State University's Independent Student Newspaper, The Gatepost, has won six awards from The Society of Professional Journalists for Region 1. The Mark of Excellence Awards honor the best of collegiate journalism. Region 1 is comprised of the New England and mid-Atlantic states, and the awards recognized material published during the 2019 calendar year. The Society of Professional Journalists, founded in 1909, is the “nation’s most broad-based journalism organization, dedicated to encouraging the free practice of journalism and stimulating high standards of ethical behavior.”

2018-19 Gatepost Editor-in-Chief Bailey Morrison, ’19 and Fall 2019 Editor-in-Chief Nadira Wicaksana, a senior, earned a finalist award for General News Writing for Small Schools (fewer than 10,000 students) for their article, “Hate crime reported on campus” (Feb. 8, 2019).

Bailey Morrison also earned a finalist award in Feature Writing for Small Schools for her article, “FSU alumna’s journey to empowerment through fashion” (March 1, 2019).

Senior Thomas Maye, Fall 2019 Opinions Editor, won the General Column Writing Award for Small Schools, and Senior Lizzie Stocks, 2018-19 Opinions Editor, earned one of two finalist awards. This is the third year in a row Ms. Stocks has received an award from the Society of Professional Journalists.

Junior Hannah Coco earned one of two finalist awards in the General News Photography contest for Small Schools for her photograph, “Ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Henry Whittemore Library” (Oct. 25, 2019).

Finally, The Gatepost Editorial Board was named one of two finalists for Editorial Writing for editorials written during the 2019 calendar year. Spring 2019 Editor-in-Chief Bailey Morrison, ’19, Associate Editors Jillian Poland, ’19 and Corey McFeeley, ‘19, and Opinions Editor Lizzie Stocks, ’20, and Fall 2019 Editor-in-Chief Nadira Wicaksana, ’21 and Associate Editors Ashley Wall, ’21 and Cara McCarthy, ’21, were the primary authors of these editorials, which reflected the collective point of view of The Gatepost’s Editorial Board. This contest was open to students at both large and small daily and weekly newspapers in the New England and mid-Atlantic states. Our students are in select company: Vassar College won first place in this contest, and Harvard University won the other finalist award.

As the winner of the General Column Writing contest for Region 1, Thomas Maye will be entered into SPJ’s national Mark of Excellence contest with the award winners from other regions around the country. A panel of judges will announce the results of that competition in May.

Here is a link to the SPJ Region 1 Mark of Excellence Awards announcement: https://www.spj.org/news.asp?REF=1706

A reminder to everyone that the Gatepost continues to publish this semester in our digital environment. Visit http://fsugatepost.com/ to see the latest news!

Special thanks to Dr. Desmond McCarthy, English Professor and Gatepost Advisor, for providing the information above.

By Thomas Maye, publications intern

Dr. Constanza Cabello, Vice President for Diversity, Inclusion and Community Engagement (DICE), has worked around the clock to help faculty, students, and MetroWest community members adjust to an international crisis.

This is all despite being hired less than a year ago.

“No one prepares to lead during a pandemic,” Cabello said.

But in dealing with these unprecedented circumstances, Cabello consistently said she felt “impressed” with the campus she serves - by continued student leadership through campus closures, by the executive board’s “constant communication and collaboration,” and by the University as a whole “keeping equity at the center of all of our decision-making.”

“I was talking to President Cevallos at [a] weekly meeting and reiterated this has been a really bizarre experience, but I'm taking this as a learning opportunity,” she said. “I really am.”

Cabello said she views policy decisions through the lens of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, a psychological theory that asserts people cannot achieve their fullest potential before having their basic physical, social, and emotional needs met.

Food insecurity, therefore, has been a top priority for DICE. The University is working to provide meals to the MetroWest community by offering Sodexo’s kitchens to local community organizations and Framingham schools, and has agreed to keep the Rams Resource Center open by appointment for any students in need.

“This is a stressful time for families, especially those who are not able to work,” she said.

DICE has compiled a list of resources to help with issues including housing insecurity, mental and physical health access, and prorated refunds to help students financially struggling.

The list also includes resources for online learning and internet access - a particular challenge for students and faculty.

“Depending on the course, it can take several (2-4) months to develop a course and deliver the mechanism to run it remotely,” Cabello said.

She encouraged, above all, for members of the FSU community to remain patient and compassionate toward each other.

This compassion, Cabello stressed, must extend to all members of the community.

With the flood of misinformation about coronavirus has come an unfortunate trend of racism, xenophobia, and prejudice toward the Asian-American community - something DICE strives to address, she said.

The Center for Inclusive Excellence, with the support of DICE, held a “virtual processing space” over spring break with a “solid turnout” of about 26 attendants discussing experiences of racism, along with how Framingham State can ensure a culture of diversity and acceptance in spite of these prejudices.

“My only regret is that I wish we had more time,” she said, emphasizing the “need for continued conversation on this topic.”

It’s been a complicated, daunting process to address all of these problems at once. “We’re in the middle of a global challenge, and we’re all trying to figure out how to move forward in a way that’s productive and healthy,” she said. “What’s most important for me is making sure faculty and students have what they need to be successful.”

“A lot of people are stressed out, trying to do the best we can, but the more we can be gracious with each other, the better,” she said.

The Spring 2020 Alumni Magazine should land in mailboxes over the next week or two, but those interested in seeing it now, can find it posted on the FSU website.

This year's feature story is on our incredible Office of Career Services and Employer Relations! It also includes the FY19 President's Report and Honor Roll of Giving.

Framingham State University's Athletic Department will be honoring the 22 senior spring sports athletes who are unable to complete their senior seasons due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Follow our Athletics department (@fsu_rams) as they highlight a different athlete every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday!

Even story time is going virtual! Students from our Centers for Early Childhood Education joined "Ms. Julie" on Friday morning via Zoom as she read Chicken Little written by Rebecca and Ed Emberley.

-Dr. Thomas Koshy, Professor Emeritus of Mathematics, has three articles published:
1. "Gibonacci Extensions of a Catalan Delight with Graph-theoretic Confirmations Revisited," Journal of the Indian Academy of Mathematics, 41:2 (2019), 148-161.
2. "A Family of Sums of Gibonacci Polynomial Products of Order 3," Journal of the Indian Academy of Mathematics, 41:2 (2019), 163-174.
3. "A Family of Sums of Gibonacci Polynomial Products of Order 3: Implications," Journal of the Indian Academy of Mathematics, 41:2 (2019), 175-187.

-Professor Jennifer De Leon has won the 2020 Juniper Literary Prize in Creative Nonfiction for White Space: Essays on Culture, Race, & Writing. Her collection of essays will be published by the UMass Press in 2021.

Here’s a link to the announcement: https://www.umass.edu/umpress/2020juniperwinners