Campus Currents

Please join Kathleen Barnard, our new Student Engagement Coordinator, and the Whittemore Library for a series of discussions on The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story, created by Nikole Hannah-Jones and The New York Times Magazine. This groundbreaking work brings together 19 essays and 36 poems and short fiction pieces to help readers reframe and re-examine American history and what it means to be a Black American.

The Library has four print copies of the book and an ebook. You can check out the books here at the library, check out the book at your public library, or purchase the book separately. You do not have to read the book to participate in the discussions; there is plenty of additional content available at the library’s 1619 research guide.

Format of the Discussions and Zoom links

Three discussion sessions are scheduled on Monday and Wednesday afternoons (1:30-2:30) in February:

• Monday February 14 Zoom Meeting
• Wednesday February 23 Zoom Meeting
• Monday February 28 Zoom meeting

Each of the three discussion sessions will focus on a particular idea of the book, as opposed to specific essays or works. This allows for more people to participate in the discussion, regardless of whether or not they have read the whole book.

Annual Juried Student Exhibition Opening Reception

January 31 - February 23, 2022

Reception: POSTPONED TO February 15th, 4:30-6:30pm

Each year Mazmanian Gallery presents a juried exhibition of artwork made by students from across the Framingham State University campus. Kickoff the Spring Semester by checking out the great work of our art students!

By Publications Intern Branden LaCroix

Director and Curator of the Danforth Art Museum Jessica Roscio said the last six years of the museum’s history have been “interesting.”

Intending to eventually move from its location on 123 Union Ave to the Framingham common, the museum purchased the Johnathan Maynard building in 2013, with the idea that they would move “at some point,” according to Roscio.

“That ‘some point’ became fall of 2016 when our boiler did not pass inspection,” she said, which forced the museum to close for three years and prompted the move.

Reopening in April 2019 at its new location, everything seemed set for the museum to move forward. “Then COVID came less than a year later,” Roscio said. “So, if you have not been to the new Danforth, I do not blame you.”

Even with the changes around it, the museum’s approach to its art collection has remained the same: to showcase New England art from the 19th century to the present, with a focus on regional contemporary artists.

The museum boasts a collection of over 3,500 art pieces of various mediums, including paintings, illustrations, photography, sculptures and installations.

In 2018, the Danforth Art Museum merged with Framingham State University, with ownership of its collection transferred to the Framingham State University Foundation, FSU’s fundraising and outreach organization.

“It’s a bright future ahead now that we’re part of Framingham State,” Roscio said.

Roscio led a virtual tour of the museum’s “new” location as part of the Framingham Public Library’s “Lifelong Learning Lectures Series.”

A focal point of her discussion centered around the Boston-Figurative-Expressionism art movement from the mid-20th century.

Roscio explained as abstract expressionism was “gaining ground” in New York in the 20th century, Boston artists “embraced an element of abstraction,” but infused it with “this kind of depth of feeling” and “depending on the artist, a real link to religious traditions, their immigration stories, as well as a lot of kind of mysticism.”

Prominent figures from this movement include Hyman Bloom, Jason Berger, Barbara Swan, Richard Yarde, Winfred Rembert, and John Wilson, among many others, all situated in the Boston and MetroWest area.

One of the prized exhibitions of the Danforth Art Museum is the extensive Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller collection.

Fuller was a 20th century African American artist born in Philadelphia who studied in Paris and relocated to Framingham in 1909 when she married Dr. Solomon Fuller, a psychiatrist at Westborough State Hospital.

The exhibit is a recreation of her home studio on Warren Street in Framingham, consisting of roughly 400 items.

“It’s an absolutely wonderful picture of the artist and her process,” Roscio said. “It really gives you a sense of the role of an artist who is also a mother, who was also a wife, who was also a woman of color and all of the different identities that she was balancing,” she added.

Despite the setbacks brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Danforth Art Museum is eager to get people back into its galleries.

Now that it is officially a part of FSU, the museum is seeking to further implement itself into the university. “Right now, we are engaging where we can with the undergraduates and trying to introduce ourselves to everyone,” Roscio said.

“But, we are open to any opportunity that comes our way, because we very much want to be a part of the university.”

Full-Dome Film in the FSU Planetarium
Friday, February 25 at 7:00pm

The film will be followed by a live presentation and Q&A with TESS scientists, Katharine Hesse and Evan Tey, in the FSU Planetarium and virtually on Zoom.

https://cm-center.org/event/febplanetarium

Do Earth-like planets exist elsewhere in the universe? Travel to distant stars and fly up close to exotic planets. Experience the science shifting our perspective on humanity’s place in the cosmos.

Humans have long imagined exotic and intriguing worlds beyond our solar system. However, in recent years, science fiction has become science reality. Undiscovered Worlds reveals the methods used by astronomers to identify these alien wanderers, and explores the idea of what it means to be in a habitable zone around a star.

Recommended for: Ages 12+ | Length: 27 minutes

Marketing Your International Experience: Get Back, Give Back, Go Forward!
Weds, Feb 16th at 1:30pm
McCarthy Center—Alumni Room
Join us for an informal conversation with Dr. Lorretta Holloway and some recently-returned study abroad students to discuss how to market international experience in your future academic and professional career.

“When I was a Student Abroad” – Conversations with FSU Faculty about their International Experience
Weds, Feb 23rd at 1:30
McCarthy Center—Alumni Room
Join us for an informal conversation with Dr. Sandy Hartwiger and Dr. Bart Brinkman about their experiences having studied abroad.

Info Session: Hidden Gems & Places You’ve Never Heard Of
Weds, March 2nd at 1:30pm
McCarthy Center—1839 Room
The world is a big place with lots of extraordinary destinations for study abroad. Come learn about some of our off-the-beaten-path destinations.

Tuesday, March 1, 5:30 p.m., Heineman Ecumenical Center

Hernease Davis is a photo-based artist using photograms, cyanotypes, and craft to emphasize self-care through the artistic process. She has been shaping her practice into a psychological space where she may safely confront emotional scars, respond to visceral impulses, and grow in acceptance of the imperfections inherent in the material process. The exhibition opening starts in the Mazmanian Gallery at 4:30 p.m. and then the lecture will be conducted in the Heineman Ecumenical Center at 5:30 p.m.

To join the campus sustainability email list for event reminders and Zoom links for the monthly meetings, visit: https://forms.office.com/r/fWeT8CVHdw

As always, please reach out to me at mmayer1@framinghma.edu if you have any ideas for collaboration, concerns, questions, etc.

Megan (Lehnerd) Mayer, PhD
Assistant Professor
Campus Sustainability Coordinator

Upcoming Events/Opportunities:

• Campus Sustainability & Climate Justice Conversations
Last Monday of the month, Starting in February (2/28, 3/28, & 4/25), 1:30pm on Zoom.
All members of the FSU community are welcome to join! Sign up using the link in the first paragraph to be added to the dedicated campus sustainability email list and to receive the Zoom link for the meetings.

• Sustainability Inventory
It’s time again to update the inventory of sustainability work being done by our faculty and staff in their classes, scholarship, and community engagement. Please take a few minutes to fill out this brief survey by Friday, February 25th if you believe that your teaching, scholarship, and/or community engagement is linked in any way to social, economic, or environmental sustainability: https://framingham.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9T42RYTdEOeboZo

• 8 Billion Angels Film Screening and Filmmaker Talk, Hosted by the Green Initiative Club and the Framingham High School Environmental Club
Wednesday, March 23rd, 4:30pm, on campus at FSU, location TBD

Today, humanity’s demand for resources vastly exceeds nature’s ability to supply them…8 Billion Angels tells the truth about the conflict between the size of our global population and the sustainability of our planet. It dispels the misconception that technology can save us, that reducing consumption is the answer, and that the blame lies solely in the developing world.

• Global Teach-In on Climate Justice
March 30, 2022, in your classroom
12:30 – 1:30 pm Discussion for FSU Employees hosted on Zoom by Katelyn Christopher and Megan Mayer

Framingham State University is joining Bard College and hundreds of other colleges, universities, and community groups for the Worldwide Teach-in on Climate. We will focus our teach-in on Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book Braiding Sweetgrass. Book themes include many different topics – indigenous ways of knowing, environmentalism, ethics, consumerism, and story-telling – and the text is a great complement to courses taught in all departments at FSU. We have free access to the book through the Whittemore Library.

The goal of the teach-in is to have as many faculty as possible focusing their class lessons on climate justice on March 30, 2022. If you don’t have class on March 30th, we encourage you to choose another day that week to discuss climate justice and indigenous perspectives in relationship to your course topic.

To get involved and prepare for the teach-in, we encourage you to engage in the following:
• Attend Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer’s event on Feb. 9th at 4:30pm (registration link above)
• Sign up here to join the Teach-In to receive more info, resources, and the link to our teach-in planning meeting on Monday, March 7th from 4:30 – 5:30pm on Zoom. It will be recorded if you are unable to attend.

Megan Mayer and Katelyn Christopher also will be hosting a Braiding Sweetgrass discussion group for FSU staff, librarians, and others not in classrooms on March 30, 2022 at 12:30 – 1:30pm. This will be an opportunity to engage with your colleagues to discuss the book, whether you were able to attend the previous semester’s discussion group or not. We will provide some book excerpts to review before the event to help you prepare for the discussion. FSU Employees can sign up for the discussion here.

• Earth Day Event
Thursday, April 22nd, more details to come!

Friday, Feb. 18, 6 to 8 p.m.

The Danforth invites you to spend a creative evening with us meeting new friends while enjoying a unique cocktail (or mocktail). Sally Brecher’s Glass Houses, currently on view at the Danforth, provides the inspiration for this pairing of fun art making and cool, refreshing beverages. Using a prepared cyanotype print, you will add creative details to construct your own interpretation of a ‘Glass House’, leaving with a unique and finished piece of artwork. No experience necessary, all materials are provided. Complimentary assortment of cheese, crackers, meat and fruit will be served, generously provided by Wegmans. Cash bar available to those over 21.

Attendees at the Member level are invited to join artist Sally Brecher at 5:15pm to learn about her inspiration and her process for creating her series Glass Houses!

Admission is $25 for non-members, $15 for members. Proof of vaccination is required and masks must be worn when not eating or drinking.

Advance registration is required: danforth.framingham.edu

Attention FSU students seeking a master’s degree, graduate assistantship positions are now posted for the academic year 2022-2023. Please check the Graduate Studies website for more information.
https://www.framingham.edu/academics/graduate-studies/graduate-assistanship-program/graduate-assistantships

An informal meeting with Spanish faculty, majors, and minors to practice Spanish and make connections. Special guests on assigned dates. Meetings at the Dining Commons, 5:30-630pm.
Contact Professor Everton Vargas da Costa for more information: evargasdacosta@framingham.edu
See schedule below:

February 22 (with Prof Patricia Sanchez-Connally - Sociology)
March 8
March 22 (with Prof Mirari Elcoro - Psychology)
April 12
April 26 (Special Guest TBD)

Spring 2022

Weekly on Mondays (whenever classes are in session)
12:30 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Remotely via Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEvfuyorD0tH9x-3V3ENZo-igRslrAKC6gH

Questions or Comments?
Email Katelyn Christopher: kchristopher@framingham.edu

Students, Staff, & Faculty: All are welcome

Wednesday Employer Showcases

Employers showcase their organizations, in person, most Wednesdays in the McCarthy Center lobby. Their goal is to network with and recruit students for full-time jobs or internships. Students can stop by their table to learn more.

There are two time slots: 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and 12 Noon to 1:30 p.m., featuring up to four different employers:

2/15 (Tuesday) Noon -1:30 PM Emerson Hospital
2/23 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM Granite Telecommunications
2/23 Noon - 1:30 PM Talbots
3/9 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM Uncommon Schools
3/9 Noon - 1:30 PM Barton Associates
3/23 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM Brandon Residential Treatment Center
3/23 Noon - 1:30 PM ScribeAmerica

Suitable Solutions Career Professionalism Program
Ongoing—Spring 2022 Semester
The Suitable Solutions Career Professionalism Program is a multi-part professional career development series designed to prepare students for the internship & job search and the interview process. Students are educated about career professionalism, soft skills, social awareness, professional dress, and networking techniques to enhance their career opportunities. Upon completion of the series students will be awarded a Macy’s Gift card to purchase a professional outfit ($100 limit). This initiative will benefit ALL students for all majors. Learn the professional skills that employers want.

Spring Job and Internship Fair
Thursday, March 31, 4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m., MC Forum
Come to this great in-person networking event! Full-time and Internship positions available. Over 30 employers from the business, retail, insurance, non-profits, human services, banking, finance, STEM, health & wellness fields will be featured. Bring your resume. Dress professionally. Log into your HANDSHAKE account to view full list of organizations.

Suitable Solutions Career Advice Professionalism Panel Event
Tuesday, April 12, 12 noon– 1:30 p.m., MC Forum
OPEN TO ALL STUDENTS -As part of the Spring 2022 Suitable Solutions
Program, all students are invited to come to this event to help prepare for the world of professional work. Learn about the soft skills that employers say are imperative for emerging professionals. The goal of the Career Advice Professionalism Panel is to give the students a current and accurate picture of local labor market and hiring considerations across multiple industries.

Enterprise On-Campus Interview Day
Tuesday, April 12, 9:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m. & 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., MC 412
Pre-Registration is required for all interviews through HANDSHAKE for:
Enterprise Rent-A-Car Management Trainee - Cape Cod area

Enterprise Rent-A-Car Management Trainee - Greater Worcester area

Enterprise Rent-A-Car Management Trainee - Greater Boston Area

For more information, call the CSER Office at 508-626-4625.


MERC Education Fair
Thursday, April 21, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., at Boston University
Come to the largest education fair in New England. Over 120 school
systems and agencies attend! This annual recruiting event brings together teaching candidates and school systems from across the country for networking and job opportunities in public/private schools. The 2022 MERC Education Career Fair is FREE and open to candidates in education and related fields (teaching, administration, school counseling/psychology, occupational therapy, social work, speech-language, etc). Licensure is not required to participate.

Must register at: www.merccareerfair.com.

-An article about Professor Leslie Starobin's montage and photographic work recently appeared in JewishBoston.com. "Local Artist Leslie Starobin Explores Jewish Exile and Immigration." Judy Boltman Fasman. JewishBoston. February 8, 2022.