Commuter Café: Word on the street

Now that the new Commuter Café has officially opened its doors, how do people on campus feel about it? Has it lived up to the hype? Is it worth spending more time there? We asked, they answered:

“I feel like I’m in an Ivy League school.”
- Chris Hebert

“We needed something like this [on campus].”

- Mike Proietti

“Let’s put it this way: Yesterday Dawn [Subway station employee] had to bake 500 loaves of bread and ran out. It was amazing.”
- Sherry, Commuter Café employee

“I would rather eat here than Holmes.”
- Josh Whipple

“Sometimes I think Holmes isn’t up to snuff with what students want, or quality-wise. I’d rather eat at Commuter Cafe.”
- Ebony Schuerman

Faculty split over university title

By Andrew Marciello

The change from college to university has made its mark throughout campus.

Despite the much-publicized hubbub regarding the changeover from Fitchburg State College to Fitchburg State University, the faculty views this change with mixed feelings. Some view the university status as a way to change the perception of the school and to draw in new students with graduate aspirations. Others still see the publicity over the name change as just that— publicity.

The data used in this article comes directly from a sampling of professors from all departments asking them their views on whether or not the new university title has caused any tangible change on the campus.

One professor noted, “We at Fitchburg State have a very long way to go in order to accomplish this and to have real university status means something other than nice lobbies, plazas, and renovated buildings.”

Over 80 percent of FSU faculty surveyed stated that the most significant

From Fitchburg State graduate to graphic artist

By Mike Cromwell

Ryan Dalton, who lives in Townsend and graduated from Fitchburg State last year, is living proof that with the right training and knowledge, true success can be found by young graduates. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean it was easy for him as the last couple years weren’t without their challenges.

Dalton is a design major who currently works for Arnold Worldwide, a prestigious advertising firm located at the Prudential Center in Boston. His first foray into the professional world of design came during his later years at Fitchburg State. “The biggest preparation for my career as a graphic designer came through Fitchburg’s internship program,” he says. “I learned more through my internship than I did during my four years in class.”

Something that he wasn’t fully prepared for, but quickly had to learn outside of school, was the basic fundamentals

‘Commuter Conversations’ gives off-campus students a voice

Commuters hang out in the Commuter Affairs Lounge. (Photo by Wade Jones)

By Nathan Burns

When the topic of college is brought up, the most common thoughts that enter one’s mind are those of wild parties, tuition fees, all-night study sessions, and the student living in the dormitories on campus. The latter of those thoughts, at least for Fitchburg State University, is gradually drifting toward being an anachronism.

Faced with the increasing pressure to alleviate expenses, more and more students are opting to simply commute from home, rather than deal with life in the dormitories. In the case of Fitchburg State University, this deviation from the traditional view of college life is quickly becoming the norm. As of the most recent assessment by the University, commuter students make up about 48 percent of the student body, and it is likely that the percentage will climb in the coming years.

The growing commuter population at Fitchburg State is feeling continually left out of school and student events. All too often a commuter student must pass up an event that he or she would otherwise be interested in attending, due to the conflicts in one’s schedule. Thanks to the Fitchburg State Commuter Affairs Program, commuters now have a regular outlet in the form of “Commuter Conversations.”

“In a nutshell, our job is to make

This week’s horoscope

Hello! These horoscopes are tweaked especially for the students of Fitchburg State University. Courtesy of Yahoo! Horoscopes, they’ve been summarized to meet the needs of each astrological sign, while maintaining an air of scientific validity. 

Enjoy!

By: Megan Dineen

‘Call of Duty’: Game or lifestyle?

To many, this is more than just a game. (photo by C. Sullens)

By Kristina Testagrossa

There’s no question that “Call of Duty” is hugely popular. The realistic, military-themed first-person shooter videogame series has taken the gaming world by storm, with 9.3 million copies of its eigth title, “Modern Warfare 3,” sold in just the first 24 hours of the game’s release.

But what is it that makes this game so appealing to people worldwide? In an informal survey of about 30 Fitchburg-area gamers, they revealed the shocking (or not-so-shocking) thing they like most about the game: getting to shoot people.

What may actually be shocking, though, is that just over a quarter of those gamers admitted to playing it for over 16 hours per week. That’s a lot of killing and dying.

In addition to this, over 60 percent of those surveyed said they had stayed up past 4 a.m. playing it. These late nights may be affecting their social life and their adult responsibilities, as several people admitted to turning down plans

Give vinyl a spin

Fans of vinyl records find more than music in the format. (photo by Miranda Everitt)

By Max Wiater

I’m not a fan of digital music distribution. There – I’ve said it. Come at me, iTunes devotees. Now that whole albums can be downloaded to your computer in seconds and synced to your MP3 device immediately, acquiring music has become less and less complicated.

But it may also have become less and less satisfying.

Maybe that’s why vinyl records have such devoted followers. Whether they’re snatching up freshly pressed music, or sorting through the worn, used discs in thrift-store bins, vinyl fans know what they’re really looking for.

They know that the allure of this music medium comes mainly

Smartphone: friend or financial foe?

Owners of iPhones don't mind showing them off. (photo by Florin Hatmanu)

By Alexis Bean, Rob Gosselin, and Sammi Gorman

 There’s no question that smartphones are popular, and Fitchburg State University seems to be especially open to this technology.

According to a recent Nielsen survey, about 25 percent of Americans own smartphones. But a recent on-campus poll of 42 FSU students revealed that 45 percent of those surveyed own them.

According to the FSU poll, the top smartphone across campus is the iPhone, as it is for the nation, with Androids not far behind.

While the smartphone trend has hit colleges, and the rest of the nation, in full force, the question remains: Are smartphones worth the cost?

In the FSU survey, the No. 1 use for a smartphone was said to be texting – not using applications, but good old-fashioned texting. The second biggest

Notice for public comment

Fitchburg State University will undergo a comprehensive evaluation visit March 4-7, 2012 by a team representing the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.

The Commission on Institutions of Higher Education is one of seven accrediting commissions in the United States that provide institutional accreditation on a regional basis.  Accreditation is voluntary and applies to the institution as a whole.  The Commission, which is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, accredits approximately 240 institutions in the six-stateNew England region. 

Fitchburg State University has been accredited by the Commission since 1953 and was last reviewed in 2002.  Its accreditation by the New England Association encompasses the entire institution.

For the past year and a half, Fitchburg State University has been engaged in a process of self-study, addressing the Commission’s Standards for Accreditation.  An evaluation team will visit the institution to gather

Falcons shoot for the top

There are exciting times ahead for the Falcons ice hockey team.

By James Paleologopoulos

With two matchups left before the end of the regular season and the start of the Men’s Hockey Championship on Feb. 25, the Fitchburg State Falcons (7-7-2) are dueling not only for a high seed in the State Conference tournament, but for the first time, for a berth in the NCAA Division III Championship as well.

The Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference has been allotted a spot in the NCAA Division III Men’s Ice Hockey Championship bracket, which “the winner of the conference championship tournament will receive,” according to a press release sent at the beginning of the semester.

“There’s four, five teams that could win it (and) we’re right there,” Fitchburg State Head Coach Dean Fuller said of the Falcons’ chances of grabbing the MASCAC title for a second year running. “We’re