The thought-provoking woodcarvings of artist C.A. Stigliano will be the subject of an exhibition this fall in the Hammond Hall Art Gallery at Fitchburg State University. “We Are Not Okay” will be on display from Monday, Oct. 21 through Friday, Dec. 13 in the art gallery inside Hammond Hall, 160 Pearl St. There will be an opening reception and artist talk at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24 at the gallery. “This show, about the state of things in this country, in this culture, worries me,” Stigliano writes. “All of this work has been created in the past five years. The past five years have been a nightmare of disease and deception. We live in a culture that profits from anger and fear. If a person or a class or a tribe can be made angry enough, or fearful enough, they can be sold anything; a lie, or a gun, or a horribly unqualified candidate for office. Fear forces people to act, to buy, or to vote. Anger coupled with fear drives people to violence.” And yet, he continued, he has hope. “I find hope in the angry voices of women who will not be forced back into the narrow choices of a century ago, and who refuse to sit quietly while their children go out into an unsafe world, and I find hope in those children, in the generations that have followed mine. So many of them look beyond their own welfare and so many are blessed with the will and the strength and the courage to fight.” Stigliano, born in 1955, recently retired from a career in teaching that spanned nearly 50 years, primarily at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Among the pieces in this exhibition is “Galatea,” a carved female nude with articulated joints that can be posed or manipulated as a puppet. It is five feet, eight inches tall, made of wood, and covered with tattoos. All of the images, 65 in total, are taken from works of art, and all represent or refer to violence against women. The originals from which they are derived are two and three-dimensional artworks dating from the 5th century BCE to the late 20th century. “The title of the piece comes from the story of a legendary Greek sculptor named Pygmalion, who, unhappy with the women he has encountered in his life, creates Galatea, an ideal figure of ivory,” Stigliano writes. “He dresses the object in fine clothes and jewelry, creates for it a beautiful bed and prays to Aphrodite to give life to his creation.” In the story, the fantasy becomes reality and the two live happily ever after. “The idea that one can create a woman to suit one’s purposes is older than ancient Greece and not limited to sculptors and painters,” Stigliano continued. “The desire to create the perfect woman, coupled with the inability to remake a human being into that ideal, results in the inevitable failure of the fantasy. Too often, the heterosexual male reaction is violence. Traditional representation of the female in art bears a certain amount of responsibility for the promotion of this concept and the accompanying violence. The female nude comes with consequences."

The Center for Italian Culture at Fitchburg State University invites the public to test their knowledge of all things Italian with a fun and participatory trivia contest at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24 in the Falcon Hub at Hammond Hall. Tickets for La Serata Trivia are $10 and may be ordered on the Center for Italian Culture website at fitchburgstate.edu/cic. The ticket price includes a delicious selection of cicchetti (Italian-style appetizers) and a variety of Italian wines and beers will be available for purchase. Prizes will also be awarded. The game will be held between teams of six, so participants may bring friends or make new teams on the spot. The friendly competition is designed to be enjoyed by experts in Italian culture, history or food, or just looking for an enjoyable night out.  The program is part of the Center for Italian Culture’s celebration of Italian-American Heritage Month. Learn more and order tickets at fitchburgstate.edu/resources/our-community/center-italian-culture/center-italian-culture-programming-ay-2024-2025.

Fitchburg State University will celebrate Homecoming weekend in October, including a carnival from 3 to 10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18 for students, alumni, staff and the community at large. Tickets for the carnival are $10 for the general public and $5 for children under 12 and may be ordered online by visiting fitchburgstate.edu/homecoming. Advance purchase is required and supplies are limited. Tickets are free for Fitchburg State students. “Our entire campus is excited to celebrate Homecoming weekend as we come together as a community to welcome our alumni and cheer on our Falcons athletic teams,” University President Donna Hodge said. “We are thrilled this year to open the carnival to community members, as our campus is your campus.” The festivities will begin with a pep rally on the main quadrangle at 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18, where fans will cheer on the university’s student-athletes as they gear up for a weekend of competition. Local high school marching bands will also be performing at the rally. The carnival, featuring seven rides as well as games and food stations, will open at 3 p.m. The action moves to Elliot Field at 4 p.m. when the men’s soccer team takes on the Westfield State Owls. Homecoming continues Saturday with a tailgate starting at 10 a.m. in the Wallace Civic Center parking lot, where visitors are encouraged to stop by President Hodge’s tent. The day’s athletic events start at noon, when the Falcons football team welcomes the Massachusetts Maritime Academy Bulldogs at Elliot Field. There will also be a beer garden next to the field. The games continue at Elliot Field when the field hockey team takes on Westfield State at 5 p.m. The day wraps up with a dance and casino night at 7 p.m. at the Athletics and Recreation Center where Falcons young and old will enjoy dancing, casino games, desserts, and a cash bar. The full schedule may be viewed at fitchburgstate.edu/homecoming.

A series of hypnotic short films by Hiroya Sakurai comprises “The Stream Series,” showing on the Media Wall at the entrance to Fitchburg State University’s Conlon Hall at 316 Highland Ave through Jan. 10. The installation, displayed on a screen measuring six feet by 10 feet, is presented by the film and video concentration offered in Fitchburg State’s Communications Media Department, in collaboration with the Revolutions Per Minute Film Festival. “In the man-made waterways of rice paddies, the water in nature must follow artificial rules. In that way, nature is made abstract, giving rise to a new form of beauty distinct from the natural state. The theme of this work is the liveliness of the water as it follows the man-made course,” Sakurai writes. “This work is a ballet using the sound and the movement of the algae and water. With the waterway as the theater, I filmed the choreography of the algae that flows in the water.” Sakurai began creating the series of short films in 2011 and has made annual additions to the series. The complete cycle now on display at the Media Wall lasts approximately 75 minutes. For additional information, please contact Fitchburg State Professor Robert Harris at rharris@fitchburgstate.edu.

Fitchburg State University will celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month in October with programs designed to enlighten and entertain. The month’s events are free and open to the public. The programming begins with an exhibit on banned LGTBQ+ and Latina/o/x books running Sept. 29 through Oct. 5 in the Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library in Hammond Hall. Every year since 1982, libraries across the country celebrate the freedom to read with Banned Books Week. Today book challenges in libraries, particularly school and public libraries, are at an all-time high according to data collected by the American Library Association. This program celebrates the importance of challenging censorship. There will be a Pride Flag raising and opening ceremony at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 1 outside Thompson Hall. Numerous identity flags will be displayed after the Fitchburg State Choir performs. There will be a brief speaking program and refreshments will be provided by Joey’s Cannolis. The kickoff will conclude at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 1 with an anti-hate speech talk in the Hammond Hall Main Lounge by author and attorney C. L. Lindsay, author of The College Student’s Guide to the Law: Get a Grade Changed, Keep Your Stuff Private, Throw a Police-Free Party, and More, as well as Sex, Speech, Selfies, and Getting Smashed: Critical Legal Issues for College Students. Lindsay’s address is sponsored by the Student Government Association and the Newman Center Trust Fund. Additional events include drag performances, social gatherings and a Second Chance Prom at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26 in the main lounge at Hammond Hall. The full schedule of events is posted online at fitchburgstate.edu/lgbtq-history-month.

UPDATE, Sept. 24: This event is being rescheduled to a later date. The rescheduled date will be shared when it is confirmed. Best-selling author and illustrator Peter H. Reynolds, a 1983 alumnus of Fitchburg State University, will return to the campus for an artist residency with students, faculty and community members (at a date to be determined). Reynolds’ works, including The Dot, The Word Collector and Say Something!, have inspired children of all ages with their messages of authentic learning, creativity, bravery, empathy, and courageous self-expression. He is also the illustrator of the best-selling I Am series written by Susan Verde, as well the Judy Moody series written by Megan McDonald, which has now over 40 million copies in print worldwide. Reynolds, who studied communications media at Fitchburg State, will visit classrooms at the McKay Elementary School on the university campus before taking part in a public forum in the main lounge of Hammond Hall. University President Donna Hodge will moderate the discussion. This year marks the 15th anniversary of International Dot Day, a global celebration of creativity, courage and collaboration that began when teacher Terry Shay introduced his classroom to Reynolds’ book The Dot on Sept. 15, 2009. The Dot is the story of a caring teacher who dares a doubting student to trust in her own abilities by being brave enough to “make her mark.” What begins with a small dot on a piece of paper becomes a breakthrough in confidence and courage, igniting a journey of self-discovery and sharing, which has gone on to inspire countless children and adults around the globe. Earlier this year, Reynolds made an appearance on the lawn of the White House to perform as narrator of the TheaterWorksUSA production of DOT DOT DOT: A New Musical, an adaptation of three of his books about creativity, The Dot, Ish and Sky Color published by Candlewick Press/Walker Books, also known as the Creatrilogy. Performances of the show, featuring Reynolds and the musical’s talented young actors, were part of the annual White House Easter Egg Roll. In addition to his celebrated books, Reynolds is the founder of the Boston-based educational media development firm FableVision Studios, which creates animations, interactives, and game-based learning apps for organizations such as PBS Kids, National Geographic, Smithsonian, Nickelodeon, and Library of Congress. Reynolds also launched FableVision Learning, whose mission is to help educators inspire their students to develop and strengthen their skills in creativity, communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and compassion.  With his twin brother, Paul, Reynolds also founded the Reynolds Center for Teaching, Learning, and Creativity, which just opened the doors on its new creativity recharge center in Dedham, Mass. called TLC Studios. And, because he didn’t have enough to keep him busy, Reynolds also launched a children’s book, toy and creativity store The Blue Bunny, which is celebrating 21 years this October.

Fitchburg State University was once again recognized for supporting the upward social mobility of its students in U.S. News & World Report’s latest rankings of colleges and universities.  Fitchburg State was also among the top public universities in the North.   For social mobility, Fitchburg State was among the highest performing institutions in Massachusetts, which was measured by weighing institutional success in enrolling and graduating economically disadvantaged students. “We are grateful to once again be recognized by U.S. News for our commitment to fostering student success,” University President Donna Hodge said. “We are proud of our legacy of serving minoritized and underrepresented student populations as an emerging Hispanic Serving Institution. We know the life-changing power that a higher education degree can confer to students, their families and their communities. We are proud that our collective efforts are serving future generations of leaders and engaged citizens.” U.S. News & World Report has published rankings of colleges and universities each year since 1983. The methodology it employs for ranking various categories is posted on its website.

The works of celebrated photographer Atom Moore will be on display in the Sanders Administration Building throughout the 2024-25 academic year, with a gallery opening and reception with the artist at 4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 26. Moore, a 2005 Fitchburg State alumnus, will discuss the exhibition, “Second Nature,” during a gallery talk in the Fiorentino Foyer adjacent to the Sanders Administration Building gallery space. Moore is a professional photographer and videographer living and working in New York City. He specializes in macro watch photography working with major watch brands and publications to bring his unique view to the industry. He has been creating artwork based on his watch photography since 2015 and has had solo exhibitions of his work in New York City, Hong Kong, and The National Watch and Clock Museum in Columbia, Penn. “Second Nature is an evolution to my unique Mashup style of watch and clock art that I have been exploring since 2015,” Moore said. “Macro photography of watches combined with a newly discovered love of photographing plants at Wave Hill and Gardens in The Bronx near my home has inspired this new collection. With a unique ecosystem and plants from all over the world I quickly began to focus on my natural photographer state: macro. Being in a constantly changing environment like Wave Hill gave me a new perspective on capturing time.” Moore cites his training under Professor Peter Laytin at Fitchburg State as seminal to his development. “It was under his mentorship that I discovered who I was as a photographer and to use my unique view of the world to explore it as I wanted to,” Moore said. “As working in the darkroom became a place of meditation and creativity for me while at university, bringing together my watch and plant images for Second Nature is a reflection and evolution. I present the original source material watch and plant images as I find that they are worthy on their own merits. Together they help me find positivity in our chaotic and wonderful world.” The exhibit is made possible through support from the Clementi Family Lecture Fund. Read more about the artist in Fitchburg State Magazine and this exhibit in the Robb Report.

Class Leader Cooper Howell Fitchburg State University recently celebrated the graduation of its latest police recruit officer class, with all 10 graduates already hired by municipal police departments across Massachusetts. Members of the 7th recruit officer course recalled being forged by COVID as they completed the groundbreaking program that blends academic and tactical training, allowing graduates to complete both bachelor’s and master’s degrees along with full certification to work in municipal police departments in just five years. The program was developed in collaboration with the Massachusetts Municipal Police Training Commission (MPTC). In his address as class leader, Cooper Howell of Acushnet recalled the experience of his classmates as high school students who graduated during COVID. “We were presented with an unprecedented situation and took it in stride and figured it out,” he said. “It gave us the ability to become problem-solvers, which will be crucial for the rest of our lives as we start our careers in law enforcement.” Adapting to the challenges of the pandemic also inspired the students to consider their ambitions, he said. “While most people our age were taking gap years, or no longer planning on going to college because of what was going on, this group of officers stayed locked in, and committed their next four years to getting where we are today.” Howell also recalled the political turmoil surrounding the police profession as this group began their studies. “It was a time of distrust and tension between law enforcement and the members of our nation,” Howell said. “Rather than make what could have been a very smooth transition into the traditional criminal justice track and away from the police concentration of this program, the 10 new officers sitting in front of you decided to stand fast. I think that speaks volumes to the type of people that my classmates are and shows how dedicated they were to what they knew to be their calling. “This program is truly like no other,” Howell continued. “Through four years of undergrad work, it prepared us academically and gave us an advantage that officers in traditional police academies don’t get. Not just because we had a degree, but because we had been attending specific classes and getting specific curriculum on areas that aren’t normally covered until you reach the academy. It gave us a leg up in numerous areas of studies, and gave us a better idea of what was happening when we got here.” Fitchburg State President Donna Hodge also addressed the graduates and guests. “The program whose graduates we recognize today is a remarkable example of the work public colleges and universities can do when smart, motivated people get together to find innovative solutions to the challenges of the day,” she said. “In this case, there was a recognition that a new model of police training would be a worthwhile experiment, one that bridged the worlds of academic inquiry and tactical training. The outcome of those visionary discussions is before us today, and our communities will be stronger, and safer, because of it.” President Hodge saluted the graduates. Hodge congratulated the departments who have hired the new graduates and thanked the family members and loved ones who had supported them on their journeys. “And to our graduates, we are so very proud of what you have achieved, and so grateful to call you graduates of Fitchburg State University,” she said. “Be well, stay safe, and keep setting incredible goals for yourself, because today you have proven that you can achieve them.”  State Rep. Michael Kushmerek, who studied criminal justice during his own undergraduate years at Fitchburg State, told the graduates to remember the importance of compassion as they enter their careers.  “My message to our recruits here today is to remember that same empathy, compassion, conviction and dignity that you have treated your fellow graduates and faculty with, and to use those same skills out there on the streets,” Kushmerek said. “Often when you arrive at a scene you’ll be there on somebody’s worst day. I hope you treat them with the same dignity and compassion you hope your loved one would be treated with.” MPTC Director of Training Andrea Nardone saluted the resilience of the graduates who had persevered through great challenges to arrive at this point. As they begin their careers, she urged them to foster connections with the communities they will serve. “As a law enforcement officer, it’s all about the relationships you build,” she said. “Remember to stop and say hello and get to know your community.”  In her address, Academy Director Ola Wysocki saluted the members of the 7th ROC for being thoughtful, considerate and independent thinkers. “The recruits of the 7th ROC have heart, grit, and determination,” she said. “They have heard me say on too many occasions that this is what they must have as police officers.” The members of the 7th ROC, and the departments that have hired them, include Cameron Bern of Upton (Upton Police Department), Justin Cappuccio of Westborough (Hopkinton Police Department), Jordyn Gagliardi of Dalton (Chatham Police Department), George Haddad of Burlington (Nantucket Police Department), Cooper Howell of Acushnet (Fairhaven Police Department), Robert Lee of Billerica (Billerica Police Department), Hunter Luby of Millbury (Northborough Police Department), Dominic Marabello of Princeton (Sudbury Police Department), Alex Stellato of Phillipston (Townsend Police Department), and Caleb Tolley of Yarmouth (Dennis Police Department). To learn more about the police program, please visit https://www.fitchburgstate.edu/academics/programs/police-program-41-concentration-criminal-justice-bs.