By Laura Gomez, Globe Correspondent

The weekend service suspension of the Fitchburg commuter rail line scheduled for May 4 has been postponed to begin on Saturday June 1, according to the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company.

Due to MBTA improvement projects on the line, service will not be available between the Fitchburg and South Acton stations on Saturdays and Sundays from June 1 to July 28. On Independence Day weekend (July 4 to July 7), weekend train service will be provided.

On Saturday August 3, weekend service will be suspended for the South Acton, West Concord, Concord, Lincoln, and Kendal Green stations until November 17. Weekend train service will be available on Labor Day weekend (August 31 to September 2).

Substitute buses will not be provided throughout the duration of the project.

Trains will terminate and originate at South Acton during the first phase of the project. During Phase 2, trains will terminate and originate at Brandeis/Roberts.

Phase 1: June 1 - July 28 (Fitchburg to/from South Acton)
Trains will terminate and originate at South Acton. During these weekend outages, the following stations will be closed:

• Fitchburg
• North Leominster
• Shirley
• Ayer
• Littleton/Route 495

Fitchburg line trains (inbound and outbound) between South Acton and North Station will operate on the normal weekend schedule.

Phase 2: August 3 - November 17 Fitchburg to/from Brandeis/Roberts
Trains will terminate and originate at Brandeis/Roberts. The following stations will be closed:

• South Acton
• West Concord
• Concord
• Lincoln
• Kendal Green (Weston)

Fitchburg line trains (inbound and outbound) between Brandeis/Roberts and North Station will operate on the normal weekend schedule.

Weekday service will not be impacted.

For more information, visit MBTA.com.

By Rajashree Ghosh, Guest Columnist

As many of my friends and colleagues are celebrating Passover and Easter, I am winding up my celebration of Holi. Depending on the Hindu calendar, this occurs around February of March each year and just the thought of it makes me think of bursts of “gulal” or perfumed colors, food and community.

Several stories accompany this festival and you are free to choose whichever feels comfortable. As far as I am concerned, the more stories there are, the greater the relevance to common life and living. Spring season with the ending of the winter crop in itself calls for celebration in some parts of India and in other parts the harvest comes a month later.

Nevertheless Holi does count as one of those festivals that celebrate the transition of one season to another.

Legend has it that a demon who was granted several wishes including life, created havoc in the human world. He was deemed invincible – he could not be killed by man or animal, at home or outside, neither during the day or at night. He spared no one including his son who was a believer and worshipped the Gods the demon vowed to eliminate. He tried to kill his son several ways – trample him under an elephant, drown him in the ocean but he survived. The demon’s sister Holika who was given the boon that she would not be harmed by fire decided to take the child on her lap and sit on fire. However because the son prayed, he was saved from the fire while Holika perished. And the demon, to complete the story was killed by “Narasimha” an incarnate of the god who was half man, half lion, at dusk on the threshold of the house. So every household today burns scrap paper, wood or waste material a day before Holi - derived from Holika ridding themselves of all evil and purifying the air. The next day – the day of Holi is about exuberant colors, folk music and enhanced interactions in the community celebrating the triumph of good over evil.

Another story is about Krishna who was tired of being asked about his dark complexion when compared to his friends which included Radha. To change things Krishna devised the prank of throwing colors with the intention of changing complexion of his friends, girls included. Folk hymns and songs are composed and sung about Krishana romancing Radha who after initially resisting his advances gives in to his charms. This sounds as harmless and romantic as it can get. Another interpretation is that this story often becomes the sounding off point for what is known as “eve teasing” especially during Holi. Culturally Holi “allows” for what many anthropologists call “anti-structure” that implies role reversals, and the normal is turned on its head. All distinctions of caste, class, creed and gender are thrown to the wayside. Further, approaching another person hitherto unfamiliar and applying color on them is completely permissible during Holi. In an egalitarian world this would have been fine and for the most part it can be. Many incidents have been recorded before and during Holi where women are prone to attacks including groping and smearing colors without their consent. This can be because of ingesting the traditonal “bhang” an intoxicating drink made from cannabis but not necessarily so because offensive behavior is not regulated this day.

Perpetrators get away saying “this is Holi, please don’t take it otherwise.” The fine line between flirtation and sexual abuse diminishes as for many men it provides an easy access to women’s bodies. This behavior takes away from the essence of celebration. In the end many women recede into their homes where they are safer and not partake of the festivities or put up with all the transgressions that tantamount to abuse, which the men can “get away with.”

In the whole scheme of things the divide between women and men celebrating the festival inevitably grows. Nowhere in the texts – religious or otherwise is there mention of limited participation of women during a festival - which is what it has come to in urban India.

Subsequent to the heinous rape and death of a woman in Delhi, a recent survey conducted reveals that 9 out of 10 women feel unsafe in Delhi. The continuing instances of sexual assault on women reflects ingrained patriarchy which is further perpetuated through convenient interpretations of religious texts thus leaving the door wide open for serious lapses. My hope and wish is that the essence of Holi with its vibrant approach envelops everyone irrespective of who or what they are and transition to a more equal and just society.

Rajashree Ghosh is a resident scholar at the Women's Studies Research Center at Brandeis University in Waltham.

By Rajashree Ghosh, Guest Columnist

Conversations sometimes take a turn for the ugly and it comes at moments that leave you quite dumbfounded. A comment about drivers from South Asia by someone I know and think of as intellectually evolved, was by far alarming. What played in my mind was how an intelligent discerning individual can be so determined about labeling and profiling with alacrity and impunity in a sense. But maybe intellect has nothing to do with it. Intellectuals and the lesser achieved all share the same world view –everyone knows what “their” world is all about and how different it is from “our” world. The separation between “us” and “them” takes several forms and stereotyping is one way of reinstating and perpetuating the gap. No wonder being pulled over for “driving while Asian” (DWA) elicits multiple reactions but mostly chuckles and laughter, unfortunately so.

I am quite aware that stereotyping of any community and definitely of South Asians in the United States is common. South Asians are caricatured through convenience store owner Apu in the cartoon series The Simpsons, feted for acing Spelling Bee contests and success in Information Technology, and courted for their wealth given their status as the ethnic group with the highest per capita income in U.S. Sometimes they are also chastised for not being part of the American mainstream. Many of you might be found answering questions about homes in slums because “Slumdog Millionaire” allegedly informed audiences that every Indian habitat is a slum; or if the language you spoke is Hindu (which it couldn’t be because Hinduism is a religion) and the confusing and multitude of media infused images of cows, poverty, Mother Teresa and then there is Kamasutra! Negative images about other cultures that main-stream North Americans are inevitably exposed to inevitably color everyone's personal socialization experience.

As Indians, we always referred to ourselves as Asians from the continent of Asia. Geographical location determined where one belonged. But in the United States, the country we live now in presents the world in different segmented ways. Asians are restricted to people from Japan, Thailand, Cambodia, China, Indonesia and Korea and I am very reluctant to say that race has nothing to do with defining this category. Now we are saddled with the “South” Asian category, which by the way is a 1990s classification designed by the Washington bureaucrats. I along with many from that region who may belong to one of the several countries (India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Nepal) feel that we were given this “ours” and whatever it entails. It is by no means a homogeneous group. It may not even be possible to consider the diverse group of people who lived on a large continent and moved to the United States as a coherent unit of “South Asian-Americans” that can be stereotyped as a homogeneous group. But stereotyping still happens.

A demographic snapshot of South Asians in the United States crunched out from the 2010 U.S Census by an NGO group shows the Indian-American population in the U.S (including multiple ethnicities) grew 68 per cent over the 2000-2010 decade from 1.9 million to 3.19 million. Counting single ethnicity (discounting mixed race), the population grew from 1.67 million to 2.84 million in the same period. That made Indian-Americans the third largest Asian-American group in the U.S after Chinese-Americans (3.79 million) and Filipino-Americans (3.42 million), but with a much faster growth rate. People who identified themselves as Indian origin comprise the largest segment of the 3.4 million-strong. Such census data reflect that demographics of ethnic groups and nationalities can be important for stakeholders to undertake advocacy with government entities and make funding requests. State and federal lawmakers can also use the data to deepen engagement with the communities and reflect their concerns in policymaking.

While strength in numbers is a criteria and may also be a reason to be non-judging of a community, the fact is that the awareness of the "other" is limited and even discouraged. I look to India and see if this is specific to the US and it is not. Women from the west are branded as morally loose and sexually promiscuous. Who has not watched Pretty Woman and Basic Instinct! The other is defined as wild, less regulated and dramatically at the opposite end of the permissible behavior among “us.” Within the country looking inward, dark-skinned people are deemed as undesirable and less economically advanced and civilized. Fairness creams are endorsed by popular film actors who have large fan followings. Matrimonial ads ask for fairness as a prerequisite for brides (not necessarily for grooms).

I wonder if education needs to be more global that helps everyone understand the changes going on around them. It is probably not doing a whole lot to meet the requirements of a new world. By developing a prejudiced, short-sighted focus on the world – whatever the boundaries of that world, it is not creating informed citizens who are proud of their role in a pluralistic society because they remain less informed and that colors their perspective.

Rajashree Ghosh is a resident scholar at the Women's Studies Research Center at Brandeis University in Waltham.

By Rajashree Ghosh, Guest Columnist

Time flies, heals; time comes and goes; time changes things and more. History is sometimes what happened yesterday and for others it was way back 300 years ago. Nations that have been colonized continue to exist with history in the forefront of their existence. India is no different. It’s colonized past is very much a part of what it is today. Even the generations that did not directly experience the British rule somehow continue to talk of time as before 1947 and after. And well the language they speak in, namely English is also a colonial import!

In a recent visit to India, the British Prime Minister David Cameron laid a wreath at the site of a notorious 1919 massacre. Known in history and public conscience as the Jallianwala Bagh massacre where with one ghastly order “fire”, the British general Dyer and his soldiers killed close to a 1000 unarmed people. The number of victims killed or injured has been a source of debate between Indians and the British but both agree the incident did happen. This incident has long been seen as one of the British Empire’s most shameful episodes. Indian scholars and students of history deem this incident a crucial moment in the country’s struggle for freedom.

“This was a deeply shameful event in British history — one that Winston Churchill rightly described at that time as monstrous,” Mr. Cameron wrote in the visitor’s notebook at the pink granite memorial. Like the queen before him, Mr. Cameron did not offer a full apology. A very sensitive and patient Indian media kept its ears open for more and was left quite disappointed. Mr. Cameron stopped short of apologizing for the attack, though, which some Indians had hoped would happen. His words of regret touched off a debate in India about what Britain’s current leaders owe India’s citizens, if anything, for the errors of their predecessors.

Britain’s colonial history is so replete with regrettable episodes that officials have quietly worried that an apology for one episode might lead to an outpouring of demands for similar apologies all over the world. In addition the British Foreign Secretary, William Hague had stated, "We have to get out of this post-colonial guilt," And that the British need to “be confident in ourselves.” “The days of Britain having to apologize for its colonial history are over". The question is has there ever been any apology expressed for British imperialism?

The Empire as we know it has virtually ceased to exist in global memory like an awkward phase in someone’s life and you know it happened but choose to not talk about it and hope everyone else does not remember.

India, the "jewel in the crown" of the British Empire was the richest of Britain’s overseas possessions, the center and symbol of empire, as the imaginative Disraeli realized when in 1876 he had Queen Victoria proclaimed empress of India. At the beginning of the 18th-century – before it was conquered – its share of the world economy was well over a fifth, nearly as large as all of Europe put together. By the time the country won independence, it had dropped to less than 4 per cent Throughout the nineteenth century many British “lived off India.” Some of them were in private business, but most were military and civilian workers. Yet Indians were gradually working their way into positions of greater responsibility, into both private and public posts at the policy-making level.

Western knowledge permeated into India and in some ways changed itself and changed the language of learning. In the 1800’s British financed schools to spread Western knowledge in the hopes of eliminating indigenous knowledge. For Indians western education was imbued with importance and status and for some their jobs and fortunes depended on it. Even today almost anything serious about knowledge in India is based on western pedagogy.

So when Cameron extends a hand, Indians wonder – trade it was that East Indian Company found reason to walk into the country and trade it is now. There are 1.5 million British voters of Indian descent he wishes to appease and yet the issue of post-study work visa for students in Britain remains unresolved. David Cameron has urged the Indian government to cut "regulation and red tape" in a bid to encourage more trade and investment involving UK businesses. UK wants to be the “partner of choice.” Additionally, what was left as evidence of the “burgeoning partnership” was a proposed joint cyber taskforce. The venture has been trailed as part of efforts to secure the personal information of millions of Britons stored on Indian servers against “cyber-attacks by terrorists, criminals and hostile states”.

Times have changed and this time it is different – a socio-political environment that dictates relationships between nations. Yet the memory of colonization is still very real, and the lived experiences of those times form the bedrock for future diplomatic relationships. May we all remember!

Rajashree Ghosh is a resident scholar at the Women's Studies Research Center at Brandeis University in Waltham.

By Rajashree Ghosh, Guest Columnist

Life goes on as they say. It is 2013. Malala Yusufzai, the teenager from Pakistan who was shot in the head and sent to UK for treatment was seen waving to her supporters; the families of victims of Sandy Hook school in Newtown, CT grapple with loss and search for reasons and Steubenville, OH has come alive with protests.

Post the brutal rape incident last month, India has also witnessed massive protests and rallies in urban Delhi and some other parts of the country. After the rape victim died in a hospital in Singapore, the widespread grief has eased a bit to opening the path to debates ensuing over issues of gender and sexual violence. In response, albeit delayed, the government and political functionaries are immersing themselves in the dialogue of what can be done and isn’t. A panel has been set up to review legal processes and will make improvements in legal provisions to deal with sexual offences. The judges and police are going about the business of charging the 5 rapists with the crime they committed. The case is being heard in a special fast-track court inaugurated last week to deal with such offences in the capital of India. The Indian media and the world media continue to give prominence to news items that would barely have received attention a month ago.

Latching on to some of the ongoing discussion threads, it seems like “rape” has become the concept of choice – a point of reference for all conversations in India and anything related to India.

While deriding rape a right wing Hindu political party chief stated that rapes occur in urban areas because western influences have a swing over people and that in rural areas of the country there are no such incidents. He espoused the traditional values where women are restricted to doing household chores and stay “within moral limits” and that they “pay the price” if they don’t.

Contrary to the political party chief’s beliefs, facts show that in rural areas and especially among the lower castes, access to legal recourse is limited. To cite an example the “Bhanwari Devi” case shook the local women’s movement in India. In 1992 Bhanwari Devi a rural health worker who belonged to the untouchable caste was gang raped by her supervisors during a state-sponsored training session. Despite rallies organized by her supporters in the western state of Rajasthan, the police declared her mentally unstable and sent her to seek psychiatric assistance. This case is as yet to be presented in the High Court. Even as she clings to the hope that justice will prevail, Bhanwari Devi continues to stand her ground and speak at forums including at the Beijing Conference. Although still situated somewhere in public memory and records, there is a culture of silence that is unleashed which prevents people from responding and presenting their views against people with ostensible power.

In another instance a Hindu spiritual leader provided his solution by saying that had the rape victim addressed her attackers as brothers she would be alive. As preposterous as such statements sound, these men have a large following.

So when there are protests one wonders who is joining the voice of the people. According to the President of India’s son Abhijit Mukherjee, women who are participating in candle-light vigils have no connection with ground reality. They are 'highly dented and painted.’ This comment has invited criticism and he subsequently an apology was issued.

India is not alien to protests, sit-ins and Gandhi influenced “non-violent, peaceful resistance.” Close to two years ago, Indians across the country were protesting another evil: corruption. Social activist and devout Gandhi follower Anna Hazare led the marches and rallies supported by the people - doctors, lawyers, students, housewives, actors, laborers to change the system pervaded by corruption. This movement so to speak has fizzled out somewhat for being incoherent and even displaying an authoritarian impulse. The fact of the matter is that the anti-corruption movement remains as valid as it was when it began just as politicians remain as indifferent and corrupt.

In any case, this particular rape has caught the national imagination. The National Human Rights Commission stated that this recent wave of dissent represents “declining public confidence in the law and order machinery in the city, especially in its capacity to ensure safety of women, as a number of such incidents have been reported in the national capital in the recent past." That being said the police and government can no longer ignore it.

Because it is not connected to any political party, the concerns are - will it be sustainable or effective; is there a unifying agenda; does it reach all castes and classes? While it remains a vibrant social movement, many women’s groups do not support punishment of rape with death penalty. Since most rapes go unreported, death penalties may deter reporting of the crime and may cause the rapist to murder the victim. Notions of “honor” and “shame” primarily define under- reporting and non-reporting. In that context it may be worth the while to explore the political and cultural contexts in which groups of women and men organize to fight for their rights and self-worth. These groups operate in very structured, hierarchical and segmented environments and not in a vacuum.

In this particular case of gang rape the victim’s identity was protected. No name, religion or affiliation was revealed and instead she was called “braveheart”, “Damini,’ (meaning lightning), “Nirbhaya” (fearless), “Amanat” (treasure) and so on. It is now after her death that the victim’s father has revealed her name so people really get to know who she was. Her name is or was Jyoti Singh Pandey. Her story needs to do the talking not, what could have been and what should have been. Incidentally, “jyoti” means light/lamp which/who can perhaps throw light on what is needed and show the way for meaningful and measureable steps so that for other women, life can go on.

Rajashree Ghosh is a resident scholar at the Women's Studies Research Center at Brandeis University in Waltham.

By Lisa Kocian, Globe Staff

A Canadian company announced Wednesday that it will not pursue a slots parlor license in Littleton, where residents had reacted with outrage at the idea of a gambling facility in their small town along Interstate 495.

Clairvest, a Canadian private equity firm, said it would continue to evaluate opportunities for a license elsewhere in the state but it did not specify any locations.

The company had been eyeing a site at The Point, a new development at I-495 and Great Road, but did not file a formal application with the state.

Residents said more than 600 people had joined a Facebook group created last month after news broke that a slots parlor was under discussion. Most postings were against the idea, residents said.

“I simply don’t see -- in a town dotted with farms and kid-centered activities -- a behemoth development, 1,250 slot machines, being anything positive,” resident Jenna Brownson, said in an interview Wednesday before the company announced it was pulling out. “It seems to me there’s a great amount of disdain for this idea. My hope is that Clairvest has heard from enough Littleton residents to say, ‘You know, we’ll go to somewhere else.’”

The state’s 2011 gaming law authorizes up to three resort casinos and one slot parlor.

Lisa Kocian can be reached at lkocian@globe.com.

By Rajashree Ghosh, Guest Columnist

Even as the holiday festivities abound, my mind is in two places. As immigrants that is common — to straddle between two worlds. And then there are moments of pride with India "shining" and there are moments of infinite shame and anger at events that have rocked the capital, Delhi. Having spent a considerable part of my life in New Delhi I stay connected to "home" and what happens there. The recent incident of brutal rape brought to light the fact that spaces in the city are gendered still, that women are not equal citizens and the laws do not support victims' rights. Is this the "incredible" India we are presenting to the world?

While there have been continued protests in India by women and men (I am happy to note) against the ruthless rape of a 23-year-old woman by five men who left her to die, there is more to be done and achieved. Sexual offenses of any kind at home, work or public places are crimes but perpetrators get away with it because of lack of legal back up. The fear of social ostracism keeps victims from reporting crimes. Growing up in Delhi and struggling with public transport decades ago as we fielded off groping hands, leering comments and putting up a strong façade when we reached schools or colleges, was the normal. Traveling and moving around in groups was the only solution known to us. And now living in the United States, I am thrilled to note that younger women are independent, students and professionals — whatever they want to be. Safety is an issue the world over but the collective conscience works in favor of a somewhat equitable access to legal recourse.

Now Delhi, on the other hand, has the infamous title of being the "rape capital" of India. Even though the Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit hates the title she brings to light several loopholes in the legal system and has passed the responsibility of doing anything concrete to the Police Commissioner and the Lieutenant Governor. What she can provide for is "safer" areas for women. Is that all she can do — as a minister and as a woman? Doesn't that approach perpetuate the schism that already exists in Indian society? What it means is that women should not venture out at certain hours and stay in places that have been deemed "safe" and those not in those designated areas are either asking for the wrong kind of attention or have not heeded to warnings. Either way something basic is wrong there. Instead of policing the criminal, this approach absolves them of any culpability. Worse, it instills in women the fear of living the life of a citizen.

There are 2.7 million South Asians who live in the metropolitan areas on the East Coast and West Coast and Indians form the bulk of that population. The total number of Indian Americans in the United States in 2010, including Asian Indians of mixed race, was 3,183,063. Indian Americans made up 18 percent of the Asian American population in 2010, up from 16 percent in 2000. We travel back and forth to India to our families, to do business and to be "home."

Vidya Sri, the founder of gangashakti.org, is among the 2.7 million. She is an activist and a management professional who travels to India on work. On one of her trips to Delhi, she was assaulted and sexually molested. The police refused to file a report. As an American citizen, she involved the U.S. embassy who made several calls to enable her to file a basic police report.

When Prachee Sinha, a Brandeis University alum who now works in India reached out to me, expressing her shock and dismay at the heinous event I wondered what I could do and what would make a difference. Because the usual question is "will it make a difference?" And another question is as U.S. residents of Indian origin what is our responsibility given the circumstances? Are we not all affected? Violence and sexual offence is high on the minds of women traveling to India in various capacities. And for anyone woman in India or traveling to India the concern is: “That could have been me.” And because of that every contribution we make is a step forward and every drop adds to the volume in the ocean. It certainly is better than doing nothing, wouldn't you say?

At the time of writing this piece a panel has been set up under the stewardship of Justice Usha Mehra to reconstruct the events of the day surrounding the recent rape of the 23-year-old in New Delhi and analyze the role of police. And this panel will present its report in three months.

Whether it is petitioning the Chief Minister of Delhi or the Prime Minister of India or joining protests or writing opinion columns and campaign issues, I urge everyone who wants India to surge ahead as a global business leader to do their bit to change the dismal state of affairs in so far as women's safety is concerned. There is great virtue in "being the change."

Follow this link to sign a petition condemning violence against women in India.

Rajashree Ghosh is a resident scholar at the Women's Studies Research Center at Brandeis University in Waltham. This article first appeared on the India New England site and is reposted with Ghosh's permission.

Want to learn about who's running for state representative and state senator in your district? Here's our voters' guide to the candidates facing off in this year's general election on Nov. 6.

STATE SENATE

Bristol and Norfolk (Medfield): James E. Timilty (D-Walpole, incumbent), Jeffrey Robert Bailey (R-Attleboro)
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1st Middlesex (Dunstable, Groton, Pepperell): Eileen M. Donoghue (D-Lowell, incumbent), James J. Buba (R-Lowell)
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3rd Middlesex (Bedford, Carlisle, Concord, Lincoln, Lexington, Sudbury, Waltham, Weston): Michael J. Barrett (D-Lexington), Sandi Martinez (R-Chelmsford)
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4th Middlesex (Arlington, Lexington): Kenneth J. Donnelly (D-Arlington, incumbent), Gerry C. Dembrowski (R-Woburn)
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1st Middlesex and Norfolk (Brookline, Newton, Wellesley): Cynthia Stone Creem (D-Newton, incumbent)

2nd Middlesex and Norfolk (Ashland, Framingham, Franklin, Holliston, Hopkinton, Medway, Natick): Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland, incumbent)

Middlesex and Worcester (Acton, Ayer, Berlin, Bolton, Boxborough, Harvard, Hudson, Littleton, Marlborough, Maynard, Northborough, Shirley, Southborough, Stow, Sudbury, Westborough): James B. Eldridge (D-Acton, incumbent), Dean J. Cavaretta (R-Stow)
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Norfolk, Bristol, and Middlesex (Franklin, Millis, Natick, Needham, Norfolk, Plainville, Sherborn, Wayland, Wellesley, Wrentham): Richard J. Ross (R-Wrentham, incumbent)

2nd Suffolk and Middlesex (Belmont, Watertown): William N. Brownsberger (D-Belmont, incumbent), Steven W. Aylward (R-Watertown)
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1st Worcester (Boylston, Northborough): Harriette L. Chandler (D-Worcester, incumbent)

2nd Worcester (Shrewsbury, Upton): Michael O. Moore (D-Millbury, incumbent), Stephen R. Simonian (R-Auburn)
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Worcester and Norfolk (Bellingham, Milford): Richard T. Moore (D-Uxbridge, incumbent)

STATE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

1st Middlesex (Ayer, Dunstable, Groton, Pepperell): Sheila C. Harrington (R-Groton, incumbent)

2nd Middlesex (Littleton): James Arciero (D-Westford, incumbent), Valerie A. Wormell (R-Westford)
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3rd Middlesex (Bolton, Hudson, Maynard, Stow): Kate Hogan (D-Stow, incumbent), Chuck S. Kuniewich, Jr. (R-Hudson)
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4th Middlesex (Marlborough, Northborough, Westborough): Danielle Gregoire (D-Marlborough), Steven L. Levy (R-Marlborough, incumbent)
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5th Middlesex (Millis, Natick, Sherborn): David Paul Linsky (D-Natick, incumbent), William J. Callahan (R-Natick)
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6th Middlesex (Framingham): Chris Walsh (D-Framingham, incumbent)

7th Middlesex (Ashland, Framingham): Tom Sannicandro (D-Ashland, incumbent), Jon Andrew Fetherston (R-Ashland)
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8th Middlesex (Holliston, Hopkinton, Southborough, Westborough): Carolyn C. Dykema (D-Holliston, incumbent), Martin A. Lamb (R-Holliston)
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9th Middlesex (Lincoln, Waltham): Thomas M. Stanley (D-Waltham, incumbent)

10th Middlesex (Newton, Waltham, Watertown): John J. Lawn, Jr. (D-Watertown, incumbent), Francis Xavier Stanton, III (R-Waltham)
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11th Middlesex (Newton): Kay S. Kahn (D-Newton, incumbent), Greer Tan Swiston (R-Newton)
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12th Middlesex (Newton): Ruth S. Balser (D-Newton, incumbent)

13th Middlesex (Framingham, Marlborough, Sudbury, Wayland): Thomas P. Conroy (D-Wayland, incumbent)

14th Middlesex (Acton, Carlisle, Concord): Cory Atkins (D-Concord, incumbent), Michael J. Benn (R-Concord)
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15th Middlesex (Lexington): Jay R. Kaufman (D-Lexington, incumbent)

21st Middlesex (Bedford): Ken Gordon (D-Bedford), Walter Zenkin (R-Burlington)
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23rd Middlesex (Arlington): Sean Garballey (D-Arlington, incumbent), Joseph J. Monju (R-Arlington)

24th Middlesex (Arlington, Belmont): David M. Rogers (D-Cambridge), Tommasina Anne Olson (R-Belmont), James F. Gammill (Open Innovative Government-Belmont)
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29th Middlesex (Watertown): Jonathan Hecht (D-Watertown, incumbent)

37th Middlesex (Boxborough, Harvard, Shirley): Jennifer E. Benson (D-Lunenberg, incumbent)

9th Norfolk (Medfield, Millis, Norfolk, Plainville, Wrentham): Daniel B. Winslow (R-Norfolk, incumbent)

10th Norfolk (Franklin, Medway): Jeffrey N. Roy (D-Franklin), Richard A. Eustis (R-Medway)

13th Norfolk (Dover, Needham, Medfield): Denise C. Garlick (D-Needham, incumbent)

14th Norfolk (Wayland, Wellesely, Weston): Alice Hanlon Peisch (D-Wellesley, incumbent)

15th Norfolk (Brookline): Frank Israel Smizik (D-Brookline, incumbent)

10th Suffolk (Brookline): Edward F. Coppinger (D-West Roxbury, incumbent)

15th Suffolk (Brookline): Jeffrey Sanchez (D-Jamaica Plain, incumbent)

18th Suffolk (Brookline): Michael J. Moran (D-Brighton, incumbent)

8th Worcester (Bellingham): Robert J. Dubois (D-Blackstone), Kevin J. Kuros (R-Uxbridge, incumbent)
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9th Worcester (Upton): George N. Peterson, Jr. (R-Grafton, incumbent)

10th Worcester (Medway, Milford): John V. Fernandes (D-Milford, incumbent)

11th Worcester (Shrewsbury, Westborough): Matthew A. Beaton (R-Shrewsbury, incumbent)

12th Worcester (Berlin, Boylston, Northborough): Harold P. Naughton, Jr. (D-Clinton, incumbent)

The following was submitted by WGBH

Academic teams from 95 public high schools across Massachusetts will gather at WGBH in Brighton on November 4 for a chance to compete on season four of High School Quiz Show. Hosted by Billy Costa, the Emmy Award-winning, fast-paced game show showcases teens from across the Commonwealth and celebrates academic achievement.

See the full list of schools here.

On “Super Sunday,” each academic team of four students will take an identical oral quiz of 100 questions. From the 95 schools, the top 16 teams will advance to appear on the televised show, a single-elimination, bracketed academic tournament that includes eight qualifying matches, quarterfinals, semifinals and a state championship match.

This year the season will culminate with a Bay State vs. Granite State showdown, when WGBH’s High School Quiz Show state champion team meets New Hampshire Public Television’s Granite State Challenge “SuperChallenge” winner for the very first inter-state quiz show play-off.

“It was our hope to create a showcase for academic achievement that would eventually take hold in communities across the Commonwealth,” said Executive Producer Hillary Wells. “By all accounts, it looks like we’re well on our way with a record number of registered schools for this year’s Super Sunday, audience growth year after year, and increasing social media banter and buzz. The real credit, of course, goes to the coaches and to the participating students who continue to impress and amaze us with their enthusiasm, poise under pressure, and depth of knowledge.

All questions on High School Quiz Show are aligned with the Massachusetts high school curriculum standards in subjects including literature, history, science, and math, as well as current events and general knowledge. The weekly series begins taping at WGBH in January in front of a live studio audience.

High School Quiz Show is endorsed by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The Princeton Review judges the televised competition and reviews the questions.

Major sponsorship for High School Quiz Show is provided by Safety Insurance and the Bank of America Charitable Foundation.

Additional funding is provided by Massachusetts Teachers Association, XFINITY from Comcast, Harvard Summer School Secondary School Program, Bentley University, Subaru of New England, and Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts.

For more information, visit highschoolquizshow.org, become a fan on Facebook and follow the show on Twitter.