“We insist on our solidarity with all those who are targetedand who are resisting deportation, dehumanization, exploitation, erasure, discrimination, repression, and oppression,” the MSCA said in a release. “We know that our struggles are interconnected.”
The MSCA linked issues such as academic freedom, labor rights, and racial justice, arguing they cannot be separated from broader fights for social equity and human dignity.
The statement called on faculty, students, and community members to organize and resist policies that threaten their rights.
“Solidarity is our strength. Solidarity keeps us alive. We will not be divided. We will not be silenced. We will fight together,” the MSCA statement concluded.
The declaration comes in the midst of a politically charged national environment, as protests and policy debates over immigration, education, and labor rights continue to intensify.
Anthropology Professor Benjamin Alberti, the MSCA Framingham Chapter interim president, referenced the MSCA statement and said the purpose of the rally was to “push back against the attacks of the last 102 days of the Trump administration.”
He said the rally was also organized to defend FSU communities that may be targeted.
The MSCA Framingham Chapter is also protesting the Trump administration’s actions against academic freedoms, including diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, according to Alberti.
Alberti said FSU, as a public institution, has an advantage over private universities. He said the Trump administration is enacting a “shakedown” at private institutions by threatening to withhold funding.
“We’re in a good position here with Massachusetts, which is a liberal state, and it’s pushing back against the Trump administration,” he said.
He added he knows of people with mixed immigration status in the community who have signed over power of attorney to their children, held yard sales in case they are deported, and no longer take unnecessary risks.
Alberti said he hoped the rally created a sense of unity within the FSU community and inspired “a sense of hope and solidarity and demonstrated to people … that you’re not alone and there are people doing things.”
He said on the day of the rally, almost 1,000 cities in the United States were holding protests against the Trump administration.
Niemi said, “There is a reason why education is targeted - it’s because it works.
“Public education works by empowering everyone in a community and a country to gain the tools that they need to live inclusively,” Niemi added. “Public educators help others learn, and that learning is dangerous to those who want all the control.”
She said when public universities start to regulate what they teach, support, and stand for, and when colleges are driven by fear, “that truly is the be-
ginning of the end of our academics.”
Niemi said Framingham State will continue to contribute to “economic and cultural vitality regionally and in our local communities.”
She added FSU fosters creativity and innovation and provides human resources to meet the fast-changing demands of the dynamic workforce.
“America’s colleges and universities prepare an educated citizenry to sustain our democracy. This is what we do and what we need to keep doing. Public education’s purpose and honor have been questioned, and we are standing up. We will not deny the power of public education,” she said.
During the rally, many students expressed their concern about the actions taken against immigrants by the Trump administration, including sophomore Marlín Polanco.
Polanco said she knows many immigrants.
“I have borne witness to their compassion, their love, their hard work, their dedication, and I have been devastated by what has been going on recently,” she said.
Polanco read a poem she wrote. The poem says in part, “An immigrant signed the Declaration of Independence, and yet you think immigrants don’t give the country greatness. They came to this land with stars in their eyes. They were told that with hard work, they could reach their dreams by the next sunrise.”
She continued, “So they listened, they listened to what you said, and created a life with nothing but a needle and a thread.
“This is the land that preaches the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, yet it tries to smother the fire of an immigrant’s success.
“An immigrant signed the Declaration of Independence, kick-starting a nation with the potential to reach greatness. Why does this country behave so cold-hearted? It’s almost like we forgot where we even started,” Polanco’s poem concluded.
Senior Marlee Griffin said she cried after hearing Polanco’s poem and it reflected her feelings about the current state of the nation.
Griffin said holding a protest is important and shows “we’re not alone in this and a lot of people don’t want their rights taken away, because we’re the land of the free - we don’t hail to any kings.”
Junior Jordayn Padilla said she believes “it is very important Framingham State is doing this.”
Junior K-la Vazquez said it was important to her to participate in the rally, “especially for all of the people of color.”
Senior Kaylee Beck said that as a woman, it was very important to her to use her voice in this manner.
“We are using our privilege to be able to get educated, and today, we are making sure everyone gets that right, no matter where you are from,” Beck added.
English Department Chair Lisa Eck said, “It is so inspiring to have our solidarity be made visible.
“We are fighting for the version of America that we know
and love, but that we feel alienated from now, which is why we have to fight back,” Eck added.
Sociology & Criminology
Professor Ira Silver said the rally was an “amazing show of solidarity,” and it is hopefully just the beginning.
English Professor Kristen Abbott Bennett said, “It is nice to feel a sense of optimism when everything can feel so overwhelming.”
English Professor Rachel Trousdale said she grew up surrounded by immigrants. “I profoundly value my right to freedom of expression as well as my right to academic freedom, and I am deeply alarmed by the systematic persecution of immigrants, LGBTQ+ folks, and anyone who disagrees with the Trump administration’s ideologies.”
She said that as a person who is Jewish, she is “especially disturbed by the weaponization of antisemitism.”
World Languages Professor Inés Vañó García said she was excited to take part in the rally.
Vañó García said on the day of the protest, Spain, the country she previously lived in, was celebrating Labour Day, also known as Día del Trabajador.
She said she hoped the event showed the FSU community’s visibility and brought awareness to actions taken by the Trump administration.
Vañó García said she felt empowered that the protest was attended by faculty and students.
Sociology Professor Patricia Sánchez-Connally, class of ’01, said she hoped the rally raised awareness about issues facing the nation.
She said she was “excited” to provide students with an outlet to express their opinions and thoughts safely.
Sánchez-Connally said the current actions taken by the Trump administration are “really scary.
“There are many students who are part of mixed-status families who are in fear that their loved ones may be in a position that is not good for the entire family,” she said.
Sánchez-Connally said there is uncertainty in the nation because of new executive orders that continue to be announced daily.
Senior Deanna Girard said it is “relieving to see our community cares about what is going on.”
Senior Sofia Wilson said, “I am so glad so many people came out and did this today because it is nice to know our community cares.”
Junior Rileigh Kelley said, “I am really glad the FSU community came together for this. It is truly inspiring.”
CONNECT WITH SOPHIA HARRIS sharris9@student.framingham.edu
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Attendees march down State Street during the MSCA rally on May 1.
Businesses
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45,000 jobs, and $3.1 billion in payroll - all here in the City of Framingham,” he said.
“Framingham has a lot to offer to both businesses and people.
We have hundreds of acres of land that businesses can start building on here. We have great educational institutions here. And, thanks to our diverse population, we have a lot of different restaurants and types of food to try here,” he added.
According to McKenna, the city is working on multiple improvement initiatives, such as adding more affordable housing opportunities for residents and assisting business owners in the downtown Framingham area with block grants the city hopes will help local businesses grow.
Nate Doyen-Charon, community development coordinator for the City of Framingham, highlighted the important role that non-profit organizations play in the implementation of the city’s improvement initiatives.
“We work with a non-profit called Downtown Framingham Inc. Rick [McKenna] and their director work closely with one another,” he said.
“We also work with the MetroWest Housing Coalition,
public facility grants. Just last year, the Framingham Public Library needed work done so they were able to use this funding for repairs,” he said.
Doyen-Charon also said private homeowners in the Framingham community have benefited from these grant funds as well.
“We have done housing rehab programs for low-income homeowners in the community. If they needed some work done on their house, they could apply for a grant. We also run a rental assistance program to help low-income people with security deposits, first month’s rent and - in certain select cases that are referred to us from one of the non-profits in Framingham - we can even help a few families each year with a full year’s worth of rent payments,” he said.
“Those are the types of ways we are able to use that federal funding for the local community,” he added.
“Part of our community development block grant goes toward public services, which are non-profit organizations. Our Community Development Committee makes recommendations to the mayor as to which organizations get funding and how much. We are capped at about
ing as normal,” he added.
According to Doyen-Charon, the business owners and residents of the Framingham community are the driving force behind why he, McKenna, and all the community non-profit organizations do the work they do.
However, Doyen-Charon credits the community members he and his colleagues serve with saving Framingham.
“Framingham business owners - so many of whom are immigrants - have been fundamental to the revitalization of downtown Framingham. They bring culture to the area,” he said.
Doyen-Charon also highlighted what he believes to be the cultural impact the Brazilian community in particular has had on Framingham.
“Part of what makes Framingham ‘Framingham’ is the Brazilian community. I grew up on the Cape. One of my best friends is Brazilian and he knows about the culture here in Framingham. I think that that ultimately adds to the healthy economic growth of the community,” he said.
Steve Guseynov is the director of a Framingham adult day program called Dia Feliz, which translates to “happy day” in
torical opportunities for people to take advantage of. It’s really a multicultural and multinational area,” he said.
“It’s also very close to Boston,” he added.
Guseynov also said the city’s economy itself is diverse and credits the city government with what he believes are improvements that help bolster economic activity.
“The city has been focused on economic development initiatives to help the city attract and retain businesses. This includes offering incentives such as tax breaks, grants, and low-interest loans to businesses that locate to or expand within Framingham,” he said.
BRACE (Brazilian-American Center) is a Framingham non-profit organization located on Waverly Street. It was created in 2012 with the aim of assisting immigrants in the area by providing services such as legal advice, education, health, job placement, and housing, in addition to helping them with integrating into and adapting to American culture and society.
which is a group of service providers, community leaderspublic, private, and nonprofitsthat get together to discuss how we can consolidate our resources to essentially make it easier for people in the community to get housing,” he added.
According to Doyen-Charon, the city also coordinates with the federal government to ensure business owners and residents are able to receive the services they need.
“We receive about $450,000 annually from HUD [US Department of Housing and Urban Development] through their block grant program. We get these funds for a wide variety of programs we can run - business grants, public service grants,
$70,000 that we can award to these non-profits,” he said.
“They all do so much great work and I’m happy to be able to help these organizations on behalf of the city - because at the end of the day, they do a lot of good,” he added.
Doyen-Charon reported the Trump administration has not impacted the grants, but he is monitoring the situation.
“As of this moment, the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program and the Home Investment Partnership grant from HUD have not been affected by what is going on in Washington,” he said.
“I am keeping a close eye on it to see if anything will change, but as of now, we are proceed-
Spanish and Portuguese. Dia Feliz serves members of the Framingham community who have cognitive, physical, or behavioral health issues by providing support services, nursing care, supervision, and daily activities, which include field trips, holiday parties, arts and crafts, games, yoga, and exercise.
“We’ve been here for six years and really enjoy the work we do helping the Framingham community,” he said.
Guseynov said he sees the Framingham community and city itself as a place with much to offer.
“Framingham has a strong sense of community, a diverse population, and an array of recreational, cultural and even his-
According to BRACE’s website, the organization seeks to “welcome and empower all immigrants regardless of nationality, race, age, sex, or religion, while preserving the values and cultural identity of each.”
Liliane Costa has served as BRACE’s executive director since 2014.
Costa credits the Brazilian community, particularly business owners, with the resurgence that downtown Framingham has enjoyed over the years.
“The Brazilian community revitalized downtown Framingham. They started to open businesses in downtown Framingham around 30 years ago. It started with the first income tax preparation business, bakery, convenience store, butcher shop, and restaurants,” she said.
According to Costa, BRACE works in conjunction with the
Dylan Pichnarcik / THE GATEPOST Concord Street, Framingham.
Businesses
Continued from Page 5
city government to serve the community.
“The city of Framingham works with us on some projects. We began applying for grants in 2015.
We have received grants for things such as ESL classes, youth programs, vaccination clinics, and to fund the renovations of buildings in the city,” she said.
Apart from funding, Costa also credits the city government with beginning to help bridge the cultural gap between the community and the city.
“One of the most important improvements the city has made to help Brazilian business owners is having a Brazilian person who works at City Hall,” she said.
“They could always use more people who can speak Portuguese there,” she said.
Patricia Rodrigues Costa de Sá is a former economic development specialist and planner for the City of Framingham. She moved on from the position in April.
According to Costa de Sá, her job entailed carrying out economic research for the city, writing reports, and community and business outreach.
Costa de Sá said the relationship between the city and business owners has evolved for the better since she first started her role with the city.
“When I started, [the communication] was primarily from
me to them. I would go to them and they would tell me what they expected from the city. But then, as they got to know me, they began to seek me out to assist them and guide them in business-related matters. For instance, if they had plans to expand their business, they began contacting me for guidance,” she said.
“They also asked me about the permitting process. Many business owners in the downtown area are not fluent in English so they have difficulty navigating the process,” she added.
Costa de Sá said her relationship with business owners in downtown Framingham went beyond simply assisting them with the permitting process and answering any questions they may have had about city policy.
“When I talk to business owners, I also try to advise them on finding their core business - their niche, and identifying what they can do to help their business stand out. It’s a characteristic of downtown to have a lot of stores, grocery stores, and markets that do a little bit of everything. They sell cosmetics from other countries and food. They’re also a butcher shop, a bakery, a restaurant. They make pizza, they make sandwiches. And as a result, they end up without an identity,” she said.
Costa de Sá also said she believes that downtown businesses finding their own identity regarding the products or services they offer will help them
attract a broader clientele “so that when people who are not from downtown Framingham come, they will know exactly what that store specializes in. So that people can say, ‘This is where I can go for Guatemalan food.’ ‘This is where I can go to buy clothing.’ ‘This is a market where I can go get some fruit.’
“It is important that each business has an identity because downtown will have a more organized array of stores and businesses, which will make it easier and more attractive for people to come and enjoy what the area has to offer,” she added.
Costa de Sá said the city working with and assisting business owners is mutually beneficial.
“It opens up opportunities for the business owners, but it is also important to the city because what the city does impacts them, and what they do impacts us. We have to work together so that we can grow together,” she said.
“We cannot carry out policies without input from the business owners. We have to align our plans,” she added.
Costa de Sá credits the Brazilian community with the renewed prosperity the downtown Framingham area has experienced.
“They were so key to the revitalization of downtown Framingham during the mid- to late-1990s when Dennison and General Motors left. This was so impactful because when they left, the economic activities
Trustees postpone vote on FY26 budget
By Sophia Oppedisano Editorial Staff
The Board of Trustees was not presented with a final FY26 budget proposal to review at its May 6 meeting.
The board then sent the budget draft to the Finance Committee (FinCom) to be reviewed later in the month.
Vice President of Administration, Finance, and Technology Robert Totino and Board of Trustees Chair Anthony Hubbard gave a report detailing the state of the FY26 budget.
Hubbard said at the most recent FinCom meeting on April 22, “We were at a point in a cycle where we’re a little bit early in terms of having some knowns about the budget projections,” and the budget was “still a work in progress” at the time of that meeting.
At the April 22 FinCom meeting, Hubbard said the projected budget had over a $2 million deficit.
“What we’ve decided to do is to schedule another Finance Committee meeting so we could really flesh out and have a full sense of where the budget is,” he added.
According to Hubbard, the next FinCom meeting will be held sometime in May, and the full Board of Trustees will be invited to participate.
At that meeting, the budget may be in a position to be fully approved, Hubbard added.
Totino said the process of compiling the budget throughout February, March, and April led to an initial deficit of $5.6 million.
In collaboration with the Business Office, the finance team, President Nancy Niemi,
and vice presidents on the executive staff to “re-examine revenues,” Totino said they were able to decrease the deficit to $2.5 million.
“I’m happy to say, through some extra work that’s been done in the last couple weeks … a second round of the reductions, which just came in as of last week, I’m pleased to say, as of right now, we’re at a breakeven budget for FY26, so we’re going to start assembling that package,” Totino said.
Hubbard said they were not
Hubbard also spoke about the “presidential compensation from an equity perspective” issue and reported the Department of Higher Education approved a 9% increase to President Nancy Niemi’s salary. The increase will make her salary comparable to that of the other nine state university presidents, as Niemi previously ranked last in terms of compensation.
The Board voted unanimously to grant Niemi the 9% increase, which will go into effect in July.
presenting the budget at the May 6 Board of Trustees meeting because FinCom had not heard the details about the deficit reduction.
Since the FY26 budget could not be approved at the Board of Trustees meeting, Hubbard proposed a vote to delegate authority to approve the budget to FinCom.
The vote passed unanimously.
Totino added he believes the budget for FY25, which had a deficit of $400,000, will also reach a break-even standpoint by the end of the fiscal cycle in July.
that revolved around these two main employers lost their market share,” she said.
Costa de Sá also said Framingham’s unique location presented a great opportunity for the Brazilian community during that time.
“The price of rent went down and properties got devalued because the area was virtually empty. The Brazilian community, which had already settled in Massachusetts, saw opportunity in Framingham - not only because of the cheaper rent, but because of the strategic location of the city, with Framingham being located between Boston and Worcester,” she said.
“This was all so vital to the prosperity of the city at the time. The stores were empty, and there was no strong economic activity in the area. Downtown was a real blight before they came in and settled here,” she added.
Costa de Sá said the downtown Framingham area has much to offer people, especially those who are not familiar with it.
“You will learn a lot from coming downtown. You’ll taste different types of food from many other countries. You’ll experience music from other countries.
“There is a rich diversity in downtown Framingham,” she said.
CONNECT WITH ALAIN PUMA apuma@student.framingham.edu
According to Niemi, a Federal Actions informational portal has been added to the University’s SharePoint site to “keep our community updated with what is going on in Washington and how it impacts us, both locally and nationally.”
Vice President of Enrollment Management Iris Godes updated the Board on enrollment. She reported 617 commitments to the University at the time of the meeting, as well as 119 requests to extend the deadline for deposits.
Godes compared this year’s numbers to 2023’s enrollment data due to a 2024 issue with FAFSA that skewed enrollment numbers. She said there is a 2% increase so far from 2023, and she is positive the trend will continue to improve.
Student Trustee Jeremy McDonald reported on the Student Government Association (SGA) election as well as a letter of support written by SGA to students detailing “our commitment to ensuring access to public education,” he said.
Niemi said, “Thank you for that vote of confidence. … I appreciate that.”
Niemi reported she is one of over 600 university presidents who have signed the American Association of Colleges and Universities’ public statement calling for constructive engagement in response to the Trump administration’s recent actions against higher education.
“It’s been remarkably effective, I think, in bringing solidarity and bringing attention to the importance of colleges and universities in the United States in support of democracy and citizenship,” Niemi said.
“In the letter, we enumerate promises to the student body that include that we will accept you, we will advocate for you, we will open doors for you, and we will defend your right to a public education,” McDonald added.
McDonald also introduced incoming Student Trustee Luke Yubeta to the Board.
Yubeta said, “I’m looking forward to taking this opportunity to serve my community the best that I can.”
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SGA releases letter in support of students
By Bella Grimaldi Asst. News Editor
By Sophia Oppedisano Editorial Staff
The FY25 Student Government Association members signed a letter in support of higher education written to FSU students at its May 6 meeting.
The letter was written in response to actions taken against higher education by the Trump administration and assures students SGA will “have your back. We will not stand by as public education comes under fire.”
Outgoing President Evelyn Campbell said the letter “helps keep the community strong during a time of uncertainty and shows that students are engaged and ready to stand up for one another and for public education.”
She said this declaration was necessary because public education is “being threatened,” adding that students are scared about what these changes might mean for them.
Campbell said the letter “speaks directly to that fear and reassures students that the SGA is there to protect their rights. It also shows students that access to education should not be limited and that the FSU community will stand together to defend it.
“This is a moment in history where taking a clear stand is important,” she added.
Campbell said it was incredibly meaningful for her to have the letter as one of the last initiatives she accomplished at FSU.
“It represents standing up for something bigger than myself, which has always been my goal. It shows students that their voice actually does matter, and it is important to find community and unity in these challenging times. It’s a reminder that leadership is about action, not just titles,” she said.
In their letter, SGA invoked founding University figures such as Horace Mann and Cyrus Peirce, the latter of whom established the University’s motto, “Live to the Truth.”
“We recognize that living to the truth entails fighting for justice, honesty, and the belief that knowledge should serve the public good. Steadfast in our belief, we will champion public education as a necessary part of our future,” the SGA letter states.
The Horace Mann quote, “education … is a great equalizer of the conditions of men,” was also included in the letter.
Student Trustee Jeremy McDonald said SGA wanted to call attention to this particular quote because “[Education] allows people to change their condition, to improve, to learn to think critically, and to think for themselves. I think that it’s great that people have that access, and I think that we would be worse off as a country for not having that access.”
McDonald said the letter has been in development for about a month.
“We’ve heard from some students … and we’ve also heard from the larger University community. … I think that kind of spurred us to have a response, and we also wanted to let the students know that we’re there for them. … I think that’s important because, as efforts
may be made to divide us, we embrace the contributions of everybody. Whether we agree with each other, whether we don’t agree with each other, that contributes to a richer dialogue and a greater community,” he added.
President Cesár Matos said, “It hasn’t been easy to witness the active threats to access to education. We won’t take it lightly.”
Matos added, “Framingham State is a school that was built by visionaries and educated change-makers. As SGA, we hope to honor that legacy.”
Assistant Director for Orientation and Student Experience Meghan Larkin, who also serves as one of the faculty advisors for SGA, said “I think standing together and doing that peer-to-peer communication of ‘We’re with you, we want you to be with us ... so that we can support each other through this,’ helps to bridge that gap between SGA as an entity, and SGA as humans who are walking the same streets and paths as other students who are not part of SGA.”
In other SGA business, Matos was sworn in as SGA President for AY26 by sitting President Evelyn Campbell at the meeting on May 6.
Matos was elected to his new position on April 17.
Before being sworn into their respective offices, the newly elected SGA members signed the SGA code of conduct.
After taking his oath, Matos swore in the other elected members of next year’s SGA.
These included Luke Yubeta, student trustee-elect; Khoa Bùi, SATF treasurer-elect; Alix Ayoub, events coordinator-elect; Ana Julia Ribeiro, diversity and inclusion officer-elect; and Shawn Brooks, AJ Vasquez, Adnan Sajid, and Muskan Kumar, senator-elects.
Kumar was not elected on April 17 but was voted on and appointed by SGA at the May 6 meeting.
In her speech, she said, “The reason I want to be a part of SGA is to advocate for students who don’t feel like they have a voice. Also, I enjoy being involved on campus so I’m happy to learn where our funding is going.”
Matos also introduced changes to the amendments to SGA’s bylaws brought up at the April 25 meeting. These are proposed changes to the SGA constitution concerning the order of the elections and the responsibility of the Administrative Forum.
One proposed change was to hold an election in the fall semester rather than holding “snap elections,” as Matos proposed at the last meeting.
The amendment allows for fall election campaigns to occur either on or after the first day of fall semester classes.
After passing this amendment, SGA then discussed the motion to reassign the responsibility for the Administrative Forum from the vice president
to the student trustee. According to Matos, “The responsibility has sort of been taken over completely by the student trustee, and as vice president, there hasn’t been much involvement around the [planning] around the Administrative Forum. So we’re essentially setting this responsibility fully for the student trustee.”
This amendment passed unanimously.
Following this vote, Matos introduced a motion to eliminate a section of the SGA Constitution to reflect that SGA does not have the power to dissolve a club constitution.
This motion passed unanimously.
Matos then introduced a clarification to this section.
He said, “Essentially, what we’re trying to clarify here is that the SGA does not have the jurisdiction to dissolve other organizations’ constitutions. But what we can do is essentially propose to the EXP office to overlook an organization’s constitution in the event that we feel like something was violated, or to be in compliance with the SGA rules and regulations.”
This amendment passed unanimously.
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Cesár Matos being sworn in as SGA’s President for AY26 on May 6.
Artificial intelligence
Continued from Page 8
She said while she provides clear stipulations for AI use in all of her classes, it’s hard to know if students are using it in an upper-level class.
“I know I can never be 100% sure of that, and I don’t like policing my students, so I don’t,” she said.
Communication, Media, & Performance Department Chair Niall Stephens said he wants to work with students to explore how AI can be productive.
Stephens has used AI in his upper-level communications classes.
“Essentially, I ask students to tell me if they use AI and how they’ve used AI in doing their assignments,” Stephens said.
He added he’s sure there’s more uses for AI that nobody has discovered or heard of.
He noted the “obvious downsides” of AI he believes people are all too aware of.
“It’s like if students are using AI to do their assignments, they’re not learning anything,” he said.
“They’re just having AI do the entire assignment for them,” he said.
Stephens said he thinks students believe using AI might be considered cheating and asks himself whether “students are sort of not revealing as much as I’d like them to about how much they’re using AI, or if they’re using AI at all.”
He added, “I imagine there are ways AI can really help people do outlines of papers they’re composing and organize ideas, things like that.
phasized the importance of critical thinking and original work.
“I think it has tremendous uses academically and personally,” said Dargan.
She stated she has used AI in personal ways such as helping to create lists, gather information, or create outlines for syllabi for certain courses she teaches.
“There are some tedious things we do that we would not have to do if we learned how to use AI correctly,” she said.
Dargan said she has seen AI being used as a notetaker in meetings to categorize the notes while also removing comments that didn’t seem appropriate.
“I was stunned. I just couldn’t believe how well it can organize language,” she said.
Dargan is a part-time instructor at Providence College and witnessed students abusing AI technology there.
“So I’ll ask a question like, ‘Describe the use of symbolism in the Civil Rights Movement,’ and I’ll get an answer that tells me all about the Civil Rights Movement. I didn’t ask that. I can tell right away when students don’t use AI correctly,” she
charged with plagiarism or using AI,” said Dargan.
“My strategy is to ask really very specific, pointed questions from the text that we use in class to try to get the students to still do the work and read the text,” Dargan added.
Dargan said FSU has an AI Team, led by T. Stores, dean of Arts & Humanities, developing policies for AI use in the classroom.
Stores said the committee has been working to “recommend policies, or to provide faculty members with the tools to help them choose what kind of policy around AI makes the most sense for their individual classes.
“So as a professor, I might say, ‘I want you to use AI for this particular task, and this is how I want you to use it. I don’t want you to use it in this way - it will be considered cheating.’ In another class, I might want to say, ‘We won’t use AI at all in this class,’” Stores added.
Stores said it is important to teach students how to engage with AI and learn how to question it.
“We all know that it halluci-
“One of the things that we have to be aware of is that no matter what, whether we like AI or not, it’s a reality,” said Stores.
Stores asked whether using AI is ethical. “Is this tool good for our environment, for the climate? Is this tool something that is fair and equal?
“Humans have to retain control over the machine because AI is just a machine,” they said.
Stores said what is most important right now is to help students understand when it is appropriate to use AI and to not rely on it.
“We need to evolve in the ways that we teach, and I think we need to be really transparent about how we as educators use it as well.
“I can go to the library and borrow a book, but that book doesn’t give me knowledge unless I open it up and struggle with the ideas that are in it and try to apply those ideas to whatever I’m doing,” said Stores.
Stores said if students don’t understand AI and how to use it as a tool instead of a shortcut, they will not gain any knowledge.
“It’s similar to the ways we try to teach students to engage with news sources and with statements that politicians and other people make that may or may not be true.”
- T. Stores Dean of Arts & Humanities
said.
“I understand using it to gather some information, but then
nates. It just lies or makes up answers to things, so engaging in critical thinking around what
“But I haven’t really seen that happen in my classes yet,” he said.
Stephens acknowledged the perspective of professors who treat using AI “essentially as plagiarism.”
“We should think of AI as something that we have to work with, not something we should work against,” he said.
Susan Dargan, Dean of Education and Social and Behavioral Sciences, believes AI can be useful for gathering information when used correctly, but em-
you have to do the rest of the work yourself,” she added.
The Canvas site features a software system called Turnitin in some courses that helps students and professors detect plagiarism in writing assignments.
Dargan said, “If something comes back as ‘95% AI generated,’ professors are going to send that back to you and say, ‘What is this?’”
“I have also seen this at Framingham State, [students] getting
Sophia Harris / THE GATEPOST
AI is providing us is important,” they said.
“It’s similar to the ways we try to teach students to engage with news sources and with statements that politicians and other people make that may or may not be true,” said Stores.
According to Stores, the challenge for higher education is to actively engage students in questioning when AI is correct, when it’s not correct, and “where it’s fudging the truth.
Kristen Porter Utley, provost and vice president of Academic Affairs, said while she thinks AI is a useful tool, “It is a risk to student learning if it is used improperly.
“It’s no different than cutting and pasting from a research article or cutting and pasting directly without attribution from a website,” she said.
“I would be very clear about academic honesty and how those two things intersect with one another, but I would definitely use it and encourage students to use it,” Utley added.
According to Utley, it is important to understand exactly what AI can do.
“When you walk onto our University, it’s like an all-youcan-eat buffet,” said Utley.
“We hope that students will approach their education like, ‘I’m going to eat as much as I can. I am going to pay this amount of money for my all-you-can-eat buffet, and I’m going to take full advantage of everything I can do to learn,’ ” she said.
“Don’t let AI rob you of that. As intelligent people, that would be a shame,” she added.
“The value is incredible here at Framingham State. Don’t let anything shortchange that for you. Listen to your faculty. Work with your faculty to understand the tool’s benefits and harms,” said Utley.
[ Editor’s Note: Assistant News Editor Bella Grimaldi contributed to this article. ]
CONNECT WITH PAUL HARRINGTON pharrington@student.framingham.edu
CONNECT WITH ANITA LOUGHLIN aloughlin@student.framingham.edu
Three years ago, I graduated high school - an 18-yearold with underdeveloped social skills and no idea what I wanted out of college except “something different.” For this reason, I chose to go to FSU - one thousand miles away from my Missouri home.
I couldn’t be more glad I did this.
My journey here has been incredible and supported by so many people, so without further ado:
Thank you to my parents for always believing in me. You’ve made this all possible.
Thank you to all of my sisters. You’ve been such significant
role models, showing me so much of what a woman can be. And Jadyn particularly - thank you for always being there, whether I wanted to rant about drama, cry about my perceived failures, or sit on the phone for three hours while we both go about our days.
Thank you to the entire English Department faculty, particularly Lisa Eck, Desmond McCarthy, and Patricia Lynne. You’ve shown me that I can aim high, even if believing in myself means choosing the scarier option.
Thank you to everyone on The Gatepost. In a bizarre way,
Starting college during a pandemic felt like an absolute nightmare. I hadn’t planned on going to school close to home, but the world had other plans.
I slowly saw campus come to life which felt so magical. Slowly as more and more people appeared after that first year I felt like I was home and that I had my life back after the pandemic took it away.
I found my courage here and my soul. I found my friends, fell in love, and grew into a woman the younger me had always wanted to be. And I couldn’t have done it any-
Like many students, my college career was not without doubt. My first year here, I worried that maybe Framingham State wasn’t where I wanted to be. Now I don’t know if there’s anywhere else I could have made it.
Coming into college, I was inspired to be a bigger part of the community. I spent a semester as a foundations peer leader, four years as a member of The Gatepost, seven semesters on the improv troupe, and three years as an employee of the University’s IT Services.
All of that is to say I did a lot of stuff and met a lot of people - so many that
The days were long, but the years were short on top of the hill. Four years at FSU have gone by incredibly fast, but at the same time, I have lived a 100 lives.
Framingham State has taken me places I could have never imagined. I am privileged and honored to say that I will graduate from this top-of-the-line university.
But it all started here, at The Gatepost.
Five years ago, as a high school senior, I got in touch with Desmond McCarthy. From that moment on, my life was changed.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, I was able to join The Gatepost meetings over Zoom for the entirety of my senior year of high school. This was the reason Framingham State was the only school I applied to.
From that moment on, my days revolved around
I’ll miss staying up until 4 a.m. on Thursday nights, though admittedly probably not the Fridays that followed.
And lastly, thank you to Fivers - the most difficult part of graduating is knowing we won’t get to spend a frankly egregious amount of time in each other’s presence. You’ve made my senior year everything I dreamed of when I was a lonely kid stuck at home during COVID, and I don’t think I could put into words how much that means to me.
where else.
I want to thank everyone in the art department for helping me become a better artist and challenging the way I think and create.
A special thank you to Tim McDonald and Paul Yalowitz for working with me during my final year and helping me realize who I am as an artist.
To Gina and Sabrina in EXP, I will miss you both so much. All the work we had accomplished together during my Hilltop years has made me a better leader and a stronger person. I couldn’t have done it without you.
it’d be impossible to give everyone the mention they deserve.
Firstly, Maddi, Emma, Avry, Leticia, Ainslee, RA Sam, and everyone else who hung around on the 11th floor - thank you for making me want to spend more time out of my room.
Eric, Tadiwa, Matt, Will, and the rest of Hilltopthank you for so graciously welcoming me into Hilltop, and nurturing what I’ve realized is a life-long love of improv and theater.
Emily, Leighah, Sophia and all the other now-gone members of The Gatepost who taught me all I know about writing journalistically, thank you for your
McCarthy 410. As a commuter, having an office on campus to use to study, hang out with friends, or even to just leave my bags in was incredibly valuable.
Within the four walls of McCarthy 410, I met lifelong best friends. Leighah Beausoleil, I would not be the person I am without your influence. I am only as passionate and confident about journalism because you inspired me. I can’t wait to see where the world takes us. I will forever look up to you.
Emma Lyons, I still remember sitting in your dorm freshman year, trying to convince you to join The Gatepost. Look how far we have come! You have helped me through my college career in ways I can’t even begin to articulate. You are more than a copy editor, you are a friend!
Dylan and Izzy, I am so unbelievably sad to leave you
Senior Letters 2025
Admissions, my first on campus job was really fun and I’m so thankful I got the opportunity to inspire students to come here.
And to Gatepost, I used to teased Ryan so much for being a part of a ‘cult’. This is home, this is where I should’ve been a long time ago, I’m thankful for the two years I spent with everyone working on the paper.
I’ll miss walking around campus, trudging up the stairs of may hall, and once performing in The Suit Jacket Posse for Hilltop. I’m happy to have had a loving and happy home for the past 4 1/2 years.
patience and acceptance.
Izzy, Dylan, Opp, Adrien, Kyra, Omar, Antonio, and everyone else who I in part leave the newspaper to, thank you for trusting me, laughing with me, and making my job so easy. I know you will do excellent work.
Zay and Owen - I don’t think anything has made me happier than hearing that you look up to me as a friend, a mentor, and a leader, and that I’ve been able to help you when things were difficult. You are fine, upstanding gentlemen, and I’m honored to have worked with you both.
All my other friendsAdam, Bella, Ben, Sabrina,
guys behind, but I am comforted by the fact that I get to watch you both grow into yourselves through these next couple of years at FSU. You both are going to go on to accomplish amazing things - there is no doubt about it.
I am so proud of the people you are becoming.
Liz Banks, from intro to journalism to internship in journalism - you have been there for it all. Thank you for always being there to pick up my calls. Your expertise and patience have expanded my future as a journalist in insurmountable ways.
Lisa Eck, you have taken me to the ends of the world - both literally and academically. Going to India was one of the most life-changing experiences I will ever have. You will always be my “travel mother,” even after I cross the stage.
Desmond, where would I
Riley, Sam, Ryan, Ray, and everyone else - thanks for making every moment inbetween clubs and classes just as much fun, too. Em, I love you, and I don’t know what I would be without you. Mom and Carly, I owe everything to you both. Thank you. I love you, FSU! See you soon,
be without you? You are the most dedicated and considerate person I have ever met. Every step of the way, since I was 17, you never missed a call, an email, or a Gatepost meeting. It is because of you that I believe there are still good people in this world. I would say thank you, but that feels too close to a goodbye, so I will say I will see you soon and hope one day I will be able to pay you back. I have a pretty good idea of where I will end up in 5, 10, or 20 years, but funny enough, I don’t have a plan for tomorrow. But I have the rest of my life to figure that out.
Framingham State, if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t change a thing. With love,
Sophia Harris And that’s all she wrote
Emily Monaco
Raena Hunter Doty
Ryan O’Connell
Track and field
Continued from Page 15
“It’s the first time that we’ve ever actually been able to put points up. We’ve gone to the meet the last couple of years, and we’ve never been anywhere near scoring. So I think as a program, that’s a major step forward,” he added.
He said she is turning heads for the program, and Grimaldo has done an “incredible job” at making a name for herself in her two years as a Ram. “She’s a force to be reckoned with, not only in the MASCAC, but in New England.”
Grimaldo said, “It just really shows my dedication and hard work, and I’m really proud of that. Setting a school record means a lot to me because it’s something lasting I get to leave behind. It feels good to know that all the time and effort I’ve put in is now part of the program’s history.”
Buban returned to the track at NCAA Regionals, placing 14th out of 27 in the women’s 10K with a time of 39:38:78.
Despite not running for a week and a half beforehand other than the MASCAC Championship, the performance was just 0.6 seconds off her personal best - a near 80-second improvement from the week before.
Buban said, “I don’t think about it much. I just run my race.”
She said her biggest takeaway from Regionals was “learning to go with the flow. At the regional meet, they were checking race shoes. None of my running sneakers were acceptable to race in. My teammate Grace let me borrow her shoes for my race. Thank you, Grace.”
Alyssa Caputo, in what would be her final collegiate discus competition, placed 15th out of 18 with a throw of 33.98 meters.
Alyssa Caputo said this season, she is most proud of how she took first place in discus at
the Regis meet and qualified for Regionals.
She added, “This was the second time I’ve qualified for disc, and when I qualified the first time, I was the first track and field athlete at Framingham State to do so. That was prior to my hip surgery, so I was proud that coming back from that, I was still able to qualify.”
She said she found out she tore her labrum in her hip at the beginning of last season. “I continued to fight through and compete on it because I knew I needed surgery no matter what. After the surgery, it was going to be a 6-month recovery, which cut into the beginning of this season. I wasn’t allowed to be at any practices until late February and had to take things slow. Every day, I showed up and worked to get my hip to heal and get stronger.”
Johnson said it was enjoyable to watch her on Saturday because she seemed to be in a great place mentally. “She was all smiles, just basking in the four years that she’s put out here.
“I’m genuinely going to miss working with her because she’s a personality, and a fun one at that. And this year, from start to finish, she did a great job, not only with herself, but also becoming more of a leader,” he added.
Alyssa Caputo said, “I went into this last meet with no expectations for myself. I knew I wanted to fully take in this opportunity, knowing it was my last chance to compete competitively at the college level. I wanted to enjoy the moment and just have fun.”
She said she hopes her work ethic to improve and get stronger every day is a legacy that continues with the freshman throwers. “I hope I have instilled in them the ways to get better every day and the work they must put in behind the scenes to be great athletes and competitors.”
In the 4x100-meter relay, the team of Grimaldo, Toth, junior Lydia Manurowski, and freshman Reese Neale placed 26th out of 28 with a time of 54.89 seconds.
Despite the tough competition, Grimaldo described the event as one of her favorites because “it’s a group effort. I get to run with my teammates, which motivates me a lot and gets my adrenaline going.”
The 4x400-meter relay team, made up of all sophomores, Buban, Grimaldo, Melissa Romeiro, and Norah Russell, finished 21st out of 23 with a time of 4:48:60.
Buban said, “I started the 4x400, but it is not my typical race. I just ran it for fun. The other girls on my relay team did amazing!”
In the women’s 4x800-meter relay, Johnston, Toth, Avery, and Quinanola placed 21st out of 23 with a time of 10:42:43. It was only the second time the group had run together, and they came within two seconds of the school record.
Quinanola said, “As a team, we don’t necessarily look at placement, especially with such high levels of competition, not that we’re not a competitive team. But I feel like we mostly focus on time and how we can improve our overall time as a relay.”
Avery said, “It felt like the perfect way to end the season, running with teammates I’ve grown really close to and giving it everything we had. It was a great reminder of how much we’ve improved and how much potential we still have.”
She said the team dynamic has been “amazing. We support each other on and off the track, and that connection really shows when we race.”
Quinanola said the four of them are “close-knit.”
She added, “If one person messes up, no one’s going to be mad at the other, just because we care about each other more than we care about our performance.”
She said the entire team are all best friends as well. “We talk all week, and all the time outside
of practice. We hang out outside of practice, and even in the offseason, we all still go to dinner together.”
Alyssa Caputo said, “I am sad to leave my throws group because this was the first year I had a big group of throwers to be with.
“The underclassmen, along with my sister, whom I recruited, brought such a positive energy to this group and made this year special compared to any other year I’ve experienced. So to say the least, I wish I had more years with my freshmen, but I’m glad they were brought here for my last year competing,” she added. Johnson said, “We’re losing four seniors, with Kaylee, Alyssa, Shelby, and Megan, which is sad to lose that group. But I love our youth. I love the spread of events that we have going on and that we are returning what we’re returning.”
Quinanola said, “It’s definitely been nice to see a bigger team, and I feel like we performed really well at MASCACs. Even though it’s an individual sport, you realize you all have to come together.”
Johnson praised the season as one of extraordinary growth, noting that the team expanded from 22 to 27 athletes and saw 22 qualify for MASCACs - up from 14 in the 2023-24 season.
Across 96 events throughout the season, the Rams produced 76 personal records, broke 13 school records, and qualified 11 athletes for Regionals.
Johnson said, “I really think the program is moving in a special direction, especially looking at the team that we’re going to have returning next year. … I’m sad to lose Alyssa and Kaylee, but we have a young, promising team, so I am very excited for the future.”
Izabela Gage / THE GATEPOST
Kate Buban running in the 10K at Regis Spring Classic April 4.
Izabela Gage / THE GATEPOST
Natalie Grimaldo jumping in the 400-meter hurdles at Regis Spring Classic April 4.
Men’s club lacrosse scores on community building
By Sophia Oppedisano Sports Editor
The Framingham State men’s club lacrosse team is a thriving campus group that has found success in the past few years with their skill, dedication, and loyalty to the University driving their passion for the game.
Athletics are a vital piece of the fabric that make up the culture at Framingham State, and men’s lacrosse Head Coach Tim Ryan is prepared to continue on with that legacy.
Ryan took over the program three years ago intending to establish a “good, hard-working culture.
“Typically, if you can do that, the wins start to follow,” he added.
The NCAA Division III teams at Framingham State have found great success in recent seasons, and the student-athletes who dedicate their lives to a full course load, a job, and their relationships represent the University with a level of passion and dedication that is second to none.
Even though NCAA student athletics can be incredibly rewarding, the demands of a varsity student-athlete’s schedule are often grueling and undesirable to many high school athletes preparing for college, according to Athletic Director Thomas Kelley.
The opportunity to play a club sport is a perfect compromise for FSU students. It is clear nothing can separate the players on the men’s lacrosse team from their love of the game,
The men’s club lacrosse team participates in the Continental Lacrosse Conference (CLC). This 2025 season, they boasted a 23-player roster that helped the team go 7-3 and make their third championship bid in three seasons.
Unfortunately, the Rams could not pull out the championship win against Worcester Polytechnic Institute on April 27, but the loss has not deterred the team.
“The last three seasons, we’ve reached our conference championship game, and we’ve lost the championship game all three seasons. Our goal every year is to win the last game of the year, and our goal is not going to change moving forward,” Ryan said.
Ryan’s intensity is also evident in his players, including senior Devante Dixon, a dual-sport athlete who plays for the lacrosse team and held the position of assistant captain for the men’s ice hockey team.
Dixon, who had never picked
up a lacrosse stick before his freshman year at Framingham State, said what he enjoyed about this 2025 team is their “willingness to take it seriously.”
He said the team was “just something fun to do three or four times a week,” when he was a freshman. His roommates had extra gear he could use, and they taught him how to play by just “throwing me into the mix,” Dixon said.
He said his athleticism helped him pick up on the game quickly as he watched his teammates and figured out how to pass and shoot.
“Then this year we had our team meetings and it was all like we were just ready to go from the jump, and everyone bought in too - everyone’s about that life and trying to win the championship,” Dixon added.
That kind of drive, Dixon said, can be attributed to Ryan. “He’s not asking guys to do anything that he wouldn’t do. He’s not asking guys to put in more energy than he would. … I would put $3 million on the fact that he probably spends seven hours for every one hour that we spend thinking about lacrosse. I think him just being passionate about it himself is what drives us,” he said.
Similarly to Dixon, senior Joe Payne was also convinced to join the team by a friend this past year after playing lacrosse four years ago in high school.
Payne said joining the club was a great opportunity for him to stay fit while he reconnected with the sport.
“There’s a lot of chemistry on this team and a lot of good guys. Everyone just lifts each other up and we talk to each other on the sidelines… that’s the type of communication that made this team thrive,” he added.
Dixon and Payne are two of nine graduating seniors on the team this year, a group Ryan refers to as the “core” of the team.
Ryan said their hard work, dedication, and their ability to be coachable helped establish “a successful, winning culture.”
Aside from the loss of the graduating seniors, the club will be losing an essential part of their team in goalie Evan Donnelly, a junior.
Donnelly played high school lacrosse in Maryland, but he said he grew up on hockey and ultimately decided to attend college as a Division III hockey player.
“I turned away a few lacrosse offers, and then ended up coming here a few years later. Then, unfortunately, before my sophomore year, I got cut from the
hockey team here, and I kind of fell back in love with lacrosse,” he said.
For his senior year, Donnelly will be moving on from club lacrosse and Framingham State to play at the NCAA Division III level for Lycoming College in Pennsylvania.
“Evan’s amazing. I love that kid. I’m gonna miss him like crazy,” Ryan said.
Donnelly called Ryan during the offseason to let him know he wanted to pursue the NCAA level for his last year of college.
“I could kind of hear it in his voice that he was a little nervous to tell me that, which certainly made me laugh, because I was like, ‘Buddy, that’s a yes - you fully deserve that, and I don’t want you to feel any remorse for chasing that dream.’ He absolutely deserves it, and he deserves to be recognized on that level, because he’s just an absolute rock and a great leader too,” Ryan said.
Even though he is excited to begin the next chapter of his career at Lycoming, Donnelly said playing for Framingham was a “breath of fresh air. It’s the first team I’ve been on, in probably my 24 years of playing sports, where no one really cares about themselves. There’s been no one who’s overly worried about how many points they get, or anything like that. I think for the most part, all 23 guys that we had this year wanted to win a championship, and didn’t really care what it took.”
Kelley said he’s always enjoyed watching Donnelly play and said he’s a phenomenal athlete and goalie. “That’ll be a big missing piece next year, when he’s not here,” Kelley said.
Kelley’s admiration extends to
the entire team. “I enjoy watching them. … They work and they play hard,” he said.
Kelley believes club sports are a “happy medium” for studentathletes who want to play their sport without the stricter time commitments.
“With the varsity sports, it’s a huge time commitment - not so much with the club sports. Instead of practicing five days a week, they practice two or three days a week. So the time commitment isn’t as great, and the academic standards aren’t as strict. I think it’s great for the University, and that kids are involved,” Kelley added.
Cully Curan, the club sports coordinator for the Athletic Department, said club sports give students another social group on campus and an opportunity to step outside their comfort zones. He said he believes the success of the men’s lacrosse team comes from the athletes who play varsity sports and spread the word on their teams. “I think they just enjoy playing with each other more than anything else. I think you can see it when you go to the games that they enjoy playing with each other, being on the field together, and they always have a smile on their faces when they’re down there,” he said.
Kelley and Curan agree the team’s success is a testament to the passion of the coaching staff and the commitment of the players.
Donnelly said after the final game of the season, he was laughing with a few teammates after classes one afternoon, as the first week without practices and games began.
“We’re like, ‘Now what do we do,’” he said.
Donnelly added, “It just gave us something to be proud of because not many schools in the country, even at the club level, give you the chance to wear your school on the chest. … We get treated so well by the school, and being able to represent and not feel like we’re an off-branch - it created a good feeling for us all to represent more than just ourselves.
“Plus, looking up in the stands at our home games - it just felt like we mattered to the school, and it made us all feel like we were at home,” he said.
Adrien Gobin / THE GATEPOST
(Left) Brock Baumann and Ty Kelley celebrating after a goal in win against Worcester State March 12.
Adrien Gobin / THE GATEPOST
(Front) Christian Nyland approaching on defense in win against Stonehill College March 26.
ARTS & FEATURES
Daniel Moore’s labor of love
By Sophia Oppedisano Editorial Staff
The Framingham State Fashion Club held its annual Spring Fashion Show on May 2. This tradition gives fashion students a platform to showcase their work, and for seniors, it is a culmination of their time in the University’s fashion program.
Daniel Moore, a senior fashion design major and president of the Fashion Club, was at the center of this year’s show.
Moore’s life is a quintessential, and as he would say, “fabulous” coming-of-age story.
After high school, Moore said his life became a whirlwind akin to Barbie’s.
At 18 years old, Moore said he packed up his car after graduating from high school and moved to Texas after his dad asked him to leave when Moore came out as gay.
“My original plan was to go to South Carolina … but I just kept going. I ended up in College Station, Texas,” he said.
While living in Texas, Moore worked at a Subway sandwich shop, biding his time until the end of the year when, by chance, he met a flight attendant who convinced him to apply for a job with the airline she worked for.
He got the job and moved to St. Louis, Missouri for ground school training before settling in Denver, Colorado, as a newly minted flight attendant.
Moore would fly with Delta and United, sometimes switching between the two in a single day. He said he learned how to tie his ties with three different knots with help from other male flight attendants.
“By the age of 20, I had been to every state, and I had met a lot of people, and I had partied a lot, and I’m like, ‘You know what? I really want a career, and this is not a career, and I feel like, the longer I do this, I’ll have fun, but I don’t feel like I’m setting myself up for anything in the future,’” Moore said.
When the less-than-adequate paycheck and donning a suit every day began to wear
on him, Moore said he stepped away from aviation after just a year.
“I wanted to do something creative, but I didn’t know what it was, so I came back to regroup,” he added.
After returning to Massachusetts, Moore spent time working in the Iron Duck factory in Chicopee when he was 23. He said working at the factory helped him develop his sewing skills, and he was able to become quicker and more precise with the sewing machines.
He said the factory was exactly how one would picture it. “A series of cheugy sewing machines in this big warehouse sort of setting, and there were just women sewing. I was the only man who worked there in the sewing section,” he said.
While the factory was a setting where he honed his sewing skills, Moore said his passion for fashion started when he began his first retail job at Target in 2017. “I just fell in love with the industry.
“I love what I do. I worked my way up very fast when I got the job in 2017. By 2018, I became a visual merchandiser, and then I worked my way up to team lead,” he added.
His work with Target influenced Moore to go back to school, and he began taking night classes at Holyoke Community College in 2022 “with a dream of going to fashion school,” he said.
After transferring to Framingham State for his sophomore year, Moore kept his job at Target, continuing to keep a close relationship with the business where he launched his budding career.
Now, at the end of his senior year, just a month before the Fashion Show, Moore was bent over an inside-out tumble of gray fabric on his workbench that would soon become a coat. He works with a deftness that makes it hard to believe he didn’t grow up with a longing for needle and thread.
Moore has been in the Framingham State fashion program for three years.
Since his first year, Moore has been dreaming of and de-
veloping his senior portfolio collection using his class time.
“My first class here was with Priscilla Remis, and I remember she said something along the lines of, ‘In three years, you’re going to be presenting a portfolio to people who are going to hire you. Everything you make now - do the best you can… because this is going to get you a job when you graduate.’ She mentioned trying to keep it all cohesive to create a collection, and I took that so seriously,” Moore said.
Moore’s inspiration for his senior portfolio is personal. He has taken the rules of Gay Pride clothing motifs and completely dismantled them, throwing out the rainbows and swapping them for a powerful, boxy, industrial style.
“This is a Pride collection, and I know it doesn’t look like it, because there’s no rainbows - that’s the whole point. I wanted to dive into the deep and rich layers of queer culture and use symbols from history, or symbols from modern-day culture in the garments and the ensembles that I’m making,” he said.
His senior portfolio is called “Iconoclast,” a word often used to describe queer people in the 1980s. Someone labeled an iconoclast is a person who does not conform to societal norms and does not obey tradition, Moore said.
He decided on the name as a tribute to the groups he admires that stood up for queer culture during earlier times when things were far more “taboo,” he said. Moore expressed his respect and gratitude for the resilience of the LGBTQ+ community throughout history. “It’s like, ‘Wow, that’s just how I get to live my life now,” he said.
Along with his admiration for those who came before him, Moore said, “The turmoil of the times” also influenced his work. “When I’m creating something, it’s like the first thing on my mind.
“I also think Pride has just become so commercialized and
so oversaturated, and the rainbow as a symbol for queer people has just been bastardized. … There’s so much rich and deep history with queer people … and so I really want to reflect that,” he said.
Since his first year at FSU, Moore said he’s been leaning into menswear, industrial looks, and powerful silhouettes, all of which led him to “run with” a new take on Pride wear.
Some of his pieces even take influence from his time as a flight attendant. He showed off a jumpsuit and a jacket that fit the aviation motif. “I think it might just be a personal narrative in my head, because back in 2017, this is something that I would wear, like a jumpsuit, just going out to party. Plus, it has that ’70s collar, which sort of looks like wings,” he said.
He even sewed his flight attendant wings, a pin all crew members wear on flights, into one of the jackets, adding a personal touch from his past.
Moore’s collection includes 10 ensembles, seven of which originated as class projects over the years, while the other three are personal projects.
A month before the Fashion Show, Moore had a working sketch of his portfolio in Adobe Illustrator. The portfolio displayed each look on a digital model set against its own backdrop with a gray border where his mission statement and core fabrics and themes were written.
Moore gestured to his laptop, and his face lit up as he described how one jacket evolved from the mockup on his computer screen to a physical piece. “The jacket here uses a technique called Celtic quilting … that probably took me 55 hours to do,” he said.
The jacket pairs with pants that needed 29 pattern pieces. Moore said it took a long time to measure, cut, and match up seams.
The dresses Moore designed are reminders of women’s fashion from the 1950s, while the tan jumpsuit and dark overalls
Alexis Schlesinger / THE GATEPOST
Emily Crossin modeling a look for designer Aili Schiavoni May 2.
Alexis Schlesinger / THE GATEPOST
Faith Wangui modeling a look for Jazmany Reyes May 2.
Continued from Page 20
tan jumpsuit and dark overalls juxtapose them with powerful lines that embody industrial work uniforms.
Even with the industrial incorporations, the collection is timeless, sleek, and authentica creative foray into a new way to express queer identity.
“It serves as a love letter to the bold and beautiful queer collective, a celebration in fabric of LGBTQ+ kinship - from the earliest whispers to the loudest roars,” Moore said.
As a design student and president of the Fashion Club, Moore said he wears “so many hats,” planning club meetings and the show on top of designing and executing his senior portfolio.
“My head’s tired - I have too many hats on,” he said with a laugh.
Moore said he is meticulously organized, a trait he owes to the sizable planner he is known for carrying around campus. “Oh my God, this poor book - I use this thing to death! If I didn’t have this book, I would not get anything done,” he said.
Eilish Heffernan, Fashion Club vice president, said, “Daniel never misses a beat. … I laugh at him, but he has this planner that’s literally so big, and he writes everything down. … He just genuinely wants what’s best for the Fashion Department, and he really puts everything into it.”
When Moore took on the role of Fashion Club president this past year, he decided to pour his creativity, effort, and the majority of the club’s budget into producing a beautiful Fashion Show.
At a Student Government Association club representative meeting on Feb. 11, Moore spoke about an idea he had about collaboration among clubs to increase membership and excitement for getting involved on campus. He said he wanted to use the Fashion Show as an opportunity for clubs on campus to help make the show “bigger, better, and more enjoyable.
“The Fashion Show has been a steady sort of thing, and we really just want to take it to the next level… and just show what not only the Fashion Department has to offer, but what Framingham State has to offer, because it’s one of the biggest events on campus. … We want
it to improve in the years to come,” he said at the meeting.
As he sat sewing a few weeks later, he said he was thinking, “‘How can we improve this year over what we’ve done in the previous years?’ I was like, ‘Well, we’ve never really done anything with anybody else,’ and I felt like that would really drive involvement. At the same time, our numbers at the club meetings were so low. … The collabs were just an idea to fix both of those issues and help all the clubs.”
Moore worked with the Art Club and Latinxs Unidos N’Accion (LUNA) for this year’s show.
Paige Rainville, Art Club president, collaborated with Moore to create a 13-piece art gallery which was displayed during the show. Rainville described the gallery as their “passion project” for the months leading up to the show.
The gallery was also juried, and two students had a chance to win a prize for their work. Moore was one of the jurors.
Marcus Falcão, a sopho-
better next year. … Every good idea starts out very, very small, and I’m hoping that, though I won’t be here, this will sort of continue on in the years to come.”
Laura Kane, class of 2009, is a fashion design professor and faculty advisor to the Fashion Club. She has seen the Fashion Show evolve from her years as a student to her years teaching.
Kane said the Fashion Club ran the Fashion Show without any assistance from the Fashion Department when she was a student. “The show used to take place in the McCarthy Center Forum - that’s how small it was at that point,” she said.
After she graduated, Kane spent time at other universities observing how they ran their fashion shows. She used her experience to bring some new ideas to Framingham State.
As the years went by, Kane said the Fashion Show continued to grow until it eventually became the “face of the department,” and more funding was coming from the University.
“I love what I do. I worked my way up very fast when I got the job in 2017. By 2018, I became a visual merchandiser, and then I worked my way up to team lead.”
- Daniel Moore Fashion Club President
more, won for his two pieces, “Queen’s Garden” and “Cour Royale,” which Rainville said perfectly fit the theme of the Fashion Show.
The other prize went to sophomore Kendall Winston for her large canvas piece, “Dad’s Garden.”
Rainville said they would “absolutely” work with the Fashion Club again. “At the end [of the show], Daniel had given [us] a big hug and he goes, ‘Do this next year!’” they added.
Moore said the collaborations added an incredible new layer to the show. “I think it was glamorous. … I’ve talked a lot with LUNA, I’ve talked a lot with the Art Club, and I don’t know who’s going to be president of the Fashion Club next year, but everyone else is on board to keep this momentum going and make it bigger and
The show ran on May 2 in the Logan Gymnasium. Moore developed a “Queen’s Garden” theme for the evening. The stage was adorned with flowers, and a PowerPoint designed by Moore featured a beautiful garden on which the designers’ names were displayed.
There was also an area sectioned off for photo opportunities with flowers and fairy lights decorating the backdrop.
Kane said it may have been the most successful show in history, as all of the chairs by the stage and the bleachers were filled. The back of the gym was standing room only.
Moore’s collection was the last to walk the runway. “Iconoclast” took the stage to “How Soon is Now?” by The Smiths, a song Moore said he had picked out for about a year and a half.
“It really captures what I was trying to give with this collection. The whole iconoclast is the isolated nature of being somebody who rebels against the status quo. The lyrics are perfect. I think the energy of the song really captured the aesthetic I was going for with the whole industrial vibe. I think it was a perfect song,” he said.
Moore’s models captured a moody, confident vibe and played off their pieces stunningly. With 10 looks, Moore had the biggest collection in the show, and the Fashion Department awarded him the Mancuso Award for “Most Innovative” for his effort.
“I think every year, we come up with new things that we want to include and new things that we want to incorporate, and it’s going to require more and more help and assistance. We have an insanely amazing team that helps with this show. … Part of it is all students. Every single chair was put down by a student. Every single program handed out was designed and written by the students,” Kane said.
The promotion, model casting and recruitment, and show rehearsals are also all run by the students, Kane added.
The Fashion Show is a big source of pride for Kane. “I think there’s just nothing quite like that energy because you can look at a garment in a picture, you can look at the portfolio… but you’re not seeing it in motion. … This entire thing is just like my favorite part of my job,” she said.
As for working with Moore, Kane said she wishes she could have “Danny on an e-board and be club president every year!
“He’s been a student of mine for a while, so I’ve seen his evolution. He’s always been this driven. … His work is amazing, and I knew he wanted to put a ton of work into his own collection, so even though he was juggling all of this stuff, it didn’t get in the way of being there for when he needed to be there, and doing the work that he promised that he was going to do, which is just fantastic. … I wish I had a design house for him to work at,” she said.
Kane said watching Moore hone his craft is “the reason why I get up in the morning. I love it, especially when you find a student who is willing to challenge themselves.”
The award includes $1,000, and Moore said he will be able to display his winning ensembles next to the artwork that inspired them at the Danforth Art Museum for the summer.
Kane said, “I just really appreciate Danny’s use of fabric and silhouette and his playfulness. It’s all very marketable, but it’s also very high end.”
Moore said he will be presenting his portfolio to some potential employers on May 9, and his intent after graduation is to get his foot in the door of the industry with a company like Target or TJX.
“I think my end goal is to have my own brand. I really want to have a boutique or something with my name on it where I’m in total creative control - sort of like a creative director role. I just don’t think I’m quite there yet,” he said.
As for the future of “Iconoclast,” Moore said, “I think it might just live in this era. I love it so much, and I’ve put so much work into it, but I have so much growing to do, and when I look at it, I see all of the imperfections, and I see all of the room for growth that I have.”
Moore took the stage as his models strutted on their final round of the runway, waving and accepting his flowers from a supportive and lively crowd. He said the success of the show and all of the praise he received from the Fashion Department felt “incredible” and “very fulfilling.”
As he prepares to leave Framingham State, Moore said his final advice to his peers is “Love yourself.”
[ Editor’s Note: Marcus Falcão is an Staff Illustrator The Gatepost. ]
CONNECT WITH SOPHIA OPPEDISANO soppedisano@student.framingham.edu
Alexis Schlesinger / THE GATEPOST
Marlín Polanco modeling a look for Daniel Moore May 2.
ARTS & FEATURES
Mazmanian Gallery hosts final senior capstones
By Francisco Omar Fernandez Rodriguez Arts & Features Editor
The Mazmanian Gallery hosted the last two senior capstone showings on April 29 and May 6. It showcased the work of graduating students from the Department of Art Design and Art History.
Jordan Mitri, Sarah Gatti, Ari Pagan-Colecchi, and Alex DaSilva showcased their work on April 29.
Mitri made a T-shirt collection called “BASH.” It was influenced by his favorite brand, Vans, he said.
He had a document full of his inspirations and ideas he wanted to emulate, he said. From that he created designs to put on the shirts.
The capstone process was enjoyable, he added.
“I really liked working on something I got to choose, and I got to do whatever I want,” he said.
He added it was also stressful toward the end of the project.
Gatti worked on a piece on emotions. She used a survey to ask people about joy, anger, and grief, and used the answers to create wall vinyls, she said. The project was very user experience focused.
The capstone process was long and stressful, but also good, she added.
“I think it’s good that we had a lot of creative freedom to be able to kind of do what we want,” she said.
Once everyone got their ideas they received guidance from their class professor, and then worked with a secondary professor, she added.
There was a lot of creative freedom but also a lot of guidance to keep everyone on track, she said.
According to the plaque by her work, her interest is “in the intersection between design and psychology,” and how subtle visuals can evoke different
ics, they added. Their inspiration came from music, they added.
“It doesn’t really matter what song it was - it just felt like I should be drawing the superhero character I had,” they said.
They didn’t have an idea at first, which was stressful, they said. Being able to work on it outside of class time helped.
“I did cut it a little close toward the end, but everything turned out really good and we’re all happy with it, and I’m just glad that it’s up on the wall now,” they said.
DaSilva worked on an extension of his previous zine work, called “M.A.N.I.A” (“Music, Art, News, Interviews, And more”). It’s a video montage of his work that’s displayed on an old TV he collaged, he said.
He wanted it to reflect himself, by going segment by segment and thinking about how he wanted to get his message across, he said.
Setting up the project was easy, except for moving the TV around, he added.
He got it into May Hall and used the elevator to get it to the top floor, he said. But when the elevator broke for the rest of the semester, getting the TV to the gallery became a problem.
“Thankfully these two guys helped me lug it down, and we got it on a cart and moved it over here,” he said.
The video is on a VHS tape, which meant he had to “fiddle around with it a lot,” he added.
According to the plaque by his work, “M.A.N.I.A” started as a collection of media held together by folded paper, but he wanted to evolve it to be more than that.
Chris Alano, AJ Reinhardt, Matthew Boivin, and Shane Lacombe showcased their work on May 6.
Alano made a concert and merch kiosk stand for a fiction -
According to the plaque by his display, he has attended several concerts before and wanted to express his love for music while showcasing his graphic design skills. He wanted viewers to feel like they’re at a concert venue.
Other than the band or singer performing, buying their merchandise is what he most looks forward to, the plaque read. They’re memories to him.
Reinhardt made animations that focus on mental health and emotions, he said.
He combined this project with his honors thesis into animations about cats and mental health, he said.
According to the plaque by his work, it’s titled “Fantasy Cats.” The capstone project is a set of four animations, and when combined with the honors thesis adds up to eight in
feelings.
Pagan-Colecchi worked on comic book covers. Each cover is based on the superhero character they designed, “Big Cat,” they said.
Underneath them are descriptions of what the story would be if they were real com -
al shoegaze rock band “Surreal Echoes.”
He listened to and researched shoegaze music for the project, he said.
“This project was good. I had fun with it. It took me a lot of time and money to get all the equipment I needed,” he said.
total.
He wanted the animations to help people show what they’re feeling if they have trouble verbally explaining it, his plaque read.
The process was challenging sometimes, he said.
“Animations take a lot lon-
ger than I thought they would take,” he said. Even short clips take a lot of hand-drawn frames, he added.
Boivin made a zine made out of three comics. Each comic focuses on different stages of his life, he said. They go from his childhood, to middle school, and to the present.
They show different stories about himself that he thinks other people can connect with, he said. Copies of the zine were available.
He’s proud of what he created, he added.
“It was a very strenuous process for sure, trying to get all the layout correct, but it was definitely very fun,” he said.
The capstone process was very collaborative, he said. Everyone helped each other come up with ideas and get what they wanted out of it.
It was inspiring to watch other people’s processes, he added.
“While sometimes it was definitely very frustrating, like trying to get certain things to work, I think we all really came together in the end and made amazing capstones,” he said.
Lacombe made a series of posters to depict a dystopian cyber world, he said.
He made two different perspectives of the world, he added.
“There’s the very regal, large posters on good fabric that a wealthy person would see, and the more beat-up pushpin board with graffiti that a struggling lower-income person would see,” he said.
It uses graphic design to tell a story, he added.
He did research on movies such as “Blade Runner” and books like “1984” to create his fictional world, he said.
Once he had a story and lore made, he picked out parts to find the main aspects of it, he said.
He liked being able to show what he’s capable of through the project, he added.
Adrien Gobin / THE GATEPOST
Alex DaSilva presenting his work in the Mazmanian Gallery May 6.
Adrien Gobin / THE GATEPOST
Artwork by Alex DaSilva on display in the Mazmanian Gallery May 6.
‘Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust’
By Owen Glancy Arts & Features Editor
When discussing Japanese media here in the West, it’s nearly impossible not to bring up anime. Over the past decade, anime has gone from a niche subculture existing only in message boards and small book clubs to a massive piece of popular culture influencing audiences even in the West.
That being said, many anime fans tend to stick to modern action shows like “My Hero Academia,” “Jujutsu Kaisen,” and “Demon Slayer.” While these are great shows, the fact that so many haven’t seen classics like “Fist of the North Star,” “Cowboy Bebop,” or “Mobile Suit Gundam” is a true tragedy. One of these many anime classics is the film “Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust.”
Right from the opening zoom out on the full moon, the film sucks you into its gothic sci-fi world. The architecture typical of classic vampire fiction complements the more futuristic character designs and synth-heavy soundtrack.
The world of “Vampire Hunter D” is a rich and expansive one - its post-apocalyptic setting can feel typical but it’s populated with enough unique characters and crea
The Last Stitch
By Bella Omar Asst. Arts & Features Editor
Since Spring Semester 2023, I have offered my insights to all of you on everything fash ion, from recent runways to local style icons. After two years of proudly penning The Stitch, I look back and can only hope that my words made the industry that has only grown nearer to my heart, at least a bit more accessible to readers.
Clothes, their designers, and the people who wear them have been my most cherished interest since I could begin comprehending the runway shows and fash ion magazines my mom would show me as a child. Since then, I’ve learned that fashion, while being a beautiful form of self expression, is also an in tegral part of culture and history, giving me an even greater appreciation for the ability to publish this column every other week.
Regardless of your interest in fashion, what you decide to dress yourself in each morning
tures to distinguish it from its contemporaries.
No matter how interesting the world is, it would feel empty if it were not inhabited by interesting characters. Thankfully, this movie has those in bulk. D, the titular vampire hunter, is a half-vampire with a talking hand that eats magic who goes around the world with a giant katana killing his fellow vampires. This is a weird movie that does not shy away from its anime stylings and Japanese heritage, but this strangeness is exactly what makes D and this film so interesting.
There’s this feeling that persists throughout the film that D has begun to lose sight of why exactly he set out on this journey in the first place.
Meier Link, the vampire D is out to kill in this film, is not evil as evidenced by his refusal to turn his human lover into a fellow vampire, yet D is determined to kill him all the same.
While it is true Meier Link is an exception to the norm in his kindness, we still feel as if D mercilessly slaughtering what we know is a species nearing extinction is in many ways unjustified. However, D wins the audience over with his badass fights and suave demeanor.
D is not the only protagonist of this film though, as Leila and her group of vampire hunters are competing with D in the hunt of Meier Link. Leila serves as a pseudo love interest to D. She mostly stands alone as a competent compet-
against him.
While Leila’s crew doesn’t quite get the same screen time or development that she does, they all get at least one or two cool fight scenes or lines that make them just as memorable as D and Leila.
“Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust” is not a film that can claim even a small portion of the historical significance of
it can most certainly claim a similar level of quality to these classic films. Whether you have never seen a single episode of anime, or if you’re on anime number 500, “Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust” is an absolute necessity and a more than worthwhile watch!
Courtesy of Bella Omar
‘Squid
Game Season
By Ryan O’Connell Associate Editor
A lot can happen in three years. After all, three years is 1,095 days, or 26,280 hours, or 1,576,800 minutes. Three years was the time it took me to finish 27 classes, write 127 articles, and work 998 hours at IT. It was also the amount of time it took Netflix to release the second season of “Squid Game.”
Surely you remember when “Squid Game” first premiered - the show was absurdly popular, an instant hit, and for a few weeks seemed impossible to escape.
As soon as a month after the show’s release, an interview with creator Hwang Dong-hyuk for The Guardian revealed, there was talk of a second season. But despite the show’s extreme popularity, three years is a long time to wait, especially for a television show.
So naturally, when the second season released Dec. 26, 2024, I expected it to underperform - especially if Netflix was projecting the numbers season one brought in. Surprisingly, “Squid Game Season 2” became the most-watched show on the platform from July to December in only six days, according to Hollywood Reporter.
All of this is to say that people loved “Squid Game” when it first released, and they still loved it when the second season dropped. But after watch-
Puzzles
ARTS & FEATURES
2’ is a grander, gripping - oh wait, it’s
ing it myself, I’m not too hopeful for the future of the series.
The second season picks up exactly where the original run ended, with Seong Gi-hun at the airport, preparing to leave the country. Here he makes the decision which leads the rest of the season - to stay and enact revenge on the frontman of the Squid Games.
The show takes an interesting diversion for the first three episodes, carefully building up to the games while fleshing out some of the smaller season one characters, as well as introducing a few new faces.
We spend much more time with Detective Hwang Jun-ho, who previously infiltrated the island dressed as a guard, was shot by his brother, and then rescued from the ocean by a passing fisherman. Now, with a crew of mercenaries, they search for the island where the games are taking place.
of childhood challenges to stress over, and a new crowd of players to admire, mourn, and hate.
Season two takes what worked and runs with it - it doesn’t feel too repetitive, thanks to the new games, characters, a twist on how they can all win, and another curveball at the end of the season - which makes the installment fun and fresh.
It also doesn’t compromise the social commentary it set up in the first season. The themes of capitalism being a machine for suffering are still there, although this season definitely did feel more like a contemporary drama, with the setting and situation fueling most of the commentary.
All of that sounds well and good - so why am I concerned about the series’ direction?
Well, season two is only seven episodes long.
ing to the audience, nor Gihun, before his death, and the identity reveal only leaves viewers further questioning the character’s motive.
Certain subplots, like Detective Jun-ho’s and the newly introduced sniper’s barely make any progress at all, feeling undercut by the drama happening inside the Squid Games. The two sides of the season, the inside and the outside, feel dissonant with each other in terms of progress made, which makes the cliffhanger ending even more unsatisfactory.
So while “Squid Game Season 2” originally piqued my interest in exploring old characters, developing layered new ones, and twisting the model of season one, the lack of any fulfilling payoff really killed that investment.
Besides, the third and final season is expected to release June 27, according to Tudum. So if we were made to wait three years for season two, why not hold it another six months?
We also see the loan shark from the very first episode, previously threatening Gi-hun, now as his employee. The shark and his army of thugs, now on Gi-hun’s payroll, search for the mysterious recruiter he met a year ago at the subway stop in order to learn more about the games.
In the later half of the season, when the focus is back on the games, there is a new batch
23. Be mindful of
25. Anatomical eggs
For all the good the newest season does, for all the expansion and worldbuilding and stakes and tension it brings, it doesn’t resolve a single thing.
There are a few “conclusions,” such as when the recruiter dies in a game of Russian roulette, and the final scene of the seventh episode, where a hidden identity is revealed to Gi-hun, but these don’t wrap anything up.
The recruiter revealed noth-
9. Roasted 35-Across often served in flatbread
26. WNBA team with unconventional plays?
33. Darts ace’s asset
34. Periods of work
35. Beef or pork
37. Cole___ (picnic side)
39. Doc that induces secrecy
40. Hathaway of “The Princess Diaries”
41. Late-night host Meyers
42. Nova ___
45. Secretive government org.
46. WNBA team on a losing streak?
49. Stuffed animal or Slinky
50. Carded
51. “Succession” actor Ruck
53. Bread ___ butter
55. It may get autocorrected
58. WNBA team on a winning streak?
61. Slender stalk of grass
62. Start over on
63. Curved corn chip
64. Treat that can be twisted
65. ___ buco
66. Smallest possible
67. Busy mo. for a CPA
DOWN
1. Butterfly relative
2. Not much
3. Crunched some numbers
4. “So spectacular!”
5. ___ Mountains (range west of Siberia)
6. Skating site
7. Fish in an ornamental pond
8. “Weekend Update” show, briefly
10. Go bankrupt in Monopoly, for instance
11. Rubs the wrong way
12. Memorial Day’s month
14. Go-getter’s personality
19. What Kilauea spews
24. Space travelers, for short
25. Photo ___
26. Mama of ’60s folk rock
27. Annoys
28. Actor Vaughn
29. Ewoks’ home in “Return of the Jedi”
30. Indiana, e.g.
31. Early ’60s political period
32. Arya’s older sister in “Game of Thrones”
36. There’s no “I” in it, per a saying
38. “It’s way too crowded”
42. Messy room
43. Emphatic denial
44. Tack on
47. Literature Nobelist Morrison
48. Back in style
51. Some pub orders
52. Boys
53. Home to more than 4.6 billion
54. Salty bar snack
56. Marshmallow Easter treat
57. Disgusting smell
58. Sis’s sib, say
59. Org. for the Falcons and Eagles
60. SAT : high school :: ___ : college
Ryan O’Connell / THE GATEPOST
The Department of Fashion Design & Retailing and Fashion Club hosted their annual fashion show May 2. The theme was “The Queen’s Garden.”
Photos by Photos & Design Editors Adrien Gobin and Alexis Schlesinger, and Staff Photographers Eliana Buono and Oné Green
