Issuu

Volume 95 • Issue 9

November 13, 2026

FSUgatepost.com

Volleyball sweeps Buccaneers, advances to semifinals Master Plan

set in motion

By Izabela Gage Staff Writer In the first round of the playoffs, the Framingham State Rams opened with a three-set sweep of the Mass. Maritime Buccaneers, winning 25-9, 2514, and 25-21 Nov. 10. This win improves their conference record to 5-2 and their overall record to 19-10. The Rams took an early lead in the opening set after Captain Natalie Reynolds, a senior, recorded a kill, assisted by junior Madysen Cedrone. An attack error by Lola Myers gave FSU a second point before a service error put MMA on the board 3-1. The Rams continued to build their lead as Reynolds recorded two consecutive kills. An attack error by the Buccaneers and a service ace from senior Emma Dobbins extended the Rams’ advantage to 8-1. Dobbins added three consecutive service aces, pushing Framingham ahead 10-1. The Rams continued to benefit from attack errors, reaching a 14-1 lead before a service error gave the Buccaneers another point. Reynolds recorded another kill from Cedrone to make it 152. Senior Jaimee Lowe followed with a service ace and a subsequent attack error by MMA. Reynolds then added a kill to exIzabela Gage / THE GATEPOST tend the lead to 19-2. Emma Dobbins serving in game against Mass. Maritime Nov. 10. See VOLLEYBALL Page 7

By Dylan Pichnarcik Editor-in-Chief Framingham State is seeking an additional $6.8 million to complete the conversion of Linsley Hall into apartments for faculty, staff and graduate students. Separately, $3.3 million in state funding has been designated to install air conditioning on the upper floors of Miles Bibb Hall. These efforts are part of the 10-year Campus Master Plan, according to Robert Totino, vice president of Finance, Technology, and Administration. In December 2025, the Master Plan was completed after being produced by architectural firm Studio Enée of South Boston. The Board of Trustees approved the final report in January 2026, according to Totino. The master plan divides projects into short-term (zero to three years), mid-term (four to six years) and long-term (seven to 10 years) phases. Totino said Studio Enée had “a very strong presence in the public higher education sphere,” adding, “We thought they were best equipped to work with Framingham State.” See MASTER PLAN Page 3

Comic Con Collab!

Onyx Lovely / THE GATEPOST (Left) Geneva Carter, Oak Blum, Armani Santiago, Alex Todisco, and Penelope Pasto posing in cosplay at Comic Con Rhode Island.

Field biologist discusses career path and marine animal conservation By Francisco Omar Fernandez Rodriguez Associate Editor A presentation by guest speaker Leah Crowe, field biologist, was held by the Honors Program in the Dwight Hall Auditorium on Nov. 10. Crowe is a “protected species person” at the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF). In her presentation, she went over her own career path and what she’s now doing in her current position. Crowe said she is based in New Bedford

and works for the state. She grew up in Ohio and didn’t see the ocean much until she was 18, she said. She went to Coastal Carolina University for a short while before transferring to Ohio University, where she got her bachelor’s, she said. While studying for her bachelor’s degree, she did an internship in California that involved setting up a recycling program with the United States Forest Service, she said. “That was my first little foray into government work,” Crowe said.

INSIDE: OPINION 4 • SPORTS 7 • ART & FEATURES 10

After college, she eventually got an internship at the Whale Center of New England, she said. She worked there, in Florida, and in Alaska over the years until she ended up at the Northeast Fisheries of Science Center in Woods Hole on Cape Cod. “I was basically, for a couple years, just saying yes to a lot of different opportunities,” Crowe said. She said federal funding for right whale conservation and monitoring impacted her career path. See MARINE Page 9

NEWS

2 | NOVEMBER 13, 2026

Gatepost Interview Tracy Thibaudeau

OUR STAFF Editor-in-Chief Dylan Pichnarcik Associate Editors

Francisco Omar Fernandez Rodriguez

Antonio Machado

Ram Tram Driver

News Editor Avery Slavin Interim Asst. News Editors Audrey Rice Sydney Youde Sarah Parron

By Cooper Davis Staff Writer By Gracie Wyatt Staff Writer

Opinion Editor Alexis Schlesinger

What’s your favorite part about your role as a shuttle bus driver? Sports Editor My favorite part would probaTaylor Kimmell bly have to be the people: the students, staff, and faculty. I get to Interim Asst. Sports Editor know people. Not everyone, but Andrew Louis the majority of them are nice. I also get to find out lots of inforArts & Features Editor mation from everyone. They get Sarah Daponde on, and we talk. It’s amazing. What makes it better is that alInterim Asst. Arts & Features Editor most everybody is respectful and Louie Ranieri nice. Some are not, but most of them are. Another part that is Photos & Design Editor great is getting to know the stuOnyx Lovely dents who work at the Student Transportation Center desk. I Asst. Photos & Design Editor can’t say for the ones who work Christy Howland the night shift, but the students Interim Asst. Photos & Design who work the day are great. They are beyond respectful to us and Editor take their work seriously, which Rose Hamilton makes our day better. Illustrations Editor Tobias Cotton-Selman What is a typical day in your life? Interim Illustrations Editor I have been here for just about Marcus Falcão 10 years now. Typically, during Interim Asst. Illustrations Editor the day, I drive tram 5. I do the parking lot route. So I go to Salem Meghan Petrone End Lot, Maple Lot, Union Lot, and then back to campus all day Copy Editor long. It can get repetitive, but the Cole Johnson especially during the stressful fipeople help. However, during the nals season. Staff Illustrators summer, I continue to work here. Grace Doyle I move to a facilities role. What advice do you have for Abi Little Framingham State Students? Susay Toe What are some hobbies or Work hard. You pay for an edinterests you have outside of Staff Writers ucation. Go to your classes. Work your job? Desiree Ambila hard so that when you get out of I love to listen to true crime. I Jesse Burchill school, you learn something and also do some crafts for Christmas. Julien Fernandez you get a good job. Life is so borI make sock gnomes and a bunch Dan Lima ing if you don’t do something. of resin stuff. I like to give them as Kate Norrish You’ve got to do something to Nathan Piette gifts, and my family loves them. make it fun, you know? If you’re Izabela Gage I also love decorating my bus. I serious all the time, then it just Heather Luster usually buy the decorations, and drags. That’s why I dress up for Andrea Zereski Cheryl [another STC driver] decHalloween and make up stories. Cooper Davis orates them. We started decoratEvery time we cross the railroad Gracie Wyatt ing at Halloween last year, and Ollie Mainguy tracks by the athletic parking lot, we also decorated for Christmas. Vorie Shorter we have to stop, open the door, It’s hard when professors have to and look and listen for a train. move classes throughout the day, Staff Photographers Well, I got bored doing that, so so I am grateful that I am able to Julien Fernandez I started picking up a ghost. His have my bus decorated. I do it to Meg Dame name is Jeffrey, and he got run bring my passengers a little joy, over by a train. The ghost law Advisors Desmond McCarthy Sabrina Grammatic

Tuesday, Nov. 10 7:12 Fire Alarm Miles Bibb Hall

TH E G A T E

Asst. Advisor of Digital Engagement Ben Watanabe

says you have to live where you die. So, he gets on. He just got on, and he rides around the athletic lot, and then he gets off. Well, he has a girlfriend, Anastasia, who lives in the tunnels under Framingham State, which really do exist. I’ve been in the tunnels. Well, Framingham was the first normal school in America, so the girls used to go through the tunnels to get from building to building. They’re really creepy! … So make life fun!

CONNECT WITH COOPER DAVIS

cdavis@student.framingham.edu

CONNECT WITH GRACIE WYATT

gwyatt@student.framingham.edu

Police Logs

Asst. Advisor Elizabeth Banks

N PE

Cooper Davis / THE GATEPOST

Tuesday, Nov. 10 9:39 Welfare Check West Hall

Wednesday, Nov. 11 10:21 Noise Complaint Maynard Lot

Weather @T HEGATEPOST

Saturday, Nov. 14 Mostly cloudy with a high near 45.

Monday, Nov. 16 Sunny with a high near 50.

Sunday, Nov. 15 Mostly sunny with a high near 50.

Tuesday, Nov. 17 Sunny with a high near 55.

Wednesday, Nov. 18 Sunny with a high near 60.

T TH EGATEPOS

100 State Street McCarthy Center Room 410 Framingham, MA 01701-9101 Phone: (508) 626-4605 Fax: (508) 626-4097 gatepost@framingham.edu

@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com

Thursday, Nov. 19 Sunny with a high near 60.

NEWS

NOVEMBER 13, 2026 | 3

Campus Store moves to McCarthy Center Second fitness center added By Kristel Erguiza Staff Writer Framingham State moved its bookstore location to the McCarthy Center, renamed it the Campus Store, and added a second fitness center for students in its place. The location of the former fitness center is now reserved for athletes and is known as the Varsity Fitness Center. According to a Gatepost article from Oct. 10, 2025, “Framingham State changes bookstore owners,” “The Campus Store will focus more on selling apparel, supplies, and self-care products, though they can’t sell food or drinks because Sodexo has that contract.” Annie Shea, the Campus Store Manager, said the Campus Store location did not affect her or her staff because she has only worked at FSU since June, and the move was already in process when she arrived. The Campus Store, formerly the Campus Bookstore, switched bookstore vendors on July 1, 2025 from Follett to eCampus to provide course materials and the University Gear Shop (UGS) for FSU merchandise, according to The Gatepost article. The function of the Campus Store “really hasn’t been impacted with no books,” according to Shea. “The number of people that come into the Campus Store varies day by day, with some days being busier than others,” Shea said. Shea said that the Campus Store has “new merchandise coming in - heavier jackets, youth clothing, mom and dad shirts, grandparent shirts, alumni shirts.” With the bookstore now housed in McCarthy, the University expanded athletic facili-

ty offerings in the former space. Tom Kelley, director of Athletics, said that making a new athletic gym created “more opportunities” for varsity athletes and the student body as a whole. The Athletic Department is in the process of tracking how many students use the gym, with the “ultimate goal” being to make student ID cards room specific, according to Kelley. Certain machines, such as a StairMaster and ab-workout machines, are not in the athlete gym, but Kelley said “they can use them upstairs, and that anything outside of the two gyms anybody can use.” Kelley added Bryan McGovern, coordinator of sports performance and building manager, “did an outstanding job of getting the equipment in there that we got in there. But our goal is always to upgrade that room.” According to Robert Totino, chief financial officer and vice president of Finance, Technology and Administration, “We are hearing students loud and clear. One wall was aligned with mirrors recently, a couple of Fridays ago on October 16. We are working with our contractor to come in and put additional sets of mirrors on another portion of another wall. We appreciate any advocacy that students have done.” According to Kelley, there were already plans to create a second athlete-only gym. “That was always the design. As the years went on, we started expanding and added more sports, and fitness became more popular. We’re trying to do the best we can to accommodate the entire population of the University,” Kelley said. Totino said since moving to this new model of UGS and eCampus.com, there was a lot of inefficiency on site, when

the former bookstore was in the Fitness Center. “There was a lot of space that wasn’t utilized. There were a lot of empty bookshelves that used to be filled with books for classes. And so, what we realized was that they didn’t need that 3,500 square feet anymore. They could be more compact where they are, so now we have this new location,” he said. A decision was made in Spring 2026 that the Campus Store would be moved into the new location, said Totino. The Campus Store now has 1,200 square feet and 100 square feet in the back of the McCarthy Center for storage. “That seems to be the right size for that operation,” said Totino. Formally, the Campus Store in McCarthy was the student Game Room, which has since closed to make room for the store. It has not been relocated. The removal of the Game Room raised concerns from students, said Totino. He added, “A few pieces have gone to different locations, like a foosball table and a remote-control video game have gone to other locations, but a few other amenities like the pool table were so beyond disrepair, and had to be taken apart and removed from campus. “I’ve heard a little bit from the dean of students that there has been a small number of students who would’ve liked to see the Game Room stay,” according to Totino. There are no concrete plans to create another Game Room in McCarthy Center, he said. However, he said, “As space becomes available and there are requests from students, there’s always an opportunity to have these types of programming come back.” Sophomore elementary education major Annah Man-

ning said the Game Room was fun when it was there. It was a nice place to do homework and chill after class, but it would get crowded and too loud sometimes. “I didn’t find out until the beginning of this year and I was shocked. I wish there was another place like the Game Room,” Manning said. Manning added she is a commuter and would like to see more commuter spaces on campus. Senior fashion major Riley Eagan said the new Varsity Fitness Center is very useful. Eagan is a varsity softball player for Framingham State. “It was very crowded before, but now it’s just for us, and it’s good to have, like, just your team to feel more connected and have that space,” Eagan added. Eagan said there could be another StairMaster needed just for lifts, but “everything we have in the gym, we use pretty consistently.” Freshman environmental science major Lily Ring said it wasn’t fair the Game Room was removed. Ring said she wanted to know if there was another place the Game Room could be put “for people who enjoyed going there with their friends and having their own activities.” Freshman biology major Samaya Evans agreed with Ring. Evans said the current Campus Store feels congested. “There’s a lot going on at once.”

CONNECT WITH KRISTEL ERGUIZA

kerguiza@student.framingham.edu

Master Plan Continued from Page 1

The firm had previously worked on campus and with MassBay Community College and UMass Boston. Linsley Hall is slated to become a 32-unit affordable housing facility for faculty, staff and graduate students, a priority project in the University’s master plan that administrators hope to advance in Spring 2027. Partial funding for the project was received via state monies through the Fair Share Supplemental Bill signed by Gov. Maura Healey in June 2025. The University received $6.6 million in funding. Half of the funds are earmarked toward the installation of air conditioning units in Miles Bibb Hall with the remainder going toward the Linsley renovation. The Board of Trustees approved pursuing additional funds to complete the Linsley Hall project at a recent meeting. Now, the University intends to work with the Massachusetts State College Building Authority to support the project in late February or early March 2027, with the project potentially starting in Spring 2027, according to Totino. To fully fund the project, the University will need $6.8 mil-

lion in additional funding, according to Totino. Another major project that has come from the University’s Master Plan is the relocation of the University’s Library to the current plot of Foster Hall and the Daycare Center. The library project is part of the master plan’s mid-term priorities, but whether the University builds a new facility or renovates the Henry Whittemore Library remains undecided. Under the new-building concept, the existing library site could later be used for expanded parking or athletic amenities. The concept of a new library is a roughly 65,000-squarefoot, five-story building, about half the size of the Whittemore Library, which sits at approximately 114,000 square feet. The new space would be rebranded as the Library Learning Commons, which includes compact shelving and new, attractive community and collaboration spaces, Totino said. The new Library Learning Commons would accommodate student study spaces, library collections, FSU centers, including CASA, Digital Humanities, IT and Technology, and Student Health Services, according to the University’s Master Plan. The project has an estimated

total cost of over $91 million, according to the master plan. Currently, the University’s Communication, Media, and Performance Department is housed in the Whittemore Library. With the new library, the department could potentially be relocated into Hemenway Hall. The proposed relocation of the department came about during a recent feasibility study, Totino said. The location of the Whittemore Library could be used in the future for parking or outdoor student-programming amenities. However, this move remains conditional because of funding and relocation planning. An alternative option is to refurbish the Whittemore Library. Totino said the Whittemore Library is the second most energy-inefficient building and attributed its large carbon footprint to “nearly 425 million tons” of carbon-dioxide equivalents annually. Beyond those projects, the master plan also calls for lab upgrades and a new makerspace, where students can work on projects and test experiments. Longer-term proposals include addressing water infiltration at the McCarthy College Center and reorganizing academic pro-

grams across campus. At the McCarthy Center, a multi-hundred-thousand-dollar project to address water infiltration on the lower floors facing Church Street is scheduled for May and Summer 2027, according to Totino. Student input included a survey completed by about 60 students in May 2025 and an April 2025 poster-board session attended by 45 people. Emily Crossin, class of ’26, served as a student representative on the FSU Master Plan Steering Committee.

CONNECT WITH DYLAN PICHNARCIK

dpichnarcik@student.framingham.edu

FRAMINGHAM STATE UNIVERSITY’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1932 | FSUGATEPOST.COM

4 | NOVEMBER 13, 2026

OPINION THE GATEPOST EDITORIAL

Thank you, veteran Rams

ednesday, Nov. 11, the nation recognized Veterans Day, a moment to pause, reflect, and thank the courageous men and women who answered the call of duty and served in America’s military. Framingham State is fortunate to have a rich network of current students and alums who have served in the military. The Gatepost Editorial Board thanks every single person who served - we’re grateful to have you as a part of our community. We see your sacrifices, recognize your voices, and appreciate the unique perspectives you bring to Framingham State. Over the years, The Gatepost Editorial Board has had the privilege of working directly with veterans who have served on our staff. The incredibly talented John Maynard wrote a recurring column, “Words from the War,” while actively deployed during the 200809 academic year, providing a unique perspective of someone who was called to serve in Iraq and did so admirably. Maynard knew he still had a home at The Gatepost, and he continued to contribute to his beloved college paper. The editors who remained at FSU cheered for him from afar, sending care packages to his entire platoon. In response, the men of the 442d Infantry Regiment sent The Gatepost a tactical jacket signed by the entire group (see photo.) It still proudly hangs in our office and is a reminder that regardless of politics, we’re all Americans. Maynard and his connection to The Gatepost is a testament that pride, friendship, and mutual respect are driving forces in any relationship. During the George W. Bush Administration, three Gateposters were called to serve - like Maynard, they did so courageously. In recent years, our dear former colleagues, Kaitlin Carman and Adam Harrison, served in the military before attending FSU.

When they found their way to us, The Gatepost welcomed them with open arms and truly became a home. Both served as diligent news editors and monumentally contributed to our weekly print product and the overall culture of The Gatepost. Their mature and worldly perspectives enriched our team greatly. They’ve since moved on to other opportunities, but their absence is still felt when The Gatepost convenes. We were fortunate to have their insights and contributions. The tradition of veterans working on The Gatepost continues today with our friend and colleague Heather Luster, who served before relocating to Massachusetts and attending FSU. Luster has a clear passion to help others and has made incredible contributions to both our news and opinion sections. We thank her for her service to the United States and to The Gatepost. The Gatepost has been called home by many veterans, each of whom is a shining example of excellence, yet we aren’t the only organization. Many other groups on campus have had the privilege to call veterans friends and colleagues. Veterans enrich the campus culture every single day. Think about your classes - chances are you have had or do have a peer who once served in the military. Typically, you’ll find a veteran sitting front and center in your classroom, prepared, calm, and ready to learn. While in class, they’re usually some of the most engaged. Yet, they’re never the loudest voices in the room, but rather a catalyst for other students to speak. They know when to speak, when to encourage, and how to listen. This is a level of maturity that some traditionally aged undergraduates struggle with at first. For those who served overseas, a worldly perspective contributes to rich discussions of culture, politics, and what it means to be a global citizen. Veterans are also beacons of hope for other students. Many come to Framingham State at different points in their lives, providing students with role models of different ages to look up to who can help put people on the right path. Our veteran students learn just as much from traditional undergraduates, creating a symbiotic relationship in and out of the classroom. Veterans Day is a single moment in time for the United States to stop and reflect on the courageous service of the men and women who defend our rights and freedoms. Our community has a moment every day to pause, thank a veteran, and make campus a more inclusive and inviting space. The Gatepost Editorial Board extends our sincere thanks to every American soldier, airman, marine, sailor, and veteran who makes up our community.

Unsigned Editorials reflect the opinion of The Gatepost Editorial Board, signed Op/Eds reflect the opinion of the writer.

The Gatepost welcomes signed letters to the editor sent to gatepost@framingham.edu. All letters are subject to review. @TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com

OPINION

NOVEMBER 13, 2026 | 5

ALEXIS SCHLESINGER COMMENTARY

I don’t want a drink and I don’t like your weird friend I don’t accept all people exactly as they are. This may sound contrary to my previous statement, but I do love all people, and I believe all people are worthy of love. I do not love every individual, though. Unconditional love for the individual just because they are human will not help people grow. I want you to grow because you are a human and I love you for it. I may not accept you as you currently are, though, if you need to grow and become a better individual. We are living in a world where instant gratification is an addiction. Whatever is easiest and quickest in the moment is typically the most attractive option. You will drink whatever will get you drunk the fastest, even if it tastes disgusting and leaves you sick the next day. I’ve noticed which bottles fill your kitchen cabinets. We all know your friend who thinks you’re cool and sometimes does favors for you isn’t going down your throat easily with his lack of respect for other people. But it’s so much easier to just take the shots. They’re right in front of you, and they’ve already been poured. Why let a good time go to waste? Once you’re drunk, it’s over, and you don’t have to care how you got there. You can

just enjoy yourself without thinking. You should care, though. Don’t you care what the

I do not accept all people exactly as they are, but I do accept that all people are capable of change.

people in your life are made of? I love all people, and I believe all people are deserving of love, because they are people. But just because you deserve something doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have to work to earn it. It is not the responsibility of good people to make bad people better. It is not the responsibility of people who make good choices to teach people who make bad choices. It is, however, our collective responsibility as human beings to allow people the space to become better. I mean, you can’t make a mixed drink if you don’t even have another vessel to pour into, let alone a mixer. If you want to be drunk and all you have is a bottle of vodka and a few shallow shot glasses, you’re either going to have to take the shots, or not get drunk at all.

Some people need more time or help than others. Some people don’t even know they still have growth to do, or something better they could become. Some people have given up on becoming more than what they already are because other people tell them they will always be the same. If your cup isn’t big enough to hold other people, or if you don’t have enough to pour into them to help them become something sweeter, you don’t have to take that on. But other people might have the space for them, and might be changing those people more than you realize. You may walk away from a person and not see them for weeks, months, or years. That’s a perfectly valid choice to make. You might someday choose to come back, or happen upon

them, and at first glance, they’re exactly the same. You’ll never know what’s inside them now if you don’t try to find out for yourself. You can’t tell if a Shirley Temple is dirty just by looking at it. But if someone tells you your Shirley is dirty, you should probably figure out how heavy the bartender’s pour was before you drink it. Not only should you find out, you should care. Treating your connections with other people like drinking to get drunk will poison you. Believe what you want to believe. Take your drinks as strong and bitter as you can stand them if fast and easy is what’s most important to you. But I don’t like things that don’t taste good, and to me, being drunk isn’t worth the poor taste. I care about who I have in my life and what they’re made of, and I don’t like people who don’t know how to treat others with respect. So forgive me if I refuse to take a shot with you. Maybe someday, we could go out for milkshakes instead.

Alexis Schlesinger is a senior communication arts major. She is the Opinion Editor for The Gatepost. She can be reached at aschlesinger@student. framingham.edu

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OPINION

6 | NOVEMBER 13, 2026

VORIE SHORTER COMMENTARY

Beautiful Chaos or just a mess

As the dust settles, two out of six of the KATSEYE girls are currently on “hiatus,” with Sophia having plans to return in January and still no word on Manon’s return since Feb. 20. What exactly is going on with KATSEYE? Netflix’s “The Debut: Dream Academy” was a behind-thescenes making of the global girl group, KATSEYE. Airing between Sept. 1 and Nov. 17, 2023, the show presented fans the opportunity to vote and speculate who’d be the last girls left and the six official members of the debuting group. The final girls standing were Daniela, Lara, Manon, Megan, Sophia, and Yoonchae. KATSEYE was to be dually managed by Hybe, a South Korean label, and Geffen, a subsidiary of western label Universal Music Group. All of the 14 other girls were sent home with varying amounts of screentime and public support but not all of them were done with us. A few girls had minor side quests, and smaller projects using the popularity gained from the Netflix show. Seemingly out of nowhere, Karlee Girl (ranked 18th) dropped “right back!” and it went triple platinum (on X, at least) and was practically inescapable all of last summer. The song currently has over

36 million streams on Spotify alone, with a trending TikTok dance to accompany it. ADÉLA (ranked 20th) was a similar case, but with an even bigger hit. She previously

Meghan Petrone / THE GATEPOST

released an EP, “The Provocateur,” receiving murmurs of success, but is currently an up-and-coming “Pop Princess” having released her debut album: “PRIMA.” With standout singles like “Nicole Kidman” and “Ain’t In L.A.” having 141 million and 197

million streams respectively, both surpassed KATSEYE’s most recent single “Hootie Fruiti” with 108 million, with the latter being released a month prior. (oh KATSEYE, your crown is slipping!) And all of this occurs while KATSEYE’s fans - dubbed “EYEKONS” - hyper-analyze the girls’ interactions, point to potential unspoken “beefs” between the members, desires to upstage one another, and the alleged racism of the company and their treatment of certain members. Simultaneously, netizens reduce the girls’ music to “slop,” with repetitive and sometimes borderline nonsensical lyrics. With the rise of previously disqualified contestants, Karlee Girl and ADÉLA - both of whom are actively dominating the radio waves as solo artists and are fighting for market share - what does this mean for KATSEYE? Is their time running out? Hybe and Geffen are seemingly aware of this online discourse, having released “ICONIC BY MISTAKE” where

the KATSEYE girls rap “Now I am iconic from how much you love to hate me.” Using a hate train as a marketing campaign isn’t by any means a new tactic, however, it’s important to reevaluate: how much of the perceived hate is valid criticism? Despite having recently featured in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, the girls are not in a very good spot right now. Their performance has drawn even further criticism for the girls’ lack of cohesion amongst both the models and themselves. Further, as the remaining four members of KATSEYE are currently on tour, Megan is also reportedly suffering from an ankle sprain and minor back injury, and is going to be selectively present for upcoming performances, so audiences may need to prepare to see three out of six members on some stops. (No, tickets aren’t half off, although they should be.) Will KATSEYE ever catch a break? Only time will tell, but as it stands, what we’re witnessing is not so Beautiful as much as it is Chaos. Vorie Shorter is a junior communication arts major. He is a Staff Writer for The Gatepost and can be reached at sshorter@ student.framingham.edu

JASON DEFRONZO COMMENTARY

The art of game design When people think of art, usually the first thing to come to mind is something along the lines of paintings, drawings, or ceramics. However, a largely overlooked form of art is video games. I’ve always enjoyed making art. It’s a nice way to decompress and create concepts that mean something to me. In the process, I hope to create something that others can admire, too. I’ve also been playing games most of my life, and over time they’ve become a more and more integral part of my life. Only a few years ago, I started seeing them for what they really are - art. To be specific, art is making something to express oneself with creativity. Painting, drawing, music - they are all different mediums one might use to bring their ideas to life. Video games do that too, and a lot of people neglect that. Video games are often attributed to nothing more than a quick form of entertainment, which I believe to be completely unfair. They take just as much, if not more, time and effort to create than any other piece of art. They deserve recognition. When traditional artists want to create a piece, they need an idea. They take this idea and try to pin down a concept. This is often done with concept or thumbnail sketches. Though every artist does things differently, some may prefer to jump straight into the more detailed parts. Game developers do this too. They take an idea and make a base version. Usually this would @TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com

be called an alpha version, or on rare occasions, a pre-alpha. These base versions of the game have none of the detail that later versions would have. The next phase of making art is to make an outline. Creating a sketch where you can see the entire piece in low detail. It’s likely that changes will be made between this point and

have base models and the primary mechanics of the game are working. At this point, many games will undergo a lot of changes too! Most of the game’s textures will be unfinished, placeholder images are used everywhere, and any descriptions that may be needed are missing entirely. The next step is the biggest

the finished product, and that’s OK! At this point, the piece will likely look like a sketchedout picture - it’s not meant to be finished. There may be lines used for proportions or faint marks from erasing and replacing. Game design goes through a similar process. Usually, it would be at around the same time, though slightly later than the previous segment of development. The characters

for every medium art is made through - the part where they execute their idea. This is the part where it starts to really look like something. Within the context of traditional art, this may be anything from coloring to textures and shading - all of it happens here. It takes time, but where before they had proof of an idea, now they have the real thing. In game design, it’s much the same. You take all the unfinished

parts and finish them. Finished textures, detailed animations, item descriptions. It’s just the same as in other mediums the longest part that makes something real. But it’s not done yet. Everything someone makes, whether it be a game or an art piece, needs finishing touches. Slight changes in the shading or a little bit of color outside the lines. A few last-minute placeholder images removed or texture changes. After they finish the refinement, they have a product they can (hopefully) be happy with. Whether a painting, a drawing, or a new game for others to enjoy, it took the same process either way. More than that, video games express a person’s character just as much as any piece of art. A good game story immerses you with the characters. You feel their losses, and you can feel the passion the creators put into it. Isn’t that great? There’s so many different ways to express yourself. With there being so many ways for someone to share their creations, it also allows for just as many ways to experience those same creations. We’re lucky video games are one of those options. Jason DeFronzo is a Staff Writer for The Gatepost. He is an undeclared freshman and can be reached at jdefronzo@student. framingham.edu

Volleyball

SPORTS

NOVEMBER 13, 2026 | 7

Continued from Page 1

Mass. Maritime responded with a kill, followed by a Framingham service error. The Buccaneers then recorded two service aces to shrink the deficit. Another point for them followed on a Framingham attack error, bringing the score to 21-7. The Rams earned another point on an attack error before Dobbins followed with a kill, putting the Rams ahead 23-8. MMA added another point before an attack error put Framingham one away from winning the set. Freshman Rachel Hoerig closed out the set with a service ace, giving the Rams a 25-9 win. The second set opened with an attack error by the Rams, giving the Buccaneers the first point. Reynolds responded with a kill to tie the score. The teams continued trading points, with another Reynolds kill bringing the score to 3-3. Mass. Maritime took a 5-3 lead Izabela Gage / THE GATEPOST after a kill from Maliah Servino and a Framingham attack error. Members of the womens’ volleyball team celbrating after a point in quarterfinal win against Mass. Maritime on Nov. 10. The Rams answered with a block, ing it 6-3. A service error and a to close out the third set, secur- time for us to close it out!” followed by a service ace from bad set gave Mass. Maritime 2 ing the 25-21 win and completing The Rams traveled to and won Cedrone to tie the set at 5-5. more points before an attack er- the sweep. against the second-seed WestThe Buccaneers moved ahead ror by Servino brought FramingMedeiros said, “We really fo- field State Owls in a five-set 7-5 after two more Framingham ham to 8-4. cused on building our leads as MASCAC semifinal thriller Nov. attack errors. The teams traded points, as much as possible and trying to 12. A service error gave the Rams junior Sarah Medeiros recorded get runs on the service line, which Dobbins said, “Seeing how a point before Dobbins recorded two consecutive kills, both as- we were successful in doing. much we’ve grown as a team this back-to-back kills. Senior Anneli sisted by Cedrone, bringing the “We tried to keep our momen- year, and how much our class DiVirgilio followed with a service Rams within three. tum going as much as possible, has grown the past four has been ace to put Framingham ahead Mass. Maritime answered with and even in the third set when amazing. So this postseason, we 9-7. a kill from Servino, followed by we were down for part of it, we just want to leave it all on the Mass. Maritime answered with a service ace from Sanders, and didn’t panic. We just reset and court and fight to win the title.” a kill and a service ace to tie the another Framingham attack er- worked to get our momentum Medeiros said the biggest score again 9-9. ror. The Buccaneers extended back to finish the game in three takeaway from this season is, Following a service error, their lead to 13-6, prompting a sets,” she added. “The hard work we put in from Reynolds and Dobbins contrib- Framingham timeout. Reynolds tallied 15 kills and the first day of preseason three uted kills before Hoerig added a MMA added a point after the earned a .312 attack percentage, months ago to now really pays service ace to extend Framing- break before Moniz recorded a and Dobbins tallied nine with a off. I’m confident we’ll bring the ham’s advantage to 13-9. kill, assisted by Cedrone. Dob- .450 attack percentage. same determination and hard After a Mass. Maritime time- bins followed with another kill to Cedrone made 27 assists, one work in the offseason and going out, the Rams added 2 more make it 14-8. service ace, and seven digs in the into next year.” points on attack errors. The Buccaneers tallied a kill, sweep. Moniz said having a large seDobbins and Reynolds record- but Reynolds responded with Dobbins contributed 11 digs nior class has “benefited the team ed another kill each and Hoerig one of her own. Dobbins added a and four service aces across three in setting the standard for our added another service ace to point after a Mass. Maritime at- sets. underclassmen to follow suit.” bring the score to 18-9. tack error, bringing the score to She said, “We all had to step up She added, “This is our last The Rams’ scoring streak end- 15-10. and contribute where we needed chance, and our goal is to leave ed with a service error, but Lowe A Framingham service error to. For me, that included serving everything on the court.” recorded a kill. The Buccaneers gave the Buccaneers their next and playing defense, so I did my Dobbins said, “I could not then added a point on a kill from point. best to put my best foot forward have asked for a better group of Holly Sanders. Mass. Maritime added a kill to in those aspects of the game as girls to play alongside this year Another Mass. Maritime ser- move ahead 17-10. Reynolds re- well as my front row.” and the past four years. So havvice error gave Framingham a sponded with a kill, followed by Medeiros said she attributes ing an opportunity to work to20-11 lead. another point after an attack er- their success to “going into the ward a championship this season The teams continued exchang- ror by Servino. game with the right mindset. with these girls truly means the ing points, as Reynolds and CapServino and Medeiros ex- Even though we swept Mass. world.” tain Jamie Moniz, a senior, each changed kills before Dobbins Maritime when we played them Medeiros said, “Our seniors recorded kills for the Rams, while broke through the Buccaneers two weeks ago in the regular sea- have been phenomenal. Each the Buccaneers tallied points on defense to make the score 20-16. son, we didn’t take them lightly and every one of them have been two kills and a service error. An attack error by Sanders at all going into playoffs.” great examples of what it takes Dobbins then recorded anoth- brought Framingham within Medeiros said, “Beating top to win and what leadership looks er kill to put Framingham ahead three at 20-17. Mass. Maritime teams like Westfield and Bridge- like on and off the court. Not hav23-14. took the next point to move water really requires that every- ing them around next year will be An attack error by Servino gave ahead 21-17, prompting another one is playing well, so it’s up to us difficult, but they’ve built a great the Rams set point, and they won timeout. to pick each other up on the court foundation for the future of the the second set 25-14 after a block Dobbins recorded a kill after and make sure we’re all reaching team.” by Dobbins. the timeout to bring the score our full potential. I’m hoping we The Rams travel to BridgewaThe third set began with an- to 21-18. Two consecutive Mass. carry over the high energy and ter State to take on the top-seedother Reynolds-Cedrone connec- Maritime attack errors brought ‘foot on the gas’ mentality into ed Bears in the MASCAC Chamtion. Framingham one point away our next games.” pionship Nov. 14. Mass. Maritime responded from the lead. Moniz said, “We’ve talked as with consecutive kills to take a Reynolds then recorded a kill a team about picking each other 2-1 lead. Dobbins tied the score assisted by Cedrone to tie the set up, bouncing back after errors, with a kill, assisted by Cedrone. 21-21. and doing what we can to reach After an FSU attack error, After another Buccaneers’ our full potential.” MMA added three more points timeout, Framingham took the She added, “Making it to semion attack errors. Servino contrib- lead off an attack error. A bad finals is something we are proud Stats sourced from fsurams.com uted to the run with blocks, help- set gave the Rams another point, of. Coming out strong in the play- and MASCAC.com ing the Buccaneers move ahead putting them ahead 23-21. offs is a good first step to hope6-2. Another attack error brought fully continue on a good path. … CONNECT WITH IZABELA GAGE Reynolds ended the run with Framingham to match point. Ho- This group has worked extreme- igage@student.framingham.edu another kill from Cedrone, mak- erig then recorded a service ace ly hard this season and now it’s FRAMINGHAM STATE UNIVERSITY’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1932 | FSUGATEPOST.COM

8 | NOVEMBER 13, 2026

ARTS & FEATURES

40th annual Swiacki Children’s Festival perseveres: Authors and illustrators gather despite rescheduling of keynote

Dylan Pichnrcik / THE GATEPOST

Kip Wilson speaking at the Swiacki Childnre’s Literature Festival on Nov. 5.

By Sarah Daponde Arts & Features Editor FSU celebrated the 40th anniversary of the annual Swiacki Children’s Literature Festival with discussion panels hosted by published authors, a showcase in the Mazmanian Gallery, and a book sale from Silver Unicorn Books, Nov. 5. Each year, the festival fea-

and her sister at the Mazmanian Gallery showcase. Eric Gustafson, vice president of University Advancement said, “Nancy and Janina Swiacki have been tireless advocates for the children’s literature festival since they encouraged FSU to take over management of the event in 2006. Their generous gifts of funding and time have not only

thors and illustrators. “It’s really to help foster educators and help bring them together,” Mathias said. Anika Denise, an author invited to speak at a panel with Rajani LaRocca and Desmond Hall, was present at the book sale. She said she wanted to help students understand the business of being an author.

including “White Rose,” “The Most Dazzling Girl in Berlin,” and “All the Love Under the Vast Sky.” Her novels are primarily historical fiction written in verse, which Trousdale noted is a form especially effective for writing about traumatic, heavy topics. Wilson said she decided to write in verse so young people

“If you’re not reading science fiction, you’re not really prepared for the 21st Century.” - Bryan Alexander Lecturer

tures a keynote speaker. However, this year’s speaker, Lois Lowry, best-selling author of “The Giver,” “Number the Stars,” and more, had to postpone her appearance until a later date. Although no new date is scheduled yet, tickets bought for Nov. 5 will be valid for the updated date. President Nancy Niemi said she believes it is important for students to see writing and illustrating in action. “We express ourselves in such beautiful ways, and I love that the students get the opportunity to work with the creators themselves - the writers, the illustrators, publishers, and sellers,” Niemi said. “We really get to celebrate what art and words do to help change the world.” This year is also the first without Janina Swiacki, sister of Nancy Swiacki, who passed away in December 2025. The two sisters were Framingham State alumnae and longtime donors of the festival. Nancy Swiacki attended this year and spoke on behalf of her

kept it alive, but flourishing. We could think of no better way to honor their commitment than to rename the festival in their honor. “Unfortunately, we lost Janina this past year, and we have dedicated this year’s event in her memory. We are so deeply grateful for all they have done fo FSU and the festival,” he added. The festival, previously called the David McCord Children’s Literature Festival, was renamed to honor the sisters in 2014. The gallery featured posters of festivals from years past and was introduced with some short remarks. A book sale held in the McCarthy Center lobby, featuring books by authors attending the festival, was sponsored by Silver Unicorn Bookstore. Silver Unicorn is an independent bookstore based in Acton. Mabel Grace Mathias, director of college readiness, said one of the goals of the book sale, and the festival overall, is to create a community for students aiming to become au-

@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com

“It seems like it can be a bit mysterious, and it’s nice to be able to pull back the curtain a little bit and talk about that end,” Denise said. She added if she had one piece of advice for writers, it would simply be to write. “Writers write - and finish a draft - because you’re never going to get something published that’s not finished, right?” Denise said. A presentation hosted by Kip Wilson, a young adult author with a PhD in German literature, commenced in the Alumni Room. Rachel Trousdale, an English professor, introduced Wilson as a critically acclaimed author who is “deeply involved in the wider world of books.” She said Wilson held jobs as a poetry editor at The Young Adult Review Network and as an associate editor at Voyage Y.A. She currently works as a high school librarian in Concord. Wilson discussed her latest novel, “Backpack, Boy, Berlin,” which came out on Nov. 3, as well as her other novels,

would be able to read the entire book with ease. “Thick tomes are what we think of with history, but people just don’t have the stamina to read these things,” she added. “Backpack, Boy, Berlin” is based on the true story of a boy who carried secret messages through Berlin during World War II. She said she wrote “White Rose” after inspiration came to her in high school German class. As her first published book, Wilson called “White Rose” her first passion. To research, Wilson traveled to Munich, Germany, and translated letters from German to English. Everywhere she writes about, she visits, she added. Wilson said a lesson for people who like to write is, “Don’t forget the things that always kindled your passion - the things you go back to again and again.”

CONNECT WITH SARAH DAPONDE

sdaponde@student.framingham.edu

ARTS & FEATURES

NOVEMBER 13, 2026 | 9

Marine Continued from Page 1

In 2016, the federal government didn’t believe protection of right whales needed as much funding as they were getting, but according to the evidence she saw in the field, the whales still needed help, she said. The lack of funding for right whale monitoring led her to work part time for the sea turtle ecology program, which ended up being both an unexpected and important part of her career, she said. While in Woods Hole, she spent five years putting together a paper on basking sharks, she said. “We saw one of the largest aggregations of basking sharks that people have ever seen. We saw about 1,400 of them south of Martha’s Vineyard,” Crowe said. She credits this as part of the reason she didn’t get a master’s degree. She wanted to write this paper and didn’t have an advisor. She helped researchers at the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary do tagging work with humpback whales, she said. The North Atlantic right whales were not in their usual locations, so they tried looking further than usual, such as in the Gulf of St. Lawrence in Canada, while working with their Department of Fisheries and Oceans, she said. Crowe presented a chart showing the number of births of right whales and the number of deaths. From 2012 to 2014, estimat-

ed mortality was above the number of births, she said. But in 2017, an unusual mortality event occurred, she said. Unusual mortality is when a lot of animals die, she explained. “2017 and 2019 were catastrophic years for the population, and this isn’t just a population of right whales. North Atlantic right whales are a spe-

PhD,” Crowe said. When she returned from New Zealand, a job at the DMF for the state came up, she said. She’s been working there for almost two years. She said Massachusetts is an important habitat for the North Atlantic right whales. About two-thirds of their population are seen off the coast of the state every winter through

added. Federal restrictions on waters lifts April 30 annually, but the state keeps the waters closed in reaction to detected right whale presence, she said. Last year, she said, “We kept our state waters closed until May 6. Year before, we kept them closed until May 14.” There is some variability across the years of how long

“We saw one of the largest aggregations of basking sharks that people have ever seen. We saw about 1,400 of them south of Martha’s Vineyard.” - Leah Crowe Field Biologist

cific species,” Crowe said. After finding many dead whales, she decided to take a break and pursue her PhD at the University of Otago, in New Zealand. She has met people who thought it was strange that she didn’t get a master’s degree, but instead went from an undergraduate to a PhD. However, there were 15 years of on-andoff career work in between, she said. “This is a windy journey that maybe in academia you don’t hear about that often, but there are a lot of different ways that your career can take… This really worked well for me. I felt really well prepared for my

spring, especially in Cape Cod the right whales are present, as Bay. well as how many, she added. Some of the work she does One particular aspect of her at the DMF includes the imple- career works well with her permentation of a passive acoustic sonal life, and it’s learning how monitoring program, she said. to drive a boat, she said. Using sound to detect and “A lot of my friends [and] my monitor them works well, as partner have boats. We play on whales make a lot of sound, she water all the time. So that endsaid. ed up being a really important It’s different from active part where my personal life acoustic monitoring, which and my professional life overinvolves tagging the animals lapped,” Crowe said. with a device that makes a distinct sound to monitor. She uses natural sounds to find the whales, she said. Visual detection, on the other hand, relies on being able to CONNECT WITH FRANCISCO OMAR actually see the whales, so they FERNANDEZ RODRIGUEZ have to be near the surface, she ffernandezrodriguez@student.framingham.edu

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FRAMINGHAM STATE UNIVERSITY'S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1932 | FSUGATEPOST.COM

ARTS & FEATURES

10 | NOVEMBER 13, 2026

The ‘Decay’ of industrial strength By Dan Lima Staff Writer Many people have made music history right beneath our noses, Justin Broadrick being a prominent example. A native of Birmingham, England, Justin Karl Broadrick earned a following by pushing the envelope within underground music, blending guitars and electronics. Getting started in his teen years during the mid-’80s, Broadrick was involved with extreme groups like Napalm Death and Head of David before forming Godflesh in 1988, joined by Ben Christian Green on bass and a devastating drum machine. Taking the discordant guitar playing of Killing Joke, the mechanized noise assault from Big Black, and the cathartic performance found in the early material by Swans, Godflesh became one of the earliest acts to blend elements of industrial music with heavy metal, around the same time as Ministry over in the U.S. They debuted in 1989 with the alpha and omega “Streetcleaner,” praised for its dismal scenery and heavy composition reflecting life in an industrial labyrinth. Broadrick is also famed for having many other music projects on the sides, such as his techno moniker JK Flesh, his joint industrial hip-hop act Techno Animal with Kevin Martin, and his shoegaze/ drone metal band Jesu which earned him a feature on the

new Phoebe Bridgers album per her request. Godflesh faced a number of obstacles throughout their career. Most recently, Broadrick announced earlier this year on Instagram that there would be no more music or live shows after undergoing surgery for an inguinal hernia. “If I continue to perform and shout/scream as I do with Godflesh, then I am at high risk for more hernias, and blowing out my abdominal wall entirely.” Godflesh is now set to retire with two more albums which were already underway. The first one is the newly released “Decay,” written shortly after the release of 2023’s “PURGE.” The album opens with the second single “Master and Slave,” an 8-minute droning track composed mainly of static and the rumbling of the eight-string guitar. Broadrick establishes a suffocating setting for the rest of the album with short verses and layered vocals, sounding like a digital ghost. The following track and leading single, “Living/Ending,” is textbook Godflesh. Pummeling, hateful rhythms from the drum machine and B.C. Green’s world-shaking bass paired with Broadrick’s dissonant riffing and hellhound-like barks create the signature nihilist orchestra the band is worshipped for. The album takes a turn with “Feral Colony.” This track employs desperate guitar notes clashing with each other and Broadrick’s singing resembling

the moaning of a wounded angel. Add the constant pounding of the drums and you suddenly find yourself overdosing at an underworld rave. “Fear of Man” carries on that crushing atmosphere with brooding noise and guitar squeals. Broadrick’s spectre-like voice echoes short, cryptic verses of the anguish in interaction based on his experience of PTSD and masking autism. The listener likewise feels incapable to communicate and regulate like the lyrics state. The crushing guitar and vocal distortion on “Fodder” drag the anxious vibe of the album further. The lyrics, containing only two verses, hypnotize the listener into feeling that exact same dread. The album then closes with the 11-minute punisher “Consume Me.” Where the opener felt like crawling helplessly while being tamed with a leash, this track’s first half feels like sinking down into the earth and its second half like being infinitely cut by the “razor tongues” in the lyrics, truly giving the impression that the end is near. “Decay” finds Godflesh trading the previous album’s hiphop-laden grooves that harken back to their late-’90s period for a burdensome, dense atmosphere. In fact, this may be the band’s most atmospheric record since their 1992 sophomore “Pure.” While the album has solid material, it loses the momentum of its predecessor, though

could get life-saving surgery. That surgery was a double lung transplant, which meant they had to stay for a whole year. That was a year full of chaos with a feeling of emptiness. No matter how old I get, my mom is my mom and our connection is forever. Even though she was 900 miles away, she still managed to take care of her family at home, balance her work, and be a full-time caregiver - she

My mom has also given us her all, from taking us on vacations and getaways to bringing us to see our favorite artists in concert. She’s taken me to see my other favorite divas such as Diana Ross, Beyoncé, Janet Jackson, TLC, En Vogue, and many more. When I was little, my parents divorced, only leaving me with a few memories of them together. But the memories I have with my parents

never gets enough credit for any of this. She would still fly home for any major or minor events my younger siblings or I had going on, from my sister’s school dance to my high school graduation.

Marcus Falcão / THE GATEPOST

Happy Birthday to My Favorite Diva By Louie Ranieri Staff Writer For this issue of “Diva Talk,” I want to wish my favorite diva, who is also my mother, a happy birthday. This diva is one that I’ve witnessed the highs and lows of life with, showing me that I can take control of any situation. She is living proof that you can be your own boss in life. Having my mom on my side for 19 years now, truly is a testament of how fortunate I am. No matter the distance or circumstance, I know she is always there for me. She does so much for my family - members of my family don’t always see it fully and might take her for granted. My mom is always putting others first before herself, mentally and physically, never stopping to take the time she needs and deserves for herself. Just last year, she had no choice but to move to Chicago with my grandmother so she

@TheGatepost | FSUgatepost.com

separately are undeniably the best! One of my favorite memories to date is going sledding with my mom early in the morning before she dropped me off at

that is an unfair criticism considering Broadrick’s current condition. If anything, they are doing way better than certain legacy industrial acts… but that’s a story for another day. Godflesh may be done, but Broadrick certainly isn’t. The follow-up to “Decay,” tentatively titled “The End,” is set to release next year. He also plans a new project called “White Light District” to continue his legacy of making “heavy, ugly music.” Despite Godflesh ending soon, their and Broadrick’s legacy will carry on, speaking to millions of nomads scattered on the Earth. To summarize the impact this music has, Broadrick said it best in an interview with The Guardian: “It’s outsider music. It doesn’t belong, and I don’t belong, and I’m happy to not belong. I don’t want to belong.”

“Cheers to us who don’t belong.” B

CONNECT WITH DAN LIMA

dlima2@student.framingham.edu

preschool. We would go down the hill over and over while the orange and pink sky turned blue. Once the sky was blue, we’d get hot chocolate before making it to school on time for drop off. These are the earliest memories I have that will always stay with me. My mother’s impact on me has been tremendous, showing me that nothing is impossible. If you dream it, you can do it. A businesswoman, mother, wife, sister, friend, and so much more to so many others, she has left an everlasting impact on people for the better. If those people don’t notice it, that’s their loss. This woman has taught me and led me to discover who I truly am. Without my mother, I would be lost in this dark world. Happy birthday, Mom. I love you endlessly. Thank you for everything you do.

CONNECT WITH LOUIE RANIERI

lranieri@student.framingham.edu

ARTS & FEATURES

NOVEMBER 13, 2026 | 11

‘Shift At Midnight’ - an elevated retail experience By Cole Johnson Copy Editor

A middle-aged bank teller approaches the register in your dingy store. You scan her ID, ask her birthday. You know, the usual stuff. She tells you it’s March 8, 1955, warmly remarking, “Such a lovely spring birthday!” The date checks out with the database, though she looks a tad older than 38. You bag her purchases, and just as you’re about to bid her goodbye, it hits you - March 8 isn’t in the spring. Without further conversation, you pull a handgun from under the register and send her corporeal form flying into chunks, spattering blood over the tile floor and sunglasses stand. Your coworker doesn’t blink. “I’ll get the mop.” Developed by Ben Muen, Shift At Midnight is a multiplayer horror game that tasks players with operating a convenience store for 13 nights. Thrilling, I know, but the real meat of the game is the customers. In addition to stocking, cleaning, and decorating the store, you must evaluate each buyer to discern whether they are human or a doppelganger, an impersonation piloted by a foreign entity at odds with humanity. Doppelgangers look human, but there’s some inconsistency in their appearance or story. Naturally, you as a minimum-wage employee are

a vital line of defense against this world-endangering threat. Discrepancies start out obvious. A woman whose profile says she has a “scar on her face” has no skin on her head. An ancient lady claims to be born in 1990 - in a game set in 1993. If you confront her about it, s h e ’ l l sweetly reply,

“ Ye s , Cole J

ohnso

n / TH

E GAT

OST dear, 3 years old and counting.” As the game progresses, however, clues become subtler. A customer’s ID or appearance could turn up nothing, but you might find evidence against them by looking up the details of a claimed relative or searching their car. Additional means emerge over time for fact-checking. A daily news bulletin informs you of ongoing events that may contradict your customer’s stories. The register occasionally gains a new device to scan appearances and emotions. Ironically, the wider range of information makes it more likely for something to slip

Puzzles

through the cracks of your investigation. The late game pulls some evil tricks on you, gaslighting you into scrutinizing every banal minutia. You can get so obsessed with the clues you’re missing, you’ll end up blowing away a perfectly innocent person after gleaning a non-existent meaning from a passing detail - yes, that poor lady was just using a general term indicating a birthday any time from March through May. I’m going to hell. The burden is somewhat alleviated by having friends on shift. You often find yourself tailing a doppelganger into the street after your coworkers catch something you missed. The game has you in a balancing act between safety and profit. You’re penalized for escaped doppelgangers or killed humans, and you want to complete as many purchases as possible to satisfy your employer and buy medication for your sick pet you adopt at the start of the game. Occasionally, your pet attends your shift, patrolling the store and gobbling up the remains of dispatched doppelgangers. At least it’s easier than using garbage bags. Each shift ends with bated breath. If any doppelgangers completed a transaction, the lights shut off and the store interior glows blood red. Prepare

23. Fruit drink suffixes 24. Longtime British sports cars 25. Heaviest fencing weapons 27. Word after “high” or “herbal” 28. Nintendo avatar 29. Ancient character 31. ’20s-’30s architectural style 33. Like cash on hand 37. Praising poems 38. 2-2, e.g. 39. Oom-___ (tuba sound) 40. Popular Japanese beer 43. Text that might get “ur welcome” in response 44. Raced (through) 45. Cup that might say “Don’t mocha me laugh” 46. Birdlike 49. “The best thing ___ sliced bread” 50. Cookie with a candy corn flavor 52. *“Pretty, pretty please!” 54. Classic science class experiment ... or a hint to the starred clues’ answers 56. Some figures on wedding cakes 57. “Help me, please ...” 58. They enforce mob rule 59. Nile reptile 60. “I Want It That ___” (1999 Backstreet Boys single) 61. Colony insects DOWN 1. Censoring sounds 2. Perform better than 3. Nickname for Wally’s brother, in a ’50s-’60s sitcom 4. Chords whose notes are played sequentially 5. Cove or bay 6. Suppress 7. Rds. 8. Genre for Bob Marley 9. Signify 10. Wise sayings

ACROSS 1. Drink thatgives you something to chew on 5. Mensa members’ stats 8. Nutrition label fig 11. Like less cloudy skies 12. *Kicked a soccer ball between an opponent’s legs 14. Exercise involving a foot part 15. Garfield’s favorite food 16. *Assorted stir-fry components 18. Wide-eyed 19. Insta hashtag for creative motivation 20. Folks who may dress in all black 22. Gobbled up

for an entity attack. You have a minute to lay traps and board the doors before a fleshy spider-like being enters and begins stalking the aisles. Either wait it out or gun it down until it leaves to survive the night. After the night ends, you’re presented with a list of the day’s customers, revealing them as human or doppelgangers. The list actually specifies the incriminating attributes of each doppelganger, which I have mixed feelings about. Being told exactly what you missed hurts the game’s replayability, but it also gradually trains you to more thoroughly assess future customers, which makes it feel more rewarding to catch impostors with increasingly scant information. The combination of poor graphics, janky animations and absurd dialogue result in a game that is often more silly than it is scary. Horror isn’t really the main appeal here, but the chaos that ensues as the game unfolds is entirely intended and welcome.

No one will believe you. B+

CONNECT WITH COLE JOHNSON

11. Premium spot at the opera 13. (I’m a goat!) 14. Popular dating app 16. Sporty Mazda 17. Apple platform 21. Feel 24. Little squeakers 26. ___ rally 28. Magazines and such Puzzle solutions are now 29. Tulip O’Hare portrayer in exclusively online. “Preacher” 30. Early operating system 32. Play-___ 34. People after whom things are named 35. DEA agents, slangily 36. Grp. for Cyprus and Czechia 40. One-celled organism 41. Power spikes 42. Generational disparity 43. Bar bill 44. Tiger-lion hybrids 47. Cello cousin 48. Suggest 49. Stuck-up sort 51. Peculiar 53. Element in steel 55. Column’s counterpart

Word Hunt 1. Sweep

8. Singer 9. Games

R 2. Speaker E 3. Coffee

D 4. Drums

11. Galaxy

12. Cup

I 5. Predict C 6. Patch

T 7. Two Y

10. Awareness

13. Pitch 14. Future

FRAMINGHAM STATE UNIVERSITY'S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1932 | FSUGATEPOST.COM

12 | NOVEMBER 13, 2026

PHOTOS

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Onyx Lovely / THE GATEPOST

Spread by Photos & Design Editor Onyx Lovely and Interim Asst. Photos & Design Editor Rose Hamilton

@The Gatepost | FSUgatepost.com