September 26, 2025

Sundown on State Street

Danforth Art Museum recieves $4,660,000 donation

By Sarah Daponde Editorial Staff

In June, the Danforth Art Museum and Art School received a donation of $4,660,000 from the estate of a dedicated supporter and trustee, Susan Litowitz, just in time for its 50th anniversary.

Museum Director and Curator Jessica Roscio said this is the largest gift ever given to the Danforth since its opening in 1975.

Art School Director Noelle Fournier said she is most excited about “being able to execute the things we’ve been dreaming about.”

The endowment is divided into four sections, said Roscio.

The largest amount goes toward the Litowitz Family Gallery to support the installation and programming of the museum’s exhibitions.

“We’re finding we’re able to do things and support artists in a way that we weren’t before,” said Roscio.

She said the museum’s exhibitions are planned three years in advance and all artists featured in the Danforth are based in New England.

Many artists are found through the Danforth’s juried summer shows, as well as through portfolio reviews and recommendations from other artists, said Roscio.

“It tends to be a pretty organic process - developing a relationship with an artist and finding a body of work that we would like to show and then [finding] how it fits into the other exhibitions,” she added.

The gift cannot be used to purchase artwork directly because this is done through a separate acquisitions fund. Roscio said she hopes the Danforth will

By Sophia Oppedisano Editor-in-Chief

On a moody New England September day, newly fallen leaves crunched underfoot as clouds hung low over the picturesque Massachusetts town of Concord.

The cozy charm of warmly lit colonial homes and coffee-scented air wafting from shops adorned in fairy lights signaled the arrival of fall, along with the ominous weather.

It was precisely the type of day that almost demanded a cup of tea, a cozy armchair, and a good book.

Even so, one group of Framingham State students chose to put down their books for a field trip through literary Concord that included stops at The Old Manse, Orchard House, and Walden Pond Sept. 24.

The English Department has been sponsoring the annual Concord field trip since 2014, when English Professors Carolyn Maibor and then-department chair Desmond McCarthy decided to create an opportunity for English students to enjoy a bonding experience early in the academic year, according to McCarthy.

“This was the perfect location because there’s so much history near Framingham

State, and students are so busy they don’t have an opportunity to get out to Concord and look at all of these historic sites. … We thought we could match up some of our courses, like American Romanticism and Literary Study taught by Dr. Maibor, and get them out here during the beautiful fall weather,” McCarthy said.

Chair of the English Department Lisa Eck has attended the field trip for the last five years since becoming department chair. She said since then, she’s become “addicted.

Alexis Schlesinger / THE GATEPOST

A long-exposure photo capturing a fall night in front of May Hall.

E ditorial Board

Editor-in-Chief

Sophia Oppedisano

Associate Editors

Adrien Gobin

Dylan Pichnarcik

Copy Editor

Antonio Machado

News Editor

Bella Grimaldi

Opinions Editor

Izayah Morgan

Sports Editor Izabela Gage

Asst. Sports Editors

Taylor Kimmell

Arts & Features Editors

Francisco Omar Fernandez Rodriguez

Owen Glancy

Asst. Arts & Features Editors

Sarah Daponde

Liv Dunleavy

Photos & Design Editors

Alexis Schlesinger

Illustrations Editor

Ronnie Chiu-Lin

Marcus Falcão

Staff Writers

Jesse Burchill

Kristel Erguiza

Paul Harrington

Dan Lima

Kate Norrish

Andrew Ramirez

Advisor Desmond McCarthy

Asst. Advisor

Elizabeth Banks

Graduate Advising Asst.

Emma Lyons

Gatepost Interview Luke Yubeta Student Trustee

By Dylan Pichnarcik Associate Editor

What inspired you to join SGA?

I think the biggest thing for me was just wanting to be a part of something bigger than myself. I guess I have that a little bit with hockey, but I feel like that only represents a small fraction of the school, and I felt like I could be part of something that represented everybody as a whole.

What do you hope to accomplish while serving as a Student Trustee?

The big thing that I said at the Board of Trustees’ meeting was the Administrators Forum. We are currently still working out the date for that because there was a [scheduling] conflict. So we had to reschedule from our original date, but it’s probably going to be sometime around mid-October.

What do you most enjoy about FSU?

I’ve enjoyed the opportunities I’ve had here. I feel like I’ve had the opportunity to put myself into the community and have opportunities that I wouldn’t have,

is just to listen to the concerns that students and staff have and bring those forth, because there’s a lot of things that I think that maybe, personally, I’m not 100% fully aware of and equipped to speak on. But I think if I listen to other people and hear their perspective, that it may give me an opportunity to understand them a little bit better and, hopefully, bring a voice for them, too.

What inspires you about your peers on SGA?

Everyone is committed and bought into serving this com-

I just want to represent the student population the way I think we should be. I think that I want to give a voice to everybody who deserves to have their voice [heard] and doesn’t feel represented the way they should. I just really want to be a mouthpiece for the student body. I don’t feel like my role is to advance myself from a personal perspective. I feel like my role is almost to serve as a public servant. We’re still working on a couple things right now.

especially at a bigger institution. … I feel like I’m able to connect with so many different important layers of our student population and just campus life as a whole that I could not get at a bigger institution.

What issues concerning students do you hope to bring to the Board of Trustees?

I think in our Meet the Candidates night, a lot of people felt that they aren’t represented. And I think my goal moving forward

munity. Like I said, I think the big thing is that, like myself, nobody’s in it for themselves. Everybody’s there to really make this campus a better place and to represent our student population, and I think we’ve got a really good group, especially with the Executive Board, to make that happen.

Courtesy of Luke Yubeta

Twenty-one students running for SGA fall elections

By Dylan Pichnarcik Associate Editor

SGA hosted a “Candidates’ Night” for members of the student body to meet and hear from peers running for SGA on Sept. 19.

Elections were held during the week of Sept. 22, and the results will be announced Friday, Sept. 26.

Of the 21 students, three are running for vice president. A race for the vice presidency has not been contested in a number of years, according to SGA Co-Advisor Rachel Spezia.

said he hopes to ensure funding for events and clubs and support SGA President César Matos in his efforts to improve meal plans for commuter students.

Shubham Valand, who is also running for vice president, said in this role, he will work to coordinate senate meetings and maintain clear communication between SGA and student organizations.

He said serving on SGA will also further improve his leadership skills.

experience along with her “passion for building and fostering relationships here at Framingham State.”

Royal currently serves as a field marketing specialist for Dining Services.

She said her goal as publicist would be to “ensure every student knows about the opportunities, events, and essential resources to be successful and that are available to them through the Student Government Association.”

every student feels included.

Jada James said she hopes joining SGA will serve as an opportunity for her to get involved in the FSU community.

“I want to be a part of a team that caters to student engagement and is making a difference. I think it’s important that every student has a voice and representation to express their experiences at Framingham State,” James said.

There are 18 students running for positions as senators. Currently, SGA has one senator.

According to the SGA constitution, there are 30 seats in the senate.

Elizabeth Agbolade was not in attendance for Candidates’ Night, but is on the ballot for the vice presidency.

Jobe Murphy was the first candidate to speak and is running for vice president.

Murphy said he is seeking election to address concerns raised by both commuter and resident students.

“I hope to help represent as many of these University students and staff as possible and bridge a gap between those [students] in different years to create a more unified campus,” Murphy said.

Murphy said in the past, he has served as an intern for Andrew Ghobrial, who now serves as the Town Clerk for Natick.

In his closing statement, Murphy said, “We’re all students of this college. I wish to make it easy and enjoyable.” He

Valand said in his previous role as an orientation leader, he “learned one thing: that true leadership is not just about standing. It’s about standing with others, listening to their voices, and lifting them up.”

Royal said she hopes to also support “non-traditional” students through engagement.

“We may commute, jump to

Cia Rosado said she hopes to ensure every student’s voice is heard on campus, “especially those who may not feel comfortable speaking for themselves.”

Rosado added she plans to

Valand said he also hopes to make campus “more inclusive, more innovative, and more united.”

After remarks from the candidates for vice president, Matt Lee, who is running for publicist, spoke about his belief that “visibility and communication are what really bring the campus community together.”

Lee said he hopes to improve communication by using various platforms, including social media, flyers, newsletters, and in-person events.

“I want the information to be clear, easy to follow, and easily available so more people feel motivated to participate. I’ll bring creativity, responsibility, and passion to this role,” he said.

Running against Lee for publicist is Taylor Royal.

Royal said she believes she is a strong candidate for the publicist position because of her prior

jobs, or try to find a balance within our family responsibilities. Because of this, it can be hard to see where we fit in, and I want to be the one to change that,” she said.

Ling Zhang is running for secretary unopposed and did not make a speech at the event.

After the conclusion of the eBoard candidates’ remarks, candidates for the open senatorial positions spoke.

Mari Awuah said she is running for SGA to unite the campus community.

She said she believes campus has become divided and students do not have mutual respect for each other.

“That is not what our school should represent. Our school should represent equality and respect, meaning that we need to treat others the way they would like to be treated,” she said.

Cam Rokes said he will strive to make campus a better place while serving on SGA.

He said he hopes to ensure

address mental health advocacy on campus by increasing awareness of on-campus resources.

“I’m committed to advocating for greater accessibility to mental health services and spreading the normalcy of reaching out and continuing to advise students of their resources,” she said.

Merlin Clive said their goal is to support any student regardless of background and identity - a goal she has worked toward as an orientation leader and supplemental instructor on campus.

Clive said they also serve as the secretary of Latinos Unidos N’ Accion.

They said they hope to “uplift our students of color, students with accessibility needs, and our LGBTQ community on campus. Their voices and concerns deserve to be heard in efforts to diversify campus voices.”

Danforth Art Museum receives $4,660,000 donation

Continued from Page 1 be able to use it to better support the artists who show their work instead.

“Even though we can’t use this gift to purchase artwork, it will hopefully lead to more artwork coming into the collection by connecting us with more artists,” she added.

Professor of Art Timothy McDonald hopes the donation will lead to the Danforth being able to acquire more pieces of art. “Anything that would help the museum expand their collec-

portion of the marketing budget can be used to increase community outreach as the Danforth’s 50th anniversary approaches, Fournier said.

She said the Danforth will host a party to celebrate the anniversary on Nov. 22, which will be their first fundraiser since the museum’s transition from Downtown Framingham in 2016.

Roscio and Fournier are the only employees who moved from the downtown location to the current location.

“We were packing the art-

to be our 50th year and to have this gift … it was a really big shot in the arm,” Roscio added.

Fournier said Litowitz wanted the final portion of the endowment to be used specifically for art students aged 50 and older. The money will make free classes and events much more possible.

The classes take place on the third floor of the Danforth, which makes it easy for students to go down to the museum and look around whenever they want, said Fournier.

The Danforth likes to focus

Emily Agnelli attended a printmaking workshop at the Danforth. “I got great instruction and everyone was very helpful,” she said. “Having a resource like this so close to campus is awesome.”

Agnelli said she would consider taking classes at the Danforth even after graduating from Framingham State. She said she believes it is important for adults to have a place to continue learning about and making art.

“I think the fact that the Danforth provides a workspace

tion is a good thing because it will broaden and deepen the experience of art for students and the community,” he said.

The second portion of the gift goes toward the museum’s educational programs, said Fournier.

Framingham State students receive free admission to the art museum year-round. The campus is a short walk from the Danforth, located on Vernon Street, and students are able to take classes taught by Framingham State faculty to earn credit toward their degrees.

Fournier said the Danforth also employs several Framingham State students and offers a number of internships.

Another portion of the donation is set aside for marketing and community engagement. A

work physically to come over here,” said Fournier.

The Danforth’s downtown location closed in 2016. The Danforth merged with Framingham State and moved to its current location in the winter of 2017. It took four months for the art school to reopen and three years for the museum to reopen, said Roscio.

“And then COVID came right after we reopened. … It’s been an interesting past six years,” she added.

She said the “incredibly welcome and robust” support from Framingham State’s administration made a big difference in the Danforth’s journey and community outreach.

“To be in a really good place and to be working more closely with the University and for it

on the connection between art viewing and art making. “There are not a lot of places you can do that,” she added.

Litowitz took many classes at the Danforth, Fournier said.

“She was quite an accomplished artist herself, which was pretty amazing,” she added.

Litowitz’s involvement, both as a supporter and artist, began before the Danforth’s merger with Framingham State University and lasted until her death in 2023 at the age of 69.

“It was also just really wonderful that this gift came from one of our former trustees who both Noelle and I had worked with at the old Danforth and the new Danforth. … To know she had this level of faith in the institution was really wonderful,” Roscio said.

Fournier said Litowitz’s voice was important, especially for the Danforth’s educational programming.

“It’s kind of a public acknowledgement that the Danforth really needed for other donors to see,” said Fournier. “It’s really transformed how we can conceive of ourselves in the realm of institutions.”

Students at the Danforth do not have to attend Framingham State University, according to Fournier. Anyone from the community is welcome to take a class at the art school, including young children, teenagers, and adults.

The Danforth welcomed over 500 students during their summer art programs, added Fournier.

Sophomore Studio Art major

and instruction is very impactful and beneficial. I think there are a lot of people who want to learn to create and make things but don’t know where to begin,” she added.

Senior Studio Art student Zen Crosby works at the Danforth in Visitor Services.

“I hope we can host more community art events so we can build community within the MetroWest. ... I also think it would be wonderful if we held more classes and workshops,” they said.

Junior Studio Art major Miranda Alicon took a class at the Danforth during her freshman year and said it allowed her to see more of the museum than she previously had.

“Non-art students don’t know about it as much,” she said. In the future, she hopes to see the Danforth advertise more about their events and programs.

Angel Marin-Caceres, a sophomore English major at Framingham State, enjoys visiting the Danforth and hopes to take a class there in the future. “I think the most enriching part is how it features a lot of diverse artists,” she said.

Alexis Schlesinger / THE GATEPOST

Photographs in the Danforth Art Museum.

Alexis Schlesinger / THE GATEPOST Sculptures in the Danforth Art Museum.

Elevator repairs to be completed by October

By Dylan Pichnarcik Associate Editor

Five elevators on campus have malfunctioned over the past few months and have been repaired or are scheduled to be repaired, according to Maureen Fowler, chief environmental health and safety officer.

The elevator issues are unrelated to one another, as differing components are breaking in each system, she said.

“I think they are isolated incidents that are just happening all at once,” she said.

Elevators in the McCarthy Center, Henry Whittemore Library, Hemenway Hall, and Corinne Hall Towers have all been repaired as of press time. Additionally, an elevator in Miles Bibb Hall is scheduled to be serviced during the month of October, according to Fowler.

During the week of Sept. 1, a relay switch malfunctioned, causing the McCarthy Center elevator to be out of service three times, according to Fowler.

A relay switch is an electrical component that acts as a switch for controlling electrical circuits, she said. The relay switch is responsible for controlling the elevator’s movement, leveling, and safety systems.

The relay switch was reset by Delta-Beckwith, the University’s elevator service provider, to ensure the elevator returned to its normal operation, according to Fowler.

Delta-Beckwith is an elevator service provider based in Canton. Their services include installation, repairs, and refurbishment, according to the Delta-Beckwith website.

The Framingham State University Police Department (FSUPD) notified the FSU community by email that the McCarthy elevator was out of service on Sept. 4, Sept. 5, and Sept. 6.

Additional emails were sent each day when the elevator temporarily returned to service.

After the repairs on Sept. 4 and 5, a repair of the elevator’s relay switch has returned the

By Bella Grimaldi News Editor

Two Framingham State University Police Department phone line outages occurred on Aug. 21 and Aug. 25, according to an FSU Alert that was emailed to students.

According to FSUPD Chief Joseph Cecchi, the emergency line phone or PD cell number received four calls during the Aug. 21 outage and 10 calls during the Aug. 25 outage.

He said FSUPD was not notified of any emergencies during the Aug. 21 outage and notified of one emergency during the Aug. 25 outage.

“FSUPD also ensured that notification of phone line outages on both dates was passed along to Framingham fire and police,” said Cecchi in an email to The Gatepost.

The Aug. 21 outage lasted about an hour, according to Mike Zinkus, executive director of infrastructure and operations.

Students were first alerted about the phone lines going out at 10:29 a.m. A second email was sent at 11:34 a.m. informing students the phone lines were back up and running.

elevator to service.

The elevator has remained operational since the last repair, according to Fowler, at which time a subsequent email was sent on Sept. 8 notifying the community the elevator was back in service.

Fowler said the repair was a “simple fix,” and the elevator has functioned properly since the repair was made.

The total cost of the repair was $6,120, which was paid for using the facilities maintenance budget, which was used for the cost of labor, according to Fowler.

FSU has a standing purchase order with Delta-Beckwith and was not required to pay for the cost of any parts, she added.

On July 17, the McCarthy elevator was approved for use and inspected by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Department of Occupational Licensure, according to the elevator’s certification, which is posted in each elevator on campus.

Each year, the elevators on campus are inspected by the Department of Occupational Licensure and, upon approval, certified for use, according to Fowler.

Every five years, the elevators are tested using weights to ensure they will hold the maximum amount of weight required, she said.

The elevator inspector performs tests using weights that total five times the approved weight limit of the elevator, she said. Additionally, they inspect all safety features, lights, and air conditioning.

According to Fowler, the McCarthy elevator was originally installed in the 1970s and was upgraded in 2005. Currently, there are no plans to replace or upgrade the elevator.

“They work fine. That’s just a piece of equipment that works, and they keep working until they break,” she said.

The elevator in the Henry Whittemore Library was also installed in the 1970s and was upgraded in 2008.

Zinkus said once Information Technology Services (ITS) was notified of the issue, it was resolved in about 15 minutes.

He added the main phone line was unavailable for about half an hour.

According to Zinkus, this outage was caused by a short circuit in the Hemenway Hall elevator. The short circuit caused the phone system in the elevator to repeatedly call University Police, which stopped other calls from reaching FSUPD.

He said, “It was tying up the phone line. So if it was timed correctly, it’d be like you’re calling a restaurant on a Friday night and it’s busy. You have a bunch of people ordering, you might sneak into that one slot and actually get through, but for the most part, that line would be unavailable.”

He added the malfunction with the elevator call button was the only case he’s aware of occurring in his 25 years working at the University.

“It’s just a technical malfunction. … It’s technology. It’s not perfect. Things happen and as IT, it’s our job to identify it and resolve it as quickly as possible,” Zinkus said.

He said the repair of the mal-

Fowler said Delta-Beckwith had to repair parts in the library elevator pit in August.

The elevator pit houses a piston that raises and lowers the elevator.

The total cost of the elevator pit repair was $21,510, which was funded through the facilities budget.

There is no immediate plan to replace or refurbish the library elevator, she said.

According to Fowler, the general working life of an elevator is between 25 and 30 years without refurbishment.

She said she anticipates the McCarthy elevator and Whittemore Library elevator will continue service for an additional 10 to 15 years.

Additionally, the elevators in Corinne Hall Towers were repaired by Delta-Beckwith over the summer, according to Fowler.

The Towers elevator ropes, which pull the elevator up and down, needed to be replaced along with the elevator drive, according to Fowler.

An elevator drive is an electrical component that powers the elevator’s movement.

The total cost of repair to the two elevators in Towers was $43,704 and came from the facilities budget, Fowler said.

The elevators located in Towers were installed in 2004 and are located centrally in the building’s lobby, she said.

Currently, the Towers elevators are fully operational with no reported outages.

However, on days when the elevators are in heavy use, such as move-in days on campus, Delta-Beckwith is on site as a precaution to provide immediate service in the event of an outage, according to Robert Totino, vice president of Finance, Technology, and Administration.

According to Fowler, this has been a practice at FSU for the last 20 years, and there has not been an issue during that time.

“It’s just so important to get students out in a quick manner that we have a standby person.

function was a routine fix.

According to Zinkus, ITS tests the elevators’ phone systems once a year.

Students were first notified of the Aug. 25 outage at 5:39 p.m.

A second FSU Alert email was sent at 10:33 p.m. notifying students the FSUPD phone lines were back in service.

“Once we were notified of that, we opened a case with Comcast,” said Zinkus.

He added the outage was resolved within two to three hours, but additional testing was required before students were notified.

According to Zinkus, this outage was caused by Comcast, which is the company that provides the circuits to campus.

He said during this outage, students would have still been able to reach University Police. The outage stopped calls coming to and from campus.

“Comcast had an outage on their end. So our phone system wasn’t down per se. Everything internal was still working,” said Zinkus.

According to Zinkus, Comcast didn’t provide the University with information about the cause of the outage.

“Something of this nature

Because one time, some years before we started this process, the elevators failed to work properly. So now we bring them in to make sure,” Fowler said.

She said she is not concerned about the elevator issues on campus. “I don’t think students should be, either.”

Another residence hall, Miles Bibb, which has a newer elevator powered by a computer, will also need to be repaired, according to Fowler.

The Miles Bibb elevator has been out of service during the week of Sept. 22 and is expected to be repaired sometime in October.

Totino said he believes the elevator issues on campus are a “hardship” for the FSU community. “I have empathy and I don’t appreciate that they go down on certain occasions. … I hope that the community does not feel in any way that there is inequity.”

On Aug. 21, one of the elevators in Hemenway Hall malfunctioned, causing repeated calls to FSUPD, which blocked other calls from being received through FSUPD dispatch, according to Michael Zinkus, executive director of infrastructure and operations.

According to Fowler, the elevator’s emergency call button was reset by the Department of Information Technology Services. The elevator and its emergency call button have not had any malfunctions since Aug. 21.

Freshman Darshany Wilson said he feels the elevators on campus are “never working.”

Freshman Aquila Youtehypeolit said she thinks the University can “do better. “It’s very slow and there are people who are missing classes or meetings. And there are people who can’t really use the stairs,” she said.

Freshman Taylor Brennan does not use elevators on campus because she “doesn’t like elevators.”

CONNECT WITH DYLAN PICHNARCIK dpichnarcik@student.framingham.edu

is typically a technical issue or power outage on their end,” he said.

Zinkus said there was no cost to the University to resolve these outages.

“If employees have to work to rectify something, there are costs associated with what they’re getting paid. In terms of having to provide money to Comcast … that’s all part of a service agreement,” he said.

According to Zinkus, when there is an outage, there is another phone number that can be used to reach University Police. This number is listed in the FSU Alert email.

He said this line is set up through a separate company called Bandwidth.

The phone circuits from Comcast and Bandwidth were installed in July, 2021, according to Zinkus. He said it’s not feasible to test the approximate 1,000 phones across campus.

He said, “They register with the system so we can see in real time whether something is up or down.”

OP/ED

In the fall of 1931, Miriam Jagodnik Feldman noticed something was missing on the Framingham Normal School’s campus.

She created a template for a newspaper as a class project. The Hilltop News was so successful that the Student Government Association allocated money for her to start a permanent student newspaper.

The first issue of The Gatepost was published in March 1932.

While The Gatepost has undergone drastic changes over the years in keeping with the evolution of our campus, our core mission remains the same.

We serve the Framingham State University community.

Our commitment to ethics, objectivity, and the First Amendment is at the forefront of what we are.

For 94 years, we have established ourselves as an independent newspaper, meaning our editorial board has complete control over the decisions it makes in terms of what we cover and what appears in our newspaper without influence from the University itself.

As members of the free press, we have an obligation to our readers to present factual information in every area of our paper. Each article is meticulously fact-checked and edited to put forth only the truth in an objective, fair, and engaging manner. The choices made about content in our paper are entirely student-driven as a collaborative effort across our staff.

Our staff works tirelessly to ensure all voices are heard and represented in everything published under The Gatepost’s masthead.

Independent media is a cornerstone of the free press, and it has come under attack by the Trump Administration in the last year. Independent student newspapers across the country have taken the opportunity as the semester has gotten underway to reaffirm their commitment to the independent free press and the free speech of their reporters.

The network of independent student newspapers in New England, which we publish alongside, serves as inspiration for our staff, and it is an honor to publish alongside papers such as The Harvard Crimson, Boston College’s The Heights, UMass Amherst’s Massachusetts Daily Collegian, and many other publications that are preserving their commitment to free speech.

The Gatepost is no different.

The Gatepost Editorial Board would like to reassert that we are completely committed to reporting on the issues that affect our campus community. It is part of our responsibility as journalists to serve our community by writing about the issues that matter to them and will affect their daily lives on this campus.

This includes news regarding any action the Trump Administration or the Department of Education might take

that will specifically affect our campus. However, national news stories and stories from the City of Framingham that do not affect our students are usually left to national and local reporters.

This campus and your voices are our top priority.

This commitment has not changed over the years. Every editorial board that has led The Gatepost has prided itself on its dedication to ethically and objectively informing our community about breaking news, as well as sharing the daily life and events that make our campus a lively and inclusive place to be.

In addition, we are lucky to be able to share the stories of both students and faculty. Our athletes, student organizations, staff, and faculty are incredibly knowledgeable, talented individuals, and we deeply enjoy introducing them to our University, whether that be in our weekly Gatepost Interview or in our sports and arts & features sections.

Just as was the case 94 years ago, we continue to be graciously funded by our colleagues in the Student Government Association, and we thank them for their continued support of our mission. Our constitution is in keeping with their guidelines that we use our funds to create a newspaper that is by and for the students on this campus.

Our efforts have consistently been rewarded by prestigious journalism organizations, including the New England Newspaper & Press Association (NENPA) and the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ). The Gatepost has been named one of the best college newspapers in New England for three consecutive years by one or both of these organizations.

We earn these incredible honors as a small, dedicated, unpaid staff operating with two incredibly knowledgeable and encouraging advisors.

We are proud of the commitment to excellence that is shared by every editor, writer, photographer, and designer who occupies McCarthy 410 as a workspace, creative environment, and home.

In keeping with our mission, The Gatepost Editorial Board welcomes members of the Framingham State community to visit our office, share feedback, and connect with our writers.

We value the importance of truly representing the diverse voices and experiences of our community, and it is of the utmost importance to our staff to represent this community to the best of our ability.

The Gatepost is a trust - one passed down from Editorial Board to Editorial Board. We, the 2025-26 Gatepost Editorial Board, have inherited a standard for excellence and a deep commitment to our community.

Our mission will never falter, and we will persist.

Adrien Gobin / THE GATEPOST

Campus Conversations

“What is your favorite fall treat?”

By Izayah Morgan, Opinions Editor and Alexis Schlesinger, Editorial Staff

“I would say pumpkin cookies.”

Micheal Kurtzer, senior

“It’s a tie between candy corn and pumpkin pie.”

Audrey Gauthier, sophomore

”I really like chocolate chip cookies. I love the texture, and I really love sweets.”

Marlin Polanco, junior

Small pets deserve equal respect

By Kate Norrish Staff Writer

When I was 11, I got my first rodent - a Chinese hamster named Totoro. The life expectancy for Chinese hamsters is three years, but he lived with me for four years in a 20-gallon fish tank. He spent his nights running on his wheel so much it could have provided electricity for our entire house and days nibbling on fresh vegetables and sleeping under a layer of bedding in his favorite wooden house.

I have since had two guinea pigs, Wilbur and Ernest; two gerbils, Pickman and Cavor; a Syrian hamster, Hobbes; and I currently have a mouse named Moomin. It was only several years after Hobbes, the last rodent I owned, died of mites, that I learned that hamsters are famous for dying young.

While looking at cute pictures of these little buggers on the internet, I saw a variety of “jokes” surrounding how people’s childhood hamsters died - from falling down the stairs in an exercise ball to being sucked up in a vacuum cleaner or “pooping themselves to death.” The last one included the author laughing about the name of the disease - wet taila common rodent killer that is one of my worst nightmares as a pet owner.

I also competed in various animal shows growing up, and

these events usually had periods where the public could meet the animals and, with some species, pet them. Many members of the public were shocked to see how much it took to take care of my rodents.

The way pets other than dogs and cats are perceived has always made me uncomfortable. They are often seen as being for children, despite the fact that, due to their delicateness, most species of rodent should not be handled by children younger than their preteen years. In fact, when I was in a club for rodent owners growing up, no one under the age of 10 was allowed to join for that exact reason. They are also seen as something involving little work and can live in nearly any environment.

In reality, guinea pigs need at least 5-to-7 square feet of space in their cage per animal, and because they are social animals, you will need at least double that, according to the Humane Society International. They defecate a lot - to the point where my guinea pigs’ cage was vacuumed on a daily basis. I would also bathe them once a month, clip their nails every few weeks, give them pellet food and hay as needed, though I would give them a set amount of pellets every day if I were to get more, and give them fruits and vegetables every other day.

Hamsters need at least 600 square inches of space - a

“I would say a pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks.”

Shubham Valand, junior

“Apple cider donuts because you usually get them at an apple orchard.”

Alex Mrotek, senior

20-gallon tank has since been discovered as being too small, according to the North American Hamster Association. This makes the vast majority of pet store hamster cages inappropriate. Instead, many people have the smart idea of buying a large plastic bin and attaching a large square of chicken wire to the top as a cheap cage for their beloved little guy.

Another common need that many people forget about is a small tray of chinchilla dust that should be kept in the cage at all times so the hamster can clean themself, as hamsters should not come in contact with water, according to the California Hamster Association. Gerbil and mouse care is relatively similar, though gerbils need at least 360 square inches and much more bedding, according to the American Humane Society.

A single mouse is fine in a 10-gallon cage. Mice enjoy climbing more than hamsters and gerbils and do not need bath sand, according to the Arizona Humane Society. Gerbils and female mice are also social animals, according to the Animal Rights Coalition.

While I do believe that rodents can be a good “starter pet,” in fact, I am easily able to care for Moomin in my dorm room as an emotional support animal - even with a lot of classwork - I do not think anyone should rely on common

cultural knowledge when caring for any pet.

My recommendation is to start your research by watching YouTube videos by owners of the animals to understand what you’ll need to learn more about, then fact-check them using animal welfare organizations such as the MSPCA or the AHS. Some channels that I used, which I’ve found to be extremely accurate, are Something Animal for mice and hamsters, and Little Adventures for guinea pigs.

Please never trust anything a pet store tells you, as they often simplify an animal’s care requirement. I would strongly suggest avoiding chain pet stores such as Petco and PetSmart, as I frequently see animals with clear mental health issues - some signs of which include running in circles, and frequently falling backwards, according to The University of London. Along with being cruel, it makes the animal more difficult to tame. Also, make sure to check your local shelters for the animal you want. Smaller animals are ignored at shelters far too much.

But the most important thing to remember is that all pets, from dogs to betta fish, deserve a large enclosure, high quality food, treatment when they are sick, and most importantly, concern and love from their owners.

“Probably pumpkin roll. I’m just a big pastry guy, so a nice little sweet treat in the fall.”

Corey Roy, freshman

SPORTS

Women’s soccer victorious against Fitchburg

First conference victory against the Falcons since 2019

By Taylor Kimmell Asst. Sports Editor

The Framingham State Rams earned their first conference victory of the season with their 2-1 win against the Fitchburg State Falcons Sept. 20.

The Rams acknowledge this as a notable accomplishment, as just last season, the Falcons came out of the matchup victorious with a shutout win of 5-0.

This win improved the team’s conference record to 1-2 and their overall record to 2-4-1.

FSU began the match with a heavy offensive push, with junior Melissa Romeiro executing the first shot on goal only a minute in, which was saved by Fitchburg goalie Madison Dawkins.

Following an offside against the Rams and two fouls against Fitchburg, freshman Sophia Thimm had a second shot on goal, also saved by Dawkins around the 18-minute mark.

Several more fouls by Fitchburg placed the Rams’ forwards in scoring position, with sophomore Hailey Ring finding the back of the net at 25:23, putting in the first goal of the game.

Ring said she was grateful her goal was motivating for her teammates, saying, “It just gets us in the right mindset.

“Scoring makes us more confident, and we feel like we can play a bit more freely,” she added.

Fitchburg was next on the offensive, taking the ball to the net three minutes later, only to be stopped by goalkeeper Amelia Finley, a freshman.

Offensive possession switched again following a strong punt down the field by Finley, which led to another shot by Ring, which bounced off the Falcons’ goalpost.

The Rams kept the pressure on Fitchburg’s side of the field, with Captain Cathryn Cooney, a senior, making the next attempt on net. Again, Dawkins prevented a goal.

Two minutes after Cooney’s shot, Ring earned the team a corner kick, keeping the Rams’ pressure on the Falcons’ net.

Senior Sarah Campbell attempted to evade Dawkins, but her shot was also defended. Not 30 seconds later, Cooney attempted to score again, yet another save from Dawkins prevented the ball from getting through.

Fitchburg’s goalie continued to prove a tough opponent, as when senior Madison Magone sent in a shot, Dawkins was again there to block it.

A wide shot from Ring at 41:20 ended Framingham’s string of attempts on goal.

Fitchburg regained possession of the ball and sped down the field, with Falcons’ sophomore Noelle Kennedy netting the tying goal right before the end of the half.

Despite Fitchburg’s goal at the end of the first period, Framingham’s fire had not been doused.

Junior Ana Serrano took the ball to the net, her shot blocked by Falcons’ goalie Mia Herron.

Following this, Fitchburg regained possession and offensive control, barreling down the field once again.

Though Framingham’s defense kept tight to their marks, the Falcons were able to fire off two shots in the following minute - one sailing high above the net and the other bouncing far to the side.

Fitchburg’s failure to capitalize on its offensive advantage yielded another great offensive push for the Rams.

Expertly executed passes down the field put Thimm in position for a corner kick. The Rams kept the ball on the Falcons’ side of the midfield line for the next seven minutes.

Thimm shot a ball just wide of the net 13 minutes into the second half.

The Rams continued to keep the ball on their offensive end, with freshman Leiyani Buckner taking the ball on a penalty kick and sending a hard shot by Herron into the back of the Falcons’ net.

With this goal, Framingham regained the lead 2-1.

Buckner said her goal simply “added to the fire we’ve had the whole game.”

Ring said while the first goal of the game sets them on the right track, the second improves everyone’s confidence.

She said, “It’s helpful being able to get past the stress. Sometimes, we get flustered a little bit, but it’s better once we have

a couple of goals under our beltsomething to get us started.”

After taking back control of the game, Framingham continued to fire off shots, with Thimm’s blocked by Herron just a minute later.

Fitchburg, chasing another tying goal, brought the ball back to Framingham’s side of the midfield line.

Somehow dodging Framingham’s defenders, Fitchburg sent another ball toward the net, missing by just a few feet.

Framingham regained possession not a minute later, and through a strategic strand of consecutive passes and a brilliantly timed cross, Thimm was placed in shooting position once again.

Though Herron stumbled to return to the blocking position from her spot on the wrong side of a wide-open net, a Falcon defender slid in at the last second and blocked Thimm’s attempt on goal.

Buckner had a shot on goal at 62:22, with Herron stepping back into position to save the ball.

Sophomore Beyonce Gray also met a challenge when attempting to shoot on Herron two minutes later.

The two teams battled it out for the next several minutes, with each receiving two fouls for various reasons.

Following this, Fitchburg made another strong push on offense, though no forward could prove a worthy match for Finley.

Fitchburg earned a corner kick a minute later, but their offense could not use it to their advantage.

Two minutes later, Ring earned a corner kick for the Rams. This would be the team’s last offensive play of the game.

The last eight minutes of the game were riveting, with Fitchburg inching closer and closer to the net.

Every attempt by the Rams to regain possession proved futile, as the Falcons’ fierce determination began to increase.

Three shots from the Falcons in the last few minutes of the game had each spectator in the stands holding their breath.

A shot at 82:02 could not make it past Finley. A shot at 84:55 made its way into her arms instead of the back of the net.

As Fitchburg’s Kayla Prisley wound up to kick with a minute left in the match, silence filled the complex.

Then, in a mind-boggling change of scenery, the stands erupted into cheers as Finley threw herself on top of the ball to stop the shot, sealing Fitchburg’s fate.

As the Rams passed the ball down the field in tantalizing fashion to run down the clock, the doom-bound Falcons tried their best to steal back the ball for one last Hail Mary play.

Unfortunately for Fitchburg, that was not in the cards, and the clock ticked down, securing a 2-1 victory for Framingham.

Head Coach Michael La Francesca said their win was the result of extensive practice and the flexibility of the women on the field.

La Francesca said, “We had a number of strong performances across the board.”

He said key plays from scoring players, defenders, and Finley’s impressive game in the net helped make the win possible. Finley’s and Buckner’s performances earned them the MASCAC titles of Defensive Player of the Week and Rookie of the Week, respectively.

Cooney said, “[Finley] is a freshman starter, and she’s absolutely amazing. She can read the field really well.”

La Francesca said the win against the Falcons improves the Rams’ confidence while serving as a reminder of the level of intensity needed in each game.

La Francesca said, “Heading into Curry and Salem State, we’ll carry that energy with us but stay grounded, knowing both will be tough opponents.”

The Rams hosted Curry College on Wednesday, Sept. 24, tying the game 3-3 and bringing their overall record to 2-4-2.

The team hosts Salem State for a conference matchup Friday, Sept. 26.

Stats sourced from fsurams.com and MASCAC.com

CONNECT WITH TAYLOR KIMMELL tkimmell@student.framingham.edu

Adrien Gobin / THE GATEPOST

Hailey Ring kicking the ball in win against Fitchburg St. Sept. 20.

Football conquers Corsairs in upset win

By Izabela Gage Sports Editor

The Framingham State football team defeated the UMass Dartmouth Corsairs in a hardfought 14-10 conference matchup Sept. 20.

This win brings their conference record to 2-0 and their overall record to 2-1.

Head Coach Thomas Kelley said, “It was a team effort, and I’m really proud of these guys. It’s a young team.”

The Corsairs received the opening kickoff after winning the toss and advanced the ball to their own 34-yard line.

Dartmouth’s running back, Mekhi Wilson, picked up a couple of short gains, and quarterback JC Petrongolo completed a pass for a first down inside Framingham territory.

Defensive back Tyrell Fuller, a sophomore, forced a fumble, and linebacker Nick Quintina, a junior, recovered it at the Framingham 34-yard line.

On the ensuing drive, quarterback Scotty Brown, a junior, connected on a pass with wide receiver Adrian Sarrette, a sophomore, for 11 yards on third down. However, the Rams were forced to punt after a tackle for a loss.

With the ball back in Dartmouth’s possession, they tried to put the first points on the board, but the Rams’ defense held firm.

Wilson rushed for 5 yards on first down, but two incomplete passes later, the Corsairs punted the ball back.

Brown completed a pass to Sarrette for a short gain, while running back Jaheim Daniels, a sophomore, rushed for 3 yards and then six on back-to-back carries. But the Corsairs’ defensive front forced another punt.

Tackles by Quintina and defensive lineman Korrey Barron, a sophomore, held Dartmouth to only 5 yards, and possession was given back to Framingham.

Barron was named MASCAC Defensive Player of the Week Sept. 15 after making five tackles and blocking what would have been the game-winning field goal in the Rams’ 31-25 victory over the Anna Maria Amcats.

Barron said, “Every day, I just want to get better. My teammates and I every day … just got to keep working hard because we have to go to the championship at the end of this year.”

He said that success on the defensive line comes down to “staying in your gap … so you don’t get pushed out.”

With just over 5 minutes left, UMD’s Bryant Lopes fumbled a punt return, and Fuller came up big, diving on the loose ball. Framingham then had possession at the Corsairs’ 35.

On first-and-10, Daniels completed an 8-yard run, followed by Brown pushing for 2 yards for a first down.

Daniels advanced the ball 13 yards with a carry to push the Rams inside the 10.

Following two incomplete passes, Brown was sacked back at the 17. His fourth-down throw connected with Ramirez, but he was run out of bounds, and it was ruled incomplete.

The first quarter ended scoreless for both teams.

UMD began the second quarter pinned deep in their own ter-

ritory, unable to solve the Rams’ defensive backfield.

Petrongolo attempted to connect with UMD wide receiver Jayden Francois, but it was incomplete.

After a tackle by senior defensive end Kymauny Roland, the Corsairs punted once more.

On Framingham’s next drive, they set up at their own 32-yard line, and their breakthrough came midway through the quarter.

Brown connected a pass to Ramirez for 17 yards, and then was able to find wide receiver Stephen Gallant, a junior, for eight more across midfield.

A costly Dartmouth penalty for unnecessary roughness handed the Rams prime field position.

At third-and-13 on UMD’s 32yard line, Brown evaded one of the Corsairs’ defenders and completed a 19-yard pass to Daniels out of the backfield.

A defensive pass interference call put the ball at the 2-yard line.

With the Rams at first-and-

line.

Brown capitalized on the opportunity, finding Daniels, who pushed through multiple Dartmouth defenders for 13 yards.

Wide receiver Ty Kelley, a sophomore, was left wide open on the next play, and Brown completed a pass for another first down.

Another pass interference penalty followed suit and put the Rams at the 7-yard line.

Daniels finished the job, barreling into the end zone for his second touchdown of the day and reclaiming the lead 14-7.

The Corsairs added a late field goal, but the Rams carried a 1410 advantage into halftime.

The Rams opened the second half with possession but struggled, going three-and-out.

Dartmouth’s offensive line then pieced together another intense drive, pushing inside Framingham’s 20 behind Wilson’s steady ground attack.

At the 11-yard line, Petrongolo tried to thread a pass into the end zone, but the receiver

goal, Daniels powered through the defensive line and rolled into the end zone for the first touchdown of the game.

With kicker Dillon Mangus, a senior, drilling the extra point, the Rams led 7-0 at the 8:59 mark.

Dartmouth tried to respond, but both of Petrongolo’s throws fell incomplete due to tackles by Wilder and Fuller.

Framingham’s offense faltered on its next possession, and the Corsairs finally found their footing.

With a connected pass from Petrongolo to Wilson and two successful rushes, the Corsairs made some incremental gains before Dartmouth’s running back Luke Turco broke loose for a 16-yard touchdown run.

After a successful kick attempt, the score was tied 7-7 with just under 4 minutes left in the first half.

Junior defensive back Khalil Erazo caught the Corsairs’ 55yard kickoff and pulled off a 42yard return to UMD’s 48-yard

able to make it to Framingham’s 10-yard line.

But the Rams’ defense didn’t let up. On fourth-and-goal, Corsairs’ RJ Wiggins went up for Petrongolo’s pass, but Wilder and junior defensive back Amari Williams converged on him, knocking the ball loose.

Williams earned MASCAC Special Teams Player of the Week Sept. 15 after returning a blocked kick for the game-winning touchdown with no time remaining on the clock in Framingham’s win over Anna Maria.

Williams said being recognized in the conference “helps you work harder because it just keeps you motivated.

“But the last game was a team effort - everybody did their part. I just ended up playing at the end, but it always takes a team,” he added.

Being on their own 10-yard line, the Rams tried to create breathing room. The offense could only make two small rushes before an incomplete pass on third-and-3, forcing them to punt.

The third quarter ended with Framingham still clinging to its 14-10 lead.

The Corsairs started the final quarter on third-and-5, but they made it to the Framingham 25yard line before giving the ball back to the Rams.

Daniels contributed a short 2-yard run, and Marcucella connected with Ramirez on a 20yard pass.

Ty Kelley chipped in with a 5-yard catch, and although a false start penalty slowed the drive, the Rams flipped field position with a deep punt from Ty Kelley to UMD’s 28-yard line.

The Corsairs mounted one last drive, aided by penalties against the defensive backfield.

Wilson fought for yardage, and Turco caught a short pass. But Framingham’s defense delivered once again.

On fourth down at the Rams’ 21, Petrongolo was hurried by Roland and threw an incomplete pass.

With just over seven minutes left, Framingham went to the ground game to bleed the clock.

Facing a fourth down, the Rams pulled out a trick play.

tripped, allowing Erazo to leap up for a huge interception.

The Corsairs’ momentum was broken, and the Rams’ sideline erupted, with Wide Receivers Coach EJ Nichols joining the defensive line in celebrating after the play.

Thomas Kelley said, “UMass Dartmouth made some adjustments that gave us some headaches, but they rose to the occasion down in the red zone, which was great.”

He added, “We had that pick in the end zone, and it was total teamwork.”

The Rams attempted to capitalize on the turnover and turn it into points.

Freshman quarterback Michael Marcucella subbed in, and Sarrette caught his pass for a 29yard gain for Framingham.

Daniels added two runs for a total of 5 yards, but UMD’s defense remained stiff, resulting in a punt for the Rams.

With runs from Petrongolo, Wilson, and Turco, the Corsairs had a productive drive and were

Ty Kelley faked a punt, instead choosing to run 22 yards for a first down, stunning the Corsairs and effectively sealing the 14-10 win over the reigning MASCAC Champions.

Thomas Kelley said, “Everybody was involved - offense, defense, and special teams came up big at the end. We had a good punt. … When the defending champions come in, we stay calm, and I’m just really proud of them.”

Daniels finished the game with two touchdowns, 75 yards rushing on 21 carries, and two catches for 32 yards.

Thomas Kelley said Daniels is a dynamic player, and they’re expecting big things from him this season.

The Rams host the Bridgewater State University Bears at Bowditch Field for another conference game Sept. 27.

Stats sourced from fsurams.com and

Adrien Gobin / THE GATEPOST

(Center) Jaheim Daniels rushing with the ball in win against UMass Dartmouth Sept. 20.

EJ Nichols trades his cleats for a clipboard

By Taylor Kimmell Asst. Sports Editor

For athletes at Framingham State, the Athletic Department holds a special place in their hearts. Being a Ram and playing for a team allows students to form a close bond with their teammates.

For most, graduation marks the end of an era, with the ceremony symbolizing a closing chapter for the athletes who will never again return to the court, track, rink, or field.

There are, however, a few who decide to return in a different capacity. Elijah Nichols, known by most as EJ, graduated in the spring of 2025, ending his football career at FSU with a 3-7 record for his final season.

Nichols said a record like that was “unheard of” for the Rams.

An invitation from Athletic Director and Head Football Coach Thomas Kelley brought Nichols back to the field as a Wide Receiver Coach.

He said, “As a player on the team, there are some things you just cannot change or control. I figured as [a coach], I could get through to some of the players and staff - being the middle man - so we all could be on the same page and get Framingham back to where it once was.”

Kelley said he’s been very pleased with Nichols’ contributions to the coaching staff.

He said, “I’ve known EJ a long time. … Watching him develop from a player into a professional in the business has been neat to watch.”

Kelley acknowledged that one

of Nichols’ strengths was his versatility and ability to put others before himself.

“Twice we moved him from wide receiver to quarterback during the season. It’s selfless for an athlete to do that for the betterment of the team - it says a lot about your character,” Kelley said.

He said, “He puts the players ahead of himself. His goal is to make them better players, which makes us a better team. We’re in the second stage of a rebuilding process, and he’s been a big, big part of our success this year.”

Junior wide receivers Alex Maia and Ayden Ramirez said they’ve enjoyed having Nichols as a coach.

Maia said, “He was one of the first guys I met when I came to play for Framingham. … Having that bond already set in stone makes me feel comfortable to address anything with him.”

Ramirez said, “He has always been a good role model and leader.

“Him having played before makes it a great fit. He knows the work it takes to win a championship and holds us accountable,” he added.

Kelley agreed Nichols’ experience with the team helped to prepare him to take on this new role, especially his time as a captain.

Kelley said, “Captains have a little more interaction with the coaching staff because we ask those guys to do more than a normal player would do.

“It’s a respected position by the team as well as the coaching staff,” he added.

Maia said that as a former player, Nichols is in a unique position to share his wisdom of the Framingham culture with the young players who are just joining the team.

Ramirez said, “He relates to all of us because he was in our exact position not too long ago. He is always willing to vouch for us and go that extra step to see us succeed.”

Nichols said the transition from player to coach has been smooth and “having personal relationships with the players, they understand that I lead with love and respect first, so it always comes from a good place.”

Nichols said what he likes most about playing for the Rams was “the feeling of being hunted.

“Everyone in the MASCAC used to hate us because we were dominating. That feeling of knowing you have to work hard because other teams want to dethrone you made showing up to practice and meetings that much more meaningful,” he added.

He said he loved celebrating with the team after a win, knowing the bus ride back from away games would be filled with the sounds of feverish excitement.

Since graduating, Nichols has been “quite the busy man,” having taken on multiple jobs and internships in a variety of fields.

He has put his sociology degree to good use, interning at Child and Family Services over the summer as well as taking a position at Stevens Residential Program to work with kids.

In addition, he has also joined the team at Cutco Cutlery as a sales representative, proving

his worth and securing not only a promotion for his hard work, but an invitation to the company conference in Pennsylvania.

Despite his busy schedule, Nichols still comes to each practice with a positive attitude and a passion for football. Nichols said he hopes he can use this year to instill good winning habits in his players.

He added, “I want the players to feel like they have a safe space to talk about life or vent about what they might be going through. I really want to win a championship and add some more jewelry to my two-ring collection!”

Stats sourced from fsurams.com and MASCAC.com

CONNECT WITH TAYLOR KIMMELL tkimmell@student.framingham.edu

Volleyball overcomes Worcester in conference opener

By Izabela Gage Sports Editor

The Framingham State volleyball team secured a 3-2 victory against the Worcester State Lancers in a nail-biter conference opener Sept. 23.

This win brings their conference record to 1-0 and their overall record to 8-3.

Captain Stella Bailey, a senior, said, “It feels really good to win our first conference game. … It creates the expectation that we need to win.”

A service ace by freshman Kristina Santiago-Alers and a kill by junior Jaimee Lowe put the first points on the board.

Following an attack error by Lowe, junior Natalie Reynolds

tallied two kills, both assisted by Bailey, to put the Rams in the lead 4-1.

Worcester worked to tie the game up 5-5 and both teams exchanged the lead for the remainder of the set.

Lowe, Reynolds, juniors Jamie Moniz and Emma Dobbins, and sophomore Sarah Medeiros all contributed kills to try to put the Rams ahead.

Worcester sealed the frame with consecutive kills and a block, earning a tight 27-25 win for the Lancers in the opening set.

The second set started out with two service aces and errors by Framingham, putting the Lancers in the lead 5-0.

The Rams forced an attack error by the Lancers, putting their first point on the board in the set.

Despite kills from Bailey and Reynolds, the deficit was deepened to 9-3.

Framingham worked hard to close the gap. Medeiros, Dobbins, and Moniz sparked a furious rally by each contributing a kill, while Bailey delivered three service aces to tie the set.

The middle of the set became a tug-of-war, with both sides trading errors and big kills until Worcester took the lead 16-14.

Reynolds and Medeiros struck back with one kill each, and Santiago-Alers added a service ace to tilt the momentum.

The Rams closed strong with blocks, taking the set 25-23 and tying the match at 1-1.

In the third set, Framingham trailed 7-3. But Lowe and Moniz each tallied a kill, assisted by Bailey, tying the score at 9-9 after costly errors by Worcester.

The set reached a dramatic climax when the Rams tied the game once again 23-23.

Worcester secured the set 2523 with two kills, grabbing a 2-1 match lead.

Facing elimination, the Rams responded with their best stretch of the night.

Worcester opened the fourth set with a 2-0 lead, but Reynolds, Lowe, Medeiros, and Moniz answered with kills to tie the game 5-5.

Moniz then tallied three backto-back kills, and a subsequent service ace from Bailey gave Framingham a 12-5 lead.

The Lancers tried to claw their way back, but the Rams’ offense and defense remained steady to maintain the deficit.

Following an attack error by Worcester, Reynolds swung the set-winning kill, forcing the match into a decisive fifth set.

With everything on the line, Lowe put in back-to-back kills following errors by the Lancers to give the Rams the lead 4-2.

Lowe and Bailey set up Medeiros and Moniz for more kills, while Captain Carly Beaulieu, a senior, delivered a service ace that pushed the Rams’ lead to 12-9.

Lowe found another gap in the Lancers’ defense, and Reynolds closed the door with one final kill.

Framingham captured the set 15-11, claiming a thrilling conference win.

Bailey contributed 48 assists and 20 digs in the match.

She said her goal is to do whatever she can to help the team. “I think about it at night. I think about it when I sleep. I think about it when I wake up. I think a lot about it when I practice. My goal has always been to be a team player.”

Reynolds earned MASCAC Offensive Player of the Week Sept. 22 after tallying 48 kills with a .276 hitting percentage, nine digs, and five blocks in a 2-1 week for the Rams.

Reynolds said being recognized by the conference for the third consecutive week is “always a reminder to stay determined.”

Medeiros said, “Our team chemistry and skill are fantastic this year, so it’s really just minor things that we need to clean up as we continue practicing throughout the season.”

Reynolds said this win and their overall record have the team excited for the rest of the season. “We now know what we are capable of and are continuing to work hard … to take on more tough conference games.”

The Rams travel to Salem State University for their second conference matchup Sept. 27.

Adrien Gobin / THE GATEPOST (Left) Dillon Mangus celebrating with (right) EJ Nichols in win against UMass Dartmouth Sept. 20.

Adrien Gobin / THE GATEPOST

Kristina Santiago-Alers serving the ball in win against Worcester St. Sept 23.

CIE hosts Diversity Dialogues on the state of higher education ARTS & FEATURES

By Sophia Oppedisano Editor-in-Chief

As students, faculty, and staff return to college campuses across the country this fall, uncertainty about the Trump administration’s adamant demands to close the Department of Education have unsettled the start of the new school year.

The Center for Inclusive Excellence (CIE) hosted its first Diversity Dialogue session of the year titled, “The People’s Education: What’s at Stake if the U.S. Department of Education Closes?” Sept. 18.

Diversity Dialogues is a CIE initiative aimed at creating productive, insightful dialogue between students and faculty about challenging topics that affect the daily lives of Framingham State community members.

Students and faculty took this opportunity to express concerns on DEI and Title IX rollbacks as well as what will happen to their student loans if the Department of Education should close.

James Cressey, a professor of education, led the discussion. Cressey said he has worked in the higher education setting, teaching courses on special education and social-emotional learning, but he has also spent time in K-12 school districts as a school psychologist.

Cressey acknowledged that the threat of a Department of Education closure is “emotionally heavy and so worrisome.” He noted how confusing and

complicated it can be to sift through a near-constant influx of information on the topic.

While he is “not an expert in federal education policy,” Cressey said, “I want to force myself to get more educated, even though I have a Ph.D. in education and work with the amazing education faculty, there’s still some avoidance around this topic.”

During the conversation, Cressey gave a brief history of the Department of Education as well as an overview of what the department actually does and what students and faculty are becoming increasingly worried about as news becomes more troublesome.

For students, Cressey indicated concerns over financial aid as well as the slashing of grants for student and faculty research.

“There’s a swath of educational research that happens that’s funded and overseen [by

the department]. A lot of folks in my field of being professors of education have had their grants already cut,” Cressey said.

In addition, Cressey said there is a pattern wherein the Department of Education has trended toward cutting grants that promote DEI initiatives. “Even if the department doesn’t go away, but if it becomes an anti-DEI Education Department - is that worse?” he asked.

CIE Director Jerome Burke asked what it would be like for students at Framingham State if “things shift radically around equal access and discrimination issues.”

Dean for the College of Education and Social and Behavioral Sciences Stephanie Logan raised a concern about sex and gender discrimination in response to Burke.

She noted an executive order that could be carried out by the

The Book Report: ‘Candide’

By Kate Norrish Staff Writer

After you learn about how Voltaire spent his life, which included gaining his fortune by exploiting a flaw in the lottery, having a dysfunctional friendship (rainbow quotation marks may apply) with the king of Prussia, and spending his last moments on this big green globe annoying the priest performing his last rites, you expect his books to have a certain vibe. It does not disappoint.

When you are a character in “Candide” - published in 1759 - the worst thing you could say is “at least things can’t get any worse.” Name a bad thing that can happen to someone, and the chances are not bad that something similar happens in this book.

Our main character, Candide, is your average teenager. He’s a flirt, enjoys annoying his teacher who won’t shut up about how great God is, and, being the son of a baron, money is not a problem. Then Murphy’s Law happens.

Candide is kicked out of his home, forced into the military, and killed. Luckily, in Voltaire land, death is recoverable. When he becomes a deserter, it turns out his teacher has also gone through the wringer, having spent a period of time homeless. This all happens within the first 20 pages of the

book, and things will only get worse.

What follows is a journey all over the world, where they meet a wide variety of people, each with their own horrible backstory. Body parts have been removed from some of them - and occasionally eaten. People get all kinds of diseases. Money is very much a problem, women have bigger issues than dating Candide, and this teacher still won’t shut up about how great God is.

What makes this book a classic is how much these characters hate being bored. Sometimes, they will even comment that the boredom is worse than the pain, gore, and guts of whatever the world has against them. This leads to an ending that has an extreme tone shift from the rest of the book. However, it somehow works and is probably Voltaire’s most famous piece of writing. Without spoilers, of course, it is simply lovely.

Candide and friends’ boredom makes the mundane moments all the more fun, with them getting violently annoyed with any slight inconvenience in every moment of peace.

But inevitably, the chaotic atmosphere this book is engulfed in will butt in, with someone explaining to them how their wife died from a home remedy for a mild cold or something. In fact, even the calmest mo-

ments are portrayed as torturous. Granted, even the most horrific scenes of the book are described using casual language, but the smaller problems of the book are portrayed as just as bombastically.

To put it bluntly, this humor is dry. You may be thinking Monty Python or Douglas Adams dry. Think drier. The humor in this book is like beef jerky that’s been sitting in the Sahara Desert for decades. There are good chunks of this book where I feel bad for, or even wonder if I am supposed to be laughing. But it is a comedy book, so what can I say?

In true Voltaire fashion, this book was written because a fellow philosopher thought we lived in the best possible world because God is good. Therefore, if God could create a better world, He would. Voltaire thought that was a dumb idea, and instead of just saying so, he wrote this monstrosity.

However, it should be noted that when the characters visit such places as Morocco and South America, we are reminded that Voltaire’s views on race were a little odd. While the book is clearly anti-discrimination, and the non-white characters are never shown as being lesser than the main cast, the way they are portrayed seems as though it can be interpreted as harmfully stereotypical.

Voltaire’s relationship with

Department of Education that defines sex as strictly male and female. Logan emphasized the potential damage it could cause a student who has a preferred name to have their legal or “dead” name be called on during attendance in class or appear on their documents.

In light of this, Burke and Cressey discussed the pressure on colleges nationwide to close or rename their offices that have been specifically designed to support students who deal with issues such as sex and gender or DEI.

Cressey said he wants to make sure students at Framingham State know their resources and support for helping them deal with this potential issue will not go away but noted “it’s not very reassuring when you do see what’s happening at other institutions.

“We’re going to do what we can do for each other,” he said.

Associate Provost Keri Ann Sather-Wagstaff also responded to Logan with reassurance and pride related to Framingham State’s response to Title IX rollbacks by the Trump Administration regarding gender identity.

Kim Dexter, assistant vice president of human resources, issued two separate statements outlining the federal guidelines versus the state guidelines on gender discrimination.

CONNECT WITH SOPHIA OPPEDISANO soppedisano@student.framingham.edu

Jewish and non-white communities is part of a larger, ongoing debate. From my research, he seems to have taken substantial efforts to correct himself when he realized it was necessary, and I am also white. I encourage you to do your own research.

With my copy of the book being less than 150 pages, “Candide” makes for a funny and approachable introduction to 1700s literature, at least if you can stomach some blood and guts.

CONNECT WITH KATE NORRISH knorrish@student.framingham.edu

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James Cressey speaking in the CIE Sept. 18.

Concord

Continued from Page 1

“I actually love that this isn’t a class assignment. I think it’s just the culture of getting off campus as a group, and we’re all having a shared experience. … I believe in the bonding potential of hitting the road together, and we do care about the same things, and there are shared values,” she said.

McCarthy, accompanied by co-chaperone Eck, led students through the temperamental drizzle to their first stop, The Old Manse.

The Old Manse was built in 1770 for patriot minister William Emerson, the father of famed poet and essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson. Novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne also spent a three-year stint in the house, and he was friends with Ralph Waldo Emerson and fellow transcendentalist writer Henry David Thoreau, according to the group’s Old Manse tour guide, Simone.

While the group ambled through the rooms of the house, Simone offered the Revolutionary War-era history of the house, including William Emerson’s involvement in the battle at Old North Bridge, located just behind the house, in 1775.

Upstairs, the group congregated in the study, which once belonged to both Ralph Waldo Emerson and Hawthorne. The room came to life as Simone pointed out the furniture and

also on display throughout the house.

The objects, as well as their former owners, were spoken of with reverence and love by the tour guide, who reminisced about the house’s inhabitants as though they were old friends.

Simone completed the tour by inviting the group to think about how Emerson and Hawthorne were such great writers because they had more time to dedicate to their craft than they would have today.

Andrew Ramirez, a junior English major who is pursuing his passion for writing, said The Old Manse tour and Simone’s parting sentiment stuck out to him on the trip.

“It’s just so interesting how these people lived. … One of the [tour guides] was talking about how [the authors] had so much more free time, and that gave them the ability to write so much. I’m trying to be a writer myself, but I don’t have a lot of free time. … So, trying to live my life in a way that I can have a lot more free time to pursue that,” Ramirez said.

Wenchell Pierre, a senior English major, said The Old Manse was particularly interesting because of his “extensive” studies of both Hawthorne and Emerson. He said he was excited to connect the sites to his reading and classroom discussions.

“I was really interested to learn about that personal connection between them, because I hadn’t known it before. I thought it was a pretty liberating space to walk through,”

she said.

Stepping inside Orchard House, one could practically see the March sisters from “Little Women” performing plays in the dining room and gathering around Marmee in the parlor.

The group walked through May Alcott’s art studio and saw the original pen and pencil drawings she had etched into the walls throughout the house.

Elizabeth Alcott’s kind eyes gazed at the group from the portrait hung above her piano in the dining room, and Louisa Alcott’s mood pillow sat upright on the couch in the parlor, indicating Louisa would have been in a good mood that day.

Students mused with the group’s tour guide, Lisa, about whether Louisa would have enjoyed the inside-out octopus mood pillows of today.

The details of the house, down to the calla lilies May Alcott painted next to her sister’s writing desk so she would have something nice to look at while she wrote, gave the house a romantic, warm, and cheerful energy that made the students feel right at home.

Brady Guy, a freshman English major, said he attended the field trip because of a fascination with the story of “Little Women” and Orchard House, despite having not read the book or watched the most recent film.

After seeing the house, Guy said he was “inspired.

“I loved going to the ‘Little

small details left behind by the two families.

On one of the window panes, Hawthorne’s wife, Sophia, etched a description with her diamond ring of their daughter, Una, standing on the windowsill one winter day.

On one side of the room sat a replica of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s desk. It was attached to a chair and could be moved freely about the room, contrasting sharply with Hawthorne’s desk - a plain slab of wood embedded in the wall facing away from any windows.

Simone mused that Ralph Waldo Emerson, who was exploring themes of nature and wrote his famous essay “Nature” in the study, would have wanted to be able to move about the room and look out the window. Hawthorne, conversely, would have wanted to be tucked away in the corner to stay focused on his work.

First-edition books with their original annotations, paintings, a piano, and even an original taxidermied owl are

he said.

The second stop on the field trip was Orchard House, the home of author Louisa May Alcott and the setting of her famous novel “Little Women.”

Eck said she is a “devotee of the Orchard House” and it is her favorite part of the trip.

“There’s something just so great about a place that’s centered on women, on sisters, and their creativity, and this progressive father who thought they needed to earn a living and have an education themselves, right? So it’s just the thought that these feminist ideas could have found a voice a long time ago. It’s important inspiration,” she said.

Eck said the annual field trip makes her “jealous” of professors, including Maibor and McCarthy, who teach American literature.

“I teach mostly non-Western texts and post-colonial literature, and to have colleagues who have this rich literary connection and historical memory in their region - it’s powerful,”

shared with the group that Thoreau gave one of his more “fiery” anti-slavery speeches in Framingham on July 4, 1854, at an anti-slavery rally held in Harmony Grove.

With this parting kernel of history from right on their doorstep, the group returned to campus to share their stories from Concord.

McCarthy said, “There are events that we hold every year that enrich the lives of our students and ourselves as professors, and this is one of them. I’ve gone 11 times, and I’ve learned something new every single time I go.”

McCarthy has taught novels by Hawthorne and essays by Thoreau in his classes, but he credits Maibor as the department’s “primary instructor” of American Romanticism. Last spring, Maibor led an “incredibly inventive” Seminar in Literature on authors Ralph Waldo Emerson and Ralph Ellison, who was named after Emerson, McCarthy said.

“That class was just so phenomenal and such a brilliantly imagined and constructed course. … That’s just an example of the way Carolyn continues to work with the material of American Romanticism, which is one of her primary areas of expertise, and also bring it into other contexts… to make that link to one of the foremost and most formidable African American novelists in the American literary tradition,” he added.

This is the first year Maibor was unable to attend the field trip. She was missed by the students as well as McCarthy and Eck, who both credit Maibor with the trip’s continued success.

Texts by Alcott, Hawthorne, Emerson, and Thoreau may seem daunting to students after all this time, but a visit to literary Concord proves just how relevant they still are in the world today.

Women’ house, because I have heard of the movie, and I’ve heard of the book, so seeing where this family actually did live was really fascinating,” he added.

Along with his excitement to see Orchard House, Guy said he attended the field trip to “get out and enjoy nature.”

To complete their day, the group made a stop at Walden Pond and a replica of the cabin where Henry David Thoreau spent two years in the woods to live his life intentionally.

The cabin would make any college student feel right at home. Roughly the size of a dorm room, it was outfitted with a simple bed, desk, and three chairs, as well as a stove.

Jacqueline, the park ranger who led the group to Thoreau’s cabin, discussed Thoreau’s arrest in 1846 for refusing to pay his poll tax as a protest against slavery, the event that served as the inspiration for his wellknown essay, “Civil Disobedience.”

In addition, Jacqueline

Eck said, “What feels really current now with the environmental movement is that there’s a lot of attention paid to Emerson’s essay ‘Nature’ and Thoreau’s ‘Walden Pond.’ … I think, in a way, that Transcendentalism never went out of style. … Emerson has essays on self-reliance and the dignity of labor, finding your vocation, finding your calling, which are such good things for college students. … Everybody has a calling.”

McCarthy said, “We have a very divided country today, and issues concerning civil liberties and rights for every person who lives in our country are being fought over with great urgency. … Thoreau is a kind of founding figure in terms of nonviolent and ethical resistance to wrongdoing by government, and just on that level alone, Thoreau is a figure everyone should be reading today.

“We have all this history right here in our backyard, and visiting these sites, and seeing Orchard House and The Old Manse and Walden Pond - it brings it alive,” he added.

[ Editor’s Note: Desmond McCarthy is the Advisor and Andrew Ramirez is a Staff Writer for The Gatepost. ]

CONNECT WITH SOPHIA OPPEDISANO soppedisano@student.framingham.edu

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Trip-goers standing in front of the Concord School of Philosophy at Orchard House Sept. 24.

‘K-Pop Demon Hunters’ slays the summer

By Owen Glancy Arts & Features Editor

This past summer saw two super-powered giants battling it out in the box office to be remembered as the movie of the summer. While “Superman” and “Fantastic Four: First Steps” were both great, they ended up taking the silver medal as Sony Animation Pictures’ new film “K-Pop Demon Hunters” won the hearts and minds of the world after its release on June 20.

The film was somewhat unceremoniously released on Netflix without the typical marketing or fanfare that usually accompanies the release of Sony films, making the movie’s breakout success all the more surprising.

Inarguably the most well known aspect of the film is the songs, which dot the film with its many musical numbers. Every single song is a banger, from the hopeful and bright “Golden” to the sinister and entrancing “Your Idol.” The soundtrack effortlessly bounces between moods and tones.

While the songs are definitely the most stand-out aspect of the movie, it’s the visuals that drew me and many others into watching the film for the first time. It’s once again another evolution of Sony’s signature animation style they adapted after “Spiderverse.” However, unlike films like “The Mitchells vs the Machines” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem,” it forgoes the 2D flourishes and instead puts ev-

erything into the 3D visuals.

The flowing lights that follow the hunter’s weapons, the ominous lighting that fills a bathhouse full of demons, the bright glow of the stage lights during HUNTR/X performances, this is a film that looks as good in motion as it does thanks to the animation and the phenomenal lighting.

However, a film lives and dies on its story and characters and thankfully “K-Pop Demon Hunters” is good in that regard. The simple tale of HUNTR/X, a K-pop band made up of three women who secretly act as demon hunters, fighting against the Saja Boys, a demon boy band, is as entertaining as it is silly.

teresting as Rumi and Jinu. Mira and Zoey, the other members of HUNTR/X, really don’t get to do much. Mira gets one scene with Rumi, and Zoey receives even less attention, getting no real scenes dedicated to her. Their personalities are fun to watch, and the bulk of the film’s stellar humor can be attributed to them, but their lack of screen-time and development does make them feel like objects for Rumi’s story to move forward.

Rumi, the main character of the film and arguably the star of HUNTR/X, is a strong anchor for the story and the audience - her struggles with mental health and identity really hit home for a lot of people. Jinu, the antagonistic opposite to Rumi, has a parallel struggle to her, trying to grapple with his identity with Gwi-Ma, the main antagonist, embodying a not-so-subtle negative voice in his head.

Sadly, the rest of the film’s main characters are not as in-

The rest of the Saja Boys get it even worse. Abby, Mystery, Romance, and Baby all get virtually nothing to do and have less than 20 lines outside of the songs among all four of them. Romance and Baby especially are underused outside of one or two visual gags. It’s a real shame especially considering that these characters are supposed to be metaphors for the toxic culture surrounding Korean boy bands and the fandom around them. The metaphor is definitely there, but the lack of screentime really hurts the strength of it.

Not every side character suffers this lack of development and screentime, with the biggest example being Bobby, HUNTR/X’s manager. He

gets just as much attention as he needs, has multiple funny lines, and a nice character arc about learning to believe in his girls and himself no matter what. The tiger and bird - named Derpy and Sussie respectively - are fun comedic relief that bring some levity and cuteness to the film.

“K-Pop Demon Hunters” is a cinematic sensation that deserves every bit of positive reception it’s received. While not a perfect film, the side characters are criminally under used and the main villain is phenomenally lame, this is a fun and memorable film that managed to beat the lack of marketing and somewhat negative stigma surrounding K-pop to become the film of the summer.

Rating: A-

This is how it’s done, done, done

Not as short, just as sweet - A review of ‘Man’s Best Friend’

By Antonio Machado Copy Editor

The list of qualifications required to be a true pop star is ever-changing as different generations of musicians place value on different aspects of their personas and music.

However, one particular trait has remained an absolute constant throughout countless legendary musicians - a resolute thirst for blood - a thirst Sabrina Carpenter has demonstrated she has tenfold.

Carpenter has thoroughly adhered to the “It Girl Inc.” formula to pop superstardom, quickly following the release of her stratospheric, GRAMMY Award-winning “Short ‘n Sweet” with another album, “Man’s Best Friend.”

Where her former record was a hodgepodge of different stories and sonic influences, “Man’s Best Friend” follows a strict narrative throughline and has a homogenous sound, feeling as though Carpenter took

locked in on the equation to grant her 15 more minutes in the spotlight. Carpenter is impossibly smart.

In “Man’s Best Friend,” she uses her tongue-in-cheek, satirical songwriting to tell a story of the aftermath of knowingly staying in a doomed relationship, and like another famously misunderstood carpenter, her intelligence has gotten her crucified by the general public.

Although riddled with some low-hanging lyrical fruit for the sake of comedy (“Did you just say you’re finished / didn’t know we started” on “Machild”), the record provides some profound introspection on behalf of Carpenter amidst the several, several punchlines. Carpenter sings about her inability to properly convey her feelings to her partner over the muddy indie folk of “Don’t Worry I’ll Make You Worry,” easily the most vulnerable track on the record and a perfect follow-up to the upbeat country pop of “Go Go Juice,” wherein Carpenter drunkenly chants about drinking to call her exes - and simultaneously tells a much sadder story of constantly drinking her feel-

The album is, at its core, about a breakup, but when someone hears a lyric like, “I get wet at the thought of you being a responsible guy,” they may be caught up dancing to the nu-disco single “Tears” and miss the

underlying story of Carpenter’s frustrations with an incompetent partner, but when the production is as good as it is, it’s hard to blame anyone for missing her point.

Carpenter clearly has the musical ear to make it far into the industry. Accompanied by frequent collaborators Jack Antonoff and John Ryan, she somehow makes this album sound both nostalgic and modern.

Though the record consists primarily of a disco and R&B pastiche, taking heavy inspiration from the ’70s and ’80s, most tracks feature an underlying country twang, either instrumental or vocal, that creates a sonic cohesion and feeling of consistency throughout the record, but it’s really the way Carpenter delivers every lyric with a wink that ties the album together with a ribbon labeled “Best Pop Vocal.”

The synth funk disco of “House Tour” is a hee-hee away from Michael Jackson, but Carpenter makes up for it when she giggles, “I promise this is not a metaphor,” before the not-so-subtle “I just want you to come inside / but never enter through the back door.”

“I bet your light rod is bigger than Zeus’,” Carpenter blasphemes over the electronic R&B of “When Did You Get Hot?” - an immediate banger and one of the few sonic offshoots of the record where Carpenter jests about rebounding with someone who has just glowed up.

The allure of this record lies solely on Carpenter’s charisma. She skillfully delivers each and every single joke with impeccable timing. There’s an auditory sigh or wink within almost every line, each one pumping the record’s heart. However, the jokes can be overdone at times, either being repetitive in subject matter or just simply too lowbrow, but not once do they ever sound bad.

Antonoff, as of late, has been labeled as public enemy number one to most avid pop music fans, but he does some of his career-best work alongside Carpenter on this record.

This album is riddled with sonic nuances and hundreds of moving pieces within every track - and that might be off-putting on a first listen, but it amounts to an incredibly compelling listening experience with time.

“Man’s Best Friend” is more comedy special than “Pop Bible,” but that’s exactly what audiences want from Carpenter, and she knows exactly how to deliver. As a postmodern Blonde Bombshell, Carpenter really knows how to tell a postmodern breakup story - with a

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Marcus Falcão / THE GATEPOST

23. Jason’s ship, or 2012’s Best Picture

26. “Oh, that’s too bad!”

29. Summons from a distance

31. Derisive expression

32. Name hidden in “face value”

33. Author Morrison

35. Birds’ homes

38. Objectionable inquiry ... or what the statement at 17-, 26-, 50- or 59-Across has

42. Supplementary item

43. Not many

44. Engineered crop, for short

45. Inner turmoil

48. Fabric for certain stockings

50. “That figures!”

53. Yard sale stipulation

54. Human rights lawyer Clooney

55. Self-worth

56. Dutch banking giant

58. Purple boba flavor

59. “You’re askin’ for it!”

64. Opposite of ecto65 Wineglass feature

66. Not looking good

67. Gamble

68. Jrs.’ dads

69. Casual goodbye DOWN

1. German luxury car brand

2. Cry of aggravation

3. Affirmative vote

4. Genghis Khan, for one

5. One of the Great Lakes

6. Besmirch

7. Hawaiian greeting

8. “Dirty snowballs” in space

9. Antarctic covering

10. Price indicators on Yelp

11. All together

12. Big name in tractors

15. Houston resident

18. Scientist widely credited with inventing calculus

23. North America’s fastest train

24. Said great things

25. Honors given to “Will & Grace” seven times

27. ___ Kong

28. Taste and touch, for two

30. Like Scrooge

34. Mensa stats

36. “My Cousin Vinny” Oscar winner Marisa

37. Spoiled brats

39. Instruction before a surprise is revealed

40. Tucson school, for short

41. Actor Estevez

46. Ejects, as lava

47. Garment for a ballerina

49. Bargain over a price

50. Fan’s opposite

51. Muscat resident

52. More flirtatiously shy

57. Worn-down crayons

60. Contacts on a PC

61. Giggle syllable

62. Swift, to Swifties

63. Wanted poster letters

On Sept. 24, students went to the Study Abroad Fair in the McCarthy Center Forum.

Study Abroad Fair

Photos by Associate Editor Adrien Gobin and Photos & Design Editor Alexis Schlesinger