The Gatepost, Framingham State's independent student newspaper, is the winner of four awards from the Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence collegiate journalism contest, which honors the best in college journalism. The awards were announced on May 5. 

The Gatepost was one of two finalists in Region 1 for the prestigious Corbin Gwaltney Award for the Best All-Around Student Newspaper for a College or University in the Northeast with 10,000 or fewer students. This is the third year in a row the Society of Professional Journalists or the New England Newspaper and Press Association (NENPA), the professional trade association for the six New England states serving more than 450 newspapers, has recognized The Gatepost as one of the best college newspapers in the Northeast.  Region 1 is comprised of New England, New York, and the eastern mid-Atlantic states and the contest recognized material published during the 2024 calendar year.  

Sports Editor Sophia Oppedisano, a junior English major with a concentration in Journalism and minors in Psychology and Communication, Media, and Performance, won the Mark of Excellence Award for Sports Writing for a College or University with 10,000 or fewer students for her article, “Women’s ice hockey opens inaugural season: Historic moment for Framingham women’s athletics,” published in the November 8, 2024 edition of The Gatepost.  Assistant Sports Editor Kyra Tolley, a senior Sociology major with minors in Political Science and Criminology, and Former Assistant Sports Editor Riley Crowell, (‘24), a Business Management major, won one of the two Sports Writing finalist awards for their article, “Shot stoppers: A dive into the art of goalkeeping,” published in the October 18, 2024 issue. Associate Editor Ryan O’Connell, a senior Computer Science major with a minor in English, won one of two finalist awards for Feature Writing for a College or University with 10,000 or fewer students for his article, “El nuevo periódico: A behind-the-scenes look at Framingham State’s newest student-run publication,” published in the December 6, 2024 issue.

On March 29, The Gatepost won five awards in NENPA’s Better Newspaper Competition for material published in the 2023-24 academic year.  As the primary authors of The Gatepost Editorial, Editor-in-Chief Sophia Harris, a senior English major with a concentration in Journalism and a minor in Marketing, and Associate Editor Ryan O’Connell won second place in the Editorial Writing contest for “Does the Refer the Ram program promote equity?” published in the February 23, 2024 edition of The Gatepost. Former Sports Editor Adam Levine, (’24), an English major with a concentration in Creative Writing and a minor in Journalism, won second place in the Sports Game Story contest for his article, “Women’s basketball wins conference title in record-breaking season,” published in the March 1, 2024 issue.  Associate Editor Maddison Behringer, a senior Communication, Media, and Performance major with a minor in Graphic Design, won second and third place in the Feature Photo contest for “Cosmic Connections,” published in the April 11, 2024 issue, and “Saying `good-pie’ to another year,” published in the May 4, 2024 issue.  Photos & Design Editor Adrien Gobin, a junior Communication, Media, and Performance major with a minor in Sports Management, won third place in the Photo Series contest for “Celebratory Champions,” published in the March 1, 2024 issue.  

English Professor Desmond McCarthy has been the faculty advisor to the Gatepost since 1992. Professor Liz Banks, the former managing editor of the MetroWest Daily News, has been the assistant editor since 2015.

Photo Caption: Gatepost staffers Emma Lyons, Dylan Pichnarcik, Izabela Gage, Sophia Harris, Sophia Oppedisano, and Omar Rodriguez in New York City for the annual College Media Association conference.