By The Gatepost Editorial Board As you walk into the McCarthy Center aimlessly scrolling on your phone, heading to a communal space, and unwinding from the long day, you may catch a glimpse of a dark red shirt or a white apron. It’s easy to miss these outfits - or the folks with the Dunkin’ hats, groundskeepers in their blue shirts, or any other of the dozens of workers in black and gold regalia. Yet these are the unsung heroes of Framingham State, the people responsible for keeping our University functional. With Thanksgiving around the corner, we’re all encouraged to think about what we are grateful for in life. That list should include all those who help make our experience in college so enjoyable. It is easy to acknowledge the person who hands you your coffee in the morning with a brisk “thanks.” What is difficult is actually taking time to really appreciate the work being done and genuinely mean it when you say “thank you.” For anything we normally expect at FSU - fresh meals, clean bathrooms, and smoothly running events, for example - there are a number of people behind the scenes working to make it happen. You should thank our maintainers for keeping our campus clean. They ensure our trash is taken care of and our bathrooms remain sanitary throughout the year. During the cold winter months, they also work overtime to remove snow from our parking lots and to keep our sidewalks accessible. You should thank the staff of Dining Services for their efforts to provide diverse meal offerings each day, and their commitment to offering suitable meals for anyone with dietary restrictions or allergies. There are many more workers in dining services who do not cook but still ensure our meal services run smoothly - those who wash the dishes, sweep the floors, and restock table supplies, for example. Dining Services creates an environment in the McCarthy Dining Commons that fosters our community - it is a place to gather and enjoy a meal with friends and colleagues. Dining Services’s themed meal nights throughout the year provide members of the FSU community opportunities to celebrate milestones with their fRAMly. You should thank our Campus Events workers for helping events run smoothly - everything from Bingo nights to SGA. You will find a Campus Events liaison prepared to answer questions and assist with any technology troubleshooting at every event. Campus Events staff not only set up tech for events - they help provide enough chairs for the audience, set up tables, and stay for the entirety of each event to help with any issues that arise. You should thank the staff at the Health Center for their work assisting any of us who are feeling under the weather and for offering immunizations conveniently on campus in early fall. Every member of the Health Center does everything they can to promote student health on campus - from offering clinics on how to use life-saving equipment to running the S.E.A.L.S. program. The students involved in S.E.A.L.S. also deserve thanks for hosting tables in the McCarthy Center throughout the semester to promote student health. The S.E.A.L.S. peer mentors also stock the self-care vending machine on the third floor of the McCarthy Center, where students can access sexual- and menstrual-health products and over-the-counter medicine for free. You should thank members of the Counseling Center for providing us accessible and free mental-health counseling in a safe and inviting space. They offer ongoing counseling as well as walk-in appointments for students to have the mental health support they need. You should thank the staff members of the Henry Whittemore Library for providing us with a range of comfortable study spaces and access to all the academic resources we need to succeed in college. The library staff revamps the building’s appearance by decorating for each holiday. They offer non-academic resources, such as the seed library and the rejuvenation room - making the space even more welcoming for the entire campus community. There is so much on campus that seems to be done automatically. But remember: there is a person, or a team of people, who do the work to ensure campus is the way it is. Every time you notice the grass is freshly mowed or the dining hall has clean dishes, know there is a campus worker behind the scenes making FSU hospitable for you. To all of the unseen workers on the Framingham State campus, The Gatepost Editorial Board wants to extend the biggest thanks we can. Though we may not say it often enough, we really do thank you for all of your hard work. So again, as Thanksgiving approaches, be thankful to everyone who helps make our campus flourish. And be sure you say “Thank you” to everyone.